From the Sector

The European Commission’s communication on e-commerce - adopted by the college of Commissioner’s today- rightly acknowledges the growing challenges posed by the surge of direct-to-consumer imports, particularly through online marketplaces. Non-compliant and unsafe products undermine consumer safety, environmental sustainability, and the competitiveness of law-abiding businesses. The urgency of this issue is underscored by findings from the REACH for textiles project, which revealed that 16% of 400 tested products failed to comply with EU legislation. These figures highlight the critical need for stronger enforcement measures to prevent unsafe products from reaching EU consumers.

To address these concerns, enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Market Act (DMA) must be strengthened, ensuring that e-commerce platforms assume legal responsibilities for the products they offer as well as fair competition in the single market is guaranteed. Additionally, the removal of the de minimis rule and frontloading parts of the Customs Code reform is critical to rapidly closing loopholes that allow non-compliant goods to enter the EU market unchecked. Enhanced coordination with Member States and industry stakeholders can increase the effectiveness of our enforcement efforts. Investment in digital tools such as the Digital Product Passport is essential to increase transparency, safeguard fair trade practices, and reinforce consumer trust.

EURATEX welcomes the Commission's decision to take coordinated action, together with the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network, against Shein. The association is also pleased to collaborate on a Digital Fairness Act to strengthen consumer protection in the digital sphere.

EURATEX fully supports the Commission’s commitment to stricter enforcement and urges immediate implementation of these measures to create a level playing field and ensure a safe, sustainable, and competitive e-commerce environment. Director General Dirk Vantyghem concluded: “With billions of garments entering the EU every year, we simply need a more solid system to monitor compliance of these products. EURATEX is looking forward to working together with the European Commission to achieve these important goals.”

TrusTrace, a global SaaS company with a market-leading platform for product traceability and supply chain compliance in fashion and retail, announced a strategic collaboration with platform engineering firm Xoriant and environmental impact data leader Carbon Trail to deliver a comprehensive solution that supports international brands that want to implement more product marketing accountability.

The new solution is the first-of-its-kind in the industry and leverages Xoriant’s strong data architecture, Carbon Trail’s environmental impact data, and TrusTrace’s supply chain traceability data to provide brands with the information they need to market their products with specific details on how they’re made and where.

This new technological solution coincides with the implementation of the Green Claims Code, which launched in 2021 and was updated in 2023 to factor in product-specific environmental impact and strives to ensure that claims are clear, accurate and not misleading; provide specific and clear information about materials used; use accurate product filters and avoid misleading imagery; and support claims with verifiable strategics and third party accreditation.

On the data side, brands need to measure environmental impact on a product level, not only just related to carbon, but covering 16+ indicators such as water, land use, and microfibre impacts. Once environmental impact and supply chain data is aggregated, information can then be incorporated into a Digital Product Passport, a record that can tell a product's entire value chain via QR code/digital tag that will be required for EU brands between 2026-2030. For example, a buyer can theoretically scan a product’s QR code and be taken to a unique URL link in which the environmental impact for that specific product is available to view. This can be displayed alongside traceability data – like where the product has been manufactured – in addition to other information like recyclability, microplastics, product certifications, all those elements also come into play.

National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas issued the following statement welcoming the introduction of the bipartisan “Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act,” a bill that aims to combat trade fraud and hold those committing the crimes accountable.

Statement by NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas:
“We commend Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), who lead the House Select Committee on the CCP, along with Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and others for introducing this bipartisan legislation that will put real teeth into combatting trade crimes that are undermining American textile and apparel manufacturers.

“NCTO has called for additional federal tools and resources to urgently address the pervasive trade crimes impacting our industry as well as other U.S. manufacturing sectors. We are pleased that this legislation will do exactly that by establishing a formal structure within the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division dedicated to aggressively prosecute international trade crimes.

“The U.S. textile and apparel supply chain has been severely harmed by rampant trade fraud, including an onslaught of imported products made with forced labor, which circumvent the U.S. ban on these imports, fraudulent rules of origin claims under our free trade agreements, and evasion of duties through abuse of the de minimis trade loophole. This had resulted in the closure of 18 textile plants over the past several months and job losses, combined with closures in Western Hemisphere trade partners who have suffered tens of thousands of job losses.

“We believe this bipartisan legislation is a critical step forward in confronting such massive fraud and will serve to hold bad actors accountable and help shield our vital domestic industries from these crimes.”

China in-store, which was established under the name C-Star as an official satellite of EuroShop in Shanghai in 2015, will be held in Hall N1 of the Shanghai New International Expo Center from 3 to 5 September 2024. In consumer-friendly and tech-savvy China innovative store design plays a prominent role, which is why the trade fair specifically focuses on instore design and high-end solutions for brands. On display will be solutions for store design, fittings, but also retail technologies that help to selectively shape stores as spaces for interacting with shoppers as well as stage their brand messages.

After the success of last year’s event attracting over 100 exhibitors and almost 14,000 trade visitors, China in-store 2024 will offer over 200 providers of retail design and retail-relevant solutions the opportunity to showcase their latest instore design, retail technology and retail solutions while inviting industry professionals to explore, learn and network. The exhibited products and solutions for shopfitting and the retail industry will include store design, materials as well as surfaces and furnishings for shops – ranging from displays fixtures and mannequins to visual merchandising services and omnichannel technologies.

Since personalisation in retail is increasing in importance, the Designer Village will present design companies with trail-blazing stand designs and visual merchandising solutions. The special area will inspire visitors with innovative store concepts that improve both the brand image and customer journey. At the Retail Technology Village the latest advances in AI, VR and data analytics will be presented. These technologies enable an omnichannel experience for shoppers and convert physical stores into third places. On the Retail Stage and the Design Stage experts, retailers and brands will present the latest retail trends, shopfitting strategies and innovations that drive the retail market. A themed exhibition is dedicated to changing trends in retail area design.  

Once again proving a highlight of China in-store will be the presentation of the ERDA China (EuroShop RetailDesign Award China) on 4 September 2024; this award recognises store designs and extraordinary store concepts from the Chinese market. This year the categories were extended. 

Multiple global regulations set to take effect in the coming years have made traceability an imperative for retailers and brands. These include the Digital Product Passport, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and the New York Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act, to name a few.

While companies are aware of the importance of traceability, research indicates that they are not prepared to comply with upcoming legislation. A recent KPMG survey highlighted that 43% of executives at major enterprises had no visibility or were “largely unclear” about the performance of their Tier 1 suppliers. At the same time, only 28% of companies had clear visibility into Tier 2 suppliers.

TradeBeyond’s recently published Supply Chain Traceability Guide, the latest installment of its Retail Sourcing Report series, highlights the myriad challenges that companies face in implementing effective traceability programs. This report is relevant for all industries, and is especially topical for the apparel and footwear sectors, which are under increasing scrutiny to enhance traceability to ensure sustainability.

The report highlights retail’s slow progress in achieving transparency, as evidenced by the Fashion Transparency Index, which found that the average transparency score across 250 of the world’s largest brands and retailers was just 23%. That suggests that progress on transparent disclosure of social and environmental data is still lagging.
 
The report shows that brands fall short on most key measures of sustainability and traceability, including publishing a responsible code of conduct and providing visibility into their Scope 3 carbon footprint. The United Nations Economics Commission found that only a third of the top one hundred global clothing companies track their own supply chains. One of the obstacles is complexity. More than two-thirds (69%) of fashion companies report that complexity of their global business networks is an obstacle to visibility.

In addition to a lack of visibility, false sustainability claims are also rampant. Greenpeace found that in the apparel and footwear sector, 39% of sustainability claims are false or deceptive. Lack of third-party verification of ESG measures is also rampant.

The highest scoring brands in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index included luxury brands such as Gucci and retailers such Target Australia, Kmart Australia, OVS, and Benetton. These companies back up their commitment with solid action on multiple measures of traceability.

Along with legislative requirements, consumers are a key driving force pushing companies to improve their traceability initiatives. McKinsey research found that 66% of consumers consider transparency to be a key factor when making a purchase decision and 73% of consumers would pay more for products with transparency into production and sourcing.

The report also highlights key challenges to overcome in the journey to traceability, including effective communication between stakeholders, compliance with new regulations, technology barriers, and data complexity.

On the positive side, the industry is responding with sophisticated technology, including software systems that incorporate artificial intelligence and blockchain-enabled traceability, which provide the required visibility and compliance.

Traceable fiber technology, which allows for traceability from the material origin of a product until its end-life, provides the option of a “fiber-forward” rather than a “product backward” approach to achieving traceability.

Aside from the regulatory and consumer drivers, there is a strong business case for implementing traceability, which includes cost savings, operational efficiency, brand protection and reducing supply chain risk. As such, TradeBeyond expects a rapid evolution in traceability programs across industries, especially in those that lag in best-practices.

While there has been considerable progress in recent years toward accurately tracing the complete origins of products, much more needs to be done. Brands and retailers must intensify their efforts to stay compliant with escalating regulations and align with evolving consumer preferences.

In-store Asia, a trade fair for retail resources and investments in store design, visual merchandising and in-store marketing on the Indian subcontinent will again be held in Mumbai from 13 to 15 June 2024. Over the course of the 15 years of its existence it has become established as the biggest get-together of retail decision-makers in India. Here, over 4,500 players from retail, consulting and services, manufacturers as well as retail solution providers come together.

Visitors to In-store Asia have the opportunity to discover a wide variety of exhibitors showcasing their products and solutions for the retail sectors including:

• Point-of-Purchase (POP) displays and interactive flatscreens
• Visual Merchandising (VM) and store fittings
• Signage and graphic design solutions
• Retail technologies for improving customer retention
• Tailor-made store design services
• Start-up initiatives for the retail sector

The 2-day conference at In-store Asia provides a platform for discussions about current retail trends in India and the world over. More than 40 key speakers from India and abroad will share their forecasts, latest trends and use cases on the topics of retail markets, retail experience design, sustainability, visual merchandising, retail technology and store fitting under the inspiring motto “Connected, Collaborative, Conscious”.

Highlights at the trade fair amongst others include the VM&RD Retail Design Awards and the VM Challenge, two events that honour special achievements and innovations in visual merchandising and store fitting. The VM&RD Retail Design Awards acknowledge outstanding store fitting projects in a total of 24 categories. The VM Challenge is a unique live window display contest for the visual merchandising community where six teams compete to dress a window on a given theme.

Vandewiele Sweden is spearheading a transformation in B2B operations for the industry, with a new e-commerce platform developed in Sweden. The company, a member of TMAS, the Swedish Textile Machinery Association, has taken on the task of developing the digital solution that will meet the future demands for Vandewiele Group customers worldwide.

The Vandewiele Sweden team has developed a user-friendly interface that exploits the latest "exploding view" diagrams to ensure customers can easily identify and order the components they need, all within a 1:1 digital representation. The next stage in 3D technology is set up and ready, although it awaits implementation and market readiness to fully integrate and utilize its features.

Adopting a phased approach, the company is initially introducing its IRO-branded accessories, spare parts and gauge parts, targeting textile mills, weavers and distributors. The platform has been carefully crafted to cater to the varying needs of its diverse clientele, offering streamlined direct sales and a transparent commission structure for agents and distributors.

With an ambitious logistics promise of 48-hour dispatch and leveraging third-party payment service providers like Nets, the company assures speed and reliability in every transaction.

Scheduled for launch in April, Vandewiele stands ready to introduce its new e-commerce solution to key markets, including Scandinavia, the Baltics, parts of Europe, Turkey, and India.

Tajima Software Solutions and Coloreel launch a software for the personalization of embroidery designs. Designed to cater to both in-store and online shopping experiences, the new software Pulse ID allows users to customize their embroidery. It offers the flexibility to edit text, add effects, and colors.

This collaboration marks a full integration of the Coloreel technology with Pulse ID and Tajima's embroidery machines. The result is a seamless and efficient solution, ideal for in-store embroidery services or for enhancing the offerings of online shops.

Happy New Year 2024! Here's to a year full of innovation and success in the textile and apparel industry.

The Textination team sincerely wishes you a great start: may 2024 be full of health, joy and energy for you.

There are undoubtedly 365 days of exciting encounters, developments, innovations and new trends ahead in our shared world of the textile and apparel industry. We would like to join you on this journey and document the many facets of our industry.

We are convinced that the new year will be just as fascinating and inspiring for our users as the best textile products and designs that our industry has to offer. We look forward to accompanying you through the coming 12 months with the latest news, in-depth analyses and exclusive insights.

Thank you for your continued support and interest in Textination.

Together we will tell textile tomorrow!

Ines Chucholowius
- Managing Director -

INDA, The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announces that Director of Government Affairs Wes Fisher was named a 2023 Top Lobbyist by the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics (NILE). The list includes professionals with legislative success in 2023, have been innovative in their field, are held in high regard by their peers, give back to their community through charity or pro bono work, and adhere to the highest ethical standards.

Fisher joined INDA in 2022, he previously held senior government affairs positions at the Pet Advocacy Network and the National Automatic Merchandising Association. His work at INDA has included interfacing with lawmakers, regulators, and stakeholders at the state, local, federal, and international levels and participating in UN negotiations regarding the ongoing Global Plastics Treaty. He serves on the board of directors of the Washington Area State Relations Group (WASRG) and in 2022 was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to the Virginia Rare Disease Council.