The textile trade in Germany is currently doing good business with warm underwear, socks, gloves and slippers as well as beaver bed linen and warm blankets. “A number of customers seem to have already taken precautions to compensate for the recommended reduction in room temperature in the coming weeks and months as best as possible,” said the spokesman for the Textile Shoes Leather Goods (BTE) trade association, Axel Augustin, on Thursday in Cologne, summing up the business development September together. Cozy sweaters and weatherproof jackets are also popular at the moment.
Despite the significantly lower consumer sentiment in Germany, the textile and shoe trade can often look forward to a single-digit percentage increase in sales in September compared to the previous year. The prices for the autumn goods are largely stable. “This is because, on the one hand, the production of clothing, shoes and textiles uses comparatively little energy and, on the other hand, most of the current goods were ordered before the start of the Ukraine war, so that the last jumps in energy prices are not priced in,” said Augustin.
Nevertheless, the fashion trade is worried about the coming months. The expected decline in customer demand coupled with horrendous price increases for lighting and heating in shops threatens to drive many companies deep into the red in 2022. “The high cost increases in energy alone are currently eating up the industry’s usual profits,” said Augustin. The textile and outfit retailers, exhausted by the corona restrictions, therefore urgently need political support. “Otherwise, a whole range of businesses should not survive the coming winter,” warned the BTE spokesman. (dpa)