Leather Market Research Articles

From Iya Ijebu’s shop to Igbo market: ethnicity and the transformation of Mushin leather market in Lagos, Nigeria

AbstractLeather markets are critical nodes in the leather industry value chain. They attract manufacturers and small and medium enterprises that facilitate social interactions and opportunities, leading to increased availability of finished leather goods. This study explores the social transformation and organization of Mushin leather market in Lagos megacity based on data collected through observation and in-depth and key informant interviews with traders, association and community members, transporters and customers in the market. Mushin leather market evolved from a shop owned by an indigenous woman known as Iya Ijebu (Ijebu woman) into a leather trading community. State and local governments intervene minimally in the market affairs through sanitation rules and revenue collection. Routes to market socialization include mentoring and apprenticeships, with visible gender disparities. Associational membership guarantees full integration to traders. Strong business, personal and group networks structure ethnic dynamics and occupational specializations. The article reveals the inherent interdependence of social institutions in understanding the organization of the leather market, particularly in terms of how capital, associational norms and networks shape the formation of a heterogeneous market in an indigenous Yoruba community. Mushin leather market is transforming the domains of ethnic trade speciality and patterning intergroup social relations in Lagos megacity.

Mitigating Tannery Pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

The global leather market is worth more than $270 billion annually, and provides an important and accessible source of manufacturing exports for countries in the Global South. Leather is the source for a range of apparel items, including handbags, belts, shoes, wallets, gloves, and various other products, such as furniture, car seats, and luggage. Behind all leather goods is the tannery industry, with much of the raw materials processing located in the Global South (Lund-Thomsen, 2009, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 90, p. 57). Unlike most synthetic fibers, which are derived from plastics and associated with the petrochemical industry, leather has the potential for a comparatively lighter footprint because it is based on natural and renewable materials not associated with the carbon emissions of fossil fuels. However, leather has suffered from various concerns, including animal rights and toxic effluents. It is ranked as the fourth most dangerous global industry to human health, with many tanneries in the Global South lacking basic protection for the workers and leaching toxic chromium into rivers (Green Cross and Pure Earth, 2016, World’s worst pollution problems: The toxics beneath our feet). This article explores the prospects for reducing the environmental footprint of tanneries in the Global South, focusing on the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) program, a series of projects in South Asia (SA) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that explore ways to reduce manufacturing pollution. The article lays out a series of technical and managerial interventions that would vastly reduce the negative impacts on human health and the natural environment.

Khussa as an Eco-Friendly Footwear Form

The research aims to document the progress of the vegetable tanning of leather hides, involved in the making of local footwear products in Pakistan. The analysis is done specifically on the introduction of Khussa as an environmentally friendly product suitable for the needs of the present target groups. The overall empirical question is to decrease the amount of industrial pollution created in the manufacturing of leather goods through synthetic procedures, especially in the tanning of the leather skins. The observations are based on the pollution intensive environment and spatial urban issues related to trends in technological, economic, social, and political scenario in Pakistan. In the beginning of the paper vegetable tanning and its existence in the leather market of Pakistan will be discussed. Then the involvement of vegetable tanning and manual laborious skills involved in the making of Khussa will be observed to promote ecofriendly procedures in the footwear market. A SWAT analysis at the end of the paper will determine the positioning of Khussa in the present market and how it could be improvised to make it better in future.

UKRAINEON THE WORLD MARKET OF LEATHER MATERIALS

Background. The problem of stable activity of domestic producers, in particular in the production of leather and footwear, is exacerbated by increasing global competition along with the loss of significant share of domestic and foreign markets. The regulating of the development of industrial production, domestic and foreign markets for light industry products is one of the most important tasks of the state today. Therefore, the assessment of the state of Ukraine’s foreign trade in the leather and leathermaterials market is important component for forecasting andshaping the development of domestic leather manufacturing. The aim of the work is to analyze the dynamics of Ukraine’s foreign trade on the leather materials market and to establish key directions for thedevelopment of Ukraine’s leather industry to increase the competitiveness of domestic products in an international environment. Materials and methods. Methods of analysis and synthesis, comparison and gene­ra­lization are used for work. Statistical data of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, customs statistics of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, as well as data from the Inter­national Trade Center are used to study the leather market of various finishing methods in the world. Results. The analysis of foreign trade activities of the leather materials market showed that leather, additionally processed after tanning, significantly exceeds exports in imports, while tanned leather without processing in exports is ten times higher than im­ports. The analysis of world trade indicators determined that leather with a natural full grain surface is characterized by the greatest competitiveness against polished leather withan artificial grain surface. According to the indicators of foreign trade activity, Ukraine ranks third among the countries – leaders in world imports of leather with a natural full grain surface configuration in the form of halves. According to this commodity position, Ukraine ranks 13th in world exports. Conclusion. The analysis of Ukraine’s foreign trade on the leather materials mar­ket revealed the need of forming commodity and technological specializations of the domestic leather industry in accordance with the production of leather with a natural full grain surface from cowhides as the most competitive product in the international environment.

Short-Branched Fluorinated Polyurethane Coating Exhibiting Good Comprehensive Performance and Potential UV Degradation in Leather Waterproofing Modification

In the current leather market, waterproof leather occupies a large proportion, where waterproofness has become one of the important standards for leather selection. However, the most advanced fluorine-containing waterproofing agents on the market always have long chains of over eight carbons (C8), whose use has been restricted due to their bioaccumulation and recalcitrance in natural environment. Consequently, creating waterproof materials characterized by their environmentally friendly qualities and high performance is of great significance. Herein, we report a novel strategy for preparation of the fluorinated polyurethanes containing short branched fluorocarbon chains, and apply it in leather waterproofing. Because the fluorine-containing chain segments are enriched on the coating surface, the waterproof agent coating shows good hydrophobicity, low water absorption, high wear resistance and potential photodegradation of performances. Additionally, the water and oil proof performances of the coating are comparable to that of the marketed C8 waterproofing agent. Its solvent-resistant and antifouling performances are also outstanding. Therefore, the coating can meet the property requirements for daily use and has broad application prospects.

Sustainable materials make a play for the leather market

Leather is a maker’s dream material. It cuts well; it holds a stitch; it can be dyed, stamped, or tooled; it’s warm but breathable; it’s strong but flexible. But it has a heavy environmental footpr...

Sustainable materials make a play for the vegan leather market

Sustainable materials make a play for the vegan leather market

Controversial fashion, ethical concerns and environmentally significant behaviour

PurposeThe purpose of this paper to report on the role of luxury value perceptions and ethical concerns in consumers’ environmentally significant behaviour and purchase intent for genuine leather products.Design/methodology/approachNon-probability sampling was done and 429 South African males and females, aged 26 years and older and who fell in a household income bracket that allowed them to purchase genuine leather products, completed a structured questionnaire during September 2016.FindingsThe study determined that South African consumers’ strong functional and individual luxury value perceptions drive their above-average purchase intent for genuine leather products. Strong individual value perceptions correlated negatively with their purchase intent. Respondents’ expressed strong ethical concerns but almost never participate in environmentally significant behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsFindings have implications for the leather industry and retailers and brands who would like to enter the South African luxury leather market. Due to the sampling method, findings can, however, not been generalised to the total population.Practical implicationsThe leather industry and leather brands should market themselves with the message that the highest pro-environmental and ethical standards have been maintained and that their products should therefore fulfil important individual and functional value perceptions.Originality/valueThis study was the first of its kind about the multi-cultural South African leather market’s luxury value perceptions, ethical concerns and environmentally significant behaviour.

Micro-economics of Quality and Social Construction of the Market : Disputes among the London Leather Trades during the Eighteenth Century

The London leather market inherited an age-old regulation framework. But some harsh disputes among the leather trades in the Eighteenth Century reactivated the debate about norms and rules. Disputes between butchers, tanners and curriers revolved less around the principle of the control than around its intrinsic definition, leading to a significant shift: the former definition of as an absolute, defined by precise norms (which I call regulated quality) is challenged by a more flexible definition, the deliberated quality established by a jury formed by representatives of each trade. Hence turns out to be a pure convention, grounded on a deliberative process. This case study, by approaching norms of and certification process from the point of view of the actors of the market instead of adopting the former cliche of free-market versus regulation and control, sheds light on the need to set a new ground to discuss these issues.

Development of formaldehyde-free leathers in the perspective of retanning: part II. Combination of formaldehyde-free retanning syntans

There is a growing demand for the formaldehyde-free leathers in global leather market due to increasing awareness towards eco-labelling. The first part of this work described the optimisation of formaldehyde-free syntans in their applications as single syntans in making leathers with desired properties. In this work the use of formaldehyde-free syntans in combination to produce leathers with desired properties has been attempted. Three combination-retanning systems have been chosen using formaldehyde-free resin, acrylic and protein syntans. The performance of leathers in terms of bulk and strength properties is shown to be comparable or even better for all the combination-retanning systems chosen compared to the control system. In particular, Experiment “C” (resin syntan 3%, acrylic syntan 4% and protein syntan 2%) provides leathers with improved bulk, strength and colour properties as well as reduced COD and TS loads, besides not having free formaldehyde. Scanning electron microscopic study reveals that the extent of filling in all the three combination-retanning systems is similar.

Nature, production and regulation in eighteenth-century Britain and France: the case of the leather industry

Leather was, in the pre-industrial economy, a scarce material used in the production of a wide range of goods. The supply of leather was influenced by the national cattle asset and its slaughtering rate. The difficulty in increasing leather production to meet the demands of a `consumer revolution' was the subject of theoretical debates and practical intervention. The state controlled and organized the leather market through fiscal and commercial policies. This article offers a comparative analysis of the French and the British leather markets in the eighteenth century. In France, the state assumed an organizational function in the creation of a national leather market. In Britain, by contrast, the state simply regulated an existing market. These different political interventions influenced the dynamics of development of leather production and the leather trades in the two countries. While France suffered from an endemic absence of leather, Britain was able to satisfy its increasing demand efficiently.

Practical Techniques For Designing With Exotic Leather: American Alligator and Emu

Exotic leather is an important part of the leather industry, which is worth approximately three billion dollars (Sterlacci, 1997). Due to an increased fashion emphasis on exotic leather apparel, it is now considered a fashion staple rather than a trend. This study was part of a larger project, conducted by a multi-faceted team of researchers from academia, government, and industry, designed to broaden and enhance the domestic exotic leather industry. The larger project included regional, national, and international surveys of consumers, retailers, designers, and manufacturers regarding their preferences for exotic leather apparel, their knowledge of exotic leather products, their attitudes toward exotic leather, and their perceptions about the exotic leather market. The purpose of the present component of the project was to design, develop, and execute prototype apparel products made from exotic leather, and to identify special techniques necessary for manipulating leather. Prototype garments were created in both types of skins to address some of the practical problems encountered when using exotic leather in apparel applications. While leather such as cowhide and lambskin has been used in apparel applications for many years, the exotics have primarily been found in applications such as boots, belts, handbags, and other small goods. The prototype garments developed for this project support the idea that exotic leather can be successfully applied to fashion apparel products.

Pigskin as a Component of the International Leather Market

A model of the structure of the leather market system is presented and discussed relative to pigskin markets. Pigskin represents only a small portion of the total leather market even though annual worldwide slaughter of hogs exceeds 750 million. Greater utilization of pigskin by textile and apparel professionals is hampered by an unreliable supply of leather-quality domestic pigskins and an inadequate pigskin marketing system.

Export Supply and Demand for U. S. Cattle Hides

T HE SUPPLY of U. S. cattle hides increased substantially as beef production rose following World War II. Foreign market outlets absorbed the growing supply, and cattle hide sales abroad climbed to $132 million in 1969. Net exports rose from 4.6 million hides in 1956 to 15.1 million in 1969. Total domestic utilization fluctuated within a relatively narrow range between 19 and 23 million hides per year. Man-made substitutes accounted for a rising share of the U. S. leather market [5] and shoe imports also rose sharply. The price of hides varied considerably during the period, but no persistent long-time trend was apparent. This paper reports the results of a study examining factors affecting U. S. cattle hide exports for 1956-1969. Statistical estimates of export supply and demand relations were derived, based on hypothesized economic characteristics of the commodity.