Measures taken by governments around the world to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a massive shock to the global economy in general,and to textile and clothing manufacturing and retailing in particular.The virus was first identified in Wuhan,Hubei province,China,in December 2019 and the Chinese authorities responded by imposing”lockdowns”which caused disruptions to textile and clothing production and transportation.In countries outside China,manufacturers of apparel were deprived of Chinese inputs.In Western markets,retailers were left short of apparel to sell-although they later found themselves cancelling orders as the virus spread (see also page 6).In late February 2020,manufacturing in China had largely resumed but by then lockdowns and other restrictions were starting to be imposed in other countries,notably in the major consumer markets.Restrictions were placed on retailing,which closed off opportunities for shopping in stores.Consumers were able to turn to online shopping and this marketing channel boomed.But online shopping has its limitations in terms of trying on clothing and not everyone likes buying clothes online.In fact,demand for clothing fell dramatically as unemployment soared and incomes plummeted.Also,consumers no longer needed to buy clothing for wearing in workplaces,restaurants and entertainment venues as these places were closed under lockdown restrictions.As the chief executive of the UK clothing chain Next,Lord Simon Wolfson,remarked when the company’s financial results for its 2019/20 financial year were announced,”People do not buy a new outfit to stay at home”.
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