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(Last updated: 23 Apr 2008)
Trends and opportunities
The market
The Swedish textile and clothing industry is a modern, quality-oriented industry with advanced technology, continuous product development and a strong environmental awareness. The industry is international, in the supply of raw materials, product adaptation, production collaboration, marketing and export.
There are close to 14,000 people employed in the textile and clothing industry in Sweden with around 350 companies (greater than five employees). Most of these companies are geographically concentrated in the south-west of Sweden.
Clothing and fashion
In Sweden production of clothing may have seen the greatest transformation. Most of the sewing is done by production partners in other countries. However, the Swedish producers engage in product design and development, purchase of material, cutting, quality and environmental policies and supervision, logistics, warehousing and, of course, in marketing the products under their own well established trademarks.
In addition to fashion clothing there is a number of successful Swedish producers of protective, work and corporate identity clothing. Here function, quality and design constitute the competitive added values.
The major clothes chains are:
- Hennes & Mauritz
- Lindex
- Kappahl
- JC
- Åhléns
- Dressman
- MQ Sweden
The major shoe and handbag chains are:
- Nilson Group
- Wedins
- Nord-West-Ring
- Sko-City
- Skokanonen
The major sports chains are:
- Stadium
- Intersport
- Team Sportia
- Naturkompaniet
- Fourfield Scandinavia
- Fliesbergs
(Source: Habit 2003:6 - industry magazine)
Textiles
The textile industry in Sweden is active in many areas. A number of companies are well known in Sweden and abroad for their interior or home furnishing textiles for public or private use. Furnishing fabrics, curtains, carpets and bed textiles are some examples. Sweden is the world-leading supplier of fabrics for blinds. There are also a number of creative flax-weaving mills in Sweden.
Technical textiles or textiles for industrial use are expanding sectors in Sweden. Geotextiles, fabrics for airbags and the automotive industry, felts and fabrics for use in paper and pulp production, hygiene articles, parachutes, filters for air and liquid purification, and sails are some examples in this innovative branch. Sweden is also world-leading producer of fabrics for greenhouses. Technical textiles made in Sweden are being exported globally.
(Source: Swedish Textile and Clothing Industries' Association)
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