Top Just-Style stories in January include an exclusive report on the challenges and opportunities facing the apparel industry in 2021, as well as a look at four key changes manufacturers need to make to ensure they survive and thrive after Covid-19 . In other countries, concerns about possible Vietnam tariffs continue to grow, and the month also reported why Joe Biden’s inauguration could help stabilize the US apparel industry and what the US ban on Xinjiang cotton for apparel means.
1. US apparel CEOs warn of further Vietnam tariffs
Concern over the prospect of additional punitive tariffs on US imports of apparel and footwear from Vietnam continues to grow – companies like Nike, Adidas America, Gap Inc., Levi Strauss and Under Armor are the latest to oppose such a move.
2. Outlook for 2021 – challenges and opportunities for the clothing industry
2021 should be a year of winners and losers. The aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic means ongoing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity with fewer retail brands, stores and malls. The winners will be those companies that communicate their purpose, deliver new value and adapt to this new normal, according to executives consulted by just-style.
3. Australia Wool 2030 Strategy to Address Key Industry Problems
Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), the research, development and marketing organization for the Australian wool industry, has released its Wool 2030 Strategy to help stakeholders make better informed decisions and adopt more sustainable practices.
4th Outlook for 2021 – what will happen next with the procurement of clothing?
How is the procurement landscape likely to change in 2021, and what can apparel companies and their suppliers do to stay ahead, stay competitive, and build resilience for the future? Experts say it is important to redefine apparel supply chains and increase investment in technology and digital tools to minimize risk, accelerate production, and reduce costs. Also in the foreground are the new version of the rules for buyer-supplier relationships, end-to-end visibility and renewed efforts towards sustainability and CO2 neutrality.
5. What the US ban on Xinjiang cotton means for clothing
The US this week stepped up efforts to combat forced labor in supply chains with a sweeping regional ban on imports of cotton products from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in China. The move is likely to accelerate the shift in industry sourcing from China – and could lead to a surge in alternative fiber adoption – according to Just-Style.
6th Why the Brexit trade deal requires good contract management
The UK and the European Union finally announced the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on December 24, 2020. The trade pact was signed on December 30, 2020 and applied from January 1, 2021 when the Brexit transition period ended. For Stephen Sidkin and Lucy Coffey of Fox Williams LLP, the free trade agreement is “the equivalent of arthritis – you can still do most of what you did before, but it just takes a little longer and is more painful!”
7th VF Corp is suspending procurement activities in Asia to increase speed
VF Corporation, owner of brands like The North Face, Timberland and Vans, is relocating its product supply hub – which serves as the base of its global supply chain in Asia – from Hong Kong to Singapore for speed and efficiency.
8th. Inditex joins the new MIT consortium to fight climate change
Fashion giant Inditex joins industry leaders like Apple, Accenture, Boeing, IBM and PepsiCo in a new cross-industry initiative to find a solution to the global climate crisis.
9. “China + Vietnam + many” is still the strategy
Even before the life-changing event in Covid, there was great interest in relocating production from China. Many US brands considered relocating closer to, or even on, their home turf, given mounting concerns over trade wars and forced labor. But where are you now with these thoughts?
10. Blockchain solution for tracking the custody chain for Australian wool
Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), the research, development and marketing organization for the Australian wool industry, has partnered with blockchain company Everledger to track the wool storage chain from farm to consumer.
11. 8 key trends to transform apparel sourcing in 2021
The apparel industry and its supply chains were fraught with problems long before Covid-19 – but it took a global pandemic to bring them to the fore. Country closures, operational standstills, travel bans, labor shortages and raw materials shortages, rising logistics costs, bankruptcies of retailers and suppliers and an increase in online demand have made the fragility of long, complex and inflexible procurement networks clear. Many companies are already changing the way they work, and it is clear that the effects will continue well into 2021 and beyond. Here are eight major problems that are rewriting the rules of apparel sourcing.
12. Survive and Thrive in the New Normal – 4 Changes for Apparel Manufacturers
The clothing manufacturers have to set higher goals than just surviving the current coronavirus crisis. You need to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the situation and seize them to lay the foundation for growth in the years to come, says Vivek Ramachandran, CEO at Serai.
13th How could the new Biden government affect clothing?
After the previous administration’s roller coaster ride, the long-awaited inauguration of Joe Biden today (Jan. 20) could mean more stability for a clothing industry that has been through the mill for the past four years.
14th 60% of Adidas products are to be made from environmentally friendly materials in 2021
German sportswear giant Adidas says that by 2021 more than 60% of all of its products will be made from sustainable materials, which is closer to its goal of ending plastic waste.
fifteen. Creating a new vision for fashion and manufacturing in the UK
A group of fashion, business and economics experts have come together to urge the UK government to ensure that post-Brexit and in the midst of the pandemic, the fashion and manufacturing industries do not miss out on import costs, free movement of people and goods and maintaining the skills of textile workers.
16. Asos is a Covid-19 winner again – What the analysts say
Asos posted a 23% increase in consolidated sales in the four months to December 26, and expects annual earnings to be at the upper end of current market expectations. A £ 40m increase is expected in the first half of the year as Covid restrictions renew as consumers shop online. Analysts note the online retailer is quick to respond to lockdown categories like loungewear, which have resulted in lower return rates because they are less fit.
17th Athleta in the plus-size drive
Sportswear brand Athleta is rolling out a grand plan for plus size customers. 70% of their collection will be available in sizes 1X-3X for spring 2021.
18th H & M’s Arket brand rents out children’s clothing
Swedish fashion retailer H & M Group’s Arket brand will be renting out children’s clothing starting this month to encourage reuse and reuse.
19th US apparel imports decline in November
Apparel shipments to the US were down in November compared to the previous month, with all ten largest supplier countries registering declines. Year-over-year, U.S. apparel importers continue to prioritize Asian nations over their Central American counterparts, with Vietnam, Pakistan, and Cambodia all seeing shipment growth.
20th Boohoo signs a £ 55 million deal to acquire the Debenhams brand
UK online fast fashion retailer Boohoo Group has signed an agreement to acquire worldwide rights to Debenhams brands and its websites for £ 55 million ($ 75.2 million) to further its endeavor to create the UK’s largest market and grow into new categories including beauty, sports and housewares.
