Albanian Apparel Industry and Its Characteristics of Development

Abstract

For many years the phenomenon of offshore outsourcing has softened the economic problems of developing countries. The main industries that have developed thanks to outsourcing are labor-intensive industries and services. We recognize achievement indicators for developing countries like China, India, Philippines, etc. The reasons vary as the country's size, costs, level of education, the policies of the host country and many others. The set of these factors not only affects to the promotion of foreign investments, but also to the growth rate of an industry compared with others or international trade level for a particular category of goods / services. Albania has positive figures of development of offshore outsourcing particularly on apparel industry. The industry has been able to survive over two decades even though the economic and political changes. The modest data show little information about the characteristics of this industry, in terms of sector size, number of firms and their size, type of products, etc. The growth of the industry is focused only on positive net exports. The purpose of this paper is presenting a different picture of the industry, focusing on factors directly related to the development of apparel firms. Some of them are the functions (processes) they do, products, their experience, location, etc. This paper will help being familiar with the main characteristics of this industry as well as providing some important conclusions for its development in the future.

DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2015.v4n3s1p585