The 2025 Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index, the first since Cascale acquired Better Buying, reveals a soft-goods industry under pressure from tariffs and instability. Scores fell slightly as planning and forecasting weakened, exposing wide regional gaps but also showing that consistent, data-led engagement helps suppliers withstand disruption.
- The 2025 Index shows overall soft-goods performance slipping to 66, one point down on last year amid widespread tariff pressures.
- Planning and Forecasting remains the weakest area, with 37% of suppliers citing it as their top improvement priority.
- Only 34.5% of suppliers reported receiving forecasts at least one hundred and twenty days in advance, while just over 81% received regular updates—showing improved communication but limited visibility overall.
- Central and South America achieved the highest ratings across most categories, while Europe, the Middle East and Africa lagged behind.
- Integration of Better Buying insights with Higg Index tools enables consistent benchmarking, tracking of improvements, and stronger supplier partnerships across global value chains.
THE REPORT: The 2025 Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index draws on 1,340 soft-goods ratings from 1,360 suppliers, covering 35 buyer companies across apparel, footwear, and household textiles supply chains. Conducted between 1 April and 5 June 2025 during heightened tariff volatility, it marks the first cycle run under Cascale’s stewardship. The study provides a structured, data-driven assessment of how purchasing practices withstand global shocks while advancing responsible sourcing. The dataset was collected between one April and five June 2025, a period marked by sharp tariff escalations that turned the survey into a live stress test of purchasing resilience.
- Data was collected amid punitive tariffs and supply-chain disruptions, creating a real-time stress test for buyer practices across seven key categories.
- Overall scores and category averages declined, revealing systemic weaknesses where responsible purchasing processes were not yet institutionalised.
- The acquisition allows consistency in benchmarking and transparency across industries, linking supplier feedback to comparable performance data used throughout Cascale’s Higg Index ecosystem.
READING THE SCORECARD: The 2025 Index shows modest decline across most purchasing categories, led by a three-point fall in Planning and Forecasting and smaller dips elsewhere. Central and South America led in six of seven measures, while Europe, the Middle East and Africa scored below benchmark levels, confirming persistent unevenness in buyer–supplier performance. Only 43.2% of suppliers reported that all orders covered the costs of compliant production, down from 48.9% a year earlier. Timely payments also slipped: 78% received invoices paid on time, and 43.6% were on sixty-day terms or better.
- Nearly four in ten suppliers identified Planning and Forecasting as their main improvement priority, confirming persistent visibility and scheduling gaps.
- Most categories recorded small declines, signalling that resilient results depend on entrenched processes rather than market luck.
- Repeat subscribers averaged three points higher than the industry benchmark, reinforcing that sustained engagement delivers tangible purchasing gains.
- Only 43.6% of suppliers reported payment terms within sixty days; longer cycles persisted in China and South Asia.
- Forecast visibility improved slightly, with 34.5% receiving forecasts at least one hundred and twenty days in advance.
BEYOND THE SCORES: Behind the modest score movements lies a broader message about resilience and responsibility. Buyers maintaining transparent communication, fair lead times, and reliable payments navigated tariff volatility more smoothly. The data indicate that such structured practices—rather than ad hoc reactions—define long-term stability across supply chains.
- Continuous measurement across annual cycles allows buyers to identify and correct weaknesses before they deepen into systemic risk.
- Integration with Cascale’s Higg Index tools links performance data to verifiable metrics, promoting consistency across global supply networks.
- The Index positions responsible purchasing as a measurable practice capable of improving both efficiency and supplier well-being.
- Three-year repeat subscribers showed higher planning scores—averaging sixty-four points against the industry’s fifty-six—and reserved capacity for suppliers ahead of production, strengthening mutual predictability.
THE ACCOUNTABILITY CHECK: The Index shows that performance shifts stem mainly from buyer-controlled practices rather than from tariffs or macro shocks. Consistency in planning, forecasting, and payment processes correlated strongly with supplier stability. Where such systems were embedded, suppliers maintained operations despite external turbulence, illustrating that disciplined management, not market fortune, defines resilience.
- The report identifies resilient buyers as those maintaining predictable timelines, transparent communications, and equitable terms through disruption.
- Performance gaps highlight the need for formalised forecasting and cost coverage frameworks to strengthen long-term supply partnerships.
- Responsible purchasing emerges as an operational benchmark linking fair business conduct with measurable supplier resilience.
- The report also notes that some buyers, particularly in North America, failed to accept completed supplier audits, causing duplication and administrative strain—an area flagged for corrective attention.
WHAT THEY SAID
When suppliers’ voices are heard, everyone wins. Their insights help brands design smarter, fairer purchasing practices that deliver stronger partnerships, greater efficiency, and more sustainable growth.
— Katie Hess
Head of Product
Better Buying, Cascale
These results underscore the importance of structured, data-driven tools in driving responsible purchasing. Integrating Better Buying insights with Higg Index tools allows companies to benchmark, track improvement, and strengthen supplier partnerships.
— Jeremy Lardeau
Senior Vice President, Higg Index
Cascale
Our long-term supplier relationships are among our most valuable assets in both business and sustainability work. Better Buying helps us monitor their health and maintain strong partnerships, even when things get busy.
— Susan Scow
Sustainability Impact Specialist
Eileen Fisher
We are glad that Cascale has acquired Better Buying’s tools and look forward to responsible purchasing being evaluated on a wider scale. This will create a level playing field and a more sustainable supply chain.
— Delman Lee
Vice Chair
TAL Apparel
