North Face 2000 Annual Report Download - page 10

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 10 of the 2000 North Face annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 40

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40

8
Eric Wiseman
VP and Chairman –
Global Intimate Apparel
Coalition
Vanity Fair
Lily of France
Vassarette
Bestform
Exquisite Form
Natori*
Nike*
Tommy Hilfiger*
Jantzen
Lou
Bolero
Gemma
Intima Cherry
Belcor
Variance
Majestic
Tropic
Bilytis
*Licensed
We take consumerization seri-
ously in our intimates businesses.
The ability to match our brands
and products to a variety of consumer
segments is at the heart of consumer-
ization and drives our success as well.
In 2000, we formed the Global
Intimates coalition, uniting all our
intimate apparel brands under one
coalition. We’re in great shape to take a
truly global view of our opportunities.
In the U.S., we work with depart-
ment, chain, mass merchandise and
specialty stores, with brands targeted to
each. Our Vanity Fair, Lily of France,
Vassarette and Bestform brands have
strong market share positions in their
respective channels, particularly in the
bra category. In Europe, we distribute
our brands primarily in France and
Spain, serving specialty boutiques as
well as traditional department stores
and hypermarkets.
Focus on Innovation
Regardless of where we compete,
innovation is a must in our business.
And that’s where VF’s Consumer
Response System gives us an advan-
tage. CRS is a product development
process that is based on continuous
input from consumers and supported
by clearly defined brand action plans.
It’s helped us concentrate our resources
and efforts on bringing “big ideas” to
market, with the kinds of products that
really speak to consumers. For example,
Lily of France’s biggest seller in 2000,
the adjustable X-BraTM, revitalized the
brand as young, fun and sexy, and is
a hit with consumers. RockOnColorTM,
a line of microfiber bras featuring
vibrant colors, is on tap for 2001 and
is also designed to appeal to women
seeking a sexy look.
Idea Sharing Across Borders
And we’re doing a lot more to share
information within the Global
Intimates group. Our research and
development teams meet several times
a year to share ideas. One notable suc-
cess in 2000, Vanity Fair’s Illumination®
bra, was a concept we first learned
about from our European counter-
parts. The idea was refined for the U.S.
market by the Vanity Fair brand team,
resulting in double-digit growth for
Vanity Fair’s bra business in 2000.
Other cross-border initiatives
include the recent launch of Vassarette
and Bestform in Europe and the addi-
tion of the Lou, Bolero and Gemma
brands to our U.S. portfolio.
All our brands will use product
innovation as their platform for
growth in 2001. From Vassarette’s Body
CurvesTM to Bestform’s Body CottonsTM
and fresh new looks from our licensed
Natori and Tommy Hilfiger intimates
and our swim businesses, we’ve got a
full pipeline of new products to help
us grow this year.
Matching product to consumer trends is one of the things
Global Intimatesdoes best.”
“