Latest apparel and textile analysis

Risk of Turkmenistan tainted cotton in Turkish textiles 22 May 2020

Hannah Abdulla

Clothing brands that source from Turkey are being urged to pay closer attention to where the cotton used within their products has come from after research has suggested mills are heavily reliant on cotton from Turkmenistan, which is often produced using forced labour.

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Covid-19 set to reshuffle fashion’s sustainability focus 21 May 2020

Ivan Castano Freeman

The coronavirus pandemic is seen as triggering a set-back for labour rights in apparel supply chains, with workers left vulnerable as brands and retailers cancelled orders. But it could also lead to re-thinking on the sustainability front, industry executives say.

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VF Corp aligns with post-pandemic health and wellness shift 20 May 2020

Leonie Barrie

Apparel powerhouse VF Corp believes it is well-positioned to emerge as a winner from the coronavirus crisis – with an increased consumer focus on the outdoors, health and wellbeing set to boost its activity-based lifestyle brands.

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Canada's clothing market – Top selling and sourcing trends 18 May 2020

Mikayla DuBreuil and Dr Sheng Lu

The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) – the regional free trade pact that replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) – is due to enter into force on 1 July 2020. Here Mikayla DuBreuil and Sheng Lu from the University of Delaware take a deep-dive analysis into the Canadian apparel market and its sourcing patterns.

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Unions seek support for 80,000 Central America garment workers 15 May 2020

Ivan Castano Freeman

Nearly 50,000 in El Salvador, 26,000 in Honduras and 6,000 in Nicaragua: that's how many workers Central American garment factories are laying off with no paycheck, trade union officials say. They are stepping up calls for governments and fashion brands to help compensate and provide a livelihood for impoverished sewers until the pandemic recedes.

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Fast fashion faces shake-up in post-Covid-19 world 14 May 2020

Liz Newmark

The Covid-19 pandemic will not just threaten business failure for many clothing brands and manufacturers, it may herald the end of the current high production, fast fashion model and result in fewer, smaller collections from more sustainable supply chains.

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Fashion revenues likely to contract 27-30% in 2020 7 May 2020

Hannah Abdulla

Revenues for the global fashion industry can be expected to contract by 27-30% in 2020 and businesses must start gearing up for trading in an entirely different environment compared to the one pre-Covid, according to a new report from global consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

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US apparel imports from China down 53% in March 7 May 2020

Michelle Russell

With the global apparel industry starting to feel the effects of factory shutdowns and retail store closures in March due to the outbreak of coronavirus, US apparel imports saw a double-digit drop on the month prior, with its largest supplier China recording the steepest fall at 53%.

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Covid-19 – Seeking the opportunity amid a disaster 7 May 2020

Hannah Abdulla

The coronavirus outbreak has battered the global fashion industry, creating mass upheaval for both buyers and suppliers. But it is also giving companies a much-needed opportunity to look closely at their supply chain relationships and business models for the future.

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Covid-19 inventory glut adds to garment industry grief 6 May 2020

Jonathan Dyson

With spring/summer now a write-off for most fashion retailers, the resulting flood of excess inventory – and the subsequent discounting and margin erosion – will likely lead to widespread administrations for companies in the UK, Europe and the US.

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Monthly trade programme roundup – April 2020 4 May 2020

Dr Sheng Lu

The latest monthly round-up of updates to key free trade agreements and trade preference programmes involving the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Japan covers developments in April 2020.

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US fashion industry wish-list to tackle corona crisis 1 May 2020

Leonie Barrie

Three associations representing the US fashion, apparel, footwear, and travel goods industries have set out recommendations for future tariff relief and stimulus aid to help retailers and importers emerge from the coronavirus crisis.

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Sustainability not an option for denim post-pandemic 1 May 2020

Beth Wright

Education and collaboration are key to driving greater sustainability in the global denim industry, particularly as the sector looks to return to normalcy following the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

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'Made in the USA' textiles and apparel – Key production and export trends 29 Apr 2020

Kendall Keough and Dr Sheng Lu

'Made in the USA' textiles and apparel have attracted growing attention in recent years amid the escalating US-China trade war, the rising cost of imports, and consumers' increasing demand for speed to market. But where are these mills based, what are their production and supply chain strategies, and the key export trends? Kendall Keough and Dr Sheng Lu from the University of Delaware take a look at the data.

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Next "better placed" than others to weather Covid-19 storm 29 Apr 2020

Hannah Abdulla

UK retailer Next Plc issued a bleak trading update this morning (29 April) demonstrating how the coronavirus outbreak has impacted its business so far. Product full-price sales for the period from 26 January to 25 April fell 41% and it is now anticipating a steep fall of up to 40% in full-year full-price sales, while cancelling stock it no longer needs and moving other inventory into future seasons.

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How brands are tracking labour and safety violations 24 Apr 2020

Hannah Abdulla

Seven years after the deadly Rana Plaza factory building collapse in Bangladesh, research suggests that while there has been progress in factory safety, there have also been deteriorations in labour rights and the abuse of female ready-made garment (RMG) factory workers. Here we explore how brands and retailers can ensure workers in factories overseas are being treated fairly – and how predictive analytics can help manage social and labour compliance.

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Labour rights groups set priorities to protect garment workers 22 Apr 2020

Beth Wright

A coalition of groups helping around 2,000 apparel brands and retailers to improve labour conditions in garment factories around the world is calling for urgent action during the Covid-19 crisis to safeguard worker income and health and future-proof supply chains.

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The Boohoo group is "well-placed" to face Covid-19 22 Apr 2020

Beth Wright

Online fast fashion retailer Boohoo has reported a double-digit hike in full-year sales and earnings, with group revenue surging 44% to GBP1.2bn. With its key brands likely to benefit from their value propositions once nationwide lockdown restrictions are lifted and consumers are able to start going out again, the retailer is well-positioned to weather the retail storm caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Primark's dominance threatened by Covid-19 21 Apr 2020

Beth Wright

Value fashion retailer Primark has reported revenue of GBP3.7bn (US$4.5bn) for the first half, representing a 3.9% uptick in constant currency and a 2.2% rise at actual exchange rates. But the Covid-19 outbreak is set to drastically impact its performance for the rest of the financial year – and is likely to give Primark reason to rethink its bricks-and-mortar only strategy for the future.

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Technology opens new channels for supply chain communication 21 Apr 2020

Michelle Russell

With Covid-19 putting a stop to all non-essential travel, global supply chains are being put to the test as brands and retailers have to rethink how they work, how they communicate with their manufacturers on placing orders and product design, and with business associates globally. Technology is now taking a front seat and software companies are stepping in to help bridge the gap.