Poly Cotton fabric is a material which is a blend of natural cotton and synthetic polyester. Usually, the blend has a mix of 65% cotton and 35% polyester although the ratio can vary for different types of products.
Poly cotton blends are gaining popularity as they make stronger, more customizable and versatile products that also dry quickly. This product is easily available at any textile outlet.
Generally poly cotton blends are segmented in lightweight: which are used for blouses and shirts and heavyweight: which are used for pants, undergarments and skirts. They are also used to make a variety of products such as curtains, bed sheets, linens, pillow covers, art canvas and tablecloths.
Pure cotton is significantly costlier than poly cotton. High strength, elasticity and tear-resistant are some of the properties supporting the growth in this segment. Further, improved shelf life, wrinkle-free nature, ease in sewing and no need to iron frequently are enhancing the scope of the product.
The benefits including reduced costs, absence of skin irritation and less wear-tear are factors driving demand.
Poly Cotton Fabric Market: Dynamics
A growing trend of wearing slim-fit, breathable attire for sport activities and recreation purposes is a key driver for the growth of the poly cotton fabric market.
Comfort, anti-shrinkage, elasticity, affordability and ease to dry are some of the reasons why poly cotton is expected to gain traction over cotton and polyester products in the following decade.
Changing the composition ratio of cotton and polyester to make new products like curtains, clothes and bed sheets is gaining momentum and is foreseen as a growing trend in the years to come.
According to the World Trade Organization, as the sales and popularity of poly cotton products increases, the price of the material is expected to decline.
Hence poly cotton products are trending in the cloth and garment industry. The drawbacks of poly cotton materials is that it is slightly slippery in nature, absorbs moisture, does not thrive at high temperatures and is not suitable for popular high fashion hence may be seen as a less comfortable option than that of pure cotton.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the global economy at various levels particularly the industrial sector. As a result, a substantial slowdown in manufacturing in the first six months of 2020 has been witnessed via reverberation through every industry including textiles.
For the remaining half of the year the revival of the poly cotton fabric market is expected to take considerable uptime to reach the nominal growth stages.
Poly Cotton Fabric Market: Regional Outlook
North America continues to hold the majority market share as it is a hub for producing sports apparel which is a field witnessing tremendous growth in demand.
In 2018 U.S. exported 2.5 million tons of poly cotton and 3.6 million tons was produced. Asia-Pacific and Europe are expected to witness healthy growth owing to large demands for body-fit clothing and textile sectors. Middle East and Africa region are to witness moderate and slow growth.
UAE, Kuwait and Turkey are an emerging market for sportswear and poly cotton clothes due to a change in lifestyle.
