WORKWEAR BLOG

The era of cheap clothes could soon be over as rising cotton prices mark an end to bargains on the high street. This is also applicable to the Industrial Workwear Industry.

Next boss Lord Wolfson has warned that 15 years of deflation (or falling prices) in clothes stores will soon be over.

Next is generally seen as a retail benchmark so if the store puts up its prices it’s likely that other shops will too. Lord Wolfson says Next will have to increase its clothes prices by between 5% and 8% after a failed harvest in India saw cotton prices soar by 45%. Floods in Pakistan and China also damaged crops.

“It is the end of the cycle where clothing prices have come down every year,” said Lord Wolfson.

The past week has also seen Primark, H&M and Debenhams raise the alarm about rising clothes prices.

But these deals could soon be consigned to history when higher wholesale prices feed through to the high street.

Soaring clothes prices are partly to blame for high inflation. The consumer prices index remained high at 3.1% in August, well above the 2% target. Rising food and clothes prices are two of the main factors.

All the above factors are exactly the same reasons why Work Clothing is going to endure price hikes. Until the world cotton shortage recovers the Workwear industry is going to see changes.