Dressier casual socks sell - Hosiery - Brief Article

DSN Retailing Today, Sept 23, 2002

Short, dark and handsome, socks are following in the footsteps of men's sportswear, which is getting dressier at the mass level.

Paired with the introduction of microfiber pants this fall and linen trousers next spring, companies are stepping up dressier casual sock programs, hoping to stimulate sales. It's only logical men would want to carry the look through from head to toe.

"We're seeing a trend toward dressier casual men's wear, and we're coming Out with a line of dress casual socks that addresses it in Joe Boxer," says Nick Just, senior vice president and general merchandise manager at Kmart.

"Fashionable socks are becoming more popular, especially with the introduction of our George brand socks," says Sarah Clark, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman. "Customers enjoy being able to buy 'department store' socks at lower prices." George, Wal-Mart's recent sportswear import from Great Britain, hits younger customers with its Continental flair.

Beyond private label, major brands and manufacturers, from Fruit of the Loom to Sara Lee, are introducing new lines of these crossover models. They fall in-between traditional dress socks, with their finer gauge knits and finished details, and rougher-hewn casual socks.

Finally, it's something new that looks to pull up sock sales at mass. Discounters have been the last to adopt the dressier trend in sportswear and, resultantly, socks, and experienced an overall downtrend in hosiery sales- unlike the remainder of retail. Discounters' sales need padding-they dropped about 6.2 percent over the 12 months ending May 2002, according to NPD Group research.

"We anticipate solid incremental business as a result of styles for fall and next spring that really capitalizes on this dress casual trend," says Bert McDowell, director of marketing at Kayser-Roth, which manufactures such socks under the Farah label for Wal-Mart and Joe Boxer for Kmart.

In fact, a more pressing issue has also prompted this introduction. Athletic sock sales, the life bread of mass, are slipping, down 2.5 percent across retail, according to NPDFashionworld. The newness in the category, such as low-cut and no-show styles, is old news, and nothing has come along to boost sales.

"I think you're going to see innovation focused on dress casual at mass, where there's always been a lot going on in athletic socks," says Tom Witthuhn, vice president of global licensing for Fruit of the Loom. Next year, the company is coming out with a new line of dressy casual socks through its men's hosiery licensee.

True, classic white athletic socks will take first place in sales volume at mass, but these rookie dress casual socks should run ahead in growth. The look is pervading the mid-tier, where Dockers and TSI pants programs are staples.

"We're testing a dress casual program under Hanes over at: Sears," says Erin Plumb, director of marketing and merchandising for socks at Sara Lee. "There is retail interest in lines in-between casual and dress socks."

If the program proves successful, Hanes hope to extend it into retailers, such as BJ's, Costco, Wal-Mart, Target, Kohl's and JCPenney, in 2003.

Next spring, Neuville will be producing linen-look socks under VF's Timber Creek label to coordinate with the line of linen-blend Timber Creek men's pants debuting at mass. "Two-twist and three-twist yarns give the socks a linen appearance, in cotton/nylon/Lycra blends," says Brian Buff, team leader of national accounts for Neuville Industries, which also produces Dickies work socks and private label for retailers.

"Texture and hand are very important," adds Wal-Mart's Clark. Finer, more forward yarns are being used, such as micro modal and micro modal with Spandex. Twisted yarns, subdued colors and more refined patterns are being seen."

Crossover models take men from work to after-hours activities without sacrificing comfort. The trend toward cushy, but stylish, socks is prompting customers to open their billfolds.

Traditional casual socks, in dressy colors, are also driving sales.

"Besides that rugged casual look that's transforming into dressier makes and weights, it's also the casual sock with the gauge of a sport sock that's selling, in colorations such as khakis and olives; we definitely see both trends," adds McDowell.

Color is the most important factor currently affecting sock sales in this category. No sartorially savvy man wants the dreaded effect of white socks flashing from underneath his classy chinos. Alternately, basic black socks are boring customers. "The colors are really making our Sears program perform--navy, grays, browns, khakis, neutral colors," adds Plumb.

"I project double-digit growth in dressier socks in a variety of dressier colorations, it's not just black anymore," adds McDowell. "There had definitely been a fashion void in men's hosiery, now I see a percentage shift and more peg space devoted to colored socks."

They're adding some color to mass: the domain of the white sock. Even in sport socks, tipping and trims are essential. The no-show silhouette popular in athletic hosiery, however, is obviously not a factor in these dress casual socks.