Domestic apparel industry hit by COVID-19 crisis

Despite online retailers trying to woo buyers with lockdown sales & offline retailers hoping to win-back consumers post-lockdown, industry experts believe that consumers may not be keen to buy apparels anytime soon.

A report entitled “Impact of COVID-19 Scenario on European and the US Apparel Market” released by Wazir Advisors has predicted that the combined apparel consumption of EU and the US might fall about US$ 308 bn, 40-45% lower than the 2020 projected consumptions. Similarly, the Clothing Manufactures Association of India observes “demand in apparels may shrink by almost 40% in 2020.”

Spanish sustainable textile technology provider Jeanologia’s founder Enrique Silla opines that after the COVID-19 crisis is over, consumers will be uncomfortable to touch and feel garments in retail stores, jittery about who would have touched it before them. Silla says, “The world will not be the same after COVID-19. For the textile industry is very important to recover the trust of consumer. Only through sanitizing, brands will be able to speed up regaining consumers’ trust, guaranteeing the fast recovery of our industry.”