Cotton Prices Hit Record High

Advertising Specialty Institude (ASI) Central (10/19/2010)

A variety of factors, including high demand in Asia and disappointing crops in several countries, have driven cotton prices to their highest level since the Civil War. Before trading stabilized yesterday, cotton futures reached $1.19 per pound, an increase of 80% compared to last year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this is the fifth consecutive season that the global demand of cotton has overwhelmed the supply.

More so than in other years, poor weather in Pakistan, one of the world’s largest cotton exporters, has contributed to atypical prices. As recently as April, Pakistan expected to produce 14 million bales of cotton in the 2010-11 season, compared with about 12.7 million bales in the previous season. Yet, because of unprecedented flooding, government and industry officials now estimate an output of about 11.6 million bales. Further driving up prices, traders also remain concerned that export restrictions in high-producing India will limit the amount of cotton that can be sent to large countries like China, which manufacturers $13 billion of apparel per month.

Faced with the alternative of lower margins, multiple apparel retailers, including Levi Strauss & Co., have already announced price increases. Executives from Kohl’s, Aeropostale Inc. and Guess have also hinted cotton prices are exerting pressures on product cost. Analysts expect retail prices to steadily climb, with the most noticeable markups found in relatively low-cost items like T-shirts, hurting discounters.

The last time cotton prices were this high was during the 1860s, when blockades interrupted the flow of the commodity from the U.S. to Europe. Then, prices reached $1.89 per pound.

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Soaring cotton prices put pressure on inflation

Soaring cotton prices put pressure on inflation Tuesday, 14 September 2010

Soaring cotton prices threaten to put further pressure on inflation amid a chorus of warnings over the likely impact on price tags.

Devastating floods in Pakistan – one of the world’s largest producers – and fears over this year’s crop in China have sent cotton prices surging to 15-year highs in recent weeks.

High street fashion giants Primark, Next and Debenhams have flagged cost pressures as tightening global supplies threaten to push up prices.

The cotton crisis comes at a bad time for retailers, who are already battling against a range of factors, such as higher freight costs, wage inflation in China and the impending VAT hike to 20% in January.

Retail experts at Verdict Research are forecasting that clothing inflation will hit 4.4% in the UK this year – the highest level for 24 years.

And Next sent shivers through the sector when it said last month that prices may rise by as much as 8% in 2011, with budget retailer Primark adding to the woes by cautioning over profit margins in the face of higher cotton costs.

The latest figures show that cotton prices are up 54% year-on-year, with the floods in Pakistan seeing supply fall far short of demand.

Read More

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GM cotton crop farmed illegally – Hindustan Times

GM cotton crop farmed illegally – Hindustan Times. This lapse has prompted activists to ask the Committee to activate a “liability clause”, making the developer of a GM crop solely responsible for any leak of unapproved seeds. They fear the same could happen to Bt brinjal, whose commercial release was put on hold by the government on February 8 following safety concerns.

 

Avoid the increase by ordering your designed custom t-shirts.  If you are needing t-shirts, sweatshirts you can save before these price hikes take effect.  Our wholesale suppliers are increasing in October 2010 and looking at another increase in Jan 2011.  Plan ahead!  See:  Gildan T-shirts, Hanes T-shirts, Jerzees T-shirts. Visit Wholesale Screen Printer for some of the best pricing around.

Cotton tops dollar benchmark | Cotton content from Delta Farm Press

Cotton tops dollar benchmark | Cotton content from Delta Farm Press.  Dollar cotton—the stuff dreams are woven of, the Holy Grail of both hard scrabble farms and plantation-sized enterprises, the benchmark that lures typically cautious farmers to wait a few more days to price their crops and, more often than not, catches them in a downward spiral that moves down a lot faster than it moved up.

 

Avoid the increase by ordering your designed custom t-shirts.  If you are needing t-shirts, sweatshirts you can save before these price hikes take effect.  Our wholesale suppliers are increasing in October 2010 and looking at another increase in Jan 2011.  Plan ahead!  See:  Gildan T-shirts, Hanes T-shirts, Jerzees T-shirts. Visit Wholesale Screen Printer for some of the best pricing around.

As Cotton Prices Approach 15-Year High, Clothing Prices May Increase

As Cotton Prices Approach 15-Year High, Clothing Prices May Increase By GIL RUDAWSKY Posted 8:19 PM 08/16/10

The oft-ignored U.S. cotton market has been steadily gaining ground, and today cotton prices are nearing heights not seen in the last 15 years.

Natural disasters in top cotton-producing countries, coupled with an increase in demand for the commodity and a record crop year, spell good news for American cotton farmers. On Friday, the price per bale for December delivery hit $85 — up from a $75 per bale price last month.

“The mills are screaming for cotton,” said Mike Stevens, a cotton analyst and trader based in Manderville, La. “No doubt about it, it’s a bull market for cotton. Prices have absolutely exploded.”

The U.S. is the third largest producer of cotton in the world, next to China and India. Coming in at fourth is Pakistan, whose crops have been wiped out due to flooding. Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates said cotton losses in Pakistan will reach 700,000 bales. Read More

 

Avoid the increase by ordering your designed custom t-shirts.  If you are needing t-shirts, sweatshirts you can save before these price hikes take effect.  Our wholesale suppliers are increasing in October 2010 and looking at another increase in Jan 2011.  Plan ahead!  See:  Gildan T-shirts, Hanes T-shirts, Jerzees T-shirts. Visit Wholesale Screen Printer for some of the best pricing around.

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Avoid the increase by ordering your designed custom t-shirts.  If you are needing t-shirts, sweatshirts you can save before these price hicks take effect.  Our wholesale suppliers are increasing in October 2010 and looking at another increase in Jan 2011.  Plan ahead!  See:  Gildan T-shirts, Hanes T-shirts, Jerzees T-shirts. Visit Wholesale Screen Printer for some of the best pricing around.

Why End Buyers Choose Promotional Products And Other Media

How Buyers Rate Media

Memorable. Flexible. Effective. End buyers know there’s power in promotional products, which is why they continue to invest their advertising dollars in the only medium that reaches consumers on every level, in every way.

In a 2009 study of the advertising purchase habits of end buyers, participants continually ranked promotional products as their top advertising choice—over tv, newspapers and internet, among others—when comparing different media attributes.

Buyers Evaluated 8 Different Media Attributes And Promotional Products Ranked No.1 In the Following Areas:

• Ability to achieve long-term memorability at the cost of paying only for a single exposure
• Flexibility to fit the cost of the medium to whatever budget is available
•  Ability to bond audience to advertiser so as to promote repeat business
•  Audience friendly (i.e., not so likely to offend or be regarded as a nuisance)
•  Ability to generate traffic (e.g., stores, tradeshows, events)

Promotional Products: Capabilities Most Desired

When asked to review 11 different attributes commonly associated with promotional products, end buyers ranked the following three as either important or very important.

•  Ability to reach target audiences efficiently (no budget waste on non-prospects)
•  Flexibility to fit whatever budget is available
•  Ability to promote customer/audience loyalty and repeat business

Frequency Of Use

End buyers use promotional products frequently as indicated in our study. Seventy-two percent of end buyers use promotional products sometimes, often or always in their advertising, promotion or motivational campaigns.

Table 1: Frequency Of Promotional Products Use

2009 study of 1,049 end buyers conducted by researchers at LSU and Glenrich Business Studies.

Of those who use the promotional products medium always, often or sometimes, 78% state that it is somewhat effective or very effective in achieving the advertising, promotion or motivational objectives.

Table 2: How Effective Are Promotional Products In Achieving Your Advertising/Promotion/Motivational Objectives?

When evaluating the effectiveness of impressions by age demographics, we discovered 84.3% of 18-34 year olds believe promotional products are either very effective or somewhat effective. This opinion is shared by 82.4% of the 35-50 age group.

Table 3: Promotional Products Effectiveness Evaluations By Age Group

Conclusion

As one looks to advertise, promote or motivate intended targets with a messaged medium, it is easy to see that promotional products are a key element to effectively succeed with a campaign. They speak for themselves as more than seven out of 10 end buyers in our study use promotional products in their campaigns, and a solid majority of them rate the medium high in terms of effectiveness. Let promotional products, such as custom t-shirts with your message speak for you.

The complete study is available for purchase in a digital format from Promotional Products Association International. Contact PPAI or TshirtSpot LLC for additional information. Materials furnished for distribution by PPAI.