1. Product description

Usually called fashion accessories, this sub-sector of apparel includes products that are generally worn with – or as a supplement to – clothing items. Accessory products can have a functional character, such as hats or gloves that provide warmth, but they may also include items that are mostly aesthetic such as scarves of thin material.

In this study, fashion accessories are defined as gloves, mittens, mitts, neckwear, carrying products such as bags, and other accessories such as handkerchiefs, belts, hats and caps. Jewellery is excluded from this report.

Product specifications                                                                                                         

Quality

From a European consumer’s perspective, several factors determine the quality of accessories. These include performance, reliability and durability. Quality is determined in terms of the grade and standard of the material, colourfastness, surface designs and final finish. It is important for shipment batches to be of an even quality that matches pre-agreed specifications. Different consumer segments and retail outlets have different quality expectations.

Labelling/packaging

The following information is generally included on apparel labels (see also Figure 2):

•  care symbols (see examples below);
•  composition (fibre content by percentage);
•  size;
•  country of origin (“Made in”);
•  further information (e.g. ecolabels), if applicable (see examples below).

Preferably, the product information on the label should be in the language of the country for which the clothing is destined. Labels in multiple languages can be an option for retailers or wholesalers who sell the products in different countries.

Textile-specific labelling requires the inclusion of fibre content.

Optional information includes origin, care, manufacturer and/or importer information, and size.

Care labelling

The care labelling system developed by GINETEX, the International Association for Textile Care Labelling, is widely used in Europe. The GINETEX symbols are also very common. You can only use them under contract with the association. GINETEX advocates that labels should cover the following topics:

•  general care and warnings;
•  washing;
•  drying;
•  ironing;
•  professional textile care (dry-cleaning).

Materials and design

In the case of gloves, hats, scarves or any other garment-related accessories, quality is often connected with the quality and colour of the collection – and the degree to which they match fashion collections. This fact is because accessories often cannot achieve the minimum order quantity, so companies choose to add accessories to running garment orders.

Other accessories, such as bags or belts in synthetic or leather material, are less suitable for adding to garment collections. These materials can be ordered at a lower minimum order quantity (MOQ) and buyers often purchase them at local supplier markets.

Leather fashion accessories are a separate market segment with interesting opportunities for exporters from developing countries.

2. Which European markets offer opportunities for exporters of fashion accessories?

European demand for fashion accessories did not suffer from the economic downturn. On the contrary, demand for accessories has been consistently growing every year since 2010. It represents a very interesting segment for exporters from developing countries.

With a 20% market share each, fashion accessories and men’s woven are the second-largest segments in European apparel, topped only by women’s woven (25%).

Although the women’s segment is still the largest, men’s accessories have huge potential. This sub-segment is growing fast due to the growing attention for appearance and details among European men.

European imports: growing shares for Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh

In 2016, China was still the largest exporter of fashion accessories to Europe, followed by Bangladesh and Vietnam. Several smaller developing countries are gaining ground. Vietnam grew the most between 2010 and 2014 (26%), while China is losing export due to increasing wages and new environmental regulations.

Production: outsourcing alternatives needed

In general, European fashion accessory buyers are continuously looking for suppliers from countries with low labour costs and are shifting partnerships according to changing labour costs. With China’s wages going up, there are excellent growth opportunities for the countries already mentioned and for others.

Read the full... https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/apparel/fashion-accessories/europe