Hans Brands, a global apparel company that manufactures and markets a number of leading lingerie and sportswear brands including Wonderbra, DKNY, Playtex and Champion, is deploying standardized IT systems to help forecast supply and demand in more than 25 countries.
company background
The company has 68,000 employees, unlike many competitors in the apparel industry, as it manages and owns its supply chain rather than outsourcing to subcontractors. Unlike most apparel companies, Hanes Brands has most of its manufacturing facilities worldwide, producing about 70% of its apparel. After the acquisition of the 650 million Euro DBA apparel business, it expanded its global business through a series of acquisitions – in particular Hanes Europe in 2014; then Hanes Australasia, which acquired the Pacific brand in 2016 – it now has several major manufacturing and distribution Websites are distributed throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Hanes sells products through tens of thousands of retailers in more than 40 countries and has nearly 1,000 retail stores worldwide. However, traditionally US-led companies find themselves having to manage disparate systems and processes in different markets around the world. For example, the United States produces and sells about 2 billion garments a year, primarily through well-known retail channels such as Amazon, Target and Wal-Mart. In Europe, there are 49 countries with complex customs arrangements and more than 100 languages to deal with; not to mention multiple channels, such as mass market retailers, the Internet, wholesale, hard discounts and more than 80 agents in various countries.
challenge
Hanes has a wide range of men’s, women’s and children’s underwear, casual wear and sportswear – including T-shirts, bras, socks and socks in a variety of colors, styles and sizes.
“Every country in Europe has different settings, and multiple products are much more complicated to handle,” says Christophe Pecriaux, forecasting manager for Western Europe at Hanes Intimates.
There are about 200 million units sold in Europe, and there are more than 20,000 stock keeping units (SKUs) in France alone, with about a third of every six months. Regional differences abound. For example, French customers are mainly mass market participants with high promotions, while sales in Spain and the UK are mainly through retailers. From one country to another, local consumer trends may also vary widely, with color expectations varying.
Hanes has many world-class lingerie brands worldwide, including DIM, an international brand of women’s underwear and socks, and French men’s underwear; Playtex, the number one body bra brand in the US; and Lovable, the leading retailer of Italian women’s underwear.
The ability to analyze millions of production, distribution, sales and inventory data points in real time is a dedicated team of approximately twenty analysts ensuring that the right style, color and size of clothing is placed on the store shelves at the right time. Consumer
According to Hanes Brands, 27% of women have 6 to 8 bras and 49% of women buy 2 to 3 new bras a year. Compared to women’s bikini briefs or thongs, full-cut briefs are more popular with women, and men are twice as likely to buy boxer shorts as men. Young women are more likely to match bras and underpants than older women. When buying bras, 47% of women millennials (18-34 years old) often buy the appropriate bras and panties, and 73% of women over 55 do not buy matching bras.
