The average small to medium UK fashion manufacturer saw sales revenue rise by 68 per cent in the first quarter (Q1) of fiscal 2025 (FY25) compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, and by 171 per cent more year-on-year, as per new data from the latest Manufacturing Health Index, by inventory management software provider Unleashed.

Business confidence fell into negative territory in Q1 for the first time since 2022, weighed down by tax hikes, inflation, sluggish growth, and global uncertainty. Yet, the fashion sector’s standout sales performance hints that UK manufacturers may be finding unexpected opportunities amid international market disruption.

“The unusual business conditions of the first three months of the year had generally played out well for the country’s smaller producers, as had falling bank rates. Anecdotally, what we’re hearing from some of our customers is that Q1 brought welcome windfalls. Some tariff-affected international customers have turned to UK firms to do business, while others raced to order more before tariff pauses came off. That’s delivered a shot in the arm for some firms, but more importantly we’re hearing that steadily falling bank rates are starting to stimulate the economy, which obviously is very welcome to UK manufacturers who’ve posted a really strong start to the year,” Joe Llewellyn, GM of ERP Small Business at The Access Group, the parent company of Unleashed, said.

UK fashion manufacturers saw a 68 per cent quarterly and 171 per cent annual rise in Q1 sales, despite falling business confidence.
Tariff shifts and easing bank rates boosted demand, though profitability dropped 36 per cent year-on-year.
Faster delivery times offer margin hope.
Overall UK manufacturing sales rose 30 per cent quarterly, with 10 per cent higher profits.

However Unleashed’s data also showed profitability dropped compared to last year. Gross Margin Return on Inventory (GMROI) for the average clothing manufacturer declined -53 per cent against the fourth quarter and -36 per cent year-on-year, to £4.14 return for every pound spent on buying stock.

However, delivery lead times also dropped down to 19 days on average, which offers some reassurances. Faster delivery times allow businesses to reorder in smaller quantities, which is a more cost-efficient way to generate sales that improves margins.

Across all of the 12 manufacturing categories analysed, sales were up by 30 per cent in Q1 2025 compared to Q4 2024 – and 13 per cent year-on-year. Profitability also jumped by 10 per cent in Q1 2025.

It’s possible that the higher profit margins seen in Q1 across the wider manufacturing base were caused by purchasing managers deferring their inventory replenishment spend in response to low GBP-USD exchange rates. In January the pound dipped to $1.22, making international purchases more expensive for UK buyers of US-dollar denominated goods. By the end of March, however, the exchange rate had trended favourably and reached 1.34 at the end of April.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)

We love Canon’s lineup of mirrorless cameras, which deliver the same great image quality without the bulk. The R5 is a powerhouse of a camera, offering a 45 Megapixel full-frame sensor and can shoot 8K RAW Video. If you don’t need the huge 45 MP sensor of the R5, the smaller, cheaper R6 Mark II Body is a solid choice. Plus, Canon has an online deals hub with rotating offers so you can get the gear you need for all your projects for way less.

There are plenty of other Canon discounts and offers live now, so you can save extra on lens kits, printers, cameras, and more.

Save up to $800 at the Canon Customer Appreciation Sale

Canon knows that you have tons of options when it comes to where you shop, and they want to reward you for shopping at Canon with some sweet, sweet deals. During the Customer Appreciation Sale, $120 off the EOS R100 RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM and RF-S55-210mm F5-7.1 IS STM Lens Kit, $400 off the EOS R5 Mark II and RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM Kit, and $800 off the EOS C70 RF24-105mm F2.8 L IS USM Z Lens with Power Zoom Adapter Kit, through September 21.

Today’s Canon Coupons: Up to $500 Off Cameras, Lens Kits, and More

Canon is probably best known for their incredible cameras, which includes the generous offer of free standard shipping on all cameras and lens kits and deals from up to $500 off camera lines, including EOS, and PowerShot cameras and accessories. This also includes deals on camera options for as low as $200 and refurbished lens kits starting at $480.

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Get a 10% Off Canon Promo Code When You Upgrade

Canon has deals out on a myriad of products, and while they rarely release a “true” sitewide code, we have a few insider tips for getting a 10% discount. If you’re having gear repaired, you can get a single-use 10% off Canon promo code through the Upgrade Program (valid for 14 days). Canon wants to reward full-time industry professionals with their membership structured by different tiers, which gives professionals huge discounts on and other perks on necessary equipment. To sign up for membership, you have to create a MyCanon account, register existing Canon equipment, and click the Canon Professional Service tab to submit an application. After it’s been processed and approved by the Canon team, a Welcome Kit will be shipped within 7-10 business days. Best of all, Canon Professional Service customers get 10% off online orders. Silver tier is the free program which only requires 10 points.

Exclusive Canon Discounts for Pros and Students

If you’re really serious about upping your camera game, there’s the Gold level membership, which costs $100 a year and gets members 20% off repairs on up to 10 products and complimentary maintenance on up to 5 items. Platinum is next, which is $300 per year and gets you 30% off repair discounts on up to 15 products and maintenance covered on 10 products. The top level is cinema, which costs $1,000 per year and has discounts of 30% off repairs on up to 20 products and maintenance covered on up to 10 products.

If you’re a photography pro, Canon even has an entire deals section for you. This section has exclusive discounts and better price drops than those available for normal customers. Canon Professional Service discounts also extend to Students over 18 years old—with no annual fee or points required to sign up. With the Canon Professional Service Student Membership, you can get a 10% off repair discount on up to 2 products and a 10% discount on one Canon product per year.

Shop These Flash Deals: Up to $900 Off Canon Refurbished Cameras

The phrase stands true—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—even on camera. You can snag extra discounts on cameras this week, with coupons on certified refurbished models—from $100 off, all the way up to $900 off. Like the refurbished EOS R5 Mark II Body, which is on discount for $271 off. There’s also the refurbished EOS R3 Body, now $900 off, EOS R6 Mark II Body for $1,799 at $180 off, and the refurbished EOS R7 Body for $1,119 with $80 off. All of these discounted Canon items are certified by Canon and come with a one-year limited warranty, for added peace of mind.

Their refurbished selection is an awesome way to save tons of money—plus, these cameras are basically indistinguishable from new models. And since they have different restock schedules, you’ll have a better chance at scoring some of their most coveted models, like a Canon EOS Rebel T7 or Powershot G7 X.

Score up to $400 Off With Canon Coupons for Ink and Printers

Wanting to upgrade your WFH setup? Now may be the perfect time to work in style for less. Canon’s rotating printer deals can help you save over $100 on laser, Inkjet, MegaTank, and compact or portable printers, including $366 off Canon’s brand new MegaTank GX6120. These deals also include savings of $70 on PIXMA Inkjet Printers, $100 off the newly launched PIXMA PRO, and up to $200 off Color imageCLASS printers.

Right now, you can get a free Pro Paper Sampler Pack when you spend $80 or more on Professional Ink; plus free standard shipping on all ink cartridges and toner. You can also save 25% more by opting for Value Packs, which offer even more convenience and savings for your MAXIFY & PIXMA line printers. Twin packs contain two of the same inks, while multipacks contain two or more different inks for the same printer— for those busy worker bees who print a lot.

More Canon Discounts and Free Shipping Deals

Canon is offering free shipping on all cameras and lenses, as well as ink and toner for the company’s printers. You can expect other deals for up to $300 off popular items like RF28-70 mm lenses, PIXMA printer, and more during 2025 sale events. Make sure to regularly visit our page for the latest offers and Canon discount codes whenever they are available.

Canon has made shopping even easier by organizing products by special offers, or in product categories with instant savings that don’t require a Canon promo code. As a bonus, hundreds of Canon products qualify for free shipping, including the more practical purchases like printers and ink.

Our Favorite Canon Cameras

Canon has a wide variety of cameras to capture all the details you need in photos and video. If you’re looking for jaw dropping non-stop 8K recording with excellent imaging, the Canon R5 is our favorite. The R6 strikes a balance between shooting for personal and professional purposes with a 24.2 megapixel full-frame. In the deals section, you can always find discounts on new and refurbished cameras, lenses, and kits.

In the market for a new MacOS-based desktop, but don’t have a lot of space to spare? Amazon is currently offering discounts on both the 256GB and 512GB model of the late 2024 Apple Mac Mini (8/10, WIRED Recommends) with the M4 chip.

Apple’s M4 CPU is at the heart of both versions of this miniaturized desktop, with 10 cores each for the CPU and GPU. Our reviewer Brenda Stolyar had no complaints about the performance, noting that it handled multiple browser tabs, chat programs, and other apps without lagging or slowing down. That’s good news, because the memory isn’t upgradeable by the user later.

Of course the main selling point with the Mac Mini is its tiny footprint. This model has slimmed down from the previous generation’s 2.6 pounds to just 1.5 pounds, and has only a 5×5″ body. That’s not just small enough to squeeze onto basically any desk or cabinet, but could even sneak into a bag if you need to take it with you to work or on a trip. The only real question mark here is the power button, which is mysteriously underneath the system, so you need to pick it up to turn it on.

You’ll have to make some compromises when it comes to ports, but it’s probably not nearly as bad as you’re thinking. The front has two USB-C ports with USB 3.0 support, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack for easy access. Around back you’ll find three Thunderbolt 4 ports, plus an HDMI connection for your monitor, Ethernet, and power, with USB-A now totally removed from the equation. If you leverage all the ports, you can connect up to three external displays, with support for resolutions up to 6K, depending on your configuration.

There are two discounted models, but there’s really only a minor SSD storage size difference between the two. The 256GB model is marked down from $599 to $499, and the 512GB model is discounted from $799 to $689. We think either one is a great option for casual computer users looking for a lightweight and compact option, but make sure to check out our full roundup of the best Apple Desktop computers if you think an iMac might be more your speed.