For the fourth quarter Urban Outfitters’ net sales rose 3.7 per cent.

Comparable retail segment sales increased three per cent in the period, reflecting double-digit growth in the retailer’s digital channel, partially offset by negative store sales. Wholesale revenues rose three per cent. Both the company’s Urban Outfitters and Free People brands posted an increase in comparable retail segment sales of four per cent while Anthropologie saw a rise of two per cent.

Urban Outfitters, based in the US, is a fashion and lifestyle group. A better assortment, higher consumer spending, and disciplined inventory control helped the company keep the discounting low. The company feels there is still scope for a reduction in this metric.

For the full fiscal year 2019, Urban Outfitters’ sales were up 9.3 per cent. Comparable retail segment sales increased eight per cent reflecting double-digit growth in the digital channel and positive retail store sales. Wholesale segment net sales rose ten per cent. Over the course of the fiscal year, the group opened a total of 18 company-operated stores and added the company’s first five franchisee-owned locations to its retail network.

Anthropologie plans to accelerate its European expansion in the coming year, with store openings planned in Germany, France, Holland and Spain.

A Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) seminar was held in Turkey, February 18, 2019.

The one-day seminar brought together more than 150 participants from local brand offices, manufacturers, certifiers as well as academics with the aim to connect, exchange and discuss innovations, experiences and best-practices regarding GOTS and the organic textile market. The seminar was split in three sessions. After a general GOTS introduction including the newest figures and buying markets updates, standard criteria and labeling requirements, experts from brands and processors as well as certification bodies shared their views. Certified processors emphasized the risk management GOTS provides, manufacturers pointed out how GOTS certification benefits their reputation. Certification bodies explained how the certification can serve as an assurance for end consumers and brands.

Turkey is the country with the third most GOTS certified facilities worldwide, following India and Bangladesh.

Consumers already actively inform themselves on organic production and hold brands within the domestic market responsible. Therefore, more consumer information about GOTS’ benefits and more visibility is needed. Achieving GOTS certification is perceived as challenging due to the strict and different requirements but provides competitive advantages in comparison to non-certified goods, on the domestic as well as on foreign buying markets. It is also an advantage to be geographically closer to the big buying markets in Europe.

The Southern India Mills Association has hailed the Tamil Nadu Government for releasing the Tamil Nadu Comprehensive Textile Policy 2019 announcing various unique benefits.

The policy extends the 2 per cent interest subsidy for modernising spinning machines of above 15 years old. Out of 24 million spindles in the State, around 11 million spindles are above 15 years old and this benefit would help the spinning sector to modernize the same.

SIMA welcomed the various benefits extended for the weaving and garment sectors including 10 per cent capital subsidy for all new machines. It appreciated the announcement of 25 per cent of the project cost with the ceiling of Rs.10 crore for trade facilitation centre. It stated that 10 per cent capital subsidy for wider width fabric processing, 5 per cent interest subsidy for common effluent treatment plant, 15 per cent capital subsidy for the individual effluent treatment plant, Rs.1 crore RD assistance for effluent treatment plant would greatly benefit the processing segments in Tamil Nadu.

SIMA also appreciated the slew of incentives offered for technical textiles including 9 per cent capital subsidy, 6 per cent interest subsidy, 100 per cent stamp duty exemption and Rs.1 crore assistance for overseas study. The incentives offered for setting up the mini textile parks by extending 50 per cent subsidy or Rs.2.5 crore per park were also appreciated.

Sri Lanka and Italy are strengthening bilateral ties.The two countries have maintained excellent relations over the years.

Sri Lankans working in Italy are required to make a pension contribution amounting to around nine per cent of their salary. They qualify for a pension after working for 20 years. However many workers do not get to enjoy this benefit as most of them work only for a few years in the country.

Sri Lanka wants Italy to adjust this scheme so that a person would receive his contribution immediately upon relinquishing his employment in Italy, irrespective of the number of years worked. The Sri Lankan community in Italy presently comprises around 1,20,000 residing in different parts of the country.

Italy has been offered skilled workers especially IT professionals, nurses, and healthcare supporters as Sri Lanka provides special certifications and training in these areas.

Italy as a member of the European Union worked toward lifting the ban on fisheries exports of Sri Lanka to the EU in 2016 and restoration of the GSP Plus facility to Sri Lanka in May 2017.

Italy has been encouraged to set up operations in Sri Lanka for sectors such as textile and apparel, leather footwear, confectioneries, gem and jewelry and food processing.

SRF’s total revenue increased by 41 per cent in the first nine months of the current financial year.

Established in 1970, SRF is a chemical-based multi-business entity engaged in production of industrial and specialty intermediates. The company’s diversified business portfolio covers technical textiles, fluorochemicals, specialty chemicals, packaging films and engineering plastics. Anchored by a strong workforce of more than 6,300 employees working across 12 manufacturing plants in India, two in Thailand and one in South Africa, the company exports to more than 70 countries.

SRF continues to maintain its market leadership in nylon tyre cord fabric, which is expected to remain a key business in the segment and a generator of steady cash flow. Other sub-segments of technical textiles have started contributing to its performance. Also, the improving macro-economic environment is expected to have a positive impact on the belting fabric segment. In the coated fabrics business, SRF continues to maintain its domestic market leadership. In laminated fabrics, the company has reported consistent sales in hot laminations. It has successfully commercialized two new products during the current year.

The company proposes to install additional spinning and textile capacity at Manali and Gwalior at Rs 80 crores to be incurred over the next three years.

Sinterama offers specialist polyester yarns, serving the market for customised solutions.

Based in Italy, the group founded in 1968 has expanded to multiple global locations with a footprint in the UK, Bulgaria, Brazil, and China.

For Sinterama sustainability is a way of life. The company tries its best to reduce plastic in its manufacturing process, recycles its plastic bobbins, cartons and monitors its resource use – materials, fuel, energy. It works with clients on reusing packaging and encourages employees to use less plastic, not just at work but in their own homes as well. The company communicates with all stake holders – clients, suppliers, employees, associates – the importance of respecting the environment and using sustainability as the basic mantra in all their business practices.

Big brands with high visibility want to be seen using sustainable materials but they demand that the supply chain make it cost-neutral. So in effect the full additional cost burden of making a sustainable product is shifted to the supply chain’s shoulders. Big brands need to step forward and be willing to listen to the supply chain and participate in the cost burden. Asking suppliers to deliver a recycled yarn-based fabric or garment at no extra cost is in itself unsustainable. The challenge is finding big brands willing to accept cost-differentiation for recycled yarn based products.

For the nine month period India’s overall textile and apparel sales increased by nine per cent.
Ebitda increased by 17 per cent. Raw material cost saw an increase of eight per cent. While employee cost saw an increase of seven per cent, other costs also saw an increase of ten per cent for the same period.

For the top textile and apparel companies, there was an increase in overall sales and ebitda margins by nine per cent and 17 per cent, respectively.

India’s overall textile and apparel exports witnessed a growth of two per cent while apparel exports declined by eight per cent during the nine-month period. Meanwhile, textile and apparel imports rose five per cent with a significant 52 per cent rise in apparel imports.

Indian textile and apparel exports go to all countries including China. The recovery in the US economy has given a boost to India’s textile and apparel exports. Since the US economy is on a continuous growth path, India’s textile and apparel export growth is expected to continue. India registered a growth of 5.37 per cent in textile and apparel exports in 2017. India’s share in world trade in textile and clothing is estimated to be 4.95 per cent. With these exports, India is ranked second among suppliers in the world.

Researchers at the University of Manchester have developed a method to produce scalable graphene-based yarn.

Multi-functional wearable e-textiles have been a focus of much attention due to their great potential for healthcare, sportswear, fitness and aerospace applications. Graphene has been considered a potentially good material for these types of applications due to its high conductivity, and flexibility. Every atom in graphene is exposed to its environment allowing it to sense changes in its surroundings, making it an ideal material for sensors. Smart wearable textiles have experienced a renaissance in recent years through the innovation and miniaturisation and wireless revolution.

There have been efforts to integrate textile-based sensors into garments. However, current manufacturing processes are complex and time consuming, expensive, and the materials used are non-biodegradable and use unstable metallic conductive materials. The new process has the potential to produce tons of conductive graphene-based yarn, using existing textile machineries and without adding to production costs. In addition to producing the yarn in large quantities, they are washable, flexible, inexpensive and biodegradable. Such sensors could be integrated to either a self-powered RFID or low-powered Bluetooth to send data wirelessly to mobile device.

High performance clothing is going through a transformation currently, thanks to recent innovations in textiles.

The Maharashtra unit of the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) is seeking a 15 per cent increase in the minimum support price ( MSP) of cotton for the season of 2019-20.

The MSP for medium-staple variety of cotton is at Rs 5,150 per quintal, and that for long-staple is at Rs 5,450 per quintal, which are roughly equivalent to Rs 43,000-43,500 per candy (1 candy equals to 356 kg). The government had raised the MSP for cotton by 26 per cent this year. It was mulling to raise the MSP of cotton further.

The spot market prices of CAI for cotton of staple length 30 mm have dropped to Rs 42,100 per bale on March 1 from Rs 43,400 per bale on January 1. Prices of raw cotton are moving below the minimum support price levels.

The decline in the domestic prices has brought export parity, maintained traders. Prices are declining this season despite forecast of lower cotton production and higher exports figures for the first three months of cotton season that started in October.

Pakistan needs to improve cotton yields and increase the area under cultivation.
There is a crucial need for Pakistan’s textile industry to up its game where balancing modernisation and replacement as well as skill development are concerned.

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor is likely to result in improved energy supply for the industry, better internal connectivity and logistics as well as new international market linkages. Chinese businesses have shown interest in setting up joint ventures with local partners. But this will benefit only a handful of players given that the majority of the firms operating in Pakistan’s garment sector are small and medium enterprises, unable to invest at the scale Chinese companies usually operate at. However, technology and skills transfer is absolutely necessary and for that the presence of a high value added textile industry in Pakistan is a prerequisite. Detailed plans need to be made which take into account the strengths of Pakistan’s domestic industry and facilitate Chinese help in weaker areas especially technology.

Competition is on the rise in global apparel and textile markets and things are going to heat up even more. Countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka have become the new disruptors and are vying to get a bigger share of the global textile pie.