The National Retail Federation (NRF) Expects Holiday Sales Will Grow Between 3.6 And 5.2 Percent

WASHINGTON — November 23, 2020 — With retail sales rebounding strongly due to continued consumer resilience, the National Retail Federation today forecast that holiday sales during November and December will increase between 3.6 percent and 5.2 percent over 2019 to a total between $755.3 billion and $766.7 billion. The numbers, which exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants, compare with a 4 percent increase to $729.1 billion last year and an average holiday sales increase of 3.5 percent over the past five years.

“We know this holiday season will be unlike any other, and retailers have planned ahead by investing billions of dollars to ensure the health and safety of their employees and customers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Consumers have shown they are excited about the holidays and are willing to spend on gifts that lift the spirits of family and friends after such a challenging year. We expect a strong finish to the holiday season and will continue to work with municipal and state officials to keep retailers open and the economy moving forward at this critical time.”

NRF expects that online and other non-store sales, which are included in the total, will increase between 20 percent and 30 percent to between $202.5 billion and $218.4 billion, up from $168.7 billion last year.

“Given the pandemic, there is uncertainty about consumers’ willingness to spend, but with the economy improving most have the ability to spend,” NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said. “Consumers have experienced a difficult year but will likely spend more than anyone would have expected just a few months ago.

“After all they’ve been through, we think there’s going to be a psychological factor that they owe it to themselves and their families to have a better-than-normal holiday. There are risks to the economy if the virus continues to spread, but as long as consumers remain confident and upbeat, they will spend for the holiday season.”

Kleinhenz said households have strong balance sheets supported by a strong stock market, rising home values and record savings boosted by government stimulus payments issued earlier this year. Jobs and wages are growing, energy costs are low and reduced spending on personal services, travel and entertainment because of the virus has freed up money for retail spending.

As a result of store shutdowns and stay-at-home orders last spring, not all retailers and categories have rebounded as quickly, including small and mid-sized retailers. However, in the aggregate retail sales have seen a V-shaped recovery, growing both month-over-month and year-over-year each month since June. As calculated by NRF, sales were up 10.6 percent in October versus October 2019, likely driven in part by early holiday shopping. For the first 10 months of this year, retail sales were up 6.4 percent versus the first 10 months of 2019.

With ecommerce sales up 36.7 percent year-over-year during the third quarter, many households are expected to depend on digital shopping to make many of their holiday purchases, just as they have for much of their everyday spending this year. The online spending includes websites operated by bricks-and-mortar retailers, which have become major players in the online market as retail channels have merged.

Weather traditionally plays a role in holiday sales, and while details vary by region, the National Weather Service is forecasting cooler and wetter weather in the north and warmer and drier weather in the south. Kleinhenz said that combination has correlated with stronger retail holiday spending in the past and could be a factor this year.

The NRF forecast is based on an economic model that takes into consideration a variety of indicators including employment, wages, consumer confidence, disposable income, consumer credit, previous retail sales and weather. NRF defines the holiday season as November 1 through December 31. Numbers forecast by NRF may differ from other organizations that define the holiday season as a longer period or include retail sectors not included by NRF, such as automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants.

The forecast comes as NRF’s latest research shows 42 percent of consumers started their holiday shopping earlier than usual this year. NRF’s “New Holiday Traditions” campaign has urged consumers to shop safe and shop early amidst the pandemic, and 59 percent had begun by early November, up from 49 percent at that point a decade ago. Other holiday information is available on NRF’s Winter Holidays web page.

Posted November 23, 2020

Source: The National Retail Federation (NRF)

The European Textiles Industry Makes A Final Call To Reach An Agreement On E.U.-U.K. Negotiations – Nearly 130,000 Jobs Are At Stake

BRUSSELS — November 23, 2020 — A new study, commissioned by EURATEX with the University of Leuven*, reveals that a “no deal” Brexit would have a detrimental impact on the textile and clothing industry (T&C) with job losses over 100,000 for the E.U.27 and over 27,000 for the United Kingdom. Output losses for the United Kingdom would be 41.8 percent of its value added in T&C production, while the E.U.27 as a whole would lose about 9.7 percent.

Negotiators are making a final effort, but a “no deal” can still occur if there is no timely ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement, or if the Withdrawal Agreement is ratified but no agreement on the EU-UK future relationship is struck before the end of the transition period.

A soft Brexit scenario would minimize the damage, but it would still disrupt European value chains and lead to heavy job losses. A soft Brexit would still be significant with, for United Kingdom, 4,759 jobs lost and an output loss of 7.3 percent of its value added; while for the E.U.27, 17,786 jobs will be lost and there would be output losses of 1.7 percent of its value added.

Under a no deal Brexit, the output losses for the United Kingdom would be 41.8 percent of its value added in production, while the E.U.27 as a whole would lose about 9.7 percent of its GDP. For the United Kingdom, this corresponds to absolute job losses of 27,141 jobs, while for the E.U.27 as a whole the job loss would amount to 101,756 jobs lost.

With no surprise, the largest share of the E.U.27 job losses take place, in decreasing order, in Italy, Romania, Portugal, Germany, France, Spain and Poland. Under a hard Brexit, about respectively 27,000, 12,000 and 11,000 jobs will be lost in Italy, Romania and Portugal, which corresponds to about 27 percent, 12 percent and 10 percent of the E.U.27 total working population in the sector.

However, as a proportion of the sector employment and value added in the country, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, France, Denmark and Czechia would be the most affected countries within the E.U.27,  both in terms of value added as in job losses. For Ireland and Belgium, a “no deal” Brexit would lead to respectively -23 percent and -14 percent of job losses in the sector and an output loss of -40 percent and -25 percent of their sector value added.

Dirk Vantyghem, director general of EURATEX commented on the study results: “These figures reflect companies’ legitimate concern with a no-deal Brexit. E.U.-U.K. trade relations are an essential component of their competitive business model, on both sides. For the T&C industry, we have offered a win-win solution (integrating the UK in the PEM Convention), which would limit disruptions in the T&C value chain to a minimum.”

EURATEX President Alberto Paccanelli, complemented: “I call on political leaders on both sides to use their common sense, and think about the jobs which are at stake. Our companies try to maintain employment levels, despite the impact of Covid19; we cannot add more burden to them.”

* Study conducted by Prof. Hylke Vandenbussche. Faculty of Economics and business, University of Leuven, Belgium. Full details available with EURATEX (contact Roberta Adinolfi – adinolfi@euratex.eu) .

Posted November 23, 2020

Source: EURATEX

Carrington Textiles Has Launched Its Antimicrobial*-Treated Carrington Mask

ADLINGTON, England — November 23, 2020 — Carrington Textiles has launched its new Carrington Mask — a face covering that’s reusable, machine washable, adjustable and powered with a treatment that combines an advanced silver and a vesicle technology to inhibit growth and persistence of microorganisms on the fabric surface.

With this new product, Carrington Textiles showcases its 130 years’ experience in manufacturing specialized fabrics for different sectors by offering a product that not only delivers outstanding antimicrobial and launderability performance, but also provides a great variety of fun and fashionable colors and prints to stand out in a market where most treated face masks look the same.

The fabric for the new Carrington Mask has been enhanced with HeiQ Viroblock, a treatment that’s added at the end of the manufacturing process. The technology combines engineered antimicrobial silver technology and uses vesicle technology as a booster for robust and rapid efficacy. It also kills the bacteria that cause unpleasant odors.

As stated by the Swiss company, HeiQ Viroblock technology has been independently tested effective against SARS-CoV-2**, the COVID-19 causing virus, and is proven to deactivate viruses in 5 minutes***.  The treatment is EU REACH and US FIFRA compliant, OEKOTEX® certified, ZDHC and bluesign® homologized. Treated textile articles are compliant with EU BPR and US EPA.

The treatment withstands up to 30 gentle washes at 60°C which makes the Carrington Mask a reusable face covering for the benefit of the environment. Using 100-percent cosmetic grade ingredients, this technology is also non-toxic, non-sensitizing, non-irritant and hypoallergenic.

In terms of design, the Carrington Mask has been carefully created with comfort and everyday use in mind, featuring a soft cotton/lycra fabric that due to its elasticity fits perfectly to any face shape, as well as including adjustable ear loops for extra comfort.

These new antimicrobial treated face masks by Carrington Textiles are available in the company’s brand new online shop and they come in 12 different models, including six Christmas prints excellent for this season, two camouflage prints for a ‘cool’ look, as well as four unicolor face masks for those looking for a more classic style.

As a way to continue the manufacturer’s CSR activities, Carrington Textiles is providing 10 percent of all sales to Lancashire-based charities Derian House Children’s Hospice and Inspire Youth Zone.

The Carrington Mask is not intended for medical use and it does not substitute other recommended measures to stop the community spread of any viruses including social distancing, washing your hands.

*This Mask is treated with a biocide to protect it from microbes and germs. Active ingredient: silver chloride
**M.J. (2020) Report on Viral Stability and Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 on Treated Material. Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Australia
***Data provided by HeiQ based on testing conducted on other materials

HEIQ, VIROBLOCK and HEIQ VIROBLOCK are trademark(s) or registered trademark(s) and properties of HeiQ Materials AG.

Posted November 23, 2020

Source: Carrington Textiles

Bio-Based Reactive PUR Hot Melt Adhesive For Sustainable Textile Lamination

Jowatherm-Reaktant® GROW 631.20 is the first certified bio-based reactive polyurethane hot melt adhesive for textile laminating.

DETMOLD, Germany— November 23, 2020 — Jowat is presenting the latest addition to its Jowatherm-Reaktant® GROW product family — the first certified bio- based reactive polyurethane hot melt adhesive for textile laminating.

Only high-performance bio-based adhesives that have been optimized for the use in sustainable manufacturing processes are included in the “GROW” product line from Jowat. Jowatherm-Reaktant® GROW 631.20 is the first reactive PUR hot melt adhesive based on renewable raw materials available for laminating operations in the textile and automotive industry. The sustainable adhesive is marked with the labels “DIN geprüft biobasiert” (bio-based certification by the German Institute for Standardization, DIN) and “Green Leaf by Intertek”.

The new adhesive boasts a certified renewable raw material content of over 20 percent and is characterized by a performance on par with its established conventional counterparts in the Jowat portfolio. The new bio- based adhesive fulfills high requirements for washing resistance and soft textile feel, can be processed at temperatures between 110 and 140 °C, and meets of course the specifications of ECO PASSPORT by OEKO- TEX® for the manufacture of products certified according to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX. In addition, it can be easily integrated in existing processes.

It can be used for bonding operations in the manufacturing of mattresses and upholstery covers, medical textiles, protective clothing, building textiles, abrasive materials, cleaning textiles, and all established textile laminating applications in the automotive industry. Due to the renewable raw materials in its formulation, it is of particular interest for enterprises that want to reduce the use of fossil raw materials in their manufacturing processes step by step.

Jowatherm-Reaktant GROW 631.20 is the first in a series of reactive PUR hot melt adhesives with the “GROW” label to be presented by the adhesives manufacturer Jowat from Detmold. It marks an important step on the way towards more sustainable bonding processes.

Posted November 23, 2020

Source: Jowat SE

Archroma Tops Institute Of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE) List Of Industrial Chemical Companies Driving Supply Chain Transparency

REINACH, Switzerland — November 23, 2020 — Archroma, a global supplier of specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, has been recently ranked number 1 in the “industrial chemicals” list published by the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE) for driving transparency in their supply chain.

Archroma also entered the Top 50 of companies in IPE’s Green Supply Chain CITI Evaluation, at the 47th position. The evaluation dynamically assesses brands on the environmental management of their supply chains in China.

Archroma supplies industries as diverse as textiles, fashion, packaging, paper, adhesives, paints, and construction, with innovations and solutions that can be found in many consumer goods, from paper and packaging, to home décor paints and textiles, to clothing and car seats.

With a wide array of products used every day, everywhere, the company is committed to operate along the principles of “The Archroma Way to a Sustainable World: Safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”. The Archroma team is therefore committed to sourcing safe and sustainable raw materials and intermediates from like-minded partners.

Archroma’s efforts in this area have been noticed and rewarded earlier this year with the EcoVadis Gold award.

Heike van de Kerkhof, CEO of Archroma, recently delivered a message at the IPE 2020 Green Supply Chain Forum online, and commented: “As industry leader, we have the responsibility to keep on addressing the climate challenge, and to do everything we can together to reduce our impact on the environment. This is where the approach of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs supports us. They encourage us to challenge our suppliers in terms of safety, health and environment, and to go even beyond our own strict policies and processes.”

“We congratulate Archroma for its excellent acceleration of supply chain oversight during 2020,” said Dr. Linda Greer, IPE’s Senior Global Fellow, “and we are delighted to welcome them into our Top 50 in their very first year. We hope that companies sourcing chemicals for manufacturing take note of this leadership in sustainability, as it is so rare to see in the chemical sector.”

Posted November 23, 2020

Source: Archroma

Tommy Hilfiger Appoints Avery Baker As President And Chief Brand Officer

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands — November 19, 2020 — Tommy Hilfiger, which is owned by PVH Corp., is pleased to announce the appointment of Avery Baker as president and chief brand officer, effective November 17, 2020. In the newly established role, Baker has global responsibility for the brand’s products, marketing and experiences across all categories, regions and channels.

Since joining Tommy Hilfiger in 1998, Baker has held multiple roles across the company’s global offices, including chief marketing officer and chief brand officer. In mid-2019, Baker stepped away from her role to spend time focused on family, and she now returns to the organization to contribute in writing the next chapter for a company and brand she cares so much about. During her tenure at the company, Baker has been instrumental in evolving TOMMY HILFIGER into one of the world’s most recognized premium lifestyle brands. She has a track record of developing and implementing brand building strategies that drive business growth and brand equity.

“Avery has a deep sensitivity for the heritage and DNA of TOMMY HILFIGER, with a track record of launching impactful consumer initiatives that drive both the brand and business,” said Martijn Hagman, CEO, Tommy Hilfiger global and PVH Europe. “A commitment to aspirational products and world-class marketing sits at the heart of our vision to become a true global brand that leads with purpose. We’re excited to welcome Avery back into the Tommy Hilfiger family to lead the brand across both of these areas and unlock its full global potential.”

“In these challenging times, brands have an opportunity and a responsibility to make a difference in the lives of consumers,” Baker said. “I believe that Tommy Hilfiger can have an enormous positive impact as a company that is loved as much for our actions as for the outstanding products we design. I’m thrilled to embark on this new journey with Tommy, Martijn, and our leadership teams in Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas, as we work to achieve the long-term potential in each region and transform the company from the inside out — from culture to consumer — to become a company built for the 2020’s.”

Baker was appointed the company’s chief brand officer in 2014 and brought together creative and business management to deliver a new brand vision, leveraging a combination of pop culture, fashion, technology and entertainment. She has driven transformational programs including TOMMYNOW — the fashion industry’s largest and most successful “See Now, Buy now” runway show — and reignited the ‘90s-inspired TOMMY JEANS label, leveraging its heritage to emerge as a favorite among younger consumers. During her tenure, the high-profile partnerships established with influential tastemakers including Lewis Hamilton, Zendaya, Gigi Hadid, KITH and Vetements increased brand relevance and expanded the company’s appeal to a new generation of fans.

TOMMY HILFIGER is one of the world’s leading lifestyle brands, with a globally recognized name and identity. The company’s marketing initiatives have been instrumental to the increasing footprint of TOMMY HILFIGER through the consistent growth of global brand awareness and consumer-centric strategies that build and retain a loyal fan base. Today, brand exposure is at an all-time high as a result of standout collections, campaigns, partnerships and impactful consumer activations.

Posted November 20, 2020

Source: Tommy Hilfiger

Carbios Produces First Clear Plastic Bottles From Enzymatically Recycled Textile Waste

CLERMONT-FERRAND, France — November 19, 2020 — CARBIOS, a company developing new enzymatic solutions to reinvent the lifecycle of plastic and textile polymers, today announced it has successfully produced the first bottles containing 100-percent recycled purified terephthalic acid (rPTA) from textile waste that contains a high polyetylene terephthlate (PET) content. This result confirms the capacity of Carbios’ technology to recycle textile waste and opens up access to an additional waste stream of up to 42 million tons per year, worth over $40 billion.

“I am very proud that we successfully transformed polyester textile waste into clear bottles, which have identical properties as those made from virgin PET. This major innovation allows us to expand our sources of supply which, until now, consisted primarily of PET plastic waste,” said Professor Alain Marty, chief scientific officer of Carbios.

Currently, mechanical recycling technologies do not enable clothing waste to be recycled efficiently. The few textiles that can be reused, are incorporated into lower quality applications such as padding, insulators or rags. This process is called downcycling.

In contrast, the breakthrough developed by Carbios enables polyester textile fibers to be upcycled in a high quality grade of PET suitable for the production of clear bottles.

“This result demonstrates the extent of our technology’s possibilities: We can now produce transparent bottles from polyester textile waste or from post-consumer colored bottles. This works both ways — so we can also make a t-shirt from bottles or disposable food trays,” Professor Marty said. Indeed, Carbios has succeeded in producing PET fibers for textile applications with 100 percent rPTA, from enzymatically recycled PET plastic waste.

These major outcomes were achieved as part of the CE-PET (Circular Economy PET) research project, of which Carbios is the lead alongside its partner TWB (Toulouse White Biotechnology). This project was financed by ADEME (the French Environment and Energy Management Agency)2.

Carbios’ process enables low-value waste to be recovered and to have a new life in more challenging applications — in short, it facilitates infinite recycling of PET-based plastics and textiles. This innovative enzymatic waste recycling technology is fully in line with European objectives of creating a circular economy and strengthening environmental protection.

Posted November 20, 2020

Source: CARBIOS

Lululemon Expands Board Of Directors With Appointment Of Kourtney Gibson

VANCOUVER, British Columbia— November 19, 2020 — lululemon athletica inc. today announced the appointment of Kourtney Gibson to serve on its board of directors, effective immediately.

Gibson is president of Loop Capital Markets, one of the largest privately held investment banking, brokerage, and advisory firms headquartered in the United States. After joining the company as an intern more than 20 years ago, she has held various roles at the firm, including spearheading its global equity division for more than a decade.

“Kourtney Gibson is an accomplished business leader with an impressive track record of identifying high-growth opportunities for her clients,” said Glenn Murphy, chairman of the board. “We are counting on her to bring powerful consumer and market insights to our CEO and senior management team. On behalf of the entire board of directors, I am pleased to welcome Kourtney to the lululemon family.”

“lululemon is a unique brand with an impressive growth runway. I’m excited to join the Board of Directors to support the brand’s strategic vision and to help build upon the momentum in the business,” Gibson said.

Gibson received an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a B.B.A. from the University of Miami. She is on the boards of MarketAxess Holdings Inc., a global financial technology company, as well as the University of Miami, Viterbo University, and various non-profit boards. She is a member of the Treasury Market Practices Group sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Economic Club of Chicago.

Gibson resides in Atlanta with her husband and three daughters and is an avid runner.

Posted November 20, 2020

Source: lululemon athletica inc. 

Hanes Hosiery Donates More Than a Quarter of a Million Face Masks to Support Arkansas Emergency Management

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — November 19, 2020 — Committed to doing its part to help during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hanes Hosiery has donated 263,000 seamless face masks produced in Clarksville, Ark., to the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management.

The division, which provides efficient resources in response to emergencies and disasters impacting the region, will distribute the face masks to the Arkansas Department of Health and Department of Education, and to other local organizations providing aid to residents and essential workers during the pandemic.

“In true Arkansas spirit, Hanes responded to the needs of its neighbors, and people all over the nation have benefited from personal protective equipment manufactured in Arkansas,” said Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. “With this generous donation of masks to our Division of Emergency Management, even more Arkansans will benefit. Thank you, Hanes, for this significant contribution to the fight against COVID-19.”

Hanes lightweight two-ply stretch-to-fit masks were introduced to consumers and business-to-business customers in June. Available on Hanes.com, in HanesBrands outlet stores and on leading retailer sites including Macys.com, the face masks feature a seamless design with comfort ear loops and soft, breathable, moisture-wicking fabric. The washable and reusable face masks are available in a six-count package in six colors, including aluminum, royal blue, black, white, blossom and a newly released color, port.

HanesBrands, the parent company of Hanes Hosiery and the world’s largest basic apparel manufacturer, began helping to fight the spread of COVID-19 in March by converting production of apparel to production of personal protective garments, including face masks and medical gowns.

“Our dedicated employees were integral in designing this face mask and helping us quickly pivot to large-scale production to meet an important need during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jill King, general manager of hosiery for HanesBrands. “On behalf of our Arkansas-based employees, we are incredibly proud to support the communities where our team lives and works.”

Posted November 20, 2020

Source: Hanes Hosiery

Lululemon Names Meghan Frank CFO

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — November 20, 2020 — lululemon athletica inc. today announced the promotion of Meghan Frank to CFO. Frank joined lululemon in 2016, and, effective November 23, will become the company’s first female CFO.

Calvin McDonald, CEO of lululemon, said: “Meghan has a unique and comprehensive understanding of retail gained through her experience across finance and merchandise planning. Earlier this year, when we started to navigate the COVID-19 environment, Meghan confidently took on more responsibility within the company and demonstrated agility, business acumen, and natural leadership skills. I’m thrilled to be working closely with her in her new role and benefiting from her strategic insights.”

“I’m honored to be taking on this role and working alongside an incredibly talented leadership team,” Frank said. “We continue to see many opportunities ahead for lululemon and I’m excited to be part of the journey as we further build on our momentum and work to deliver on our strategic growth priorities.”

Frank has more than 20 years of experience within the retail industry. She joined lululemon in 2016 as senior vice president of Financial Planning and Analysis and, since April, has served as interim co-CFO, along with Alex Grieve, vice president, controller for the company. Previously, Frank held senior roles at Ross Stores and J.Crew, where she served for nearly a decade. She earned her B.A. from Colgate University.

As CFO, Frank will assume responsibility for the finance, tax, treasury, investor relations, asset protection, facilities, operations excellence, and strategy functions.

Posted November 20, 2020

Source: lululemon athletica inc. 

1...986987988...2,672Page 987 of 2,672

Sponsors

Breaking News

Load more

Digital Issue

2026 Quarterly Issue III

View Latest Digital Issue

FEATURED ARTICLES

© Copyright 2017 Textile Industries Media Group, LLC.