UK organic clothing sales on the up
06/04/2009
UK pressure group the Soil Association has said that the value of trade in organic textiles and apparel there could rise to £280 million in 2012 from sales of £100 million in 2008.
In a new report, the organisation said it estimated UK sales of clothing made from organic cotton to have reached between £85 million and £90 million last year, up by around 40% from 2007. This follows the announcement at the start of April that sales of organic cotton goods in the US rose by 63%.
The Soil Association report added: “When sales of other organic fibres such as wool and linen are taken into account, the market adds up to £100 million— a 25% increase on 2007.”
It went on to say that lower-mid-market young women’s fashion specialist retailer New Look had sold more garments made from organic fibres in 2008 than Marks & Spencer (2.3 million compared to 1.1 million). This represents a 50% increase for New Look compared to 2007. The chain now devotes 4.2% of its womenswear ranges to clothing made from organic cotton; the corresponding percentage for 2007 was 3%.
The Soil Association’s report quoted New Look’s buyer for organic clothing, Anna Greig, as saying: “I believe that as more people offer organic cotton, the need from customers to understand the certification involved will become greater. There will be a growing need for responsible retailers to offer organic cotton certified by a reputable organisation such as the Soil Association.”
The report said that in predicting substantial growth in sales of organic clothing by 2012, it was taking into account that the current economic downturn was likely to slow growth down in the short term.
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