Fashion news

Bangladesh’s economy is projected to grow 3.4 per cent in FY26 and FY27, with exports losing momentum, investment softening and inflation keeping business costs high, according to the World Bank.
GDP growth may improve to 3.9 per cent in FY28 if energy supply eases and reforms accelerate.
Revenue was 8.3 per cent of GDP, the fiscal deficit widened to 3.9 per cent and bad loans reached 33.2 per cent.

Analysts expect Levi Strauss & Co to post adjusted profit of $0.36 a share on revenue of $1.62 billion in its third quarter.Jefferies sees fiscal 2027 revenue up 4.7 per cent at constant currency and profit of $1.70 a share after seven quarters of growth and margin expansion.US store traffic and August web trends slowed, while Europe’s web traffic and omni-channel network point to recovery.

Verbio has commissioned a large-scale ethenolysis plant in Bitterfeld, Germany, after investing nearly €100 million (~$112 million) to enter bio-based chemicals.
The rapeseed methyl ester-based facility can produce up to 60,000 tonnes a year for lubricants, detergents, cleaning products and plastics.
Ramp-up will be staged as customers qualify the chemicals for their applications.

Fibre2Fashion’s October 22 webinar will examine how US retailers are navigating a holiday season marked by higher spending but more cautious shoppers.
Experts will discuss pricing, promotions, margins, tariff exposure and inventory risk, offering practical lessons for merchandising, planning, buying, e-commerce and supply-chain teams this year.

Voestalpine and VERBUND have expanded the H2FUTURE green hydrogen pilot at Linz to cover compression, purification, storage, loading and use.
The €16.4 million (~$18.4 million) project adds five storage tanks and can compress hydrogen to up to 500 bar for trailers.
First research results are expected by the end of 2026; the project runs to December 2030 with Austrian federal funding.

World Bank has raised Vietnam’s 2026 GDP growth forecast to 7.4 per cent, the highest in East Asia and Pacific and 1.1 points above April.
Manufacturing and AI-related exports drive the outlook; AI goods made up over 70 per cent of Vietnam’s export growth by April 2026.
Vietnam has the region’s largest textile sector relative to GDP, but faces pressure from import growth and reserves.

Pakistan’s merchandise exports rose 10.84 per cent to $8.42 billion in Q1 FY2026-27, but textiles and apparel grew by about 6 per cent.
July-August textile exports increased 5.55 per cent to $3.379 billion, led by ready-made garments, knitwear and cotton yarn.
Imports rose faster, widening the trade deficit to $10.79 billion; recovery hinges on raw-material access, export mix and energy costs.

Euro area and EU retail trade volume rose 0.1 per cent month on month in August 2026, after July declines, Eurostat estimates show.Non-food products excluding automotive fuel increased 0.5 per cent in both areas.Year on year, the retail sales index rose 0.8 per cent in the euro area and 1.2 per cent in the EU; Sweden led annual gains at 7.7 per cent.

Solenis has moved its Pulp Center of Excellence from the US to a 500-square-metre facility in Paulínia, Brazil, to place pulp R&D nearer Latin America.
The centre sits alongside the Paulínia Technology Center and will develop pulp solutions across wood handling, cooking, bleaching and refining.
Current work includes pitch control, monitoring, cooking additives and silicone-free defoamers.

Alexium International has made its microencapsulated phase change material solutions available to US data center developers, contractors and engineering firms as thermal buffers integrated into walls, ceilings and modular panels.
The company is also opening a co-development program for PCM thermal storage, targeting ride-through and peak-load needs at AI-era facilities.