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Nordic cooperation on circular innovation focusing on workwear

Photo: Sven, pixabay

16.04.2024

Nordic cooperation on circular innovation focusing on workwear

The University of Borås, Aalborg University Business School and Circular Innovation Lab have just started the 'North-South Circular Value Chains Within Textiles' project - an explorative project that aims at bridging textile brands in the Nordics with a strong focus on sustainability with innovative producers in the South.

Focus areas are Circular Value Chains (CVCs), Circular and resource-efficient textiles economy, Workwear and technical clothing, Sectors such as construction, energy, electronics and IT, plastics, textiles, retail and metals.

Made possible by a grant from the Interreg ÖKS programme, the first step is to create a specific economic, legal and technological framework allowing Scandinavian workwear companies to enter into close collaboration on circular solutions in the overall textile value chain and to prepare, and adapt their global value chains to the upcoming EU regulations on circular economy.

Recently, the consortium partners convened for an initial meeting at The Swedish School of Textiles to discuss the project framework, which is a feasibility study intended to lead to a multi-year project involving workwear companies in the Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak (ÖKS) region, including their supply chains in Asia.

Kim Hjerrild, Strategic Partnerships Lead at the Danish think tank Circular Innovation Lab, Copenhagen, explained: "The goal is to assist workwear producers in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in becoming more sustainable through circular product design, production, and service concepts. We are pleased to have The Swedish School of Textiles lead the project as they have a strong tradition of collaborating with textile companies."

Complex branch
The decision to focus specifically on workwear stems from it being a complex part of the textile industry, demanding strict standards, certifications, safety aspects, and specific functions depending on the application area, such as specific high-performance environments, healthcare, and hospitality. "To future-proof their operations, companies need to become more resource efficient and circular by producing durable and long lasting workwear that can be repaired and reused. Additionally, they must reduce their carbon footprint per product, as well as minimize problematic chemical usage, and increasingly use recycled materials" explained Kim Hjerrild.

Wants to provide companies with tools and knowledge
Apoorva Arya, founder and CEO of Circular Innovation Lab, elaborates: "Our first and primary goal is to equip Scandinavian workwear companies with tools and knowledge in order to comply with the upcoming EU directives and policies. This includes regulations on product-specific design requirements to labour conditions for employees, human rights, all the way from production to third-party suppliers. Ensuring these companies, especially their suppliers, can transition to a circular supply chain, and navigate the legislative landscape, while guaranteeing competitiveness in the global market."

Focus on new structures
Rudrajeet Pal, Professor of Textile Management at The Swedish School of Textiles, is pleased that the university can be the coordinator of the project. "From the perspective of my research group, this
is incredibly interesting given the focus on the examination and development of ‘new’ supply chain and business model structures that would enable sustainable value generation in textile enterprises, industry, and for the environment and society at large. We have conducted several projects where such global north-south value chain focus is eminent, and this time particularly in workwear companies’ value chain between Scandinavia and Asia. We are delighted to contribute expertise and our experience of working internationally."

About the pre-project North-South Circular Value Chains Within Textiles, NSCirTex
The project aims to support the circular transition in the Nordics by setting up a shared governance model to enable pre-competitive collaboration and the design of circular value chains between Scandinavian workwear companies in the ÖKS-region and producers in India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Türkiye.

The next step is to achieve a multi-year main project where workwear companies with their suppliers in Asian countries, can test tailored models for shared governance as a way to develop practical circular solutions, such as post-consumer recycling, circular material procurement, develop safe and resource efficient circular products, enhance social sustainability and due diligence, among others. The main project will thus develop solutions to reduce material footprint, and resource usage while generating both commercial viability and prepare for new regulation, reporting, and accountability.

Partners in this feasibility study: University of Borås, Aalborg University Business School, and Circular Innovation Lab. The feasibility study is funded by the EU through the Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak European Regional Development Fund.

More information:
University of Borås Workwear Sweden circular economy

Source:

University of Borås, Solveig Klug

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Image: Udo Jandrey

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22.03.2024

New model for sustainable structures of textile-reinforced concrete

By reinforcing concrete with textiles instead of steel, it is possible to use less material and create slender, lightweight structures with a significantly lower environmental impact. The technology to utilise carbon fibre textiles already exists, but it has been challenging, among other things, to produce a basis for reliable calculations for complex and vaulted structures. Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, are now presenting a method that makes it easier to scale up analyses and thus facilitate the construction of more environmentally friendly bridges, tunnels and buildings.

"A great deal of the concrete we use today has the function to act as a protective layer to prevent the steel reinforcement from corroding. If we can use textile reinforcement instead, we can reduce cement consumption and also use less concrete − and thus reduce the climate impact," says Karin Lundgren, who is Professor in Concrete Structures at the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at Chalmers.

Cement is a binder in concrete and its production from limestone has a large impact on the climate. One of the problems is that large amounts of carbon dioxide that have been sequestered in the limestone are released during production. Every year, about 4.5 billion tonnes of cement are produced in the world and the cement industry accounts for about 8 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Intensive work is therefore underway to find alternative methods and materials for concrete structures.

Reduced carbon footprint with thinner constructions and alternative binders
By using alternative binders instead of cement, such as clay or volcanic ash, it is possible to further reduce carbon dioxide emissions. But so far, it is unclear how well such new binders can protect steel reinforcement in the long term.

"You could get away from the issue of corrosion protection, by using carbon-fibres as reinforcement material instead of steel, because it doesn't need to be protected in the same way. You can also gain even more by optimising thin shell structures with a lower climate impact," says Karin Lundgren.

In a recently published study in the journal Construction and Building Materials, Karin Lundgren and her colleagues describe a new modelling technique that was proved to be reliable in analyses describing how textile reinforcement interacts with concrete.

"What we have done is to develop a method that facilitates the calculation work of complex structures and reduces the need for testing of the load-bearing capacity," says Karin Lundgren.

One area where textile reinforcement technology could significantly reduce the environmental impact is in the construction of arched floors. Since the majority of a building’s climate impact during production comes from the floor structures, it is an effective way to build more sustainably. A previous research study from the University of Cambridge shows that textile reinforcement can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 65 percent compared to traditional solid floors.

Method that facilitates calculations
A textile reinforcement mesh consists of yarns, where each yarn consists of thousands of thin filaments (long continuous fibres). The reinforcement mesh is cast into concrete, and when the textile-reinforced concrete is loaded, the filaments slip both against the concrete and against each other inside the yarn. A textile yarn in concrete does not behave as a unit, which is important when you want to understand the composite material's ability to carry loads. The modelling technique developed by the Chalmers researchers describes these effects.

"You could describe it as the yarn consisting of an inner and an outer core, which is affected to varying degrees when the concrete is loaded. We developed a test and calculation method that describes this interaction. In experiments, we were able to show that our way of calculating is reliable enough even for complex structures," says Karin Lundgren.

The work together with colleagues is now continuing to develop optimisation methods for larger structures.

"Given that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) expects the total floor area in the world to double over the next 40 years due to increased prosperity and population growth, we must do everything we can to build as resource-efficiently as possible to meet the climate challenge," says Karin Lundgren.

More information:
Chalmers University of Technology Sweden reinforced concrete textile concrete

Source:

Chalmers | Mia Halleröd Palmgren

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Inage Swijin

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20.06.2023

Innovative sportswear: Swim and run without changing

Just in time for summer: The Swiss start-up Swijin is launching a new sportswear category with its SwimRunner – a sports bra together with matching bottoms that works as both swimwear and running gear and dries in no time. The innovative product was developed together with Empa researchers in an Innosuisse project. The SwimRunner can be tested this weekend at the Zurich City Triathlon.

A quick dip after jogging without having to change clothes? Swijin (pronounced Swie-Djin), a new Swiss TechTex start-up, is launching its first product, the SwimRunner: a sports bra and bottoms that function as both swimwear and running gear and dry in a flash.

For the first time, this innovation enables women to make a smooth transition between land and water sports without having to change clothes. For example, hikers and runners can easily go into the water to cool off. Stand-up paddlers wearing the SwimRunner enjoy unrestricted freedom of movement and at the same time sufficient support, both on the board and in the water.
Science to boost sports performance

What appears to be a relatively simple requirement at first glance has turned out to be an extremely complex product to develop. As part of an Innosuisse project, Swijin collaborated with the Empa Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles laboratory in St. Gallen. Led by Empa engineer Martin Camenzind, the researchers first defined the requirements for the material and cut of the sports bra. "During development, we faced three main challenges: On the one hand, the product had to meet the requirements of a heavy-duty sports bra on land. At the same time, it had to maintain the compression of a swimsuit in the water – and do so with a very short drying time," says Camenzind.

Since no comparable garment exists on the market yet, the team also developed new tests for evaluating the high-performance textile. "Moreover, we designed a mannequin: a model of the female torso that can be used to measure the mechanical properties of bras," explains the researcher. In addition to scientific findings, the product development process also incorporated a great deal of expertise from sports physiologists, textile engineers, industry specialists, designers and, of course, female athletes.

Highest demands
Many of these athletes come from the swimrun scene. Swimrun is a fast-growing adventure sport that originated in the skerry gardens of Sweden. Unlike triathletes, who start out by swimming, then bike, and finally run, swimrunners switch back and forth between trail running and open water swimming throughout the race. The intensity of this sport provided Swijin with the optimal conditions for product development – and gave its name to the first collection, SwimRunner. "The feedback from female athletes was one of the deciding factors for the success of the product. They often swim and run for six to seven hours at a stretch. When they were satisfied with our prototypes, we knew: The SwimRunner is ready for market," says Swijin founder Claudia Glass.

The product idea first came to Claudia Glass while she was on vacation on Mallorca. During her morning runs, she longed to be able to take a quick dip in the sea. "Sports bras, however, are not designed for swimming," the founder explains. "They soak up the water and never seem to dry because of their thick compression material. Last summer, I wore the SwimRunner prototype all day. In the morning, I ran to Lake Zurich with my dog and jumped in. When I got back home, I could have just sat down at my desk and started working – I was completely dry and felt very comfortable."

Design and sustainability
The young company makes a point of combining engineering and design. Swijin's creative director, Valeria Cereda, is based in the center of the world's fashion capital, Milan, and infuses her experience with luxury brands into Swijin's aesthetic. But as a former competitive swimmer, she is also focused on functionality.

Swijin's high-performance products can only be realized with synthetic materials. The young company is determined to reduce the environmental impact of its products to a minimum. The tight supply chain keeps the CO₂ footprint low. The materials of the SwimRunner are 100% made in the EU and designed for quality.

Traditional garment labels only provide information about where the garment was made. Swijin is working with supplier Avery Dennison to provide all products with a Digital Identity Label. This gives consumers detailed information about the entire value chain, right down to the textile manufacturer's investment in reducing its carbon footprint and the use of the water-based, solvent-free logo. Swijin packages all materials in Cradle-to-Cradle Gold certified packaging, which is produced by Voegeli AG in Emmental.

Furthermore, Swijin proactively addresses the challenges at the end of the product life cycle. In order to come one step closer to a truly circular economy for functional textiles, Swijin participates in the Yarn-to-Yarn® pilot project of Rheiazymes AG as a lighthouse partner. This biotech solution uses microorganisms and enzymes to generate new starting materials directly from used textiles in a climate-neutral way. When customers return end-of-life Swijin products – for which the company offers incentives – the high-quality monomers can be returned to the supply chain in their original quality: true circularity.

"As an emerging brand, we have both the obligation and the luxury of choosing partners whose vision and values align with our own," says Claudia Glass. "I had a clear understanding of what kind of brand I would buy, but I couldn't find it anywhere. With Swijin, we feel obligated to actually make our values a reality."

More information:
Sportwear swimming bra synthetic fibers and yarns Empa

Source:

Claudia Glass, Anna Ettlin, EMPA

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14.03.2023

Bacteria instead of trees, textile and agricultural waste

For the third time, the nova-Institut awarded the "Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year" prize at the "Cellulose Fibres Conference 2023" in Cologne, 8-9 March 2023.

The yearly conference is a unique meeting point of the global cellulose fibres industry. 42 speakers from twelve countries highlighted the innovation potential of cellulosic fibres and presented the latest market insights and trends to more than 220 participants from 30 countries.

Leading international experts introduced new technologies for recycling of cellulose rich raw materials and practices for circular economy in textiles, packing and hygiene, which were discussed in seven panel discussion with active audience participation.

Prior to the conference, the conference advisory board had nominated six remarkable innovations. The winners were elected in an exciting head-to-head live-voting by the conference audience on the first day of the event.

For the third time, the nova-Institut awarded the "Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year" prize at the "Cellulose Fibres Conference 2023" in Cologne, 8-9 March 2023.

The collaboration between Nanollose (AU) and Birla Cellulose (IN) with tree-free lyocell from bacterial cellulose called Nullarbor™ is the winning cellulose fibre innovation 2023, followed by Renewcell (SE) cellulose fibres made from 100 % textile waste, while Vybrana – the new generation banana fibre from Gencrest Bio Products (IN) won third place.

Winner: Nullarbor™ – Nanollose and Birla Cellulose (AU/IN)
In 2020, Nanollose and Birla Cellulose started a journey to develop and commercialize treefree lyocell from bacterial cellulose, called Nullarbor™. The name derives from the Latin “nulla arbor” which means “no trees”. Initial lab research at both ends led to the joint patent application “production of high-tenacity lyocell fibres made from bacterial cellulose”.
Nullarbor is significantly stronger than lyocell made from wood-based pulp; even adding small amounts of bacterial cellulose to wood pulp increases the fibre toughness. In 2022, the first pilot batch of 260 kg was produced with 20 % bacterial pulp share. Several high-quality fabrics and garments were produced with this fibre. The collaboration between Nanollose and Birla Cellulose now focuses on increasing the production scale and amount of bacterial pulp in the fibre.

Second place: Circulose® – makes fashion circular – Renewcell (SE)
Circulose® made by Renewcell is a branded dissolving pulp made from 100 % textile waste, like worn-out clothes and production scraps. It provides a unique material for fashion that is 100 % recycled, recyclable, biodegradable, and of virgin-equivalent quality. It is used by fibre producers to make staple fibre or filaments like viscose, lyocell, modal, acetate or other types of man-made cellulosic fibres. In 2022, Renewcell, opened the world’s first textile-to-textile
chemical recycling plant in Sundsvall, Sweden – Renewcell 1. The plant is expected to reach an annual capacity of 120,000 tonnes.

Third place: Vybrana – The new generation banana fibre – Gencrest Bio Products (IN)
Vybrana is a Gencrest’s Sustainable Cellulosic Fibre upcycled from agrowaste. Raw fibres are extracted from the banana stem at the end of the plant lifecycle. The biomass waste is then treated by the Gencrest patented Fiberzyme technology. Here, cocktail enzyme formulations remove the high lignin content and other impurities and help fibre fibrillation. The company's proprietary cottonisation process provides fine, spinnable cellulose staple fibres suitable for blending with other staple fibres and can be spun on any conventional spinning systems giving yarns sustainable apparel. Vybrana is produced without the use of heavy chemicals and minimized water consumption and in a waste-free process where balance biomass is converted to bio stimulants Agrosatva and bio-based fertilizers and organic manure.

More information:
nova-Institut GmbH cellulosic fiber Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year Cellulose Fibre Innovation

Source:

nova-Institut GmbH / Textination

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02.03.2021

Study on Purchasing Behavior during the Corona Crisis in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden

Rogator / exeo investigate for the second time the purchasing behavior during the Corona crisis in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden ("OpinionTRAIN") and presented the results:

Declining frequency of visits to discounters and more visits to hypermarkets
Significant shift in consumer behavior: More spending on groceries
Dynamic pricing is rejected by consumers
Online retail: The crisis winner (especially among younger consumers)

Supermarkets and hypermarkets have benefited from the Corona crisis in multiple ways. Firstly, the spending on groceries by German households has risen significantly (more home office, less traveling, more time spent with family and on cooking). Secondly, in 2020, the sales market share of discounters fell by around 1 percentage point to 42.1%, while full-range retailers gained 1.5 percentage points (to 34.8% market share).

“With the continuously growing competition and the existing distribution struggles, it is not surprising if the news on the grocery trade increasingly contain the tenor price war again in the new year. The increase in VAT at the beginning of the year has speeded up the price competition”, says Johannes Hercher, CEO of Rogator AG and co-author of the OpinionTRAIN study

An overview of the results:

Declining frequency of visits to discounters and more visits to hypermarkets
While shopping in all four countries surveyed most frequently took place in supermarkets in the past 2 months (Visits in the past 2 months: Germany 81%, Austria 86%, Switzerland 79%, and Sweden 79%), Germany has the highest percentage of respondents (71%), compared to other countries, who purchased groceries at discounters. Against all expectations, the leading discounters such as Aldi and Lidl have performed relatively worse than the full-range retailers during the Corona crisis. Compared to the first data collection (Apr./May2020), the share of consumers with purchases in discounters in Germany decreased from 74% to currently 71%, the share of shoppers in supermarkets remained unchanged (81%), and the consumer rate for hypermarkets (e.g. Real, Kaufland) increased significantly (from 34% to 44%). While especially older consumers are staying more loyal to the discounter, the consumer rate in the <30 age group is particularly low at 53%. Instead, online grocery shopping shows a high relevance among younger consumers. Almost one in three respondents said, that they had ordered groceries online in the past 2 months.

Significant shift in consumer behavior: More spending on groceries
The crisis situation is leading to massive changes in purchasing behavior. In almost all types of grocery shops, the frequency of visits has decreased, except for online shopping and organic food stores. The reaction patterns of the consumers are becoming increasingly entrenched. As already observed in Apr./May 2020, consumers are going less frequently to grocery stores, but are purchasing more items per visit. In many cases, the discounters do not meet the consumers' need for complete purchases. This is bitter in many respects. In Germany, for example, around a quarter of respondents say, that their spending on food increased during the Corona crisis (5 % are assuming a decrease), while this is the exact opposite (8% increase and 21% decrease in expenses) for clothing (textile, without sports). These figures reflect a massive shift in consumption. This is an indicator that Corona has also changed the statistical market basket. For 2020, the inflation rate for groceries is reported at 2.4%. In this case, most of the change in spending habits can be explained by a quantity effect.

Dynamic pricing is rejected by consumers
Since price flexibility is being discussed in retail as the new "silver bullet to increase margins," the OpinionTRAIN study took a closer look at consumers' views on dynamic pricing ("when demand goes up, the price goes up; when demand goes down, the price goes down"). Results: The consumers' enthusiasm for dynamic pricing in retailing is rather limited. This is not a German phenomenon. In all four countries, the rejection of dynamic pricing is greater than the approval. For retail companies, the "total rejection" segment presents a major threat in particular. This group includes about one-third of consumers and rejects flexible pricing in all 20 product categories presented. Many consumers clearly long for continuity, especially in times of significant changes in terms of retail prices. Although consumers who have already had experience of dynamic pricing (prices can change every hour) in online retailing are more relaxed about the issue, the implementation of dynamic pricing nevertheless involves a significant risk of damage to the customer relationship and a lasting loss of trust.

Online retail: The crisis winner (especially among younger consumers)
The reinforcement of online sales observed in recent years is receiving a new boost due to Corona. The shift in purchasing in favor of online retailing is evident in all four countries, with the strongest showing in Sweden. Here, 40% of consumers say that they ordered more online during the Corona crisis (8% less). Similar results, slightly more moderate, are also seen in Germany (29% more, 9% less ordered online). The demand shift in favor of online purchasing is particularly strong among younger consumers under the age of 30, while it is relatively weak among the age group of 60+.

“It is becoming increasingly apparent, that Corona will also have a medium-term impact on demand behavior. For instance, consumer preferences also seem to diverge more along age segments: On the one hand, the younger consumers are directing towards omnichannel shopping, where even fluctuating prices are not a major problem. And on the other hand, the older consumers prefer in-store shopping and have a strong desire for stable and reliable prices”, summarizes Prof. Dr. Andreas Krämer, CEO of exeo Strategic Consulting AG and professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Iserlohn as co-author of the OpinionTRAIN study.

More information:
Rogator AG Trade Purchasing Covid-19 Coronavirus Trade

Source:

Rogator AG

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TECHNICAL TEXTILES CONTINUE STEDAY RISE IN SHARE OF TOTAL EU TEXTILE PRODUCTION

Foto: Gerd Altmann, Pixabay

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26.11.2019

TECHNICAL TEXTILES CONTINUE STEDAY RISE IN SHARE OF TOTAL EU TEXTILE PRODUCTION

European Textile and Clothing Sector consolidates satisfactory evolution in 2018

The EU textile and Clothing industry finished the year 2018 with a consolidation of the positive key figures achieved over the last 5 years. First data published by Eurostat enhanced by EURATEX’s own calculations and estimates show a total industry turnover of € 178 billion, a minimal increase to last year’s € 177.6 billion, but significantly above the 2013 figure of € 163.8 billion. Investments of € 5.0 billion again increased slightly, as they did every year since 2013.

Employment of 1.66 million registered a small dip compared to 2017 but remained essentially unchanged over the last 5 years – a remarkable achievement for a sector that keeps realizing labour efficiencies. As a result, the average turnover per employee has increased from 97,000 € in 2013 to 107,000 € in 2018. Over the last 10 years, turnover and value-added per employee have increased by over 30%.

European Textile and Clothing Sector consolidates satisfactory evolution in 2018

The brightest spot again is the export figure, which grew by 7% compared to last year and for the first time reached € 50 billion. The industry’s extra-EU exports which now stand at 28% of annual turnover, up from less than 20% 10 years ago, is the clearest proof of the increasing global competitiveness of Europe’s textile and clothing companies.

European high quality textiles and premium fashion products are in growing demand, both in high income countries such as the United States (our biggest export destination in non-European countries with € 6 billion), Switzerland, Japan or Canada, but also emerging countries such as China and Hong Kong (over € 6.7 billion in combined exports), Russia, Turkey and the Middle-East.

European exports benefit from faster economic growth in many non-European markets, but also from better market access as a result of successful EU trade negotiations with countries such as South Korea, Canada or Japan.

Since 2015, export growth has slightly outpaced import growth, which means that our trade deficit of approximately € 65 billion has stopped widening. Rather than an absolute import growth, recent years have brought important shifts in the main import countries. While China remains by far the number one import source, lower cost countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam have gained in relative importance, especially for clothing.

Technical textiles are an undisputed success story of the European industry. Exact figures for this part of the industry are difficult to compute due to the dual use of many yarns and fabrics for both technical and conventional applications. National statistics become available only with a significant time lag or remain unpublished for smaller EU countries. For 2016, EURATEX estimates that EU industry turnover of technical textiles, (including yarn-type, fabric-type and non-woven materials but excluding any made-up articles) reached about € 24 billion or 27% of total textile industry turnover. Over the years this percentage has steadily grown and is expected to continue to do so in the future.

Italy and Germany are Europe’s biggest producers of technical textiles, each producing over € 4.5 billion worth of technical textiles per year. The highest share for technical textiles in national textile turnover is registered in Scandinavian countries such as Sweden and Finland and central European countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic or Slovenia. The fastest growth of technical textiles over the last 10 years has been achieved by Poland, followed by Belgium, Austria and Portugal. This clearly demonstrates that technical textiles are gaining in importance all over Europe.

Labour productivity is much higher in the technical textiles part of the industry. Turnover per employee stands at € 215,000, more than twice the average textile and clothing industry rate. In this regard, EURATEX Innovation & Skills Director Lutz Walter indicates how “innovation and employee expertise are fundamental to reach and defend the strong technical textile position of the EU industry”.

In terms of international trade, both exports and imports of technical textiles have grown continuously over the years, with an almost zero trade balance in Euro terms. However, when looking into the product category types, it is clear that Europe’s trade balance is massively positive in higher added value products such as medical textiles, highly technical finished fabrics and non-wovens, but negative in such categories as bags, sacks, tarpaulins or cleaning cloths.

Again the United States is Europe’s largest technical textiles customer, followed by China, which has registered very fast growth in recent years.

Logo: EURATEX

More information:
Euratex Technical Textiles

Source:

EURATEX

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Fotos: (c) ITMA

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25.06.2019

A MORE INTERNATIONAL ITMA 2019 SETS NEW RECORD WITH BIGGEST NUMBER OF EXHIBITORS

Since its launch in 1951, ITMA has enjoyed wide industry recognition as the world’s largest textile and garment technology exhibition. This year’s exhibition in Barcelona sees its reputation solidify further with the largest gathering of exhibitors in its history. The record number of exhibitors totaling 1,717 from 45 countries has set a new milestone.

Speaking at the press conference on the opening day of the 18th edition of the exhibition, Mr Fritz P. Mayer, President of the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX), said: “The global economy is still facing challenges, accentuated by trade tensions and disruption. However, textile being the world’s oldest manufacturing industry has demonstrated its resilience over the years.

“This is also the spirit of our exhibitors who continually innovate and launch new technologies and solutions. We are glad that ITMA has been providing a reputable platform for textile machinery manufacturers to market their innovations. This has enabled us to record the largest number of exhibitors in ITMA’s history.”

The exhibits are showcased over 114,500 square metres of net exhibit space, a 9 per cent increase over the previous edition in 2015. The exhibition occupies all nine halls of the Gran Via venue, including the space under the linkway. To allow more companies to participate, many exhibitors were allocated lesser stand space than what they had originally applied for.

Mr Charles Beauduin, Chairman of ITMA Services, organiser of ITMA 2019 enthused: “The exhibition would have been larger if we had not turned away applicants due to a lack of space. Unfortunately, we could not accommodate a wait-list of about 250 applicants who booked some 8,200 square metres.”

He added: “ITMA has also evolved into a more international exhibition with a rich diversity of technology offerings from both East and West. Almost half of the total number of exhibitors are from non CEMATEX countries. This augurs well for the development of ITMA into a definitive textile and garment platform for the industry.”

International participation
Of the total number of exhibitors, over half are from CEMATEX countries; the balance comprising companies from other parts of Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. Reflecting the international composition of the participants, the largest number of exhibitors are from Italy (364 exhibitors), China (276 exhibitors), Germany (222 exhibitors), India (169 exhibitors) and Turkey (164 exhibitors).

CEMATEX countries continue to occupy the largest exhibit space, taking up 65% of the total net exhibit space. Italy booked 26% of the space, followed by Germany which booked 18%. The top non-CEMATEX countries are: Turkey with 9%, China with 8%, and India with 5% of the space booked.

Product sectors
Visitors can expect to source a wide range of integrated solutions across the entire value chain in 19 exhibit sectors. Printing, which has seen many advances being made in the last few years, is an exciting growth sector. Chalking up a 38 per cent increase in the number of exhibitors compared with the previous exhibition, it is one of the top five sectors at ITMA 2019:

Finishing - 325 exhibitors
Spinning - 281 exhibitors
Weaving - 182 exhibitors
Printing - 157 exhibitors
Knitting - 136 exhibitors

Nonwoven and technical textiles due to their wide range of applications continue to be an important sector at ITMA 2019. Garment making, which has been impacted by digitalisation and fast fashion, is also making a bigger impact at ITMA.

Mr Mayer said, “We are extremely pleased to bring garment technology back in focus at ITMA. While ITMA has been traditionally strong in textile making technologies, we are glad that we are able to present garment making solutions from some of the world’s most renowned technology providers. There is an increase of 27 per cent in number of exhibitors as compared with ITMA 2015." Completing the entire value chain is the showcase on fibres, yarn and fabrics. The addition of innovative fabrics in the fibre and yarn chapter at ITMA further completes the sourcing experience for buyers.

Focus on innovation
The theme of ITMA 2019 is ‘Innovating the World of Textiles’. To support the innovation drive, CEMATEX has introduced the ITMA Innovation Lab. A new umbrella branding of a series of activities, the Lab includes the Research and Innovation Pavilion, ITMA Speakers Platform, ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award and Innovation Video Showcase. Speakers from the industry have been invited to share their perspectives and experiences at the Speakers Platform which will be held from 21 to 25 June. A finance forum was also held on 21 June.

Co-located events and industry engagement
To encourage the exchange of knowledge, collaboration and networking, several events are staged alongside ITMA 2019. The ITMA-EDANA Nonwovens Forum and Textile Colourant and Chemical Leaders Forum have met with overwhelming response and seats have been added. Similar strong response has also been received by partner events, including the Better Cotton Initiative Seminar, European Digital Textile Conference, TexSummit Global, Planet Textiles, SAC & ZDHC Manufacturer Forum and Texmeeting by TEXFOR.

“The series of co-located events is part of ITMA’s outreach programme to engage industry partners and to create an inclusive platform for the global textile and garment community. We have over 190 international, regional and local organisations lending their support to our exhibition,” Mr Mayer said. ITMA 2019 is held at Fira de Barcelona Gran Via venue till 26 June. The opening hours are from 10.00am to 6.00pm daily, except 26 June when the exhibition will end at 4.00pm.

About CEMATEX & ITMA
The European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX) comprises national textile machinery associations from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It is the owner of ITMA and ITMA ASIA. Considered the ‘Olympics’ of textile machinery exhibitions, ITMA has a 68-year history of displaying the latest technology for every single work process of textile and garment making. It is held every four years in Europe.

Fotos: (c) ITMA

More information:
ITMA 2019

Source:

CEMATEX & ITMA Services

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CONVERSION OF THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY IN BANGLADESH NOT YET COMPLETED

Pixabay

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13.03.2018

CONVERSION OF THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY IN BANGLADESH NOT YET COMPLETED

Eports grow slowly
Industry needs new concepts

Dhaka (GTAI) - The garment industry is the main industry in Bangladesh. The state of the companies has improved since 2013 - when a building with several factories collapsed. Domestic and foreign companies have invested in new processes. Government and associations want to further increase the security. Exports are growing slower. The international competition forces the companies to produce not only more sustainable, but also more efficient and innovative.

On April 24th 2013, north of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, the Rana Plaza building collapsed, housing five clothing factories. The disaster claimed 1,138 lives and more injuries. The disaster in-cised deep into the country's largest industrial sector. The massive problems with building and safety as well as violations of workers' rights became internationally visible at once and then vigor-ously tackled.

Eports grow slowly
Industry needs new concepts

Foreign companies have invested heavily in the textile and clothing industry in recent years, with a record high in the year after the disaster. According to the Central Bank, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the textile and clothing industry in June 2017 reached a respectable USD 2.6 billion. Com-panies from South Korea have been the largest contributors with USD 766 million, followed by Hong Kong investors with USD 448 million and the United Kingdom with USD 243 million

**FDI inflows into the Bangladeshi textile and clothing industry (in USD millions.)**
Financial year	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15	2015/16	2016/17
FDI inflows, net	241	412	446	352	396	360

*) Financial year from July 1st to June 30th

Several successful programs for more security
Government and international organizations responded with many measures and initiatives at Rana Plaza. The International Labor Organization (ILO) launched programs to improve work-ing conditions. Buyers and industry representatives were looking for solutions.

International traders, trade unions and non-governmental organi-zations finally signed a binding agreement for more fire and building safety in 2013 (Accord on Fire and Building Safety). Employees of Accord have since reviewed more than 1,600 tex-tile and garment factories. Approximately 86 percent of the iden-tified deficiencies were eliminated according to an interim report dated January 2018. Accord will expire in November 2018 after five years. Some participants of the alliance have agreed an ex-tension of the program of three years.

In particular North American importers launched the Alliance (Al-liance for Bangladesh Worker Safety) program in 2013. The Al-liance has since reviewed 666 factories that, as of February 2018, have remedied approximately 87 percent of the deficien-cies. The program will expire also after five years in May 2018.
Representatives of industry and government, trade unions, ILO, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and international buyers want to co-ordinate the control and rehabilitation measures together. The BGMEA and the government rely on the NI National Initiative, which they developed together with ILO. The Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments is responsible for NI controls. Under the NI program 1,500 factories have been inspected which are working for do-mestic customers. The program is to be extended to exporting companies and will replace Accord and Alliance.

Workers demand more rights and higher wages
The government made it easier to found and to engage in trade unions after the Rana Plaza disas-ter. According to observers, the approximately 4 million workers in the textile and clothing industry continue to have little formal organization and went repeatedly on strike for higher wages.

A government commission recently increased the monthly minimum wage in the garment industry from Taka 3,000 to 5,300 in 2013. This amount corresponds currently with EUR 52 only. (1 EU-RO = Taka 102.13, exchange rate of March 5th 2018). Trade unions demanded tripling of the minimum wage at the beginning of 2018, because unskilled workers are given this low pay when they are first employed, which is barely enough to survive. The reward grows only later with the skills and experience.

Employees often change their jobs. According to observers, the fluctuation should average be-tween 5 and 7 percent per month. Fair wages and good working conditions would give a good in-fluence on this issue in the companies concerned.

Bangladesh is the second largest exporter of clothing after China
The globally active clothing retailers are buying in Bangladesh on a large scale. Some have offices with hundreds of employees. Major clients include Inditex (Spain), H & M (Sweden), C & A and Tchibo (Germany).

Clothing exports, however, stagnated in the financial year 2016/17. One reason for the weak growth was the strengthened exchange rate. Taka's national currency increased against the US dollar, making exports more expensive and less competitive.

The government is targeting an export growth of 8.1 percent to USD 30.2 billion in 2017/18. The industry is on track indeed, reaching 7.8 percent in the second half of 2017 compared to the same period of the year before. The most important customers are the USA and Germany.

Bangladesh's Apparel Exports (in USD million)	*2014/15 )**	*2015/16 )**	*2016/17 )**
Total	25,491	28,094	28,150
Thereof
.Weaving goods	13,065	14,739	14,393
.Knitting goods	12,427	13,355	13,757
Customers
.USA	5,288	5,625	5,204
.Germany	4,339	4,653	5,135
.Great Britain	2,904	3,524	3,307
.Spain	1,626	1,864	1,879
.France	1,618	1,714	1,765
.Italy	1,243	1,278	1,349
.Canada	929	998	946
.Netherlands	627	660	814
.Belgium	772	835	753
.Japan	653	774	744
Poland	548	616	720

*) Financial year from July 1st to June 30th
Sources: Export Promotion Bureau, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association

Exports from this emerging country enjoy exemption from duty in many developed countries. The European Union grants duty-free and quota-free access. Australia and Japan grant preferential access to the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP). , The USA however has suspended the GSP status in 2013 and imposed tariffs and duties on imports from Bangladesh.

Companies want to grow and become more efficient
The Association of Garment Export Companies BGMEA estimates that over 3,000 garment factories work exclusively for international clients. Another 800 to 1,000 companies sew for local retailers who sell clothing to the country's 160 million inhabitants.

There are no data on company sizes or on the companies with the highest turnover. Clothing companies are mostly registered as private companies and do not publish business figures. The larger ones belong to local conglomerates operating in different economic sectors.

The companies are investing in more modern production facilities to process larger orders faster and at lower unit costs. Imports of machinery and equipment for the textile and clothing industry totaled USD 1.4 billion in 2015. The BGMEA believes that the garment industry has increased its purchases of equipment since.

The added value along the local textile chain is expandable. Simple fabrics and materials are produced locally. The production capacities for fabrics however are not sufficient and need to be increased. The clothing industry is also switching to higher quality synthetic fiber products. Producers hope for higher margins, if, for example, they produce clothing made of elastic fibers or functional clothing made from mixed fibers.

Many pre-products are imported from China and South Korea. Imports however are difficult due to the limited handling capacities of seaports and airports. Logistics costs are high. The clothing sector still has some challenges to overcome.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association	http://www.bgmea.com.bd Vereinigung der Bekleidungsexportfirmen
Bangladesh Textile Mills Association	http://www.btmadhaka.com
Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh	http://bangladeshaccord.org
Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety	http://www.bangladeshworkersafety.org

Pixabay

More information:
Bangladesh Asien Textile and clothing industry

Source:

Thomas Hundt, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

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18.04.2017

DIGITAL TEXTILE PRINTING A FOCAL-POINT THEME AT TEXPROCESS

First European Digital Textile Conference at Texprocess
Exhibitors present the latest digital-printing Technologies

Colour and function: digital textile printing is one of the focal-point themes at this year’s Texprocess. For the first time, the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) is holding the European Digital Textile Conference at Texprocess. And there will be a separate lecture block on digital printing in the programme of the Texprocess Forum. Moreover, the Digital Textile Microfactory in Hall 6.0 will present a textile production chain in action – from design, via digital printing and cutting, to making up. As well, numerous exhibitors, including Brother, Epson, Ergosoft and Mimaki, will be showing digital printing technologies.

First European Digital Textile Conference at Texprocess
Exhibitors present the latest digital-printing Technologies

„“We are expanding our programme on the subject of digital printing in response to the growing demand for digitalised technologies for processing garments, technical textiles and flexible materials. This programme is of particular interest to manufacturers of technical textiles and companies that process textiles”, says Michael Jänecke, Head of Brand Management, Textiles and Textile Technologies, Messe Frankfurt.

Elgar Straub, Managing Director, VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies: “Thanks to digital textile printing, it is now possible to print apparel, shoes and technical textiles directly. Given the general trend towards individualisation, demand for individualised products is increasing in the apparel industry. This is turning digital textile printing into one of the future-oriented technologies for companies that process garments and textiles.”

European Digital Textile Conference at Texprocess

In cooperation with Texprocess and Techtextil, the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) will hold the European Digital Textile Conference at Texprocess for the first time. The focus of the conference will be on digital textile printing for adding functional and decorative features to technical textiles. The WTiN European Digital Textile Conference will take place in ‘Saal Europa’ of Hall 4.0 from 09.00 to 16.30 hrs on
10 May. Tickets for the conference can be obtained from WTiN under
https://www.digitaltextileconference.com /edtc2017/

The subjects to be covered in the lectures include direct yarn colouring in the embroidery plants (Coloreel, Sweden), plasma pre-treatment for textiles before digital printing (GRINP, Italy) and chemical finishing for textiles using inkjet printing technology (EFI-REGGIANI, USA).

Texprocess Forum to spotlight digital printing technology

Digital printing technology will also be the subject of a separate lecture block at Texprocess Forum. At this international conference, experts from science and industry will focus on the latest findings relating to subjects of major importance to the sector in over 30 lectures and panel discussions on all four days of the fair. Texprocess Forum is free of charge for visitors of Texprocess and Techtextil and will be held in Hall 6.0. For the first time, three partner organisations are organising the lecture blocks: DTB – Dialogue Textile Apparel, the International Apparel Federation (IAF) and the World Textile Information Network (WTiN).

Digital Textile Microfactory

In cooperation with the German Institutes of Textile and Fibre Research Denkendorf (DITF) and renowned textile companies, Texprocess presents the complete interlinked textile production chain – the Digital Textile Microfactory – live in Hall 6.0. The digital-printing station shows large-scale inkjet printing in the form of sublimation printing on polyester and pigment printing on cotton and blended fabrics. Production orders can be combined flexibly and printed colour consistently with a variety of printing parameters. Ensuring optimum printing results at this station are hardware and software partners, Mimaki and Ergosoft, and Coldenhove and Monti Antonio. In addition to the Microfactory partners, other renowned companies, including Brother and Epson, will be showing state-of-the-art printing processes for textiles and apparel at Texprocess.

Digital-printing Outlook

Originally developed for fashion fabrics, digital textile printing is also used for printing technical textiles, such as sports clothing, and textiles for the automobile industry whereby the primary focus is on functionalising textiles. For example, swimwear can be made more colour fast to resist frequent contact with water and chlorine, and exposure to the sun. Also, textiles can be finished by applying chemicals via an inkjet printer and thus be given dirt-repellent, antimicrobial and fire-retardant properties. Additionally, using an inkjet printer in the finishing process is advantageous in terms of sustainability and efficiency.

More information:
Texprocess Techtextil Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH Innovative Apparel Show

Source:

Textination GmbH

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29.11.2016

IMM COLOGNE 2017: SUSTAINABILITY TAKES OVER THE BEDROOM

In Cologne, bed manufacturers will be presenting their new products and ideas in the Sleep Segment.
The subject of sustainability will be a key area of focus in a segment strong on Innovation.

"You made your bed, now sleep in it", so the saying goes. The choice of bed determines how well we sleep. That sounds simple, but is in fact quite complex. There are beds of different heights, with varying levels of mattress thickness, type and size, box spring beds, waterbeds and futons. This year, once again, the Sleep segment at imm cologne 2017 offers a complete overview of what is currently on offer from the industry. Across approximately 18,000 square metres, all of the big names in the industry will be presenting their ranges. The themes of the action areas are sustainability and Recycling.

In Cologne, bed manufacturers will be presenting their new products and ideas in the Sleep Segment.
The subject of sustainability will be a key area of focus in a segment strong on Innovation.

imm cologne is the perfect place to guide the trade through the multiplicity of beds and mattresses: once again, in 2017 bedroom furniture for every taste and need will be on show here. Says Arne Petersen, Vice President Trade Fair Management at Koelnmesse: "Our Sleep segment is again expected to be hugely popular at the coming imm cologne 2017. Hall 9 is already fully booked and Hall 5.1 has also to a large extent been booked by vendors from the Sleep segment."

The big exhibitors will without exception be represented again in the coming year in the city on the Rhine, including the German company Oschmann, which has been manufacturing upholstered beds for five generations, and the home textile specialist Frankenstolz.

And Tempur, Hilding Anders from Sweden, Badenia, Rummel Matratzen, Veldeman, Auping, Fey & Co. as well as De Rucci will be showcasing their contributions to a restful sleep in Cologne. A lot of international companies will be debuting at imm cologne in 2017, including Perzona International, Ecus Sleep, Ersan Madeni, Boydak and Toom Tekstiil, among others. And a number of German companies will also be among those represented at imm cologne for the first time, including Centa Star and Shogazi. Shogazi has been specialising in healthy sleep since 2002. With its mattresses made from natural materials, the Munich-based manufacturer is a perfect match for the focal point of the Sleep segment at imm cologne 2017.

The subject of sustainability will be addressed in two special areas: in cooperation with the American organisation ISPA (International Sleep Products Association), Koelnmesse is creating a Lounge area in Hall 5.1 on the theme of "Mattress Recycling".Hall 9 also addresses the topic of the responsible use of resources: "The Recycling Lounge ties in with the topic we'll be covering in Hall 9, which is the subject of sustainability", explains Petersen. "In this way, the Sleep segment in 2017 will again illustrate the current state of the bedroom furniture segment whilst at the same time offering answers to issues that are relevant to society."

More information:
imm cologne Koelnmesse GmbH

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The Poles like new Clothes for themselves

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22.11.2016

THE POLES LIKE NEW CLOTHES FOR THEMSELVES

German fashion demanded
Shoe chain CCC is expanding

Warsaw (GTAI) - The demand for textiles, clothing and footwear is developing particularly dynamic in Poland in 2016. These items are also popular Christmas gifts. Despite strong competition, Germany remains the third-largest foreign supplier of clothing and continues to grow. The German online retailer Zalando is building its first huge logistics center in Poland. The Discounter KiK is opening further branches. The domestic shoe chain CCC is expanding.

German fashion demanded
Shoe chain CCC is expanding

Retail sales of textiles, clothing and footwear are the fastest growing of all product groups in Poland. According to the Statistical Office (GUS) (http://stat.gov.pl), the real growth rate reached 15.8% in the first three quarters of 2016 compared to January to September 2015. The total retail sales rose by 5.3% in the same time. The forthcoming Christmas business is expected to further stimulate the demand for fashion items. The in the current year introduced children's allowance also will heat the purchase power of the Poles.

**Sales value of clothing and footwear in Poland (in Zl billion)**
2012	2013	2014	2015 ¹⁾	2016 ²⁾	2017 ²⁾
28.7	28.9	31.8	33.4	35.3	37.1

¹⁾ Estimation, ²⁾ Forecast
Source: Market research company PMR

First and foremost, growing is the demand for common items in the lower, middle and upper segment. Clothing manufacturers however in the luxury category do not benefit from the rising demand. According to the consulting firm KPMG, the poles spent in 2015 about 14.3 billion Zloty (Zl, about EUR 3.4 billion, 1 EUR = 4.1841, average price 2015) for luxury goods, including Zl 2,065 billion for clothing and accessories. These, however, form an important product group and rank second behind passenger cars (ZI 6.974 billion).

The largest domestic clothing company LPP also felt the fact that the demand potential in the precious segment is limited. The company is known for its brands for everyone, especially "Reserved", which generates almost half (47%) of its revenues. At the beginning of 2016 LPP launched its new premium brand "Tallinder". After the sales however remained below the expectations, LPP announced the gradual abandonment of this project in September 2016.

Tallinder was supposed to compete with the established gents brands and suppliers of other high-quality clothing names like Vistula, Bytom and Prochnik. The market leader in men's clothing Vistula, which also includes the jewelry chain "W.Kruk" and the brand of women's wear Deni Cler, expects in 2016 (2015) an increase of ZI 590 (518) million and of its net profit to ZI 37.0 (28.3) million. Bytom follows far behind with projected revenues of ZI 154 (131) million and a net profit of EUR 14.1 (12.4) million.

CCC is aiming abroad

Due to the growing demand, the number of specialist stores for clothing is growing, according to GUS us to around 37,100 until the end of 2015 (2014: 35,900) . At the same time the number of stores for shoes and leather goods, which amounted to 8,200 (8,300) in 2015, fell slightly. One reason for this is the proliferation of relevant trade chains, such as the shoe chain CCC, which contributes to a consolidation, and the increasing online trade.

In 2016 alone CCC opens around 40 new stores in Poland and increases its sales area by 20 to 30% annually. In 2016 this will increase by 105,000 sqm and 2017 by 120,000 sqm (net). The trade chain is looking for additional franchisees in other European countries, now also in Asia and the USA. In the Russian Federation CCC wants to open large salons with about 1,000 square meters. According to the chain founder Dariusz Milek in an announcement of the daily paper Rzeczpospolita the presence in Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Central European neighbors should be increased too.

The branch networks in Germany and Austria should not be increased further in the near future; In Austria there are already almost all of the targeted total 70 CCC stores. Due to the lack of profit in these two countries, their share of the group’s total income, which is expected to reach some ZI 3.2 billion in 2016, should not exceed 10%. CCC also relies on e-commerce. After the trade chain had already acquired the online shop for shoes eobuwie.pl, it wants to start in spring 2017 with its own e-shop.

Polish imports of clothing exceed exports. The two main suppliers of textiles, China and Bangladesh, were able to further increase their deliveries to Poland in 2015. Germany also achieved growth and finished third. Slovakia has multiplied its exports. Among the customer countries Germany was by far the most important player with a further significant increase in its demand. The other ranks were followed by the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Austria, Sweden and other mostly European countries.

**Polish foreign trade with clothing made out of woven fabrics (Zl million)**
Customs tariff 6201 to 6209	2013	2014	2015
Import, thereof from:	5,392.4	6,910.0	8,589.6
.PR China	2,115.3	2,532.3	2,915.8
.Bangladesh	758.4	1,019.2	1,243.5
.Germany	522.1	607.7	745.4
.Turkey	290.6	404.3	570.9
.Slovakia	25.0	82.6	396.9
.India	258.8	329.9	366.7
Export, thereof to:	5,895.4	6,830.1	7.894.9
.Germany	2,997.3	3,677.7	4.388.0

Source: Central Statistical Office CIS

Germany is not only characterized by high-quality clothing and well-known brands in Poland. The in Europe leading chain KIK is spreading further in the neighboring country. By the end of 2017 the number of stores should increase to 200. Its first store in Poland KIK opened in March 2012.

E-commerce is likely to give further impetus to the German supply of clothing. The large online retailer Zalando is setting up its first logistics center in Poland in Gryfino in the area of the special economic zone Kostrzyn-Slubice (Küstrin-Frankfurt / O.) for an amount of EUR 150 million. According to the property developer Goodman, it will be the largest logistics area occupied by a single company in Poland. At the same time, it is one of the most extensive BTS (built-to-suit) projects in the country, in which an object is fully built according to the requirements of the future user. Its opening is scheduled for the second half of 2017. Zalando wants to supply from there Poland, the Nordic countries and a part of Germany.

**Polish foreign trade with knitted clothing (in Mio. Zl)**
Customs tariff 6101 to 6114	2013	2014	2015
Import, thereof from:	5,191.6	6,748.2	8,404.7
.PR China	1,574.1	1,970.7	2,378.5
.Bangladesh	903.2	1,258.8	1,583.4
.Germany	538.1	723.8	927.5
.Turkey	512.9	628.7	796.5
.Cambodia	235.4	464.3	586.7
Export, thereof to:	4,521.4	5,108.9	6,299.0
Germany	1,888.0	2,343.8	2,996.3

Source: Central Statistical Office CIS

More information:
Poland Statistical Data Clothing industry

Source:

Beatrice Repetzki, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

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Sales of Apparel are rising in Poland - despite Price Pressure

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03.05.2016

SALES OF APPAREL ARE RISING IN POLAND - DESPITE PRICE PRESSURE

Import from Germany growing / Domestic Chains expanding

Warsaw (GTAI) - The outlook for sales of clothing and footwear in Poland is favorable. Domestic chains such as LPP, Bytom, Vistula and Monnari are opening additional stores. In 2016 the shoe chain CCC is investing around EUR 33 mio in new sales areas, including in Germany. The western neighboring country is by far the biggest buyer of clothing from Poland. Increasingly popular too is fashion from Germany, which occupies the third place among supplying countries.

Import from Germany growing / Domestic Chains expanding

In Poland the demand for clothing and footwear is steadily growing. The market research firm PMR (http://www.pmrpublications.com) expects in 2016 sales worth of Zloty 35.3 billion (approximately EUR 8.2 billion, 1 Euro = 4.3283 Zl, as of April 22nd 2016). The price war however is very tough due to the higher US dollar exchange rate, the dealers can hardly pass their higher costs on to the customers. This concerns mainly imported commodity goods from the Far East, while the outlook for the upscale segment outfitters is better.

Value of sales of clothing and footwear (in PLN billion)
2012	2013	2014	2015¹⁾	2016²⁾	2017²⁾
28.7	28.9	31.8	33.4	35.3	37.1

1) Estimation, 2) Forecast
Source: market research company PMR

The company for classic clothing Bytom (http://www.bytom.com.pl, from the same city (Bytom – Beuthen)) that serves the upper segment, wants to create an offer for the masses. It lowered its prices in March 2016. In order to reach more customers, it plans to increase its sales area of from 10,300 square meters in spring 2016 to 15,000 square meters by the end of 2018. The number of its stores should simultaneously rise from 97 to 120.

Bythom will avoid quality losses through savings in the purchasing of clothing. According to Michal Wojcik, chairman of the company, negotiations with representatives of procurement markets are on the way. In 2019 the retail sales of Bytom should reach around 250 million PLN, double as much as in 2015 (123 million PLN). The company will serve the middle segment between large markets with
mass-production goods and expensive boutiques with domestic and foreign luxury brands.

The two great rivals Bytom and Vistula (http://vistula.pl) from Krakow (Krakau) are receiving increasing competition by smaller companies. Vistula was able to win in 2016 the soccer star Robert Lewandowski for promotional activities, he will appear in suits of the company.

The stockbroker office of the Bank BZ WBK believes in good opportunities of the smaller chain Monnari (http://www.emonnari.pl), which could double its sales area until 2019. With the proliferation of the growing clothing and footwear chains a consolidation of the retail structure goes along, and the total numbers of stores will overall decrease.

The chains Vistula, Bytom and Monnari are expanding domestically only, where they expand their retail spaces annually by 10 to 25%. Since only one third of the by Vistula and Bytom sold collections are being settled on a USD basis, they are not hurt as much by the strong upvaluation of the US currency as LPP, the manufacturer of mass-products. This company buys almost its entire collection in the
Far East in US currency. In the case of the footwear chain CCC, the proportion is 40 to 50%.

Number of shops for clothing and footwear
	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
Clothing	32,100	30,700	29,400	28,700	28,400
Shoes	7,610	7,464	7,215	7,029	6,86

Source: Bisnode

CCC strives towards west

The retail chain CCC (http://ccc.eu), which is also represented abroad including in Germany and Austria, has acquired for more than ZL 200 million the online shop for shoes eobuwie.pl (http://www.eobuwie.pl). By 2016 a further strong expansion is planned, for which it wants to raise about PLN 140 million. The sales area should become 27% net bigger with at least 100,000 square meters. This was announced by the deputy chairman of CCC, Mr. Piotr Nowjalis.

The majority of the new area (77,000 square meters) is planned abroad, where 110 stores should be opened. In the focus here are Germany, Austria and Romania. Domestically CCC is planning a new sales area of 23000 square meters for 40 stores. These plans represent an acceleration compared to 2015, when the total sales area had increased by 66,000 square meters net (+ 22%). At the end of 2015 there were at home and abroad 773 CCC stores with a total of 372,000 square meters.

Forecasts for and results of apparel and footwear chains (in PLN million)
Company	Revenues 2015	Revenues 2016 *)	Net income 2015	Net income 2016 *)
LPP	5,130	6,062	352	510
CCC	2,407	3,043	237	271
Vistula	517	565	31.5	38.5
Monnari	214	258	35.5	34.5
Bytom	131	160	13.3	16.1
CDRL	183	201	14.2	14.9
Gino Rossi	278	301	6.7	10.0
Wojas	220	240	6.3	8.4

*) Forecast of the press agency Bloomberg, February 2016
Source: Newspaper Rzeczpospolita

According to a forecast of Bloomberg, the most important apparel and footwear companies will improve their results in 2016. Leader LPP supplies with its brands Reserved, Mohito, Cropp, House and Sinsay a wide audience. To the upscale segment belongs the new brand Tallinder, which is being offered since February 2016 in a first store in Gdansk (Danzig). Beginning in 2019 there should be 30 sales stores for the brand Tallinder, which then will compete with Vistula, Bytom and Prochnik.

Market shares of classic man’s wear 2014 (in %)
Vistula und Wolczanka	Bytom	Prochnik	Übrige
30	14	6	50

Source: Newspaper Rzeczpospolita

In 2016 LPP wants to increase its retail space at home and abroad by 11 to 13%, that is about 90,000 square meters. End of the year thus 1,716 shops could belong to the company. To date, 23% of the sales area of LPP is in the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The profits there were again impacted by the devaluation of the local currencies against the Zloty.

Foreign trade increases

The Polish imports of clothing exceed the exports. Especially Asian countries could increase their deliveries in 2014, but also Germany belongs to the leading suppliers and attained growth. Among the importing countries Germany plays by far the most important role. The followers are the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Austria, Sweden and other, mostly European countries.

Foreign trade with clothing from woven fabrics (in PLN mio)
Custom tariff 6201 bis 6209	2012	2013	2014
Import, including	5,251.0	5,392.4	6,910.0
PR China	2,319.4	2,115.3	2,532.3
Bangladesch	666.6	758.4	1,019.2
Germany	278.8	522.1	607.7
Turkey	333.0	290.6	404.3
India	264.5	258.8	329.9
Export, including	5,416.9	5,895.4	6,830.1
Germany	2,628.9	2,997.3	3,677.7

Source: Central Statistical Office GUS

Although Poland supplies clothing to Germany at a large extent, it is not easy for the companies to settle in the western neighboring country with own shops and their own brands. LPP opened its first store in Germany in September 2014, in spring of 2016 there were already twelve. In three years there should be 30 stores. In 2015 the German LPP stores generated approximately 94 million PLN, but probably without profit because of investment costs and advertising.

Foreign trade of knitted and crocheted clothing (in PLN mio)
Zolltarifposition 6101 bis 6114	2012	2013	2014
Import, including	4,990.3	5,191.6	6,748.2
PR China	1,575.2	1,574.1	1,970.7
Bangladesch	963.9	903.2	1,258.8
Germany	349.2	538.1	723.8
Turkey	479.3	512.9	628.7
Cambodia	278.4	235.4	464.3
Export, thereof	4,150.1	4,521.4	5,108.9
Germany	1,794.8	1,888.0	2,343.8

Source: Central Statistical Office GUS

In 2015 Polish exports of apparel, accessories and other textile products and footwear continued to rise.

Export of garments, accessories, textiles and footwear (in PLN billion)
	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Apparel, Accessoires, Textiles	12.0	13.5	13.9	15.1	17.3	21.4
Shoes	1.6	1.9	2.4	3.0	3.3	4.0

Source: Central Statistical Office GUS

Verkäufe von Bekleidung steigen in Polen trotz Preisdruck

More information:
Export Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie

Source:

Beatrice Repetzki, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

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Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH

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16.01.2016

INCREASE IN EXHIBITORS AND VISITORS BOOSTS HEIMTEXTIL

A higher than ever percentage of international exhibitors at 89 per cent
Celebrity guests attracted large crowds in the halls

Heimtextil in Frankfurt am Main, the leading international trade fair for home and contract textiles, will finish today with a clear increase in the number of exhibitors and visitors. Over 69,000 trade visitors (2015: 67,861) and 2,866 exhibitors (2015: 2,723) from across the world travelled to Frankfurt from 12-15 January to start the economically promising 2016 business and trade fair year together. Detlef Braun, CEO of Messe Frankfurt, was visibly satisified with the outcome: ‘The world world of textile interior design came to Frankfurt and the increase in exhibitors and visitors alike speaks for itself. The positive economic indicators also boosted discussions between suppliers and purchasers.

A higher than ever percentage of international exhibitors at 89 per cent
Celebrity guests attracted large crowds in the halls

This statement was confirmed by Cristobal Montero Álvarez, purchaser at Europe’s biggest department store chain El Corte Inglés: ‘For us, Heimtextil has been the most important trade fair when it comes to the purchase of home and house textiles for a number of years. No other trade fair offers such an international range of exhibitors. The quality and price of suppliers at Heimtextil appeals to us. This year, we were particularly impressed by the new technical solutions in the sun protection segment’.

More international exhibitors than ever before

Heimtextil in Frankfurt is by far the most international event of its kind. ‘From northern Europe to South Africa, from America to Asia: visitors to Heimtextil come from across the world and all of them want to see the latest trends in the textile market’, summarises Paola Ribera of the décor and furniture supplier Texathenea from Spain. As was the case last year, 68 per cent of trade visitors came from abroad. There was an increased number of visitors from Italy, Spain, Sweden, Russia, Japan and South Korea in particular at Heimtextil 2016.

However, it is not just the visitors, but also the exhibitors that form a microcosm of a global industry. 89 per cent of exhibitors (2015: 88 per cent) come from abroad. This year’s Heimtextil saw a growth in exhibitors from Europe, in particular Turkey, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as global exhibitors from many countries including Brazil and the USA.

Growing product segments

In terms of products, Heimtextil was able to considerably expand its portfolio in various segments. For the fast-growing segment of décor and upholstery materials, hall 4.0 was even equipped with a new, additional hall level, where primarily high-quality exhibitors from Italy showcased their wares. Textile digital printing with all the market leaders such as Epson, Hewlett Packard, Kornit, Mimaki and Zimmer was also considerably expanded in comparison to last year. The product group “bed” with bed linen, bedding, covers, decorative pillows and mattresses was also added to. The increase in mattress manufacturers in particular, such as Rössle & Wanner and f.a.n. Frankenstolz, who were both exhibiting at Heimtextil again after several years’ absence, was warmly received by trade visitors.

Jessica Schwarz, Nena, Guido Maria Kretschmer, Barbara Becker

The glamour factor was once again a major element in 2016. Actress and hotel owner Jessica Schwarz was an honorary guest at the opening press conference on Tuesday, informing the public that she intends to expand her hotel in the Odenwald town of Michelstadt. On Thursday she took the opportunity to go on a purchasing tour through the halls for this very purpose.

Also present on Tuesday was musician and artist Nena, who presented her new wallpaper collection at the Marburger Tapetenfabrik stand and rocked the house in the evening in front of an audience of invited guests.

Ullrich Eitel, CEO of Marburger Tapetenfabrik, was inspired: ‘The collection by Nena was the main focus of our trade fair presence. And Nena herself was of course the absolute highlight. Heimtextil offered the perfect platform for this. We could experience Nena because the affinity to wallpaper was there. We’ve put Nena’s signature on the wallpaper. The Nena collection was very well received by our customers and we had the perfect start to 2016. The fringe event with Nena, i.e. the presentation at our stand, the interview and, last but not least, the concert in the evening, provided the perfect way to round off our presence. Nena garnered the full support of and inspired enthusiasm in our guests’.

On Wednesday, it was star designer Guido Maria Kretschmer’s turn to be honoured in the Frankfurt trade fair halls. At the P+S International stand, he presented his wallpaper collection “Fashion for Walls” and was pleased about being there: ‘For me, Heimtextil is an excellent trade fair because it’s all about interiors and materials. It’s great to see the world coming together here and people bringing new looks and how everything is organised’.

The celebrity guests’ visits were completed on Thursday by regular trade fair visitor Barbara Becker at Kleine Wolke.

Heimtextil goes City

For the twelfth time, the promotion “Heimtextil goes City” will bring trends from Heimtextil to the city centre. On Saturday 16 January at 10 a.m., the needs of all those who want to see the latest trends and products in interior design before they officially go on sale will be met. In cooperation with the Decorator’s and Upholsterer’s Guild, a total of 19 specialist shops, galleries and public institutions will present new materials, on-trend colours and designs to end consumers.

The next Heimtextil, international trade fair for home and contract textiles, will take place from 10-13 January 2017 in Frankfurt am Main.