Developments in Home Textiles

22 pages, published in Issue 125, September-October 2006   Report price: Euro 395.00; US$ 520.00

There have been a number of significant developments in home textiles over recent years. The global market offers consumers a broader range of fibre combinations, fabrics, designs, textures and colours than it did in the 1990s.

Manufacturers have successfully adapted performance apparel technologies for use in home textile products. For example, bed sheets are being made from Coolmax and Thermolite fabrics. Coolmax fabric incorporates a moisture management technology and has traditionally been used in active performance wear. Thermolite is a lightweight insulation material which was originally designed for outdoor performance apparel. Home textiles are also being made from various functional materials, including Lycra stretch fabric, thermally adaptive bedding, environmentally-friendly textiles, anti-microbial fabrics, stain protective treatments, flame retardant materials and fragrance encapsulating technologies.

The market for home textiles has weathered competition from lower cost countries. Although traditional manufacturers have been forced to cut their prices, the value of the EU25 market remained at around Euro26 bn between 1998 and 2003. Demand in developed economies has been driven by three market factors. First, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in September 2001 may have encouraged people to spend more of their free time in their homes. Second, dedicated interior design programmes being shown on prime-time television are stimulating home owners to invest in their homes. Third, greater awareness of the triggers of asthma and allergies is fuelling demand for new anti-microbial home textiles.

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• Moisture management fabrics, (1st Quarter 2007)
• Profiles of Three Leading Indian Exporters of Home Textiles, (November-December 2005)
• Microencapsulation: for enhanced textile performance, (1st Quarter 2005)
• Antimicrobial fibres and fabrics, (4th Quarter 2003)
• Prospects for Household Textiles Markets in Developed Countries, (July 2000)

Six times a year, Textile Outlook International provides up to 200 pages of expert comment and analysis. A subscription provides an overview of the global fibre, textile and apparel industries. It is essential reading for senior executives in the fibre, textile and apparel industries ? and for anyone who is not involved in the industry, but needs to quickly gain an understanding of the key issues.
Reports in Textile Outlook International include:
	country profiles ? providing a comprehensive guide to the textile and clothing industries in a range of countries and regions. The reports include an economic and political profile together with a comprehensive overview of the main issues, plus an outlook for the future.
	company profiles ? giving you the opportunity to learn from strategies employed by others. Companies profiled recently include retailers, manufacturers, innovators and sourcing companies involved in textiles and apparel as well as smaller companies which illustrate the opportunities for firms which are interested in selected sourcing locations.
	trends in world textile and apparel trade and production ? taking into account current issues facing the industry ? such as global fibre prices; competition from China and other low cost countries; the elimination of quotas and imposition of selective new ones; relocation of production operations; the impact of economic factors affecting trade; international trade agreements; trade promotion agreements (TPAs); and much more.
	trends in EU and US imports of textiles and clothing ? providing comprehensive statistical data and analysis of the top ten supplying countries to the EU and US markets. These reports are updated each year and contain value and volume data as well as average prices and analyses of trends for up to 15 product categories.
	innovations, technological developments, business development opportunities, individual sector analysis and political implications which affect players in the global fibre, textile and apparel industries. Some of the topics which have been covered in recent reports include: new innovations in the textile and clothing industry, such as environmentally friendly textiles, plant based fibres, and developments in textile colorants; innovations in textile machinery; and overviews of the European swimwear, hosiery and lingerie markets.
So whether you are involved in fibres, textiles or clothing ? in manufacturing, spinning, weaving, knitting, sewing, import/export, retailing ? or if you are in education or consultancy or investment or finance, a subscription to Textile Outlook International will tell you what you need to know about the key trends in the industry.
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