Global apparel markets: business update, January 2020
This report provides information, analysis and valuable insight into developments relating to the global apparel industry in the following categories: acquisitions, divestments and mergers; computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM); corporate social responsibility (CSR); environmental sustainability; investments; joint ventures, cooperation, licensing and distribution; market forecasts; new stores; recycling; standards; and traceability. Brands, companies, initiatives and organisations featured in this report include: Authentic Brands Group (ABG), Banana Republic, Barneys New York, Destination Maternity Corporation, Elevate Textiles, Evrnu, Fast Retailing, Gildan Activewear, H&M Group, HanesBrands, IKEA Range & Supply, Itema, JCPenney, The Jeans Company (TJC), Kontoor Brands, Le Tote, Lenzing Group (Lenzing), Levi Strauss & Co, Lord + Taylor, Marquee Brands, The Microfibre Consortium (TMC), Nike, Ocean Conservancy, PVH, Sellpy, Schoch, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger and the United Nations (UN) International Labour Organization (ILO).
SUMMARY
ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTMENTS AND MERGERS
Authentic Brands Group (ABG) has acquired the intellectual property of luxury department store Barneys New York
Itema has acquired Schoch as part of its strategy of diversifying within the weaving machinery market
Levi Strauss & Co has acquired all operating assets relating to its Levi’s and Dockers brands which were owned by The Jeans Company (TJC), a distributor of products in Bolivia, Chile and Peru
Marquee Brands has acquired Destination Maternity Corporation as part of its strategy of diversification
Online rental platform Le Tote has agreed to acquire luxury department store Lord + Taylor
COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN AND COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING (CAD/CAM)
Tommy Hilfiger has launched three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided design (CAD) technology at its design headquarters as part of a strategy of digitalising its entire value chain
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
Fast Retailing has entered into a partnership with the United Nations (UN) International Labour Organization (ILO) to improve working conditions and social security standards for apparel workers in Asia
Nike has partnered with Ocean Conservancy to launch the Arctic Shipping Corporate Pledge
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
32 industry-leading companies have signed an agreement called Fashion Pact in a bid to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry
Elevate Textiles has announced new sustainability targets which have been adopted by its portfolio of brands
Gildan Activewear has published its 2018 Genuine Responsibility Sustainability Report
HanesBrands will apply recycling instruction labels to its product packaging
Kontoor Brands has published a new company policy relating to the use of raw materials which are sourced from forests
Levi Strauss & Co has launched an ambitious water conservation strategy
PVH has announced new greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets which have received approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
Timberland has launched its largest ever campaign as part of its environmental sustainability strategy
INVESTMENTS
H&M Group has invested Skr132 mn in the online clothing resale platform Sellpy through its investment arm CO:LAB
Textile recycling specialist Evrnu has secured Series A funding worth US$9.1 mn
JOINT VENTURES, COOPERATION, LICENSING AND DISTRIBUTION
Banana Republic has entered into a partnership with CaaStle to launch an online rental service called Style Passport
JCPenney has entered into a partnership agreement with thredUP to launch thredUP concessions within 30 JCPenney retail stores
MARKET FORECASTS
Consumer expenditure on clothing and footwear in the Americas is forecast to grow by 3.5% per annum between 2019 and 2023
NEW STORES
JCPenney has opened a large experiential store in Hurst, Texas, USA
RECYCLING
H&M Group and IKEA Range & Supply have collaborated in conducting a study to investigate the chemical content of recyclable textiles
STANDARDS
The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) has released details of a microfibre shedding test methodology
TRACEABILITY
Lenzing Group (Lenzing) has presented the results of its first pilot project which explored the use of blockchain technology
ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTMENTS AND MERGERS
Authentic Brands Group (ABG) has acquired the intellectual property of luxury department store Barneys New York
Itema has acquired Schoch as part of its strategy of diversifying within the weaving machinery market
Levi Strauss & Co has acquired all operating assets relating to its Levi’s and Dockers brands which were owned by The Jeans Company (TJC), a distributor of products in Bolivia, Chile and Peru
Marquee Brands has acquired Destination Maternity Corporation as part of its strategy of diversification
Online rental platform Le Tote has agreed to acquire luxury department store Lord + Taylor
COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN AND COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING (CAD/CAM)
Tommy Hilfiger has launched three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided design (CAD) technology at its design headquarters as part of a strategy of digitalising its entire value chain
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
Fast Retailing has entered into a partnership with the United Nations (UN) International Labour Organization (ILO) to improve working conditions and social security standards for apparel workers in Asia
Nike has partnered with Ocean Conservancy to launch the Arctic Shipping Corporate Pledge
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
32 industry-leading companies have signed an agreement called Fashion Pact in a bid to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry
Elevate Textiles has announced new sustainability targets which have been adopted by its portfolio of brands
Gildan Activewear has published its 2018 Genuine Responsibility Sustainability Report
HanesBrands will apply recycling instruction labels to its product packaging
Kontoor Brands has published a new company policy relating to the use of raw materials which are sourced from forests
Levi Strauss & Co has launched an ambitious water conservation strategy
PVH has announced new greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets which have received approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
Timberland has launched its largest ever campaign as part of its environmental sustainability strategy
INVESTMENTS
H&M Group has invested Skr132 mn in the online clothing resale platform Sellpy through its investment arm CO:LAB
Textile recycling specialist Evrnu has secured Series A funding worth US$9.1 mn
JOINT VENTURES, COOPERATION, LICENSING AND DISTRIBUTION
Banana Republic has entered into a partnership with CaaStle to launch an online rental service called Style Passport
JCPenney has entered into a partnership agreement with thredUP to launch thredUP concessions within 30 JCPenney retail stores
MARKET FORECASTS
Consumer expenditure on clothing and footwear in the Americas is forecast to grow by 3.5% per annum between 2019 and 2023
NEW STORES
JCPenney has opened a large experiential store in Hurst, Texas, USA
RECYCLING
H&M Group and IKEA Range & Supply have collaborated in conducting a study to investigate the chemical content of recyclable textiles
STANDARDS
The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) has released details of a microfibre shedding test methodology
TRACEABILITY
Lenzing Group (Lenzing) has presented the results of its first pilot project which explored the use of blockchain technology
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Americas: consumer expenditure on clothing and footwear, selected markets, 2014-23
Table 1: Americas: consumer expenditure on clothing and footwear, selected markets, 2014-23
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: How2Recycle packaging label
Figure 2: JCPenney’s new store in Hurst, Texas, USA
Figure 1: How2Recycle packaging label
Figure 2: JCPenney’s new store in Hurst, Texas, USA
