Maud Descamps edited by Gauthier 06:13, June 07, 2022
The clothing sector has been experiencing a rise in prices for several months, with inflation amounting to 4.3% in May 2022 compared to last year.
To counter this price spike, without having to pass on the costs to the consumer, some brands are opting for new production methods.
Inflation spares no sector, including clothing.
It faces shortages, such as cashmere or cotton, whose prices are soaring due to scarcity and the cost of production.
There are also the consequences of the war in Ukraine.
Some dress and coat factories had to close, forcing manufacturers to find new sources of supply.
In total, the sector suffered a price increase of 4.3% in May 2022 compared to 2021 according to INSEE.
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To try to contain the rise in prices on the shelves as much as possible, textile professionals are trying to find solutions so as not to have to pass on all of the rise in costs to the consumer's till receipt.
New increases to be expected in September
Faced with this surge, some prefer to turn to new materials or even to simplify certain models of clothing to minimize their costs.
"We will be able to substitute certain materials for others, and then work on easier models, with less technicality or with fewer parts or pockets", explains Sandrine Bonnet, general secretary of the clothing federation. , at the microphone of Europe 1, "but we will never compromise on the quality of the clothes", she assures.
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The surge in oil prices is not without consequences either: the cost of transporting goods has exploded.
Some brands are therefore trying to source their supplies from countries that are geographically closer.
We should therefore expect a further price increase in September, experts warn, when the new autumn collections, which are being produced at the moment, hit the shelves.