Swot Analysis
Sportswear, swimwear and surfwear The beach is so much a part of the Australian lifestyle, that many Australian designers have made their mark in surfwear and swimwear. Once the domain of sports labels, such as Speedo, the surfing and swimwear market is now fiercely competitive. Other surf/swimwear brands include Wahine, Funky Trunks and aussieBum. Three Australian surfwear companies, Quiksilver, Billabong and Rip Curl, are famous worldwide for their boardshorts, T-shirts and wetsuits.
They have expanded beyond the beach and now produce practical gear for extreme sports – skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding and golf. Joining them are brands, such as Globe, Running Bare and Team Jackets and Lettermans, which are breaking into overseas markets, ie. Canada and the USA. http://www. austrade. gov. au/Buy/Australian-Industry-Capability/Consumer-Goods/default. aspx INSIGHT: Warnaco focuses on growth despite Q2 profit fall By: just-style. com | 12 August 2009
These are welcome distractions for a company which still has some challenges, not least Chaps and Speedo, where profitability remains the key focus. Speedo revenues were down 10% in the quarter, in line with expectations. Intimate apparel remains under pressure in the important US department store segment, although there are signs of an upturn in market share for women’s bras – viewed byWarnaco as a key growth driver. But other areas look more positive, with the reportedly “enthusiastic” response to the company’s spring 2010 sportswear collection encouraging confidence that sales there will beat 2009 figures.
Warnaco’s strong growth prospects and robust balance sheet has prompted speculation that the company might be on the trail of acquisitions, but Gromek remained coy about the possibilities. Organic growth was still top priority, he insisted, but added: “We continue to study opportunities. Nothing has popped up that has driven us into action at this point, but we certainly are diligent in looking at the marketplace. ” http://www. just-style. om/comment/warnaco-focuses-on-growth-despite-q2-profit-fall_id105001. aspx Speedo (PDF) http://docs. google. com/viewer? a=v;q=cache:YfCQ84-adK4J:www. marketculture. com/downloads/hvc/cases/Speedo%2520-%2520Published. pdf+Speedo+proposition;hl=en;gl=au;pid=bl;srcid=ADGEESjIZRXewT5a8KkyNng5NJRcTpBOO1gLX5rr64SS315P8F8JdB_UAG0O 94ks0xkqfJcruf4I7yUzEbCZpDuPs5aUrGEMiItZj22YcfpXB2qyfloTSkUr _GXiqHKrW_N3OD1xF-GT;sig=AHIEtbSsQnbceKDasQbzrTztI2W9vMtsSQ Film infrastructure:
