As COVID-led disruptions have provided them with a better visibility on their supply chains andenabled them to predict demand trends effectively, retailers plan to refurbish their supply chain strategies in the next three years, says a new report by the Capgemini Research Institute.

Ramping technical capabilities for accurate demand prediction

Over 65 per cent of retailers are likely to change their strategies significantly in the next three years and embed resiliency in their operations, adds the report. However, 23 per cent of consumer product organizations and 28 per cent believe, their supply chain is flexible enough to adapt to the organization’s changing business needs.

These organizations are currently ramping up their technical capabilities to predict demand accurately and plan their supplies in a better manner. Around 85 per cent of these companies faced disruptions due to COVID-induced lockdowns which not only halted their raw material supplies but also disrupted production lines and go-to-market route for consumer goods companies.

Challenges in product and demand planning

It took almost three months for 63 per cent of consumer products companies and 71 per cent of retailers to recover from the disruptions and normalize their supply chains. Around 50 per cent of Indian companies took 3-6 months to recover from the pandemic effects. These companies faced challenges spanning demand planning, anticipating consumer demand and over-reliance on global supply chains.

Over two-thirds of organizations faced difficulties in product planning as they did not have accurate information on the fluctuating customer demand during the pandemic, adds the research. Around 73 per cent of the organizations could not predict demand as they lacked data on fluctuating demand. This led to over 65 per cent organizations planning to organize supply chains according to demand patterns, product value and regional dimensions post pandemic. Over 50 per cent plan to rely on analytics and AI-machine learning for demand forecasting in future.

Focus on local supply chains

COVID-19 has also highlighted the importance of local suppliers and manufacturing base. In the next three years, retailers plan to restrict their reliance on global suppliers to just 25 per cent of their capacity. This localization trend is also catching in Indiawith 73 per cent of organizations investing in regionalizing and localizing their supplier base; and 55 per cent of them regionalizing and localizing their manufacturing base,

Significance of digital investments grows

Demand visibility was also one of the challenges faced by 75 per cent of companies during the period. According to the report, these companies were compelled to increase or decrease production capacity due the pandemic. Over 60 per cent of organizations in India lost sales due to stockouts, adds the report. . Organizations now understand the significance of digital investments in improving visibility.

As per the report, around 58 per cent of retailers and 61 per cent of consumer product organizations plan to digitize their supply chains post pandemic. Around 47 per cent of them plan to invest in automation, 42 per cent plan to invest in robotics and 42 per cent in artificial intelligence. Around 64 per cent of these organizations also plan use artificial intelligence and machine learning across transportation and pricing optimization respectively.

As per USDA, global cotton consumption is expected to grow by 4.1 per cent in 2021-22 season, substantially above the long-term average rate of 1.7 per cent This will be the second consecutive year when world consumption will exceed production.

World cotton stocks are expected to reduce by 3.2 million bales, according to the initial world and US cotton outlook for the 2021-22 season released by USDA in February at the Agricultural Outlook Forum.

Meanwhile, world cotton production is expected to rise by 4.7 per cent with the most significant year-over-year growth in Pakistan, Australia, Brazil, the United States, and West Africa, the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the USDA said in its March 2021 report 'Cotton: World Markets and Trade'.

Overall, strong cotton consumption growth in 2021-22 and tightening stocks are expected to support prices with the A-Index forecast up 7 cents to 90 cents/pound for the marketing year id.

China’s 2021-22 imports are forecast at 11.0 million bales, unchanged from the previous year’s level, which was the highest level in 7 years. Further growth in yarn and fabric production, coupled with lower domestic production, is expected to maintain strong imports in addition to the State Reserve maintaining an optimal level of government-held stocks comprised of both imports and domestic supplies. China’s consumption is projected to increase at a rate below the world average due to above average growth in 2020-21.

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, and Jeanologia, world leader in sustainable and efficient technology development have collaborated to launch of ‘Pad-Ox G2 Cold’, a water-saving dyeing process at room temperature for casual looks.

Archroma initially introduced its eco-advanced Pad-Ox dyeing process for woven fabrics, and then used it as part of its Advanced Denim concept. The idea was fairly simple, yet technically revolutionary at the time. By combining the oxidation and fixation steps, it is possible to shorten the dyeing process and thus realize substantial resource savings in water, wastewater, cotton waste, and energy.

Archroma and Jeanologia have decided to team up and combine their expertise in sustainable dyeing and finishing technologies. The objective of the project was to improve the Pad-Ox dyeing process even further, in particular in one area that still offered room for positive impact: temperature and fastnesses. After several months of development, they have come up with a way to apply the Pad-Ox dyeing process at room temperature, whilst still improving fastnesses and allowing higher contrasts after washdown. A binder-free technology to obtain end articles that are softer and have greater color durability to repetitive washing and solidity against rubbing than other wash-out processes.

The new ‘Pad-Ox G2 Cold’ dyeing process works thanks to the insertion of very small machinery into the existing finishing range process, using cold processing and thus operating with much less water, carbon footprint and energy than traditional benchmark fabric finishing processes, whilst retaining the water and other resource savings offered by the Pad-Ox technology.

B.I.G. Yarns, a division of Beaulieu international group, has launched EqoCycle, a fully recyclable PA6 yarn with 75 per cent recycled content, offering the same high-quality performance of virgin PA6 yarn.

As per a SRTEPC report, the new recycled yarn is based on post-industrial waste and supports contract, automotive and residential carpet manufacturers in reducing the ecological footprint of their end products.

EqoCycle is made with recycled granulates derived from pre-consumer recycled and regenerated PA6, certified by Control Union for Global Recycled Standard (GRS) Certification. The use of less virgin materials implicates a decrease of fossil fuels by 58 per cent and a 27 per cent decrease in energy consumption. On top, EqoCycle yarns allow a reduction of 37 per cent of CO2 eq./kg compared to the fossil based yarns. The environmental impacts of EqoCycle with 75 per cent recycled content were calculated through an LCA analysis, verified according to ISO 14025 and EN 15804+A1 and published in an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD registration number S-P-02415).

EqoCycle joins EqoBalance PA6 which is based on biomass balance renewable resources, which offers up to 75 per cent reduction in CO2. Both exemplify the company’s on-going investment in developing new products that better serve customers’ needs in a sustainable way. B.I.G. Yarns fully pursues opportunities to support and solve the global environmental challenges through innovation, investment and collaboration, as part of its sincere belief in, and broader commitment to, social responsibility.

The first digital edition of Columbaitex de Las America was held between January 18 and February 5. As per a Texbrasil report, 21 brands of the Brazilian group participated in the evenl.

.The digital edition received 69,000 visitors from countries such as Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, and the United States. Around 3,300 buyers from 28 countries attended the fair held on a platform developed by Inexmoda, the organizer of the event. Among the countries that generated business for the brand include Chile, Guatemala, El Salvador, United States, and Colombia.

According to Carla Mager, Marketing Manager, Diklatex, the event allows the company to attract potential customers to generate future business and present its products with the perceived value that the brand offers.

Lilian Kaddissi, Executive Director, Texbrasil, opines, Colombiatex helps Brazilian brands expand their market to the entire region.

As per data from Export Promotion Bureau, Bangladesh readymade garment exports declined by 3.73 per cent in the first eight months of fiscal 2020-21 compared on year-on-year basis.

Category-wise, knitwear exports increased by 4.06 per cent to $11.345 billion in July-February 2020-21, as against exports of $1.898 billion during the same period of the previous fiscal, reports SRTEPC.

However, exports of woven apparel decreased by 11.49 per cent to $9.691 billion during the period under review, compared to exports of $10.948 billion during the comparable period of 2019-20.

Woven and knitted apparel and clothing accessories’ exports together accounted for 81.32 per cent of $25.862 billion worth of total exports made by Bangladesh during the first eight months of the current fiscal.

Meanwhile, home textile exports increased by 38.92 per cent to $730.82 million during the eight-month period under review, compared to exports of $526.08 million during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

In the fiscal ending June 30, 2020, readymade garment exports from Bangladesh declined 18.12 per cent to $27.949 billion compared to exports of $34.133 billion in the previous fiscal, mainly on account of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns. For the current fiscal, the country has set an export target of $33.785 billion.

While the UK and parts of Europe are still in lockdown, sales in parts of Asia, such as China and Korea, have bounced back. As per Sourcing Journal, nearly 90 per cent of Prada SpA’s sales in the second half were driven by Mainland China (up 52 percent), Taiwan (up 61 percent), and Korea (up 22 percent).

British luxury firm Burberry expects its revenue and adjusted operating profit in the fourth quarter to be higher than expected due to a strong rebound in sales since December. The brand expects comparable store sales to increase by 32 percent while group revenue is expected to fall by 10 percent to 11 percent, and adjusted operating margin to be in the range of 15.5 percent to 16.5 percent.

British retailer JD Sports Fashion will acquire a 60 percent stake in Marketing Investment Group SA (MIG). Founded in 1989, MIG is majority owned by brothers Andrzej and Zbigniew Grzçaka. It operates 410 retail stores and e-commerce sites across nine countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The retail businesses sell a wide range of sports fashion footwear, apparel and accessories from leading global brands, mostly under the Sizeer and 50 Style nameplates. For the year ending January 31, 2020, MIG generated revenues of $277.6 million.

Victor Herrero has been appointed the new CEO of UK-based shoe retailer Clarks. As per reports, Herrero will assume the role after Hong Kong-based investment firm LionRock Capital completes its £100 million ($139 million) purchase of a controlling take in the company.

Herrero, who had been a non-executive director on Clarks’ board, will take over the responsibility from Giorgio Presca, who has served as Clarks’ chief executive for the last two years. Presca is moving on to pursue other opportunities, according to a press release.

Herrero was chief executive officer of Guess from 2015 to 2019. He also worked with Inditex, the parent of Zara for 12 years. Currently, he is the chairman of Bossini and a non-executive director of Viva China Holdings Limited.

LionRock Capital is reportedly in the process of putting together a new management team to support Herrero.

Next plans to extend its online platform to host smaller brands.

As per Retail Gazette, the fashion retailer currently has a £2 billion online business and is using its advantage of logistics, customer databases and warehouses to launch a “total platform” business to become more like an Ocado for fashion rather than a high street chain.

Lord Wofson, CEO, Next said, the retailer seeks to develop a new revenue stream by using Next’s assets to provide a full service for smaller fashion brands to sell and distribute products online

At the moment, Next’s platform has only Childsplay, a designer childrenswear retailer, but it has set up a pay-as-you go model for more brands to use the service with a fixed commission.The development of the platform is similar to online grocer Ocado’s journey from an online grocery retailer into a technology business.

Next owns the UK licence for Victoria’s Secret and was a frontrunner to buy Topshop out of administration in a joint bid with Authentic Brands of the US.

As per Pablo Isla, President, Inditex, the group expects to grow by 4 per cent post pandemic. As per Fashion Network, the company will continue to focus on its online channel which has recorded over 46 million orders, through a strategy hinging on inventory integration and an extensive adoption of RFID technology.

The company has managed to reduce its stock levels and our inventor. In the last financial year, the group’s e-shops recorded 5.3 billion site visits altogether, with 15 million unique visitors and 132 million app downloads in 2020. This year, it plans to close around 400 stores across various markets. However, Inditex will continue opening physical stores future. Last year, the company included over 35 per cent of its items in the Join Life [sustainable fashion] line. Some 80 per cent of its facilities use renewable energy, and is also adopting operational models that ensure our stores worldwide are energy efficient