At the Great India Retail Summit 2025, Helena Kuylenstierna of H&M India highlighted the brand’s impressive growth in the country over the past decade. With 65 stores and a strong digital presence, H&M combines affordability with fashion-forward designs. Their commitment to sustainability aims for 100% recycled materials by 2030, already reaching 85 per cxent.

Sankar Chatterjee, CEO of Decathlon India, emphasized the need for long-term brand loyalty based on purpose, quality, and accessibility at The Economic Times Great India Retail Summit. Decathlon aims to increase local manufacturing and expand its retail channels, while promoting sports and enhancing consumer trust in India.

Welcoming the budget in Sri Lanka, the Joint Apparel Association Forum recently expressed serious concern over the potential impact of a premature removal of the simplified value-added tax (SVAT) without a clear, well-tested alternative.
Ensuring a smooth and transparent transition from SVAT is crucial to maintaining the apparel industry’s competitiveness and sustaining investor confidence, it said.

Cambodia and Saudi Arabia have signed an MoU to enhance trade relations, potentially boosting Cambodia’s apparel exports to Saudi Arabia, which reached $62.482 million in January–November 2024.
Despite being a major garment exporter, Cambodia’s presence in the Saudi market remains limited.
Trousers and shorts dominate its exports, followed by T-shirts and jerseys.

Birkenstock has reported a revenue of €362 million (~$390.96 million) in Q1 FY25, up 19 per cent YoY, driven by strong holiday demand and closed-toe sales.
Net profit rose to €20 million, with adjusted EBITDA reaching €102 million.
APAC led growth at 47 per cent, while B2B sales grew 30 per cent.
The company reaffirmed its FY25 guidance of 15-17 per cent revenue growth.

Puma improved its sustainability scores in water security (A-) and forests (A-) while maintaining an A in climate change, as per CDP.
It saved over 2.4 million m³ of water annually, committed to deforestation-free leather by 2030, and ensured 99.4 per cent of paper/cardboard was FSC-certified or recycled.
Puma targets a 90 per cent reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions and 33 per cent cut in Scope 3 by 2030.

The Natural Diamond Council reports an 83% price drop in 1.5-carat lab-grown diamonds since 2015, while natural diamonds maintain steady annual growth. Indian manufacturers increasingly adopt renewable energy and sustainable practices. The industry adheres to stringent ethical standards under the Kimberley Process. Opening a mine averages 10 years, emphasizing environmental and social considerations.

AEPC aims to widen the global outreach of Indian apparel exports by tapping into new and non-traditional markets in 2025-26. The sector has seen a 11.6% rise in exports despite global challenges, supported by government initiatives and significant growth in key markets like the US and Europe.

Gold investment is set to stay strong despite record-high prices affecting jewellery demand, as geopolitical risks and inflation concerns drive price increases. Subdued retail demand for jewellery has led to liquidity issues in the industry, but interest in gold ETFs remains vigorous.

Canada’s garment exports fell by 0.52 per cent to $10.795 billion in 2024.
China remained the top supplier, with a 29.54 per cent share, followed by Vietnam (14.99 per cent) and Bangladesh (13.09 per cent).
Imports from Vietnam and Cambodia increased, while those from China, Bangladesh, Italy, and India declined.
China’s market share rose slightly, while Vietnam and Cambodia gained more ground.