Traditionally, one of the largest clothing exporters, Hong Kong saw a major decline in garment shipments in 2020. As a report by Research HKTDC shows, apparel exports from the nation dropped 34 per cent to HK$64 billion during the year. Domestic exports surged by 242 per cent year on year while re exports slumped by 34 per cent to HK$63 billion. Of this, re exports of mainland origin shrank by 41 per cent to HK$48 billion in 2020. The US emerged as the largest market for Hong Kong’s clothing exports with 26 per cent share. The second largest market was EU27 exports to which plunged 33 per cent year-on-year in value in 2020. Exports to the third largest market, mainland China, increased 8 per cent in value.

Manufacturers move overseas as exports decline

Exports of woven wear and other apparel articles witnessed the largest decline in 2020. Knitwear and clothing accessories exports also dropped 26 per cent and 34 per cent respectively during the year. As of December 2019, the Hong Kong clothing industry had 524 establishments and 3,118 workers. Industry leaders had also set up offshore production facilities to reduce operational costs. However, this adversely affected the domestic clothing industry as number of manufacturers declined steadily.

The pandemic has created additional production and logistic challenges for clothing manufacturers in Hong Kong. However, e-commerce market places such as Amazon, Tmall, JD.com and Secoo.com are booming. These marketplaces meet customer demands with new technologies such as virtual fitting, visual search and AI powered chatbots.

Advanced tech to meet demand

Apparel makers are responding to fast changing fashion trends by collecting data from different consumer touchpoints and using advanced production technologies such as digital and laser printing, 3D knitting, semi automated sewing and robotics. Private or in house labels are helping retailers differentiate as well as upgrade the image of their products. Renowned retailers such as H&M, Marks & Spencer, Orsay, Palmers, Pimkie, Springfield and Kookai have launched their own private labels in the market. Consumers are also urging manufacturers to launch new materials and production methods.

Changing market trends

Kidswear market in Hong Kong is growing in double digits with the government implementing a two child policy in the mainland market. Consumers are flocking plus size stores, demand for which is expected to continue surging. Brands such as Liz Claiborne, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and H&M plan to extend their size ranges besides coming up with new collection to explore this trend.

Demand for clothes made from easy care fabrics is growing with brand LXN Collection launching its tailor made quick dry and stain resistant business attire range. Demand for functional clothing is also growing with the development of anti-UV, anti-ray, sweat management, thermal insulation and self-cleaning technologies. Athlesiure brands are expanding their apparel ranges besides launching new work from home and home workout collections in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has launched the 10th ITMF Corona Survey and will announce the results later this month. The Federation recently published the results of 9th ITMF Corona Survey which indicated a positive outlook for the global textile industry in the next six months. As per the survey, the balance between good and poor business situation was in July at +23 percentage points. The expectations for January 2022 are also promising with a positive balance of +23 percentage points.

In addition to Corona Surveys, ITMF also uses digital tools to conduct webinars and to interview industry experts from across the world. It also compiles statistical data about capacities, investments, production costs, etc. This enables members get a better understanding of how the industry is evolving. Christian Schindler, Director General, ITMF believes, federation members are missing out on the in-person meetings at conferences, workshops, and seminars. He hopes, scheduled to be held in Switzerland from April 10-12, 2023, the next ITMF Annual Conference will take place as a regular in-person event.

A new report by non-profit organization Stand.earth accuses Primark, Uniqlo and Marks & Spencers of failing to remove fossil fuels from their supply chains and products. Titled, ‘Fossil-Fuel Fashion Scorecard’, the report compares each brand’s commitments to decarbonization with the actions taken to shift away from fossil fuels in operations, supply chains and products.

As per Textile Focus, the report grades each brand for its efforts in climate advocacy, low-carbon logistics, low-carbon materials and low-carbon manufacturing. It also accounts for the energy efficiency and renewable energy procurement of each brand. It provides an overall grade for each brand. Across the board, no brands score an ‘A’ grade. The highest grade, a ‘B-‘, goes to Swiss outdoor wear brand Mammut, while 20 brands receive the lowest possible grade, ‘F’. The F-graded brands include American Eagle, Giorgio Armani, Booho, Capri Holdings, Espirit, Everlane, Hugo Boss, Kering, LVMH, Marks & Spencer, MEC, On Running, Pentland, Prada, Primark, Salvatore Ferragamo, SKFK, Under Armour and Uniqlo.

Sanjay Garg, President, NITMA says, the government’s decision to announce Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for textiles will help India realize the vision of ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’. Garg added, along with RoSCTL, RoDTEP and other measures like providing raw material at competitive prices, skill development etc, the PLI scheme will herald a new age in Indian textiles manufacturing.

Garg also appreciated the government for allocating Rs 10,683 crore over five years to boost domestic manufacturing of MMF, garments and technical textiles. This will help the industry regain lost foothold in the global market at this important juncture, he added. He hoped, the PLI scheme will provide more employment to women and increase their participation in formal economy. It will benefit states like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Telangana, and Odisha, etc.

The scheme will attract investments from both domestic and international companies He hoped, PLI will result in fresh investment of above Rs 19,000 crore and additional production turnover of over Rs 3 lakh crore in five years as envisaged by the government.

A new law by the European Union (EU) will help the European textile industry control waste issues better, says a report by Textile Focus. Titled ‘The EU Textile Strategy’, the new law will expand EU markets for upcycling and sustainable textiles. It will also address fast fashion issues, and introduce circular business models. Through this strategy, the European Union will engage not just manufacturers but also retailers and small enterprises to address the issue of environmental impact. It will consider the fact that most of Europe’s environmental impact occurs in countries outside the EU where the majority of production takes place.

The strategy will also address issue of taxing imports coming from countries that don’t follow Sustainable Development Goals or the Paris Agreement.

Appreciating Union Minister Piyush Goyal for approving the Production Linked Incentives (PLI) scheme, Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao urged him to include the cotton segment to widen the scope of the scheme. Rao said, more than 50 per cent of consumption of textile products in India includes cotton as the base fiber which makes its inclusion in the PLI scheme necessary to invest in new projects.

It is also important to keep the cotton segment on par with MMF as the industry is gradually recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 and leading players are considering new investments. PLI or equivalent scheme for the cotton segment, will speed up the investments and help the Central government achieve its goal of 7.5 lakh employment even faster, Rao adds. The scheme will ensure better returns to a large number of cotton farmers, particularly from the cotton-growing states like Telangana.

Rao also urged Goyal to implement the Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) scheme to complement the PLI scheme. The MITRA scheme will encourage states and other developers to immediately launch their projects so that the industry can set up their manufacturing units in a short time, he said.

Twin HKTDC fairs, 40th Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and the ninth Salon de TE, attracted around 4,900 industry buyers and over 23,600 visitors. They were jointly organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Assocation and Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades and Industries.

Launched for the first time this year, the online version of the watch fairs will run until September 19. So far, it has arranged 1,100 online business meetings and recorded more than 2,400 buyers browsing products and conducting business discussions online.

HKTDC also conducted an on-site survey during the fairs, interviewing more than 540 exhibitors and buyers. The survey showed, majority of respondents considered recovering purchasing power of customers and e-tailing as the biggest opportunities for their businesses. Additionally, 41 per cent of the exhibitors said, they were already engaged in e-tailing, while 47 per cent said they intend to develop an e-tailing business in the next two years to capture more orders.

In addition, 50 per cent of respondents said, they expect their overall sales to increase. In terms of different markets, 68 per cent of respondents viewed the Mainland China market most favorably, followed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region and India As for product trends, smart watches were expected to be the most popular watch category in 2022, followed by mechanical watches and digital analogue watches.

American denim brand Seven For All Mankind has launched a new ready-to-wear and denim collection backed by the FiberTrace Technology.

Fully traceable, the capsule collection introduces a new style, the Peggi In Plymouth, a high-rise tapered fit that is woven with a subtle stretch, dyed in a vintage blue wash and features a brushed finish, contrast threading and sustainable nickel hardware. Another standout is its Slim Illusion Skinny In Kent, which offers a sculpted fit and finish in a medium blue wash with light whiskering.

As part of its Sustainable For All Mankind platform, Seven For All Mankind aims for 80 percent of its product to have sustainable properties by 2023, as per a Women’s Wear Daily report. The brand will continue to introduce new initiatives to their global platform and track progress within the brand’s sustainability pillars of materials, manufacturing — and mankind.

British retailer Marks & Spencer is reviewing the future of its French business, with new trade rules in place since the exit of Britain from the European Union. The retailer is reconfiguring its European operations and has already made changes to food export into Czech Republic. It operates through a franchise model in France and plans to review the model with its two partners.

Earlier this year, M&S restructured its Czech business, taking out fresh foods from stores and adding expanded ranges of longer life products. M&S operates about 20 stores in France with partners SFH and Lagardere. Archie Norman, Chairman, complained the retailer has struggled to get goods into EU members Ireland and France since Britain left the EU's single market at the beginning of the year, due to the huge amount of paperwork that was required.

Last month, M&S upgraded its profit outlook after a jump in demand for food and a surge in online clothes sales indicated that its latest turnaround plan was starting to deliver.

The industry needs to establish a more equal relationship between Bangladesh RMG manufacturers and buyers besides creating safer working conditions for apparel workers, says a report by Dhaka Tribune. The report adds, despite RMG work orders in Bangladesh returning to pre-COVID levels, trade between local manufacturers and global corporation remains unbalanced as these companies continue to offer lower prices for products. It urges the industry to demand more incentives for other industries from the government and permission to diversify its export basket to create a sustainable economy.

The report emphasizes, now is a good time for the wheels of Bangladesh RMG industry to start turning away from the fallout of the pandemic. Surge in work orders to pre-pandemic levels has also boosted local manufacturers’ confidence who hope to recover to pre-COVID levels by year-end.