Tuscan leather supply chain fractures as 830 firms close since 2019

Production workers in Tuscany are preparing to strike on July 9 as calls for a restructuring of the supply chain landscape escalate, according to FashionUnited. The walkout reflects deepening strain across the region's historic leather industry, which has contracted sharply over the past seven years. According to figures provided by local trade unions cited by FashionUnited, 830 leather goods companies in the province of Florence have closed since 2019, displacing approximately 7,000 workers.

The strike signals a broader crisis in the supply chain that underpins Tuscany's global image as a centre of craftsmanship and luxury production. Florence has long marketed itself as a hub of artisanal leather work—a cornerstone of the region's soft power and tourist appeal. Yet the scale of closure suggests structural problems that go beyond cyclical downturns: consolidation, offshoring, and the pressure of mass-market competition have hollowed out the mid-tier producers that once formed the backbone of Tuscan manufacturing.

The timing of the action, during peak summer tourism season, underscores the disconnect between Tuscany's postcard image and the working reality behind it. Visitors to Florence encounter leather goods at every turn—markets, workshops, boutiques—yet the workers who produce them are increasingly scarce. The strike signals that those who remain are pushing back against the conditions that have driven so many of their peers out of the industry entirely.