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When it comes to joining the growing ranks of the sustainability movement, apparel companies are no laggards. As 'being green' approaches the status of a national pastime, individuals and companies [...]

In the never-ending search for ways to stand out in the consumer's eyes, the apparel industry seems to be rediscovering the product label. Some send overt messages. A 'booklet tag' [...]

Department stores are increasingly looking to ramp up private label penetration in order to enhance margins and provide greater differentiation on the selling floor. As they were in their beginnings [...]

As their private label programs grow, retailers are redefining their roles in design, product development and sourcing, and the traditional parts played by brands and vendors. retailers have gotten very [...]

move over PDM. Here comes PLM. While many apparel vendors continue to get the kinks out of product development management (PDM) systems, a whole new set of communication tools is [...]

Apparel sourcing is not just about cheap labor anymore. The need for faster lead times is looming just as large as the drive for low costs, as apparel vendors and [...]

Tightened trade security measures designed to hinder terrorists have many importers radically rethinking their supply chain strategies. Many are looking at contingency plans should a port close or country face [...]

Given the economic downturn during the past year, credit has tightened in a cautionary reaction, but a full-fledged credit crunch hasn't occurred-- unlike during some past downturns. 'Companies that are [...]

New software solutions for price optimization and markdown management are still in the early stages of implementation in the apparel world, hut they are creating quite a stir. Pricing technology [...]

Quick response to orders placed via electronic data interchange will cut expenses in the retail market, according to a speech by Pres Tom Cole, of Federated Logistics, a subsidiary of Federated Dept Stores. He expects orders to be delivered within a week. VF Corp.'s Jeff Kernodle claims that sales can increase 40% when stocks are replenished rapidly. Products such as Wrangler jeans are automatically restocked., The gospel of quick response got strong validation last week when executives of Federated Department Stores and VF Corp. --two of its most prominent proponents -- spelled out how the [...]

Public stock offerings, licensing and higher income has made top designers richer than ever during 1997. Fashion industry tycoons such as Ralph Lauren, Nike's Philip Knight and Ronald Lauder have been listed among Forbes magazine's wealthiest Americans. Ralph Lauren is particularly well endowed with a 70% ownership of his firm, a very profitable licensing division and a hefty paycheck., NEW YORK -- Fashion's perks are getting pricier: Private planes, weekend palaces, fleets of cars and art by the modern masters, to name a few. Many a fortune has been [...]

Many clothing retailers and vendors are expected to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in 1997. Barney's Inc. is the most prominent among bankrupt firms ready to emerge from Chapter 11 next year. Barney's is facing a potential acquisition from such suitors as Saks, Dickson Concepts and its landlord, Isetan. Among the firms having hard times in bankruptcy are Plaid Clothing Inc. Plaid, which has been in Chapter 11 since Jul 1995, has been sold to Hartmarx Corp. in lieu of liquidation, leaving many of its unsecured creditors with little or no payment., NEW YORK (FNS) -- While 1995 and 1996 will be remembered as forgettable years marked by a spate of bankruptcy filings, 1997 is shaping up as the year many emerge. [...]

While a fanatical following for its running footwear has paved the way for New Balance Athletic Shoe to become the second-largest athletic shoe maker in the United States, its apparel [...]

In its search for a better way to manage product information, S. Rothschild & Co., the venerable outerwear manufacturer, has become a technology pioneer by choosing a solution delivered via [...]

With its store base growing, Simply Fashion saw the need about three years ago for a more sophisticated planning and assortment tool. The Birmingham, AL-based retailer, founded in 1954, has [...]

With robust growth in its catalog and e-commerce businesses outstripping internal capacities, Pendleton Woolen Mills in 2004 saw a need to further integrate its consumer direct channels. The firm has [...]

Wacoal America has consistently found new ways to build on and reap rewards from a warehouse management system (WMS) implementation that dates back almost a decade. Most recently, the intimate [...]

Direct shipment of apparel from suppliers to individual retail stores--otherwise known as 'direct-ship' or 'DC bypass'--holds the promise of considerable savings in time and money. Apparel spoke with Peter Longo, [...]

Ron Pate, in line to become the next president of the National Association of Uniform Manufacturers & Distributors (NAUMD), knows a little bit about uniforms. After co-founding R&R Uniforms in [...]

NEW YORK--Sports stars aren't paying off like they once did. While many athletic footwear makers still use high-powered, big-bucks endorsements as the foundation of their marketing efforts, the heady days [...]

Mergers are expected to continue in the apparel business because of the need of additional capital, the demand for growth and the leverage in a consolidated retail scene. Mergers, strategic partnerships and acquisitions among clothing companies is the way of the future. The trend will include the acquisition of licensees by larger designer firms, licensees will join forces under one umbrella, and alliances will be formed between labels that once competed against each other., NEW YORK -- There's a new animal roaming through the garment jungle: the fashion gorilla. Dominant companies such as Coca-Cola and Microsoft -- organizations that can singlehandedly move their respective [...]

Former Federated Department Store CEO Allen I. Questrom has filed a $47 million lawsuit against Federated over his incentive bonus. Questrom wants $63 million and Federated will only give him the $16 million he has received. The bonus is based on the value of Federated on Jan 28, 1995, which Questrom valued at $6 billion and Federated valued at $4 billion., NEW YORK -- Allen I. Questrom is back in the limelight. The flamboyant former chief executive officer at Federated Department Stores Inc. has filed a $47 million suit against his [...]

NEW YORK -- Money is easy to get these days, but the easy money is building a base for troubles ahead. Loans, both in bank debt and high-yield bonds, are [...]

Fashion designer Donna Karan is relinquishing the position of CEO of Donna Karan International Inc. to John Idol, a Polo/Ralph Lauren L.P. executive who will assume his new job on Aug 11, 1997. Karan says the move will enable her to focus on design. Idol, whose responsibilities at Polo/Ralph Lauren included home furnishings licensing, says his preliminary plans for Donna Karan International include retail stores and an expansion of merchandise., When Donna Karan met with John Idol a few months ago, he was dressed in Polo Ralph Lauren, then his employer. She said she felt an immediate kinship with him [...]

Production problems, inventory gluts and chronic late deliveries culminated in a $75.5 million loss for Maidenform Worldwide last year. However, the seed of Maidenform's bankruptcy was planted in 1992, when [...]

Fashion designer Calvin Klein says that he has no intention of taking his fashion house public, despite the strong response to fellow designer Ralph Lauren's initial public offer. Klein has said that he did not want to go through the excruciating experience he went through in the 1980s with bond and stock markets when he was required to report earnings. Calvin Klein Inc officials has said that they were not interested in dealing with quarterly pressures of being a publicly owned company., NEW YORK -- After the smashing success of Ralph Lauren last week, the wheeler-dealers of Wall Street are circling around Calvin Klein and it's widely assumed in the press and [...]

The clothing industry has more lending options available to it in 1997 than ever before, according to leading lenders. Clothing companies can choose from a variety of loan possibilities, including an unsecured loan from a commercial bank, a syndicate-funded loan, an investment bank-conducted initial public offering or an investment bank-structured leveraged buyout from a commercial bank., NEW YORK -- Looking for a loan? It's a buyers' market and there are lots of options. The fashion industry has more financing available than ever, according to lenders to [...]

Apparel and retail companies which have filed for bankruptcy are having a more difficult time extirpating themselves from bankruptcy proceedings, while the number of bankruptcy filings seems to be decreasing overall. No major bankruptcies have occurred yet in 1997, continuing a trend that began in spring 1996. Of all companies that filed for bankruptcy in 1996, only one has managed to emerge from bankruptcy court with a satisfactory reorganization plan.

Industry analysts predict that fashion companies are going to find it much more difficult to secure financing for initial public offerings in 1997. The poor performance of certain companies which were publicly issued in 1996 is making it increasingly difficult for prospective issuers to get decent pricing for their stocks and may expose them to harsher penalties for not performing up to market expectations once their stock becomes publicly traded., NEW YORK -- Last spring there was a brief blooming of euphoria for fashion firms looking for public funding. But that was then, and Wall Street denizens say newcomers to [...]

A letter of intent has been signed for the purchase of the Plaid Clothing Group by Hartmarx Corp for about $45 mil. Hartmarx is expected to acquire all the operations and other current assets of Plaid, which include three plants, a distribution center, and key licenses with Burberrys Ltd and others. Plaid has been operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and its creditors will be paid from the proceeds of the sale., NEW YORK (FNS) -- Hartmarx Corp. has signed a letter of intent to buy Plaid Clothing Group out of bankruptcy court for an estimated $45 million. The news confirms an [...]

The fashion industry has had several companies filing initial public offerings since Oct 1995 because of their success. Gucci went public in Oct 1995 at $22 per share and has reached $70 per share in Jun 1996. Apparel Retailers filed an initial public offering on Jun 14, 1996. Donna Karan International, The North Face, Guess and Chadwick's of Boston have also filed., NEW YORK -- The rush to go public continues at top speed. On Friday Apparel Retailers, the parent of Specialty Retailers, which owns Bealls, Palais Royal and Stage family apparel [...]

NEW YORK - Last year's brutal business climate hit many top apparel industry executives where it should hurt - in their wallets. Still, with the median compensation of chief executive [...]

Nine West Group Inc., Vans Inc., Wolverine World Wide Inc. and Kenneth Cole Productions announced they would be pursuing extensive growth strategies in 1996. Nine West plans to expand sales of its products at its store-chain subsidiaries while expanding its self-titled outlet network. Vans plans to expand its marketing campaign targeting 12-to-24-year-old customers. Wolverine plans to expand its Hush Puppies products in response to the renewed popularity of the casual shoe line. Kenneth Cole plans to expand revenues from licensed products in addition to marketing shoes and apparel., NEW YORK (FNS)--Several big footwear firms, including Nine West Group Inc., Wolverine World Wide Inc., Vans Inc. and Kenneth Cole Productions, detailed aggressive growth plans for 1996 and beyond at [...]

Fashion industry stocks are capturing Wall Street's increased interest due to their good market performance. High-multiple stock offerings of apparel firms such as Nautica, Tommy Hilfiger, Marisa Christina, St. John Knits, Liz Claiborne, Jones Apparel, and Warnaco indicate their corporate growth at double-digit rates. Implementation of new technologies, professional management, development of strong brands, and increased profitability assure fashion firms' success in the stock market according to financial analysts., NEW YORK - It's no secret that for years the fashion industry had an image problem, whether it stemmed from capricious fads, eccentric personalities or those bothersome rumors about creative [...]

Wall Street investors are eagerly awaiting more fashion firms to make initial public offerings, after such companies as Designer Holdings Ltd., Harvey Nichols and Saks Fifth Avenue made their debut. However, some industry observers have determined that fashion stocks are expensive and the risk is high. Nevertheless, investors are buying Gucci Group NV, priced at $54.5 per share and other fashion-related securities., NEW YORK -- Having whetted its appetite on Gucci Group NV, Estee Lauder, and Mossimo, Wall Street is hungry for more initial public offerings from fashion firms. Market followers expect [...]

Retail clothing stores express hope for improved sales in the second half of 1996, after Feb sales rose and interest in high fashions increased. In spite of too many stores, most retail analysts predict better earnings after the third consecutive year of poor Christmas seasons. Results are given for the 4th qtr and the year for 50 large retailers. Higher earnings are predicted for stores including Sears, Roebuck & Co., Federated Dept. Stores Inc. and, NEW YORK - The recent pickup in business notwithstanding, Wall Street still expects this to be another tough year for retailers, with a chance for some relief in the second [...]

Analysts expect sales in men's wear to increase two to three percent in 1996 but predict a decrease in consumer spending due to layoffs from corporate downsizing. The casual clothing market should expect the most spending, followed by branded sports apparel. Hilfiger and Nautica have the highest market share for the men's clothing industry which is due to their perfection of high quality casual wear for a good price., NEW YORK (FNS) - Wall Street expects cas]ual wear to continue to set the pace for the men's wear industry in 1996. While most expect another year in general for [...]

Discount retailers are expected to continue to experience financial difficulties in 1996. Kmart is attempting to solve its problems while regional discounters, Jamesway Corp, Caldor Corp and Bradlees filed for bankruptcy. Wal-Mart will increase its supercenters and Target Stores plans to expand into the eastern US. Industry analysts expect regional discounters to continue to close stores and merge in 1996., NEW YORK (FNS) -- It looks like another tough year for discounters. Kmart Corp. is struggling to turn around business, while many regional discounters are fighting desperately to survive. Meanwhile, [...]

Wall Street analysts are confident that the trend toward casual clothing will continue, helping the stocks of Tommy Hilfiger Corp and Nautica Enterprises Inc in particular. Basic clothing is also expected to see solid growth and two bankruptcies in the tailored clothing and dress shirt sector will help stabilize that market through reduced competition. However, as more people wear casual clothes to work, the market for dress clothing shrinks., NEW YORK (FNS) -- Wall Street expects casualwear to continue to set the pace for the men's wear industry over the next few years. Of the public companies, Tommy Hilfiger [...]

Clothing industry analysts believe that Christmas 1994 may a turning point for the women's apparel business because consumers are tending to turn away from big-ticket purchases. Analysts say that department store sales are expected to have strong sales in apparel departments, especially at Nordstrom Inc, JC Penney Co, Federated Department Stores, May Co and Sears Merchandise Group. Specialty stores are also expected to show some improvement in apparel sales., NEW YORK Wall Street says women's wear is due. This Christmas could be pivotal, according to analysts. Despite lackluster apparel sales for back-toschool, many are confident about Christmas '94, and [...]

The average compensation package for 60 retail CEOs in 1993 was $904,920, an 8.9% increase over 1992's figure of $830,744. The highest paid retail CEO was May Department Stores CEO David C. Farrell who earned $2.6 million. Good retail operating performances resulted in bonuses consisting of cash and stocks while lackluster retail operating performances resulted in no or low bonuses. This retail grouping had 38 CEOs who received compensation increases and 22 who received compensation decreases., NEW YORK(FNS) -- The average compensation for 60 of the top retail CEOs rose 8.9 percent in 1993 to $904,920 from $830,744 in 1992. Of the group, 38 received a [...]

Salary cutting among retail CEOs is becoming more common in the 1990s, due to hard economic times. Although the typical CEO's paycheck rose 8.9% during 1993, more CEOs took home less money. The Limited's Leslie H. Wexner's salary was cut to $1.81 million, or 2.75% less than 1992. U.S. Shoe's CEO Bannus B. Hudson and other executives found their annual bonuses cut, due to lower company performance levels., NEW YORK -- The bucks are still big in retailing, but the game is getting tougher and more of the elite are taking pay cuts. The average compensation for 60 [...]

Footwear stocks for 1993 reveal heady gains for the rugged outdoor segment, due mainly to the surge in earnings by Timberland Co. Timberland is expected to end the year with $2.10 a share, an increase from $1.18 in 1992. For 1994, analysts believe that the rugged outdoor sector will improve further. In the meantime, the athletic footwear market is expected to post modest gains due to a maturing market., NEW YORK (FNS) -- Wall Street sees the rugged outdoor category -- defined in large part, they said, by The Timberland Co. -- continuing to produce heady gains in 1994 [...]

Several fashion companies went public successfully in 1993, and analysts predict that more will choose to do so in 1994. Those most likely to offer their stock are the smaller, growing companies in need of capital to further expansion plans. The decision by Donna Karan Co to retract its decision to go public earlier in 1993 surprised some industry observers, and caused some companies to doubt the idea. However, any company with a good track record and a healthy financial outlook should be well-received by investors., NEW YORK -- Despite getting jilted by Donna Karan, the market for new issues by fashion firms is alive and kicking -- though selective. A backlog should keep things lively [...]

Retail CEOs saw an average 10.9% increase in combined salary and other compensation to $906,815 during 1992 from the previous year. The highest paid was QVC Network CEO Barry Diller whose earnings totalled $4.88 million in 1992. The paycheck includes $20,833 in salary and $4.86 million worth of QVC shares which are now worth $10.2 million. The second highest paid was Dillard Department Store Chmn and founder William Dillard Sr., who earned $2.96 million. His sons, William II, Alex and Mike exercised their stock options and collected $4.08 million each., NEW YORK -- Chief executives in the retail industry on average received a 10.9 percent raise in compensation in 1992, but for many the real money came in stock options [...]

Salaries of executives in the textile industry increased as the industry recovered during 1992. Average salaries increased 26.9%, or to $743,040, as compared to $585,404 in 1991. Textile gains are attributed to improved balance sheets and a rebound in operating results. Burlington Industries Equity's Chmn, Pres and CEO Frank S. Greenberg was awarded the top salary among 14 textile mills' executives, with a $1.8 million salary, which includes a 35.3% increase., NEW YORK -- Fashion has taken a solemn vow this season, as designers turn to the church for inspiration. The result is austere cassocks or flowing robes fit for any [...]

Leaders of lending institutions agree that there would be no significant improvement of business in the footwear industry despite the upsurge of consumer confidence brought by the elections and the projected Christmas spending. Consumers tend to be judicious in their spending as they are still bearing the brunt of the recession and purchases made would favor private labels than named brands., NEW YORK (FNS) -- Factors and bankers working in the footwear industry do not expect to see consumer spending perk up any time soon and are forecasting another dismal holiday [...]

The 1991 Salary Stakes shows that the compensation of 30 retail chief executive officers increased slightly to an average of $1,009,416 from $1,005,259 in 1990. The highest-paid executive was Donald F. Fisher of The Gap Inc, who made $2.38 million, a 26.6% raise, ousting the previous leader Harold E. Sells of Woolworth Co, whose pay decreased 58.5% to $848,600. The lowest-paid executive in the survey, Milton Petrie of Petrie Stores, who earned only $150,000, but received $22.4 million in dividends., NEW YORK (FNS) -- Donald G. Fisher got it at The Gap. With a paycheck of $2.38 million, Fisher finished first among 30 retail chief executive officers in the 1991 [...]

The average salary of apparel industry chief executive officers declined 7.1% in 1991. Although the average salary was $1,076,418, the highest paid CEO of the 30 companies reporting was John Pomerantz of Leslie Fay Companies Inc at $3,651,612, distributed between a base salary of $798,915 and 4.5% of pre-tax earnings. He also holds 1,605,914 shares of Leslie Fay stock. Many CEOs had pay packages tied to the profits of the company, which explains most of the pay decreases., NEW YORK (FNS) -- While there were some glittering paychecks among chief executive officers in the apparel industry in 1991, the average dropped 7.1 percent. The decline in average pay [...]

NEW YORK (FNS) -- Excluding a powerful performance by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., a compilation of figures from 35 major retailers showed that profits slumped 5.4 percent in fiscal 1990. In [...]