Comfort Wear Demand Set a Record During the Pandemic

Pandemic Boosts Comfortable Clothing Demand to Record Levels As people turned to comfortable clothing during the pandemic, Turkey's fashion industry hit export records. The fashion industry reached an export level of USD 20.25 billion across Turkey, while Aegean region fashion industry exports exceeded USD 3 billion. Burak Sertbaş, Chairman of the Aegean Ready-Made Garment and Apparel Exporters Association, noted that Izmir-based apparel exporters signed off on USD 1.5 billion in exports in 2021, and stated that Denizli exported USD 1.4 billion in apparel products, Balıkesir USD 75 million, and Uşak USD 48 million. Sertbaş explained that in 2021 there was increased demand for comfortable clothing due to the pandemic, and that global suppliers preferred Turkey over Far East suppliers because of geographic proximity and ability to respond flexibly to demands. "While the apparel outerwear product group achieved a 20% increase across Turkey, sportswear reached growth rates of around 40%. A 141% increase was recorded in cotton knit sportswear included in EHKİB exports. We saw a 15% increase in T-shirts, our largest export product group. These figures now reflect that our target markets are increasing their preferences for more comfortable product categories," he said.

USD 22 Billion Target for 2022

Sertbaş emphasized that the Turkish fashion industry is meeting the expectations of its major export markets, particularly European countries, regarding sustainable production, and noted that many European countries, especially France, Switzerland, and Denmark, have recently turned to Turkey. He stated that should exchange rates and interest rates stabilize in 2022 and exporters' financing access challenges be resolved, they target reaching USD 22 billion in exports across Turkey and USD 1.6 billion in EHKİB. Noting that Turkey's ready-made garment sector's top 5 export countries in 2021 exceeded the USD 1 billion threshold in exports to Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and France, Sertbaş stated, "We exported over USD 100 million to 33 countries from Turkey. The total number of countries we export to reached 214. As EHKİB, our largest export destinations are Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Italy."

Average Export Price for Aegean Apparel Manufacturers: USD 16

EHKİB Chairman Burak Sertbaş stated that Turkey's average export price is USD 1.3, this figure rises to USD 13 in the ready-made garment sector, and the average export price for Aegean apparel exporters stands at USD 16. He added that to increase value-added in exports, they will focus on design, innovation, and sustainability-oriented projects.