Top stories on just-style in November include a look at what the new Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade pact means for the apparel sector, an interview with Vivek Ramachandran, CEO of HSBC’s new apparel business-to-business platform Serai, and how a new textile-to-textile recycling process brings the industry closer to a closed loop for clothing. Elsewhere, TAL Apparel has re-engineered the face mask, and VF Corp has revealed plans to acquire Supreme in a US$2.1bn deal.
1. UK lockdown 2.0 to cost non-essential retail $8.8bn
A second planned UK lockdown could cost non-essential retail GBP6.8bn (US$8.8bn) according to new research.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
2. A milestone in textile-to-textile polyester recycling at scale
Swedish fast-fashion brand Monki has launched the first capsule clothing collection made using a breakthrough textile-to-textile recycling process. Jenny Fagerlyn, Monki’s global sustainability director, and Erik Bang, innovation lead at H&M Foundation, tell just-style why the technology – which is being scaled up before being made widely available to the apparel industry and its supply chain – is a huge step towards a closed loop for clothing.
3. Global firms falling short on human rights commitments
Global companies are still falling short on human rights, according to a new report from the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA).
4. US apparel imports continue to rise in September
The volume of US apparel imports continued to climb in September on the month prior as business picked up for retailers following the pandemic lockdown. Year-on-year was a different picture, however, with shipments continuing to fall. Indonesia and China recorded the largest declines.
5. Adidas falls off sustainability index after 20-year run
The Dow Jones Sustainability Index saw a record number of corporate participants this year, up 18.9% from 2019, but industry heavyweights including Adidas and Nike were missed off the mentions list.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData6. Serai CEO sets out vision for global apparel trade network
Banking giant HSBC is focusing on the apparel industry with a new digital business-to-business platform that enables retailers and brands, manufacturers and suppliers to build trusted relationships, exchange data, and tap into new technologies. Here, CEO Vivek Ramachandran discusses his ambitious vision for the interconnected global trade network.
7. Hong Kong transitioning to global digital supply chain hub
In the wake of the pandemic, companies have begun assessing the viability of globally distributed production, while e-commerce is altering how people buy, and what they buy. For Hong Kong, these developments are important as its role evolves into a leading sourcing and digital supply-chain services hub, according to a new report.
8. TAL Apparel raises the bar on face masks
Having built its reputation as an ‘Innofacturer’ of added value clothing, it was a logical next step for Hong Kong-based garment giant TAL Apparel to apply this same approach to reinventing the face mask – as CEO Roger Lee explains.
9. Fashion’s guiding force – Look good, do good, feel good
Fashion purchases are still and always will be driven by the desire to look good – but in order to feel good, shoppers are increasingly aligning with brands and actions that have a higher purpose to do good. By following the industry’s new north star, companies can set themselves up for a more sustainable future, says Roit Kathiala.
10. We have no ties to Xinjiang, major apparel retailers tell UK MPs
Major apparel companies H&M Group, Nike Inc, and Boohoo Group have told UK politicians they do not have any supply chain links to the Xinjiang region of China, with Boohoo revealing plans to map all of its global tier-one and tier-two supply chains over the next year.
11. Workplace cooperation enhances Gap supply chain
A multi-year project to promote greater communication between workers and managers in Gap Inc garment supplier factories has had the added bonus of boosting production efficiency.
12. Fake organic cotton found by GOTS in India
An investigation into organic cotton fraud in India has revealed 20,000 metric tonnes of cotton were incorrectly certified as organic through a scam abusing the Indian government certification system.
13. VF Corp strikes US$2.1bn deal to acquire streetwear brand Supreme
Vans and The North Face-owner VF Corp, has revealed plans to acquire Supreme, a privately-owned global streetwear brand, in a US$2.1bn deal.
14. Will new government support Jordan garment sector?
Jordanian garment manufacturers are hoping a newly formed government will help the country’s clothing sector rebound from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
15. Sri Lanka clothing recovery hit by second Covid-19 wave
Sri Lanka’s plans to kickstart the post Covid-19 recovery of its critically important clothing sector have been sidelined by a deadly second wave of infections.
16. Philippine garment exporters push against EU trade threat
The garment industry in the Philippines is preparing to petition the European Commission, asking it not to consider calls for the country to lose its duty-free access to European Union (EU) markets – but to offer concessions instead.
17. Transparency key to future of sustainable denim
Denim manufacturers must understand that no sustainability project can truly be deemed as such without a focus on transparency and traceability – with reliable open data key to facilitating change.
18. China manufacturing activity soars to 10-year high
Manufacturing activity in China surged to a near-decade high in October as the country continued to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic – but overseas demand softened amid a resurgence of the coronavirus across a number of export markets.
19. Why the new RCEP trade deal matters to apparel
Fifteen countries including China, Japan, South Korea, and Australia have formed the world’s largest trading bloc – a move that industry experts say matters significantly for textile and apparel.
20. Monthly trade programme roundup – October 2020
The latest round-up of updates to key free trade agreements and trade preference programmes involving the United States, the European Union and Japan covers developments in October 2020.
