For the third quarter JC Penney’s net sales declined 5.8 per cent. Comparable sales fell 5.4 per cent on an unshifted basis. Marking out the calendar shift this year due to the 53rd week in 2017, comparable sales dropped down by 4.5 per cent.

The US-based department store chain’s women’s and men’s apparel along with accessories were the brand’s top performing segments in the recently concluded quarter. The company expects comparable sales for fiscal 2018 to be in low single digits. JC Penney operates more than 860 stores across the US, Puerto Rico and also offers its services via its exclusive e-commerce platform.

JC Penney finds itself weighed down by years of errors and muddled attempts to establish a clear identity with shoppers.

By the end of 2010, sales had fallen ten per cent from their 2006 high. Without testing shoppers’ reactions first, JC Penney changed its advertisements, its logo, its store designs and its pricing model, all attempts to make the retailer more palatable to wealthier shoppers. Penney ditched top private-label brands with loyal followings and introduced new ones that had little relevance to low- and middle-income customers.

As rivals adopted digital strategies and invested to improve their store experiences, Penney's financial distress gave it little room to spruce up stores, buy trendy merchandise, and hire more employees.

Gap will start closing a part of its 775 brand specialty stores globally, due to underperformance. Details on the locations and sequencing of the upcoming closures are yet to come, but the specifics should come as part of the forecast for FY2019., Gap plans to continue growing its e-commerce business, which makes up roughly 20 percent of revenue, and the more than 500 Gap outlet stores that account for about 30 percent of total Gap Global revenue.

The other 50 per cent of revenue for Gap stores all comes from the ailing specialty store segment of Gap Global and there is a wide variance in profitability among the group. The company’s sales declined 7 per cent in Q3 and earnings per share guidance for FY2018 narrowed to $2.55 to $2.60 from the previous guidance of $2.55 to $2.70. Meanwhile, sales were up 4 percent at Old Navy and up 2 percent at Banana Republic.

C&A has released the world’s first Cradle to Cradle certified Gold denim jeans. The jeans innovation posed both a material and design challenge that required designers to be open-minded and flexible in the way they utilized materials.

Cradle to Cradle is a science-based quality certification that acknowledges continuous improvement and innovation of products and processes. The release of C&A’s jeans comes on the heels of the first ever Cradle to Cradle certified Gold, fully compostable T-shirt collection launched in 2017. The denim jeans provide an example of ways to collaborate within the industry to split the materials into biological and technical nutrients to create a closed-loop system of design.

The challenge was in creating a garment that has the same performance as traditional models, but doing so in a way that is either 100 per cent technical or 100 per cent biological to allow them to return to their respective cycles at the end of use. Another option, which was adopted for the jeans, was to make them easily separable so the biological and technical nutrients can return to their respective cycles.

All the components in the jeans were made to be easily separable so that the biological and technical nutrients can return to their respective cycles.

Although denim jeans are mostly known as a fashion garment, they are still worn as protective garments by some individuals, such as cattle ranch workers and motorcycle riders, due to their high durability as compared to other common fabrics. The global jeans market is growing at a CAGR of 0.8 per cent from 2018.

Denim jeans are a cornerstone of the American wardrobe and an important cotton product accounting for almost one-fifth of all cotton clothing at retail. They are purchased for durability, longevity, and versatility because consumers find greater value in a product they know will last longer and fit better; therefore price is not the main factor in the denim jeans purchase decision, unlike other clothing. This positioning ensures that denim jeans will continue to have a place on store shelves and in consumers’ closets.

Denim is on the upswing in the US. Retailers are starting to rebuild their denim assortments. Brands that are consumers’ favorite are Levi’s, Lee, Wrangler, Gap, Old Navy and so on.

European consumers want more transparency from apparel brands and retailers. They want fashion brands to publish the factories used to manufacture their clothes and they want fashion brands to say where the materials used in their products come from.

As per a study by Fashion Revolution, supply chain transparency and sustainability impact consumers’ purchasing decisions when shopping for clothing, accessories and shoes. When buying clothes, more than one in three consumers consider social and environmental impacts. For more people buying clothes made by workers paid a fair, living wage is important than any other topic including environmental protection, safe working conditions, animal welfare, local production and use of recycled materials.

Most people think it is important for fashion brands to reduce their long-term impacts on the world by addressing global poverty, climate change, environmental protection and gender inequality. People have an urgent, emotional desire to know more about how their clothes are made, and that they haven’t harmed the environment, the people who made them nor were tested on animals. And they want governments to hold brands and retailers to account to ensure this happens.

Fashion Revolution surveyed some 5000 European consumers aged 16 to 75 in the five largest European markets, including Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain.

A recent report by Allied Market Research reveals, the global digital textile printing machine market is expected to reach $1,248 million by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 10.0 per cent from 2018 to 2024.Surge in consciousness toward fashion and trends among consumers and growing adoption of sustainable and eco-friendly printing methods will drive market growth.

The direct-to-garment (DTG) segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 10.3 per cent from 2018 to 2024 due to high efficiency of DTG printers for short-run orders and their extensive use in the production of customised garments such as sportswear, pillow covers, tees, bottom wear, tops, and others.

However, the direct-to-fabric (DTF) segment is expected to remain dominant through the forecast period. This is because of the ability of DTF printers to print on a variety of materials such as cotton, rayon, silks, polyester blends, and others. Enhanced speed, higher print quality, and superior color gamut provided by DTF printers offer lucrative prospects for growth.

Europe contributed about 37 per cent of the total market share in 2017, while Asia-Pacific is expected to grab the largest market share by 2024, registering the fastest CAGR of 12.8 per cent from 2017 to 2024.

Keeping denim out of landfills is a big priority for Cotton Incorporated. The company’s Blue Jeans Go Green program founded in 2006 allows people to recycle their old denim clothing of any brand in exchange for savings on new pairs of jeans. The program has collected more than two million pieces of denim. Those who’d like to recycle their denim jeans, skirts and similar items are able to drop them off at select clothing retailers, which offer a discount on a new pair of jeans.

The collected denim will be returned to its natural cotton fiber state and upcycled into Ultra Touch Denim Insulation for housing organizations across the US, helping to divert denim from landfills where millions of pounds of textiles are discarded annually.

To date, the program has kept over 700 tons of textile waste out of landfills. The Ultra Touch Denim Insulation is made of 80 per cent post-consumer recycled denim. It’s durable, environmentally friendly, has great sound absorption and is also mildew resistant. It’s a high-quality housing insulation product.

The average American throws away approximately 70 pounds of clothing and other textiles each year. Textile waste, including denim, which is made from biodegradable cotton, takes up nearly five per cent of all landfill space.

Fashion firms fear they will have to stop sourcing from Bangladesh if Accord ceases operations. One of these is Esprit, which produces about a third of its garments in Bangladesh. They feel the closure of Accord’s office will undermine the reputation of the textile industry.

Accord has been asked to cease operations on November 30, 2018. Accord has inspected more than 2000 factories in Bangladesh and helped draw up plans to fix 1,50,000 structural and fire hazards. Some 90 per cent of those issues have since been addressed.

More than 200 firms - including the world’s top fashion retailers like Inditex and H&M - signed the legally-binding, five-year Accord after at least 1,100 people were killed when the Rana Plaza complex collapsed. Low wages have helped Bangladesh build the world’s second-largest garment industry after China, with 4,000 factories employing about four million workers. The sector exports more than 30 billion dollars worth of clothes a year, mainly to the United States and Europe.

Brands fear the premature shut down of Accord, leaving workers in unsafe circumstances, would jeopardize brands’ ability to source from a safe industry and that activism in key market countries could make the Bangladesh brand toxic to consumers in spite of the tremendous improvements achieved in recent years.

"Studies by research firm Global Data shows, the overall retail expenditure in Mexico is likely to grow 29 per cent to reach £285 bn by 2022. The country’s expenditure on clothing and footwear is forecast to grow by 45 per cent to £27bn – driven by a 167 per cent rise in online sales. The nation is currently flooded by British brands like Ted Baker, Karen Millen and AllSaints that are expanding through license and franchise partnerships."

Studies by research firm Global Data shows, the overall retail expenditure in Mexico is likely to grow 29 per cent to reach £285 bn by 2022. The country’s expenditure on clothing and footwear is forecast to grow by 45 per cent to £27bn – driven by a 167 per cent rise in online sales. The nation is currently flooded by British brands like Ted Baker, Karen Millen and AllSaints that are expanding through license and franchise partnerships.

Factors like a large and growing population, increasing personal wealth, urbanisation, growing economy and a greater stability along with an increasing demand for retail make Mexico an appealing destination for UK and European brands. A striking example of this is premium womenswear brand BCBG which has 36 partner-operated stores and concessions in Mexico

Cultural similarities with the US also give Mexico an appeal over other destinations. The nation, being heavily influenced by the US culture and language, it is easier for global brands to trade in Mexico rather than Asia-Pacific countries. Spanish womenswear brand Desigual, entered the market in 2015. It currently has 13 franchise stores operated with upscale Mexican department store Palacio del Hierro, and more than 100 multi-brand points of sale.

Challenges in the market

However, the Mexican market has its own set of challenges. It is highly competitive and proximity to the US mega-brands and big retailers adds to its difficulties. The massive marketing budgets of brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Guess spill over into the Mexican market making it more difficult for a British brand to enter the market, unless it has some serious marketing support to create a buzz.

Mexico is a logical next step in expansion for British brands having a strong US presence. International fashion house specialising in women's fashion Karen Millen leveraged its experiences in the US market to target Mexican shoppers. The brand now operates in the market via a franchise partnership with an undisclosed partner.

Good environment triggers online sales

According to the Pitney Bowes Global Ecommerce Study 2018, nearly 90 per cent of consumers in Mexico shop online with 22 per cent shopping online at least once a week. There is a growing interest in well-known online British brands like Heritage and luxury brands that are otherwise difficult to get hold of in the domestic market. The environment for online sales is good with high urban density. It is the obvious route to understand demand without the risk of investing in property and locations.

Mexico’s logistic network is not fully equipped despite huge investments in it. Payment methods in the country differ from other markets. The use of credit cards is not very common with only 48 per cent of consumers using an ‘e-wallet.’

Finding a perfect trade partner

Apart from ecommerce, franchise and licensing can be the key to succeed in the Mexican market. Marquee Brands, the US owner of BCBG and Ben Sherman, operates with partners in Mexico, although the precise nature of the partnership structure is not known. This partner experience proves invaluable in tariffs, import processes, shipping mall rental agreements and department store logistics. Though Mexico has its challenges, a burgeoning appetite for international brands, growing consumer base and US connections should place the market firmly in the sights of UK and European brands seeking to expand.

Indian VSF imports are almost 1.5 times compared to last year. If production remains stable, VSF consumption may increase by about 80,000 tons compared to the previous year.

According to the current market situation, increments are almost entirely used for domestic spinning. Combined with the production and sales ratio structure of Indian rayon yarn, the proportion of pure rayon single yarn and other yarns is about 1 :1. So the output of pure cotton single yarn has increased by 40,000 tons. Indian pure cotton single yarns imports are almost four times the previous year’s. Combined with production growth, Indian cotton yarn consumption last year increased by about 60,000 tons, and may move up further in 2019. Blended yarn imports also increased but amid small volumes the improvement was not large. Indian domestic blended yarn production was over 80,000 tons. The increment is insignificant compared with domestic rayon yarn volume, but in India, VSF increase was about 15 per cent of local production capacity.

As the Chinese cotton market continues to develop, the cotton market in South Asia and Southeast Asia such as India and Indonesia is also catching up rapidly. Production and consumption capabilities of spinning and fiber have improved in differing degrees.