Women's Clothing Industry Market Research & Statistics Global Women’s Clothing Industry The global women’s clothing industry is expected to exceed $621 billion in 2014, marking a 12% increase in five years, reports MarketLine. Clothing retailers account for the largest share of the market at almost 65% in terms of value. Major drivers of the world womenswear market include fashion, with shoppers eager to keep up with the latest trends, consumer confidence and rising income levels. As consumers made less purchases during the economic recession, retailers currently find themselves with a product surplus. Regional Markets The US womenswear industry was severely affected by the housing and economic crisis. Key Market Segments The world bridal wear industry is expected to reach almost $57 billion by 2015, according to Global Industry Analysts. Market Outlook Though the global womenswear industry is recovering following the economic recession, the retailing landscape continues to witness changes. Leading Industry Associations More »
The fashion business - BBC News Image copyright AFP We know that clothing is big business, but it may be surprising just how big. The fashion industry's contribution to the British economy is an estimated £26bn - that's twice the size of the car industry's and nearly as big as the contribution from housing, according to the British Fashion Council. It is not just dresses and handbags, but also design and manufacturing that make the sector the largest part of the so-called creative industries, which include marketing, etc. It's an important part of the services sector that makes up around four-fifths of the economy. I wrote then that it was a tougher sector to picture than say manufacturing cars which is tangible. But a couple of times a year during London Fashion Week, it is visible as models wear dresses that embody design as they sashay down the catwalk. In the five days of London Fashion Week, about £100m of orders are placed for that season. It's also an industry that has taken to social media to reach that market.
UK retail sales volumes dip in June - BBC News UK retail sales volumes fell unexpectedly by 0.2% in June, after consumers bought fewer household goods, and less food and petrol. The figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also showed the annual rate of sales growth slowed to 4.0% last month from 4.7% in May. That was the slowest annual growth rate since September 2014, and was below analysts' forecasts. However, the ONS said the annual growth rate was still "strong". Sales volumes in the April-to-June quarter were up 0.7% from the previous quarter. The value of online sales in June increased by 1.4% compared with May and accounted for 12.4% of all retail sales. Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist for IHS Global Insight, said June's sales data was "a little disappointing" but added that the figures were "not a body blow to improved second quarter growth hopes". Many analysts have been expecting retail sales to do well, with recent statistics showing wage increases are picking up while inflation remains near zero.
Is American Apparel A Dead Brand Walking? “We believe that we may not have sufficient liquidity necessary to sustain operations for the next twelve months,” read a release from American Apparel, connected to a regulatory filing triggered by its inability to meet a scheduled debt payment to one of its major creditors Monday. “These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt that we may be able to continue as a going concern.” Translation: American Apparel may have just months to live. Now, this is far from the first time the once-inescapable hipster basics brand has missed a payment, declared serious losses, or indicated how close it is to complete insolvency—but it is the worst economic report Dov Charney’s Lycra-infused brainchild has ever given. And with good reason. Okay! Well, let’s just say that American Apparel makes its next debt payment, stays out of a structured bankruptcy, and continues to sell crop tops. Unless something really special happens, we're going to have to start working on that obit. (Via Fortune) Okay!
The Problem with Society isn't Greed Greed Is a Symptom of a Deep Need Going Unfulfilled A lot of people reacted to my comment on Facebook the other day that greed is more a symptom than a cause of our current system, with all its inequities. I’m asked, What is the cause of greed? First I’ll say what I think greed is: Greed is the insatiable desire for that which one doesn’t really need, or in amounts beyond one’s needs. When we are cut off from the fulfillment of our basic needs we seek out substitutes to temporarily ease the longing. Causes of separation The causes of our separation from all these things pervade every aspect of our culture. Do we have to just adapt to not having our needs met? Perhaps such an upbringing is necessary in our cultural context. Various aspects of our economic system reflect this programming. Decay Greed video by Sustainable Human A scarcity mentality When I describe the experience of early childhood, I don’t mean to simplistically blame greed on only that. I could name another hundred of these.
World needs to stabilise population and cut consumption, says Royal Society | Environment World population will reach 9 billion by 2050. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images World population needs to be stabilised quickly and high consumption in rich countries rapidly reduced to avoid "a downward spiral of economic and environmental ills", warns a major report from the Royal Society. Contraception must be offered to all women who want it and consumption cut to reduce inequality, says the study published on Thursday, which was chaired by Nobel prize-winning biologist Sir John Sulston. The assessment of humanity's prospects in the next 100 years, which has taken 21 months to complete, argues strongly that to achieve long and healthy lives for all 9 billion people expected to be living in 2050, the twin issues of population and consumption must be pushed to the top of political and economic agendas. "The number of people living on the planet has never been higher, their levels of consumption are unprecedented and vast changes are taking place in the environment.
Market Red Alert I have never done anything like this before. Ever since I started The Economic Collapse Blog in late 2009, I have never issued any kind of “red alert” for any specific period of time. As an attorney, I was trained to be level-headed and to only come to conclusions that were warranted by the evidence. So this is not something that I am doing lightly. To clarify, when I say “imminent” I do not mean that it will happen within the next 48 hours. What I am attempting to communicate is that we are right at the door of a major turning point. This time around, I wish that I could visit the living rooms of all of my readers and explain to them why we are on the verge of another major financial crisis. Let’s start with a little discussion about the U.S. economy. Let me give you just one quick example. This is the kind of chart that you would expect from a very sick economy. If the stock market was connected to reality, it would be going down. For instance, just check out the chart posted below.
Why people are fleeing Syria: a brief, simple explanation With the refugee crisis worsening as many Syrians attempt to flee to Europe, many people may find themselves wondering just how the war in that country got so bad, and why so many are fleeing now. Here, then, is a very brief history of the war, written so that anyone can understand it: Syria is a relatively new country: Its borders were constructed by European powers in the 1920s, mashing together several ethnic and religious groups. Since late 1970, a family from one of those smaller groups — the Assads, who are Shia Alawites — have ruled the country in a brutal dictatorship. Bashar al-Assad has been in power since 2000. This regime appeared stable, but when Arab Spring protests began in 2011, it turned out not to be. On March 18, Syrian security forces opened fire on peaceful protestors in the southern city of Deraa, killing three. Perhaps inevitably, Syrians took up arms to defend themselves. It worked. By 2014, Syria was divided between government, rebel, ISIS, and Kurdish forces.
Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry Economic contribution The direct value of the UK fashion industry to the UK economy is estimated at £26bn, up from £21bn in 2009, according to data from Oxford Economics, the consultancy, published by the British Fashion Council. This represents an increase of 22 per cent in nominal terms between 2009 and 2014. If the indirect support for supply chain industries and the induced spending of employees' wages are added in, the total contribution from the UK fashion industry is £46bn.Oxford Economics estimates that fashion’s wider contribution to the UK economy in influencing spending in other industries has risen from £37bn in 2009 to over £46bn in 2014 - a 23 per cent increase.The UK fashion industry is estimated to support 797,000 jobs (down from 816,000 in 2009 which reflects an increase in productivity in the sector). Fashion is the largest employer of all the UK's creative industries. Source: The British Fashion Industry and London Fashion Week Facts & Figures, BFC, Feb 2016. Economic Value