Friday, June 22, 2006

This edition of the Hosiery Insider is sponsored by

HIFOMACO....

Hosiery Manufacturers and Distributors are invited to Advertise in Hosiery News. The July/August issue will include a special feature on the MAGIC APPAREL AND FASHION SHOW in Las Vegas August 28-31. This issue will be distributed to retailers in the USA and around the world. The publication will be circulated prior to the show as well as at MAGIC. It will be included in on-site press kits and dispersed via booth distribution. If you want your company’s messages, products, brands, etc. to be distributed to retailers across this country and around the world, you should seize this opportunity in Hosiery News. The deadline for inclusion in this issue is Tuesday, June 27. For information on how you can be a part of this exclusive issue and include your message to this desired audience, please contact Mike Austell at THA, mike.austell@hosieryassociation.com or 704-365-0913, ext. 204.

Buy THA’s History Book at ½ Price! Do you need gifts for employee and/or customer appreciation? Give 100 years worth of hosiery history which is captured in “THA’s Centennial: Keeping In Stride with the Industry for 100 Years.” $20 per copy. To order, visit the THA store on www.hosieryassociation.com or contact us at 704-365-0913.

Obituary: Ray Shearin, owner of CKS Hosiery (Oakboro, NC) and formerly with Wellman, Inc. died unexpectedly Wednesday, June 21. Details of his funeral arrangements were unavailable at press time.

THA Membership: Renewal notices for the 2006-2007 THA Membership Year have been mailed out this week. Please keep an eye out for your company’s renewal notice and submit your membership dues to THA in a timely fashion, please.

CHA’s Golf Tournament: CHA’s golf tournament was a successful outing for the chapter and its many participants. The June 8 event was held in Hickory at Rock Barn Country Club, a Robert Trent Jones Jr. course and site of a fall Senior PGA event. The winning foursome included Terry Jackson of Bossong Hosiery, John Richardson of Clayson Knitting and Bob Stanford and Bill Musser, both with Unifi. CHA would like to thank the sponsors of this event – Groz-Beckert, Ken Smith Yarn Co., Nilit, Pembroke Textiles and Worldtex Yarns. Special thanks to the CHA officers, Angie Marshburn, Mac Cheek and Kevin Huitt for their organization of this event.

AL Supplier Luncheons: The Alabama Chapter held their June Suppliers Luncheon at the Western Sizzlin’ in Ft. Payne on Thursday, June 22. Patty Tucker, Executive Director of the DeKalb County Tourist Association presented information on the economic impact of tourism to Dekalb County. Unifi was the sponsor. The next Suppliers Luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, August 17.

Celebrate Hosiery Week – July 31 – August 1, 2006

CHA Supplier Luncheons: There will not be a CHA Supplier Luncheon in June or July. These luncheons will resume August 24 at the Hosiery Technology Center in Hickory, NC.

Industry Support with Style! Take Advantage of Complimentary Member Access While It Lasts…. With the thousands of consumers, retailers and industry professionals that visit us from across the globe on a daily basis, this new platform will offer its users with more functionality and more information readily at their fingertips than ever before. Keep up to date on the latest statistical, legislative and trend information available. We are offering “free” access until the end of this month...please visit us at our new website www.hosieryassociation.com. …the user name is tha and the password is hosiery. We invite you to work through the site and give us your feedback! 

Hosiery Insider Sponsorship: Do you want a cost effective venue for communicating your messages to thousands worldwide? Sponsor the next issue of Hosiery Insider. For details, contact Mike Austell at 704-365-0913 Ext 204 or mike.austell@hosieryassociation.com.

Gildan Activewear Inc. recently announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase 100% of the equity of Kentucky Derby Hosiery Co., Inc., a U.S. hosiery manufacturer based in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The total purchase price, including the assumption of all of Kentucky Derby's debt, is approximately U.S. $45 million. Consideration for the equity component of the purchase price will be paid in cash on closing, with the exception of approximately U.S. $0.5 million, which will be satisfied by Gildan shares, subject to regulatory approval. The acquisition is expected to close on or around July 3, 2006, the beginning of the fourth quarter of Gildan's fiscal year. The current majority owner and Chief Executive Officer of Kentucky Derby, William H. ("Bill") Nichol, Jr., will continue to lead the business subsequent to its acquisition by Gildan. Bill is fully committed to work in partnership with Gildan's sales and marketing team to combine the strengths of the two companies in order to further enhance Kentucky Derby's existing business, drive the development of the Gildan retail brand for basic family apparel products, and position Gildan as a leader in the U.S. hosiery market.

Houston Chronicle recently published a story concerning hosiery in the work place.
Click on this link to read the article indetail. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/style/3970468.html

Tomorrow’s Wal-Marts: A fresh crop of burgeoning retailers is winning shoppers and turning heads, according to a new study – NEW YORK (FORTUNE) - If you want to get a glimpse of the future of retail, skip the trip to Wal-Mart, buy yourself a ticket to Beijing, and check out Wu Mart instead. Wu Mart? It's only been in business since 1994, and its $500 million in sales pale in comparison to Wal-Mart's $316 billion. But the fast-growing Chinese retailer was among ten up-and-coming global firms recently cited as "stores to watch" by UK-based food and grocery research outfit IGD.

IGD's analysts visited over 50 retailers in two dozen countries, searching for chains that "had an impact beyond their scale," according to senior business analyst Jonathan Gunz, author of the study. Savvy merchandising, aggressive expansion strategies, and unique corporate cultures, among other factors, distinguished these retailers from the pack.

Conspicuously absent from the list were retail behemoths like Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Britain's Tesco and France's Carrefour. "You don't have to be big to be successful," says Gunz. Topping the list was Hong Kong-based AS Watson, the world's largest health and beauty purveyor with sales of $11.4 billion from over 7,000 stores in 36 countries. Of those 36 markets, 17 are emerging geographies like Romania and Russia, whose growing ranks of middle class shoppers are eager to purchase cosmetics and hair care products, Gunz notes. The company hopes to have 10,000 stores by 2008, with a possible entry in the US coming down the road.

While most of the stores on IGD's 2005 list operated in the US and Europe, this year's top ten included companies from Thailand (Central Retail Corporation, No. 2), Russia (Perekriostok, No. 6), China (Wu Mart, No. 10) and India. "These are markets with great potential," says Gunz.

Few markets have as much potential as India. At $250 billion, India's retail sector is the eighth largest in the world, and it should nearly double in size by 2010. But well over 95 percent of it is currently comprised of small mom-and-pop stores. That's bound to change, but foreign retailers like Wal-Mart are still not allowed to open up shop inside India, leaving the door open for home-grown companies like Pantaloon, a 72-store chain based in Mumbai.

Toshiba Launches First RFID-Ready Printers: Toshiba TEC, a global manufacturer of retail and industrial information systems, announced the world’s first operational Print-on-Tag RFID solution that will help close the cost gap between vendors and customers for this mission-critical technology.

The Toshiba TEC SX-series of barcode label printers are the only printers in the world that are able to successfully print label information straight onto RFID tags. This major technology breakthrough for RFID tag vendors brings a practical solution to market that combines Toshiba quality and innovation with cost-effective, high-volume RFID tag production.

Until now, RFID tags have had to be inserted behind self-adhesive labels to meet the traceability requirements set by major government organizations, retail chains and logistics-related enterprises. The RFID Journal recently projected that the RFID tag price would come down to 16 cents by 2008. This technological breakthrough engineered by Toshiba TEC makes it possible to allow small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to order low quantities of RFID tags at competitive prices.

Preadolescent Clothing: An Ever Expanding Challenge and an Untapped Opportunity. Today, kids are spending more on consumer goods than any other time in history, with a hefty amount going towards clothing. Retailers have realized the great potential in children’s wear by offering a variety of categories according to age—allowing parents to zoom in on their child’s needs. However, for the young adolescent whose body shape doesn’t fit into a neat mold, finding clothes similar to their peers can be difficult if not impossible.

Ironically, the children’s wear market is relatively new. The history of children’s clothing reflects not the activities of children but the parent’s attitudes towards their children. … Today, the vast majority of parents adore their children. Retailers have successfully zoomed in on the ever-changing needs and desires of the typical toddler. Apparel designers cater to them by offering brightly colored clothes with lots of texture and ornamentation. Most toddlers love adult attention and quickly learn their clothing is the perfect portal.

New PowerSox Left/Right Technology Sock Sponsors Democrat vs. Republican Congressional BaseballLaunch of Anatomically Correct Design Celebrates Bi-Partisan Synergy

PowerSox by Moretz Sports, the nation’s best-selling brand of athletic socks, has unveiled a new Left/Right Technology sock for Fall 2006. Part of the PowerSox Elite Running Collection, the socks have been specifically created for the individual characteristics of the left and right feet. To celebrate, PowerSox Left/Right Technology is sponsoring Roll Call’s 45th Annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity next week at RFK Stadium. PowerSox Left/Right Technology socks will be available to consumers in non-partisan on its website in September and at sporting goods stores nationwide in November.

Fox River introduces Good Earth sock collection Responsible innovation is the mantra of high-performance sock maker Fox River. The company will launch a new Good Earth Collection that combines its organic merino socks and socks made from 100% biodegradable corn under a new Fox River label at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Show this August.

Fashion International Trade Show – This show will be held at the Hangzhou Peace International Convention and Exhibition Center in Hangzhou, China on June 29 – July 1. For more information, visit www.fashionforchina.com.

NC State University’s 2006 Continuing Education Schedule: Upcoming sessions for July include: “Textile Fundamentals” – July 10-14, “Introduction to Nonwovens Products and Processing” – July 24- 26 and “Color Basics for Textiles” – July 25-27. Most of the courses are held on NCSU’s Centennial Campus. To view the entire 2006 schedule or if you are interested in registering for one of these courses, visit www.ContinuingEducation.NCSU.edu.

Lean Manufacturing and the Importance of Cycle Time - July 17-18, 2006 – Cary, NC: Join [TC]²’s 2006 Student Interns for this two-day program discussing short cycle manufacturing’s important role in today’s environment and participate in the Penville Plant™ hands-on activity. Lean manufacturing systems reduce work-in-process, increase quality, and shorten lead times. You'll find out how to achieve these benefits as well as understand the commitment required at all levels of the organization. If your customer is requiring faster service time and responsiveness, this seminar is a must. For more details, visit http://www.tc2.com/what/seminars.html.

Sign up for THA hosiery/sock tour at WSA! Join us for a special tour on August 1 as we team up with WSA to grow the hosiery (all legwear/footwear categories) component at its next show which will be held August 1-4 in Las Vegas. Each event attracts over 1,600 exhibitors representing 6,000 brands and 34,000+ industry professionals and buyers from department stores, specialty retailers, footwear chains, independent footwear retailers and boutiques across the globe. 97% of buyers took buyer action at the last show. 94% of attendees hold management positions with purchasing authority. 89% of buyers attend this show exclusively. The WSA show delivers the largest concentration of buying power in the footwear and accessories industry. Contact Sally Kay at (704)365-0913, ext. 212 or email sally.kay@hosieryassociation.com for details on how you can participate in the official THA tour of WSA.

2006 Seattle Trend Show – This show is a regional tradeshow for the Pacific Northwest, featuring women’s, children’s and men’s apparel and accessories. For 65 years this show has served independent retailers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and British Columbia. The shows will be held at the Qwest Field Event Center in Seattle, Washington. Dates are as follows: August 5-7 and October 5-8. For more information about this show, contact Patricia Hodges, Executive Director, Pacific Northwest Apparel Association: T – 206-767-9200, F – 206-767-0707, E – pnaa@earthlink.net, W – www.seattletrendshow.com.

Register Now for the First-Ever RFID Event Designed for Apparel and Footwear to be held August 15–16 in New York City at the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Center for Professional Studies for this unprecedented event. The RFID Journal – AAFA Apparel & Footwear Summit is the first event designed by the leading RFID publication and the leading industry trade association to address the issues and concerns of companies in the apparel and footwear industry. [www.rfidjournal.com/apparel/2006/]

By attending this one-of-a-kind event you’ll get a critical understanding of how RFID can benefit companies in the apparel and footwear sector, including:

• The benefits of tagging individual items
• The timeframe in which major retailers are likely to mandate tagging of individual items
• How RFID can improve internal process and cut costs for manufacturers and retailers
• How manufacturers can use RFID to gain more visibility into work-in-process and order fulfillment
• The benefits and challenges of implementing RFID in small and mid-size manufacturing and retailing companies
• Best practices for using RFID to improve delivery speed and accuracy in the complex supply chain
• Insight into how RFID can and is being used to deter theft, diversion and counterfeiting of high-value apparel and footwear brands
• And more!

Dallas Market Center Show – The Men’s & Boys’ Apparel Market and the Women’s & Children’s Apparel and Accessories show will be held at the Dallas Market Center in Dallas, TX August 17-20. Dallas Market Center, the largest wholesale merchandise resource in the world as recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records, is the one location where retailers from around the globe source a wide range of products including textiles, fashion accessories and women's, men's, children's and western apparel. With more than 50 markets each year attended by more than 200,000 buyers, Dallas Market Center offers an array of services geared toward helping retailers expand business & increase profits. The final 2006 show date will be October 26-29. For more detailed information, visit www.dallasmarketcenter.com.

Attention Industry Suppliers: The "You Wear US Well" team would like to invite you to join this effort. In conjunction with SEAMS, the Hosiery Technology Center (HTC)and The Hosiery Association (THA), the nine hosiery companies and seven apparel makers have joined together to secure exhibit space at the 2006 MAGIC show in Las Vegas - where as you know each year thousands of retailers come to find the products that they want to offer their customers. The nine hosiery companies are Johnson Hosiery, WY Shugart, Kentucky Derby Hosiery, Twin City Knitting, Wells Hosiery, Knit Rite, Wrights Hosiery, Fox River Mills and Angel Hosiery. The apparel manufacturers are A.S. Tees Mfg., Carolina Apparel Group Inc., Creative Outlet, Cal Cru, Kellsport, Vinci Clothiers and Ultimate Sports and Apparel. With a sponsorship of either $600 or $1200, you can put your company in the MAGIC show booth and show other potential manufacturing customers the kind of commitment you're willing to make as a supplier. Your company’s name will be included in the special MAGIC section of Hosiery News, THA's official publication, the MAGIC press kits and a quarter page ad in Legwear Trends and Textiles Tomorrow. Please contact Dan St. Louis at sockman@legsource.com for details on how you can financially support this effort.

Material World Show – Material World will have one more show in 2006: September 26-28 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, NY. “From Design to Delivery, the Premier Global Trade Event for the Sewn Products Industries.” Additional information can be found at www.material-world.com.

Wal-Mart is being sued by Louis Vuitton, the owner of the Fendi Brand, for selling imitation Fendi accessories that include handbags, shoulder bags, purses, wallets and key chains at it's Sam Club outlets. The alleged counterfeit products are selling for as much as 68% less than the authentic items. Court documents gave the example of a $925 handbag selling for $295.03 at a Sam's Club in Las Vegas complete with logo and markings.

According to newspaper reports Marc Jacobs still desperately wants Lindsay Lohan to represent Louis Vuitton. She was passed up this season after negotiations fell through. He was quoted as saying “I very much wanted her to appear in the LV campaign, but it didn't work out. Hopefully it will next time." However Chanel, Stella McCartney and Donatella Versace also are said to be working the Mean Girls star to front their campaigns.

A French court ruled that the Louis Vuitton Flagship Store on the Champs Elysées can not do business on Sundays. Currently all stores are required to be closed on the seventh day. Only museums are allowed to be open. Since its massive overhaul last year the LV store claimed that a new art exhibit technically qualified as a museum and that the rest of the store should be treated as one big museum shop. About 5,000 to 10,000 shoppers visited the store on Sundays. The luxury retailer however recently lost a court challenge by the French Confederation of Christian.

PETA members displayed rather poor table manners during a recent restaurant dinner outing with Beyoncé. The Pop Diva and her mother Tina Knowles, together with whom she runs he fur fashion line, House of Deron, had no idea that the couple who had paid thousands of dollars in a celebrity silent auction to have diner with them at Nabo 57 were actually secret operatives sent by PETA ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). After exchanging pleasantries and ordering food the couple suddenly pulled out a mini DVD player which showed animals being killed and skinned in a film narrated by Pamela Anderson. In front of horrified onlookers the animal rights saboteurs began screaming acquisitions at the Knowles who discretely made for the exit.

Fashion Designer and bar room brawler Tommy Hilfiger recently switched one tall blonde girlfriend for another tall blonde girlfriend and no one seemed to notice. In March Hilfiger broke-up with his long time flame and fiancée Lizzie Somerby. Shortly after he started appearing in public with 39 year-old Dee Ocleppo but very few people twigged to the difference.

The contents printed in this document are informational in nature. They are gathered from various industry sources and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or actions of THA.

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