Fashion
Cotton hits eight-week high on caution over supplies, oil prices
By
Bloomberg
Published
January 6, 2026
Cotton futures in New York surged to the highest in eight weeks as traders weigh an outlook for tighter supplies this year and volatility in oil markets. The most-active futures contract climbed as much as 1.7%, to 65.76 cents per pound, the highest intraday price since November 11.
Uncertainty over oil prices following the ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro could affect cotton markets, according to independent consultant Pery Pedro. Oil is typically seen as a proxy for costs of synthetic fibres, which can replace cotton in textile production.
That’s adding to the potential for tighter supplies this year from major growers Brazil and the US, as a reduction in planted area is expected by the market given the price environment seen in recent months, according to Raphael Bulascoschi, a market intelligence analyst at StoneX. Investors who have been maintaining large short positions in cotton may also be trimming their bearish bets, he said.
“Overall, it looks like a good start to the year for commodities, and since the market was holding a heavily short position in cotton, short covering appears to be the most likely driver of the rally so far,” he said.
Published
January 7, 2026
Following major expansion in Italy last year, Primark’s European expansion programme continues apace as the value fashion/lifestyle retailer intends to now grow operations in Romania.
Four new stores have so far been confirmed to open in Sibiu and Bacău, joining planned openings in Iași and Craiova, doubling its presence to eight in the market and creating over 450 new jobs.
The announcement comes as the company celebrates its anniversary in the market this week, marking three years since the opening of its first Romanian store in ParkLake Shopping Centre, Bucharest.
The new stores will be located in Sibiu Shopping Centre and Arena Mall Bacău, joining previously announced locations in Electroputere Mall, Craiova and Palas Mall Iași, adding a total of 10,870 sq m of retail space across the country.
They join the four “successful” stores in the market: two in Bucharest, one in Timișoara and one in Cluj-Napoca.
The stores in new regions will introduce Primark’s latest fashion pieces, as well as everyday essentials across clothing, beauty, lifestyle and home categories. The stores will also stock the growing Primark Cares range.
Maciej Podwojski, Head of CEE, Primark said: “Since opening our first store just three years ago, we have grown a strong business with a loyal and ever-expanding customer base. As a retailer with a strong focus on physical stores, we know that much of this success is thanks to our exceptional retail teams.”
Last year, Primark announcing a further €40 million (£34 million) investment with five new Italian stores planned for Rome, Biella, Perugia and two in Naples, following a €50 million investment in the country in 2023.
Copyright © 2026 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
Manufacturing and processing led the expansion, rising by 10.5 per cent and contributing 8.4 percentage points to overall growth.
Vietnam’s industrial production rose by 9.2 per cent last year, accelerating from an 8.2-per cent YoY rise in 2024 and marking the strongest performance since 2019.
Manufacturing and processing led the expansion, rising by 10.5 per cent and contributing 8.4 percentage points to overall growth.
December saw a 10.1-per cent YoY growth in industrial output, driven by a 11.9-per cent rise in manufacturing.
Power generation and distribution increased by 6.7 per cent, adding 0.6 percentage points.
In the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025, industrial output grew by 9.9 per cent year on year, with manufacturing up by 10.8 per cent.
December alone saw a 10.1-per cent YoY growth in industrial output, driven by a 11.9-per cent rise in manufacturing.
Natural gas output fell by 5.6 per cent YoY last year. All 34 provinces and cities recorded industrial growth during the year.
Industrial employment increased by 2.4 per cent YoY as of December 1, with companies adding 0.8 per cent more workers compared to November.
Manufacturing consumption index rose by 9.9 per cent for the entire year, easing from 11.4-per cent growth in 2024.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Published
January 7, 2026
Coty has faced major challenges in its global operations and Coty UK&I’s latest accounts filing shows that its British and Irish business wasn’t immune to that, although it remains a key beauty operator.
The accounts cover the 12 months to the end of June 2025 with turnover falling to £326.3 million from £335.3 million. The gross profit margin dropped to 40.9% from 41.4% and operating profit was down to £7.6 million from £8.6 million while the operating profit margin narrowed to 2.3% from 2.6%.
But there was better news on profit before tax as it jumped to £9 million from a loss of £53.4 million the year before. Net profit also moved in the right direction, reaching £7.1 million after the £56.8 million loss in the previous year.
Not that this tells the whole story. In the previous year the owner of key brands such as Rimmel London and Cover Girl had swung from a pre-tax profit of £9.9 million to a loss of £53.4 million. But the accounts statement listed a £134.7 million one-off impairment charge for the year. Without that it had seen an increase in both turnover and operating profit.
That wasn’t the case this time on the turnover front as the company said the business “experienced a slowdown in retail demand in the consumer beauty business leading to a 2.7% reduction” in turnover.
And of course, the absence of any impact impairment charges is what was behind the big difference in the profit figure, showing that the business does remain very profitable. The directors also said that they consider the reduced 2.3% operating margin to be “acceptable”.
During the year, Coty maintained its media investment across both consumer beauty and prestige brands, focusing on major celebrations to drive sales. Additionally it invested in enhancing online platforms to further promote sales and strength and digital engagement.
It will be interesting to see what the 2025/26 results show this time next year. As mentioned, the global parent company has been facing challenges and this has led to it reviewing its overall strategy.
Back in September it said that it had launched a strategic review of its consumer beauty business that could lead to the sale of some brands as it plans to focus on its more profitable fragrances unit.
Copyright © 2026 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
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