Supplier selection criteria for textile and apparel companies – A case study in Vietnam

Abstract

Supplier selection is a significant phase of procurement. However, a little systematic research on supplier selection criteria in the textile and apparel industry has been conducted in Vietnam. The purpose of this study is to identify criteria that constitute to the supplier selection decision of purchasers. An integrated approach involving purposeful sampling and theoretical sampling was used. Qualitative data were collected via expert interviews from 20 companies ranging from spinning to textiles to garments as well as ancillary industries in both southern and northern Vietnam. The data were analysed using NVIVO 8.0 software. The researchers assumed that exploring the extant supplier selection criteria used by Vietnamese textile and apparel companies will contribute to the literature concerning procurement in particular and supply chain management in general.