16-Oct-18, HKTDC Research
Many in Hong Kong's fashion industry are optimistic about sales prospects over the next 12 months. The majority of buyers and sellers agree that casual wear will be the most popular category well into 2019.
Image: HKTDC
In general, buyers and sellers are both optimistic with regard to their likely sales performance in 2019. In a HKTDC survey 87% of buyers and 91% of sellers expect sales to remain steady or to increase over the next 12 months. So far the US 301 tariffs have mostly targeted raw materials and intermediate products, rather than finished consumer products where mainland China holds a particularly large share of the US market.
Nearly 60% of sellers saw Japan and Taiwan as having the greatest 2019 growth potential among their traditional markets, followed by Hong Kong (40%) and then South Korea (33%) and Australia (33%). As for emerging markets, the Chinese mainland continued to receive the biggest endorsement from the exhibitors (72%), followed by ASEAN countries (65%) and the Middle East (50%).