UBS Evidence Lab’s Global App Monitor has named Chinese fast fashion retailer Shein as ‘most downloaded’ shopping app as well as the ‘most searched-for apparel retailer in the US. The online-only retailer of inexpensive clothes, beauty, and lifestyle products grew from a $15 billion valuation in 2020 to 100 billion value in a recent funding round, as per a WSJ report.
Growth is attributed to its strong momentum with consumers, say UBS analysts. As per an AoI report, growth makes Shein an increasing threat to US specialty retailers such as American Eagle, Aberchrombie & Fitch, Urban Outfitters, Victoria’s Secret, The Gap, and department stores and off-price retailers. Despite having no network of physical stores, Shein has been ranked a top brand on TikTok and has been the second favorite website for shopping amongst teenagers for the last two years, according to Piper Sandler's semi-annual Gen Z Survey. The e-commerce company pursues an aggressive, data-driven fast-fashion business model that makes it a popular brand amongst price-sensitive consumers.
One of the leading events in apparel sourcing, The Apparel Sourcing Week (ASW) will organize its first physical edition after a two-years on July 1 and 2, 2022 at Sheraton Grand Hotel in Bengaluru. The two-day event will hold 10 seminars, 12 open house discussions, vendor sessions and workshops and accelerator program for start-ups, etc. It will include participants from 15 countries and over 10,000 brands, retailers, manufacturers, and analysts. Popular and established brands like the Shopper’s Stop, Being Human, Tata Cliq, Nykaa Beauty & Fashion, Adidas, Benetton, etc, will participate in the event.
Other key exhibitors such as Pacific Jeans, Giant Group, Laila Fashions, Liva, Vardhman, Reshamandi, Trace Network, Flix Stock etc, will also participate in this event. Mayank Mohindra, Director, Apparel Resources says, ASW 2022 has been curated for the industry and businesses to decode the post-pandemic business ecosystem and markets. It will also help generate productive and effective business opportunities, he adds.
The two-day will also host many thought-provoking sessions to discuss important topics such as ‘Reinventing physical retail’, ‘Fashion innovation using AI’, ‘Upcycling – the new frontier for sustainability, ‘Sourcing in times of Industry 4.0’, etc. The event also aims to encourate India-Bangladesh collaboration and promote South Asia as the global hub for apparel and textile innovations.
Textile recycling industry is expected to provide social, economic and environmental benefits to around €4.5 billion by 2030. It would also create 15,000 new jobs by the period besides increasing the need for nearshoring and reshoring of textile production, as per the Techno Eonomic Study by Euratex’s ReHubs Initiative.
No large-scale plan to tackle textile waste
Completed by ReHubs in June 2022, the ‘Techno Economic Master Study’ provides valuable information on the feedstock, new technologies, organizational and financial needs to recycle 2.5 million tons of textile waste by 2030, effective launching of the the ReHubs initiative. The study states, Europe generates around 7-7.5 million tons textile waste annually, of which only 30-35 per cent is recycled. Around 85 per cent of this textile waste comes from private households and approximately 99 per cent is virgin fibers.
The European Waste law mandates all member states to separately collect the textile waste in the next two and half years. While, few countries have already launched schemes for this purpose, a large scale plan to process this waste does not exist. To achieve a fiber-to-fiber recycling of around 18 to 26 per cent by 2030, investments worth $6 billion are needed. This would help the industry scale up fiber sorting and processing efficiently. It would also enable it to achieve economic, social, and environmental benefits worth €3.5-4.5 billion by 2030.
Expanding the industry size
Launched by Euratex in collaboration with members in 2020, the ReHubs initiative would help expand the size of textile recycling industry to 6-8 billion and, create around 15,000 direct new jobs by 2030. It aims to focus on recycling fiber-to-fiber 2.5 million of textile waste by 2030. For this, it will form a leading collaboration hub with large players and SMEs from across an extended textile recycling value chain. The project will be executed in four stages.
In the first stage, textile waste will be transformed into feedstock. It will address the limitations in current sorting technologies. The project will led by Texaid AG and build a 50,000 tons facility by the end 2024.
Second stage will focus on increasing adoption of mechanically recycled fibers in the value chain. The capacity of these fibers will be expanded in the third stage by addressing technical challenges in recycling thermo-mechanical textiles. The last stage will involve creating a capsule collection with post-consumer recycled project.
Achieving Green Deal goals
Bringing together key European and world players, the ReHubs initiative aims to transform textile waste into a resource. It also aims to boost the adoption of textile circular business model at large scale. The initiative will also focus on achieving EU ambitions of a Green Deal that mandates collection of entire textile waste by 2024.
The main focus of the collaboration will be on converting societal textile waste issue into a business opportunity. It will take into consideration all perspectives on chemicals, fibers making, textiles making, garments production, retail and distribution, textiles waste collection, sorting and recycling.
To mobilize resources for the initiative, Euratex has set three stakeholder groups. These include: a Business Council of pioneering companies that will conduct the TES study; Stakeholder Forum of business, research and academia players, who will share high-level information and support future collaboration; a Task Force comprising 14 national associations to review the progress of the ReHubs initiative and align this with policy and industry developments at the national level.
Traditionally, the global hub of garment production, Asia continues to maintain its dominance across the world. However, off late, the region’s garment sector has been facing certain challenges induced by the pandemic, says a new report by the International Labor Organization (ILO).
The report states, the sector continues to account for 55 per cent of global textiles and clothing exports, and employ 60 million workers. However, it currently faces issues including rising labor, production and process automation costs; increase in ‘reshoring’ and ‘nearshoring’ trends, and an increased emphasis on adopting a sustainable business model with minimum standard wages and working conditions. These headwinds are making workers’ future uncertain in the industry.
Workers condition continue to lag
Workers’ wages and productivity have grown across countries, futures of many companies are being determined by the respective governments’ policies and other external forces, notes David Williams, Manager-Decent Work in Garment Supply Chains-Asia, ILO.
The sector’s development follows different routes across regions. While its importance in China, Thailand and the Philippines has reduced due to diversification and upgrading, the sector continues to drive economic growth in nations including Cambodia and Bangladesh. For years, the sector depended on cheap labor to secure advantages in the global market. However, despite an increase in real wages in most countries, labor conditions continue to worsen with long working hours, unhealthy and unsafe conditions and labor abuse rampant at workplaces, adds Williams.
A major percentage of workers continue to remain susceptible to the sector’s informal nature and its temporary working arrangements.
Gender pay gap still an issue
The sector also faces huge Gender pay gaps, rues Williams. Female workers are paid much less than their male counterparts with countries having lowest female workers facing the highest gaps, he adds . Williams says, Asia’s garment sector continues to lag despite a rise in labor productivity in recent decades. Few countries in the region have managed to scale in the value chain in apparel production though most continue to engage in low-skilled operations.
He highlights a positive association between growth in labor productivity and wages in the sector. Enhancing labor productivity may help elevate workers’ pay, he advises. To ensure future success, the industry should make mutually strengthening investments, says Williams. It should generate productivity-driven high wages supported by concrete incentives from brands.
Klopman is exhibiting at Techtextil Frankfurt, the most important trade fair for textile manufacturing and industrial production of technical textiles across all sectors, being held from June 21-24, 2022. Klopman, a leading European producer of technical fabrics for workwear, based in Italy, will launch two new product lines upholding the principles of sustainability.
The first product to be launched by the company is the Superbandmaster. Promoted under the slogan 'Join The Fabric Revolution' (#GoCircular - www.JoinTheFabricRevolution.com), the fabric is notable for its partial composition of recycled fibres derived from recycling polyester/cotton clothing. Thanks to the use of these recycled fibres, products at the end of their first cycle of use can be given a new lease of life and become part of a circular economy aimed at minimising waste.
The second breakthrough from Klopma is an evolution in the production of fabric made from Tencel™ Lyocellfibre. Born out of an established partnership with the company Lenzing, all of the Tencel™ Lyocll fibers used in Klopman's products will be carbon neutral, responding to the growing demand for functional, high-quality products that guarantee maximum environmental friendliness.
India's leading Chemical & Textile Company, GHCL has inaugurated its new spinning unit at Manaparai in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu.
Equipped with 39,600 ring spindles, the unit produces23 tons per day of synthetic and synthetic blend compact yarn. It is equipped with state-of-the-art textile machinery and the latest online quality control equipment combined with computerized information systems to enhance productivity and product quality.
The unit will produce Cotton/Polyester blend yarn; Cotton/Modal and Cotton/Excel blend yarn; Supima/Modal and Supima/Tencel yarn; 100 per cent VSF, Micro Modal and Tencel yarn; 100 per cent bamboo and its blend yarn; Tri-blend yarns (Cotton/Polyester/Cellulosic).
RS Jalan, Managing Director, GHCL says, with its state-of-art machinery, this facility will produce the best quality and the perfect blend of yarn. The commencement of operations at the unit will help us create more value for our customers, add value to our product basket and generate more employment opportunities in the region.
Rejecting the government’s 10 per cent Super Tax, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PHMEA) claimed, it may slow down the economy
Kashif Zia, Chairman, PHMEA, said, the textile sector is already paying 29 per cent tax. Further taxes would damage the sector badly. The interest rate of 13.75 per cent would slow down the economy, he claimed.
Zia urged the government to bring more people into the tax net rather than imposing more taxes on existing taxpayers.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently announced a super-tax of 10 per cent on large-scale manufacturers and industries in the country in order to address the economic woes of the country.
The government plans to reintroduce a reformed tax rebate scheme for exporters merely eight months after launch, after complaints from the industry that the scheme is eroding their margins.
Introduced in October, the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) scheme, provides rebate against taxes and levies already paid by exporters on inputs. The rebate is given as tradeablescrips, which exporters can sell to importers. Importers can then use these scrips to pay customs duty, instead of paying in cash. However, exporters complain these scrips are trading at a steep 20 per cent discount, defeating the purpose of the scheme.
As of now, these scrips can be traded even before export realization, with the liability falling on importers. The government feels the scrips are trading at a discount because of this risk component, and plans to make them tradeable only after full export payments are received, which would eliminate the risk factor. It also plans to double the eligibility of these scrips to 24 months from 12 months now.
Hordes of new fabric events will be held at the upcoming New York Textile Week from July 19-21, 2022. As per a Carved in Blue report, six different shows based on textile and apparel sourcing will be held during the week. The highlight of the fashion week will be the Texworld New York City event from July 19-21at the Javits Centre. The first in-person event after a fully virtual show in January, it will provide an opportunity to buyers and designers to explore products and meet vendors live. The show will also include the Lenzing Seminar Series and Textile Talks. A hybrid Sourcing Showroom will allow virtual exhibitors to engage with attendees.
Apparel Sourcing New York City and Home Textiles Sourcing will be co-located with the Texworld that will also footwear as an added category, in partnership with Material Exchange and the Footwear Distributors & Retailers Association.
The two-day Première Vision New York will also open on July 19 and feature over 100 exhibitors across fabric, leather, manufacturing, etc. The show will present sustainability solutions to American buyers. It will include talks about the trends to expect in upcoming seasons.
The Functional Fabric Fair—powered by Performance Days—will be held from July 19-20, 2022 at the Javits Center. This show will focus on functional textiles for categories including sportswear, workwear and athleisure. In 2022, it will focus on the topic “The Journey to Carbon Neutrality.”
Kingpins Show will be held in New York on July 20 and 21. The denim-centric show will include Tencel™ as one of the the exhibitors, alongside denim mills and fiber brands. It will also host seminar talks to delve into denim and our series “FIT Denim Grads: Where Are they Now”?
From July 20-21, The Fabric Show will also be on at the New York Hotel. This show will focus on American, Canadian and European textile and trim suppliers offering low-priced fabrics. The last event will be organized by Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (ITKIB) to spotlight Turkish suppliers and mills.
In May 2022, Vietnam’s cotton imports declined by 23.8 per cent Y-o-Y but increased 24.1 per cent M-o-M to 120,400 tons from the previous month. As per a CCF Group report, Vietnam’s yarn imports increased 9.1 per cent Y-o-Y during the month and 22.4 per cent M-o-M while exports declined 18.3 per cent Y-o-Y and 6.7 per cent M-o-M, respectively. Vietnam’s fabrics imports increased by 5.9 per cent Y-o-Y and 9.9 per cent M-o-M.
Vietnam’s textiles and apparel exports surged 23.2 per cent Y-o-Y and 0.6 per cent M-o-M. From April, Vietnam’s textile and garment exports declined 3.6 percentage points Y-o-Y while they declined by 2.7 percentage points on a M-o-M basis
The CCF Group report concludes, Vietnam’s textile and apparel exports growth remained positive in May. However, Year-on-Year and Month-on-Month declined compared to April. Profits of Vietnamese cotton yarn mills also reduced on account of high cotton prices and burden from weak downstream consumption.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Viscose transforms from ‘Artificial silk to sustainable innovation
Viscose, often dubbed ‘artificial silk’ earlier, has a long and complex history in the textile industry. A regenerated cellulose fiber,... Read more
Rethinking Textile's Future: Innovations in sustainable fibers and circularity
The textile industry is increasingly focusing on natural fibers and circularity, with new research and initiatives pointing towards a more... Read more
IHKIB hosts successful ‘Turkish Apparel Industry’s Transformation Journey’ event…
Customs Union modernisation key to EU competitiveness Mustafa Gültepe, Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) and Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association... Read more
Where do your old clothes really go? Unraveling the secondhand clothing journey
The fate of our old clothes is often shrouded in misconception. A widely held belief suggests that most donated garments... Read more
Theory of Constraints, weaving success in global apparel and textiles sector
In the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of fashion, apparel, and textiles, efficiency and agility are paramount. The Theory of Constraints (TOC),... Read more
Gartex Texprocess India 2025 Mumbai edition draws record crowd, sparks industry …
Gartex Texprocess India 2025 concluded with a record-breaking turnout, reaffirming its importance as a key sourcing and technology platform for... Read more
LuxExperience: How the Mytheresa-YNAP merger will reshape online luxury retail
The digital scenario of luxury retail has irrevocably altered with the successful completion of Mytheresa's acquisition of Yoox Net-a-Porter (YNAP)... Read more
US Apparel Imports: Scenario changes subtly as China's dominance reduces
For years, China reigned supreme as the undisputed king of US apparel imports. While still the largest supplier in aggregate... Read more
US Apparel Imports: Scenario changes subtly as China's dominance reduces
For years, China reigned supreme as the undisputed king of US apparel imports. While still the largest supplier in aggregate... Read more
Built to Break: Is our ‘waste problem’ just a design flaw?
The air in numerous pockets of the country hangs thick with the stench of discarded refuse, a stark testament to... Read more
