Thermometers rarely deceive. The world is suffering connected phenomena climate change It is reaching an ever-increasing level, from the sweltering heat to the point of breaking all known records to date, to the impossibility of predicting when summer or winter will come each year. This is such a drastic effect that it affects not only the life of society, but also the reality of activities such as textiles, whose production is often closely linked to the value indicated by the thermometer. According to industry insiders, changes are already happening.
This was confirmed by Pepe Serna, president of the Association of Textile Entrepreneurs of the Valencian Community (Ateval), who emphasized that climate change “always creates great concern” in this Valencian sector. “Cold or hot is delayed”, and since there is a decrease in consumption, this situation is also noticed in sales. Ateval’s leader says people “put up with it and don’t buy more or wait for sales.” unchangeable seasons of fashion or home. Without this horizon of certainty, greater uncertainty follows.
Solutions to uncertainty
Faced with this situation where you don’t know how much sales the weather will allow you to sell, Serna underlines that most companies in the sector prefer to “keep smaller, sometimes minimal, stock” and at the same time have a greater room for maneuver. Avoid extremes when faced with a drop in demand due to climatic factors. In parallel, another reality emerges, which means, as the Ateval leader emphasizes, supply chains become even shorter with “closer suppliers”. This is also acknowledged by Cotoblau owner Càndid Penalba, who points out that “large global distributors increasingly value their carbon footprint and suppliers are closer to their logistics centres.” Well, Seeking a lower impact on the environmentThis is something that suggests European textiles “should take advantage”.
Likewise, both Serna and Penalba agree on another key point. If temperatures become unusual in a particular market and sales prospects are limited, the solution involves further diversification of countries, for example marketing ‘hot’ products to places where it is cold. “It is very important to have a diverse market to have these alternatives,” says the Ateval president. “This is something that needs to be done constantly,” reinforces Cotoblau’s owner. In some cases, “conversion to other products” is also added to this.
big impacts
However, this problem is only rising temperatures, drought or increased precipitation. This could also lead to a significant increase in natural disasters; It is an incident that Penalba insists has dealt a major blow to business and sales in the area where it occurred.
Likewise, the businessman recalls the impact of all these hazards on the company’s facilities; for example, the obligation to invest in “insulating industrial warehouses” to protect workers from high temperatures. , that kind of heat is “unbearable.”