Epson has launched first ever industrial level direct-to-garment printer, Epson SureColor SC-F3030. The robust direct-to-garment (DTG) printer is designed for high productivity. This printer is targeted towards garment screen printers, e-commerce customers, drop-shipment jobbers and new start-ups engaged in personalized T-shirt printing business. It offers a low total cost of ownership (TCO) for Mid/Large garment and T-shirt manufacturers.

The SC-F3030 features high levels of accuracy and prints even complex designs on a variety of cotton garments from light to dark colors, allowing businesses to deliver quick turnaround time. Its high speed networking enables rapid file transfer with 4GB RAM for job queuing. While printing on a light colored shirt can be done in 14 seconds, printing on a dark garment takes 26 seconds. Its new Hanger Platens and auto height adjustment enable for faster loading with optional grip pads for frameless placement.

Epson SureColor SC-F3030 comes with Epson Garment Creator, which enables production of complex high-quality images containing a mix of text and graphics. Epson Accounting software helps in cost control and new Epson Cloud Solution PORT (Remote Monitoring System for Professional Printers) solution helps in enhanced management, security and operational support. These software make the new printer highly functional. Epson has introduced elements such as enhanced productivity and highly durable design to help businesses be more efficient and to optimize the printing workflow. Additionally, the new SureColor SC-F3030 printer is designed with ink-less nozzle status monitoring and advanced auto cleaning, which ensures consistent output with minimum wastage.

UK retailers are considering burning clothes that have been shipped to customers in the EU because of extra costs and red tape resulting from Brexit. According to the UK Fashion and Textiles Association (UKFT) EU consumers buying goods from the UK-based fashion websites are being handed bills for customs clearances and VAT of 20 per cent or more than the cost of the goods.

UK high street and luxury fashion brands have a mounting volume of goods building up in the EU that customers have returned, often because they have been asked to pay extra costs that they did not expect. When customers return goods there is additional paperwork to complete as well as fees including export clearance charge, import charge arrival, and import VAT. Fashion retailers are among companies that face tariffs on exports to the EU if the goods were not made in the UK. The charges are 12 per cent at items. The additional time and expense meant it may be cheaper for retailers to write off the cost of the goods rather than dealing with the problem.

UK customers buying from the EU are also being hit with additional bills. Since the trade deal came into force, UK shoppers ordering items from Europe costing more than £39 are likely to be given a VAT bill. And for items over £135, some customs duties may also apply. Thought businesses would adapt in the coming months to minimise the unexpected customs and tax bills. Exporters are likely to pay duties before they arrive in most cases.

US-based leading apparel retailer American Eagle is planning to shut around 200 to 250 stores, mostly mall-based locations. The company currently has around 880 stores. These store closures will take place in next 2 to 3 years. At the same time, the retailer plans to grow the number of Aerie stores by 50, to reach about 400 by the end of 2021. The target is to have 500 to 600 Aerie locations by 2023.

The company is expecting its fourth-quarter revenue to decrease in the low-single digits –driven by a drop in bricks-and-mortar sales due to weak mall traffic during the pandemic. It expects momentum to continue online, with digital sales at all of its brands growing in double digits. Aerie is forecasted to see a high 20 per cent revenue growth in fourth-quarter, while its namesake American Eagle is forecasted to see sales drop in low double digits.

Its long-term financial target is to grow Aerie business to $2 billion, while improving profits in namesake banner. The rapid growth of Aerie, which sells everything from bras and underwear to swimsuits and sweatpants, is emerging as a strong competition to L Brands’ Victoria’s Secret business.

Sharing long-term financial outlook, the company informed it targets revenue of approximately $5.5 billion and operating income of $550 million in fiscal 2023, with the operating margin expanding to 10 per cent.

Global denim market is expected to continue its upward growth trajectory predicts various studies. With growing demand for recycled denims made from plastics and other materials the market is expected to grow at 6.20 per cent from of 2020 to 2027, says a databridgemarketresearch study. Similarly, as per psmarketresearch.com global denim market valued at $56.1 billion in 2017 will grow at a CAGR of 5.8 per cent by 2023.

Sustainability, innovation drives growth

The psmarketresearch.com study highlights Asia-Pacific market will clock in fastest growth fuelled by higher disposable income, easy availability of raw materials, and positive government policy initiatives for manufacturing in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India among others, says Textiletoday report. The US market growing at a CAGR of 16.1 will be one of the biggest for denim.

And as the market grows sustainability will be a major thrust for consumers. Recycling of old, discarded clothes and plastics are a huge concern across the globe both among consumers and manufactures. Use of large quantities of hazardous chemicals and high emissions greenhouse gases during denim production are affecting the environment. And as demand for recycling gains ground production of denim from plastic and other recyclable materials is a major opportunity for manufacturers.

Moreover, cropped hems, distressed, patched and boyfriend jeans, two-tone jeans, and skinny jeans are much in demand across the globe especially among younger people. Decorative denim with patches, laces, and embroidery are also going off the shelves, the study reveals.

The retail angle

Indeed, North America was the largest denim market, in terms of revenue from 2013 to 2017 for long. However, the APAC region is projected to see highest CAGR during the forecast period, owing to improved manufacturing process, swift urbanization, bettering standards of living, increasing disposable income, and expanding working-class population

Meanwhile online retail will continue to be a huge draw registering the fastest growth in denim market. In fact, the pandemic has confirmed this trend. Online sales will be fuelled by customers wanting convenient on-demand shopping and now with the pandemic their reluctance to visit brick and mortar stores.

Overall, denim market is highly fragmented in nature. In fact, major global players have taken strategic measures, such as product launches, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, and facility expansions, to strengthen their position.

As one of the top five global retail destinations, India’s retail landscape is very vibrant. As entrepreneur Narendra Pasuparthy writes in Business World, India has the highest per capita brick-and-mortar store ratio. Seen in present context with pandemic and lockdowns across the globe, this indicates towards a shift in consumer preference towards online retail, and is an opportunity for omnichannel.

As per an IBEF study, online sales in India will grow at 10.7 per cent in the next four years from less than five per cent in 2019. Indeed, the pandemic was a catalyst, with online grocery sales alone recording 76 per cent growth compared to last year. This throws up huge opportunities to transform the landscape by leveraging technology.

Importance of brick and mortar stores

While online maybe an emerging opportunity, brick and mortar stores still hold a strong place he writes “As the world looks at Indian retail for inspiration and business opportunities, it is important that we play to our strengths – our good old physical store. Let us not make the myopic mistake of equating technology to ecommerce and online purchases alone.”

Hence, brick and mortar stores are irreplaceable. In fact, an IDC study highlights, customers who shop from multiple channels (store and ecommerce platforms) have a 30 per cent higher customer lifetime value as opposed to those who buy from a single channel. Hence, the importance of physical stores cannot wane.

“Therefore, it is crucial that we understand the need for multiple channels and the role each one plays in contributing to customer loyalty. As retailers, we need to understand the post-pandemic customers’ mindset – safety, convenience, cost-efficacy, and yet, an engaging experience that delivers more than just the product,” Pasuparthy writes.

He goes on to argue hyperlocal presence is important for “an impactful experience that aids overall growth and sales across channels”. The role of technology is important here to service customers across channels. “A well-integrated omnichannel system allows companies to be in sync with changing customer expectations so that they can meet them consistently,” he writes.

In the US for example as per McKinsey the Buy Online, Pick-up In-Store model grew almost 28 per cent in February 2020 compared to 18 per cent in 2019. With the pandemic and shifting customer behaviour there is a huge potential to deploy hyperlocal delivery and personalised experiences, powered by technology.

And as Canadian retail industry futurist Doug Stephens says, “Most convenience-based retailers will begin to use stores as media for customer acquisition and media platforms as stores for sales transaction”. Indeed, while businesses are shifting to digital channels brick-and-mortar stores will continue to remain vital to drive omni-channel business growth.

Eurofins Consumer Products Assurance has been accredited by Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) as a monitoring firm in India. The accreditation shall enable Eurofins Consumer Products Assurance to drive responsible sourcing across complex modern apparel and footwear supply chains. This accreditation in India will contribute to and support the industry’s social compliance effort in this important region.

WRAP is one of the world’s largest independent certification programmes that aims to promote safe, lawful, humane, and ethical manufacturing globally through certification and education specifically in the apparel and footwear industry.

Following WRAP’s 12 Principles, buyers and suppliers work towards the same set of social compliance assessment protocols. WRAP certification enables buyers to identify and suppliers to showcase a commitment to and achievements in social compliance.

India is one of the key apparel and footwear manufacturing countries in the global supply chain. As a Full Member Firm of APSCA, this accreditation further strengthens Eurofins Consumer Products Assurance’s service portfolio.

Increased awareness about safety and globally accepted regulations by companies have significantly increased demand for industrial IoT-integrated smart PPE solutions, especially in oil and gas, manufacturing, and construction industries, to ensure workers’ safety in various work environments. Mounting demand for smart PPE is due to the fact that, IIOT-integrated PPE delivers the best real-time preventive maintenance solutions.

Based on a Smart PPE Market by Fact.MR report global smart PPE market is poised to expand at a steady CAGR of 6 per cent, and touch $3 billion by the end of 2030. The study also states global smart PPE market is projected to create an absolute opportunity of more than $1.2 billion from 2020 to 2030. Based on product type, the protective clothing segment is set to hold a share-wide market dominance with over 60 per cent of total market value by the end of 2030. The protective footwear segment is also projected to expand at a value CAGR of 7.5 per cent, and is expected to be valued 2X more than off-shore by the end of 2030.

The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in impacting demand for smart PPE at the global level, as an aftereffect of halted production and construction activities in end-use industries. Furthermore, disrupted supply chains and reduced production at manufacturing companies have also contributed to descending demand. However, the smart PPE market is expected to show advancing growth post-pandemic period, as demand for reliable and efficient worker safety products with OSHA standards will surge.

Indian apparel exporters should aspire to achieve double digit share of global market, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu said while inaugurating the Apparel Export Promotion Council’s (AEPC) virtual fair platform. While India is the largest producer of cotton and jute and is a major yarn producer, it lacks competitive edge in fabrics and garments. Hence, there is a need to improve competitiveness of these segments. Bangladesh and Vietnam are major competitors for India because of the availability of labour in these countries. Skilled manpower should be our core strength says the minister.

The Vice-President also urged the industry to look at a diverse portfolio of products to tap new markets. The private sector should partner with the government and improve competitiveness even in new areas such as MMF and technical textiles. The textile and clothing sector should focus on technology upgrade and up-skilling workers to improve its competitiveness.

The global market for technical textiles is $220 billion and India has huge potential to tap in this sector. The government has come out with production linked incentive scheme for technical textiles. The apparel manufacturers should aim for double digit share in the global market. The Vice-President also pointed out that the on-going pandemic has necessitated export events to take place on the virtual medium.

Bangladesh, the largest jean supplier to the US, saw shipments dip 3.73 per cent for the 11 months through November to $522.78 million, on par with the previous month’s data from the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles & Apparel (OTEXA).

Denim purchase was hit severely during the pandemic but steadied in November amid holiday push. Denim apparel imports till November declined 26.01 per cent to $2.57 billion compared to the same 11-month period in 2019. The decline was a slight development from the 27.42 per cent year-to-date decrease in October. While denim apparel imports from Mexico, the second largest producer, fell 43.6 per cent to $424.74 million. Vietnam lost some of its gains from prior two months, with a year-to-date increase of 0.68 per cent to $342.09 million in November. This trailed by 1.08 per cent and 1.77 per cent year-to-date increase in October and September, correspondingly. China continued to lose ground as a jeans production in the month. Till November, imports from China nosedived 53.75 per cent to $304.82 million. Chinese manufacturers have been dealing with the fallout of the pandemic much like the rest of the world, while also suffering from strategic sourcing shifts by importers looking to reduce risk and costs from tariffs derived from the trade war with the US

Among second-tier countries with a smaller market share, imports from Cambodia continued to strengthen, with a year-to-date gain of 13.62 per cent to $130.77 million. Pakistan flattened its decline to 3.25 per cent to $227.81 million in the period.

Covid-19-related disruption continues to hit the schedule of Pure London organiser Hyve Group. The group highlighted this in its Q1 trading update (from October-to-date). But the UK-based company says it was encouraged the vaccination rollout would see the gradual return of customer participation, particularly in Western countries. Hyve managed to run eight in-person events in Russia, Ukraine, China and, for the first time, in Turkey, taking its tally since the onset of the pandemic to 20. Q1 is usually Hyve’s smallest and quietest quarter by revenue so the impact of pandemic-linked issues would have been smaller during the quarter.

Although Western Europe remains a firmly closed platform for its in-person events business, it noted there's strong demand as a recovery continues into FY22. For the time being demand for remote events are a plus as the business adopted and rolled out a more digital events. That was boosted by the acquisition of Retail Meetup in December which has encouraging forward bookings for the upcoming events in March and May 2021.

The group’s strategy and focus is on building an omni channel business positions Hyve well for a post Covid-19 environment as markets reopen.

Another plus for group is that it maintains a strong liquidity position, supported by insurance claims against cancelled events. In FY20, the group successfully secured a further £22 million of related income so far, from a pot capped at £62 million. It noted insurance cover is in place for the cancellation of FY21 events, with potential claims capped at £50 million.