We could just as easily call this the “current” big thing or even the “big thing” you never knew was big. Global sales of organic cotton apparel and textiles grew by $1 billion in 2009 according to the nonprofit Organic Exchange, reports Greenbiz.com.
Organic Exchange estimates that sales jumped by 35 percent from 2008, when they were $3.2 billion, to $4.3 billion in 2009, according to the Organic Cotton Market Report 2009. What’s more, the top organic cotton buyers from last year were some of the world’s biggest names in retail, including Nike, Walmart/Sam’s Club, Target, Adidas and Nordstrom, among others.
In fact, sales of organic cotton have been steadily rising at an average of 40 percent a year since 2001, when sales were just $245 million — less than a quarter of what they are now. Organic Exchange estimates that the organic cotton market will continue to grow at a steady 20-40 percent this year and next to about $6 billion.
Organic Exchange notes that organic cotton sales grew while overall cotton clothing and home textiles sales shrunk by seven percent. The organic cotton market was primarily driven by consumer interest, brands and by retailers and companies looking to offer more organic options.
From 2005 to 2007, the Organic Exchange named only five companies each year in its list of top organic cotton buyers. In 2008 that list grew to 10 companies, and in 2009 it expanded to 12. The top organic cotton buyers, in order, from last year, were:
1. C&A
2. Nike, Inc.
3. Walmart/Sam’s Club
4. Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
5. H&M
6. Anvil Knitwear
7. Coop
8. Greensource Organic Clothing Co.
9. Levi Strauss & Co.
10. Target
11. Adidas
12. Nordstrom
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Photo by theogeo via Flickr.