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There is a change in the U.S. retail market. Consumers are spending less on products and spending more on “experiences,” preferring vacations over wardrobes, to the point some malls are being recreated as community colleges or indoor parks. To take advantage of the growth potential in those areas of the globe brands are looking to develop markets like China and India. From activewear to luxury brands, more and more major apparel players have entered or are readying to enter these markets.
U.S has a population of 321.4 million people. U.S. consumers are spending 65 percent of their discretionary dollars on things like vacations and sporting events, up from the low-40 percent range 60 years ago, In contrast, China has a population of 1.37 billion, while India counts 1.3 billion residents. China’s disposable personal income has grown at average annual rate of 11.5 percent; while India’s has seen a 7.5 percent increase, according to an analysis by Deloitte University Press. The difference is staggering.
According to the Cotton Council International (CCI) and Cotton Incorporated’s global survey, “In China, 83 percent of consumers “love or somewhat like” shopping for clothes. China is such an interesting market for apparel brands, as Chinese are frequent clothing shoppers, with 68 percent shopping for apparel for themselves once a month or more,. But Chinese shoppers mostly prefer to buy their clothes online (79 percent). The bulk of Chinese consumers say they buy clothes on sale, but other factors like quality are more important than price alone. Just 8 percent say they’re willing to sacrifice quality to get a better price.
In India, even more consumers (91 percent), express that they “love or somewhat like” apparel shopping. 66 percent cite it as their favorite items to shop for, outstripping groceries and electronics (both 9 percent), cosmetics (8 percent), and fashion accessories (4 percent). However, just 25 percent shop for clothes for themselves once a month or more, and instead prefer to shop once every two-to-three months.
India is also very different from China in that its most popular shopping channels are independent stores A.T. Kearney points to India’s strong GDP growth, growing middle class, and a more favorable regulatory environment that has developed over the past few years as reasons for its ranking.
All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has decided to keep all the mills shut next week in protest, as the government is not providing the incentives that were promised to the industrialists. APTMA Chairman Aamir Fiaz expressed his views in a press conference and stated that the trade deficit has reached the highest level in country’s history due to poor policies of government and continuous increase in production costs. Gohar Ejaz, Vice Chairman Ali Pervez and APTMA Punjab Chairman Syed Ali Ahsan were also present along with him.
The chairman noted that Prime Minister is not fulfilling the promises that were made with the industrialists. He further stated that the volume of export was more than $25 billion in 2013 when the incumbent government took charge, but it has reduced to less than $20 billion.
Aamir Fiaz told that PM Nawaz had promised to pay funds worth Rs180 billion, but Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has allocated only Rs4 billion in the budget for fiscal year 2017-18. He told the industrialists are being asked to increase the exports without giving them the incentives. Aamir further added that it was made clear in the previous year that the trade deficit would cross $30 billion, but government did nothing expect taking loans that the nation will pay with interest. He mentioned that the progress cannot be made without increasing exports, and exports cannot be increased just by announcements.
APTMA chairman demanded that government should act upon the policy that it had announced. He stated thatRs200 billion of export industry have been held by the government, and industry will not run until they are paid. After the press conference, a protest was raised outside the APTMA House, and slogans were raised to get the demands fulfilled by setting fabric and thread on fire.
Amid a rapidly increasing global technical textiles market, China is expected to stay dominant in this sector in 2017. Europe and the US are two top markets which China is aiming to cater to the most.
The global technical textile industry was estimated to be worth 142 billion dollars in 2015 and is expected to reach 165 billion dollars by 2019. China contributes 30 per cent to global technical textile production and it is followed by the Americas with 19 per cent of global production, India with 18 per cent, the EU with 16 per cent, and the rest of the world with 17 per cent.
China has a clear edge over its competitors. A large workforce, a strong domestic market, and advances in textile technology have made China a very strong competitor in the global technical textiles industry. Despite setbacks in terms of reduced textile exports in the last few years, these qualities have allowed China to continue to thrive in this sector.
Adidas and Arizona State University have they announced the creation of the Global Sport Alliance. They have come up with new twist on the traditional collegiate apparel deal.
The partnership will bring together Arizona State faculty and students, Adidas employees and industry experts to study sport's role in society, including diversity, gender and race. It will also study the technical aspects of the industry, such as sustainability, textiles and manufacturing.
The deal comes as the terms of university apparel deals have ballooned and seemingly answers critics who question the benefits of multimillion-dollar sportswear deals to the wider university community. The traditional apparel deal benefits athletes and some athletic administrators.
Global Sport Institute (GSI) will be the key component of the Global Sport Alliance that will translate and amplify complex sports research to broad, global audiences. It will convene public events, engage leading sports figures and publish research findings through reports, infographics, podcasts and social media. Kenneth Shropshire, a leading expert at the intersection of sports, business, law and society, will lead GSI as CEO and join ASU as the distinguished professor in global sports, a position created by Adidas.
The Global Sport Institute will support collaborative inquiry and research that examines critical issues impacting sport and all those connected with sport. GSI’s purpose will be to transform the resulting findings into practical knowledge that is widely shared, educating and influencing audiences,” says Kenneth in a news release.
Gerold Fleissner was a pioneer of the textile, manmade fiber and nonwovens industry. He dIed at 92. With Gerold Fleissner the complete textile industry has lost a visionary person with activity, responsibility and social commitment who enriched the industry with his inventions worldwide.
Cooperation with universities, research institutes, machinery- and textile associations, fiber manufacturers and customers was always a key subject for Gerold Fleissner.
The Fleissner story is a success story of four generations of entrepreneurs, whose chief aims were a high level of development of machines and the satisfaction of their customers. And it is also four generations of employees who have contributed to the fact that the name Fleissner always was a synonym for technical progress.
Gerold Fleissner with the support of his vice president Alfred Watzl constantly developed the nonwovens sector built-up since the sixties, so that Fleissner became one of the leading manufacturers of high-duty processing lines for the nonwovens industry.
The new development of the hydro entanglement system AquaJet allowed the production of a completely new generation of nonwovens. The agreement with Georgia Pacific USA to use their patent for the production of hydro entangled sandwich products with fiber layers and air laid pulp layers made this technology available for Fleissner customers to exclusively produce low-cost standard and also flushable wipes.
"CHIC Autumn Shanghai being held from October 11 to 13, 2017, opens with nearly 850 national and international fashion brands, those will present themselves to the Chinese audience and use the platform to enter the Chinese fashion market and expand their network."
CHIC Autumn Shanghai being held from October 11 to 13, 2017, opens with nearly 850 national and international fashion brands, those will present themselves to the Chinese audience and use the platform to enter the Chinese fashion market and expand their network.
CHIC is the largest fashion fair in Asia being held since over 20 years; till 2014 in Beijing and since then it is being held in Shanghai. The next show in October will be the third Autumn show, covering around 50.000 sqm and showcasing comprehensive overview of around 850 international and Chinese fashion brands.
According to a recent study conducted by OC & C Strategy Consultants, in no other country in the world do consumers adapt faster than in China. They have long since become connoisseurs of lifestyle. The focus is no longer on mass-fashion, but on individual styles according to the motto "be different". They are well informed by internet, international magazines, clubs and shopping malls.
With currently 6.7% economic growth, China is still at the top of the world's fastest-growing countries (Germany 0.7%), especially in the middle class. Consumer demand for fashion is growing steadily in China. Chinese consumers have high affinity for international brands. Chinese millennial is considered as extremely free-spending consumer.
CHIC Autumn facts in brief
Around 850 exhibitors will show their latest collections at the fair; they come from around 20 nations and regions. All fashion product lines and styles are presented, from ready-to-wear for women/men/kids via accessories, bags and shoes to body/beachwear.
The international pavilions perform with all kind of fashion products along with Chinese brands, showcase in different lifestyle sections: HERITAGE (leather/fur/outdoor), URBAN VIEW (menswear incl. bespoke and denim), NEW LOOK (womenswear), KIDS’ PARADISE (kidswear), SECRET STARS (accessories, bags, shoes, cosmetic), IMPULSES(designer).CHIC YOUNG BLOOD is focusing on fashion for the next generation and creating a "clubbing feeling". Integrated as "shows in show" as well will be SHANGHAI BAGS and the Korean PREVIEW CHINA.
FASHION JOURNEY as international view on fashion
Nearly since its beginning of CHIC the Italian and the French pavilion are participating at CHIC, including long-time participants, the Italian brands Dolcepunto or Giovanni Fabiani
Walmart is buying online men's clothing retailer Bonobos for $310 million in cash, showing that its appetite for hip clothing brands shows no sign of abating as it looks for ways to gain on Amazon. Bonobos, which started out selling pants online, caters to male shoppers looking for help putting together a wardrobe. Walmart keeps trying to compete against Amazon by pushing harder into online.
Focusing on brands appealing to younger shoppers Walmart has since bought clothing seller Mod Cloth, footwear retailer Shoe Buy and outdoor gear seller Moosejaw.
On the other hand Amazon announced a bold move into brick-and-mortar stores today by saying it would buy Whole Foods in a deal valued at about $13.7 billion. Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart's online business is gaining momentum, but remains a distant second to Amazon. It increased 63 percent in the fiscal first quarter, up from 29 percent in the previous period. That marked the fourth straight quarter of gains.
Under Lore's direction, Walmart also has been trying to take advantage of its scale in areas like shipping and sharing its products. Walmart aims to compete more aggressively with Amazon and is launching an incubator lab focused on projects in robotics, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.
DyStar’s apparel dyes for the fashion industry have been awarded a gold-level material health certificate. DyStar strives to be part of a more sustainable future and growing a circular economy as well as reaffirming its commitment to environmental and human health.
C&A, one of Europe’s leading fashion retailers, has recently launched in its stores in 18 European markets a range of recyclable T-shirts. These T-shirts are made of 100 per cent organic cotton, with safe materials and chemicals and produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way. The dyes used in the coloration of the shirts, which are available in two styles and 17 colors, were provided by DyStar.
The styles were developed in close partnership with Fashion for Good. Created with funds granted by founding partner C&A Foundation, Fashion for Good is a global partnership that unites apparel producers, retailers, non-profit organizations, innovators and funders in the shared ambition to transform the apparel industry into a circular one.
The DyStar Group is a leading dyestuff and chemical manufacturer and solution provider, offering customers across the globe a broad portfolio of colorants, specialty chemicals, and services. DyStar also caters to multiple sectors including the paints, coatings, paper and packaging industries. Its expansion into the food and beverages and personal care sectors reinforces the company’s position as a specialty chemical manufacturer.
The Belarusian Textile Company Polesye plans to exhibit over 300 models of clothing at the Forum of the Regions of Russia and Belarus, Russia, June 29 to 30, 2017. Polesye will showcase the products at two venues. The first one is set to offer for sale over 300 models of women's and children's apparel, namely summer knitwear made of flax, cotton, and acrylic fiber along with school uniform and textiles (plaids, baby clothes and hats). The company will also showcase its flax knitwear for men and women.
Polesye has carved its own niche in the Russian market. It supplies yarn to Russia’s southern and central regions. Polesye's major export to northwest and central Russia is outer wear.
The company exports some 70 per cent of its output. Apart from Russia, Polesye sells to Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Baltic states. In January to May 2017 its exports were up 30.5 per cent from the same period of last year. At the moment Polesye is planning to branch into Germany. The enterprise is in talks with German partners over the export of knitwear to that country.
Participation in the forum will help Polesye advertise its products, meet partners, show them its new collections and mull over plans for the next season.
Sales of apparel at many outlets in Qatar, especially those in value retail, have remained strong amid the diplomatic crisis in the region. Apart from citizens, shoppers from Kuwait and Oman are buying shirts, blouses, undershirts, shorts, and pants.
While Ramadan is known as a peak period for clothing retailers, the Qatar Tourism Authority-organised festival is expected to boost apparel sales. Qatar Summer Festival features a variety of entertainment activities for all ages and attractive promotions and discounts at malls and other shopping destinations.
Many apparel outlets in Doha also recorded an increase in sales a few days before Garangao, an event for children held during the 14th day of Ramadan. Parents normally buy new clothes for their children who take part in such events, held in many venues and establishments across the country.
The demand for children’s clothing is always up during such occasions. Families, including those who are set to travel for vacation, have also started buying new clothes again.
Hypermarkets expect people to buy luggage, bags and other items for travel before the holidays. It has been a tradition, especially for frequent travelers, to buy new stuff every year.
Outlets in Qatar are offering special discounts to attract more shoppers.
