From the Sector

Schuheinzelhändler unterstützt Hochschule in der Schuhstadt Pirmasens mit Stipendien: Europas größter Schuheinzelhändler DEICHMANN vergibt zum kommenden Wintersemester zehn Stipendien für den bundesweit einzigartigen Studiengang „Leder- und Textiltechnik“.

In Pirmasens vereinen sich Wissen und fundierten Fachkompetenz rund um das Schuhwerk. Dafür steht neben der Deutschen Schuhfachschule und dem International Shoe Competence Center ISC insbesondere der Campus Pirmasens der Hochschule Kaiserslautern mit seinem Studiengang für Lederverarbeitung und Schuhtechnik.

Die DEICHMANN-Stiftung hat mit der Hochschule Kaiserslautern eine Vereinbarung zur Förderung von Stipendiatinnen und Stipendiaten im Rahmen des Deutschlandstipendiums an ihrem Standort in Pirmasens geschlossen. Das Unternehmen wird zum kommenden Wintersemester zehn Stipendien im Studiengang „Leder- und Textiltechnik“ fördern. Im Zuge dessen erhalten die Studierenden ein Jahr lang eine monatliche Förderung von jeweils insgesamt 300 Euro.

Ausgezeichnete Berufsaussichten in wachstumsstarken Branchen
Der bundesweit einzigartige Bachelor-Studiengang in Pirmasens vermittelt fundierte Kenntnisse entlang der Wertschöpfungskette der Textil- und Lederindustrie. Er orientiert sich an aktuellen Marktanforderungen und dem vermehrten Einsatz von gewichtsreduzierenden und nachhaltigen Materialen. Zur Vermittlung des dafür nötigen Wissens verknüpft der Studiengang die Grundlagen der Ingenieurswissenschaften, Materialkunde und Polymerchemie mit praxisnahen Bereichen wie Qualitätsmanagement, Materialprüfung, CAD-Design, Prozessdigitalisierung, Schuhfertigung und Nachhaltigkeit in der Textil- und Lederindustrie. Nach dem Abschluss bietet den Absolventen ein Ingenieurtitel ausgezeichnete Berufsaussichten in wachstumsstarken Branchen. Auch das Unternehmen DEICHMANN beschäftigt eine ganze Reihe von Absolventen des Studiengangs, etwa in den Bereichen Qualitätssicherung, Schuhtechnik oder Nachhaltigkeit.

Das vielseitige Studienangebot der Hochschule Kaiserslautern umfasst mehr als 70 Studiengänge - von Virtual Design über Elektrotechnik, Applied Live Sciences, Architektur, Informatik, Betriebswirtschaftslehre, Wirtschaft und Recht bis hin zu Pharmazie und Chemie. Dieses vielfältige Know-how in der Lehre und Forschung kommt der gesamten Hochschule und allen Studienrichtungen zugute.

Informationen zum Stipendium
Informationen zum Stipendium sind erhältlich bei Christian Schwarz (telefonisch unter 0631 3724-7094 und per Mail an christian.schwarz@hs-kl.de) oder beim Referat Wirtschaft und Transfer (jens.urschel@hs-kl.de); Christian Schwarz beantwortet auch Fragen zum Studiengang und Schwerpunkt Lederverarbeitung und Schuhtechnik. Weitere Informationen gibt es unter www.hs-kl.de. Eine Anmeldung ist ab sofort bis zur Einschreibung möglich.

Am Montag, 18. September 2023 findet von 12 - 16 Uhr die Eröffnung des Mittelstand-Digital Zentrums Smarte Kreisläufe und des Showrooms in Köln statt.

Eine zunehmende Digitalisierung vieler Arbeitsprozesse hat die Anforderungen an Unternehmen stark verändert. Gerade für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen wirft die digitale Transformation viele Fragen auf. Nicht zuletzt die Frage nach neuen Modellen der Arbeit, Technologien und der Kooperation, mit denen die Herausforderungen der Zukunft bewältigt werden können.

Welchen Beitrag das Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Smarte Kreisläufe leisten und Mittelständler auf dem Weg zum Unternehmen der Zukunft unterstützen kann, wird anlässlich der offiziellen Eröffnung des Mittelstand-Digital Zentrums Smarte Kreisläufe und des Showrooms des Transferpartners DER MITTELSTANDSVERBUND – ZGV im FRÜH am Dom in Köln vorgestellt.

Keynote-Vortragende ist Andrea Schmitz, die als Managing Partner der Berliner Transformationsberatung St. Oberholz, systemisch ausgebildete Organisations- und Teamentwicklerin, (Agile) Coach und SCRUM-Master eine Expertise für die Themen der ganzheitlichen Transformationsbegleitung und Teamentwicklungen besitzt. In ihrem Vortrag mit dem Titel „Neues Arbeiten für die digitale Welt: Die Bedeutung von New Work im Wandel“ spricht sie über Herausforderungen und Lösungsansätze, wie mittelständische Unternehmen in Zeiten ständiger Transformation wirksam agieren können. Sie erklärt, welche Fähigkeiten, Kompetenzen und Einstellungen sowohl Führungskräfte als auch Mitarbeitende benötigen, um in der digitalen Ära nachhaltig erfolgreich zu sein und zukunftsfähig zu bleiben.

Eine anschließende Podiumsdiskussion greift das Thema auf und beleuchtet mit Gästen aus Wirtschaft, Politik und Wissenschaft diskutieren, vor welchen Herausforderungen Unternehmen aktuell stehen, wie sie sich den neuen Aufgaben stellen und welchen Beitrag das Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Smarte Kreisläufe leisten kann.

SGS and FibreTrace®, a digital and physical traceability provider in traceable fiber technology, have joined forces to develop a new Fiber Integrity Protocol for the textile industry.

The partnership will support brands worldwide to strengthen confidence in product claims made across a range of materials through the integration of traceability technologies, such as FibreTrace® MAPPED and FibreTrace® Verified, with robustly audited pathways.

Work has begun on the development of the protocol which will combine testing, verification, chain of custody checking and product markers. To further enhance the robust implementation of verification and compliance across the full value chain, SGS is also supporting FibreTrace® to:

• Support suppliers to demonstrate compliance and accurate reporting within the FibreTrace® digital platform
• Review the compliance and traceability of fibers and materials prior to the application of FibreTrace® physical technology (for example at recycled polyester collection points)
• Help brands and retailers to carry out on-site scanning and to verify fibers with the use of FibreTrace® physical and digital technology

Kornit Digital LTD. issued its Impact Report for 2022, highlighting the Company’s progress against its long-term goals related to climate action, waste management, green chemistry, and workplace diversity. This third-annual report reinforces Kornit’s commitment to an Environmental, Social, and corporate Governance (ESG) strategy that aims to transform the fashion and textile industry into one that is significantly more sustainable and ethical.

“As a change-maker and leader in fashion and textiles, we take our responsibility seriously to foster an industry that is cleaner and safer, as well as one that is more responsible and diverse,” said Ronen Samuel, Chief Executive Officer at Kornit Digital. “We consider ourselves an agent of long- term industry-wide change by enabling our customers to be more sustainable, while also minimizing the social and environmental impact of our operations. The Kornit 2022 Impact Report reflects this commitment to transforming the industry and creating a brighter future for the planet and the people who inhabit it.”

Download the 2022 Impact Report here.

adidas and Manchester United Football Club announce the extension of their partnership. Manchester United commenced a historic agreement with adidas at the start of the 2015/16 season, reuniting after 23 years.

The new deal increases the focus on the Manchester United women’s team since their reintroduction in 2018 – continuing Manchester United and adidas’ commitment to drive the women’s game forward.

Manchester United Chief Executive Officer, Richard Arnold said:  
“The relationship between Manchester United and adidas is one of the most iconic in world sport , forged through a shared commitment to style, flair and, most importantly, high performance.

“With its roots in the 1980s, our partnership has been reinvented over the past decade with some of the most innovative designs and technology in sportswear. We are now looking forward to refreshing this powerful partnership again through the remainder of this decade and into the 2030s.”  

Chief Executive Officer at adidas, Bjørn Gulden, said:  
“We are extremely proud to announce the extension of the contract with Manchester United. adidas and Manchester United are two of the most important brands in International Football and it is very natural for us to continue our cooperation. We will combine tradition and innovation to please both the players and the fans. 

Viele Unternehmen nutzen bereits RFID-Technologie, um Textilien automatisch zu verfolgen und zu kontrollieren und so Verbesserungen im Hinblick auf Effizienz, Textilverluste, Kosten und Rentabilität zu erzielen. Sind viele RFID-Geräte an mehreren Standorten installiert, kann deren effektive Verwaltung jedoch herausfordernd sein, und es sind Situationen möglich, die zu einer Verschwendung von Zeit und Ressourcen führen und die Vorteile schmälern können.

Datamars hat vor diesem Hintergrund mit "STORM" eine Webplattform zur zentralen Verwaltung dezentral installierter RFID-Geräte entwickelt. Funktionen wie Geräteüberwachung, Konfigurationsmanagement, vorbeugende Wartung und Fernsupport machen die RFID-Nutzung effizienter und tragen dazu bei, Vor-Ort-Termine und umfangreiche Ausfallzeiten oder Datenverluste zu vermeiden.

Die neue Plattform bietet ein vollständig anpassbares Dashboard, mit dem sich der Status aller RFID-Lesegeräte und ihrer Aktivitäten anhand von Metriken überwachen lässt. Werden im Rahmen der Rund-um-die-Uhr-Überwachung konfigurierte Schwellenwerte überschritten, löst das System einen Alarm aus, der sofort auf der grafischen Benutzeroberfläche (WEB-UI) erscheint und zu einer Nachricht an die konfigurierten Empfänger führtꓸ

Einfache Konfiguration, Gerätesuche und Aktualisierung
Durch ein einfaches Verfahren zur Gerätebereitstellung lassen sich RFID-Geräte sicher zum Kundenkonto hinzufügen und einem Standort zuweisen. Die Standorte werden ebenfalls über die Benutzeroberfläche verwaltet. Anhand von Namen, Standort oder anderen Eigenschaften können die Geräte leicht gefiltert und ausgewählt werden. Die Suchen lassen sich als Benutzerfavoriten speichern, um Gruppen zu erstellen, jederzeit abrufbar sind. Beim Abruf werden Alarme und Verbindungsstatus angezeigt, um sofort RFID-Lesegeräte zu erkennen, die Aufmerksamkeit erfordern.

Alle Parameter der RFID-Lesegeräte lassen sich über die Webplattform fernkonfigurieren, Einstellungen auf mehreren RFID-Lesegeräten gleichzeitig anwenden. Die Einstellungen mehrerer RFID-Lesegeräte sind leicht zu vergleichen. Weiterhin lässt sich die Parameteransicht anpassen und als Favorit speichern. Auch können Konfigurationsvoreinstellungen für die schnelle Einrichtung mehrerer RFID-Lesegeräte erstellt werden.

Firmware und Software der RFID-Geräte sind über STORM zentral aktualisierbar. Dadurch entfallen entsprechende Vor-Ort-Termine, und die Aktualisierungen können zu einem günstigen Zeitpunkt stattfinden. Auch Fehler lassen sich ferngesteuert beheben, eine direkte Verbindung mit einem RFID-Lesegerät und damit Vor-Ort-Besuche oder Remote-Desktop-Sitzungen sind nicht nötig. Wenn ein Kunde zusätzliche Hilfe benötigt, kann er über die Plattform eine Anfrage an das Service- und Supportteam von Datamars senden und ihm vorübergehend Zugriff auf die entsprechenden RFID-Lesegeräte geben. Ist das Problem behoben, wird die Anfrage geschlossen und des Zugriffsrecht wieder entzogen.

The Sustainability Report 2022, which is now digitally available summarizes key ecological, economic, and social developments.
The report shows that the CHT Group has defined and anchored sustainability as an integral part of its corporate strategy.
 

• The group of companies is pursuing the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2045
• At the end of 2021, the CHT Group subscribed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to meet the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement and committed to the 1.5 °C target
• 77 % of sales were achieved with sustainably classified products

The issue of sustainability has been anchored in the DNA of the internationally active foundation-owned group of companies for 70 years. No less an aspiration is derived from this than to support all customers with the most innovative, most sustainable products and solutions and thus to become the leading supplier of sustainable chemical products and solutions in all target markets.

"Climate neutrality" and comprehensive social responsibility  
In the implementation of the sustainability strategy of the CHT Group, the field of action "climate neutrality" takes a central role. The CHT Group has set itself the goal of being climate neutral both in its own production and in the supply chain from the year 2045. The path to climate neutrality by 2045 is illustrated in the report as part of the strategic goal.

In addition to climate protection, social responsibility is also a top priority for the CHT Group. The continuous improvement of health protection and occupational safety is a top priority for the company.

From CHT's point of view, qualified and committed employees make a significant contribution to the company's future success. For this reason, the CHT Group promotes the professional and personal development of its workforce to a high degree and invests in future-oriented and targeted training and further education of its workforce.

For the CHT Group, the respect for human rights is an indispensable pillar of the corporate culture and an essential part of the group-wide Code of Conduct. In 2022, the Human Rights Compliance Policy Statement was developed, and compliance processes and measures were put in place to prevent any violations and identify and mitigate human rights related risks.

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, one of the world’s largest producers of recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) resin, announced the completion of the expansion of its recycling facility in Brazil, supported by a ‘Blue Loan’ from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank.

The recycling facility, located in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil, is increasing its production capacity from 9 thousand tons to 25 thousand tons per year of PET made from post-consumer recycled (PET-PCR) material. The project is part of Indorama Ventures’ Vision 2030 ambition to continue building a sustainable global company, including spending $1.5 billion to increase its recycling capacity to 50 billion PET bottles per year by 2025.

PET is a unique and widely used plastic for water and soda bottles and the most recycled plastic in the world. Indorama Ventures, the world’s largest provider of recycled PET resin used to make beverage bottles, invested US$20 million to optimize its Brazil facility’s processes and acquire new equipment such as washing machines to help remove labels, grind bottles in water and reduce water consumption by 70%.

In November 2020, the IFC provided $300 million in Blue Loan funding to Indorama Ventures with the objective of increasing recycling capacity and diverting plastic waste from landfills and oceans in Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India, and Brazil—countries which are grappling with mismanaged waste and serious plastic waste in the environment. Blue Loan funds are certified and tracked for projects that support sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health. Indorama Ventures has secured a total US$2.4 billion in long-term sustainable financing from various financial institutions between 2018–2022 to support sustainability projects.

Inspired by an elegant alpine express that carries its passengers through vibrant cities and breathtaking mountain landscapes, BOGNER presents its Fall/Winter 2023 collection, where modern, technical materials meet elegant, iconic silhouettes for a winter season full of activity, luxury and positivity.

BOGNER interprets the winter look with tailored pieces for sporty as well as relaxed activities for the journey to the mountain, on the mountain and after the mountain with light, natural fabrics like flannel, cashmere and various luxurious yarns like lambswool and jacquard knits.

Overall the BOGNER Fall/Winter 2023 collection offers a wide range of elegant and active styles - for sporty skiing and relaxed après ski adventures.

• Currency-neutral revenues flat versus the prior-year level
• Top-line development reflects improved sell-out trends and conservative sell-in strategy
• Gross margin up 0.6pp to 50.9%; strong improvement compared to Q1 reflecting better sell-through and less discounting
• Operating profit of € 176 million includes extraordinary expenses of around € 160 million related to one-off costs, donations and accruals for future donations
• Inventory position improves substantially versus Q1 level to € 5.5 billion; now up only 1% year-over-year

In the second quarter of 2023, currency-neutral revenues were flat versus the prior-year level. The top-line development continued to be impacted by the company’s conservative sell-in approach in order to reduce high inventory levels, particularly in North America and Greater China. At the same time, adidas second quarter revenues benefited from the first sale of some of its Yeezy inventory. The initial product drop in June generated revenues of around € 400 million in Q2, which is largely in line with the Yeezy sales generated in the prior year’s quarter.

Footwear revenues grew 1% during the quarter, reflecting strong growth in football, basketball, tennis and US sports. Apparel sales declined 3% in the second quarter. As the apparel market continues to be particularly overstocked, the company continued its conservative sell-in strategy to improve sell-through and margins in the medium term. Accessories grew 8% during the quarter driven by growth in football.  

Lifestyle revenues were down during the quarter despite extraordinary demand for the company’s Samba, Gazelle and Campus franchises. While adidas slowly started to scale its offering for these product families during the second quarter, the total volume still only represents a small portion of the company’s overall business. Sales in the adidas Performance categories continued to show positive momentum. This reflects strong demand for new product introductions such as the latest iterations of its Predator, X and Copa football boots, as well as jerseys for both the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and the company’s unique portfolio of football teams ahead of the start of the European club season. In addition, the Adizero product family in running continued to gain a lot of attention around marathon races across the world, translating into higher demand. At the same time, the brand’s Barricade tennis franchise grew strongly, leveraging the excitement around major tournaments.

In euro terms, the company’s revenues declined 5% to € 5.343 billion in the second quarter (2022: € 5.596 billion).

Stronger sell-out trends and conservative sell-in
As a result of the company’s initiatives to reduce high inventory levels, currency-neutral sales in wholesale declined 10% despite double-digit growth in Greater China and Latin America. At the same time, direct-to-consumer (DTC) revenues grew 16% versus the prior year. This development was driven by strong growth in both the company’s e-commerce business (+14%) as well as own retail stores (+19%), reflecting continued strong sell-out trends across most regions. The outperformance of the company’s DTC channel versus the wholesale business was also related to the first sale of the Yeezy inventory, which was done exclusively through adidas’ own e-commerce channel.

Double-digit growth in Greater China and Latin America
Currency-neutral sales in North America declined 16% during the quarter. The region is particularly affected by elevated inventory levels in the market and – in response to this – the company’s significantly reduced sell-in. Revenues in Greater China grew 16% in Q2, reflecting double-digit sell-out growth in both wholesale and own retail. Sales in EMEA were down slightly (-1%) despite double-digit DTC growth. While the company’s initiatives to reduce inventory levels and discounting weighed on the overall top-line development in the region, adidas recorded significantly improving full-price trends during the quarter. Revenues in Asia-Pacific increased 7% during the quarter, driven by strong double-digit growth in DTC. Latin America continued to increase at a double-digit rate (+30%), reflecting strong growth in both wholesale and DTC.

Gross margin improves to 50.9%
The company’s second quarter gross margin increased 0.6 percentage points to 50.9% (2022: 50.3%). This improvement was mainly driven by price increases the company has implemented as well as by an improved channel mix. At the same time, higher supply chain costs and unfavorable currency movements continued to strongly weigh on the gross margin development. While still adversely impacting the company’s gross margin in the quarter, discounting levels significantly improved compared to the first quarter of the year.  

Operating profit of € 176 million, resulting in an operating margin of 3.3%
Other operating expenses were up 3% to € 2.582 billion (2022: € 2.501 billion). As a percentage of sales, other operating expenses increased 3.6 percentage points to 48.3% (2022: 44.7%). Marketing and point-of-sale expenses decreased 7% to € 617 million (2022: € 663 million). As a percentage of sales, marketing and point-of-sale expenses slightly decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 11.5% (2022: 11.8%). Operating overhead expenses were up 7% to € 1.965 billion (2022: € 1.838 billion), reflecting higher logistics expenses. In addition, the company recorded one-off costs of around € 50 million related to the strategic review the company is currently conducting as well as donations and accruals for further donations in an amount of around € 110 million. As a percentage of sales, operating overhead expenses increased 3.9 percentage points to 36.8% (2022: 32.8%). The company’s operating profit amounted to € 176 million (2022: € 392 million) in the quarter. This amount includes the extraordinary expenses of in total around € 160 million reflecting the one-off costs related to the strategic review as well as the donations and accruals for further donations. The sale of the Yeezy product positively impacted adidas’ operating profit by an incremental amount of around € 150 million in Q2. The operating margin reached 3.3% in the quarter (2022: 7.0%).

Net income from continuing operations of € 96 million
After taxes, the company’s net income from continuing operations amounted to € 96 million (2022: € 360 million), while basic EPS from continuing operations decreased to € 0.48 (2022: € 1.88).

Outlook

adidas expects revenues to decline at a mid-single-digit rate
On July 24, adidas had adjusted its full year financial guidance to reflect the positive impact of the first sale of some of its Yeezy inventory and a slightly better-than-expected development of the adidas business in the first half of the year. At the same time, macroeconomic challenges and geopolitical tensions persist. Elevated recession risks in North America and Europe as well as uncertainty around the recovery in Greater China continue to exist. In addition, the company’s revenue development will continue to be impacted by the initiatives to significantly reduce high inventory levels. As a result, adidas now expects currency-neutral revenues to decline at a mid-single-digit rate in 2023 (previously: decline at a high-single-digit rate).

Underlying operating profit anticipated to be around the break-even level
The company’s underlying operating profit – excluding any one-offs related to Yeezy and the ongoing strategic review – is still anticipated to be around the break-even level. Including the positive impact from the first Yeezy drop of around € 150 million, the potential write-off of the remaining Yeezy inventory of now € 400 million (previously: € 500 million) and one-off costs related to the strategic review of up to € 200 million (unchanged), the company now expects to report an operating loss of € 450 million in 2023 (previously: loss of € 700 million).

On August 2, the company launched a second drop of Yeezy inventory. Throughout the month of August, adidas is making a range of existing products available through both its own e-commerce channel as well as the digital platforms of selected wholesale partners. If successful, this second drop would further improve the company’s results. However, as the results of this drop are yet unknown, it is not accounted for in the company’s current top- and bottom-line outlook for 2023.