Great Outfitter Denim Rocks Fashion & Retail Sales

Denim has changed radically in past few years, from basic work clothing, to a high-end stylish and fashion oriented attire. Denim is presently a 10 billion dollar industry in the US. From retailer selling in mass market to exclusive couture designers, everyone has identified denim as a profitable business.

The apparel industry veterans are amazed by the success of denim. Reviewing recent sales-graph and fiscal year results of the leading retailers and brands, the analysts forecast a better future for denim on condition that the product should appeal different to the consumer looking while sustaining the traditional fabric.

The American consumers approximately purchase 450 million pairs of jeans per year. The denim market has been performing well, except for a drop in the sales was witnessed because of stiff competition with the alternative products like cargos, fatigues, cotton combat and khaki trousers, which led market at a saturation point in mid 2004.

The saturation in the denim market was a result coming-out of garments and fabric in developing countries, due to the elimination of a quota system, in the beginning of 2005. However, the denim industry emerged again during 2005-2006. The evergreen work-wear fabric is back on track with the efforts of companies, such as ITG, Levi Strauss & Co., VF Corporation, American Eagle Outfitters and Perry Ellis performed well throughout 2005. American Eagle Outfitters

American Eagle Outfitters come into view as triumph last year, emerging as leader in specialty store brands for the age group of 15 to 25. Comparing the $143.4 million sales month which ended April 30, 2005, the company recorded 25% climb in sales for April 29, 2006. The month of April depicted an optimistic consumer response to the company's excellent initiatives for product assortments, designed for spring and summer that were also focused at other age groups.

The success standing behind, American Eagle Outfitters, in the denim market, is an outcome of right allocation of initiatives for various market phases. The perfect blend of the American West with European touch was the key reason of the gained success.

American Eagle Outfitters is a leading retailer that designs, markets, and sells it's own brand of laidback, current clothing for 15 to 25 year old, providing high-quality merchandise at affordable prices. AE's original collection includes standards like jeans and graphic T's as well as essentials like accessories, outer wear, footwear, basics and swim wear. ITG

Identifying the opportunities for growth in denim market, the Cone Denim business of International Textile Group (ITG) is focusing to meet its growing demand by making sourcing based in African developing countries. The company has recently taken initiatives to set-up a 28 million yard capacity denim plant in Nicaragua. This plant is anticipated to generate employment for nearly 750 people.

The Company has also announced that its Burlington WorldWide division plans to build a state-of-the-art cotton manufacturing complex in DaNang, Vietnam. The complex will be a joint venture operation called Burlington Phong Phu Supply Chain City, 60 percent owned by a subsidiary of ITG (a WL Ross & Co company) and 40 percent owned by Phong Phu Corporation, one of the largest textile and garment enterprises in Vietnam. The investment will exceed US$80 million.

International Textile Group, Inc. was organized in March 2004, by Wilbur L.Ross, to combine the assets of Burlington Industries and Cone Mills. ITG is a diverse, innovative provider of global textile solutions and distinguished market brands to apparel and interior furnishing customers worldwide. ITG operates four business units: Cone Denim, Burlington Worldwide (apparel fabrics), Interior Fabrics, Carlisle Finishing, and is affiliated with Nano-Tex.

Perry Ellis International

In a move to produce and distribute Levi's Dockers men's outer wear again in the US and Mexico, Perry Ellis International has entered an agreement with Levi Strauss & Co. for another strategic alliance. Dockers is considered as a world class brand that reveals the American style. The company plans to run the segment as a separate unit with the help and experienced of designers in Seattle.

Both companies have agreed in terms to distribute the brand through December 2009, with a renewal period by Dec 2012. The product line includes men's coats, denim jackets, and synthetic fleece. Perry Ellis will start delivering the product this month into selected stores and networks.

Perry Ellis International, Inc. is a leading designer, distributor, and licensor of a broad line of high quality men's and women's apparel, accessories, and fragrances, including: dress and casual shirts, golf sportswear, sweaters, dress and casual pants and shorts, jeans wear, active wear, and men's and women's swimwear to all major levels of retail distribution.

The company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, owns a portfolio of highly recognized brands including Perry Ellis, Jantzen, Cubavera, Munsingwear, Savane, Original Penguin, Grand Slam, Natural Issue, Pro Player, the Havanera Co., Axis, Tricots St. Raphael, Gotcha, Girl Star, and MCD. The company is also licensed to trademark from third parties including: Dockers for outerwear, Nike for swimwear, PING and PGA TOUR for golf apparel. Levi Strauss & Co.

Meanwhile, the clothing giant, Levi Strauss & Co. has projected denim as a reputable outer wear. The company has reported a climb in net income for the Q1 FY2005-06 compared with last year. Even sales slipped, net income was up taking denim to the higher level of market. The company is already in the middle of transformation business to Europe, which will result the product assortment featuring more fashion and style.

The introduction of super-slim cigarette denim pant is an initial launch to this season. The looks of this collection can be ruthless at times, however, with the appropriate match it gives a nice slim look. The reason behind success to this collection is long and bunchy looks at the bottom that put one in illusion about the length of the pant.

Levi Strauss & Co is one of the world's leading branded apparel companies, marketing its products in more than 100 countries worldwide. Jeans giant Levi Strauss & Co has launched a new corporate Website at: www.levistrauss.com.

The site provides consumers, students, potential employees, news media, investors and anyone interested in Levi Strauss and Co.'s rich, 153-year history with easy access to current and historical information about the company.

Levi Strauss & Co. designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories under the Levi's, Dockers and Levi Strauss Signature brands.

VF Corporation

VF Corporation has recorded a climb in full year earnings guidance, on a strong Q1 performance. Significantly, performance this year is being led by a powerful strategy for organic growth. The company is anticipating a climb in revenues by 6 to 7%, led by the momentum in outdoor alliances and higher anticipated revenues from its local Jeans wear business.

VF Corp. is planning to enter Indian markets through an equity joint venture with Arvind Mills. Licensing agreement between Arvind Mills and VF Corporation includes brands like Lee, Wrangler and Nautica. Both are likely to enter in 50:50 partnerships.

VF Corporation is a leader in branded apparel including: jeans wear, outdoor products, intimate apparel, image apparel, and sportswear. It's principal brands include: Lee, Wrangler, Riders, Rustler,Vanity Fair, Vassarette, Bestform, Lily of France, Nautica, John Varvatos, JanSport, Eastpak, The North Face, Vans, Napapijri, Kipling, Lee Sport, and Red Kap.

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Womens Golf Attire - Secrets to Finding the Best

Before hitting the course, you’re going to want to make sure you have the best golf attire available.

Check the stores first!

Every new golf season, there are many companies that come out with a completely new line of golf clothes every season. And depending on your style and brand preferences, you will certainly be able to find something that suits you. Everything from golf shirts, shoes, skirts and anything else you could imagine can be found.

Nike and Adidas are two fairly big producers of ladies golf attire and are also always at the forefront of the style. Depending on where you live, the golf season will start at a different time. Although not all the companies issue their new golf clothing lines at the same time, you are sure to find some great new styles at the start of the season.

What if you can’t find it in the stores?

Don’t worry if you aren’t able to find the most suitable womens golf attire in the stores, because there is also a wealth of possible options available online. Whether it’s short or sandals that you are looking for there is sure to be an online store that will be able to give you exactly what you need.

You will be able to browse a much wider selection of golf attire for ladies from the comfort of your own home. You will be able to search styles, sizes, colors and brands. Also, having all of this information at the tips of your fingers also allows you to find the best deals.

There are many places online that have sales at random points in the season so if you check back a few times you will certainly find some good deals. A good idea would be to bookmark a few of the best sites that you find so you can quickly check back every so often to see if there is anything new or any big sales approaching.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen and his wife are founders of the first online womens golf improvement site at FitGolfForWomen.com. For more information on womens golf attire, visit their site today!

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Womens Clothing

Finding the right pieces of women’s clothing is not the easiest thing to do. First women need to find the right cut for their body, and then they need to find a size that fits them. If the woman does not have a body that fits within the average sizes that a particular retail chain store offers then they usually have a difficult time finding anything that they want to wear. To remedy this problem, women need to look to shopping alternatives such as women’s clothing catalogs and online clothing stores.

Shopping for teenage girls is just as difficult as shopping for women. However, junior’s apparel usually offers a greater variety of colors and fun designs then women’s wear does. Junior’s apparel is designed to fit the bodies of younger women. The sizes are smaller and the shapes are scaled down to conform to a developing body.

The women’s clothing found in the women’s department of a retail store or online store will offer cuts and styles that are more appropriate for the mature female. Casuals, professional wear, and formal wear will also be offered in these sections. This is the best place for women to find pieces to complete their wardrobe, however, if you are a woman with a small frame then you may still need to shop in the juniors section to get a fit that is flattering to your body type. The important thing to remember when shopping for women’s clothing is to find the style and fit that makes you look and feel great. Don’t worry about the size on the label. After all it is just a number.

For more on unique fashion and bold style visit BlackChandelier.com. Shop online for Jared Gold's creative apparel at BlackChandelier.biz.
For mens and womens footwear including boots, shoes and sandals visit GBShoes.com

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How to Use Marketing Judo to Beat Big Competitors

If yours is a small business and you have big or even huge competitors, you may be laying awake at night wondering how can you possibly beat them. You can't out-advertise them, or out-promote them, and you probably won't be able beat to its prices. For example, think about a small business whose biggest competitor is Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Amazon.com or some other huge retailer. Is there any way to compete successfully against these Goliaths?

My answer is to use marketing judo.

As you may know judo was developed many hundreds of years ago as a means of self-defense. But did you know that much of judo is based on the concept of using the opponent's strengths against him? One example of this is when the attacker pushes against an opponent. The opponent simply steps aside and (usually with the aid of a foot), uses the opponent's own momentum to throw him forward.

The lesson for the smart marketer is to first analyze the competitions’ strengths and then develop strategies that will turn these strengths into points of attack.

But first, let's talk about strategies. Many small businesses think that strategic planning consists of developing an overall strategy (or set of strategies) and sticking to these strategies for the entire length of the marketing plan – be it six months, a year or even longer. In truth, your strategies should be designed to meet existing conditions and then changed whenever conditions change or you discover new competitive weaknesses.

How does all this work in practice? Let's get back to the Wal-mart example. You will never beat Wal-mart in head-on competition. Let's look at some of Wal-mart's strengths:

· It offers a huge variety of merchandise – everything from women's apparel to household electrics, and flat panel TVs to fine jewelry.

· It has large stores (in some cases, super stores) almost everywhere.

· It has a very sophisticated system for purchasing products and controlling inventory.

So how can we use marketing judo to turn these strengths against the giant retailer?

First, because Wal-mart offers a huge variety of merchandise, its inventory may be wide but it generally isn't very deep. Back in Nebraska we used to describe the Platte River as a mile wide and an inch deep. You could almost describe Wal-marts inventory the same way. Go into a Wal-mart store and check, for example, the depth of its inventory of computer products or golf equipment. . Chances are, you'll find only a few dozen computer products, and even fewer golf-related items.

So the smart marketer uses marketing judo to turn Wal-mart's breadth of inventory into a weakness by picking a niche and then beating Wal-mart with depth of inventory. For example, a computer store could promote itself as having more software titles or a wider variety of peripherals than any super store in the area.

Now, let's consider the second point. Wal-mart has large stores almost everywhere. How does marketing judo turn this into a weak point? Wal-mart's sheer size translates into some real advantages, especially in the area of volume buying – which is why it can sell so cheap. But Wal-mart's huge size makes it difficult for the company to implement change quickly. I once read that when the captain of a nuclear aircraft carrier issues the command to turn 60 degrees starboard, it takes about five miles before the ship actually begins to turn. I suspect the same thing is true of Wal-mart.

In comparison, a small business should be able to just about turn on a dime or in just a few weeks. Let's take technology as an example. Right now, one of the hottest merchandise categories in America is accessories for Apple's iPod. If you have a small electronics business – either online or brick-and-mortar – you should be able to track down the distributors of these products and have them in you store in a few weeks or less. On the other hand, Wal-mart, with its size and labyrinth of buyers and buying regulations, it might take months to get the same products on its shelves.

Finally, Wal-mart might have hundreds of more employees, but its employees are usually not well trained in specific product features and benefits. Again, take golf as an example. Walk into a Wal-mart store, go to sporting goods and say to the nearest employee, “Hi, I'm a 18 handicap golfer with a tendency to slice my drives. What would you suggest?”

Well, my guess is that what you'll get in return is a blank stare.

This represents another opportunity for marketing judo. Keep your number of employees small but make sure they are super-trained to understand your customers and your products' features and benefits.

As Sun Tzu points out in his classic treatise The Art of War, "You may advance and be absolutely irresistible, if you make for the enemy's weak points; you may retire and be safe from pursuit if your movements are more rapid than those of your enemy."

Do you play golf? If you do and you'd like to reduce your handicap -- and have a great vacation -- all at the same time, you just can't beat North or South Carolina. To learn more about golf schools in these two states, including their costs, just go to http://www.topcarolinagolfschools.com

Douglas Hanna is a retired marketing executive, an avid golfer, the author of numerous articles on HD radio, and the Internet and the publisher and webmaster of http://www.hd-radio-home.com

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NASCAR Racing Apparel – Insider Tips to Shopping at NASCAR Apparel Websites

What can I say. This is one of the best “PitStops” one can make when it comes to sports websites of any kind. A redesigned website, this is a sharp looking place to shop. If you're a NASCAR fan you probably already know that they have a Superstore as well. If you're looking for NASCAR racing jackets, NASCAR hats, or just about any kind of NASCAR merchandise known to mankind, this, pretty much, is the place!

Some Site Features

NASCAR RacePoints

This is the Official Rewards Program of NASCAR. When you purchase a qualifying item, you'll earn points that can be redeemed in their NASCAR RacePoints Rewards Catalog. Multiple ways to earn points and many ways to burn the points for rewards.

NASCAR Members Club

Get VIP treatment at the track, locally and online, get money saving discounts and members-only deals, even a $10 rebate on your next gas purchase.

Navigational Ease

The new look of their website is much neater and user friendly. The variety of links with drop down menus are excellent. Plenty of options for you to choose from. Using their search box is also a quick way to find exactly what you're looking for.

Variety of NASCAR Merchandise

It's an almost, “you name it, they've got it” type of website. They have all sorts of official NASCAR apparel: NASCAR racing jackets, NASCAR hats, NASCAR shirts, NASCAR jerseys, NASCAR women's pajamas, NASCAR night shirts, NASCAR youth/infant apparel and a huge assortment of NASCAR accessories.

The serious NASCAR fan will have a field day in this, what I call, “NASCAR candy store.”

Green Flags

An excellent website with lots of NASCAR merchandise to choose from. Any NASCAR fan will enjoy the other very interesting portions of this site just as much.

Yellow Flags

None that I can see.

NASCAR® is a registered trademark owned by National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. GET A RIDE™ ONLINE is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the NASCAR® organization.

Kevin Gomez is co-owner, senior editor, website consultant and developer for Get A Ride™ Online, a NASCAR Racing Apparel Center for the NASCAR Fan. He currently is the author of the featured articles entitled, “Insider Tips to Shopping” which can be read on the http://www.getarideonline.com/ website.

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