Denim demand rebounds gradually: experts

The demand outlook for locally made denim garments is gradually improving as Western economies rebound, local and foreign businessmen said yesterday.

There is intense competition in the global denim market as almost all competing countries, including Turkey, Pakistan and Vietnam, have always been strong denim producers.

Sales of denim products slowed over the last three years due to the severe fallouts of the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war, and high inflationary pressures in the Western world, including the European Union (EU) and the US.

"Major challenges are coming for the overall export-oriented garment sector since Bangladesh will have to fulfil EU due diligence conditions by 2026 and reduce carbon emissions significantly by 2030," said Syed M Tanvir, managing director of Pacific Jeans, which produces more than 1.5 lakh denim trousers a day.

He also said that denim mills in the country need more value-addition to better compete on the global stage, adding that his company was targeting at least 12 percent export growth by the end of the year.

He made the remarks while visiting the 17th Bangladesh Denim Expo, which kicked-off at the International Convention City Bashundhara in Dhaka yesterday.

Md Ali Rasul (Tuhin), director of Team Group, said international clothing retailers and brands were worried by the recent spate of labour unrest in industrial belts as well as political volatility because they want timely delivery of goods.

If normalcy prevails, business will grow and work orders, which shifted to other countries in the aftermath of the political changeover on August 5, will begin to return, he said.

At a seminar on the sidelines of the expo, Ziaur Rahman, regional country manager, production (Bangladesh, Pakistan and Ethiopia) of Swedish retail giant H&M, outlined the commitments and improvements that customers would like to see.

"If you have demand or grievances, you can't opt for unrest. You need collective discussion. From vandalism, no one wins. Safety and security of the supply chain is a minimum requirement," Rahman said.

"Transparency is key. The supply chain should be self-sufficient. No one will monitor us but us. We should be responsible for our own operations."

He also suggested investing more in people and their development.

"Embrace technology. Innovation and research are really missing here," Rahman added.

He also suggested producing more value-added products to grab a bigger slice of the pie in the global apparel market, which was estimated to be valued at around $1.8 trillion.

Yilmaz Demir, a representative of Bossa, a Turkish denim fabrics supplier, said the slow demand for denim is temporary. Business will grow as inflationary pressures are also easing.

Muhammad Monsoor Bilal, senior vice-president of Karachi-based Naveena Group, said Bangladesh remains competitive globally because of price and quality.

He supplies five million metres of denim fabrics to local companies annually, adding that he expects his business in Bangladesh to grow at least 25 percent over the next year.

Manish Chauhan, chairman and co-founder of Noize Jeans, said Bangladesh is irreplaceable because of price and quality.

Chauhan has been doing business in Bangladesh for 20 years and is now running two garment factories that export denim goods worth $80 million a year.

Mostafiz Uddin, the organiser of the denim expo, said they were seeking better prices from international retailers and brands. However, he said the law-and-order situation should be improved further so buyers have more confidence in Bangladesh.

According to the organisers of the expo, many international exhibitors could not secure visas this year so they could not attend the event. Still, a total of 56 companies from 18 countries are participating in the two-day event.