Clothing Market in United Kingdom

The  clothing market in United Kingdom (UK) is led by Marks and Spencer and the men’s and womenswear chain Arcadia (which includes both the Burton Group and Selfridges clothing chains).  

The pressure on pricing and the phasing out of the Multi-Fibre Agreement means that the UK market will be opened up to even more cheap imported clothing. Over 83 per cent of clothing and accessories are purchased by women over 25 years old.  Preferential rates of duty are used by the textile industry traders as the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) allows products from a wide range of countries to be imported into the EU at a reduced or zero rate of duty.  

Malaysian exporters have the opportunities not only to do business with  the small specialised independent UK suppliers but also the big high end stores such as the Selfridges, John Lewis, Debenham and House of Fraser. The UK clothing sector is extremely competitive however niche opportunities for Malaysian exporters exist for innovative design and fabrics, high quality, high end products, designer-wear, swimwear and surf/streetwear. Companies may email to MATRADE’s Trade Commissioner in London at london@matrade.gov.my  for further details.

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