Rue21, a leading fast fashion apparel retailer, and Columbus Consulting International, a leading retail consulting firm, have announced that they have partnered to develop a strategic technology roadmap for the retailer. The focus of the partnership is moving the consumer to the centre of the operations and prioritising initiatives to best serve shoppers. Key milestones for Rue21 have been outlined and they include achieving real-time inventory visibility across all channels to enable buy

Leisure sneakers dominated US footwear sales between May 2017 and April 2018, according to The NPD Group. Non-performance, athletic-inspired sneaker sales for adults were up by 17 per cent in the period over the previous year. The men’s market, comprising over 60 per cent of sales, grew 10 per cent while the women’s market grew the fastest, up 33 per cent.Sports slides were next to sneakers with a sales rise of 34 per cent, contributing the second most dollars gained in the men’s market. In

Boosting circular fashion, C&A Foundation has selected five pilot initiatives as part of its open request for proposals to bridge the gap in the implementation of circular business models at all levels of the global apparel value chain. This follows its 2017 Request for Proposals: ‘Bridging the Gap’ Implementation of Circular Economy in the Apparel Sector. The Foundation has announced €1.29 million in funding to support these initiatives. The Bridging the Gap’s partners will comp

I.Level Software has unveiled the new ASOS stock control module which lets fashion brands trade across ASOS with full stock control and logistics capabilities, reducing hours of manual work in the process. The company is a leading provider of fashion software solutions. ASOS sells cutting-edge fashion and offers a wide variety of fashion-related content. The key module features in the software includes following progress on all ASOS customer orders, creating bespoke ASOS packing lists, cre

The autumn edition of CHIC Shanghai, to be held from September 27 to 29, 2018, is set to display latest innovations in fashion with its motto ‘New Makers’. With around 800 exhibitors from 21 countries at 65,000 square metres area, this edition of Asia’s leading fashion trade fair will provide the essential tool box to crack the Chinese consumer market. According to the edition’s motto ‘New Makers’ and the new show design, CHIC September will be all about innovation. CHIC talks and CHIC fas

China has reportedly signed contracts for 5 lakh bales of cotton from India for the new cotton season. As the country has announced an additional quota of 48 lakh bales, whose procurement may start from July 1, India may benefit by at least selling 10-15 per cent of that quantity, according to industry sources. China’s buffer stocks began depleting from 2015. According to traders, China is likely to import at least 20 lakh bales from India. India’s cotton season starts from October.

More than 2,000 foreign companies from 16 countries and territories have invested around $15.75 trillion in Vietnam’s garment and textile sector so far, according to Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) chairman Vu Duc Giang. South Korea is the biggest investor with its investment exceeding $4.4 billion, followed by Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. Taiwan’s investment is worth $2.5 billion, Hong Kong’s $2.1 billion and Japan’s $789 million, according to a Vietnamese news agency report.

The US department of commerce (USDC) has announced affirmative final determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of low melt polyester staple fibre (PSF) from two countries. USDC determined that exporters from South Korea and Taiwan sold low melt PSF at dumping margins ranging from 0–16.27 per cent and 49.93 per cent, respectively. As a result of this decisions, USDC will instruct US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of l

The Japan International Apparel Machinery & Textile Industry Trade Show (JIAM 2020 Osaka), the world’s leading sewing equipment trade fair, has opened registrations for exhibitors. The 12th edition of the show, which is organised by the Japan Sewing Machinery Manufacturers Association (JASMA), will be held from May 20 to 23, 2020, at Intex, Osaka, in Japan. The show displays the latest technologies and innovative new products related to the entire sewing, apparel manufacturing, and tex

FiberVisions, an Indorama Ventures company, is set to present a new expanded range of CoolVisions dyeable polypropylene fibre, at the Denver version of Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, which will be held from July 23 to 26, 2018. FiberVisions is the global leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing polyolefin staple fibres for nonwoven applications. The range of textile and apparel products featuring CoolVisions includes knits, wovens, denims, and insulation fill, giving brands and cons