Fashion
UK mid-sized businesses surpass 2025 growth targets: BDO
Access to external finance (42 per cent) and rising customer demand (40 per cent) were key drivers of outperformance, supported by productivity gains from technology and AI (39 per cent), successful product or service launches (39 per cent) and better-than-expected recruitment and retention (39 per cent).
UK mid-sized businesses outperformed expectations in 2025, with 74 per cent surpassing growth targets, driven by finance access, AI adoption, and resilient demand, BDO’s research shows.
Firms are maintaining or increasing investment despite subdued sentiment, though confidence in the UK as a growth hub is weak, with 20 per cent shifting overseas.
This positive trading picture is translating into continued capital commitment. Two-thirds (66 per cent) are holding investment steady and 29 per cent are stepping it up, with only 5 per cent delaying and fewer than 1 per cent pausing or withdrawing investment, suggesting firms backing their own pipelines and balance sheets, even as wider economic sentiment remains subdued.
Despite their strong performance, businesses’ confidence in the UK as a place to grow remains limited. Just 35 per cent of mid-sized companies surveyed describe the UK as a ‘strong environment’ for long-term business growth, while 65 per cent say conditions have become more challenging. One in five (20 per cent) are already shifting operations or investment overseas.
That caution reflects persistent structural pressures. On workforce issues, over a third (36 per cent) cite plugging skills gaps as their biggest challenge. Rising wage expectations are another major pressure (24 per cent), likely reflecting the ongoing effects of inflation and higher National Insurance contributions.
Operationally, managing supply chain disruption is the most pressing barrier to growth (32 per cent). At the same time, while AI is seen as a driver of productivity, one in four firms (23 per cent) cite adopting new technologies as a challenge, highlighting the uneven pace of digital transformation across the mid-market.
To fuel their growth, mid-sized businesses are forming new strategic partnerships (45 per cent), looking to secure new investment or finance (42 per cent) and investing in automation, technology or AI (42 per cent).
A further 37 per cent are expanding their physical footprint or operations and the same proportion are entering new markets. These data points showed a mid-market willing to commit capital to capacity and innovation, but pragmatic about directing growth wherever conditions are most favourable, in the UK or overseas.
“These findings highlight the strength of the UK’s mid-market: businesses are delivering growth and continuing to invest despite challenging conditions. But they also carry a warning: confidence in the UK as a place to scale is not assured,” said Richard Austin, partner at BDO. “With mid-sized businesses forecast to contribute £745 billion to UK GVA and create an extra 1.9 million jobs by 2028, the government will want to use the Autumn Budget to reassure this section of the market and address persistent barriers around skills, costs and competitiveness. Only with the mid-market firmly and confidently anchored in the UK, will we see the growth the economy needs.”
The survey was conducted among more than 500 leaders of mid-sized businesses in UK.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
Fashion demand in 2026 remains intact but more selective, with consumers spending cautiously and prioritising value, durability and versatility.
Intentional purchasing and promotion sensitivity are reshaping pricing dynamics and margin structures.
Polarised consumer behaviour is pushing brands to rebuild trust, justify full price and align sustainability with longevity.
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Directed and shot by Mert Alas, the new chapter sharpens the focus on denim as the ultimate expression of personal style through icon Jung Kook’s distinctive and influential point of view as he lives in the moment.
Calvin Klein, owned by PVH Corp., has unveiled its Spring 2026 denim campaign fronted by BTS icon Jung Kook.
Directed and photographed by Mert Alas, the cinematic film fuses music, movement and city energy, highlighting 90s Straight, Baggy and reworked Trucker silhouettes.
A special appearance by Rosie Perez amplifies the brand’s signature visual storytelling.
The campaign unfolds across a series of immersive worlds, unified and guided by Jung Kook’s style, attitude and way of living. The high-impact film fuses fashion and entertainment, moving to an instantly recognizable soundtrack and brought to life through the artist’s signature choreography and commanding presence. The interplay of music and movement – complete with a cameo from New York City legend Rosie Perez – captures the impact synonymous with Calvin Klein’s iconic visual storytelling.
Calvin Klein jeans are at the center of the wardrobe with hero silhouettes leading the narrative: the effortless attitude of the 90s Straight; the relaxed and nostalgic proportions of the Baggy; and new interpretations of the iconic Trucker jacket — all reimagined with elevated washes and designed for versatility. Casual logo tees and oversized bombers complete the looks, reinforcing denim as both uniform and statement.
“I love Calvin Klein jeans because they’re designed to be lived in,” said Jung Kook. “The looks I wore for this campaign nod to ‘90s style while feeling completely modern. It was exciting to bring together my love of music, dance and fashion against the energy of the city.”
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)
Premier Li Qiang, who delivered the report at the opening of the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress in Beijing, said the growth target is “well aligned with the country’s long-range objectives through the year 2035 and is broadly in line with the long-term growth potential of China’s economy, with favorable conditions in place for achieving this target.”
China has set a GDP growth target of 4.5–5 per cent for 2026, alongside goals to stabilise employment, manage inflation, maintain grain output and cut emissions.
The plan also preserves flexibility for structural reforms under the 15th Five-Year Plan, aiming to balance steady economic expansion with long-term, high-quality and sustainable development.
Main development targets for 2026 also include a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5 per cent, creation of over 12 million new urban jobs, a rise in the consumer price index of around 2 per cent, personal income growth in step with economic growth, a basic equilibrium in the balance of payments, grain output of around 700 million tonnes, and a drop of around 3.8 per cent in carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP.
Qiang said the targets took into account the need to leave room for structural adjustments, risk prevention and reform in the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–30) period, to lay a solid foundation for improved performance in the coming years. Government at local level should, taking into account their own conditions, make solid efforts to deliver positive outcomes, he added.
Analysts said the 2026 target reflects a pragmatic approach in recognising structural and cyclical challenges facing the world’s second-largest economy, while pursuing reasonable growth in line with high-quality development.
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