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In 2023, the world’s largest single-country apparel importer, the United States, imported apparels worth $79.3 billion, primarily from Asia, according to a recent report from the US International Trade Commission (USITC). Released by the US trade representative, this report highlights the export competitiveness of key apparel suppliers to the US market.
Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan were among the top 10 apparel exporters to the US in 2023, collectively accounting for 27 per cent of the country’s total apparel imports during the year. These countries are also significant players in the global apparel market.
Between 2013 and 2023, the market shares of major US apparel suppliers witnessed notable shifts. China remained the largest exporter to the US although its share of exports decreased. On the other hand, the share of countries like Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Pakistan increased.
The world’s second-largest apparel exporter, Bangladesh has a strong competitive advantage due to its ability to fulfill large orders of basic garments at low cost, driven by low labor and input costs, as well as duty-free access to major markets outside the US.
Primarily focused on cut, make, and trim production, Cambodia’s apparel sector benefits from foreign direct investment and imports of upstream materials. The country’s growing reputation as a socially responsible manufacturing hub makes it an attractive alternative to China.
India’s apparel industry stands out for its quality and intricate detailing, supported by a vertically integrated production system, further enhancing its competitiveness.
Though a higher-cost source, Indonesia excels in producing high-value, complex garments, such as business attire, outdoor apparel, and athletic wear, adding to its appeal in the global market.
Pakistan’s apparel industry benefits from a robust cotton sector, particularly in high-quality denim production. Its competitive strengths include vertical integration and access to domestic cotton; however, geopolitical concerns remain a challenge for international buyers.
A global leader in iconic apparel, HanesBrands Inc has successfully sold the intellectual property and certain operating assets of its global brand ‘Champion’ to the Authentic Brands Group (ABG).
According to Steve Bratspies, this significant move helps the company streamline and strengthen its operations. It also enables HanesBrands reduce approximately $1 billion in debt by the H2, 2024.
With the sale of the Champion brand, HanesBrands continues to focus on its core businesses and optimising its product offerings. Combined with ongoing financial strategies, this sale positions the company for a more efficient, profitable future, delivering value to shareholders and enhancing its market position in the apparel industry. The company also aims to deliver strong shareholder returns through a targeted revenue growth, improved margins, double-digit earnings per share growth, and continued debt reduction, he adds.
This transaction also aligns with ABG's extensive portfolio of lifestyle and fashion brands, marking a new phase for Champion, which has a long history of success as a sports and athleisure brand. The group is expected to leverage its expertise in brand development and licensing to further expand Champion’s global presence and reach new consumer segments.
At its 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Sep 29, 2024 at the GKS Cotton Chambers, the Indian Cotton Federation (ICF), formerly known as the South India Cotton Association, urged the Union Government to remove the import duty on cotton. ICF opined, this move will help ensure the growth and competitiveness of the Indian textile industry on the global stage.
During the AGM, J. Thulasidharan, who was re-elected as the President for the 2024-25 term, addressed the challenges faced by the cotton and textile industry. He noted, the past financial year was particularly difficult for the industry due to a significant decline in textile demand. However, cotton yield for 2024-25 is likely to surpass the last season’s output to around 330 lakh bales, he predicted.
Thulasidharan attributed this optimistic forecast to government initiatives, including subsidies and an increased Minimum Support Price (MSP), which have encouraged farmers to focus on improving yield quality and reducing contamination.
However, despite the positive forecast, Thulasidharan raised concerns about the high price of raw cotton in India, which exceeds global prices due to the import duty on cotton. He urged the government to find a solution that would benefit both the industry and farmers, emphasising that securing raw materials at competitive prices and access to affordable financing are essential for the industry's growth.
Thulasidharan also referenced a July meeting of the Textile Advisory Group (TAG), attended by Nishanth Asher, Honorary Secretary, ICF, during which Union Textile Minister Giriraj Singh promised to address key industry concerns. The minister pledged to introduce a new strain of BT cotton to boost yield and work toward achieving price parity with global cotton markets.
Echoing the importance of addressing the challenges facing the industry, Asher emphasised on the need for policy reforms, particularly the removal of the cotton import duty, which has made Indian cotton more expensive than its international counterparts. He explained, eliminating the import duty would level the playing field for India's textile and spinning sectors, enabling them to compete more effectively on the global stage.
Asher also highlighted the growing importance of sustainability in the cotton industry by reiterating ICF’s commitment to continue engaging with policymakers to resolve issues such as price volatility, supply chain disruptions, and trade barriers.
Asher also reaffirmed ICF’s commitment to advocate for policies that support both the industry and farmers. The Federation would also help the Indian textile industry increase its exports, with the aim of reaching $100 billion by 2030, he added.
Following the debut of its Fall/Winter 2024 campaign earlier this year, featuring A$AP Nast and Gabriette, Adidas’ brand Y-3 has unveiled the final range of its seasonal collection.
The collection showcases a blend of tailored, refined wool pieces designed for winter’s chill, alongside Y-3’s signature styles, now reimagined with experimental prints. A standout feature of this collection is the application of a tie-dye finish on a woven nylon base fabric, enhanced with flock printing, adding a textured, avant-garde touch to the collection.
In footwear, the collection launches the Y-3 Superstar range in a striking two-tone colorway, combining Yamamoto’s distinct aesthetic with the rich archival legacy of adidas. The range also introduces the bold Y-3 Kyasu Overboot that was originally presented during Yohji Yamamoto’s Fall/Winter 2023 runway show. This futuristically designed footwear collection features a sleek full-leather outer boot paired with a removable Kyasu mule, offering a subversive take on Y-3's dynamic footwear offerings.
Directed by Francis Plummer, the campaign for this collection transitions from the bustling streets of New York City to a more abstract, ethereal realm. Here, the iconic Three Stripes are brought to life in a fluid dialogue of movement and flow, tension and poise. The campaign’s icy color palette transforms Y-3 into a world unbound by physical limits.
A leading brand in pop-culture merchandise and licensed apparel, the Souled Store has partnered with insights-led customer engagement platform MoEngage to enhance its automated customer interaction, and improve overall customer experience.
Bhaavya Gupta, Chief – Staff, highlights, this collaboration has been highly beneficial for the brand as its push campaigns have seen notable improvements in both deliverability and click-through rates. It has also help the brand expand its customer engagement channels from just push notifications to include WhatsApp and email. Besides, the partnership has also facilitated the automation of multiple flows—such as customer journeys and campaigns for the brand.
Previously reliant on a CRM platform for customer engagement, The Souled Store’s rapid growth prompted the need for a more advanced and scalable solution. MoEngage’s platform offers automation capabilities, enabling the brand to efficiently attract and retain customers while streamlining their engagement strategies.
Yash Reddy, Chief Revenue Officer, MoEngage adds, the brand’s adoption of MoEngage highlights the growing demand for scalable, automation-friendly platforms in today’s fast-evolving retail environment. This partnership also demonstrates the benefits of tailored, automated customer experiences in transforming brand-consumer interactions.
Curated by Alcova Milano, the Heimtextil Trends 25/26 will offer fresh perspectives for the textile industry as they seamlessly blend tradition with modern technology. Titled ‘Future Continuous,’ this cutting-edge showcase will be held in the Trend Arena at Heimtextil in Frankfurt from Jan 14-17, 2025.
The Heimtextil Trends 25/26 will highlight the concept of learning from the traditional practices and adapting them to the present. The showcase will explore ways in which historical methods inspire modern design solutions.
The Heimtextil Trends 25/26 showcase will be curated by the founding team of Alcova Milan for visitors in Hall 3.0. Known for its alternative design platform showcased during Milan’s design week, Alcova Milano often reactivates historical and spectacular locations, drawing connections between the past and the future of design.
The Heimtextil Trends 25/26 will showcase the rising of innovations from traditional practices. It will offer new approaches to sustainability and resource efficiency. Visitors will experience these through a dynamic installation that highlights textiles’ central role in technological, cultural, and ecological advancements.
The event will also feature six insightful interviews with international designers, textile researchers, and industry leaders, including Janis Jefferies, a pioneer in textile research, Ilse Crawford, StudioIlse, and Dirk Vantyghem, Director General, Euratex. These discussions will explore the importance of natural fibers like hemp, jute, and flax, as well as the growing focus on repairability, locality, and transparency in supply chains.
Featuring a color palette with shades like Naturally Uneven Green, End of Petrol, and Imperfect Pink, the Trend Arena promises to be a must-visit for those at the forefront of interior design.
Showcasing the success of its multi-brand strategy, JD Sports Fashion outperformed analysts’ expectations for its first-half profit. In the 26 weeks leading to Aug 3, 2024, the British sportswear retailer posted an adjusted pre-tax profit of £405.6 million, surpassing the £384 million forecast by analysts. Regis Schultz, CEO attributed this success to the company's global, multi-brand approach, which allowed it to quickly adapt to shifting industry trends.
The group achieved organic sales growth of 6.4 per cent, with like-for-like sales growth at 0.7 per cent. Revenues rose by 5.2 per cent to £5 billion, with a 6.8 per cent increase in constant currency. However, despite the adjusted profit rise of 2 per cent, statutory reported profit before tax declined by 64.3 per cent to £126.3 million.
JD Sports saw notable success across its core segments including JD, Complementary Concepts, and Sporting Goods & Outdoor. The JD brand experienced double-digit organic growth in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific, opening 83 new stores, including its largest ever location in Stratford, London. The company is set to open 200 stores globally by year-end and transferred 19 more stores to JD from Finish Line, MIG, and ISRG.
The acquisition of Hibbett expanded JD’s North American presence with 1,179 stores, although the completion of its Courir acquisition awaits European Commission approval. Progress in omnichannel efforts was highlighted by the rollout of 'ship from store' in Europe and a successful 'click and collect' trial in France.
Regionally, Europe and North America showed strong organic sales growth of 10.1 per cent and 10.7 per cent respectively. The company’s performance in the UK improved as the period progressed, though non-core divestments impacted overall results. This growth was mainly driven by the footwear category, with a growth of 9.6 per cent and a larger share of 59.8 per cent in revenue. Meanwhile, the apparel category struggled due to weather-related challenges, growing only 0.7 per cent, with its share of revenue dropping to 29.8 per cent.
On October 9, Fair Wear will launch the HRDD Academy, an online platform designed to help garment and footwear brands implement human rights due diligence (HRDD) in line with the European Union Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (EU CSDDD) and other global frameworks.
The HRDD Academy will provide essential tools and resources for brands to navigate new industry standards. As the only multi-stakeholder initiative (MSI) dedicated to HRDD in the garment and footwear sector, Fair Wear brings over 25 years of experience working with brands, factories, and workers. The platform is built to guide brands through the complexities of HRDD, following OECD standards.
Rachel Chuang of Ganni highlighted that Fair Wear has consistently played a key role in enhancing labor conditions. She noted that the HRDD Academy would further strengthen their understanding of human rights due diligence (HRDD) and enhance their efforts in due diligence practices.
Key features of the HRDD Academy include self-paced learning, expert guidance on topics such as living wages and gender equity, and tools like risk scoping to assist brands in managing their HRDD processes. The platform also offers networking opportunities for brands to collaborate and share best practices.
A pilot phase that ran from 2023 to March 2024 allowed Fair Wear members and industry stakeholders to shape the platform's design. Markus Reisegger-Huber of Loffler GmbH praised the platform’s user-friendly structure and logical design.
The HRDD Academy aims to equip brands with the skills and knowledge needed to meet evolving regulatory requirements while fostering responsible business practices.
Karl Mayer Group has unveiled a new generation of remote support, offering flexible, multi-level service through a global network. This system provides 20/6 availability and ensures faster resolutions with enhanced transparency via the myKM.ON Customer Portal. Customers can easily track support requests and access remote assistance through a cloud connection.
A three-tiered support system addresses varying complexity levels. Level one handles basic issues, while levels two and three escalate tougher problems to specialized teams. This structured approach ensures faster troubleshooting and improved customer experiences.
The new Remote Support Case model offers flexible, application-based payments, replacing traditional machine contracts. Customers can pre-purchase cases for their entire warp knitting machine fleet, with discounts available for larger purchases. Online support cases, available through the KM.ON cloud, offer faster and cheaper solutions.
Remote support pilots began in June 2024 in Germany, China, and Hong Kong. A broader rollout is planned for late December 2024, with additional services launching in October for warp preparation machines. By 2025, customers of Stoll and technical textiles will also benefit from this system. The Service4you concept will expand further with multilingual support, adding Italian, Turkish, and Spanish, alongside existing German, English, and Chinese.
This innovative system aims to provide Karl Mayer customers with enhanced speed, flexibility, and reliability in service handling, marking a new era in remote machine support.
India's cotton textile exports registered mixed performance in fiscal year 2023-24, with some sectors showing robust growth while others facing a decrease. Overall, the combined export value of cotton textiles and raw cotton was $11,517.73 million, a 11.23 per cent increase compared to previous year.
Cotton yarn emerges as the star performer
Cotton yarn led the growth story, registering a remarkable 37.25 per cent increase in export value, reaching $3,777.57 million. This rise was further supported by an 83.18 per cent increase in export quantity, indicating both higher volumes and potentially better prices. The impressive performance of cotton yarn significantly contributed to the overall positive growth in the cotton textiles sector.
Madeups hold steady, fabrics face challenges
Cotton madeups, another key export category, demonstrated resilience with a modest 1.75 per cent growth, reaching $4,372.29 million. However, cotton fabrics exports faced a setback, declining by 10.75 per cent to $2,252.39 million. This could be attributed to various factors, including global economic conditions and increased competition in the international market.
Raw cotton exports grow
Raw cotton exports also witnessed a substantial increase of 42.75 per cent, reaching $1,115.49 million. This growth aligns with the increased demand for cotton yarn, suggesting a potential shift towards value addition within the domestic textile industry.
In terms of export destinations, the US remained top importer of Indian cotton textiles, accounting for 25.26 per cent of the total exports. Bangladesh followed closely at 17.14 per cent, a significant increase from previous year. China emerged as a notable market, with a remarkable 206.06 per cent growth in imports of Indian cotton textiles.
Table: India's cotton textile exports 2022-23 and 2023-24
|
Commodity |
2022-23 (mn $) |
2023-24 (mn $) |
Growth % |
2022-23 (mn kg) |
2023-24 (mn kg) |
Growth % |
|
Cotton Madeups |
4,297.15 |
4,372.29 |
1.75 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Cotton Fabrics |
2,523.73 |
2,252.39 |
-10.75 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Cotton Yarn |
2,752.41 |
3,777.57 |
37.25 |
663.14 |
1,214.71 |
83.18 |
|
Cotton Textiles |
9,573.29 |
10,402.24 |
8.66 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Raw Cotton |
781.43 |
1,115.49 |
42.75 |
318.47 |
573.1 |
79.95 |
|
Cotton Textiles + Raw Cotton |
10,354.72 |
11,517.73 |
11.23 |
- |
- |
- |
Overall, Indian cotton textile industry demonstrated a mixed performance in 2023-24, with cotton yarn emerging as the driving force behind the overall growth. While challenges persist in certain segments like cotton fabrics, the industry's resilience and adaptability are evident. The substantial increase in raw cotton exports further underscores the potential for value addition and growth within the domestic textile sector. As the global economic landscape evolves, the Indian cotton textile industry will need to continue innovating and diversifying to maintain its competitive edge in the international market.
