Apparels

Footwear brand Neeman’s has raised $4 million in its latest funding round. This capital will fuel the expansion of its physical stores and bolster its online presence. The company aims for disciplined growth and targets significant revenue increases in the coming years. This investment comes as India’s footwear market experiences robust growth.

Gold and silver have hit record highs, affecting jewellery purchases for the upcoming wedding season. Global economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions are driving this rally. Investors are buying gold and silver bars as safe-haven assets. Jewellers report a significant drop in wedding jewellery demand, with consumers opting for lower caratage gold or lighter pieces to manage budgets.

India’s zero-duty access to New Zealand, under the recently agreed FTA, quietly reshapes sourcing maths.
Cotton tees, shirts and babywear now price on par with Bangladesh and China, opening room for share gains.
With imports already rising, even small shifts in buyer preference could unlock steady, high-value export growth across the Pacific for Indian makers over time.

Bata India, a footwear giant, is planning to double its Zero-Based Merchandising stores to 800 by 2026-end. It bets on aggressive franchise expansion and technology adoption will drive market share capture, especially in smaller towns. The next 200 stores will deepen presence in tier 2, 3 markets through franchise partnerships, with expansion decisions closely linked to ZBM readiness, omnichannel capabilities, and ability to deliver consistent experiences from day one.

Carter’s posted high single-digit Q4 FY25 sales growth and low single-digit full-year gains, supported by strong US e-commerce demand and higher average unit retail pricing.
US Retail and International segments grew, while Wholesale was mixed.
CEO Douglas Palladini highlighted improved pricing discipline and consumer response.
The extra trading week added about $33 million.

A coalition of AAFA and other textile, apparel, footwear and retail groups has urged the US House to pass legislation reauthorising AGOA and Haiti HOPE/HELP.
The bills would retroactively extend the trade programmes for three years, backing US cotton and textile exports, helping diversify sourcing beyond China, and supporting about 3.6 million US workers.

Sneakers have been the kings of footwear for twenty years running, but some market analysts are ringing alarm bells about a possible downturn, pointing to a dip in growth rates. However, there’s a camp of optimists who believe that the demand for comfy kicks will never fade.

Trent’s strategy is similar to some of the world’s largest retailers, including Spain’s Inditex, owner of Zara, and British department store chain Primark, which has long prioritised dense store networks in high-footfall catchments, using scale for more bargaining power with vendors and real estate developers.

Despite booming exports, Bangladesh’s manufacturing jobs reportedly fell by about 1.4 million in a decade, with the labour squeeze reportedly being one of the sharpest in the RMG sector.
As per a study, automation slashed labour needs: workers per $1 million of garment output reportedly dropped from 220 in 2013 to just 94 in 2024, boosting productivity but freezing job growth.

Pandora anticipates slower sales growth in 2025. U.S. shoppers bought fewer items during the holiday season than expected. This has led to a downgrade in sales growth forecasts. The company plans to introduce new product lines to attract customers. Pandora also expects its operating profit and margin to remain steady.