Profile of Pacific Brands

摘要

Pacific Brands, based in Melbourne, Australia, is a large manufacturer and distributor of clothing and workwear with over 30 major brands in its portfolio. The company has operations throughout Australia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand and the UK which employ 6,500 people. Its operations are grouped into four main divisions, namely: Underwear and Hosiery; Workwear; Footwear, Outerwear and Sport; and Homewares. The origins of Pacific Brands can be traced back to 1893 when the Ireland-based Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company opened its Australian branch in Melbourne. The company expanded throughout the 20th century through the acquisition of numerous brands and licences. It also underwent a number of rebrandings. In 1985 it was renamed Pacific Dunlop, and Pacific Brands was formed as a division for its consumer products. In 2001 Pacific Brands was sold to two private equity and investment firms and became a separate entity from its parent company. By 2009 Pacific Brands was managing around 300 brands but in 2010 the company was reorganised under a transformation programme, called Pacific Brands 2010, in order to make it more efficient and profitable. As a result, it divested, sold or merged nearly all of its minor brands in order to focus on the strongest brands in its portfolio. Pacific Brands' financial performance in 2010/11 was mixed as a result of company streamlining, high production costs, and lingering uncertainty in the retail market in the aftermath of the global economic crisis. The company has predicted, therefore, that its 2011/12 financial year will be full of challenges. Indeed, it expects that its earnings will fall below those recorded for 2010/11, especially in the first half of the financial year. Nonetheless, the company is confident of combatting these challenges by continuing to implement strategies from its 2010 transformation programme, notably focusing on building its strongest brands, continuing cost control strategies which have proved to be successful and broadening its distribution channels.