Offline retail received a big blow for a significant chunk of 2020. In fact, online retail and shopping for that matter started picking up only after April, when the consumers realised that we are all living the days of the ‘New Normal’. However, retailers were eyeing Diwali to give a breather to them and boost their sales figures. Has it really proved a good time for them?

Despite a difficult year for businesses, Jack Stock has made some commendable developments that include helping build new factories, installing automated solutions, recruiting new employees, empowering its suppliers and making efforts to build a complete set of solutions service provider for garments intelligent manufacturing through new acquisitions.

Duerkopp Adler has explored and recognised healthy and stable development across the entire sewn product industry and found opportunities in many categories, particularly in upholstery sector.

India too has been keenly following all the developments during and post elections – after all US is one of those few nations with whom India enjoys trade surplus. If the recent analysis by Madan Sabnavis of CARE Ratings is anything to go by, then over the last 2 decades, India has always had a trade surplus with the US. The trade surplus has jumped from US $ 5.2 billion in 2001-02 to a highly impressive US $ 17.3 billion in 2019-20.

USA was down in its import volume by 13.68 per cent in Q3 ’20 from the same quarter of 2019; however Bangladesh and Vietnam still stayed positive on Y-o-Y basis in volume-terms, despite USA’s fall. Bangladesh was up in its value-wise exports as well in the third quarter, while India and China couldn’t turn the waves in their favour both in volumes and values!

Handwoven and handcrafted, Goulian Finch represents the quaint alleys of Benaras and the royal artistry of its craft. Born from an artistic thought, Gunjan Aggarwal and Bejoy Veer Suri’s Goulian Finch is winning hearts of men from all across the world, given the experience it brings to the fore.

The fallout of the pandemic is now well documented and after the initial panic cancellation of orders, major impacts have been bankruptcy, factor liquidity, customer credit risk/credit availability, supply chain liquidity, mobility (no travel), countries closures, non-payments, term renegotiation, and company reorganisations. All of these have put the global industry in deep trouble.

Ahimsa silk is versatile, natural and does not harm the environment. However, lesser number of takers still keep the price of the fabric at a high, but with the world accepting and evolving to adapt ‘greener ways’, will the Ahimsa silk market grow in the next few years?

The second pandemic-induced lockdown in Europe could have adverse impact on the apparel and fashion industry of South Asia.