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ITMA will be held in Spain from June 20 to 26, 2019. With innovations in the world of textiles as its theme, ITMA will have exhibits showcasing an integrated textile and garment manufacturing value chain. Divided into 19 chapters, the exhibits will also include yarns, fibers and fabrics and solutions for technical textiles and nonwovens and garment making.
Almost 25 per cent of the exhibition space has been booked by more than 300 exhibitors. Global industry players are looking to using ITMA as a launch pad for their new innovations. Among the sectors that have enjoyed greatest take-up so far are finishing, printing, spinning, weaving and knitting. The response from Asian countries has been strong, particularly India, which has already surpassed 60 per cent of the total space it booked in the 2015 show. Manufacturers of raw materials and garment machinery are also applying early.
Despite the challenging business climate, the demand for leading-edge products continues to grow, and technology providers are still leveraging on ITMA 2019 to launch their new solutions to global textile and garment manufacturers and brands.
Some of the drivers impacting the industry include digitisation of products, processes and supply chains as well as sustainability. ITMA is a complete, end-to-end solutions showcase, from fiber to finished textile products.
Starting from next September, the fashion shows in Milan will be held concurrently with the women’s fashion week. This was confirmed by Ivan Scalfarotto, Deputy Secretary at the Italian Ministry for Economic Development. Together with ICE Agency, the Italian Trade Promotion Agency, has provided unfailing support to Milano Unica and the entire fashion supply chain.
This is an important step towards the creation of a true ‘Made in Italy’ synergy; also other industries that participate in trade shows in different locations during the year will be present at the September event with shows and installations under the direction of Davide Rampello, former president of the Triennale of Milan and curator of the Expo Zero Pavillion.
Since the first edition, Milano Unica plays a leading role because of the support of ICE Agency, a delegation comprising clients and journalists visited the Italian Textile and Accessory Trade Show. In this edition, in addition to the internationally most authoritative trade press, a delegation of top level clients will visit the trade show, from all over the world. The extraordinary support provided by the Ministry and ICE Agency in promoting strategic and innovative projects was directed to the event that is strongly focused on meeting market demands. The anticipated dates of Milano Unica is the most farsighted innovation in the international textile trade show panorama.
Total US retail sales for May declined by 0.3 per cent month over month. On a year-over-year basis in May, total retail sales increased by 3.8 per cent and retail sales excluding autos also increased by 3.8 per cent. Five out of 13 major store categories posted positive sales results, while two were flat compared with April. Non-store retailers and furniture stores posted the largest month-over-month increases, of 0.8 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respectively.
A number of in-store metrics were negative in May but showed a slight improvement from previous months. Sales were down 5.5 per cent year over year, the smallest decline in the last six months. In-store traffic fell by 6.1 per cent in May year over year, but the decline was lower than that seen in most recent months.
As shoppers continued to shift their spending online, e-commerce sales continued their trend of double-digit growth. Sales at non-store retailers rose by 10.2 per cent year over year in May, following an 11.4 per cent year-over-year increase in April.
Average transaction value continued a three-month upward trend in May, and was up 1.6 per cent year over year, while sales per shopper increased by 0.6 per cent. Total transactions declined by less than ten per cent for the first time since January.
Tirupur’s garment exporters are waiting for the Rebate on State Levies (ROSL), amounting to over Rs 2,600 crores, to be released. The total ROSL amount for India’s readymade garment exports (woven and knitwear) estimated for the period September 20, 2016 to June 20 this year was Rs 3,025 crores, of which Rs 400 crores have been disbursed so far.
Tirupur exporting units alone have to get about Rs 550 crores. Under the ROSL scheme, a rebate on state levies is provided such as value-added tax and central sales tax on inputs, including packaging, fuel, and electricity duty, accumulated through various stages of production, from yarn to finished garments. For exporters, the scheme offers enhanced duty drawback cover on inputs.
The scheme takes into consideration all taxes paid by exporters like VAT, electricity duty, octroi, entry tax etc. The ROSL scheme is an integral part of the Rs 6,000 crores special package announced by the Center last year to strengthen the textile and apparel sectors to improve its global competitiveness. It has set a target to generate an additional 30 billion dollars in exports and create a crore of jobs over a three-year period. The special package had helped apparel exports to record a 31 per cent growth in April over the previous year.
The ROSL rate for garment items exported varies from 2.65 per cent to 3.9 per cent.
For the benefit of Indian textile sector under the new GST regime the Federation of Gujarat Weavers Welfare Association (FOGWWA) has demanded the implementation of a fiber policy for all types of fibers to attract the same duty.
A memorandum was submitted to district collector Mahendra Patel with a slew of demands, including implementation of fiber policy, refund of accumulated GST credit, no GST on all types of job work required to manufacture grey fabric by the powerloom weavers, lowering GST on yarn at 5 per cent or 12 per cent and imposing extra duty on the imported fabrics.
FOGWWA office-bearers say that the inverted duty structure will increase the cost of fabric. The weaving job-work is done by the small units. Around 70 per cent of the units in the decentralized textile sector are working on job-work. The 18 per cent GST on job-work will force the small units to down the shutters as the cost of fabric will increase compared to the fabric manufactured in composite units. A huge number of powerloom units are engaged in job-work, there will be high job losses in the industry.
President of FOGWWA, Ashok Jirawala states they are not opposed to GST, but there is a need for simplification of tax in the sector. There should be a uniform duty in textiles and the government should not treat the MMF sector as a step child. Jariwala adds, with just few days to go, the sector needs clarity on GST rates. The industry can't survive with 18 per cent and 5 per cent rates.
Spinexpo is a leading textile industry expo that promotes yarns, fibres and knitwears. For the past 15 years, it has been a catalyst for the textile and fashion industry that attracts top international buyers. The upcoming Spinexpo Paris will be a three-day event from July 3 to 5, 2017 at the Cité de la Mode et du Design in Paris. Next in New York it will take place from July 18 to July 20 followed by the Shanghai edition to be held from August 29 to 31. The event showcases fibers to software for knitwear manufacturers (fashion collections), spinners for knitwear, woven fabric for clothing or upholstery, hosiery, lace, embroidery, technical end uses etc. in the textile, fabrics and yarns industry.
The show will also attract an array of manufacturers, retailers, distributors, wholesalers, brands, fashion designers, online retailers under one roof to change the sourcing dynamics and the main objective of the show is to showcase and give a platform in many areas so that they can bring out their potential range of garments and reach every nook and corner of the country.
The exhibition features 77 leading exhibitors attracting the key influential brands from New York and American markets. These exhibitors will showcase a wide range of innovative products focusing on performance and functionality as well.
Japanese printing technology major Konica Minolta is set to help businesses switch to digital industrial printing for superior output, a top company executive has emphasised. In 2016-17, Konica Minolta sold over 18,000 units in the black and white segment and around 2,000 units in the coloured segment. Konica Minolta has continued to witness a double digit growth in India for the last six years and maintained its leadership in production printing market.
Kuldeep Malhotra, Vice President Konica Minolta says that the company targets to increase these numbers in coming years. When it comes to industrial printing, businesses are increasingly looking to deploy new digital printing solutions as the demand for high-quality outputs in minimal time is at an all-time high.
Malhotra says, India has emerged as a growth engine in the global economy due to an unprecedented growth in pivotal sectors this is creating tremendous opportunities. India is also witnessing a rapid shift to digitisation, owing to government efforts coupled with a young tech-savvy population. The company is dedicated to catalyse this transition with leading digital printing solutions tailored for varied industry verticals, says Malhotra.
While demonstrating the company's high-end printing and web solutions at an exhibition in Greater Noida earlier this year, Yuji Nakata, Managing Director of Konica Minolta India, stated that India is the highest growing market for the company and the company has got the strongest infrastructure in India with nearly 200 engineers working on development of the products.
While the printing industry in the country is witnessing major growth, demand for varied jobs and rigorous deadlines of customers is proving to be a major challenge for printing businesses. Malhotra feels when it comes to technological innovation, the company will continue to invest significantly in R&D division to come up with trend setting printing solutions for both enterprises and homes to bolster the digital revolution in the country.
US-based Kenai Sports is a sportswear brand that makes clothes out of trash. Each day, the company removes or diverts tons of plastic bottles, cell phone cases, keyboards, and organic waste such as coconut shells, corn husks, soybean shells, and more, from landfills, and then turns it into sportswear.
Kenai, has a wide range of customers, from college and university athletic programs to corporations, non-profits, and government offices, for which it creates custom designed performance sportswear for their teams, clubs and employees.
Even in its operations, the company is environmentally focused. Its transparent, local supply chain allows collaborative relationships and makes it easy for consumers to have confidence in the socially conscious nature of the company’s production.
Kenai has also taken its recycling efforts to the next level with a closed loop program, which allows customers to send garments back at the end of their useful life to be broken down and re-entered into the production process. A fully-functional closed loop elevates the possibilities in sustainable business.
From a product standpoint, Kenai’s clothing is audited — organic it means something and the company is dedicated to providing a product that truly provides protection to the environment as well as comfort to the wearer.
Agra’s footwear industry which Agra’s dates back to the Mughal era feels GST rates are too high for them. Shoe manufacturers say GST will raise the cost of production by at least 20 per cent, which in turn will push up prices of shoes. At present, tax on shoe components like laces and soles is five per cent but under GST will range from 12 per cent to 28 per cent.
The tax on shoes above Rs 500 is 18 per cent than 12 per cent. Manufacturers have to emboss the price on the product. These makers fall under the cottage industry category and manufacture shoes manually and do not use heavy machinery. Moreover, a tax of five per cent on shoes costing up to Rs 300 has been imposed in UP.
The footwear industry wants shoes having a MRP up to Rs 1,000 to be charged a five per cent tax, while shoes above Rs 1,000 should be charged a 12 per cent tax. The provision of embossing the price on shoes would have to be dropped and the tax on shoe components should not be more than five per cent. It says shoes are a basic need of people like clothes and raising the price is not advisable.
080 Barcelona Fashion is being held in Spain from June 26 to 30. It aims to turn Barcelona and Catalonia into a benchmark for creativity, innovation and design generation and projection in the fashion industry.
The event is showcasing products like fashion apparel, accessories, designer dresses, men’s wear, urban wear, women’s wear and more in the fashion and lifestyle industries. It's an excellent platform for Barcelona's extensive pool of creatives who make clothes and accessories.
The fashion show aims at demonstrating the world potential of Catalan fashion brands. This year's edition will also be an opportunity to get to know the work of emerging designers. 080 Barcelona Fashion is a professional meeting in which Spain’s independent designers and young talents meet to show their creations and give a commercial outflow to their work.
Up to 37 designers and fashion brands are revealing the most popular fashion trends in Barcelona. What makes 080 such a singular event is the way that fresh faces rub shoulders with internationally established brands, giving audiences the chance to get a feel for a whole spectrum of style, trends and concepts. There will be opportunities for professionals from the fashion sector to meet and discuss new business opportunities.
Catalonia and the city of Barcelona have had a long tradition in the textile industry for centuries.
