British clothing-to-food retailer Marks and Spencer has closed its operations in Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine.

The brand’s exit, plus disruption to M&S operations in Ukraine run also by franchisee Fiba, is costing the British company £31 million ($39 million). Its exit from Russia comes after Marks and Spencer last year shut more than half its stores in France as Brexit affected supplies of fresh and chilled products.

Ahead, M&S pointed to "difficult and unpredictable headwinds" owing to ongoing fallout from the pandemic in addition to geopolitical and economic uncertainties. The company said a cost-of-living crisis caused by soaring inflation may hit the brand’s sales growth.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co predicts a decline in sales and margins after posting a surprise quarterly loss amid a surge in freight and raw material costs.

Decades-high inflation has pushed consumers to cut spending on discretionary goods such as apparel, while persistent supply chain issues, worsened by the war in Ukraine, have dented profits.

Known for brands such as Hollister and Gilly Hicks, the Ohio-based retailer reported an 810-basis-point fall in first-quarter margins, as it spent $80 million more on transportation.

The company also cut its full-year operating margin to between 5 per cent and 6 per cent from 7 per cent to 8 per cent forecast earlier.

The millennial-focused retailer expects net sales to be flat to up 2 per cent in fiscal 2022, compared with its earlier forecast of a 2 per cent to 4 per cent growth. Analysts on average expect sales to increase 3.5 per cent to $3.84 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

For the three months ending April 30, Abercrombie reported an adjusted per-share loss of 27 cents, while analysts expected a profit of 2 cents.

European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers and Owner of ITMA 2023, CEMATEX has launched an online platform that allows ITMA 2023 participants to build connections, source technologies and solutions, share ideas and grow their business.

ITMAconnect is the new one-stop sourcing platform and knowledge hub that complements the ITMA 2023 exhibition which will be held at the Fiera Milano Rho, Milan, from 8 to 14 June 2023. It will enable exhibitors, visitors and industry partners to start their engagements before the exhibition, make appointments for in-person meetings at ITMA 2023, and continue their discussions even after the exhibition.

Exhibitors will be able to pinpoint business opportunities in advance by allowing them to have access to ITMA 2023 buyers early. They will be assigned ITMAconnect digital spaces for them to present their company information, upload brochures and press releases, and showcase their products. They can also start their engagements with the smart messaging and video meeting feature, and schedule in-person meetings via the business matching tool.

ITMA 2023 exhibitors will automatically become ITMAconnect subscribers. There are several subscription tiers offering varied features to suit the needs of the exhibitors. Access to the platform for exhibitors to prepare their digital showcases will be available from 15 November 2022.

Similarly, visitors will enjoy a two-in-one offer to gain access to ITMA 2023 as well as the online sourcing platform when they purchase their badges. Online access starts from 8 March 2023.

The ITMAconnect platform will also allow participants to access content all year round, making it the go-to knowledge hub for textile related content and events, including webinars, community forums and showcases by exhibitors.

Vietnamese textile companies are urging the government to approve the Development Strategy for Textile and Footwear by 2030 to make the industry self-sufficient in material production and compliant with rules of origin as stated in free trade agreements. Than Duc Viet, Director, Garment 10 Corp has expressed concerns over the tight raw material supply despite a projected rise in demand. Vietnam’s textile exports are expected to rise to $43.5 billion in 2022, according to Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association. However, Du Viet fears Chinese Zero-COVID policy and the Russian military operation in Ukraine will disrupt supply chains, hindering its ability to fulfill new orders. He says, China remains the leading material exporter to Vietnam, accounting for half of the supply. His corporation plans to diversify its suppliers in the next 5-10 years to be less dependent on China, but it has to seek support from its partners in the short term.

Nguyen Duc Thang, Director , Dap Cau Garment, attributes the disruption in company’s production to delayed shipments from Shanghai (China. His company plans to re-negotiate with its partners to put back delivery. Tran Nhu Tung, Chairman of Thanh Cong Textile Garment Investment Trading JSC., reveals, his company plans to substitute Chinese materials with Korean and Thai materials

Trinh Xuan Lam, Chairman, Tien Son Thanh Hoa JSC., says, his company’s attempts to diversify material sourcing has met with little success as materials form other countries is insufficient to fill the gap left by China.

According to the General Department of Customs, Vietnam textile exports rose by 23 per cent to $8.8 billion in Q1/2022, compared to the same period last year, representing the highest quarterly growth in 10 years.

US-based leading fashion company PVH Corporation’s PVH Foundation plans to support the initiatives of global non-profit organizations by investing $10 million in them over the next four years. Owner of brands like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, the company’s initial list of partners will include professions from under-served and under-presented communities who will be provided with an access to the industry.

Stefan Larsson, CEO believes, these partnerships will help PVH make a bigger impact on these communities. Committed to making a difference with inclusion and diversity, the company looks forward to elevating the next generation of innovators around the world, he adds. The global partners associated PVH include: KELY Support Group, World of Art Brut Culture (WABC), Australian Business and Community Network, Ecotece Institute, Fashion Council Germany (FCG), Graduate Fashion Foundation, House of Denim Foundation, Creatives Want Change (CWC), Custom Collaborative, I Love First Peoples, Misa Hylton Fashion Academy (MHFA), National Urban League, New Circles, Prep for Prep, etc.

American apparel and accessories brand True Religion has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Concept One Accessories and Capelli/Ballet, divisions of GMA Group, for a new collection of men's, women's and children's cold weather accessories, fashion headwear, and jewelry, as well as women’s handbags, small leather goods, and hair accessories.

As per a Business Wire report, the designs of the collection will pay a tribute to the brand’s core branding elements such as its horseshoe and Buddha logos. The design and creative execution of the collection will be led by Zihaad Wells, Creative Director. The collection will launch in stores in August 2022.

Sam Hafif, President and CEO, Concept One says, the group has over $1.2 billion in retail sales, across 12 categories of merchandise, and placement in all large retail chain in North America and Europe. Its new agreement with True Religion provides the group with an opportunity to drive $50 - 75 million in retail sales across all of its product categories.

Increasing raw cotton and yarn prices are compelling textile companies in Gujarat to underutilize their production capacity. A few mills in the state have also shut down operations due to lack of fresh orders owning to the price rise, as per a Textile Today report. As per Saurin Parikh, President, Spinners Association of Gujarat and Founder, Pashupati Cotspin, nearly 120 spinning mills in Gujarat are running at a little over 50 percent capacity currently. Since weavers and international buyers have refused to pay higher prices for cotton yarns, spinning mills in the state have not been able to increase their finished goods’ prices, he adds.

Chintan Thaker, President, Welspun Group affirms, two of the company’s units in the state are operating at 60 per cent capacity as international buyers have refused to pay for the increased prices. Many apparel units in the state are also facing production cuts. Vijay Purohit, President, Gujarat Garment Manufacturers Association (GGMA) says, high yarn prices has made it difficult for manufacturers to operate their units.

China’s cumulative retail sales of garments and accessories dropped 6 per cent on Y-o-Y basis, whereas it plunged by 22.80 per cent to $11.87 billion in April ’22. Latest statistics released by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of China show, from the January to April 2022, China’s retail sales of garments and accessories dropped to $61.30 billion. Dismal sales of garment and accessories could be attributed to the resurgence in COVID-19 cases across China and fresh restrictions to fight the new wave of pandemic.

Reports suggest China’s overall retail sales dropped 0.20 per cent during the January to April ’22 period and 11.10 per cent in April alone. Online garment and accessories sales dropped 1.70 per cent during the January-April 2022 period.

The Punjab government plans to acquire another 250 acre to set up a park under the Prime Minister Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM-MITRA) scheme in the state. As per reports, the project requires 1,000 acre in all. Of this, 957 acres will be acquired from the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), a special development authority of the housing and urban development department.

However, as the land available with GLADA is currently under litigation or under stay by the judicial courts, the government needs to acquire additional area to fill the minimum land requirement for the project. In this regard, the Industries Department of the State government has sent letters to the Principal Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development, to fulfill the additional land requirement at the earliest. The Ministry of Textiles has also questioned the department about road connectivity to the proposed site, especially approach road to the Ludhiana-Rupnagar expressway, along with its likely date of completion.

Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) has witnessed a surge in demand going past previously achieved records. Stats reveal, over 600 million worth of CmiA textiles were sold this year almost double that of last year. CmiA’s licensed retail and brand partners also grew around 30 per cent in the past four years.

The initiative boasts of some of the biggest retail and fashion partners in India including Bestseller, Lidl, LPP, and the Otto Group. It produced around 690,000 tons of verified cotton last year, which is around 40 per cent more than previous year. Currently active in 11 countries of the Sub-Saharan Africa continent, CmiA made supports around one million small-scale farmers.

Growing demand in 50 markets

“The record levels of supply and demand achieved by CmiA highlights the importance of sustainable raw materials in international value chains,” says Tina Stridde, Managing Director, Aid by Trade Foundation, administrator of the organization. v The initiative is supported by textile companies across the world, and cotton companies in the entire Sub-Saharan Africa continent. Together, these two entities have been able to boost demand in over 50 textile production markets. “They prepare small scale farmers to deal with current climate change challenges by aligning with market forces and introducing innovative and efficient farming methods,” Stridde explains.

Currently working with small-scale farmers in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, and Tanzania, CmiA has recently partnered with farmers in Togo and Ghana. The organization has also expanded its textile value chain to encompass 240 spinning mills across the world in 2021. Lidl Group, Otto Group and the Ernsting family are the three largest buyers of CmiA. And as Alexander David, Head-International Purchasing Division, Lidl Shiflung & Co KG says, “By using CmiA-verified cotton, we aim to support local farmers in Africa and promote environmentally friendly agriculture.”

Anna Rensing, Head-Quality Development and Product Sustainability, Enrsting adds, “CmiA helps us achieve complete certification for our natural-fiber products. We also plan to increase CmiA’s share in cotton sourcing by 487 percent between 2020 and 2021.”

Monitoring compliance with existing standards

Members currently have to pay licensing fees for procuring verified cotton. The initiative reinvests the proceeds in cotton-growing African regions. It also uses some of these funds to monitor compliance with social, economic and environmental sustainability standards through regular certifications by external auditors at the field and ginnery levels. This ensures verified cotton meets exclusion criteria—like prohibition on irrigation, child labor, genetically modified seeds, and certain pesticides as defined in international conventions. Revenue acquired through this also supports agricultural and business training for small-scale farmers.

An internationally recognized seal for sustainably produced cotton from Africa, the CmiA initiative was established by the Hamburg-based Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) in 2005. It is currently one of the world’s leading standards for sustainable cotton. The initiative reinvests the revenue obtained through the licensing of cotton to improve farmers living conditions in the cotton-growing regions of Sub-Saharan Africa.