Apparels

US garment spending fell 0.7 per cent in April despite a 4.6 per cent annual rise, while cotton-dominant apparel imports rose 13.4 per cent year-over-year.
Garment CPI declined slightly, and import costs remained stable.
Tariff uncertainty looms as courts challenge the President’s authority under IEEPA.
Job growth slowed to 139,000 in May, with unemployment steady at 4.2 per cent.

Farfetch has launched on Coupang’s R.LUX app, expanding its reach in South Korea’s top 10 global luxury market.
The move gives partner brands and boutiques immediate access to millions of local consumers.
Categories include womenswear, menswear, shoes, bags, watches, and fine jewellery from global labels like Dolce&Gabbana and Ferragamo, plus emerging designers.

Titan Company Limited’s new bags brand, IRTH, aims to significantly boost its online revenue from 10% to 40% by fiscal year-end, leveraging an exclusive partnership with Myntra and its own website. The brand plans aggressive expansion, including franchising, with a target of 100 stores by FY28, focusing on key cities and both mall and high street locations.

Dick’s Sporting Goods joins Fanatics Fest NYC 2025 (June 20–22) as Official Sporting Goods Retail Partner and Presenting Partner of the Kids Zone.
Highlights include athlete meet-and-greets, giveaways, batting and golf challenges, and live content with IShowSpeed.
In partnership with Nike, kids can enjoy open play and training sessions with pro athlete appearances.

TFG’s FY25 revenue rose 4.1 per cent to R62.6 billion (~$3.51 billion), driven by strong H2 and UK’s White Stuff acquisition.
Gross profit rose 6.7 per cent, EPS grew 4.9 per cent, and a 15 per cent higher dividend was declared.
TFG Africa led with 9.9 per cent early FY26 sales growth.
UK shows signs of recovery; Australia remains pressured.
Over 100 new stores and digital investments are planned.

Kering Eyewear is set to acquire Lenti, a sunglass lens maker, from Safilo, as announced by both companies. This move aligns with luxury groups’ increasing focus on their eyewear divisions to enhance revenue amid a challenging market. Kering aims to establish in-house capabilities for developing ‘Made in Italy’ sun lenses through this acquisition.

Africa accounted for 5.6 per cent of China’s apparel exports but only 2.36 per cent of its imports in Q1 2025, reflecting a continued trade imbalance.
China’s exports to Africa rose 20.2 per cent year-on-year in January–May 2025.
Apparel trade data across 2022–2024 also shows consistently higher export volumes to Africa than imports, indicating China’s dominant supplier role in African garment market.

Duluth Trading reported a 12 per cent drop in Q1 FY25 sales to $102.7 million and a net loss of $15.3 million.
DTC sales fell 17.1 per cent, and gross margin declined to 52 per cent.
Adjusted EBITDA was –$3.8 million.
CEO Stephanie Pugliese announced plans to simplify operations, enhance brand focus, and maintain FY25 guidance amid ongoing business challenges.

CaratLane, buoyed by the increasing popularity of lower-carat jewellery among younger Indians, aims to surpass its previous year’s revenue growth. The company plans to expand its footprint by opening over 40 new stores, primarily in smaller cities, and venturing into the U.S. and Dubai markets.

A UK study by WEFT and QSA partners has found strong consumer support for visible EPR charges on clothing to boost recycling and sustainability.
Over 80 per cent favour transparent labelling, with modest charges widely accepted.
Clear communication is key, with ‘charge’ preferred over ‘fee’.
The initiative could raise up to £4 billion (~$5.41 billion) annually without burdening taxpayers.