For the second quarter Arvind’s consolidated net profit rose by 79 per cent. Revenue from operations was up two per cent compared to the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.Profit After Tax from continuing business and before the exceptional item was Rs 85 crores.

Accounting for one-time items, PAT was Rs 125 crores. Arvind had a gain of Rs 40.52 crores from exceptional items, which includes profit on the sale of a subsidiary and provision from the value of land in Gujarat. Total expenses were up three per cent. Revenue from textiles was up one per cent.

Overall, textile revenues grew by three per cent as woven and knits volumes held steady. Higher price realisation helped hold unit margins, though it suffered in percentage terms. Revenue from Advance Materials rose five per cent in the second quarter though on a first half basis revenues were up 21 per cent as many orders has spilled over from quarter one to quarter two in the previous year.

Leading textile manufacturer Arvind offers the widest array of textiles and fashion brands in India. The bouquet of brands – both homegrown and global – straddles lifestyles, categories and price points. International fashion brands wanting to enter India are keen to partner with Arvind.

Textile exporters in Pakistan are awaiting sales tax refunds. They say the delay in refunds has disrupted their business activities and future plans and is badly impacting exports as exporters’ liquidity has already taken a strong hit from negative impacts of the global recession.

There is a fear that textile exports in November might fall. Achieving export targets, say the exporters, is only possible if the government continues its favourable policies towards the industry.

Pakistan’s textile industry, which comprises 46 per cent of the total manufacturing sector, provides employment to around 15 million Pakistanis and contributes 8.5 per cent to the GDP.

Regionally competitive electricity tariffs have enabled the textile sector to perform exceptionally well during recent years. The textile export industry has entered a sustainable economic growth phase; however, the emergence of an economic crisis could be an instant setback.

Exporters say there is a strong but not accurate perception that the government is providing too many subsidizes to the textile sector in terms of energy prices and tax exemptions on imports of raw material. They say the subsidised advances to the textile sector are less than what the government owes to the sector under various refund schemes and that the sector is also paying the cost of this stuck-up working capital.

China is having a strong presence at Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada (ATSC), November 7 to 9, 2022.

There are some 60 exhibitors from China including ten major Chinese brands focused on bringing updated designs and fashion to the professional buyers attending ATSC. These brands include Aparso, V Roc V, Bella Fitness, Rion Sports, Tian Thai Sports, Evergreen, Beyond Garments, Mizuda, Wanshun, and Changshu Garments Town. Both Hubei and Zhejiang provinces have sponsored pavilions, each bringing 20 high-quality textile and garment suppliers to the event. Thirteen Chinese manufacturers have come in person while the others are participating from China and utilizing Canadian representatives on-site.

From January 2022 to September 2022, China’s textile and apparel exports to Canada amounted to $3.85 billion, indicating that Chinese textile enterprises are still actively seeking to reach customers despite the tightening economic situation. Several Chinese exhibitors see ATSC as one of the most efficient ways for overseas companies to enter the Canadian market.

Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada (ATSC) has attracted more than 150 apparel, fabric and home textile companies from overseas. In total more than a dozen countries and regions are participating in the exhibition, including China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Korea, Mongolia, Vietnam, and more. The event anticipates over 2000 attendees during the three-day trade event.

For the third quarter, Adidas’ currency-neutral revenues increased four per cent.

Deteriorating traffic trends in Greater China as well as slowing consumer demand in major Western markets weighed on the revenue development. In addition, the company’s decision to suspend its own operations in Russia significantly reduced revenues during the third quarter, particularly impacting the company’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) business. Excluding Russia/CIS, revenues in the company’s own distribution channels were up at a double-digit rate, reflecting the successful sell-through of Adidas’ products.

Within DTC, the company’s e-commerce revenues increased eight per cent. Wholesale revenues during the quarter were impacted by inventory take backs in Greater China reflecting the company’s initiatives to clean up the full-price channel and clear excess inventory through its own factory outlets.

From a category viewpoint revenue growth was the highest in Adidas’ strategic growth categories football and running, both growing at strong double-digit rates. In football, the jersey launches ahead of the Fifa World Cup 2022 fueled consumer excitement prior to the tournament. Revenues in running were driven by the latest iterations of Adidas’ successful running franchises, including Adizero and Supernova, which both grew more than 50 per cent during the quarter.

Drops as part of the Gucci and Balenciaga partnerships continued to spark excitement around the Adidas brand.

Cambodia is addressing problems faced by women garment workers. Workshops will be held every year for continued dialogue over gender-equality issues and will operate in all major hubs, including Phnom Penh, Kandal, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, and Takeo.

The aim is to continue to build and have the necessary roadmap to ensure an equal footing within the workforce. Women account for around 90 percent of the workforce in the garment sector in Cambodia and the sector is a key driver for employment, foreign direct investment, and exports. Supporting women is seen as directly contributing to economic growth in Cambodia and providing job opportunities for Cambodian people. As of now highlevel positions are dominated by men.

Gender equality and safer working conditions are vital elements for a rapidly growing country like Cambodia.Cambodian businesses are expected to move toward diversifying the leadership team, investing more in upscaling the workforce, and listening to their team’s voices.

Cambodia has been at the forefront of gender equality but now wants to adopt a gender transformative approach. More sourcing countries are moving to a responsible and sustainable business model. Gender equality helps to drive the local economy by providing a diversified perspective in decision-making.

Textile chemicals show good growth. The global textile chemicals market is growing at three per cent a year.

Textile chemicals are highly specialized chemicals that are used in different processes, including pre-treatment, dyeing, printing, and finishing, in the production of textiles. Chemicals used in the textile industry provide desirable properties to textiles.

The global textile chemicals market is significantly driven by the rise in demand for apparel, growth in home furnishing activities, and lucrative presence of manufacturers of textile chemicals across the globe. The apparel segment dominates the global textile chemicals market. Apparel products include active wear, children and adult personal clothing, casual wear and formal wear, lingerie, undergarments, sportswear, and fashion accessories (scarfs, belts, socks, etc).

Growth in awareness about health, hygiene, and safety is a key factor that is likely to propel the demand for apparel in the near future. Growth of end-use industries is expected to lead to a trickle-down effect in the local manufacturing value chain, thus benefitting national manufacturers.

Home furnishing is a key application of textile chemicals. Advent of e-commerce in home furnishing is likely to propel the home furnishing segment. Rise in expenditure on home furnishing in developing economies such as India, China, and Thailand is expected to drive the textile chemicals market, as textile chemicals are widely used in the manufacture and spinning process of home textiles.

VF Corporation is making progress against its 2030 science-based greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

This includes completing the apparel and footwear industry’s largest tax equity investment infiscal year 2022 and utilizing 34 per cent renewable energy across its direct operations, up from 32 per cent in fiscal year 2021.

By year-end fiscal 2022, VF achieved an average waste diversion rate of 97 per cent in all active company owned – and operated distribution centers.In fiscal year 2021, 36 per cent of polyester originated from recycled materials, achieving 72 per cent of VF’s fiscal year 2026 goal to source 50 per cent of its polyester from recycled materials.VF removed more than 300 metric tons of nonpreferred chemicals from its supply chain since fiscal year 2020. Since the program’s inception in 2016, VF has removed 900 metric tons of nonpreferred chemicals.

VF Corporation, a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories, continues to expand its traceability program, making progress against its goal to trace five key materials through 100 per cent of the supply chain by fiscal year 2028. The company is focused on delivering consistent business results while also achieving high standards in environmental and social responsibility.

Vietnam’s garment industry is expected to face a decline in orders from its key markets over the next two quarters.

High inflation is dampening global demand.High inflation in many of Vietnam’s key markets such as the United States, the EU and Japan have hurt demand, including the demand for Vietnam’s garment and textile products.

Vietnamese companies have had to cut production including cutting their workforce.The weakening of the currency has also added to the difficulties faced by some garment makers, as imports of their raw materials are more expensive. Vietnam's currency has lost eight per cent against the dollar so far this year.The exchange rate is expected to continue to drop in the second half of 2022, negatively affecting businesses, particularly those with high expenses calculated in dollars.

As of now Vietnamese enterprises are seeking ways to diversify material supply sources as well as export markets. However exports this year are still expected to reach the target. The industry’s exports in the first ten months of 2022 were up 16 per cent from a year earlier and accounted for 12 per cent of the country’s total exports.

Textiles and garments are the Southeast Asian country’s second largest export earner, after smartphones.

The pickleball apparel market is seeing rapid growth especially in the US.

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in America. A hybrid of tennis, ping-pong and badminton, it was invented in the 1960s but has exploded in popularity over the last few years. A large part of the sport’s appeal is its accessibility; its rules are simple, and anybody at any age can participate.

Pickleball attracted 4.8 million U.S. players in 2021 — a 40 per cent increase from the year prior. And clothing companies are competing to keep up with the demand for pickleball. Major brands have jumped into the market with their own pickleball products or lines.

Adidas has a whole section on its website devoted to pickleball that sells tennis shoes, polo shirts and tank tops. Fila sells pickleball crewnecks, flounce skorts and racer back tanks, while Marks & Graham sells a pickleball bag.

Making pickleball apparel

When it comes to manufacturing tennis apparel and pickleball apparel, the requirements of a garment are essentially the same. But there are options for tweaks. The ball is smaller in pickleball than tennis, so clothing such as tennis skirts or dresses that have a pocket to hold the ball could be more customized for pickleball. Civile Apparel, a pickleball apparel company, was founded in 2020. The company’s top products include a unisex performance T-shirt, a luminary skirt and a crewneck shirt. Most of the company’s shirts and sweatshirts are punny and playful. And while other pickleball apparel is more performance-driven, Civile Apparel is focused more on the everyday customer looking to wear the shirt off the court.

There are more than 80 USA Pickleball-sanctioned events from now until November 2023.

For the third quarter Kontoor Brands’ revenue fell by seven per cent. Revenue decreases were primarily driven by significant US retailer inventory rebalancing efforts in the quarter and the impacts of lockdowns in China.

US revenue was down eight per cent over last year. International revenue was down three per cent over the same period in the prior year. China decreased 24 per cent. Europe increased seven per cent.

Wrangler brand global revenue was down four per cent. Wrangler US revenue decreased five per cent compared to last year. Wrangler international revenue increased three per cent. Lee brand global revenue was down 13 per cent from the same period in the prior year. Lee US revenue decreased 19 per cent compared to last year. Lee international revenue decreased six per cent. Strength in Europe was offset by expected reductions in China due to the impact of Covid lockdowns.

Other global revenue of the company fell by 33 per cent compared to the same period in the prior year.Gross margin decreased to 43 per cent, a decrease of 90 basis points on a reported basis and 60 basis points on an adjusted basis compared to the third quarter 2021.

Kontoor Brands is a global lifestyle apparel company with a portfolio led by two of the world’s most iconic consumer brands Wrangler and Lee.