LEXIS®-NEXIS® Academic Universe

LEXIS(R)-NEXIS(R)

Document 27 of 320.

Copyright 1998 Information Access Company,
a Thomson Corporation Company;
ASAP
Copyright 1998 Capital Cities Media Inc.
Children's Business

September, 1998

SECTION: No. 9, Vol. 13; Pg. 52; ISSN: 0884-2280

IAC-ACC-NO: 21144318

LENGTH: 2328 words

HEADLINE: H.W. Carter & Sons takes historic brand into new era; include related articles

BODY:
To distinguish his wholesale merchandising business from his competitors, Henry W. Carter, founder of H.W. Carter & Sons in 1859, drove a handsome team of four, perfectly matched black horses decked in silver harness trimmings pulling a wagon brightly painted with the Carter homestead, store, and factory likenesses.

As the story goes, people paused to watch the company's wagons as they passed by. More than a century later, people are still watching H. W. Carter & Sons and its WATCH THE WEAR label. The company is preparing to launch a variety of updated products highlighted by the introduction of multiple brand extensions to compliment its children's apparel and footwear. But the new H. W. Carter & Sons capitalizes on its rich history offering a fashion twist for the 1990s and beyond.

Acting in the tradition of Henry Carter himself, Norman Moskowitz, president, and his son, Steven Moskowitz, vice president, have selected what they believe are the best licensees in their respective industries to carry forward this established name.

"The direction we took was to find quality manufacturers that best represent our vintage name," says Steven Moskowitz.

As Norman Moskowitz likes to point out, According to records, we are the oldest overall company in the U.S." H. W. Carter & Sons got its start in the workwear portion of its business in 1870 when Carter began selling overalls for a manufacturer who couldn't find buyers for his product. With Carter on the scene, the manufacturer, located near H. W. Carter & Sons original home base of Lebanon, N.H., soon had more orders than it could handle. The rest is history - and H. W. Carter & Sons has been manufacturing and selling workwear, including outerwear and jeans, ever since.

MERCHANDISING A VALUE FASHION PRODUCT

Today's fashion scene, with its focus on relaxed attitude and comfort, meshes beautifully with what H. W. Carter & Sons has been offering for decades. Overalls continue to maintain a fashion position, whether worn long or as shortalls. Cargo pants are leading the headlines in fashion publications. Barn coats, which H. W. Carter & Sons has been making for 140 years, continue to be a top seller in stores. But, while giving consumers classic, traditional looks, H. W. Carter & Sons hasn't missed a beat to meet the needs of current fashion. For example, juniors looks include lime green twill overalls and wide-leg carpenter jeans with topstitching, as well as fashion knit tops.

H. W. Carter & Sons also has been a strong factor in the men's and young men's markets with railroad coats, denim carpenter's coats, denim railroad caps, button-fly cargo pants, and work shirts and pants with a fashion focus,

That's exactly what H. W. Carter & Sons is bringing to its children's products - fashion workwear and accessories, including footwear. The brand currently includes activewear, jeanswear, sportswear, outerwear, and socks and hosiery for infants and toddlers and boys and girls. According to Steven Moskowitz, the company is in discussions with other manufacturers in categories such as school bags, uniforms and supplies, men's wear, young men's, furniture and home furnishings.

H. W. Carter & Sons has been focusing on the children's area as the company recognized a void in children's wear at the mass market level. "There are few brands of the stature of an H. W. Carter & Sons with such a rich history of value and quality," says Steven Moskowitz. "Consumers want brands that offer a significant price/value relationship." He also points out that the styling allows kids to express their own individuality and at the same time mums will be happy purchasing a name they trust.

Says Norman Moskowitz, "We'll have a group of products for boys and girls from the day they're born right through their adulthood."

MARKETING PROGRAMS STRENGTHEN PRESENTATION

The two primary children's wear logos for H. W. Carter & Sons represent the company's heritage. The H. W. Carter & Sons train logo, representing the more traditional looks of the line, couldn't be more well-suited for a children's brand. The steam-driven locomotive will be featured prominently on products, in-store signage, and hang-tags.

The CWW label, Carter's WATCH THE WEAR, has an updated design that leaves no doubt in the consumer's mind that it's a contemporary fashion look. Even 'WATCH THE WEAR,' adopted when H. W. Carter & Sons acquired a company by that name in 1930, is a vintage phrase for the company that invites consumers to watch how the garment wears.

Norman Moskowitz says that H. W. Carter & Sons will work with individual retailers on their in-store displays. "We've already been working with retailers on the development of an unusual point-of-purchase display featuring the H. W. Carter & Sons easily recognizable train logo." This includes a train on tracks circling a toy village resembling a mid-1800s Lebanon, N.H. "That will be an eye-stopper," he says. "Most customers go to stores and look for particular products but often can't find them. They can't miss this."

Norman and Steven Moskowitz have no doubt that the H. W. Carter & Sons brand will be a huge success.

Says Norman Moskowitz, "We have a combination of great product with a great name that the consumer recognizes and will buy with confidence." His son, Steven, adds, "This is just the beginning of a new era for H. W. Carter & Sons, and we're going for it.

Children's Resource Joins H. W. Carter & Sons Team As Licensee

Children's Resource has joined the licensing team of H. W. Carter & Sons to produce activewear for boys sizes four to 20 and girls' sizes four to 16.

The company has also opened a new, 5,000 square foot showroom at 112 West 34th Street. "We're young and aggressive," says Eddie Shalam, president, describing himself and his two brothers, who run the business.

The boys' part of the H. W. Carter & Sons brand, ranges from denim and twill bottoms, cotton and cotton blend knit tops, to an athletic inspired mesh and nylon group. The girls has more junior looks, including shorts with embroidery and taping, shortalls, and a group of coordinated related separates with fine gauge sweaters and fashion tops. Both will be in stores for spring 1999.

Speaking of the licensing agreement with H. W. Carter & Sons, Shalam says, "l think this will be very successful, and we're promoting it in a big way. H. W. Carter & Sons is a truly authentic American brand."

U-Girl Expands With H. W. Carter & Sons Licensing Agreement

This couldn't be a more exciting year for U-Girl, Inc., a three-year-old fashion savvy junior's company that was named licensee for H. W. Carter & Sons this year. U-Girl is is shipping its first H. W. Carter & Sons product to retailers for back-to-school and fall, targeting girls 12 to 20.

According to Arnie Feldman, president, the program is largely bottoms, and includes knit and woven tops. Most of the bottoms are denim, twill, and cotton/nylon blend jeans and overalls in wide leg, cargo pant, and wide leg flare models. Skirts include camouflage and cyberflage prints. The H. W. Carter & Sons brand will add shorts for spring 1999.

"We've taken classic styling and updated it in new fabrics and new models," says Feldman. "H. W. Carter & Sons is a great brand name that has wonderful recognition. it's already placed in Delia's and doing great there. There's no greater barometer than that."

Horizon Hosiery Adds Its Expertise to H. W. Carter & Sons Brand

When it comes to hosiery, Horizon Hosiery knows its business. The New York-based company, started in 1982 by brothers Ike and Albert Cohen, is a private label manufacturer and has five licensing agreements for hosiery with leading companies, including XOXO. For fall 1998, Horizon adds the H. W. Carter & Sons license to its family.

Says Albert Cohen, president, "We're known for our fashion sense. We're trend setters who try to be three steps ahead of the market. We never try to be the same. That's what has made us successful."

Horizon boasts a global manufacturing base, producing more than 50,000 dozen a week, with facilities not only in the southern U.S., but in Italy, the Orient, the Middle East, and Turkey. "We're very strong in our importing capability," Cohen stresses. The company also has a 40,000 square foot state-of-the-art distribution and manufacturing facility in Brooklyn, enabling Horizon to assure customers that their shelves will never go empty.

Cohen says that the H. W. Carter & Sons brand has received good reaction from retailers. "Everyone who has seen it wants to try it," he says. "They see H. W. Carter & Sons as a strong brand name. That combined with the quality, fashion product we have has made it a big hit."

Horizon's recently opened 5,000 square foot showroom at 10 West 33rd Street prominently features H. W. Carter & Sons brand.

H. W. Carter & Sons A Power Brand For Weeplay Kids

Alan Maleh, president of Weeplay Kids, got into the children's apparel business four years ago. Now he has two of his own brands and is the licensee for boys and girls infant and toddler sportswear for H.W. Carter & Sons.

"You can't miss with the H. W. Carter & Sons name," says Maleh. "I remember as a little kid the train logo with the WATCH THE WEAR name. I think it's very important to get across that this label has been around for a long time and that the name stands for quality."

According to Maleh, he started his own company when he saw a gap in the children's wear market between mid-tier import lines and better department store brands. He launched Weeplay in several department stores the first year and was successful beyond his projections.

Since then, Weeplay has developed Playbear, a sub-brand of Weeplay for mid-tier stores, and Emporio Baby, a better line of newborn apparel introduced this past spring. Weeplay became the licensee this year for Curious George, which was launched this fall. I. Weeplay also has a licensing agreement with Sahara Club, which will be in stores in fall 1999. H. W. Carter & Sons sportswear was introduced for fall 1998 in mass market stores. Styles include fashion fleece sets and overalls.

Maleh describes the H. W. Carter & Sons children's sportswear as a classic concept with a "fashion kick. That fashion forward twist gives the sportswear even more marketability."

How will the expanded brand do at retail? Maleh replies, "Carter's WATCH THE WEAR has been a real brand since 1859. Once the products hits the (retail) floor, retailers will realize the power of a 140-year-old company."

KC Collections Latest Licensing Partner With H. W. Carter & Sons

KC Collections, known for its fashion forward outerwear, is H. W. Carter & Sons latest licensee. The two companies signed an agreement in late July for KC Collections to produce children's outerwear for H. W. Carter & Sons expansion of its brand.

Kirk Oshan, vice president of KC Collections, says of the agreement, "Because of the tremendous name recognition of Carter's WATCH THE WEAR, our company is looking forward to a wide distribution of product."

Because the deal is so new, Oshan did not have a complete list of items that his company will make for the line, which will be introduced into stores in fall 1999 for boys' four to 20 and girls' four to 16. However, he says, "Barn coats will he the primary look because of the history of the (H. W. Carter & Sons) name." Fabrics include denim, canvas and other rugged looking fabrics, and other probable silhouettes are short bomber And anorak jackets in "outdoorsy" rugged fabrics, he adds.

KC Collections' children's outerwear division, operated by Oshan and his associate Michael K. Carbone, vice president, is more than 10 years old and produces children's outerwear under the name KC Collections for the upper moderate to better market. Two and a half years ago, the company introduced a ladies' line of outerwear using leather, suede, and denim. The children's line incorporates some fun fabrics, such as faux fur and berber, as well as leather and some nylon, and the outerwear is embellished.

"Children's wear is our bread and butter," Oshan says. "We've been a very solid player for the past 10 years."

Braha Industries Is Footwear Base for H. W. Carter & Sons

Braha Industries, Inc. has a special place in its New York showroom for its latest licensee, H. W. Carter & Sons, where it displays not only the footwear that Braha produces for H. W. Carter & Sons but also some of the H. W. Carter & Sons clothing and other hookup looks, according to David Braha, vice president.

Braha Industries, Inc. a family-owned company since 1972, started shipping the H. W. Carter & Sons shoes in April. "It has tremendous potential," says David Braha, vice-president, "because we're going after a market that does not have a good, strong name in it. H. W. Carter & Sons is a name that has been around for over a 100 years, so I think that the consumer will respond to the quality image represented in all H. W. Carter & Sons products."

The H.W. Carter & Sons licensing agreement is for all sizes - boys, girls, men, and ladies. "We make everything from leather to vinyl and canvas," says Braha. "To start the program, we'll be doing children's only, and the first categories are work boots, athletic look, and back-to-school shoes."

The athletic looks include five styles, including basketball looks, that Braha will update every three months. The back-to-school shoes are targeted to the school uniform market. The H. W. Carter & Sons program will include all genders and sizes but will initially focus on kids' footwear. Braha adds that his company also inventories styles for quick replenishment.

Braha says that all the elements are there to make the H. W. Carter & Sons footwear launch a successful one, including price and quality and the grouping of related categories that will strengthen all entities of the H. W. Carter & Sons brand.

GRAPHIC: Photograph; Illustration

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

IAC-CREATE-DATE: September 22, 1998

LOAD-DATE: September 24, 1998