Deal with US label suits company to a 'T'

Boxer Aloryi Moyoyo Mensah models clothes from the Hanes range at the NZ launch of the brand. Photo / Martin Sykes

An Auckland clothing company has picked up the licence to distribute famous American T-shirt brand Hanes in New Zealand.

Penrose-based Promotional Source says it is a relaunch of the label which hasn't been widely available in this country for some years.

Co-owner Greg Armstrong said Promotional Source would supply distributors and resellers who would print their own art work and promotional material on the garments.

The company could not sell at retail level because department store Farmers sold some Hanes clothing supplied from Australia, he said.

Australian clothing manufacturer Pacific Brands has supplied Hanes products in the past but does not currently list it as one of its brands.

Promotional Source will sell the famous Hanes Beefy-T, as well as its other styles of T-shirts, tank tops, polo shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies.

The managing director of Hanesbrands Europe, Thomas Schweigert, was in Auckland for yesterday's launch and said the company had just done a similar event in Australia.

While Hanes was the market leader in the US and also big in Europe and Japan, Australasia had been a gap in its coverage.

The recession had not put it off relaunching. "You invest in the bad days, not the good days."

Armstrong conceded the wholesale market for T-shirts was competitive, but "the Hanes Beefy-T brand is so strong".

Promotional Source also sells Great Southern Clothing Company sportwear and Legend headwear.

Hanesbrands says its brands, which include underwear labels Playtex and Wonderbra, can be found in eight out of 10 American homes.

It has manufacturing plants in developing markets such as Bangladesh and the Dominican Republic and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.