عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Fashion

Fashion Industry Driving Demand for Green Shipping, Maersk Says

Containers are seen on the Maersk's Triple-E giant container ship Majestic Maersk, one of the world's largest container ships, next to cranes at the APM Terminals in the port of Algeciras, Spain January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Jon Nazca/File Photo
Containers are seen on the Maersk's Triple-E giant container ship Majestic Maersk, one of the world's largest container ships, next to cranes at the APM Terminals in the port of Algeciras, Spain January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Jon Nazca/File Photo
TT
20
TT

Fashion Industry Driving Demand for Green Shipping, Maersk Says

Containers are seen on the Maersk's Triple-E giant container ship Majestic Maersk, one of the world's largest container ships, next to cranes at the APM Terminals in the port of Algeciras, Spain January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Jon Nazca/File Photo
Containers are seen on the Maersk's Triple-E giant container ship Majestic Maersk, one of the world's largest container ships, next to cranes at the APM Terminals in the port of Algeciras, Spain January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Jon Nazca/File Photo

Fashion brands are a key driver of demand for green shipping fuels, according to shipping group Maersk (MAERSKb.CO), as the sector faces pressure from consumers and regulators to reduce their climate footprint.

Retailers ship huge volumes of clothes from production centres in countries such as China, Vietnam and Bangladesh to consumers around the world, causing carbon dioxide emissions, according to Reuters.

Overall, the textile industry is estimated to be responsible for between 2% and 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a United Nations Environment Programme report published last month.

The shipping industry, which itself aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, has begun offering low-emission fuels such as biofuels made from cooking oil and food waste or methanol produced from renewable energy as an alternative to fuel oil.

The fashion industry accounted for 26% of the more than 240,000 containers that Maersk shipped last year using biofuels under its ECO Delivery contracts, making it the biggest sector using the low-emission fuel service, the company said.

"Many of the fashion brands have actually been the ones going for this," Josue Alzamora, global head of lifestyle vertical at Maersk, told Reuters at this week's Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen.

"Of course, fashion companies also feel the pressure from consumers," Alzamora said.

Nearly one out of 10 containers Maersk, the number two global ocean container shipping firm, handled for owners of fashion brands last year was shipped using biofuels, he said.

The ECO Delivery contracts are sold at a premium to regular shipping.

Most Viewed

 
Fashion

Gucci-owner Kering's Shares Down 5% after Q1 Sales Disappoint

A model presents a creation by the Gucci Fall-Winter 2025/2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, February 25, 2025. REUTERS/STRINGER/File Photo
A model presents a creation by the Gucci Fall-Winter 2025/2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, February 25, 2025. REUTERS/STRINGER/File Photo
TT
20
TT

Gucci-owner Kering's Shares Down 5% after Q1 Sales Disappoint

A model presents a creation by the Gucci Fall-Winter 2025/2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, February 25, 2025. REUTERS/STRINGER/File Photo
A model presents a creation by the Gucci Fall-Winter 2025/2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, February 25, 2025. REUTERS/STRINGER/File Photo

Shares of Kering traded down 5% in European morning trade on Thursday, after the group reported a first-quarter sales drop that was worse than analysts' expectations.

Kering after the market close on Wednesday posted a 14% decline in sales, with a 25% drop at flagship label Gucci, the latest signal the luxury sector faces another tough year.

The sales report confirmed "a weakening backdrop" since February, said analysts at Jefferies, noting "the uncertainties around reigniting Gucci's desirability remain plentiful".

The brand, which accounts for around two-thirds of group profits, is betting on in-house talent Demna to revive sales, but new designs will only arrive gradually at the end of the year, Reuters reported.

The French luxury group flagged worsening sales in North America and Western Europe and said it expected sales to continue to fall in double digits, percentage-wise, in the second quarter, before starting to improve.

This leaves the "heavy lifting" for the second half, which will likely depend on a recovery in Chinese demand, noted analysts at Bernstein.

Prospects for the luxury industry, which had pinned hopes on growth from the United States to help pull it out of a slump as the Chinese market remains weak, have been darkened by recession fears prompted by US President Donald Trump's tariff announcements.

As trade tensions have risen, Bellwether LVMH has fallen 23% and Burberry and Kering have both lost 30% since the start of the year. Hermes and Cartier-owner Richemont, viewed by analysts as better insulated from economic downturns because of their wealthier clientele, are up 1% and 3%, respectively.

First-quarter reports from Kering's larger rivals last week also reflected the sector's slowdown and disappointed investors, with sales at LVMH's fashion and leather goods division down 5% while Hermes, which routinely outpaces expectations with double-digit growth, posted a 7% rise.

Analysts at Deutsche Bank on Thursday lowered their 2025 earnings per share estimate for Kering this year by 13% to 8.65 euros ($9.84), citing the company's cautious outlook for the first half, and noting the slowdown in all regions except Asia was slightly worse than peers.

TD Cowen lowered sales forecasts for Gucci this year by 15% to a 20% decline.

The analysts added that Gucci, as well as another Kering label Yves Saint Laurent, were expected to be slower to raise prices to offset tariffs than peers. The Kering labels have a broader base of less-wealthy clients who are more reluctant to splash out in a choppy economic environment.

LVMH, meanwhile, has raised prices of some Louis Vuitton handbags and leather goods by around 4% according to Bernstein and Barclays, while Hermes said it will pass on the full effect of tariffs to shoppers in the United States on May 1.

US tariffs could include a 20% charge on European fashion and leather goods and 31% for Swiss-produced watches if fully applied, but Trump earlier this month paused most of his tariffs for 90 days, setting a general 10% duty rate instead.

The price hikes from Vuitton are "more than enough" to offset even 20% tariffs, said Bernstein.