 In This Issue
April 2009 |
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| Magazine Sections |
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| Cover Story: |
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| The State of Multi-Channel Retailing in the Apparel Market |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Despite the prevailing economic conditions and grim state of customer demand in the retail apparel category, the multi-channel retailing experience continues to grow as consumers' needs and wants change. Apparel Magazine and Aberdeen Research partner to provide comprehensive insight into this increasingly hot topic. |
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| Editor's Note: |
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| Cream Rises |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Author: Susan S. Nichols |
| In 2009, the cream will rise to the top. |
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| The Market: Briefs: |
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| Aeropostale Closes Its Jimmy'Z Concept |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Aeropostale, the mall-based specialty retailer of casual and active apparel for young women and men, announced it is ending its Jimmy'Z concept and closing all of its 11 Jimmy'Z stores in the company's second quarter of fiscal 2009. |
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| Career Moves - April 2009 |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Footwear and apparel company Crocs has named John Duerden, a former Reebok president and COO, to the same post. He joins the company from the Chrysallis Group, a consulting group he formed in 2006 that is focused on the development and renewal of brands.
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| Charles River Apparel Embracing Social Networking |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Active wear apparel manufacturer Charles River Apparel recently launched its own social networking campaign to increase discussion about its products online and reach more customers. |
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| EarthPositive™ Introduces Wind-Power Produced T-Shirt |
| 04/01/2009 |
| EarthPositive, a sustainable apparel brand with a mission of creating clothes to combat climate change, has unveiled a "Women's Low-CO2 Organic Slim-Fit T-Shirt," manufactured entirely using renewable wind power, according to the company. |
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| Hampshire Group to Be Acquired by NAF Holdings |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Hampshire Group Ltd. has reached a definitive agreement to be acquired by NAF Acquisition Corp., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of NAF Holdings. |
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| Indian Garment Importer Takes Over German Clothing Retail Stores |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Though Germany has witnessed takeovers of major German corporations by big Indian conglomerates - India's Reliance Industries' acquisition of German polyester fiber manufacturing group Trevira five years back comes to mind - Germany's apparel industry is now witnessing takeover bids by even smaller and lesser-known Indian companies. |
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| Perfection Uniforms Wins Award in Its Sector for Third Straight Year |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Perfection Uniforms announced it has been awarded its third consecutive "Univator" Award, which recognizes innovation in the uniform industry. |
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| Reebok Teams with Cirque du Soleil |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Reebok, tapping its heritage in the women's fitness category, has launched a new workout apparel and footwear line designed in collaboration with Montreal-based entertainment company Cirque du Soleil. |
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| Tees For Change Launches Babies Line |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Tees for Change, the Boulder-based eco-friendly t-shirt company, has launched a new babies' line. |
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| Wal-Mart Cuts Jobs, Moves Apparel Positions to NY |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Wal-Mart Stores Inc. recently announced it is cutting 700 to 800 jobs at its Bentonville, Arkansas headquarters as it builds fewer new stores this year and makes other operational changes. |
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| Retail Intelligence: In Brief: |
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| Allurent on Demand Designed to Speed Creation of Online Merchandising Displays |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Allurent has released Allurent on Demand (AOD), a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution for providing interactive online merchandising experiences designed to increase customer satisfaction and improve site conversion. |
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| Crocs Enhances Global eCommerce with Demandware |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Crocs Inc. has selected the Demandware eCommerce Platform as the foundation upon which to grow its global online business. Demandware will provide the company with a scalable ecommerce platform that provides complete brand control and will enable its plans to launch new sites in international markets over the next two to three years. |
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| Family Dollar Accelerates Transformation with SAS Merchandise Planning |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Family Dollar, a Fortune 500 retailer with more than 6,600 stores and $6.8 billion in annual revenues, is in the midst of "Project Accelerate," a three-year transformation that it expects will lead to a better shopping experience for customers, improved productivity of its inventory and enhanced efficiency in its supply chain. |
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| Perani's Selects Coresense to Manage Stores and Ecommerce |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Michigan-based specialty sporting goods retailer Perani's Hockey World has selected CORESense's integrated retail and ecommerce management software solution to manage its 15 stores and ecommerce business. |
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| Torex Launches Loyalty System |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Torex Retail Holdings Limited (Torex) launched its Torex Loyalty system at NRF's BIG Show in January. |
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| VerticalResponse Offers Tools for Small Businesses to Optimize Shrinking Budgets |
| 04/01/2009 |
| VerticalResponse Inc., provider of self-service email marketing and direct-mail solutions, has released a series of new tracking and reporting tools that offer easy-to-view graphs and charts that give small businesses the ability to see the success of various campaigns in a quick dashboard view or to dive deep into their data. |
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| Supply Chain: Case Study: |
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| Ballin Tailors its IT for a Perfect Fit |
| 04/01/2009 |
| The 63-year old manufacturer of men's dress slacks replaces its legacy system with a new technology uniquely configured for the way it does business. |
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| Supply Chain: In Brief: |
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| Extech Offers Enhanced Portable Receipt Printer |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Extech Data Systems has updated its S4500THS battery-operated portable thermal four-inch receipt printer to feature state-of-the-art high-speed wireless abilities for serial, IrDA, Bluetooth and 802.11b communication at 115K bps. |
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| Inovis Launches Social Network for Supply Chain Collaboration |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Inovis, a provider of business community management software and services, has launched a social networking service for supply chains modeled after popular consumer websites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. |
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| Life is good Goes Live with CenterStone's iVendix |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Apparel and accessories company Life is good has launched CenterStone Technologies' iVendix software application, which will provide the company with a business-to-business (B2B) on-line ordering solution for its retail dealers and sales representatives. |
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| Microsoft Introduces Environmental Sustainability Dashboard |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Microsoft Corp. has launched the Environmental Sustainability Dashboard for Microsoft Dynamics AX. |
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| New Lawson Analytics Packages to Improve Decision Making, Save Money |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Lawson Software has made available two new analytics applications, Lawson M3 Analytics, and Lawson M3 Analytics for Manufacturing, which can be deployed in a matter of days to help companies improve decision making and find cost savings. |
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| New Motorola MC55 Offers Compact and Rugged Design |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Motorola Inc. has announced the MC55, the newest, smallest and lightest addition to its family of Enterprise Digital Assistants (EDA), offering a 3.5-inch display, Steve Schmid of Motorola's Enterprise Mobility business told Apparel. |
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| Newest Version of EASYLABEL Offers XML |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Tharo Systems has released the newest version of its EASYLABEL software that includes XML (Extensible Markup Language) support for Oracle enterprise management systems. |
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| SATO GL4e Printers Support Microsoft BizTalk |
| 04/01/2009 |
| SATO has added the GL4e series of RFID-ready industrial printers to products that support Microsoft BizTalk RFID, and reports that this product can enable more supply chain operators to meet RFID mandate requirements. |
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| Vocollect Introduces Behind-the-Head Headset |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Vocollect Inc., provider of voice systems for improving supply chain performance, has released a new headset for voice system workers, the SR-15, which provides significant end-user ergonomic benefits that increase productivity and worker satisfaction. |
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| Sourcing & Logistics: In Brief: |
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| 10+2 Update |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Many software providers are updating their solutions to handle 10+2 regulatory compliance, formally known as the Importer Security Filing and Additional Carrier Requirements, effective January 26, which mandates that apparel and textile importers submit Importer Security Filings (ISF) to U.S. Customs and Border Protection at least 24 hours before goods are loaded on a U.S. bound vessel. |
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| Fedex.com Enhances Tracking Tool |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Fedex.com has launched FedEx Tracking to provide greater visibility into the status of shipments. |
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| Finotex Honduras Moves to a New Facility |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Finotex Honduras has built a brand new production facility located in Choloma, Honduras, an apparel production hub. |
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| Maersk Logistics Presents SupplyChain CarbonCheck™ at SmartWay Summit |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Maersk Logistics, provider of global supply chain management solutions, recently presented "Supply Chain Accounting and Harmonization of Metrics," at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership International Summit. |
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| Panjiva Analysis Confirms Alarming Trend in Global Trade Economy |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Panjiva, an online information source on global manufacturers, has released its updated Manufacturer Watch List |
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| UPS to Deliver for L.L.Bean |
| 04/01/2009 |
| UPS has been selected as the primary package delivery carrier for L.L.Bean, the 97-year-old outdoor apparel and equipment company. |
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| Wellstone Mills Partners with American Apparel |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Greenville, SC-based Wellstone Mills LLC, a manufacturer of yarn and apparel, and Selma, AL-based American Apparel Inc., a manufacturer of military apparel, have entered into an agreement whereby the companies will team together to research and develop new yarns, fabrics and apparel for use by the U.S. Military. |
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| Concept-to-Spec Case Study: |
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| Christian Moreau Takes Gold at Summer Olympics |
| 04/03/2009 |
| Designing technical gear for climbers and skiers is a complex and risky undertaking - but Teamcenter PLM software helps keep the process under control. |
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| Concept-to-Spec: In Brief: |
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| Geometric Releases New Version of 3DPaintBrush |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Geometric Ltd., a provider of PLM solutions and technologies, announced the release of 3DPaintBrush version 1.2. |
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| Infor Announces Enhancements to PLM Runtime |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Infor announced an enhanced version of Infor PLM Runtime, its PLM software for manufacturers in the apparel and footwear industries. |
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| Lyons Information Systems Launches New Laboratory Management Software |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Lyons Information Systems, a provider of enterprise quality software systems for the apparel industry, has added a laboratory management system to its suite of products. Lyons Laboratory Management System (LLMS) streamlines the garment and fabric laboratory testing process. |
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| OptiTex Advances CAD Avatar Technology for Fashion Industry |
| 04/01/2009 |
| OptiTex has introduced new features for its signature 3D dimensional avatar, "Adam," and announced it is introducing "Tim," a ten-year-old avatar that has the potential to grow to age 18. |
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| Russia's Finn-Flare Implements Gerber's webPDM |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Russian apparel company Finn-Flare has implemented Gerber's webPDM as part of its PLM initiatives and to facilitate its continuing rapid growth. |
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| Fiber-to-Fabric: Case Study: |
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| DRIFIRE on All Cylinders |
| 04/01/2009 |
| As it develops hybrid flame-resistant/moisture-management garments for the armed forces, DRIFIRE marches along with a military that clearly has evolving needs. |
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| Fiber-to-Fabric: In Brief: |
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| Avery Dennison Introduces Distressed Patent Leather Patches to Jeans Market |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Manufacturers of upscale jeans can now add an innovative form of brand distinction to their garments with new distressed patent leather patches from Avery Dennison. |
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| PrimaLoft Introduces Two New Yarns for Performance |
| 04/01/2009 |
| PrimaLoft has introduced two new yarns: 100% PrimaLoft Yarn and re-engineered 50/50 PrimaLoft Merino Blend Yarn, for base layers and performance knit applications. |
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| Sanitized Silver Antimicrobial Finish Can Be Applied without Binder |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Sanitized AG's new Sanitized Silver is an antimicrobial finish that can be applied without a binder not only during the exhaust process but also during the padding process. |
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| Thermore HD-Green Insulation Available in New Weights |
| 04/01/2009 |
| Thermore announced that its Thermore HD-Green thermal insulation, comprised of a minimum of 70 percent recycled PET fibers and designed to be used in sleeping bags, is now available in additional weights to best fit the end use and reduce weight. |
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