An Italian Pavilion of 17 machinery manufacturers will be organized by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, and the Italian Trade Agency at Techtextil North America in Atlanta from May 17-19.

  The ACIMIT companies to participate in the exhibition include 4M Plants, Aeris, Arioli, Computer House, Fadis, Flainox, Guarneri Technology, Ima, Kairos Engineering, MCS, Ramina, Siltex, Stalam, Testa and Willy.  

US textile sales exceeded $64 billion in 2020, with approximately 300,000 workers and about 15,000 companies. The industry’s strength lies in both cotton and manmade fibres, and a wide variety of yarns and fabrics, says ACIMIT

  From January-September 2021, Italy’s sales to the US surged by 74 per cent in value to €93 million compared to the same period of the previous year.

Men’s fashion label Jack & Jones plans to increase the use of Tencel in its collection. As per Carved in Blue report, the brand is among the first to use carbon-zero Tencel ™ Lyocell. For these fibers, Lenzing first reduces the environmental footprint as much as possible, and then offsets the impact that cannot be avoided. The result is a raw material with a net-zero carbon footprint.  

These carbon neutral fibers are being used in a new range of Jack & Jones jeans. For the Tim Original CJ 415 and Tim Original CJ 515, 38 percent carbon-zero TENCEL™ is blended with cotton and recycled elastane.  

Mikkel Hochrein Albrektsen, Creative Buying Manager, Jack & Jones – Jeans Intelligence, says, The Tencel™ lyocell fiber adds comfort without compromising on the look. The carbon-zero initiative by Lenzing is helps us give back what we take from the environment.

A leading fashion house, G3+ Fashion has ventured into the casual wear segment - helping customers get everything they need to complete or reinvent their wardrobe from a single destination.

One of the leading players in the fashion industry, G3+ Fashion not only houses a plethora of exceptional readymade outfits, but also creates customized  pieces tailored to suit a customer’s specific requirements. Incorporating the plushest fabrics and magnificent designs, all its apparels are designed to seamlessly blend comfort with glamour. Through its Video Shopping feature, G3+ Fashion connects both its local and global customers with trained sales professionals, who guide them in finding the perfect ensembles with precision. 

 G3+ Fashion also offers an exclusive ‘G3+ Video Shopping’ facility  which allows local as well as global customers to browse through all their collections live from the convenience and safety of their own homes, via video calling platforms such as FaceTime, Skype, and WhatsApp. This unique feature was started to banish the scepticism about online shopping from the minds of shoppers, by providing them with a virtual in-store experience that goes above and beyond the realms of ordinary online shopping. 

Bangladesh’s RMG exports increased 24 per cent to $4.21 billion during the July-February period of FY2021-22. As per a Textile Today report, Bangladesh has been reporting a significant improvement in garment exports since the outbreak of COVID-19. The country’s exports to the US, UK, Canada and the European Union (EU) have been surging while exports to new markets are also recording a growth of over 10 per cent.

Export Promotion Bureau’s (EPB) stats show, Bangladeshi entrepreneurs exported garments worth $4.21 billion to new markets during the eight-month period. Their exports amounted to BDT 38,290 crore in domestic currency while export earnings surged 23.61 percent ahead of the same period of the previous financial year. Mohammad Hatem, Executive President, BKMEA says, Bangladesh is emerging as the most preferred garment supplier amongst other apparel exporting countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar etc.

In the first eight months of the current financial year, Bangladesh exported RMG products worth $ 27.49 billion. Of these, 13.65 billion worth of products were exported to the EU countries, 5.77 billion to the US, 2.93 billion to the UK and 0.82 billion to Canada. Among the new markets, exports to Japan totaled $730 million during July-February FY2021-22 while garments worth $560 million were exported to Australia.

Russia’s RMG imports increased 35.30 per cent to $480 million in the first eight months of the current financial year.

India and the European Union a comprehensive FTA deal to raise bilateral trade to over $220 billion in five years. Trade negotiations between the two nations halted in 2013 over the movement of Indian professionals and high Indian tariffs on European farm produce. The India-EU FTA will make it easier for both countries to negotiate for a comprehensive trade deal within this framework, says Ajay Sahai, Director General & CEO, Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO).  

 On April 2, Piyush Goyal, Commerce Minister said, India plans to sign new FTAs with the UK, Canada, Israel, Gulf Cooperation Council, and the EU. It recently signed the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). According to him, the India-EU FTA will double bilateral trade between the two partners from the existing $110 billion.

  The India-UK FTA may materialize happen before the EU deal as UK does not wish to resort to interim deal. The current value of bilateral India-UK trade is $50 billion. Negotiations on this FTA are set to start before the end of the year.

Bangladesh Denim Expo plans to organize a physical edition after a two-year gap in the International Convention City, Bashundhara (ICCB) in Dhaka from May 10-11, 2022. As per Spin Off report, the 12th edition of the show will focus on the theme ‘Beyond Business.’  It will show industry players new opportunities to be successful while offering sustainable solutions.

Scheduled to host 79 exhibitors, the show will include both local and international participants showcasing their latest fabrics, garments, threads, machinery, finishing equipment and accessories. They will represent the Bangladesh denim industry that considers itself the second-largest denim exporter to Europe and the third largest one to the US.

Worth around $5.75 million in 2021, the branded bags and accessories market is expected to reach $14.5 billion by 2024.The market was traditionally dominated by brands such as Hidesign, Da Milano, Baggit, Lavie, Michael Kors and Burbeery. However, lately, it is seeing the emergence of many new-age brands such as as Zouk, Hamelin, Miraggio and Arture.

Brands launch expansion plans

Of the above mentioned, brand Zouk was launched in 2016. It offers 150 SKUs in categories like laptop bags, office bags, handbags, sling bags, hobo bags, tote bags and wallets. This year, the brand plans to add backpacks as a new category. The designs of these backpacks will be primarily inspired from Indian motifs, prints and fabrics. They will target women in the age group of 20-45 years. Currently selling its products on marketplaces such as Amazon, Myntra and Ajio, Zouk also plans to explore offline retail this year. It aims to become a Rs 100 crore brand by the next financial year, says Pradeep Krishnakumar, Co-Founder and COO.

Launched in October 2019, Miraggio targets millennial and Gen Z women. The brand offers a wide range of handbags, crossbody bags, shoulder bags, tote bags, and clutches on its own website as well as on fashion marketplaces such as Myntra and Nykaa Fashion. It also offers sunglasses, jewelry, and small leather goods. By the end of this year, it plans to grow to more than 500 SKUs, adds Mohit Jain, Founder. It also plans to open retail stores and kiosks at airports in India this year.

Earlier focused on wallets and bags, Hamelin now also sells planter wraps and desk accessories. The brand plans to expand its home décor products portfolio this month. It uses a variety of materials such as tweed, jute, jacquard, ikat and khadi to create its products, says Madhumita N, Founder and CEO. Its bestselling products include sling bags and wallets at an average price point of Rs 1,500.

Currently selling card cases, wallets, travel accessories, sling bags and belts, brand Arture plans to foray into the backpacks category this year, followed by footwear in the coming years. The brand designs its products with a focus on functionality and minimalism. They are both sustainable and vegan, adds Shivani Patel, Founder, CEO and Creative Director

Strengthening customer profile for growth

While all these brands are growing in terms of profits, expansion is a big problem for them, says Sameer Amte, Managing Director and Lead (Retail), Accenture India. To expand their offerings, these brands need to cement their current position, customer profile, branding and packaging. Kapil Makhija, CEO, Unicommerce adds, these brands need to make their business profitable and scalable despite lack of funding. They need to focus on profitability, adoption of advanced data and analytics capabilities, omnichannel experience, and an agile, customer-centric supply chain, says Amte.

Fast fashion retailer Mango plans to open about 40 US stores by the end of 2024, part of a global expansion that includes Europe and India. Last year, the company operated 2,447 stores worldwide, up about 10 percent from 2020. Currently in the US, Mango has six locations.

After two years of explosive e-commerce growth, a number brands and retailers are now investing again in their physical footprints. So far this year, 3,882 new stores are on track to open in the US, already higher than last year, according to Coresight Research.

By offering a number of different touchpoints, from online to offline to wholesale partners, Mango is keeping its customers close to the brand, said chief executive Toni Ruiz.

Mango’s retail expansion in the US will begin with a new 2,100-square-foot flagship store in New York, on Fifth Avenue. The location will open its doors in May. Next up, the retailer is eyeing Florida, reaching cities such as Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville and Boca Raton. And after that, the West: Texas, Arizona, Nevada and finally California. By 2024, Mango will have 40 new stores in the US, with the goal of the US being a top-five market for the retailer; it’s currently a top 10 market, the company said.

This year, Mango is also planning to open 10 new stores in India and 20 in France. A number of these new locations will feature a new Mediterranean-inspired store concept, featuring warm tones inside the store and highlighting natural materials such as wood, ceramic and leather.

Mango’s stores will also enable a more seamless online-offline shopping experience, such as click-and-collect and being able to order e-commerce products as part of the brick-and-mortar shopping journey. Improving data collection on customer behavior, too, will better enable Mango to offer personalized service to shoppers.

Strengthening its online presence, eyewear retailer Lenskart has partnered with e-commerce majors like Nykaa, Myntra, Tata Cliq and other platforms to sell its products

The move will helpLenskart make deeper inroads in the country’s booming online market and expects online marketplaces to drive the company’s next phase of growth.

It will also boost its business goal of gaining 50 percent of the eyewear market share with access to both metros and smaller cities through the etailers.

PeeyushBansal, CEO and Co Founder, says, the strategy will leverage the brand's strong technology muscle to launch into new marketplaces with global aspiration and focus on brands including Lenskart, John Jacobs, Hooper and Aqualens

Lenskart backed by Softbank and Temasek has received over $900 million in funding to date. The business runs stores across India and is also present in international markets including Singapore, Dubai, and the US.

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s leading high-quality products group, recorded a 29 per cent rise in revenuesto€18 billion in the first quarter of 2022. The group’s organic revenue growth was 23 per cent. All business groups achieved double-digit revenue growth, except for Wines & Spirits, which continued to see supply constraints. The United States and Europe also achieved double-digit revenue growth; Asia continued to grow over the quarter despite the impact of a tightening of health restrictions in China in March.

The Wines & Spirits business group recorded organic revenue growth of 2 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period of 2021. The Champagne business had an excellent start to the year, with volumes rising sharply, particularly in Europe and Japan, and a firm price increase policy.

The Fashion & Leather Goods business group recorded organic revenue growth of 30 per cent in the first quarter of 2022. In Perfumes & Cosmetics, organic revenue growth was 17 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period of 2021. The business group enjoyed excellent momentum thanks to sustained growth in perfume and makeup, particularly in the United States. Christian Dior achieved remarkable growth and gained market share, benefiting from the progress of its iconic fragrances Sauvage, Miss Dior and J’Adore, and its makeup. Guerlain successfully rolled out its Aqua Allegoria line and its new collection of fine perfumery l’Artet la Matière. Its Abeille Royale skincare line also contributed to the performance of the Maison. Parfums Givenchy unveiled its new eau de toilette Fraîche Irresistible. Maison Francis Kurkdjian continued to see rapid growth.

In the first quarter of 2022, the Watches & Jewelry business group recorded organic revenue growth of 19 per cent compared to the same period of 2021. In jewelry, Tiffany & Co. had an excellent start to the year, still driven by strong growth in the United States.

In Selective Retailing, organic revenue growth was 24 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period of 2021. Sephora achieved excellent performance in the quarter with a strong rebound in the activity in its own store network, which had been partly closed at the beginning of 2021. Momentum was particularly strong in North America, France and the Middle East, driven notably by perfume. DFS’s revenue rose in the quarter but at a lower level due to the persistent weakness of international travel.