clothing
German fashion abroad less in demand
Many people save when buying fashion items. The German clothing manufacturers did less business in 2024. In a particularly important area, things went much worse.
A break -in in the important foreign business is very concerned about the German clothing industry. The development is “worrying,” said the chief managing director of the fashion association Germanfashion, Thomas Lange.
In 2024, the foreign sales fell by 7.5 percent – not adjusted for price changes. The otherwise stable export to EU neighboring countries such as France, Italy, Belgium and the Czech Republic is also declining. According to the association, many inpatient shops had to be closed there recently, so there were fewer buyers. Another reason is the popularity of Asian portals such as Shein and Temu, which consumers supplied with goods directly, said Lange.
The export, which is about 40 percent of the total turnover, is considered the “successful engine of the industry”. The real profits are made abroad, it is said. The largest export markets were recently unchanged Poland, Switzerland and Austria. The domestic business (-0.9 percent) was reasonably stable.
Sales plus for professional and protective clothing
Also because of the increased prices, the manufacturers had significantly increased their proceeds in the previous year. Now they record a minus. The total turnover nominal shrank by 3.7 percent to 6.6 billion euros. The most important category outer clothing has lost a little more. These include sweaters, T-shirts, shirts, blouse, pants, jackets and dresses. After all: In the event of professional and protective clothing, companies were able to increase their sales.
However, the mood in the industry is not confident, as Association President Oliver Seidensticker says. In 2024 there were more bankruptcy and business tasks than in the previous year. The best known name was Esprit. The number of clothing manufacturers with at least 50 employees fell by 7 percent to 77. In the case of smaller companies, the decline is even greater, as it is said. Germanfashion represents around 350 companies from the industry, including Hugo Boss, Adidas, Brax, and Marc O’Polo.
Fashion retailers in Germany are currently experiencing difficult times. The industry is causing problems that many customers save. In addition, the companies complain about high costs for energy, rent and salaries.
dpa
Source: Stern
