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Cargo container traffic on the Asia to West Coast route will see modest growth this year after seeing a 16 percent drop last year, but whether there will be enough ships to handle all that cargo in a timely fashion is another question.
Major cargo container carriers, reeling from one of their worst years in history, idled about 11 percent of the world’s cargo container fleet of 4,731 vessels between September 2008 and now. Many of those ships are mothballed off the coasts of Singapore, the Philippines and China.
Carriers also canceled about 6.7 percent of new ship orders, and some pushed delivery off to 2013.
“I am not sure we will see more»
In the premium-denim market, the ongoing question tends to be what’s next? For Los Angeles–based designer Mik Serfontaine, the answer lies in fabric innovation and the technology of fit. Sefontaine’s mantra for the season is “The Shape of Things to Come,” a concept illustrated in the company’s futuristic rock ’n’ roll lookbook for Fall 2010. “Serfontaine has embraced the futuristic type of thing not just because it’s a novelty look for us or because we have a vision to be some kind of a ‘Blade Runner’ type of brand,” Serfontaine said. “But it’s based on this foundation of building a better jean. Isn’t that what premium is about?” Fueled by a love for denim itself and the desire to create a better product, Serfontaine and his wife, Maria, have been developing the collection since the brand launched in 2000. They were one of the first to use organic standards for washes and helped test more»
Record snow and rainstorms made weather miserable across much of the United States in February, but that did not stop people from shopping. U.S. chain-store sales climbed 3.7 percent in February, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. The ICSC’s Michael Niemira called February sales a case of beating the Great Recession blues.
“This report confirms that the retail sector is mending, and the release of pent-up consumer demand is helping to propel a fundamental demand more»
For many retailers, the key to attracting more shoppers is to put merchandise on sale. In her new book, “Ka-Ching! How to Ring Up More Sales,” business writer Laurel Tielis recommends alternative ways to bring the shopper to boutiques without relying solely on discounts that may hurt the bottom line. Tielis recently spoke with California Apparel News Retail Editor Andrew Asch and shared some of her ideas to keep cash registers ringing.
These are tough times for retailers. Many have tried more»
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