Sara Lee Apparel launches Hanes in India

Our Corporate Bureau
18 August 2004

The company says that in house research conducted by it found that two out of three men consider innerwear tags (labels) to be annoying and close to half of all men routinely rip or cut the tags out of their innerwear. Since the tags provide important product information (size, washing instructions, etc), Hanes found a way to use technology to print information directly on the product without having the color bleed through or making the fabric stiff.

In 2002, Hanes officially ''retired the tag'' and launching the ''TagLess'' revolution. Today all Hanes innerwear products come with the promise of "Original Tagless Comfort"- a demonstrably superior comfort element.

Commenting on the launch of Hanes in India, Krishna Ramanathan, country head and director, Sara Lee Apparel (India) said, "Sara Lee Branded Apparel (SLBA) is one of the largest apparel companies in the world and Hanes is a global apparel mega brand and is the first brand from our global portfolio to be launched in India."

He further added that, "The Indian consumer is rapidly evolving and the retail landscape in India is also changing very fast. Given the current scenario, India is emerging as a key strategic market for Sara Lee. We look forward to bringing into India the key brands in our portfolio."

The products have been designed specifically for the Indian market based on in-depth research and consumer ''fit tests'' in conjunction with National Institute of Fashion Technology. The Hanes range will be available in a phased manner across metros and mini metros and will be priced in the Rs60 to Rs250 range. Sara Lee Apparel has its headquarters in Mumbai in India and is a Fortune 500 global consumer products company with leading brands in three businesses: branded apparel, food & beverages, and household products. Sara Lee Corporation''s annual sales in 2003 were $18.3 billion.

Sara Lee Branded Apparel (SLBA) is one of the largest apparel companies in the world with annual sales of $6.8 Billion in 2003. Its prominent brands in men''s innerwear, women''s intimates and kids apparel include Hanes, Hanes Her Way, Champion, Playtex, Dim and WonderBra.