Fashion brands and retailers immediately identified the economic threat to their businesses as all but essential shops closed to protect the global population from the novel coronavirus in March 2020.
But they were not quite so quick to spot the damage to their reputation caused as they cancelled or postponed orders for new stock from manufacturers in supply countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia.
A coalition of workers' rights groups, ethical trade campaigners and trade unions did not waste any time in pointing out that cancelling orders that were already in production - and in some cases already shipped – without compensation would have drastic consequences.
