NRF Calls On White House To Address Port Congestion Challenges

WASHINGTON — June14, 2021— The National Retail Federation today delivered a letter to the White House asking to meet with President Biden and other top administration officials regarding the challenges retailers are facing from continued supply chain disruptions that are leading to congestion at U.S. ports.

The letter from NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay stated: “The supply chain disruption issues, especially the congestion affecting our key maritime ports, are causing significant challenges for America’s retailers. The congestion issues have not only added days and weeks to our supply chains but have led to inventory shortages impacting our ability to serve our customers. In addition, these delays have added significant transportation and warehousing costs for retailers.”

As the nation’s largest private-sector employer, retailers depend on U.S. ports and other transportation infrastructure to deliver billions of dollars’ worth of goods and products to consumers every day. Last week, NRF revised its annual retail sales forecast to grow between 10.5 percent and 13.5 percent to more than $4.44 trillion in 2021 as the economic recovery accelerates.

Although consumer demand continues to grow, evidenced by imports during the busiest April on record at the largest U.S. retail container ports, the supply chain challenges remain significant. In a recent survey of NRF member companies on the congestion situation, over 97 percent of retailers surveyed say they have been impacted by port and shipping delays.

“In many instances retailers will absorb these costs and not pass them along to consumers. However, many smaller retailers may have no choice but to pass along these costs, especially as they face other challenges with reopening their businesses,” Shay said.

The letter is accessible here.

Posted June 14, 2021

Source: The National Retail Federation (NRF)

ITMA Asia + CITME 2021 Exhibitor Preview: Lindauer DORNIER

LINDAU, Germany — June11, 2021— For the first time in years, ITMA Asia will take place again this spring. Lindauer DORNIER is looking forward to the trade fair, which — due to the pandemic — will be held both on-site and in a virtual format. The machine and plant manufacturer from Lindau will present its latest developments in the production of high-quality filter fabrics and future-oriented fiber composite components.

“We have succeeded in launching the most flexible weaving machine in the world,” says Wolfgang Schöffl, head of the weaving machine product line. “We are talking about the P2 rapier weaving machine. It is the successor to the P1, which for years defined the international industry standard in the production of high-performance fabrics. DORNIER first presented the P2 in its standard version two years ago at the ITMA in Barcelona. Then came Corona. For a machine and plant manufacturer with an export quota of over 90 percent, this was initially a bitter blow,” Schöffl recalled. But the concern that Corona would slow down the success of the new P2 was unfounded.

The world’s largest filter manufacturers weave on DORNIER

Despite the global cutbacks caused by the pandemic, demand for the P2 rose steadily, for example among technical weavers in the filtration sector. Traditionally, some of the world’s largest filter manufacturers rely on rapier and air-jet weaving machines from DORNIER. One of them is Jingjin Environmental Protection Inc., China’s largest filter manufacturer, who, among other things, produces water filters on these machines. Recently, Jingjin has also started weaving on the P2, whose productivity has been further increased compared to its predecessor, the P1, thanks to improved shed geometry, frame rigidity and a maintenance-free drive.

Yet Schöffl believes that the great interest in the P2 is also due to the fact that it is available in three versions: with a maximum reed impact of 2.3 t, 3.7 t and 5.0 t. “We cover the entire spectrum of fabric production from very fine to very coarse fabrics.” Because no matter whether water, air, blood or gases are to be filtered: The demand for high-quality filter fabrics is growing worldwide. Among other things, this is due to stricter environmental and sustainability requirements, which demand ever more comprehensive performance parameters. “In order to continuously improve the tightness and quality of filter fabrics, we are further developing our machines in close cooperation with our customers,” says Schöffl.

Modern composite lightweight construction: PROTOS® and TRITOS®
The Composite Systems Division will also be present in Shanghai. Here, the newly developed production lines PROTOS® and TRITOS® will be the main focus of interest. Both are used to produce highly complex fiber structures and components for lightweight construction.

DORNIER customers, for instance, use PROTOS® (Polymer and Roving to Sheet) to produce modern high-performance materials based on unidirectional, thermoplastic continuous fiber reinforcements (UD tapes). They are intended to ensure low weight in vehicles, wind turbines or robots, thereby helping to improve their economic efficiency and sustainability.

TRITOS® (Textile Roving into Three-dimensionally Oriented Structure) is used, among other things, to create 3D fabrics for aircraft parts. Here, customers benefit from the decades of experience DORNIER has gained in the development of machines and systems with customers from the aerospace industry. “The demands on material quality and performance of fiber composite components are extremely high in this field,” says Josef Klingele, head of the Composite Systems product line.

With both new developments, DORNIER once again demonstrates its technological leadership. Sectors such as mobility, energy and mechanical engineering are under enormous pressure to meet the increasing demands for environmental protection and resource efficiency. “With PROTOS® and TRITOS®, we optimize the manufacturing processes of lightweight construction, today’s megatrend”, says Klingele. In addition to existing customers, customers from “non-fibre” industries, including metal or wood, are now also working together with DORNIER at the technical centers in Lindau and Esseratsweiler on tomorrow’s composite applications.

Service 4.0: Digital solutions with added value

The new DORNIER customer portal myDoX® will also be a center of attention at ITMA Asia. Based on state-of-the-art database technology, it answers the question of how a traditional machine manufacturer handles the virtual data volume of its machines and systems. In addition to online parts order processing and as a substitute for thwarted customer visits and travels, Lindauer DORNIER has recently started offering virtual tours. Machines and lines can be viewed digitally according to customer-specific focal points in our Lindau and Esseratsweiler plants: Another essential factor for improving the ecological assessment, given the strong international orientation of German mechanical and plant engineering.

Posted June 13, 2021

Source: Lindauer DORNIER GmbH 

Seventh ITMA ASIA + CITME Combined Show Successfully Opens In Shanghai

SHANGHAI — June12, 2021— The seventh ITMA ASIA + CITME 2020 exhibition opens today in Shanghai with the largest showcase of the latest textile machinery since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic last year.

Following an eight-month postponement, the combined exhibition grossing 160,000-square-metre brings together 1,237 textile machinery manufacturers from 20 countries and regions, and their buyers for face-to-face interaction.

Against the odds, the combined show only contracted by 10 percent in gross exhibition space. The better-than-expected performance of ITMA Asia + CITME 2020 attests to China being an attractive textile machinery market. As 2021 marks the first year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, it has ushered in fresh development opportunities for the local textile industry, according to the show owners.

The combined show is owned by CEMATEX (European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers), the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT (CCPIT-Tex), China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) and China Exhibition Centre Group Corporation (CIEC).

Ernesto Maurer, president of CEMATEX, explained: “We are extremely pleased to be able to stage Asia’s largest textile machinery exhibition during this challenging period, thanks to the strong performance of the China’s textile industry, and the support of our exhibitors and partners. This edition of ITMA Asia + CITME has further sealed the combined exhibition’s reputation as the leading-edge business platform in Asia for textile machinery.”

Wang Shutian, honorary president of China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA), added: “Each edition of ITMA ASIA + CITME sees strong textile industry turnout. As an industry platform, it has been instrumental in facilitating the industrial upgrading of the textile industry in China and Asia. It is especially crucial now as the physical show allows companies to reconnect face-to-face again.  Such meetings held in person are critical for building business relationships in the longer term and we are pleased to enable our participants the opportunity to do so in this exhibition.”

Key Highlights

The largest contingent of exhibitors at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2020 comes from China, which has over 1,000 participants occupying over 56,000 square meters of net exhibit space. Some major exhibitors include CHTC, Fong’s, Ningbo Cixing, Wuxi Hongyuan, Hangzhou Honghua, Jiangsu Yingyou Textile Machinery and Changshu Textile Machinery.

A total of 170 exhibitors from CEMATEX territories are taking part in the exhibition. They occupy over 9,200 square meters, amounting to 13 per cent of the net space. Two of the largest national groups are Germany and Italy. Fifty-seven German exhibitors occupy over 3,700 square meters while 63 Italian exhibitors take up more than 2,500 square meters.

The next largest group of exhibitors come from Japan, taking up more than 2,200 square meters of net space. The Japanese participation is coordinated by the Japan Textile Machinery Association — a strategic partner of the combined show.

Although international participation has been greatly reduced due to travel restrictions, ITMA ASIA + CITME 2020 still features leading brand names from Europe and Japan. They include Automatex Solution, Fil Control, Groz-Beckert, Itema, Jeanologia, Karl Mayer, MS Printing Solutions, Meech International, Muratec, Oerlikon Barmag, Picanol, Reggiani Macchine, Rieter, Santoni, Saurer, Savio, Shima Seiki, Staubli, Toyota, Tsudakoma, Vandewiele and Vanwyk.

In term of product categories, similar to previous editions, spinning remains the largest sector, occupying 25 percent of the total exhibit space. The finishing sector forms the next biggest group at 24 percent, followed by knitting (13 percent), weaving (12 percent) and printing (8 percent).

Another area showcasing industry innovation is the Research and Innovation Zone. The zone features 11 local universities and colleges. Among the participants are Donghua University, Jiangnan University, Qingdao University, Tianjin University of Technology, Wuhan Textile University, Xi’an University of Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology and other institutions.

Prior to the exhibition, extensive promotions via online and offline channels had been undertaken to ensure a strong visitor turnout. The organizers are expecting more than 400 local textile and garment manufacturer associations and their members to visit the exhibition. The exhibition also has the support of more than 100 media partners from around the world.

Onsite, the organizers are implementing various measures to protect participants’ health and safety. These measures include mandatory temperature checking and strict badge verification with facial recognition at hall entry gantries. Visitors are also advised to observe social distancing.

The combined exhibition ends on June 16, 2021. Opening hours are from 0900 to 1700 hours from June 12-15, and 0900 to 1600 on June 16. Visitors can purchase their badges onsite at the registration areas. Onsite rates are 50 yuan for a one-day badge and 100 yuan for a five-day badge.

ITMA ASIA + CITME is organized by Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition Co. Ltd. and co-organized by ITMA Services.

Posted June 12, 2021

Source: ITMA Services/Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition Co Ltd

ANDRITZ To Supply A Second High-Speed Spunlace Line To Zhejiang Saintyear Textile, China

GRAZ, Austria — June 11, 2021— International technology Group ANDRITZ has received a repeat order from Zhejiang Saintyear Textile Co. Ltd., based in China, to supply a second, complete neXline spunlace line for the production of premium-quality nonwoven roll goods. The line is scheduled for start-up during the third quarter of 2022.

No later than nine months after placing a first order for a complete high-speed spunlace line, Zhejiang Saintyear Textile has decided to rely on ANDRITZ once again by purchasing another complete line dedicated to the production of first-class wipes. The production capacity will be up to 2,800 kg/h for lightweight fabrics.

ANDRITZ will provide a full line with state-of-the-art equipment from web forming to drying. The scope of supply includes the precise opening and blending machinery from Laroche — newly acquired by the ANDRITZ GROUP — two inline TT cards, a proven JetlaceEssentiel unit for hydroentanglement, and the efficient neXdry through-air dryer.

Li Yi Ming, CEO, said: “Spunlace nonwovens are definitely a must nowadays due to their versatility, and we want to offer our customers the best-quality nonwovens. Hence, we had to go for the benchmarking company in the production of premium roll goods. This is why we have decided to rely on an ANDRITZ nonwovens system offering the best performance and runnability. We have already purchased one complete spunlace line recently from ANDRITZ that will go into operation in mid-2022. Project execution is running so smoothly so far that we did not hesitate to renew our trust by ordering a second line.”

Founded in 1981, Zhejiang Saintyear Textile Co. Ltd. is the core subsidiary of Saintyear Holding Group and one of the world leaders in the fabrics industry. With an annual output of more than 500 million meters of different fabrics, ranging from cottons, hemp and blending fibers to yarn-dyed and technical textiles, the company has become a major partner for domestic and famous international brands of clothing.

Posted June 11, 2021

Source: International technology group ANDRITZ

60th Dornbirn Global Fiber Conference (GFC) 2021, September 15-17 Webinar Week

VIENNA, Austria — June11, 2021— The 60th anniversary of the Dornbirn GFC Congress will take place virtually for well-known reasons this year.
 Nevertheless, one will be surprised by the highly interactive platform offering a wide range of services to the participants and it will create a “live feeling“ during the congress.

Top level key note speakers on the Opening Day

Representing the fiber industry, the packaging industry, the equipment & machinery industry and WWF.
 Key topics will be innovation, sustainability & circular economy and the final panel discussion with the above leaders will show us the way forward and how current and future challenges will be managed.

Exciting outcomes from the attempt of cross industry innovation – “Packaging Industry meets Fibre Industry“ – many synergies in terms of feedstock, process technology, applications, circular economy and others.

84 expert lectures from industry, universities and research institutes – Lectures will take place in parallel in 2 lecture halls.

Panel discussions, breakout sessions, virtual meeting lounges & meeting spaces – Providing a “deep dive“ on certain selective topics and offering opportunities for networking and information exchange.

Virtual exhibition area – 25 exhibitors use their booths as contact point & advertising space Dornbirn GFC 2021 Topics

  • Fibre Innovations;
  • Sustainability and Circular Economy;
  • Apparel;
  • Surface Modifications; and
  • Cross Industry Innovation: “Packaging Industry meets Fibre Industry.“

Thanks to our ambitious partners and sponsors, we are able to attract a global audience. This will foster the global exchange of ideas and innovations in the fibre industry and along the value chain of textiles and nonwovens and well into the packaging industry.

Other interesting ideas and topics will follow. Please join us and register: www.dornbirn-gfc.com

Posted June 11, 2021

Source: Dornbirn GFC

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2020 Exhibitor Preview: Marzoli

BRESCIA — June10, 2021— Marzoli – a Camozzi Group company and supplier of complete spinning lines, components and digitalized solutions that optimize performance in spinning process, will exhibit at the Asian textile exposition, ITMA Asia + CITME (Stand H8 – D50), Shanghai, June 12-16 2021.

The phrase “Textile Engineering” — incorporated in the company’s logo — perfectly expresses Marzoli’s ability to innovate and work in close contact with customers, supporting them throughout all phases of the process. Services start with feasibility and preliminary studies and continue through plant construction, line start-up, optimization, management and subsequent commissioning. Marzoli offers its services to all sizes of project from a single machine to a complete spinning mill.

Other services include: staff training and organization of maintenance activities; turnkey solutions and support in financing activities; business plan development; automation level analysis and project management.

This approach makes Marzoli the premier global partner for the textile industry today and in the future.

At ITMA Asia, Marzoli will display its Draw Frame DFR1, which leads the field in terms of production capacity and yarn quality, thanks to 1000 m/min production and low CV%. Easy to operate, outstanding reliability, high flexibility and low operational costs are key features of this world-class draw frame.

Digital Solutions

Another company strength is Marzoli’s expertise in developing the most advanced digital technologies which together create smart solutions for predictive maintenance, remote control and plant management.

Marzoli has developed MRM (Marzoli Remote Maintenance): the world’s first patented software platform able to analyse Big Data generated by machinery processes and also to continuously monitor mission critical operations. This ensures a reduction of machine downtime, a longer useful life of parts, and more timely and effective maintenance.

Alongside this, integrated management can be enabled by YarNet, highly innovative software, through which users can easily manage the entire Marzoli spinning process directly from their PC. With it every machine in a plant can be monitored with ease – a real value-added technology for customers aiming to maximise productivity and profitability.

Artificial Intelligence In Spinning Mills

Brain Box is a patented Marzoli software with an integrated APP, developed entirely in-house, which significantly improves plant performance. Tests confirm that Brain Box can generate a 5.5 percent increase in productivity, an 8% increase in efficiency, and 1.5 percent in energy savings. Installation is a fast and simple four-step process: mount sensors to each machine, connect the sensors to Brain Box, download the APP, and activate the monitoring function for the detection of any issues.

TAOMAPP is a new and innovative approach to cotton analysis in which the trash level inside the cotton is accurately determined through photographs taken by smartphone. It is based on ultra-high resolution image recognition techniques and quantifies the results on the Marzoli Trash Index. You just need to download the app and start the analysis.

Trash Analyzer: an effective tool that, together with Marzoli software platforms, analyses cotton’s trash content to optimise machinery set up. It can be applied wherever there is a flow of material in a pipeline.

Nonwovens

Marzoli will also be showing its innovative solutions for the nonwoven sector at ITMA. With its deep experience and technological knowledge in fibre preparation, Marzoli is uniquely qualified in the implementation of plant for nonwoven products. By developing strategic partnerships with each customer, bespoke nonwoven manufacturing lines, can be developed, with each one based on exact production needs.

Circular Economy

The circular economy, embracing sustainability, recycling and other green disciplines, will be another important topic at ITMA Asia. For many years Marzoli has focused on continuous innovation in the mechanical regeneration of textile fibres.

“For Marzoli, developing and adopting green technologies means carefully balancing business needs with environmental sustainability, explains Cristian Locatelli, Marzoli General Manager.  “Circularity through fabrics regeneration, is creating a synergetic value chain that benefits all stakeholders. The new paradigm of a circular fibre supply chain will accelerate learning and development of know-how pushing innovation and opening up to new potential.”

Lodovico Camozzi, president and CEO of the Camozzi Group, commented: “We are happy to be able to return to participating in exhibitions after more than a year of lockdown. Starting again with ITMA, the most important exhibition in Asian, will be a fitting occasion to compare with industry professionals and a precious opportunity to showcase the high value of Marzoli solutions for spinning. Our commitment to constant improvement represents added value for customers, who aspire to meet challenging new goals and grow in their target markets.”

Posted June 11, 2021

Source: Marzoli Machines Textile s.r.l.

EFI Reggiani Introduces State-Of-The-Art Industrial Entry-Level BLAZE Textile Digital Printer

SHANGHAI — June11, 2021— The new industrial, entry-level EFI™ Reggiani BLAZE scanning printer from Electronics For Imaging Inc. (EFI) is making its debut at the ITMA Asia + CITME tradeshow, June 12-16, 2021, in Shanghai, China. The high-quality printer is an easy-to-use, smart solution to help textile companies blaze their successful trail into the world of efficient, sustainable industrial inkjet printing. It is equipped with EFI Reggiani’s state-of-the-art technology, offering the highest quality, reliability and flexibility on the widest variety of designs.

“Despite the impact of the pandemic, EFI Reggiani has continued to invest and develop the next trailblazing technology for the textile market,” said EFI Reggiani Senior Vice President and General Manager Adele Genoni. “Our customers are our number one priority no matter how small or big they are. With the EFI Reggiani BLAZE, we are able to offer an ideal solution for companies that want to enter the industrial textile digital printing space. We are excited to be able to offer such a solution and look forward to embarking on this journey with our customers.”

EFI Reggiani is presenting the new Reggiani BLAZE printer in Hall 5, Booth D08 at ITMA Asia. The company’s exhibit in Shanghai is one of the most important showcases of new digital textile printing technology at the show, emphasizing leading-edge innovations that make customers successful in the global textile industry.

Cutting-edge technology in a compact footprint

The EFI Reggiani BLAZE printer is designed to give textile companies the opportunity to enter the digital textile printing market with a compact solution. The new, 1.8-meter wide printer offers an innovative, low-maintenance, continuous recirculation ink system equipped with a level sensor and degassing as well as a printhead crash protective system for longer printhead life and superior uptime.

Thanks to its cutting-edge printhead reliability and low maintenance costs for a competitive TCO (total cost of ownership), the BLAZE printer can produce up to 125 linear meters per hour with a printing resolution up to 600×1200 dots per inch (dpi). The printer — which delivers excellent productivity as one of the fastest digital inkjet solutions in its class — has eight 300-dpi dual channel printheads and can print in up to eight colors with full variable drop size.

Flexible fabric feed and handling for higher productivity

The EFI Reggiani BLAZE is equipped with a continuous and switchable belt washing unit to remove water and fabric hairs. An embedded device for adhesive application offers the possibility to use thermoplastic, resin and permanent adhesives.

The printer also includes other features for enhanced productivity and value, including a 400-mm roll unwinder, expandable shafts, an air gun and a pneumatic bar for standard fabrics.

Efficient software and electronics technology

The Reggiani BLAZE printer offers a friendly and intuitive user interface with real-time image processing and flexible queue management. The software also runs a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) job editor, as well as tools to accurately predict printing speed and ink usage.

The entry-level BLAZE launch is the first in an important series of 2021 product introductions coming from EFI Reggiani, including another advanced digital inkjet printer — a higher-volume EFI Reggiani HYPER model making its debut in July.

EFI Reggiani TERRA Silver enhancement

EFI has also released an enhanced version of the EFI Reggiani TERRA Silver printer, a 1.8-meter wide printer operating with EFI Reggiani’s unique TERRA pigment ink with binder solution for high-quality, highly sustainable, direct-to-textile printing without steaming or washing.

The new-version TERRA Silver printer is part of EFI’s complete TERRA line-up of pigment ink printer solutions for a greener, smarter, short process in industrial textile printing and features:

A new recirculating ink system for superior reliability and minimum maintenance at start up and during production;

  • Several printing modes to ensure maximum flexibility in terms of design capability;
  • New, real-time image processing that eliminates time spent in image pre-calculations;
  • A user friendly, intuitive interface;
  • A more-efficient polymerization process that takes place as printed textile goes through the printer’s on-board dryer.

The EFI Reggiani TERRA Silver solution prints with smooth and precise material handling of knitted and woven fabrics. Users benefit from high-uniformity printing modes, an accurate WYSIWYG interface and flexible queue management.

EFI Reggiani also is a leading developer of inks, and one of the only industry suppliers with a complete range that includes all primary textile ink types. At ITMA Asia, the company is announcing a new service provided to Chinese customers, offering EFI Reggiani AQUA water-based reactive inks that EFI Reggiani is now manufacturing in China. Designed to deliver outstanding quality on cotton, silk, viscose rayon, linen and lyocell, AQUA inks are ideal for producing home textile and fashion products with deep, intensive colors.

Now in its 75th year, EFI Reggiani delivers innovations that are the result of extensive research targeted at improving productivity and quality, optimizing the textile manufacturing process, and reducing energy and water consumption. Green EFI Reggiani processes also give users fast, complete and sustainable solutions across a broad range of textile applications. For more information about the EFI Reggiani portfolio of solutions for the textile and apparel industries, visit www.efi.com/reggiani.

Posted June 11, 2021

Source: EFI™

Cargill, HELM Partner To Build $300 Million Commercial-Scale, Renewable BDO Facility To Meet Growing Customer Demand

WAYZATA, Minn./HAMBURG, Germany — June 9, 2021 — Cargill and HELM are entering into a joint venture, Qore, to help leading brands replace fossil-based chemistries with bio-based intermediates, enabling them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the agreement, both companies are investing a combined $300 million to build the first commercial-scale, renewable 1,4-butanediol (BDO) facility in the U.S. Bio-based intermediates give the apparel, automotive, electronics and packaging industries the ability to improve their environmental footprint without sacrificing product performance or altering their existing downstream manufacturing processes.

“With consumers demanding more sustainable products, brands are not only looking for more innovative, environmentally-friendly solutions but also are needing supplier capabilities and resources that can consistently meet those expectations,” said Jill Zullo, vice president, Biointermediates/Bioindustrial at Cargill. “This new venture combines Cargill’s end-to-end supply chain and long-standing, successful product commercialization in several bioindustrial markets with HELM’s expertise in effectively bringing unique chemical applications and other creative solutions to life and to the market.”

The Qore joint venture will focus on producing QIRA™, the next-generation 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Made biologically through the fermentation of plant-based sugars, QIRA can save up to 93 percent of greenhouse gas emissions when replacing today’s widely used chemical intermediates made from traditional fossil sources. QIRA can be used the same way as its chemical counterpart but with significantly better environmental performance. For example, QIRA can be used for making spandex and other polyester-based chemical fibers as well as biodegradable plastics, polyurethane coatings, sealants and artificial leathers, thereby improving their environmental footprint.

“For HELM Chemicals, this joint venture marks an important milestone in our commitment to providing solutions for a successful transformation to a sustainable planet and society. Through partnership and collaboration with brand owners and their suppliers, we will bring sustainable product options to these consumer-driven industries that will not only help them differentiate their brands but also create a more environmentally responsible future,” said Axel Viering, member of the executive board for Business Line Chemicals at HELM.

Cargill and HELM plan to build the bio-based intermediate production facility at Cargill’s existing biotechnology campus and corn refining operation in Eddyville, Iowa. The plant will be completed and operating in 2024 to meet the demanding specification of product supply chains.

Qore has licensed Genomatica’s BDO process technology and is using Cargill’s global feedstock supply and fermentation manufacturing expertise to initially produce and distribute an expected 65,000 metric tons per year minimally of its first bio-intermediate, QIRA. HELM will work with brand owners, original equipment manufacturers and their suppliers to incorporate QIRA into their respective products.

Posted June 10, 2021

Source: Cargill / HELM

Back-To-School U.S. Retail Sales Expected To Grow 5.5 Percent* Compared To Last Year, According To Mastercard Spendingpulse

PURCHASE, N.Y. — June 10, 2021— As students wrap up the current school year, retailers — and parents — are already preparing for a robust back-to-school shopping season as more kids head back into the classroom. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse™, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment, U.S. retail sales are expected to grow 5.5 percent excluding automotive and gas during the critical July 15 through September 6 back-to-school period compared to 2020. Compared to 2019, sales are expected to grow 6.7 percent.

“Back to school has always been a prime season for retailers. This year, the broader reopening brings an exciting wave of optimism as children prepare for another school year, and the grown-ups in their lives approach a similar ‘return to office’ scenario,” said Steve Sadove, senior advisor for Mastercard and former CEO and chairman of Saks Inc. “This back-to-school season will be defined by choice as online sales remain robust, brick and mortar browsing regains momentum and strong promotions help retailers compete for shoppers’ wallets.”

Anticipated Back-to-School Retail Sales
Anticipated Year-Over-Year (YOY) Growth

2021 (July 15-September 6) vs.

2020 (July 16-September 7)

 Anticipated Year-Over-Two Years (YO2Y) Growth

2021 (July 15-September 6) vs.

2019 (July 13-September 4)
Total Retail Sales (ex. Auto and Gas) +5.5% +6.7%
Total Retail Sales (ex. Auto) +10.0% +9.1%
E-commerce Sales -6.6% +53.2%
Apparel +78.2% +11.3%
Electronics +13.0% +9.6%
Department Stores +25.3% +9.5%
Source: Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures overall retail sales across all payment types, including cash and check

Sector-Level Back-to-School Trends:

As the broader U.S. reopening occurs and consumers return to brick and mortar, we anticipate e-commerce sales will ease slightly compared to last year (-6.6%) but will remain up a significant amount (+53.2%) when compared to 2019. In terms of what consumers are buying this back-to-school season, we anticipate the following retail trends:

  • Apparel Refresh: While athleisure was the fashion statement of 2020, this year brings the diversification of the wardrobe as in-person schooling, reunions and other events drive consumers to make their social debuts in style. Apparel is expected to grow 78.2 percent YOY / 11.3 percent YO2Y.
  • Department Store Shopping Returns: Department Stores, outdoor shopping centers and malls offer a fresh change of scenery for shoppers. We forecast a 25.3 percent YOY/9.5 percent YO2Y increase in the Department Store sector as they rebound from last year’s dip in foot traffic. Buy online, pick-up in store as well as technologies such as contactless will remain important as consumers continue to seek low-contact experiences.
  • Tech Upgrade: If we learned one thing this past year, it’s that technology keeps us connected. With many states and schools determining the virtual/in-person cadence, we anticipate Electronics will be up 13.0 percent YOY/9.6 percent YO2Y.

Building on Ongoing Retail Momentum

The anticipated back-to-school sales growth is a continuation of ongoing retail sales momentum, with May marking the eighth consecutive month of Total Retail Sales growth*. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, U.S. retail sales excluding automotive and gasoline, increased 12.2% year-over-year in May, and 10.2% compared to May 2019. Online sales in May grew 1.1% and 94.8% respectively, compared to the same periods.

Mastercard SpendingPulse™ 
U.S. Snapshot – May 2021
Sales Growth 
May 2021 vs. 2020 Sales Growth 
May 2021 vs. 2019
Total Retail Sales (ex. Auto and Gas) +12.2% +10.2%
Total Retail Sales (ex. Auto) +16.4% +9.9%
E-commerce Sales +1.1% +94.8%
By Sector
Apparel +75.9% +14.7%
Department Stores +212.0% +4.2%
Furniture & Furnishings +22.5% +20.2%
Grocery +4.8% +14.4%
Jewelry +203.4% +44.7%
Lodging +254.4% -1.5%
Restaurants +84.7% +7.9%
Source: Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures overall retail sales across all payment types, including cash and check

*excluding auto and gas sales

Posted June 10, 2021

Source: Mastercard

Amazon, Hanesbrands File Joint Lawsuits Against Infringers Of Champion Trademarks

SEATTLE — June 10, 2021— Today, Amazon.com Inc., together with HanesBrands Inc. and HBI Branded Apparel Enterprises LLC (collectively, HanesBrands) jointly filed 13 lawsuits against 17 defendants for selling silicone protective earbud case covers that illegally bear HanesBrands’ registered Champion trademarks. The defendants attempted to offer the infringing products in Amazon’s store, violating Amazon’s policies, infringing on HanesBrands’ registered Champion trademarks, and breaking the law.

The lawsuits were filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. They allege that the defendants used HanesBrands’ registered Champion trademarks without authorization to deceive customers about the authenticity and origin of the products and to create a false affiliation with HanesBrands. Amazon closed the defendants’ selling accounts.

“The vast majority of Amazon customers shop with the confidence knowing they will receive an authentic product,” said Dharmesh Mehta, vice president of Customer Trust and Partner Support at Amazon. “In the rare instances when bad actors attempt to take advantage of customers and companies like HanesBrands, our team is relentless about tracking down and holding them accountable.”

Amazon strictly prohibits infringing and counterfeit products in its store, and has invested more than $700 million and employed more than 10,000 people to proactively protect its store from bad actors and bad products. Amazon uses industry-leading tools to verify potential sellers’ identities, and Amazon’s proprietary systems analyze hundreds of unique data points to verify information provided by potential sellers. In 2020, only 6 percent of attempted new seller account registrations passed its robust verifications process and listed products. As a result, fewer than 0.01 percent of all products sold on Amazon received a counterfeit complaint from customers. Those complaints were then investigated for accuracy.

“We will aggressively defend our brands and our intellectual property around the world,” said Jon Ram, president of Global Activewear at HanesBrands. “We look forward to prevailing in these lawsuits.”

In June 2020, Amazon launched its Counterfeit Crimes Unit, a global team dedicated to pursuing bad actors and holding them accountable to the fullest extent of the law, including by working with law enforcement. Amazon has filed a series of lawsuits against counterfeiters, including a suit against individuals using social media to promote and facilitate the sale of counterfeits, as well as joint lawsuits with Italian luxury brands Valentino and Ferragamo, cosmetics brand KF Beauty, family travel accessory brand JL Childress, cooler manufacturer YETI, and family-owned-and-operated card game company Dutch Blitz.

HanesBrands, the owner of the iconic Champion brand, is a socially responsible leading manufacturer of everyday casual wear in the Americas, Europe, Australia, and Asia-Pacific. For nearly 100 years, the Champion brand has been synonymous with high-quality uniforms and apparel for amateur and professional athletes, as well as popular styles of sportswear and leisurewear for kids and adults. Champion apparel has been worn by millions of everyday people, celebrities, and athletes, and the Champion brand has become one of the most recognized sportswear brands in history.

Posted June 10, 2021

Source: Amazon.com Inc.

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