TALA TIMES

September 12th, 2011 /Volume 32
Excerpts of recent news articles relating to issues of interest
to the Textile and Apparel industry.    

TRADE NEWS ++ 

India allows 'duty-free' access for garments from Bangladesh. The decision has been met with angry responses from the Indian garment industry. The Secretary General of the Southern India Mills Association states, "It is a disaster; our industry will now be ruined". Earlier this year the Indian government imposed a 10% duty of all branded Indian manufactured garments. The alternative for brands is now to bring in imports from Bangladesh. According to the Apparel Export Promotion Council, "these imports will severely dent apparel manufacturing activity within the country." (Just-Style 9/9)

 

Click here to read the full article. 

LEGAL NEWS ++ 

Copyright lawsuit regarding a print has been dismissed in the California US District Court. On August 11th Judge George Wu ordered a judgment AGAINST the plaintiff LA Printex. The case was brought by LA Printex against Wet Seal. In a summary judgment FOR Wet Seal, the court also ordered that Wet Seal recover over $100,000 in attorney's fees. The issue revolved around an animal print that LA Printex claimed as "original" and worthy of a copyright.

RETAIL NEWS ++ 

E-Commerce retail sales rose 17.6% over last year rising to $47.5 billion in the second quarter, and increasing 3% from the first quarter of 2011. E Commerce now has 4.6% of all retail sales. Why?..."tighter financial conditions have consumers looking for discounts on things they need," said Erik Johnson of HIS Global Insight. The result will be that bricks-and-mortar retailers will learn to be aware of online pricing when they try to sell similar products. (Washington Times, 8/16)

 

Click here to read the full article.

Retailers gain profitability with slow sales thank to tough lessons from the continuing recession with an average of almost 5.6% increase in profits based on "strong expense management". Lessons learned: keep inventories lean, use marketing dollars strategically, and taking mark downs on slow moving items more quickly. In other words, companies are doing more with less. (NY Times 8/16)

Click here to read the full article.

Slicing the calendar into as many 'seasons' as possible for retailers and manufacturers to get buyers and consumer to by more impulsively. The number of impulse purchases fell to 15% of purchases in 2010. Impulse buying was 29% in 2009. Much of this drop was the result of online consumer shopping, keeping them out of the stores. Making sure that one big-box retailer doesn't look like the next bog-box is the key. (Wall Street Journal 8/17)

Click here to read the full article.

Dollar Share of the Apparel Market. 

A chart that may surprise you!

 


(Click chart to enlarge)

JOBS NEWS ++ 

Increase in Los Angeles Apparel & Textile jobs. As interest in local production has grown, so has the number of employees working in apparel manufacturing, according to the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. In L.A. County, the number of people working in the sector increased 6.2% in June from a year ago. The industry efforts are coming at a time of renewed inertest in US made textiles and apparel as American plants benefit from rising costs abroad, particularly in China, and US brands' demand for greater control of their supply chains. (LA Times 8/9)

 

Click here to read the full article. 

 

MARKET REPRESENTATION ++ 

Company seeking representation.... Vertex Agencies, a textile company based in Pakistan, is seeking a company to represent them in the U.S. Market.

Contact Name: Asif Haroon
Email: asif@vertexagencies.com
Web: www.vertexagencies.com  

 

Brought to you by:

the California Fashion Association
 

For more information, contact the TALA office:

p. 213.627.6173 / e. info@talausa.org

 
UPCOMING EVENTS 

 

Sept 16-18: Designers & Agents Show, New York

 

 

Sept 20-22: Premiere Vision, Paris

 

Sept 22: CFA Advisory Board Meeting

 

Sept 23: Macy's Passport Fashion Show at the Orpheum Theater

 

Sept 30 - Oct 3: Designers & Agents Show, Paris 

 

 

Oct 1: Fashion Industries Guild 'People of the Year' Celebration / Honoring CFA Members Lars Viklund, Kevin Talbot and Jodi Sundberg of

Heart and Soul

 

Oct 3: Directives West Fashion Show: "Trends of the Season" (by invitation) 

 

Oct 3-5: LA 'Majors' Market

 

Oct 10: Moss Adams Apparel Industry Networking Reception at J.W. Marriott at LA LIVE 

 

Oct 10-12: LA International Textile Show / CMC 

 

Oct 11: CFA Presentation / LA International Textile Show: "Hot Button Issues Affecting Textiles and Apparel Today"

 

Oct 12: KOTRA Seminar / LA Textile Show - CFA Panel: "The U.S. FTA with Korea: The Right Product at the Right Price" 

 

 

Oct 13: 4th Annual Crystal Ball into the Future...

Host Sponsor: Wells Fargo / Cooperating Sponsor: Avery Dennison

- Featured Speaker: Marshal Cohen of NPD 

 

 

Oct 17-20: LA Fashion Market / CMC, New Mart, Cooper Design Space

 

Oct 18-20: Focus Apparel & Accessories Show / CMC

 

Oct 18-20: Transit LA Shoe Show / CMC  

 

 

Oct 27-30: Dallas Apparel & Accessories Market

 

Nov 2: Fashion Industry Human Resource Association (FIHRA) Meeting / O.C. Chapter

 

Nov 4: Apparel Magazine Tech Conference, New York

 

Nov 8: CFA Seminar / Market Tuesday: "Building Your Retail Brand"

 

Nov 10: Fashion Industry Human Resource Association (FIHRA) Meeting / L.A. Chapter 

 

Nov 17: CFA / Orange County Professionals Club (OCPC) Networking Event 

For additional information of all events, please contact the TALA office