Maud Descamps, edited by Gauthier Delomez 11:47 am, December 02, 2021
The price of cotton is at its highest for ten years because of the very strong demand, which exceeds the producers.
Consequence: the price of clothes could increase in the coming weeks.
Manufacturers are thinking about opting for synthetic fiber, cheaper to buy, to produce their clothes.
After the prices of fuel or energy, it is the turn of cotton to flare up.
With the very strong economic recovery, the prices of this raw material are at their highest for ten years.
Demand is soaring and producers are struggling to keep up, which could impact the price of clothing in the coming months, if not weeks.
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A rise in clothing prices expected in early 2022
In the space of a few months, the price soared 54% for classic cotton and 100% for organic cotton.
"From an average of 60 to 90 pence, we went to 120 a few weeks ago", explains Charles Jannet, president of the French cotton association, on Europe 1, which concedes that there will be "clearly an impact of price in the clothes of the departments ".
These increases could even occur in the first quarter of 2022. A major brand of women's clothing told Europe 1 that it hopes to contain the increase below 5%.
However, an executive in the clothing industry fears that these increases reach 20%.
Some manufacturers would opt for synthetic fiber
For Gauthier Watrelot, general manager of the IDKids group, the rise in the price of clothing is inevitable in order to continue manufacturing with quality materials.
"It's a real dilemma. We want accessible and responsible brands. At times, the equation is not simple. We will have to combine all that," he said at the microphone of Europe 1.
Some textile manufacturers could even give up making their clothes with cotton and switch to synthetic fiber, which costs less.