The Vernon Company, Newton, Iowa, has entered into an agreement with Lynda.com, Carpinteria, Calif., to offer its online educational system to all home office staff. Lynda.com is an online learning company that helps users acquire business, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Through The Vernon Company, members of its home office staff now have…
Read MoreSuperior Uniform Group Acquires Distributor BAMKO
Seminole, Florida-based supplier Superior Uniform Group Inc. has acquired Los Angeles-based distributor BAMKO in a $15.8 million cash transaction. As part of the deal, Superior Uniform Group will issue $5.5 million in shares of its stock vested over five years and a potential future payment of…
Read MoreVietnam Tops U.S. Apparel Import Growth in January
Data from the Department of Commerce’s Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) showed that China is still the No. 1 importer of apparel to the U.S., but Vietnam recorded the most growth, with 17.2 percent, to 282 million square meter equivalents. According to Just-Style, imports rose 1.6 percent year-over-year to $6.63 billion. The volume of…
Read MoreWhat’s the Deal with Genderless Clothing?
Last week, Zara launched the brand’s new genderless clothing line. The collection, called “Ungendered,” features 10 unisex pieces, like denim, shorts, sweatshirts, sweatpants and tanks. Launched under the TRF line, the online storefront features both male and female models wearing the same basic clothing pieces. Zara, however, is not the first brand to launch a genderless clothing line.…
Read MoreChicago Cubs Pitch Funny Promotional T-shirt
According to ESPN, it was last year that Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon told baseball player Javier Baez “not to suck” when he was brought up from the minors to the Cubs. Now, the team is putting that “inspirational” notion on a T-shirt with the proceeds going to Maddon’s Respect 90 foundation. The T-shirt debuted…
Read MoreWhat Millennials Want at Brand Events
Many brands are making efforts to appeal to millennials. According to Forbes, this enigmatic generation makes up one-third of the U.S. workforce—53.5 million employees. So, naturally, many brands are trying to reach this young generation through advertising and products. According to Adweek, Splash, a creator of marketing software, used data to show what branded items…
Read MoreCPSC Approves Adult Apparel Enforcement Discretion to Reduce Paperwork
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that it will not pursue compliance or enforcement actions against manufacturers, importers or private labelers of certain adult apparel that is determined exempt from testing under CPSC’s flammability standard for not having a general conformity certificate. According to a press release, the CPSC approved the new policy on…
Read MoreProforma Concludes First Ever Planning Retreats
Proforma, Cleveland, recently concluded its Planning Retreats, formerly known as Proforma’s Regional Meetings. This seven-city event provided Proforma owners with the opportunity to connect with suppliers, learn innovative selling techniques for 2016 and network with industry experts. Proforma’s annual meetings featured a new format to facilitate more group sharing and collaboration, and to include motivational…
Read MoreShooting at the Wrong Basket
When I was 12 or 13, I was on the basketball team. My school was small, so everyone made the team. Somehow I was still third string. When…
Read MoreThe Image Group Acquires Bag Warehouse, Thirsty Promo
The Image Group, Holland, Ohio, announced yesterday that it has acquired Santa Ana, California-based companies Bag Warehouse and Thirsty Promo from Mark-it Smart. According to a press release, the deal includes Mark-it Smart’s Web-based sales platform. Bag Warehouse and Thirsty Promo sell branded items directly to businesses, rather than through distributors. Jon Levine, president of The…
Read More