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If the government is looking to reduce social exclusion (rather than exclusion from the tax system) then perhaps the next Green Paper could look at the advantages of local exchange trading systems. The DSS may treat participation in a LETS scheme as remunerated work. This creates the same set of problems and disincentives as work paid for in sterling for people claiming benefits. Last year, however, new guidance to DSS offices gave some local discretion, as Liz Shephard advises.

I wish to address here the issue of the future for working women. I believe it is a bright future — brighter than ever before. It is a future of opportunity.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a new perspective by conceptualising country of origin (COO) from a management perspective, identifying the impact different COO constructs have in the context of fashion retailer and manufacturer businesses.

This qualitative study comprises a series of in-depth interviews with key informants from large-scale fashion retailers and manufacturers in the UK.

The major findings of this research demonstrate that COO is considered a strategic business imperative but manifests in a variety of ways depending on brand positioning, long-term strategic plans, expertise, and brand values, etc.

This study contributes to the body of knowledge about the importance of COO. The findings of this research will have practical implications for manufacturers and retailers, informing the debate on the value of the “Made in […]” epithet. Findings are limited to the UK fashion clothing industry.

This research presents a new perspective on the COO construct, addressing it from a management rather than consumer perspective. It argues that COO can be considered as a strategic dimension, which is manifested in a variety of ways. COO has been extensively researched from a consumer point of view but this research takes a new approach by presenting findings from a managerial point of view, with fashion manufacturing and retail branding as the context.