North Face 2000 Annual Report Download - page 6

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By responding to consumers,
Jeanswearis staying ahead of the pack.”
With nearly a dozen brands in our
portfolio, I think you could say we’re
experts when it comes to managing
multiple brands in multiple distribu-
tion channels.
The secret to our success is the
way we target our brands. Research
helps us determine what kinds of
products will best satisfy consumers
and retailers, and then we use our
brands and service capabilities to fulfill
their needs across different retail chan-
nels. For example, Lee products are
sold to consumers shopping in middle
tier stores, while Wrangler, Rustler,
Riders and Brittania jeans are sold to
shoppers in mass merchandise stores.
In 2000, we rounded out our portfolio
of jeans brands by adding two brands
specifically targeted to women – Chic
and Gitano. Wrangler Western products
reach consumers in Western and
specialty stores, which is where the
brand’s heritage lies.
Building Brand Strength in 2000
Each of our jeans businesses – Mass
Market, Lee and Western – had
a great year in 2000. The Wrangler
brand continued its unit share growth,
becoming the country’s leading jeans
brand. It has won the trust of con-
sumers by consistently providing the
right styles at a great value. The
Wrangler Hero brand’s advertising
slogan says it all: “Real. Comfortable.
Jeans.” In Western markets, the Wrangler
brand has broadened its franchise with
young contemporary consumers with
new relaxed fits and styles under the
TWENTYX and 20X lines.
The Lee brand also had an excel-
lent year. While many mid-tier stores
struggled in 2000, Lee drove sales gains
by focusing on innovative products
and marketing communications. Our
men’s Dungarees line was a highlight, as
was the relaunch of Riveted by Lee®in
the misses’ category. Riveted by Lee
will launch a new low-rise, younger-
cut jean this year while City ElementsTM,
a dressier casual line, will debut in
2001 as well.
Working Smart with Retailers
We’re also benefiting from our retail
floor space management program,
which allows us to customize and
replenish product assortments on a
store-by-store basis. We’ll continue
to roll out this program with our
customers in 2001.
As consolidation continues among
retail players, 2001 may well prove
to be a challenging year. But we’re
ready. We’ll continue to support our
brands with the kinds of products
and service consumers have come to
expect from us.
Lee
Wrangler Hero
Wrangler Western
Riders
Rustler
Timber Creek by
Wrangler
Brittania
Wrangler Rugged
Wear
Chic
Gitano
20X
John Schamberger
VP and Chairman –
North & South America
Jeanswear Coalition
“