Responding to market demands for innovation, accessory players are providing ample designs in various accessories like embroidery thread, buttons, tags, labels and packaging material, etc. Most of the players feel that the market conditions have improved over the last few months and many are expanding to provide new products, offering customized service to the garment manufacturers. Team Apparel Online talked to many accessory providers to get a first-hand feel of the market pulse…
Even as garment exporters continue to face slowdown, the growing domestic market and the positive indications for Spring/Summer 2014 is raising the spirits of accessory suppliers including those supplying fashion fabrics. Having a strong market presence and good product range, Shree Radha Raman Fashions, Amritsar has in-house capacity for knitted, schiffli and embroidery fabric and is supplying to international brands like Mango, H&M and Zara, as also to exporters like Orient Craft. Vinay Vadhera of the company highlights its USP, “We are mainly catering to high-fashion needs and very few manufacturers have the range that we offer. 3D embroidery, which is new to the market, is our core strength; it is being done a bit in Turkey and China only.” The company has also added 6 warp knitting machines for knitted and rachael fabrics. The 16 years old company also caters to the lingerie and home textile industry with the prime focus on garment exporters.
Known to be the pioneers of knitted and embroidered fabrics and trims, K.C. ASTIR & CO. has been successful in tapping the growing fashion demand of lace ensembles which had been a global trend since the past few seasons. The company last year launched its monopoly item of ‘Micro laces’. Available in more than 20 designs which cover a wide variety of looks ranging from floral, leaves, abstracts, and mix-n-matched patterns, and also in a 40 inches fabric width, these micro laces are made in cotton-nylon, being exported world over, UK being one of the biggest markets.
“An affordable assortment, while our product is made in ready for dyeing varieties and white colour, the clients can dye these laces in different colours as per their design requirements, in line with the latest colours that are running their target markets,” said Gopal Verma of K.C. ASTIR & CO.
A company which is on the move is ISO 9001:2000 certified Preet Buttons and Fasteners Industries, Delhi which is planning to install a new plant for pearl buttons in metal. Providing metal buttons and fasteners in multi designs, this company is already having an automated plant for metal buttons manufacturing with the capacity of 40,000 buttons per day. “We are planning to invest Rs. 1.5 crore for our new venture. It will take almost six months to start production in this new plant. As these kinds of buttons are mostly being importing by China, we will be able to give timely delivery along with comparable quality. We have reduced our minimum order size to 10,000 buttons from the earlier 15,000 buttons to accommodate the growing trend of small quantities. We are also offering more and more customized services to our customers,” informs Gurpreet Singh, MD of the company. According to the company these days 20 mm size button is in more demand for jeans. It is supplying its products to the export as well as domestic players.
Many accessory players are driving growth from the domestic market. “The domestic market is booming and volumes are increasing at a fast speed. Interestingly, the price criteria are no more a major consideration if you have the latest range, so we have started to concentrate more on the product value, then to make efforts to make it cost-effective,” says Sanjay Maheshwari of Apparel Engineers, Ludhiana which provides buttons, tags and packaging material. The company informs that tapes are in demand for kids and menswear, while in labels cotton based printed labels are also becoming hot selling product. Huge colour range and ready stocks are the USP of the company. The company has already increased capacities and is soon to open a shop-cum-showroom in Ludhiana.
Dreamz Metallic Yarns, Surat is supplying its yarns pan-India and is now expanding its capacities. “We are going to double our capacities from 6 to 12 tonnes per month, this will help us to decrease cost and stock more,” says Chetan Maru of the company. At the moment the company has good demand for 100 denier metallic yarns as it is smooth and more comfortable to the body. It claims to be specialized in manufacturing of the metallic yarn cover with 20×20 mono filament polyester or Nylon yarn ( MX type covering yarn) which is used in knitting, embroidery and weaving.
Apart from expansion, even new companies are now entering the accessory segment like Design Source, Ludhiana which were earlier into various kinds of printing and has started offering heat transfer labels for knitting industry just two months back. “Although we are new the response has been very positive. Initially we are focusing only on the domestic market and big brands of Ludhiana, but now we are looking to widen our customer base. Our printing experience is also giving us an edge in this new category,” says Nitish Sharma of the company. Claiming quality as its forte, since it uses the best quality of raw materials its labels transfers completely and easily. Confident of its product, Design Source is also looking to supply its products to the exporters now.
Arora Elastics, dealing in fancy buttons, buckles, thread, zippers, etc. is also upbeat with the growing business. “This year was good compared to the last. Polyester and wooden, dyeable buttons are in much use these days and we are happy with the way business is going on. As we cater to big exporter and also small level companies we have a wide variety of buttons and buckles. We offer customized services to our customers and they appreciate the service,” says Rajeev Arora, MD. The company claims to have more than 7,000 designs only in buttons. Importing its products mainly from China, the company is now looking to expand business in Kanpur, Kolkata and Delhi markets.
[bleft]Even as garment exporters continue to face slowdown, the growing domestic market and the positive indications for Spring/Summer 2014 is raising the spirits of accessory suppliers.[/bleft]
In the meanwhile, Bhagwati Eco Pack a manufacturer and supplier of Vinyl bags used for packing of home furnishing, quilts, towels , garments, lingerie, sports goods and other merchandise has upgraded his offerings to include eco-friendly products. “The world is rapidly moving towards a ‘No PVC’ policy for packing material. We at Bhagwati Eco Pack have started manufacturing packing bags and other products made of PEVA instead of PVC. We can make them to order and give a time bound delivery in any part of the world. We also sell PEVA sheets and bags made from non-woven material,” says Avadhesh Tyagi, MD, Bhagwati Eco Pack. Currently, the company is getting good business from home furnishing and sports good manufacturers. Working with some of the best brands in the domestic market, the company is also supplying to exporters of Delhi-NCR, Panipat, Jallandhar, Mumbai and Bangalore.
