32 foreign retailers to join denim expo
Retailers are choosing Bangladesh to source trendy denim wear at low prices, as 32 foreign companies from 14 countries will participate in the second denim exposition to be held in Dhaka next month.
“We are receiving an overwhelming response from the international retailers as they think Bangladesh is a good place to source denim from -- at reasonable prices,” said Mostafiz Uddin, managing director of Denim Expert Ltd, the organiser of the fair.
“We need more space to accommodate the international customers at the venue for the exposition at Radisson Hotel in Dhaka,” he said.
Organisers initially planned to install 30 stalls, but finally expanded it to 50 stalls to accommodate more at the fair set for November 11-12.
The first denim expo held at the same venue in March pulled in 21 local and seven foreign companies.
Companies from Germany, the US, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Japan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Brazil and Thailand are participating this time, he said.
“We needed to arrange such an exposition a lot earlier as our share in the global $60 billion market is still insignificant at more than $600 million a year,” he told The Daily Star over phone.
Bangladeshi entrepreneurs supply denim to major retailers and brands, including H&M, Uniqlo, Levis, Nike, Tesco, Wrangler, s.Oliver, Hugo Boss, Puma, Primark, JC Penney, C&A, Tommy Hilfiger, Inditex, Walmart, M&S, Calvin Klein, Diesel, Gap, Channel and Dior and G-Star.
With growing global demand, local entrepreneurs are investing heavily in denim, as at least six new factories are coming into operation this year, said industry insiders.
Bangladesh has 25 denim factories that produce around 20 million yards of denim fabric a month. Total investment in the sub-sector stands at Tk 6,500 crore.
Bangladeshi firms meet 40 percent of demand for fabric by the local denim makers and exporters; imports account for the rest.
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