The great majority of it was destined for Lancashire which (in turn) produced two-thirds of all the cotton fabric that was traded.

ECONOMIST: Cotton

Because American Giant's supply chain can be traced all the way back to the US cotton fields, with fabric being specially woven and dyed for it, getting a new shipment of raw materials wasn't as simple as making a phone call and waiting for an overnight delivery.

BBC: American Giant: The problems of being an overnight success