Fashion retail markets across the world were under severe stress even before the COVID-19 crisis. A new KPMG report ‘Covid-19: Mitigation strategy for Indian textile and apparel sector’ highlights issues like deep discounting and damp consumer sentiments were already threatening the future prospects of the industry. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the industry further into darkness with production lockdowns, severe supply chain disruptions and market closures becoming the order of the day.

As per the report, the pandemic is likely to impact approximately one fifth of global apparel trade, creating supply chain disruptions across the world. The Italian market is expected to be the worst hit amongst European economies with market revival taking at least 12-15 months despite a strong economic boost from the government. The Spanish market is also expected to bear the brunt of the pandemic for the next 12-15 months while the UK market will face long-term ramifications though a good economic stimulus from the government will help alleviate some of the pain.

Worth nearly $38.9 billion, the largest European market, Germany is expected to revive in the next 9-12 months. Similar recovery is expected for the Japan, Canada and France markets while Belgium recovery is likely to delayed due to the high penetration of COVID-19 and limited financial stimulus.

Varied impact across segments

The report indicates impact on Indian market is likely to vary across sectors. The cotton fiber market is likely to be seriously impacted due to a contraction in the global market and order cancellations. Low downstream demand will restrict imports to specialized cotton fibers only and the market may face some liquidity issues resulting in shortage of working capital

MMF Fibers: With limited exports, overall impact on MMF fiber segment is expected to be low. The segment is likely import high-value functional fibers as PTA exports are likely to face supply chain disruptions. This will create a liquidity issues in the segment.

Yarn: With $6.2 billion exports global contraction in fabric manufacturing is drying up the demand for yarn across the world. The segment also faces raw material shortages due to supply chain disruptions. The huge buildup of inventory is also leading to a huge crunch of working capital in the segment.

Fiber processing market: With limited exports, overall impact on the fiber processing segment is expected to be low. However, raw materials shortages will impact operations in the segment.

Fabrics: Demand for fabrics in the domestic market is likely to decline due to a decrease in global apparel market. The segment depends on imports for its requirement of specialized and functional fabrics. Decentralized manufacturing will lead to a severe capital crunch with raw material availability also likely to be a challenge in the medium term.

Technical Textiles: The economic slowdown is likely to shrink Indian exports of technical textiles. The domestic market will be severely hit due to its significant dependence on raw material imports for value added products

Focus on core strengths

Considering this significant impact of COVID-19 on its textile value chain, Indian manufacturers need a fresh approach towards their business that focuses on the core strengths of the Indian industry. Manufacturers need to explore new markets opened by the COVID-19 pandemic in PPE sector. They need to emphasize on manufacturing of masks, PPEs and other meditech products that would enable them to tap burgeoning global market.

Indian textiles players are already at an advantage with abundance of natural raw materials, a young workforce and end-to-end value chain capabilities. However, they need to develop their core competencies in high-value raw materials and aim to capture a major share in the global trade of high-value product categories.

Digital transformation solutions company UST and Piktorlabs, UST’s future-focused product innovation lab have jointly developed an online e-commerce platform solution for Uniqlo India to launch its nationwide ‘Shop From Home’ service through online.uniqlo.in.

With their efficiency in providing and building secure digital solutions, UST and Piktorlabs provided Uniqlo the ‘Shop from Home’ service that was built upon Vera Commerce platform with customised solutions, UST said in a press release.

Uniqlo made its formal India debut in 2019 when its first brick and mortar store was opened in New Delhi. With consumer behaviour shifting in the midst of the pandemic, enhancing their online presence across India became a top priority for Uniqlo. The brand believes the new service would help it deliver a seamless online shopping service to its customers.

Online fashion marketplace Koovs and British design house Blue Saint have jointly launched an affordable activewear brand for the etailer. Blue Saint manufactures sustainable apparel and are suppliers for international fashion brands including ASOS, Topshop and Urban Outfitters.

The new label one/Zero has launched a collaborative collection of sell shorts, vests, tops, leggings, joggers, sports bras and jackets for men and women.

Mary Turner, CEO of Koovs, said, the collection aims is to ensure that Koovs remains the affordable fashion destination for young adults in India. Backed by Kishore Biyani’s Future Lifestyle, Koovs is a London-listed India-focussed fashion marketplace.

Performance sportswear is a rapidly growing segment in India, with the market for activewear apparel (excluding footwear) predicted to grow at 13.4 per cent CAGR from Rs 193.3 billion in 2018 to Rs 410.4 billion in 2024. Currently, the market is dominated by premium-priced global brands.

Munich Fabric Start, the organizer of View Premium Selection, Bluezone and the eponymous main event, hopes to return to in-person events as soon as July 2021.

As per Sourcing Journal, the organizer is planning to hold events to showcase Fall/Winter 22-23 collections. View Premium Selection will take place July 13-14; Munich Fabric Start will take place Aug. 31-Sept. 2; and Bluezone, the event dedicated to denim fabric and trims suppliers, is scheduled for Aug. 31-Sept. 1.

The trade shows will take place in and around the MOC Munich exhibition center. The grounds offer exhibitors and attendees a spacious venue and outside areas, generous stand and catering spaces, wide walking paths to maintain minimum distances and nearby accommodations. The center also has efficient ventilation systems circulating a fresh air supply.

Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce has informed that the 2021 Autumn/Winter Shanghai Fashion Week will kick off on April 6 to further energize the consumer market.

As per Global Times, retail sales in Shanghai grew by a 48.6 percent year-on-year in the first two months of 2021, higher than the country's average pace in the same period, said the commission.

Over 60 percent of the brands participating in the fashion week had seen marked sales growth in 2020, with nearly 40 percent having opened new bricks-and-mortar stores.

With strict epidemic prevention and control measures in place, next month's event will launch over 100 new products offline. It will also launch products online thorugh a newly-created event called "Shanghai Fashion & Lifestyle Carnival" to promote domestic brands and designers.

Debuted in 2003, Shanghai Fashion Week has been a significant fashion showcase, trade, and exchange platform in Asia. It went fully digital after the COVID-19 pandemic a year ago and was rebooted offline in October last year.

IKEA's shopping malls business Ingka Centres has bought the shops at Aura Mall in the centre in Toronto, Canada as part of the furniture group's strategy shift towards inner cities.

It bought the mall, which has been struggling to attract tenants and visitors, from private equity firm KingSett Capital.

Ingka Centres, which has 46 malls anchored by IKEA stores across Europe, Russia and China, plans to redevelop the ground and first floors of the building into an IKEA store that would open around the turn of the year.

It will be the first inner-city IKEA store in Canada. The building's remaining mall space will mark Ingka Centres' entry into Canada.

Located at the base of the Aura skyscraper, the property currently has around 12,000 square metres (14,350 square yards) of leasable area across three floors. Ingka Centres is scouting for inner-city property as part of IKEA's shift in recent years towards the centres of large cities, away from out-of-town, in response to the shift to online shopping and other changing shopping behaviours. So far, such locations are leased.

It has earlier made two such acquisitions that it is in the process of developing: the King's Mall in London and the 6x6 mall in San Francisco.

Ingka Centres is part of Ingka Group which owns most IKEA stores worldwide. It did not disclose the purchase price for the Toronto property.

The apparel and accessory exports of China grew by 50 per cent Y-o-Y during January-February 2021, reports the General Administration of Customs, China (GACC).

As per the statistics, China exported $ 24.05 billion worth of garments and accessories in January-February ’21 period as compared to $16.03 billion in the corresponding period of 2020.

The surge has been witnessed despite a lot of factories remaining shut due to Chinese New Year holidays that fell in February.

As far as textile export of China is concerned, it valued $22.13 billion in the first two months of 2021 as compared to $13.76 billion in the first two months of 2020, noting 60.80 per cent yearly increase.

Of total textile exports, fabrics contributed $9.64 billion; yarns valued $ 1.96 billion and other textile products clocked $10.53 billion.

China concluded 2020 with its textile exports reaching $153.84 billion – growing 29.20 per cent on yearly basis – and garment and accessories exports contracting by 6.40 per cent to $ 137.38 billion.

Beating its competitors in the US market, became the largest denim exporter to the country in 2020.

As per Textile Today, Bangladesh is also the number one denim products supplier to the European Union, which imported over 65 per cent of the clothing products of Bangladesh.

According to the US Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA), Bangladesh’s earning from its denim exports to the US declined by 4 per cent ito $561 million in 2020 from $585 million in 2019.

However, Bangladesh’s market share in US denim products rose to 20.03 per cent in 2020 taking the first position from Mexico. Mexico holds the second position with a 16.74 per cent market share followed by China 11.85 per cent.In the last five years, Bangladesh recorded a 7.18 percentage point gain to 20.03 per cent from 12.85 per cent in 2016.

The country holds a 29 per cent market share of total EU denim markets as of 2020. According to statistics from the Directorate-General of the European Commission, Eurostat, Bangladesh has earned over €1 billion from exporting denim products to EU countries during the January-December period of 2020, which was €1.27 billion in the previous year.

A strong backward linkage industry especially in fabrics manufacturing and washing helped Bangladesh to become a leading exporter of denim products. Exporters also invested a lot in research and innovation, product development and technological upgradation, which paved their way to growth.

Branding of Bangladeshi denim products through expositions also helped the country attract the attention of global buyers.

Steve Lamar, CEO and President, American Apparel & Footwear Association President welcomed the passage of the PPP Extension Act of 2021, which will extend the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application period beyond the March 31, 2021 sunset date.

Lamar said, giving small business more time to file PPP applications is essential for our industry, and our workers, to make it through to the other side of the pandemic. This is an important signal from the federal government that they will continue to support American businesses and American workers until the economy can sustain itself.

Earlier this month, AAFA called on Congressional leadership to lead swift bipartisan action on PPP extension to provide relief to America’s small businesses that led to today’s passage of the PPP Extension Act. Beyond stimulus, AAFA continues to remind Congress that the industry needs legislation to build a backstop for trade credit insurance and create limited liability protections, both of which are needed to sustain the industry's recovery.

Amazon has urged the Indian government not to change e-commerce foreign investment rules until investigations into its business practices had been concluded.

As per an Economic Times report, the government has been planning to revise e-commerce foreign investment rules for weeks. The last time they were changed, in 2018, it forced Amazon and Flipkart to rework their business structures and soured trade relations between India and the United States.

Last month a Reuters report, based on internal Amazon documents, revealed that the US firm had for years given preferential treatment to a small group of sellers on its platform, giving them discounted fees and helping one cut special deals with big tech manufacturers.

Amazon said, CCI and the Enforcement Directorate were probing the allegations and it would be premature to make any policy change until those proceedings have concluded. It added that it welcomed the government consultation process and the foreign investment policy needs to be stable and predictable for investor confidence.