Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles will be held in China, August 16 to 18, 2023.

This is a home textile show and will comprise a wide range of home textile products, including bedding and toweling, rugs, table and kitchen linen, upholstery and curtain fabrics, editors, home textile technologies, and textile design.

With well-known participating brands, extensive product categories, and an informative fringe program, the fair will continue to serve as the hub for resource exchange within the global home textile sector, and prove particularly essential for industry players who wish to enter the Chinese market.

This autumn edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles is targeted more toward international participants. With many trade fairs restarting their event schedules worldwide and China notably relaxing border restrictions for travellers entering the country, global industry players are looking forward to the return of trade fairs. Due to the promising home textile market, the fair expects to welcome more overseas exhibitors and visitors to the upcoming show.

The global home textile market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 3.5 per cent between 2020 and 2025. China is expected to remain the world’s largest home textile market with a share of over 28 per cent.

Unions in Bangladesh are demanding an increase in the minimum wage for garment workers.

The demands include the minimum wage of an entry level garment worker with a yearly increment of ten per cent as opposed to the current five per cent.

Other demands of workers’ unions include ration facilities for workers, considering the rising cost of living.The unions are demanding that the basic wage is made 65 per cent of the total wage, which includes both the basic wage and allowances.

Currently, the basic wage for a garment worker is less than 60 per cent of the total wage. This is important as termination payments, like severance and gratuity are calculated based on the basic wage. Inflation has left workers struggling to make ends meet.

Bangladesh’s labour laws require the formation of a new wage board every five years to settle wage structures for every industry. The last review of garment workers’ wages was in 2018. The market situation has drastically changed between 2018 and 2022. With skyrocketing inflation, it has become impossible for workers to afford a decent standard of living.

The inflation rate in Bangladesh crossed 9.5 per cent in August 2022, the highest in eleven years.

Always a draw for customers, the free return policy offered by e-commerce platforms seems to spur a spate of impulsive purchases which eventually are returned. Returns can be costly for the e-retailer. In the US, The National Retail Federation found 18.1 per cent items purchased online in 2020 were returned. In most cases, returns mean the retailer paid for shipping to and from a customer without getting a sale, plus returned merchandise can’t always be resold, and those costs hit their bottom line. However, some retailers disagree as they know that those who purchase the most return the most.

Fee on returns

After years of subsidizing them, more retailers are charging customers to send back unwanted goods. It’s a risky move because shoppers have become accustomed to buying an item in multiple sizes and colors and returning what doesn’t fit for free. Looking back at 2022, return policies of retailers underwent change in the US, one of the largest e-commerce markets in the world. In 2021, the number of large retailers in the US and Europe who introduced a return fee policy were 31 per cent and it rose to 40 per cent in 2022. Brands like Zara, J Crew, Boohoo and Abercrombie & Fitch are on this list. Zara now charges UK customers £1.95. Emboldened by such a large retailer implementing this change, others feel confident of their decision to do away with free returns.

Making business sense

Moving away from subsidizing returns was a thought-through decision for the global e-commerce sector as they spent the past two decades removing costs from supply chains and customer service. Returns had not been looked into, leaving them as one of the few places with lots of room for reducing expenses. They are costly because of the labour to have them shipped back, inspected and put up for resale. Investors are demanding that online businesses focus on increasing profitability rather than focus on growth. Year 2022 seems to be the one when free return policy was heavily weighed.

The pandemic had seen a huge growth in online shopping as people couldn’t access physical stores for health safety issues. This spate of buying also meant a larger than before number of returns. Lockdown disruptions created an inventory glut in categories such as apparel, which is expected to increase discounting and the potential for shoppers to return goods when they see better deals. As Amit Sharma, CEO and Founder of Narvar a post-purchase customer experience platform said in a recent media interaction, consumers experiencing the highest inflation in four decades are more frugal, increasing the chances that they second-guess a purchase and return it. On the other hand, increased costs for transportation, energy and labour have made returns even more expensive, giving e-retailers the raison d’etre for them to change their return policies. The cost of processing returns has eroded margins too much to be able to continue with it according to industry experts.

Indian e-commerce players follow global trends

Myntra, the mega local e-commerce giant has reviewed and renewed its return policy after experiencing an unnaturally high number of returns. It has started identifying customers who have a record of higher number of returns than the average and adding a convenience fee of Rs 299 for subsequent purchases, ensuring that the cost of return is covered.

Customers who were Myntra loyalists because of their zero per cent return fee policy and leveraged it to buy large number of items and then return most, are dismayed. Many such customers spoke out about transferring their shopping to Amazon which continues to provide free returns. Of course, it remains to be seen if Amazon will join the bandwagon.

Charging customers for returns is a business policy that will see an immediate reduction on operating costs for e-retailers and discourage impulsive purchases which are more often than not returned. This is also a step towards wasteful consumption. The way forward for brands is to ensure that customers who wish to return can do so by visiting the nearest physical store and getting a reward for it. The returned goods are then immediately put back in circulation which unclutters the e-commerce inventory. Another way is to provide AI assisted online trials to help customers make the right choices, thereby doing away with the need to return.

The United Kingdom and Italy have partnered to enhance trade, boost economic growth, create jobs, increase wages and drive exports.

The partnership, the first of its kind between the UK and any EU country, also aims at boosting exports in various sectors and promoting inward investment in low-carbon industries such as offshore wind and carbon capture storage.

The agreement cements the UK's position as a vital trade partner within Europe and the G7, demonstrating the country’s potential as an independent trading nation to form comprehensive trade deals with new markets, while strengthening its partnerships with EU member countries. It marks a significant milestone in the UK’s trading relationship with Europe and shows how an independent UK can benefit from striking ambitious trade deals with the world, while also reinforcing its already strong and prosperous trading relationship with EU members such as Italy.

The partnership is expected to boost trade and investment between British and Italian businesses, ease the path for valuable investment, and grow UK exports. The UK and Italy are among the top ten global economies. Italy is the UK’s eleventh largest trading partner. In 2020-21, Italy was also the sixth largest recipient of UK foreign direct investment projects globally.

Saks’ spring 2023 campaign stars Emma Roberts. Told through a surrealist lens with bold and saturated colors, the campaign celebrates the spirit of individuality and inspires customers to express their identities through luxury fashion they can wear anytime and anywhere.

The campaign showcases an unparalleled assortment of spring fashion and accessories from iconic brands and emerging designers in unique content across Saks-owned channels and partner-owned editorial platforms.

Emma Roberts is actress, producer, and star of the new hit film Maybe I Do. She incorporates a season’s top trends into her everyday wardrobe and adapts her personal style to dress for the many aspects of her busy life.

Saks is a digital platform for luxury fashion.Saks remains focused on delivering a fresh and inspiring assortment of luxury fashion that serves every aspect of its clients’ unique lifestyles. Since Emma Roberts shares Saks' relatable approach to luxury fashion her fresh perspective on everyday dressing is expected to resonate with Saks’ customers.

Each season, Saks showcases the biggest trends and most sought-after styles that are breaking through the fashion scene. Top trends for the spring 2023 season include bare it all, minimalist tailoring, utility dressing, clear sequins, head-to-toe denim and the carryall tote bag.

Dubai Fashion Week will take place March 10 to 15, 2023. Dubai Design District (d3), a member of TECOM Group PJSC, and the Arab Fashion Council (AFC) has launched the official Dubai Fashion Week.

This will be the definitive fashion fixture emerging from the region, featuring men’s, women’s, ready-to-wear and couture collections. The aim is to cement Dubai as a global creative capital and build on Dubai’s status as a global hub for business growth and investment.

The event will provide a platform for emerging and established designers to grow their brands. Not only will regional designers get to meet and do business with international buyers and distributors, it will also serve as a gateway for international talent and brands to continue expanding their global footprint through the regional market.

Presenting Dubai as a global creative hub, Dubai Fashion Week aims at boosting fashion exports and attracting world-class investment.Over the last few years, Dubai has become one of the most dynamic places for the arts and creative industries. From economic activity to tourism and creativity, Dubai has carved its own space among the world’s cosmopolitan capitals, and fashion is one industry boosting its status.

Dubai has arrived on the global fashion stage. Emerging and established creatives have shaped a distinct identity for the region that resonates far and wide. The region’s fashion industry is entering a new chapter as it becomes increasingly active contributors to the global fashion narrative.

Asia Fashion Collection (AFC) has named five designers that will be debuting their autumn/winter 2023 collections at the organisation’s annual New York Fashion Week event.

The selection comes as part of a global incubator project held by the Asia Fashion Collection, which looks to support emerging designers from Asia in the beginning of their careers.

The initiative rounds out with an event each autumn/winter season, where the selected finalists take to the runway during a dedicated show at New York Fashion Week. Those who are participating have been selected from Asia Fashion Collection’s Tokyo show and will now take part in the organisation’s tenth annual event which will be held in New York on February 13, 2023.

To select the finalists, a panel of expert judges was present, such as Kaname Murakami, editor-in-chief of WWD Japan, Fumiya Yoshinouchi, Fashionsnap editor and director, and Keishu Abe of Tokyo Base.For this season, the finalists include Japanese designers Saika Sekita of Saika and Jun Nakamura from Désir, both of which are graduates from the Vantan Design Institute in Tokyo.They will be showing alongside South Korea’s Lee Young Eun, Taiwanese brand Chiahung by LCF graduate ChiaHung Su, and Parsons graduate Asato Kitamura.

In 2022, Adidas revenues increased one per cent in currency-neutral terms. In reported terms, sales were up six per cent.

The company’s gross margin reached a level of 47.3 per cent. In 2021 it was 50.7 per cent. In 2022 operating margin was three per cent. The company expects 2023 to be a year of transition to set the base to again be a growing and profitable company. Full focus will be put on the consumer, retail partners and employees.

Adidas expects currency-neutral sales to decline at a high-single-digit rate in 2023. The company’s underlying operating profit is projected to be around the break-even level. While the company continues to review future options for the utilization of its Yeezy inventory, this guidance already accounts for the significant adverse impact from not selling the existing stock. This would lower revenues and operating profit this year.Should the company decide not to repurpose any of the existing Yeezy product going forward, this would result in the write-off of the existing Yeezy inventory and would lower the company’s operating profit this year.

In addition, Adidas expects one-off costs in 2023. These costs are part of a strategic review the company is currently conducting aimed at reigniting profitable growth as of 2024.

By adopting Coats Digital’s Fast React, VT Garment has improved productivity tremendously.

By implementing this solution, the company has eliminated unnecessary overtime staff hours and boosted staff morale by simplifying the often challenging and stressful task of planning. The solution has also optimised overall planning time, reduced time spent loading orders and significantly reduced time people spent recording plan variations.

Prior to implementing FastReact, VT Garment found that the lack of automation and real-time visibility in the production planning process not only meant there was limited information sharing between different departments, but also that manually produced capacity plans based on unreliable historical data weretime consuming and cumbersome to produce and not accurate enough to make informed production decisions from.

VT Garment, based in Thailand, makes outerwear, sportswear and protective equipment such as ski jackets and pants, board shorts, polyester padded jackets, woven jackets and pants, knitted jackets and bulletproof armour-plated materials.

Coats Digital is the leading digital transformation partner for the fashion supply chain, powering sustainable processes and high value insights through connected technologies. Used in over 3,000 factories globally, its apparel, footwear and textile software and SaaS solutions improve agility, speed to market, efficiency, transparency and sustainability.

FastReact is an apparel production planning software solution.

Harper and Neyer is using Naiz Fit sizing solutions to reduce returns related to size and fit issues.

Harper and Neyer, based in Spain, is a men’s wear brand. Naiz Fit, a MySize product, is a provider of AI-driven measurement solutions.

Naiz Fit has emerged as the leading SaaS-based sizing solution for European fashion brands and retailers. MySize has deep marketing and service reach into the EU market, which is further fueling product adoption and accelerating growth for the MySize portfolio of sizing solutions.

Naiz Fit is being utilized across Harper and Neyer's global e-commerce sites. From fitted suits to preppy casual wear, with Naiz Fit, Harper and Neyer customers are ensured a perfect fit. With a strong European presence through 21 stores in Spain, France, Italy, Andorra, and Portugal, as well as Mexico, Harper and Neyer is a brand with a clear target for active men who love fashion and are in need of a stylish, elegant and casual outfit. Its customers have a distinct taste in style that Harper and Neyer's masculine collection embodies.

Since a proper fit is essential to style and comfort the Naiz Fit sizing tool seamlessly integrates into Harper and Neyer’s e-commerce sites to lead customers to the best size selection for their body and shape.