As shirt manufacturers gear up competencies and expertise to cater to new and potential markets, the importance of quality standards and value-additions have become vital parameters deciding the success and failure of businesses. Apparel Online spoke to a prominent accessory supplier and some top-of-the-line testing labs to know what they think about the shirt business and what is it that they have to offer to achieve value-addition and set new benchmarks in quality and standards.
KDS Accessories
Based out of the port city of Chittagong, KDS Group is one of the leading multi-national apparel and textile conglomerates in the country. KDS Accessories has selected its products finely intertwined with not only the evolution of its accessories business but also with the dynamic nature of the country’s apparel industry. It all started with manufacturing of corrugated cartons for packaging purposes and was sequentially followed by sewing threads, polybags, plastic hangers, tags, labels, polyester button, etc. Debasis Daspal, CEO of KDS Accessories , shares his views.
Shirt Business
Shirt as a product category has good potential to grow but currently is facing some operational challenges to meet the global high standards of quality and craftsmanship. However, the growth rate of shirts significantly lags compared to that of denim and lingerie items in Bangladesh. But as more and more entrepreneurs are inclining towards higher value creation, the possibility of higher number of shirt manufacturers coming up besides capacity augmentation of existing manufacturers seems not so far.
Accessory requirements
The total number of different trims and accessories is quite substantial in various kinds of shirts depending on styles and sizes. The general requirements of some major accessories in a shirt are: Buttons (2%), Labels & Tags (1%), Carton & Poly (5%), others (7%).
[The percentages are average in terms of FOB value of a garment].
Apart from the considerable value that accessories play in garments’ FOB, the complexity and varieties of any trims are also significant.
Special Buttons
There have been so many special polyester buttons’ requirements for any kind of shirt. The need for variety of buttons range from normal pearl buttons to horn buttons to several types of fancy buttons. Apart from the polyester buttons, several types of metal buttons and snaps are also needed in denim shirts and childrenswear.
KDS’s strength to meet the accessories’ demands
KDS accessories, being the foremost trims and packaging player in the country, stands tall in supplying most of the accessories needs of a shirt manufacturer in the country. Starting from providing sewing threads, buttons, all kinds of labels and print material, hangers, poly and cartons, we are the one-stop trims solution providers to any shirt manufacturer.
Our button facility ramps up overall business by developing our fancy button facility – nickel quoting button (metal look), layer button and others.
Further, we can also develop butterfly, collar bone unit in plastic division which can help gear-up sales.
Over the years, KDS accessories has been working with some of the major shirt manufacturers in Bangladesh like Viyellatex, Interfab Shirt, Mohammadi Group, New Age App, Evince Group, Dressman/Shirt Maker, Shinest Apparels and several others.
Bureau Veritas CPS
Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services is world’s leading testing, inspection and certification solution provider for the global consumer. It works closely with clients to effectively manage quality assurance needs throughout their supply chains and mitigate risks in terms of quality, health, safety, social responsibility and environment, thus protecting the brand’s reputation and minimize costs. Rasanga Ulluvis Hewage, Regional Chief Executive, responsible for BV Central Asia – covering Bangladesh, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia & Myanmar , shares his views…
Bangladeshi exporters on scale of 10
Bangladesh is No. 2 in EU and No. 3 in USA, so we could give the country 9 or 8 on a scale of 10 in shirts.
Challenges…
Price and technical barrier to trade ZDHC MRSL, beside PRSL.
BV Support
We conduct technical meetings, seminars and awareness workshops regularly to help and support the industry in various aspects.
UL VS Bangladesh Limited
For over 120 years, UL has been developing scientific-based methods to test the quality, performance and safety of diverse key consumer products. Today, UL solves the safety, security and sustainability challenges of the 21st century. Around the world, UL along with its employees promote safe working and living environments for all people. UL tests, inspects, audits, certifies, verifies claims, advises and trains as well as provides software solutions. Md. Golam Sarwar, Consumer and Retail Services – UL VS Bangladesh Ltd., shares his views on shirts…
Bangladeshi exporters on scale of 10
I will give Bangladesh 6 out of 10 and this is so because we are still not strong enough for woven fabric manufacturing and we cannot accept shorter lead time like less than 45 days.
Five critical testing norms
Dimensional stability to washing, Appearance after washing, Seam slippage (light weight fabric), CF to washing and CF to rubbing.
If the fabric has been treated for easy-care properties, then tests for Formaldehyde, Appearance of seams and Appearance of fabric, includes the above mentioned tests.
Any new testing norm
Nowadays ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemical) is a very sensitive issue and everybody should know the ZDHC roadmap.
Support from UL
As a third-party, we have expertise in state-of-the-art testing laboratory that can help industry to ensure garment performance quality. We have expert/qualified quality inspection team for garment and fabric inspection to support suppliers and buyers and ensure good quality products.We provide compliance audit like, SEDEX & BSCI that can ensure workers’ health & safety.
We are also offering ZDHC waste water testing, ZDHC audit and sharing knowledge about ZDHC by organizing vendor seminars.
Intertek
Intertek is a leading total quality assurance provider to industries worldwide through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and a dedicated workforce of over 42,000 people in more than 100 countries.
In Bangladesh and across the world, Intertek offers customers a Total Quality Assurance value proposition, assisting organizations as their trusted quality partner providing ATIC (Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification) solutions which go beyond just assuring the quality and safety of a corporation’s physical components and assets to also look at the reliability of their operating processes.
As the globally leading quality assurance provider, Intertek goes beyond physical quality control to provide total peace of mind through its innovative and bespoke assurance, testing, inspection and certification solutions for customers’ operations and supply chains. Country Managing Director of Intertek Bangladesh, Dr. Karthik N.D. shares his viewpoint on shirts…
Five critical testing norms
In physical/colour fastness parameters:
Seam strength/slippageb.
Button attachmentc.
Tearing strengthd.
Pilling resistance for synthetic blendse.
Appearance after washf.
Colour fastness to washing/light
Analytical/RSL:
If trims sourced from local factories or without nominated source the possibility of failure are as below:
Twill tape?Labels: Azo
Button/plastic accessories: Lead, Phthalate
Any new testing norm
Mainly ZDHC requirements and especially focusing on printed shirts/with embellishments, focusing on waste water testing, chemical management etc., in addition to product quality.
Support from Intertek
Increased capability for testing all requirements in Bangladesh, conducting awareness seminars/workshops – DETOX, TECHNICAL – Performance, Regulatory, Product Integrity, etc.
Besides, with a focus on “TOTAL QUALITY ASSURANCE”, we have introduced “ASSURANCE” services, enabling manufacturers and brands to avoid failures by technical collaboration from initial stage of product designing until complete supply chain cycle, till consumer management, named as ATIC services.
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