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McKinsey published an analytical report on Chinese apparel, fashion and luxury market, to help international brands restructure their sales strategy and become more competitive in Chinese market. The report suggests although Chinese consumer confidence went into a tailspin the zero-spread lockdown that affected incomes critically, 2023 sees confidence returning after stringent lockdowns were lifted. Prediction is, the sector will experience double digit growth, moving forward, as the Chinese middle-class will once again indulge in their penchant for all things luxury.
However, this does not mean international brands will find the market easy sailing. As the report says in 2021, Chinese brands outperformed international brands in a ratio of 60:40. This trend has been gaining ground since 2013 with local brands steadily capturing more market share year on year. This begets the question what Chinese winning brands are doing to outsmart international ones.
Local brands playing to their advantage
Being based locally provides greater agility in adapting operating models quickly in response to immediate market dynamics which international brands find difficult to match as they are bound by decisions from their headquarters, mostly in the US and Europe. Having this agility also helps managing supply chains quicker as local brands have a better network simply because all supply is also local. As Chinese e-commerce channels and social media are intrinsically insular and tailored to only Chinese consumers, leveraging them accurately is another huge advantage. Local brands have excelled in engaging Chinese consumers with local key opinion leaders and social influencers and at a scale no international brand has been able to.
What global brands need to do
As per McKinsey the first thing international brands need to implement is move away from their global positioning which in most cases don’t resonate with main Chinese consumer segment, the middle class, who often cannot comprehend or relate to Western positioning concepts. Therefore, the value proposition which in most international brands seem to be individualistic experience based needs to be reworked, often exclusivity and impeccable quality being the baseline that are relatable.
Local product relevance is the big winning ticket for international brands. Those who have written their Chinese success stories are ones that usher in their global assets and intellectual property and then gradually incorporate local designs and styles more suited to local cultural and social preferences and trends. Successful brands have found that nothing beats being locally relevant. Having the right social media content generated by local content creators who have a finger on the local trends prevalent further strengthens the local appeal process.
Especially in a market like China that is extremely technology and digital savvy, the right mix of technology and digital infrastructure is going to play a crucial role in consumer outreach, call to action and thereafter sales. International brands will find it an absolutely must to deploy a local in-house team that can work in tandem with the global team to create the most effective communication and engagement. Thus, international brands have to mimic the agility of operations and hiring talent who can become local assets in ensuring the best of a wide supply chain that can be started off as and when the need arises and it does, most times.
McKinsey’s recommendation on being successful in China is based on close analysis of brands that have got it right. For Shanghai Tang and Bosiden, there are Gucci and Raplh Lauren, the later having successfully acquired double-digit growth in 2022 according to President & CEO Patrice Louvet.
Dallas-based online men’s custom clothing brand J. Hilburn has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company, which was founded in 2007 in Dallas and made it through the Great Recession as a startup, is trying to reorganise under the protection of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Dallas. The tailored men’s clothing line tried to pivot some in recent years by adding more casual apparel, including jeans, but its main lines were formal wear, custom suits and shirts. The company laid off an undisclosed number of employees at its Dallas headquarters last month.
Hilburn sells through a network of personal stylists and directly to customers online. The company said it anticipates no interruptions in business, and all current and future orders will be filled. Stylists work on commission and meet with customers at their homes, offices or in showrooms in Dallas, New York, Boston and Bellevue, outside of Seattle. J. Hilburn owes $15,621 in rent to Inwood Village, where it opened its first showroom in 2016. J. Hilburn said in the initial filing that it has assets of under $10 million, but it owes more than that to vendors. Debts include $6.55 million to Hong Kong-based TAL Group, $806,052 to Portugal-based Criaimie Rua do Facho and $665,957 to the supply chain solutions division of UPS. It owes $2.73 million on a term loan with Austin-based Escalate Capital Partners. Several shareholders were listed from Dallas and Menlo Park, Calif. The company raised $13.8 million in 2013, and it’s listed as an active investment of Boston-based Battery Ventures.
Dallas-based online men’s custom clothing brand J. Hilburn has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company, which was founded in 2007 in Dallas and made it through the Great Recession as a startup, is trying to reorganise under the protection of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Dallas. The tailored men’s clothing line tried to pivot some in recent years by adding more casual apparel, including jeans, but its main lines were formal wear, custom suits and shirts. The company laid off an undisclosed number of employees at its Dallas headquarters last month.
Hilburn sells through a network of personal stylists and directly to customers online. The company said it anticipates no interruptions in business, and all current and future orders will be filled. Stylists work on commission and meet with customers at their homes, offices or in showrooms in Dallas, New York, Boston and Bellevue, outside of Seattle. J. Hilburn owes $15,621 in rent to Inwood Village, where it opened its first showroom in 2016. J. Hilburn said in the initial filing that it has assets of under $10 million, but it owes more than that to vendors. Debts include $6.55 million to Hong Kong-based TAL Group, $806,052 to Portugal-based Criaimie Rua do Facho and $665,957 to the supply chain solutions division of UPS. It owes $2.73 million on a term loan with Austin-based Escalate Capital Partners. Several shareholders were listed from Dallas and Menlo Park, Calif. The company raised $13.8 million in 2013, and it’s listed as an active investment of Boston-based Battery Ventures.
A new generation of consumers in post-pandemic times is making it easy to buy and sell second-hand apparel, shoes, and accessories on a variety of online resale platforms. Buyers can browse through a versatile portfolio of premium and luxury brands. Analysts say one in every three apparel items bought globally in the last year has been second- online resale platforms hand with 37 per cent consumers spending their limited budget in the pre-loved segment as inflation rises.
The resale and pre-loved branded goods market is a quick growing one with many retailers adding this segment to sustain their core business. There is now a rising tide of retailers and brands that want to understand how to develop a retail strategy that includes second-hand and creating a brand USP that is profitable to both the customer and the company.
Report predicts global market growth
Many online resale platforms for apparel, shoes, and accessories are doing very well in the sale of second-hand apparel as consumers gravitate towards this segment amid economic uncertainty. Online thrift marketplace ThredUp- one of the largest online resale platforms –recently revealed its 2023 resale report which predicts by 2027, global resale market will reach $350 billion, with the US market growing to $70 billion.
Apparel retailers are now accelerating their pre-loved resale marketing strategies and last year, around 88 brands launched resale programs with many partnering with ThredUp’s Resale As A Service or RaaS. In post-Covid times, two out of three retailers who offer resale, feel it is an intrinsic part of their long-term growth strategy and overall profit figures.
Anthony Marino, President, ThredUp in an interview to Forbes said: “Consumers search for value in a crisis. Consumers bought 1.4 billion pieces of secondhand apparel items instead of new last year. That’s a 40 per cent increase from the year before. People in their minds, are connecting the purchase of the secondhand item, and are acknowledging that it impacts the environment. 2022 was a year when retailers were struggling and we noticed that they needed a strategy for resale.”
According to ThreadUp, growing demand has propelled the second-hand industry for apparel, shoes and accessories to $177 billion in global sales last year, a 28 per cent increase over 2021. This is mainly due to surging inflation and more retailers who are curating resale and pre-loved offerings along with an increased awareness of sustainable shopping habits. The ThredUp 2023 report, which relies on research and data from third-party retail analytics firm GlobalData, has predicts the second-hand industry will double to $351 billion in global sales by 2027.
As per Marino, Threadup’s Fashion Footprint Calculator asks a couple of questions to find out if one is a net polluter or not. Without preaching, it offers information and shows you how to improve by buying a few more products that are secondhand rather than new.
Selling second-hand items online stores are an attraction for those looking for branded clothes but have budget constraints. Chinese retailer, Shein, which focuses on a fast fashion model, entered resale space last year with Shein Exchange site. Likewise, H&M launched an online resale platform with ThredUp and H&M’s recent annual reports have said it expects climate-aware consumers to buy more sustainable products in the future which indicates a potential shift in consumer preferences in post-Covid times.
With the Gen Z most attracted to resale and larger fashion companies looking to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and water and plastic footprints, the rise of secondhand and other circular business models is on the way up and up in the turbulent days of global inflation ahead.
Endeavoring to spread greater consciousness about denim’s worth and to maintain the creativity surrounding the beloved blues, Murianni Cristian started Denim Instituto Milano.
The aim of the institute is to train new generations of professionals in the denim sector, by developing courses around craftsmanship and tradition. It’s an education for tomorrow’s denim leaders, and one Murianni personally believes in.
The Denim Institute Milano addresses new generations and not only that, its goal is to overturn the tendency of diminishing fabrics’ value and to enhance its Italian origins.
Endeavoring to spread greater consciousness about denim’s worth and to maintain the creativity surrounding the beloved blues, Murianni Cristian started Denim Instituto Milano.
The aim of the institute is to train new generations of professionals in the denim sector, by developing courses around craftsmanship and tradition. It’s an education for tomorrow’s denim leaders, and one Murianni personally believes in.
The Denim Institute Milano addresses new generations and not only that, its goal is to overturn the tendency of diminishing fabrics’ value and to enhance its Italian origins.
The world of textile and readymade garment manufacturing continues their collective rollercoaster ride of ups and downs indicate various analyses, reports and experts’ statements. The international financial projections have added to the confusion on the state of economies worldwide which saw international cotton prices spiral downwards. In this milieu, Indian cotton grower has been showered with good news that the product is holding its ground and a fortnight ago a candy of Indian spot cotton was selling for Rs 63,300 and a candy of the S-6 2 variant at Rs 62,150. This begets the question what is prompting this trend that bucks the international one?
Market delivery lowered
Reports have confirmed that raw cotton being delivered to local market in India is significantly lower this year compared to the previous years. Weekly arrivals were only about 55 kt in the last few weeks and by April 9, 2023, the cumulative delivery of domestic cotton was 3.068 million tonnes, a significant shortfall as per the prediction of 5.32 million tonnes as was assessed by the Cotton Association of India. The body also reported that as early as February 2023, delivery totaled 2.632 million tons, a deficit of 32 per cent. The continuous delivery shortfall is organically increasing price.
India’s manufacturing sector contributes to hike
The local textile industry is seeing a surge of positivity as the Indian government’s expansion plan in this sector is about to take off. In this context, the overall domestic manufacturing sector has held fort against the global downturn and is carrying on well as per World Bank’s report commending the growth of Indian manufacturing and exports.
As one of the main sectors within India’s manufacturing industry, textile production has been resilient despite sluggish global growth, one of the reasons being a robust domestic demand. It should be noted that India’s Manufacturing Purchase Index (PMI) rose by 1.1 per cent and as of January 2023 stood at 55. 4 points, signaling steady growth. In comparison, the world’s largest economy, the US is at a PMI of 47.70 currently.
Vibrant downstream demand triggers up-pricing
From the very first week of fiscal year 2023-24, downstream industry for cotton has regained activity. In South India, cotton yarn transactions started increasing and cotton yarn prices in Mumbai’s market gained 2-3 pounds per kilo. It is said that the local spinning wheels are getting busier although the cotton inventory this year is lower than last year. Orders from lockdown-free China, post-earthquake Turkey and coming to terms with its new economic reality Europe have increased, leading to escalating prices for a commodity in short supply.
Globally, cotton of Indian provenance has taken an upward turn in demand. India’s cotton-yarn spinners are the secondary beneficiaries as well as the projection is a 100-basis point improvement in operating profitability to 12 per cent in fiscal year 2023-24 despite a 10 per cent on year fall in revenue due to lowered realisations and sluggish exports, based on CRISIL ratings.
Indian government’s initiatives
The Indian government continues to introduce policies that are conducive to downstream capacity expansion which is what makes the Indian textile industry’s commercial outlook upbeat. The acclaimed seven gigantic textile parks in the country are in their advanced stage of readiness, fuelling a lot of hope for both the domestic and exports markets. The key components of these governmental policies are reduced import tariffs on certain textile machinery, spare parts and accessories, including shuttle-less looms in the category of zero tariffs.
Luxury goods giant LVMH has made history by becoming the first European company to exceed $500 billion in market value. The Paris-based firm, which owns Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon and Hennessy, as well as Givenchy, Bulgari, and Sephora stores, reported an impressive 17% rise in first-quarter sales in April, beating analyst expectations.
The company's shares hit a record high, rising by 32.8% in the year to date, after the results were announced.
LVMH's revenue for 2022 was 79.2 billion euros ($87.1 billion), with profit from recurring operations of 21.1 billion euros, marking its second consecutive year of record results. The luxury giant expects to benefit from China's Covid reopening, as the return of travel brings back high-end spenders. The anticipated rebound in Chinese consumer spending has also boosted the share prices of other luxury groups, including Richemont, Kering, and Burberry.
LVMH's CEO, Bernard Arnault, is currently the world's richest person, according to the Forbes real-time billionaires index.
In 2021, the company completed the acquisition of U.S. jeweler Tiffany & Co for $15.8 billion. This landmark achievement reaffirms LVMH's position as a dominant force in the luxury industry.
Pakistan’s lack of diversity in exports, inadequate infrastructure, and low productivity are hindering its competitiveness in the global market.
These factors make the country more susceptible to external shocks and reduce its ability to generate foreign currency and employment. The challenges facing Pakistan's export sector include inadequate infrastructure, unfavorable trade policies, limited access to finance, and a lack of skilled workers.
However, Pakistan has a number of opportunities to increase its export competitiveness, including regional integration, developing markets, policy reforms, and human capital development.
The implementation of policy initiatives such as infrastructure improvements, trade policy liberalization, access to financing, and skill development can help Pakistan improve its export competitiveness, generate foreign currency, and create job opportunities.
Pakistan must also study the international markets and their demands to enhance its export competitiveness.
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding has launched a new luxury platform called Soho that targets younger consumers and also aims to help high-end brands shed excess inventory built up during the global coronavirus lockdown. The platform will allow brands to run their own online stores with full control over their pricing, product selection and strategy. It would be home to “luxury deals, older collections, timeless classics and vintage collectibles”.
The platform would help high-end houses reach newer consumers such as those from China’s lower-tier cities or so-called Gen Z shoppers, young clients up to the age of 25 who are just entering the world of luxury and are expected to become increasingly important for the sector.
Chinese shoppers account for more than a third of global luxury goods spending and China was the first key market to be hit by the coronavirus pandemic, which forced brands to shut stores and led to a virtual halt in international travelling.
