C&A and Traceless Materials will work together to reduce the use of plastics in fashion packaging.

C&A is anEuropean apparel retailer. Traceless Materials is a German start-up that works to develop a circular bioeconomy. C&A will replace single-use hooks with advanced biodegradable hooks. The plastic-free hooks are made by Traceless Materials using only agricultural plant waste products and this is the first pilot product to hit the shelves made from Traceless’ bio-circular material innovation.They are naturally compostable and can reduce carbon emissions by up to 95 per cent. The introduction of Traceless Materials’ sustainable hooks is part of C&A’s circularity initiatives and is also part of C&A’s wider strategy to reduce its use of single-use plastics.Through these initiatives, the company aims to become a leading innovative player in the textile sector and achieve the goals of its 2028 Global Sustainability Strategy. The collaboration with Traceless is an important step toward C&A’s goal of replacing consumer facing single-used plastics in stores with sustainable alternatives by 2028.C&A operates more than 1,300 stores in 17 European countries, as well as a digital channel. It employs more than 25,000 colleagues in total.The retailer aims to provide quality and long-lasting fashion at affordable prices for all.

Mitch Hughes is director of menswear at M&S. This appointment comes at a crucial time for the business as years of work in its clothing and home operations yield real results, although the recovery remains a potentially fragile one given the weak consumer backdrop at present.

Despite having worked solely online in recent years, Hughes also has extensive physical retail experience, with both being relevant to M&S as it consolidates and improves its physical stores while growing its e-commerce operation.

M&S’ half yearly sales are up 13 per cent. Sales in its clothing and home operation rose 14 per cent, while sales via physical stores up 18.8 per cent and online up 4.9 per cent. It saw growth in both market share and profitability. Full-price sales participation was broadly level on last year and well above the historic average. Market share increased 50bps to 9.1 per cent and it generated growth across categories and channels.

The high-double-digit sales rise through physical stores was driven by stores in city centres and malls, reflecting the return to more normal trading patterns although high streets continued to lag.The rise in online sales meant e-tail made up 32 per cent of clothing and home revenue, with continued strong growth in traffic and increased average order values, partly offset by higher returns rates.

Maharashtra plans to develop textile hubs in the regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada.

Among the incentives offered are attractive power tariffs and steady rates for cotton. The aim is to correct the mismatch that used to happen in setting up textile hubs in non-cotton growing districts. The government will procure the cotton at fixed rates and then hand over the cotton at the procured rates to the textile industry. This is aimed at doing away with fluctuating rates of cotton that hurt the textile sector. The area under cotton cultivation in the state is 42 lakh hectares with almost 45 lakh farmers undertaking cultivation of the cash crop.The state accounts for 28 per cent of the country’s cotton production. Apart from this, the availability of skilled human resources has also become a major issue.Under the PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) scheme, the state has proposed developing a brownfield park in Amravati (Vidarbha region) and Aurangabad (Marathwada region). The focus on the textile sector is expected to attract investments and generate employment. The state has set a target of Rs 36,000 croreof investments in the sector, which is likely to generate ten lakh jobs.

Sweden is promoting sustainable practices in Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector.

Swedish green tech companies have a lot to offer in the wider domain of sustainability, both when it comes to services and solutions. Sweden and Bangladesh celebrate 50 years of bilateral relations. Made in Bangladesh Week was held from November 12 to 18, 2022. The event highlighted the progress of the Bangladesh apparel industry in safety and sustainability in recent years. The industry is now focusing on optimum use of resources, including making a shift from the linear to the circular model of business as Bangladesh’s apparel industry generates about 440 million tons of pre-consumer waste every year.Bangladesh’s policy makers, apparel manufacturers, buyers and stakeholders were given a platform to discuss the stories of transformation and progress in workplace safety, workers’ well-being, environmental sustainability and innovation, and to decide the ways forward for the sustainable development of Bangladesh’s apparel industry. Bangladesh is setting up 100 economic zones in different parts of the country, for which local and foreign investment will be encouraged. Made in Bangladesh Week provided industry stakeholders across the world an opportunity to see the take off of the apparel industry as Bangladesh continues to pursue new areas of expansion, manufacturing excellence and sustainable growth.

Retail chain Bazaar Style is planning to launch a Rs 700 crore initial public offering which would value the business at Rs 2,500 crores.

The business plans to use the funds from the IPO to expand its brick-and-mortar footprint across India.Bazaar Style plans to add around 100 new stores over the coming two to two and a half years. The business aims at Tier II and III cities for store expansion where it targets middle class shoppers.Bazaar Style based in Kolkata retails a wide range of multi-brand fashion and lifestyle goods. The business was incorporated in 2013. With a store total of 125 outlets, Bazaar Style operates its retail business under the brand names Style Bazaar and Express Bazaar. The main products the stores retail include clothing, footwear, luggage, accessories, fragrances, sunglasses, cosmetics, and toys, among others. The average store size is 9000 sqft and Baazar Style is present in the value segment in east India. Thelarger vision is to become one of the country’s largest value retailers and the retailer is following a cluster-based approach in which it goes deep in almost all the districts of the states so as to have a better economy of scale and brand visibility.

Demand for occasionwear and ethnic wear has perked up.

After two years of muted demand, fashion and apparel retailers hope to surpass the previous season’s sale numbers. Over 32 lakh weddings are expected in this season and consumers are celebrating festivals across India during the current quarter. Online sales too are expected to play an important role in aiding wedding sales. People are shopping at rates almost equal to the pre-Covid era and with offices opening, the wedding season, and festivals, the retail market is flying high. The Indian wear category for both men and women has witnessed an increased demand of almost 1.5 times over the last year. This shopping season has witnessed a traction in premium home-grown labels and curated merchandise.

Brands await the rush

The festive and wedding season has helped increase the customer base for brands like Manyavar, Kisah, Tasva, Libas, Varanga and House of Pataudi. TCNS Clothing which runs the brands W and Aurelia is catering to the rising consumer demand by opening more experiential stores in tier II and tier III cities.Fabindiahas seen continued demand for ethnic wear this wedding season. The brand has also seen a splurge in gifting and hence has launched a gift collection along with gift cards. Online fashion platform Myntra has also seen an uptick in Indian wear demand this season and is continuously adding more brands and styles to fulfil the growing demand.

Bangladesh Export Import Company (Beximco) has teamed with FibreTrace to provide complete supply chain traceability to its sustainable practices.

The partnership will involve the application of FibreTrace pigment to cotton, hemp, recycled polyester, and recycled cotton fiber during the spinning process. The pigment will remain with the textile for life through use, reuse, recycling, and reimagination. As of January 2023, yarn, woven fabrics, knit fabrics, and clothing resulting from the agreement will be offered. Beximco is one of the largest vertically integrated textile and apparel firms in South Asia and has cutting-edge technology in spinning, knitting, weaving, denim, and garment finishing. With the ability to finish 350,000 yards of fabric per day the company has a track record of implementing cutting-edge, intelligent fibers. Beximco is eager to use FibreTrace verified technology to demonstrate its dedication to transparency and traceability as the technology monitorsits progress toward a more sustainable future for economic, social, and environmental development.Being the biggest conglomerate in Bangladesh, Beximco has a significant presence in several of the key economic sectors of the nation. The group’s textile segment is a fully integrated producer of cotton and polyester mixed fabric and apparel, meeting the demand in both domestic and international markets.

On the whole the business situation in the global textile industry deteriorated further in November 2022. So says the ITMF.

At the same time, global business expectations in six months’ time remained in negative territory but did not get gloomier. The indicators for order intake, order backlog, and capacity utilisation rate dropped globally. The business situation in the three Asian regions and Europe remains especially poor. In north andcentral America the business situation has improved markedly.

Except for the textile machinery segment that still benefits on an average from a long order backlog, all other segments found themselves in negative business situations, especially fiber producers and spinners. Global business expectations have remained negative but have stabilized since July 2022. Expectations have improved significantly in South Asia and Europe. Business expectations in all segments remain in negative territory with four out of seven recording improvements.

Order intake weak except north and central America

Order intake nosedived in November, in line with the weaker business situation and weaker demand, currently the biggest concern for the global textile value chain. Only companies in north and central America registered on average a good order intake, while all other regions were faced with an unsatisfactory order situation. Except for southeast Asia and north and central America order backlog fell. The only segments where order backlog increased were the downstream segments of garments and home textiles. Capacity utilization rate dropped in all regions in November 2022. It only increased in the textile machinery segment but fell otherwise.

Demand reduction cause of concern

Weakening demand is by far the biggest concern in the global textile industry, followed by the root causes of demand reduction, namely high energy and raw material prices which lead to high inflation rates. The good news is that logistical costs are not much of a concern anymore. Concerns about geopolitics on the other hand have increased again in the past two months.

Vietnamese businesses are taking part in Intex, New Delhi, December 8 to 10, 2022, in a big way. Among them, Mai Mai Service and Trading, Max Blue Vietnam and Beevalue are showcasing a number of fashion items, along with fabric, yarn, and accessories.

The event, a leading international textile sourcing show in South Asia, has taken place for nine times in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India since 2015.This year, more than 100 major suppliers of fiber, yarn, fabric, apparel accessories, dyes, and chemicals have come to the show, which also includes a series of workshops and networking events.

This year, alongside the exhibition, Intex India is hosting a buyer-seller meet. Since 2015, Intex India has connected 35,000 buyers from 15 countries to 1350 textile suppliers and has empowered industry players to explore new business opportunities and expand business globally, making Intex India the annual calendar event for South Asia's textile and apparel industry. Shows have been organized across the most relevant South Asian textile markets of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Intex is determined to bring a fresh wave of opportunities for manufacturers and buyers from domestic as well as international markets to connect with each other on this platform.

Pure London, to be held in the UK, February 12 to 14, 2023, will host pioneering designers who will showcase their latest collections. Visitors can engage with the next generation, providing a new home for alternative lifestyle collections from around the world. Firmly rooted in inclusivity and diversity and offering innovative, creative collections which inject colour, confidence and creativity, the exhibitors will be independent, unapologetic, and diverse, proudly embracing difference in all its glory and offering bold collections that make a statement and demand zero-judgment.

British brand Innocent will present a dark yet playful collection that explores PVC, faux fur, buckles, lace inserts and unique cuts. Spanish brand Costurero Real’s statement pieces are handmade and reference nature and fiction with bespoke fabrics and unique designs. Pamela Mann, a leading and hosiery specialist, will present avant-garde prints, beautiful lace inserts, vibrant prints and statement fabrics creating a truly unique and unrivalled offering. Collectif’s range will feature a unique mix of bespoke prints, unique embroideries and timeless styles that have become synonymous with the brand. Collectif combines modern trends with classic retro styling to create an exciting mix of romance and glamour set against an unconventional background.

Pure London presents the UK’s most comprehensive women’swear, accessories and shoes brands offerings.