Animal welfare organization Four Paws has released a list of over 180 Australian and international clothing brands who have opposed the use of mulesing wool in their collections. Brands like Patagonia, H&M, Country Road Group, Kmart Group and Hugo Boss figure in the list. These brands have made a commitment to phase out wool used in their products from mulesed sheep. Of the 185 brands, 121 have stated they do not currently accept wool from mulesed sheep or wool from Australia, and 68 have stated their use of robust certification systems, making commitments to help achieve more traceable supply chains.

Outdoor brands like Kathmandu, Ortovox and Patagonia are among the brands that are already non-mulesed certified. Retailers like H&M and Abercrombie & Fitch, as well as fashion brands Witchery and Politix, are among those committed to become non-mulesed certified in the next few years.

Jennie Granstrom, animal welfare, material ethics and biodiversity business expert, H&M Group, said the company is already buying wool from only suppliers that could guarantee wool came from non-mulesed sheep. Humane Society International (HSI) has launched its Better Wool Guide, which it hopes will help consumers understand where their wool comes from. The guide lists the brands and retailers with policies against mulesing, or commitments to phase it out.

As per a study by London-based sustainability focused transparency platform Compare Ethics, only one-fifth of shoppers trust brands’ sustainability claims. Conducted by market research firm Centiment, the study focuses on trust as a key factor in the purchase making decisions of consumers. As per the study, consumers are growing ever-resistant to blame-shifting tactics by corporations, especially when the data is available. Around 83 per cent consumers are more likely to trust a product’s sustainability claim if it is verified by a third party, and 53 percent of consumers see brands as positively reforming the garment industry.

There is a dire need for improving communication on social sustainability amongst consumers as only 22 per cent of them associate sustainability with a brand paying workers a living wage. Wendy Hammett, Advisor, London Fashion Fund expects consumer spending to tighten amid coronavirus. He advises brands to consequently anchor trust into their sustainability credentials if they aim to retain loyalty and market share.

Brands should verify the claims they are making. Like Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly program they can utilize third-party certifications like Cradle to Cradle and Textile Exchange to verify sustainable claims for products on its site.

Compare Ethics uses its verification technology to build trust in sustainability, helping to connect citizens with products deemed ethical and environmentally sound since its founding in 2018. Its sustainable ranking algorithms have verified more than 3,500 products from 50 brands. The company surveyed 1,250 members of the general public aged 18 to 65 split between male- and female-identifying respondents to uncover these findings.

The Cambodian garment sector is facing a double blow of the COVID-19 pandemic and the partial withdrawal of the country’s duty-free access to the European Union (EU) market, reports Cambodia Daily. The country’s apparel sales to the EU, including the UK, have plummeted by 31 per cent or $403 million in the first six months of this year compared to January-June period in 2019.

According to Patrick Lee, Legal Advisor, CENTRAL Cambodia, apparel export slump is by far the biggest drop in all goods exported by Cambodia in monetary terms. He adds it is hard to say how much of that is due to COVID and how much is due to the withdrawal of the Everything But Arms (EBA) trade benefit.

Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) and The Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC) and some other leading companies have collaborated to boost MMF exports. Few days ago, AEPC called for a joint effort to increase MMF apparel export. The council is also willing to focus on R&D regarding the production of MMF fabrics like international standards and has requested the government to provide them an aid of Rs 25 crore for the same.

India’s apparel exports are likely to decline in the current fiscal as the country lags behind in the export of man-made fiber (MMF)-based apparel in the overall product basket. India’s export of MMF-based apparel is only 10 per cent of its total apparel exports. It is hardly $1.6 billion, whereas the world trade is about $200 billion. India exported man-made filaments worth $2.29 billion in 2018-19 and $2.39 billion in 2019-20. At the same time, it imported man-made filaments worth $1.03 billion in 2019-20 and $0.97 billion in 2018-19.

Similarly, India exported man-made staple fibers worth $1.9 billion in 2018-19 and $1.6 billion in 2019-20. Import of these fibers amounted to $ 0.93 billion in 2019-19 and $0.95 billion in 2019-20.

For the first time, sporting-goods trade fair Ispo Munich will be held as a hybrid event from January 31-February 3, 2021 at the Munich trade fair grounds and digitally, reports Sportswear International. Trade show organizers, Bavarian state government and Messe München have drawn up a comprehensive protection and hygiene concept for onsite events in January/February 2021. Deadlines have postponed to give more flexibility. The organizers also plan to use pre-built stands to participate in the event in a cost-effective and efficient manner. They expect representatives from European markets in particular and hope to attract more international visitors.

End consumers will also be given the opportunity to participate digitally and to engage in direct dialog with the industry. With presentations, workshops and master classes, brands and companies can present themselves digitally to sports and outdoor enthusiasts around the world and to engage in conversations with them.

Formalized on August 1, the EVFTA enables Vietnam to promote trade and investment, especially form new supply chains. The agreement allows textile-garment, leather-footwear and seafood businesses to export products to the EU. Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Agency of Foreign Trade reveals, authorized agencies granted 7,200 certificates of origin (C/O) form EUR.1 for goods exports to the EU worth $227 million, including footwear, seafood, plastics and plastic products, coffee, textiles and garments, bags, suitcases, fruits and vegetables, and rattan and bamboo products. Importers included EU countries with seaports and distribution centers - Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and France.

While opportunities are available for businesses to participate in value chains, Vietnam’s support industries remain underdeveloped. The number of Vietnamese companies joining the global value chain is small. As per a study by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Japanese companies in Vietnam buy about 32.4 percent of input goods and services they need from Vietnamese suppliers, compared to 67.8 percent in China, 57.1 percent in Thailand, and 40.5 percent in Indonesia. Vietnam has about 20 automobile assembly companies but has only 81 level-1 suppliers and 145 level-2 and level-3 suppliers. The average revenue of Vietnamese manufacturing enterprises was only $2.9 million per year, while businesses still need to have an annual minimum turnover of $5 million in order to join the EU market.

Local firms are not willing to make greater investments to join the global value chain, says Ngo Chung Khanh, Deputy Director, Multilateral Trade Policy Department.

To reduce their dependence on China, many garment and textile companies have shifted their production to Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam for the last few years. However, COVID-19 has halted this process. Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) discloses, till August 2020, foreign direct investment in Vietnam declined by 13.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2019. Textile and apparel exports by the country decreased 11.6 per cent during the first eight months of this year.

Vietnam is the world's third largest textile exporter after China and India. However, the industry has never been under so much pressure and changed plans so quickly as today, says Vu Duc, Giang, Chairman, VITAS. Global demand for apparels is down which impacted order volumes in all major markets.

Riding over the crisis

To survive the crisis, many textile and garment manufacturers in Vietnam have switched to mask making, informs Frank Weiand, a supply chain localization consultant at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Hanoi. A company fast becoming Vietnam’s face of high-quality of garment manufacturing is Dony Garment. An international exporter of protective clothing and face masks, the company fabricates uniforms and garment products on order. During COVID-19, it shifted production to protective clothing and premium quality face masks. Today, the company donates 5 per cent of its income to social welfare just like its donation of 100,000 face masks to the US.

The 3-ply face mask developed through closed sterilization technology by Dony Garment can be reused. The mask is made from antimicrobial Cotton which helps it to fight the spread of the coronavirus besides protecting it against UV light. The anti-droplet face mask’s breathing resistance is human friendly. It is also eco-friendly, skin-friendly, and economical.

Dony Garments exports masks and other PPE products to six continents and countries like the US, Australia, and Europe. The company proves a good alternative for consumers to looking beyond China for PPEs and masks from China. The company books mega shipments for worldwide exports every day. Besides face masks, Dony Garments also excels in making personal protective equipment. Currently it makes protective overall and isolation gown for health workers across the world. PPEs are certified to prescribed standards. Apart from the PPEs and masks Dony Garment also designs uniforms for healthcare workers. The uniforms are made from high-quality materials and are available at reasonable rates. Dony Garment also customizes T-shirt designs at its factories. These T-shirts are made from 100 per cent cotton and are very cool, smooth and soft.

As per a CNBC report, money spending by teens on food, concerts and events has hit a two-decade low since the COVID-19 outbreak. Piper Sandler’s 40th biannual ‘Taking Stock with Teens’ report also says, this year, teen spending has dropped by 9 per cent year over year to $2,150.

The Piper Sandler report surveyed 9,800 consumers with an average age just under 16 from 48 states, with an average household income of $67,500. According to this report, a teen has spent only $507 on apparels per year since the outbreak. Females have been spending $160 more on clothes than males, the survey said.

Handbag spending reaches all-time low

Spending on handbags by teens too reached an all-time low to $87. In this category, LVMH’s Louis Vuitton surpassed Michael Kors as the top handbag brand. Teenagers spending on purses and clutch bags had peaked in 2006. However, popularity of this category has been fading since then.

In apparels, Nike retained top spot followed by American Eagle and Adidas. Athletic apparel maker Lululemon climbed upto the sixth position from its seventh position in the previous year. While fast-fashion chain H&M moved up the list, L Brand’s Victoria’s Secret dropped from its thirteenth position to No. 22 while Forever 21 also dropped on the list.

Secondhand clothes gain momentum

Demand for secondhand clothes gained momentum as around 46 per cent teenagers purchased secondhand clothes from resale platforms like Poshmark and The RealReal. Around 58 per cent teenagers also reported selling their clothes on a second-hand marketplace. Ranking on the thirteenth position, thrift/ consignment stores emerged as teens’ favorite brand or retailer during the fall. Teenagers also spent around 6 per cent less on footwear. On average, men spent about $50 more on shoes than females.

Amazon rules as consumers shun physical stores

E-commerce giant Amazon emerged as teens’ favorite website during the pandemic. Around 54 per cent teenagers named Amazon as their favorite shopping destination, up from 52 per cent a year earlier. Ninety per cent teenagers reported shopping online during the period.

Safety remained the main concern of shoppers as only 33 per cent of teens reported shopping at department stores and specialty retail stores. This led to many of these department store chains including J.C. Penney, Stage Stores and Neiman Marcus filing for bankruptcy protection during the pandemic.

According to the survey, men spent 21 per cent of their money on food, followed by video games and clothing. On the other hand, females spent a majority or almost 27 per cent of their money to clothing followed by food and personal care.

As the global health crisis has put either themselves or their parents out of work, 48 per cent of teenagers reported a pessimistic outlook for the economy compared to 32 per cent a year.

Levi Strauss, which belongs to the Zacks Retail - Apparel and Shoes industry, posted revenues of $1.06 billion for the quarter ended August 2020, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 38.63 per cent. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.45 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Levi Strauss was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock.

The Texworld New York s being designed with a heightened focus on regional buyers from the tri-state area, which is currently exempt from New York’s quarantine requirements. Buyers are welcome from other locations for the January edition, but they will need to adhere to restrictions in place at the time of the show.

As a solution for mills that cannot travel to New York, Texworld is debuting a new Pop-Up Sourcing Showcase concept that will enable them to ship product for display at the Javits Center. This area of the show floor will be curated by New York-based trend agency The Doneger Group. Attendees will have guided access to on-site textile experts as they explore the fabrics. All of the products will include QR codes, which buyers can scan to easily connect with mills via the show’s virtual platform. Using personal devices or show-provided tablets and computers, attendees can chat live with suppliers in the networking lounge or set up an online meeting.

Building on the successful digital Texworld USA event held in July, the January edition of Texworld NYC will also have a virtual platform for companies that cannot attend the physical show. Participants can take advantage of artificial intelligence-powered networking and chat via text or video with contacts.

The show will take a multichannel approach to its education platform, with some sessions held solely online or in person. Texworld’s core educational content, including the Lenzing Seminar Series, Textile Talks and the Texworld Trend, will also be recorded and accessible to the virtual audience.

Texworld NYC’s localization move is aimed at navigating Covid-era restrictions, but this also comes as companies are ramping up their domestic sourcing. In a McKinsey survey conducted with Sourcing Journal earlier this year, 46 percent of fashion sourcing executives said they expect the nearshoring trend to rise.