Released on: October 30, 2008, 6:32 am

Press Release Author: Clothesource Limited

Industry: Apparel & Fashion

Press Release Summary: With all the helter-skelter of inflation and currency shifts,
there are a lot of misconceptions about the changing competitiveness of apparel
exporting countries. The Clothesource Sourcing Kit gives apparel brands, retailers
and vendors hard up-to-date data, imaginatively displayed, to review their sourcing
programmes objectively, quickly and affordably

Press Release Body: . Clothesource, the UK's leading consultant in apparel
sourcing, has been overwhelmed by the number of brands and retailers wanting to
review their apparel sourcing strategies.
Clothesource's CEO Mike Flanagan said "People want to be sure they're buying from
the right place. But there are all sorts of misconceptions out there. China's never
the cheapest place to buy clothes from. But in most product categories, China was
actually cheaper for European customers in 2008 than it was in 2007. There are even
apparel categories that got cheaper for US customers in 2008.
And, though many countries claim their apparel exports fell in 2008, several - like
Vietnam and Bangladesh - saw rapid growth. But only in some categories"
The Clothesource Souring Kit provides the essential information about apparel
manufacturing capabilities around the world in the 35 major apparel categories and
in over 100 countries.
For each of over 100 supplying countries, the Kit shows apparel manufacturing
strengths, and price competitiveness in each of 35 major product categories and
seven apparel business groups from 2004 to the first half of 2008. It also shows raw
material production and processing capacity, and summarises the import duty and
quota restrictions the US and EU impose on each country, as well as indicating
precisely where more detailed information can be got on each of the different
complex duty arrangements separately offered . The Kit provides macroeconomic
information on income and inflation and a summary of the logistic and ethical
implications of work in the country
For 35 apparel product categories, the Kit shows where the world's major apparel
importing countries - Japan, the US and EU - buy their garments from, how supplier
countries' share has evolved, how supplier countries' price competitiveness varies
between countries, and how countries' price competitiveness has changed from the
abolition of textile quotas at the end of 2004 to the first half of 2008.


The kit reviews each of these countries individually:

Albania
Argentina
Armenia
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Bolivia
Bosnia
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burma
Cambodia
Cape Verde
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Ethiopia
Fiji
Georgia
Ghana
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Iran
Israel
Jamaica
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kuwait
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Lithuania
Macao
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritius
Mozambique
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
N Marianas
Namibia
Nepal
Nicaragua
North Korea
Oman
Pakistan
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Swaziland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
UAE
Uganda
Ukraine
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zimbabwe



And each of these seven Business Groups and 35 Product Categories

Casual Outerwear
Mens casual jackets

Womens casual jackets
Tracksuits


Hosiery
Socks

Pantyhose


Intimate/Swim
Mens swimwear

Womens swimwear

Bras

Knitted briefs

Woven briefs

Panties

Slips and petticoats

Womens nightwear

Mens nightwear


Knitwear
Knitted blouses

Knitted shirts

T shirt

Womens knitted trousers

Sweaters


Tailoring
Womens suits

Womens formal jackets

Womens coats

Mens suits

Mens formal jackets

Mens coats


Tops and Dresses
Blouses

Dresses

Shirts


Trousers/skirts
Skirts

Mens woven trousers

Mens jeans

Womens trousers

Womens jeans



The Clothesource Sourcing Kit provides the essential information about every
manufacturing country's capabilities, competitiveness and effectiveness since
quotas were removed in 2005.. "And with Western markets softening", added Flanagan,
"more and more textile businesses in developing markets are looking for help in
identifying their competitors' strength"
The Clothesource Sourcing Kit is available at GBP 1750 from www.clothesource.com

NOTE TO EDITORS

Clothesource Limited, based in Charlbury, Oxford, UK and Bucharest, Romania,
provides the world's leading apparel retailers, brands and exporters with market
intelligence on textile and apparel sourcing. Its website (www.clothesource.com)
has probably the world's deepest and mosty comprehensive information on apparel
sourcing and manufacturing



Web Site: http://www.clothesource.com

Contact Details: Contact: Mike Flanagan, Clothesource Limited, 10,Park Street,
Charlbury, OX7 3PS, UK
+44 1608 810153; flanagan@clothesource.net