Log in
Newsletter
Log in
Radar This month, powered by

Live news on finance, regulation, tariffs, policy and the planet

Delivered direct from the newsroom as it breaks…

  • GMT

Puma cuts purchasing as inventories fall

Puma cut purchasing volumes as inventories fell 24.3% year on year to €1,608.9 million ($1,790.7m), while weaker demand and distribution changes weighed on third-quarter sales.

The sportswear company’s results linked the inventory reduction mainly to lower purchasing, rather than increased sales. It reported no associated environmental savings.

Apparel sales declined 9.4% on a currency-adjusted basis, reflecting softer demand for core ranges and children’s products. Group sales fell 6.3% on the same basis.

Lower sourcing prices, tariff refunds and reduced freight expenses helped lift gross margin to 49.5%, although higher operating expenses contributed to an operating loss.

Arthur Hoeld, chief executive officer of Puma, said: “Our third-quarter performance was in line with expectations”.

The company narrowed its forecast annual operating loss to €80 million–€130 million ($89m–$144.7m).

It also reduced planned capital expenditure to below €150 million ($167m), partly reflecting the classification of certain IT investments as operating expenses.

Share
Share
  • GMT

Euratex and Canada seek closer textile cooperation

Euratex, the Canadian Textile Industry Association and the Canadian Apparel Federation have called for stronger transatlantic textile and apparel cooperation at the EU–Canada Summit in Montréal.

The groups urged leaders to improve implementation of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which has been provisionally applied since September 2017.

They said companies, particularly SMEs, still struggle to use CETA’s tariff preferences. The preference utilisation rate for EU exports to Canada rose from 38.7% in 2018 to 63.2% in 2024.

The associations also called for joint research in technical textiles, advanced materials, circularity and recycling, alongside cooperation on traceability, eco-design and digital product information.

“Further efforts are needed to ensure that companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), can make full use of CETA,” the joint statement said.

EU textile and clothing exports to Canada approached €997 million ($1.16bn) in 2025, while imports from Canada reached €147 million ($172m).

Share
Share
  • GMT

Fast Retailing targets factory environmental risks

Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing trained 716 factories to use Higg Index tools in its 2025 financial year as part of efforts to improve supplier environmental performance.

A new Cascale case study details how the Japanese group combines factory assessments with technical support and purchasing feedback to address supply chain risks.

The company uses Higg Facility Environmental Module data to inform factory emissions reduction plans, supported by training, visits and energy diagnostics and direct engagement with production partners.

Since 2022, anonymous Better Buying surveys have collected supplier feedback on purchasing practices, including planning, forecasting and lead times.

“With Better Buying, it gave us the scale and the analytics that we just didn't have before,” said Eshan Chan, supply chain sustainability manager at Fast Retailing.

The group has also extended traceability upstream since 2023, mapping garment factories to fabric mills, spinners and raw-material suppliers rather than focusing solely on finished garment production.

Share
Share
  • GMT

VF profits rise despite revenue decline

VF Corporation has reported quarterly operating profit of $368 million, up from $313 million, despite a 4% decline in revenue to $2.7 billion.

Revenue rose 1% excluding the divested Dickies business, while adjusted operating profit reached $364 million, exceeding guidance of approximately $315 million.

The results cover the second quarter of fiscal 2027, ended 26th September.

President and chief executive Bracken Darrell said: “We drove strong results in the second quarter, ahead of guidance across key metrics, as a result of great product and solid execution.”

Gross margin rose to 55.4%, from 52.2% a year earlier. Inventories increased 7%, which the group said would support demand in the second half.

The group reaffirmed its annual outlook, forecasting revenue growth of at least 2% at constant exchange rates, excluding Dickies from the comparison and including an additional trading week in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027

Share
Share
  • GMT

Repreve sales fall as Unifi recovers

Unifi has reported lower sales of its Repreve recycled fibres in its first quarter of fiscal 2027, despite sharply improving profitability across the wider business.

Repreve fibre revenues fell to $36.4 million from $39.3 million a year earlier, retaining a 29% share of group sales.

Total sales dropped 5.7% to $127.9 million, while net losses narrowed to $2 million from $11.4 million for the quarter ending 27th September.

Gross margin rose to 9.8% from 2.5%, driven by cost reductions in the Americas and favourable pricing and product mix in Brazil.

“Looking ahead, we remain focused on sustaining the operational improvements that we have made over the last few years,” said Eddie Ingle, Unifi chief executive officer.

The company also completed a $60 million property sale on 28th October, enabling repayment of a $55.5 million term loan.

Repreve uses waste sources including plastic bottles, textile waste and recycled yarn to produce fibres.

Share
Share
  • GMT

Bangladesh seeks sustainable Uniqlo investment

Bangladesh has urged Uniqlo to expand investment in sustainable garment manufacturing, technical textiles and man-made fibres, offering government support for new operations.

Prime minister Tarique Rahman made the appeal during talks in Tokyo this week with Tadashi Yanai, chairman, president and chief executive of Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing.

Share
Share
  • GMT

Gartex adds Kolkata textile machinery show

Gartex Texprocess India is to launch a Kolkata edition from 22nd to 24th January 2027, bringing textile and garment machinery suppliers closer to manufacturers in eastern India.

The event at Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan will feature knitting, sewing, digital textile printing, dyeing and finishing equipment, alongside fabrics, trims and jute processing technologies.

Share
Share
  • GMT

Arvind advanced materials drive record quarter

Arvind Limited has reported record quarterly revenue and EBITDA, led by an 81% year-on-year rise in Advanced Material Business (AMB) revenue to ₹805 crore (approximately $91m).

Consolidated revenue for the quarter ended 30th September rose 23% to ₹2,919 crore (approximately $330m), while EBITDA increased 27% to ₹331 crore (approximately $37m). Profit after tax grew 16% to ₹123 crore (approximately $14m).

AMB EBITDA rose 97% to ₹119 crore (approximately $13m), at a 15% margin. The company said protective gear and high-performance segments showed “robust traction”.

Textile revenue rose 11% to ₹1,999 crore (approximately $226m), but input costs cut segment margins by about 75 basis points. Denim fabric volumes rose 19% to more than 18 million metres.

Arvind also noted that it had commissioned phase one of a greenfield garment facility in Varanasi and opened a denim design and marketing hub in Amsterdam.

Care Ratings upgraded Arvind’s long-term rating from AA- to AA and maintained a stable outlook.

Share
Share
  • GMT

Adidas posts record financial results, lifts outlook

Adidas has reported record third-quarter sales and operating profit, and raised its full-year profit outlook.

Revenues rose 9% to €7,252 million ($8.4bn) in the three months to 30th September 2026.

Currency-neutral revenues increased 7%, while direct-to-consumer sales grew 17%. Apparel revenues rose 19% currency-neutral, led by Originals, Football, Running and Training.

Operating profit increased 37% to €1,008 million ($1.17bn), an operating margin of 13.9%. Net income from continuing operations rose 48% to €711 million ($826m).

Adidas chief executive Bjørn Gulden said: “A great quarter for adidas."

"We achieved the highest revenue ever in a quarter with €7,252 million and the highest operating profit ever with €1,008 million."

Gross margin improved 2.5 percentage points to 54.3%, helped by full-price sales and a tariff refund of about €200 million ($232m).

The company now expects full-year currency-neutral revenue growth of 9–10% and operating profit of about €2.5 billion ($2.9bn), up from around €2.3 billion ($2.67bn).

Share
Share
  • GMT

India halves textile incentive threshold

India has halved the minimum turnover threshold for part two of its textile incentive scheme and will reopen applications from 1st November to 31st December.

The Ministry of Textiles said the changes would widen participation by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-sized manufacturers.

Share
Share
Scroll to Top
Explore sections
Explore categories
Logo

Our free newsletter showcases the very best of our journalism, delivered to you twice a week

Advertising
With Us

Help to support the purpose-led work of our team of journalists, international correspondents, and partners – and expose your product or service to our global readership.

Please call us on +44 1977 708488

Or alternatively

Request a media pack which details the benefits of advertising on ETN including our rates and details of our distribution please fill out the form below:

YOUR DETAILS – See our privacy policy here for details of how we take your privacy very seriously.

Advertising Terms and Conditions

Subscribe to our magazine today and receive exclusive online content

Subscribe