Latest apparel and textile analysis

Outlook 2020 – What next for apparel sourcing? 16 Jan 2020

Leonie Barrie

The search for the ideal sourcing destination is set to continue as Western fashion brands and retailers seek to reduce their exposure to China in 2020. At the same time they’re having to navigate a more complicated matrix, which includes factors ranging from cost, speed to market, production capacity and flexibility to compliance risk. Along with these challenges come opportunities to rethink business models and explore new ways of working – especially when it comes to digitalisation and data, executives say.

---

US-China tariff war – The textile and apparel hit-list updated 16 Jan 2020

Dr Sheng Lu

Amid the rapidly shifting goalposts of the US-China tariff war and the imminent addition of punitive duties on textiles and apparel imported into the US from China, we've taken an updated look at the latest actions and the products on the hit-list.

---

NRF 2020 – Retail technology launches and developments 15 Jan 2020

Michelle Russell

Retail's 'Big Show', the National Retail Federation's Annual Convention & Expo, which took place in New York this week, is an annual opportunity for retailers to tap into the latest technologies for improving everything from customer analysis to inventory management. Here we highlight some of the latest launches and developments.

---

Outlook 2020 – Apparel industry challenges and opportunities 14 Jan 2020

Leonie Barrie

Disruption and uncertainty remain the biggest challenges facing apparel brands and retailers and their global supply chains heading into the new decade. Unpredictable and fast-moving changes to tariffs and trade, pressure to make smarter and faster decisions, and demands for new levels of sustainability will all weigh on fashion businesses in 2020, according to feedback from a panel of executives consulted by just-style.

---

Record trading at Boohoo – What the analysts say 14 Jan 2020

Beth Wright

Online retailer Boohoo has hailed record trading in the last four months of 2019 – which includes the peak Christmas trading season – with group revenue surging 44% across all key geographic regions in the period to 31 December. The performance has seen the business raise its annual sales forecast, with analysts noting the group continues to excel in a challenging market.

---

Five changes to expect at Nike as Donahoe takes charge 14 Jan 2020

Hannah Abdulla

It's all change at the top for sportswear giant Nike Inc as John Donahoe yesterday (13 January) took over the reins as the company's fourth CEO in its 55-year history. But with a background in technology rather than retail and sportswear, what changes are likely under his leadership?

---

How 3D design tools drive leaner and cleaner production 13 Jan 2020

Hannah Abdulla

Making the switch from a traditional fashion design process to 3D design and prototyping tools could save the industry billions of dollars in development samples, not to mention improved collaboration, productivity, and profits across the supply chain. An added bonus is reduced pressure on overflowing landfills.

---

Chinese investors pursue deeper textile ties with Pakistan 10 Jan 2020

Saeed A Baloch

Pakistan's clothing and textile sector hopes that 2020 will be a big year for Chinese investment as companies look to move production to outsourcing centres with lower labour costs, a skilled workforce, and government incentives through reduced taxes and duties.

---

US apparel imports plummet yet again in November 9 Jan 2020

Beth Wright

The volume of US apparel imports fell for the fourth consecutive month in November, with a 20% drop in shipments from largest supplier China. The figures suggest early stockpiling in the run-up to the holiday period as retailers moved to bring in merchandise ahead of new tariffs imposed in September and another tranche that had been due to take effect in mid-December.

---

Ten breakthrough apparel innovations at CES 2020 8 Jan 2020

Hannah Abdulla

just-style has rounded up ten innovations in the apparel and footwear sectors that will be presented at CES 2020 in Las Vegas this week.

---

Tegra ramps up Central America supply chain strategy 7 Jan 2020

María Isabel Magaña

Tegra, the Atlanta, US-based leading apparel manufacturing and supply chain provider, is expanding its workforce in Latin America with new job posts in El Salvador as well as its soon to be opened facility in Honduras.

---

Industry 4.0 weaves into the clothing supply chain 6 Jan 2020

Leonie Barrie

Experts have told just-style of the urgent need for the clothing sector to embrace Industry 4.0 to boost productivity and harness creativity by providing a single, connected platform for all supply chain processes.

---

Monthly trade programme roundup – December 2019 3 Jan 2020

Dr Sheng Lu

The latest monthly round-up of updates to key free trade agreements and trade preference programmes involving the US and EU covers developments in December 2019.

---

Uzbekistan clothing sector eyes major hike in exports 2 Jan 2020

Loretta Marie Perera

The Uzbekistan clothing and footwear industries are eyeing a major increase in exports as its government pushes ahead with programme to liberalise what was until three years ago a largely unreformed post-Soviet state. 

---

From Field to Shelf – Global apparel prices rise under Trump's trade war 23 Dec 2019

Robert P Antoshak

An effect of the US-China trade war is that prices on imports into the US have gone up. But not just those from China – the cost of apparel sold to American importers from countries other than China has also risen. Robert Antoshak, managing director at Olah Inc, ponders the implications.

---

What's in store for UK apparel sourcing as Brexit beckons? 20 Dec 2019

Victoria Langro and Dr Sheng Lu

The United Kingdom is the world's fifth-largest apparel market, but the uncertainties around Brexit are causing mounting anxieties. UK brands and retailers fear their sourcing costs will go up – especially in the case of a no-deal Brexit – and that it will be more difficult to access raw materials and workers, as well as move products across UK/EU borders. Victoria Langro and Dr Sheng Lu from the University of Delaware assess current sourcing patterns – and what might change.

---

Arctic shipping unlikely to be viable for apparel 19 Dec 2019

Beth Wright

A number of fashion firms and ocean carriers are taking a stand against the potential opening up of trans-Arctic shipping – but just-style has been told these routes are unlikely to ever become economically viable for the textile or apparel industry.

---

Timeline – Trump’s track record on trade – Update 16 Dec 2019

Dr Sheng Lu

Since President Donald Trump took office in January 2017, his administration has been busy fulfilling major campaign promises on trade policy – much to the concern of US fashion brands and apparel retailers. To keep abreast of developments, Dr Sheng Lu, associate professor in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies at the University of Delaware, has compiled a timeline of all the key milestones so far.

---

Digitally enabled product creation – Key steps to success 12 Dec 2019

Roit Kathiala

Digital data tools and machine learning can provide fashion companies with an alternative way to make fact-based decisions that are not swayed by personal bias or emotion. Roit Kathiala explains how a digitally enabled creative process could work – and the key steps to success.

---

US apparel imports continue to feel weight of China tariffs 10 Dec 2019

Beth Wright

The knock-on effect of retailers bringing orders forward to beat the September tariff hike on clothing shipments from China still continues to be felt months later. The volume of US apparel imports dropped for the third consecutive month in October, with shipment volumes from the East Asian supply powerhouse falling by close to a third month-on-month. Meanwhile, rivals Bangladesh and Pakistan were the only countries to book an increase.