CHINA, YEAR 2018: THE TRANSITION CONTINUES. THE LOCAL LEATHER VALUE CHAIN CHANGES AND IMPOSES A NEW APPROACH TO THE INTERNATIONAL ONE. OPPORTUNITIES REMAIN (ESPECIALLY FOR LUXURY), BUT CUSTOMERS ARE NO LONGER HOW THEY USED TO BE, AS RISKS. FROM APLF HONG KONG NO SURPRISES, BUT CONFIRMATIONS ONLY
“Words are important”. Unbelievably, such is the beginning of the petition submitted by PETA to ask publishers worldwide to amend their dictionaries and therefore include in the definition of “leather” synthetic fabrics that aim to copy leather itself. Yet we use the same strategy to respond to the animal-rights association and remind them that their […]
In the Paris headquarters, they are in high spirits, as they make it clear in their self-assured releases: “We went beyond analysts forecast”. In fact, LVMH 2018 first quarter has been impressively grand: turnover went up by 13%, as revenues reached nearly 11 billion euros. Some representatives of the French group’s board stress the fact […]
Gearing up for the event, more than one year ahead of it. The upcoming edition, namely the fourth one, of the World Leather Congress, the international tanners meeting, will take place in New York on July 16, 2019. Leather Industries of America (LIA), together with USHSLA (the US Hide and Leather Association) and with the […]
Auburn Leather’s 50 employees or so have no reason to get worried: in fact, although Chinese Isa Tantec have bought out the company, thus moving the core business to China, they are not planning to attend to any dismissal in the United States. Manufacturing remains there. Lisa Howlett, president of Auburn Leather, announced it while […]
Things and reasons are quite clear, so much so that it is almost a commonplace at this point. Hans van Haarst, chief executive officer of Dutch chemicals manufacturer Smit & zoon, points out: “Throughout the past year we had to deal with remarkable price rise as to raw materials, which affected a number of our […]
Read carefully the labels and, should you have any doubts, do not be shy with retailers: take your time and question them closely. Such are the main guidelines handed out by Associated Press to their readers while warning them about upholstery purchase. In fact, both in the North American market and in the English one, […]
They have already pinpointed the first 18 trainees. In addition, they are going to recruit 18 more in May. Hermès are going to hire 90 employees in total at their manufacturing plant located in Senlis (in the province of Oise): since 2014, they have been running here a production site focused on leather goods and […]
A year of business stability for the US leather industry. Export of made in the USA tanning raw material, semi-finished and leather reached 2,08 billion dollars, thus increasing by around 40 million compared to the year before. Such are the data provided by USDA (the United States Department of Agriculture), then reported by trade journals. […]
The rumour tha has destabilised the most observer is that of a possible sale of Chloè: a prolific brand (450 million turnover) and, moreover, growing. The rumour has yet to be confirmed and, in a way, is offset by another indiscretion never confirmed: that according to which Richemont could be interested in Ferragamo. It is […]
Louis Vuitton is expanding production. The brand from LVMH group is ready to open two new laboratories in France for the production of bags and leather goods, two sites that will give work to around 500 employees, bringing the number of operators to 4000 overall. The first laboratory, already announced, should open by the end […]
The brand is Belgian, the (new) factory in France. Delvaux, historic leather goods brand founded in Brussels in 1829, announced the start of a new production site in Avoudrey, in the French region of Burgundy-Franche Compte. The reason? Very simple: “We need to double our production capacity in order to satisfy the demand”. Delvaux already […]
Tum boosts Samsonite. The group specialised in suitcases, which in addition to Samsonite and Tumi also controls American Tourists and eBags, closed 2017 at 3.49 billion dollars (over 2.83 billion euro), with an increase of 23.3% compared to 2016. Gross operating margin increased too, by 19.5% to 580.3 million dollars (471.2 million euro). The brand […]
More than 1 billion USD, or over 50% of the export value for a year. That is China’s worth to US traders of raw material and leather for the tanning industry. And that is the reason why Stephen Sothmann, president of USHSLA (one of the main associations for the leather industry in the USA), invited […]
A fire-fight (or a media-fight), that see the Telegraph’s snobbish editorialist being put in its place by the UK Leather Federation. The first sign of trouble presented itself when, on the UK-based newspaper’s 4-wheel part in its lifestyle section, appeared an article titled: “Leather has no place in modern cars”. The author, Ed Wiseman, starts […]
Almost a million Euros (900,000 Euros, to be exact), in cash funds and investments in new facilities, to accompany Kanpur’s leather district in the path to sustainability, both social and environmental. This the pledge made by Stahl, multinational company in the chemicals’ business, made this past November along with 6 partners (Non-for-Profit Solidaridad). The program […]
“Manufacturing abroad requires transparency over the origin of your product. Perhaps we’d better specify that more closely and let customers know where our footwear comes from”. Federica Felicini, from Giorgio Piergentili shoe factory, speaks out at Obuv Moscow while wrapping up the clash between companies: on one side, those who entirely carry out their manufacturing […]
Not just finished products, most of all, but also, more and more, supplying materials, leather in particular, thus enhancing the national tanning industry. According to Diep Thanh Kiet, vice-President of LEFASO (Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbags Association), Vietnamese tanneries might be able to provide 60% of leather for shoes and bags by 2030. They currently […]
German footwear industry is doing well and looks ahead at 2018 optimistically. Carl-August Seibel and Manfred Junkert, president and general manager of HDS/L, the German association of footwear industry and leather goods, depicted 2017 financial statements. Shoe factories with 50 employees (at least) increased their sales by 5,9%, thus moving from 2,7 up to 2,9 […]
The latest edition, namely the third one, took place in Shanghai, China, last September. The next one, that is, the fourth one, will be held in New York: quite an interesting piece of news indeed, from an organization standpoint. The next World Leather Congress, the international conference of tanners, is scheduled on 16 July 2019 […]
