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Swedish machinery manufacturers are exploring the Vietnamese market. These companies have leading edge production equipment and technology and are all well-established leaders in various areas of textile manufacturing process. The companies offer a unique combination of production expertise, textile manufacturing knowledge, and superior products and services.
They are the perfect match for the Vietnamese textile industry. They are a relatively small, tight knit group of companies, each specializing in a different key areas along the manufacturing process. Their size gives them flexibility and they work closely with customers, listen and adapt quickly to their changing needs.
Vietnam is emerging as the new global production center of textile products. Vietnam has been identified as a hub for the Asian textile industry in the next decade. The main reason for this is the increasing cost levels in China, causing many textile and garment brands to relocate in Vietnam. Sweden is bringing world-leading innovative expertise of smart industries into Vietnam, which will make Vietnam highly competitive globally.
Production in the Vietnamese textile and clothing industry is expected to increase by an average of 12 per cent to 14 per cent between 2016 and 2020. Exports are expected to reach 50 billion dollars by 2020.
Over the last year Primark’s revenue rose 19 per cent or 12 per cent currency-neutral. On a comparable week basis currency-neutral sales were 14 per cent with comp sales up just one per cent.
On the back of all this, Primark’s adjusted operating profit rose seven per cent (up three per cent currency-neutral) but the adjusted operating profit margin dropped to 10.4 per cent from 11.6 per cent. Even with challenges, Primark is hugely profitable and able to drive sales despite the volatile trading conditions. The chain performed particularly well in the UK over the past year with sales 10 per cent on a comparable basis and its share of the total clothing market up significantly.
After a good first half, trading in the third quarter was strong in the lead-up to Easter and trading in the fourth quarter was equally strong, driven by the ability of buying, merchandising and design teams to identify and deliver key seasonal trends.
Sales in continental Europe were 16 per cent ahead currency-neutral. Of Primark’s top 20 stores by sales density, 15 are now in continental Europe including seven in its newest markets of France and Italy. Primark is unique among mega-sized retailers in not selling online.
Pakistan is interested in hiking exports of textile to Japan to reduce the trade deficit. Japan-Pakistan relations are embedded in business, aid, politics and security. Japan assigns high value to its bilateral relations with Pakistan since the nature of their cooperation is multidimensional. Japan has helped Pakistan with humanitarian assistance, social security and infrastructure development.
The Indus Highway that connects Peshawar to Karachi stretches across 1200 kms and is being carried out with the assistance of Japan. It will be completed in June 2018. Pakistan-Japan relations have their roots in the ancient civilization of Gandhara.
Since the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the two countries have enjoyed cordial and friendly relations. Right now Japan focuses on small-scale socio-economic projects mostly run by NGOs in Pakistan. Japan would be better served by participating in big national mega-projects such as railways, roads, tunnels, ports, and shipping.
Soon after the San Francisco peace conference, Pakistan was one of the very few countries which opened their commercial office in Japan. In the 1980s, bilateral relations were further bolstered due to Pakistan’s role in securing the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan and the sea lanes security through which Japan receives the bulk of its oil.
Nike is among the names that figure in the Paradise Papers. The US sportswear giant used a loophole in Dutch fiscal law to reduce its tax rate in Europe to just two per cent. Two companies based in the Netherlands concentrated all Nike's European revenues, allowing the company to avoid paying tax on profits in the countries where it actually sells its shoes.
Nike managed to bring its tax on profits down to two per cent from the 25 per cent average for European companies. To carry out this tour de force, Nike used the Dutch fiscal system and its possibilities for optimization. Under this system, set up in 2014, Nike paid itself for the right to use its brand and artificially reduced its profits, thus reducing also its taxes.
The system was so effective that it reduced Nike’s global tax rate from 24 per cent to 16 per cent in three years. European countries are asking the Netherlands to make up the shortfall.
Nike has reported its weakest quarterly sales growth in nearly seven years. Nike still gets about 70 per cent of its revenue from retail customers but has been investing heavily in e-commerce, partnering with Amazon and offering heavy discounts on its own website.
H&M has released a collection by designer Erdem Moralioglu. The collection takes inspiration from English pastoral design signatures and reinterprets some of the codes that have defined his work over the past decade and it’s also inspired by film, music.
From the sharply tailored suits that remind him of those his father wore, to the dramatic dresses which reflect his love of cinema, the entire collection is an autobiographical exploration of the designer’s interests.
Every year, the affordable fashion retailer, pairs with a significantly in-vogue high fashion designer to release a special collection. In these collaborations, designers create products that would normally be priced in the thousands, while H&M makes the items available for no more than a couple hundred dollars.
These annual collaborations create a buzz in the fashion world, and often attract coverage from magazines like Vogue, GQ and Glamour. It has become common for these collections to sell out on the day of release. Each collection is different and the stores where certain collections are held change on a regular basis.
No two collaborations are ever the same. H&M looks at the store list every year and makes decisions on where to sell it that are based on a variety of different factors. The designer collaborations are meant to be exclusive, which is why they are not sold in every store.
Spanish company Jeanologia has developed a fashion collection totally made in Bangladesh, with fabrics woven in the country with the support of sustainable technology from Jeanologia. Jeanologia is a leader in the development of sustainable and efficient technologies.
For this project Jeanologia managed to get together everyone involved in the Bangladeshi textile industry, from fabric manufacturers to end product makers and buyers. Through this collection fabric manufacturers and producers will work together for the first time to attain a cleaner textile industry. Their innovative technology is contributing to the transformation of the country’s textile industry.
With Jeanologia as the expert technology partner, the Bangladeshi textile market hopes to be the most competitive, speeding up time to market and offering a modern sustainable product. Since 1993, Jeanologia’s mission has been to improve the industry of garment finishing through its technology and knowhow. Its laser, G2 ozone and e-flow system have revolutionized the textile industry. They offer infinite design possibilities and garment finishes, while saving water, energy and chemicals, eliminating waste and toxic emissions.
The Spanish company currently has clients in five continents. Exports of its machines and services represent 90 per cent of its total billing, reaching 60 countries.
The zipper industry in India wants tax slab to be reduced to 12 per cent from the existing 18 per cent. It says, zippers and slide fasteners are part of the textile industry and should not be burdened with high tariffs. The industry provides employment to about one lakh workers mainly women.
Almost 80 per cent of all zippers are used in the textile industry and more than 95 per cent of the inputs used as raw materials in their manufacture are textile items, taxed at 12 per cent. Almost 27 zipper units have closed down since GST came into force.
Zippers are an integral part of the textile and apparel industry. They are used in manufacturing readymade garments, woolen products, hosiery products, jackets, gloves, windcheaters and covers of pillows, mattresses, quilts and blankets etc. They are mostly made from textile materials like polyester or monofilament yarn, thread, tape etc.
The industry says lower tariffs will provide the fastener as well as the apparel export industry a competitive edge in the existing quota free world. An upgraded zipper industry can shorten delivery times, boost export orders and enhance brand reputation of the garment export industry.
Yarn Expo was held in China from October 11 to 13. This is a yarn and fiber sourcing event which attracted suppliers and buyers from around the world.
This year, the exhibition space expanded by 115 per cent, accommodating 494 exhibitors from 13 countries and regions. Suppliers were happy to see there was a strong demand for their products at the show. They could connect with existing customers and with new buyers. There were good suppliers from Indonesia, India and Vietnam. The show is comprehensive with different kinds of products including cotton yarns and specialty yarns available.
On the other hand, buyers felt the fair offered a wide range of products with high quality and competitive prices. This is one of the biggest yarn fairs in the world. It helped companies expand their sales channels and learn about current market demand. They could meet high-end domestic and overseas customers.
The Aditya Birla Group connected with its target customers this edition. A lot of fabric and apparel companies visited the booth and wanted to know more about the company’s fibers. Aditya Birla’s products are eco-friendly and differentiated so there is a big potential for them in China. Many visitors came to the booth of Indo-Rama Synthetics and some of them even placed orders onsite.
Surat is yet to recover from the blows of demonetization and GST. India’s polyester capital has suffered more than five lakh job losses and an estimated 40 per cent plunge in production.
The entire polyester value chain from yarns to garments is under pressure. The withdrawal of high-value banknotes put sudden brakes on the disposable income of consumers, with grave consequences. Textiles have been almost erased from customers’ priority list. Shops which usually gear up for the forthcoming wedding season wear a dull look.
Surat ushered in the polyester revolution in the country, offering saris and dress material at Rs 125. Surat boasts of 7,00,000 looms that make the grey fabric bought by 65,000 traders. The grey fabric would go to the 400 dyeing and processing houses and get routed to embroidery units for embellishments for the final garment.
Now the city presents a sorry picture. The migrant workforce has been sent packing to their states — Orissa, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar — and those who remain behind are desperate for work. Almost 4,00,000 women who would earn Rs 300 to Rs 800 a day by working from homes —sewing, stitching or pasting diamonds and other embellishments on fabric — have no work.
Bangladesh will host a khadi show from November 10 to 11. Organised by the Fashion Design Council of Bangladesh, it aims at breathing new life into fashion, mothered by the technique of khadi, a fabric that is an essential part of the Bangladeshi textile heritage.
A team of designers will showcase khadi clothing, empowering the people behind the handiwork. The belief is that conscious measures to preserve the culture through khadi will enrich the lives of the core Bangladeshis.
As a part of the Future Fabric Show, a two-day fashion show was held on November 3 to 4. The gala event opened with an unexpected act — a dance drama choreographed to highlight the glory of khadi. The dance act gave priority to the country’s heritage and the need to take environment-friendly measures to preserve its culture. The show emphasised the need to create conscious designs inspired by the past that would be sustainable for the future.
Another distinguishable feature of the show was the experimentations with the blouses — everyone gave a new face to the traditional blouse with ruffles, fringes and long frock-sleeves with intricate designs. Future Fabric Show 2017 comprises both local and international designers, who have collaborated to achieve the same goal, that of revitalising khadi.
