Fashion
Finland’s Marimekko’s Q2 sales up 2% on retail gains, profit improves

Operating profit improved to €6.3 million, with comparable operating profit at €6.5 million, representing 14.6 per cent of net sales. The gain was driven by higher sales and improved margins, partly offset by higher fixed costs.
Marimekko’s Q2 2025 sales rose 2 per cent to €44.5 million (~$51.88 million), with Finnish retail up 3 per cent and international sales up 1 per cent despite lower licensing income.
Operating profit increased to €6.3 million.
H1 sales grew 3 per cent to €84.1 million, driven by 7 per cent international growth.
The company expects higher 2025 sales and margins but warns of global and tariff risks.
For January–June 2025, net sales rose 3 per cent to €84.1 million. International sales increased 7 per cent, while Finnish sales were flat as retail gains offset wholesale weakness. Comparable operating profit declined to €10.9 million, or 13 per cent of net sales, due to lower margins and higher fixed costs, the company said in a media release.
CEO Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko highlighted sustained omnichannel retail growth, up 6 per cent in Q2, as evidence of brand resilience in challenging markets. Strategic collaborations—such as a global footwear line with Crocs, café partnerships with Blue Bottle Coffee in the US and Asia, a design tie-up with Artek, and a capsule collection with artist Laila Gohar—boosted brand visibility. Events included Milan Design Week, Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design, Marimekko Day fashion shows in Helsinki, and the Field of Flowers exhibition in Asia.
Network expansion in Q2 included new stores in Osaka and Kuala Lumpur, an outlet in Espoo, eight Asian and Finnish pop-ups, and the launch of online stores in New Zealand and in German language. Post-period, Marimekko announced its first flagship store in Paris, opening autumn 2025, alongside pop-ups at Le Bon Marché and Galeries Lafayette.
For 2025, the company forecasts net sales to exceed 2024’s €182.6 million, with a comparable operating profit margin of 16–19 per cent. Risks include global economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and higher US tariffs—the latter affecting a small share of sales but increasing procurement costs. Plans call for 10–15 new stores or shop-in-shops, primarily in Asia, while licensing income is expected to fall significantly from last year’s record level.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)
Fashion
Bangladesh’s RMG exports up 4.7% in Q1 FY26, but Sept shipments dip

Woven garment exports slightly outpaced knitted garment exports in terms of growth. Knitwear exports (Chapter **) rose by *.** per cent to $*.*** billion, compared to $*.*** billion in the same period of fiscal ****–**. Woven apparel exports (Chapter **) increased by *.** per cent to $*.*** billion, up from $*.*** billion in July–September ****, EPB data showed.
Home textile exports (Chapter **, excluding ******) also grew, rising by *.** per cent to $***.** million, compared to $***.** million in the same period of the previous fiscal. Collectively, exports of woven and knitted apparel, clothing accessories, and home textiles accounted for **.** per cent of Bangladesh’s total exports, which stood at $**.*** billion during the period. Higher demand for diversified and value-added textile products supported this growth.
Fashion
Dutch manufacturing flat in August, up 1.7% from July: CBS

Slightly more than half of the various industrial sectors produced less than they did one year previously. Of the eight largest industrial sectors, output rose the most sharply in the repair and installation of machinery, while it fell the most sharply in the transport equipment industry.
A more accurate picture of changes in short-term output is obtained when the figures are adjusted for seasonal effects and the working-day pattern. After adjustment, manufacturing output rose by 1.7 per cent in August relative to July, CBS said in a press release.
In August 2025, Dutch manufacturing output remained unchanged year-on-year, although output declined in over half of the industrial sectors.
After seasonal adjustment, output rose by 1.7 per cent compared to July.
The strongest growth was seen in the repair and installation of machinery, while transport equipment recorded the sharpest decline.
After adjusting for seasonal and working-day effects, manufacturing output often fluctuates significantly. In the spring of 2020, output declined rapidly, reaching a low point in May 2020. This was followed by an upward trend until May 2022. The trend has reversed since then.
Producer confidence was less negative in September than it was in August. Manufacturers were more positive regarding output for the next three months, in particular.
Germany is an important market for the Dutch manufacturing sector. In September, German manufacturers were more negative than they were in August, as reported by Eurostat. In August, the calendar-adjusted output of the German manufacturing sector was down by 5.1 per cent, year on year. Relative to July, output fell by 5.5 per cent, as reported by Destatis.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)
Fashion
ADB commits $82.5 mn to drive Cambodia’s energy transition

The first subprogramme, approved in 2022, introduced pivotal policy measures that guided the energy sector toward a more efficient and renewable development pathway. Building on this foundation, subprogramme 2 advances regulatory reforms to strengthen the energy efficiency framework and enhance policy clarity to attract private sector investment. A key milestone under the subprogramme is the introduction of the country’s first set of regulations establishing Minimum Energy Performance Standards for electrical appliances, starting with air conditioners, which account for the largest share of energy consumption in the residential sector, ADB said on its website.
Subprogramme 2 will also establish an Energy Efficiency Revolving Fund aimed at facilitating access to finance for local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to invest in energy-efficient technologies. The revolving fund will be set up through a financial intermediation structure to enable local banks to extend loans to SMEs for energy efficiency investments. By mobilizing domestic financial institutions and supporting SMEs, the revolving fund is expected to accelerate the nationwide scale-up of energy efficiency investments.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $82.5 million for Phase 2 of Cambodia’s Energy Transition Sector Development Programme to support clean energy through policy reforms and investments.
The programme introduces energy efficiency standards, establishes a revolving fund for SME financing, and also aims to attract private investment.
“ADB is honoured to support Cambodia in its ambitious and transformative journey in the energy sector. Through a comprehensive reform package, combining policy support with strategic investments, the Energy Transition Sector Development Programme will support turning the government’s ambitious vision into reality,” said ADB acting country director for Cambodia Anthony Gill. “This includes the goal of achieving 70 per cent renewable energy in the power mix by 2030, along with a strong commitment to advancing energy efficiency, which is essential to ensure that Cambodia’s growth remains both sustainable and affordable.”
Subprogramme 2 will be followed by a third phase in 2027, which will further deepen reforms by expanding the energy efficiency regulatory framework and introducing technical standards for renewable energy, buildings, and industry to further attract private sector investment.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)
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