The figure for 1997 was 3.5 percent. This growth reflected the strong performance of the entire retail sector in 1998 and could realistically be expected to continue. Growth in the apparel retail market will stabilize at a rate of just under 2.5 per percent per annum for the foreseeable future. O Imports Imports play an important role in supplying the Dutch market. Major contributors to Dutch imports are products manufactured in countries with low cost labor, namely the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey.
Many foreign manufacturers have sales offices in the Netherlands.
These offices normally have the sole rights to sell their product ranges in the Netherlands. In addition, foreign manufacturers may be represented in the Dutch market by independent brand importers. Such importers usually represent a small number of brand products, and import exclusively for the Dutch market. The World Fashion Center, also known as the Confectiecentrum, is located in Amsterdam. The complex presently comprises ten buildings.