Department store supplier Mitch Dowd is undergoing a major product revamp following the appointment of several new executives and a recent change in its ownership model.
The sleepwear and underwear wholesaler returned to a private consortium of shareholders in August, after four years of majority ownership by ANZ bank private equity arm ANZC.
Chief executive Dane Totham, who is among the new line-up of shareholders, was appointed to the company earlier this year after 25 years of industry experience with Bonds, Holeproof and licensing group TMI.
As a result of the restructure, Mitch Dowd is now focusing on revamping its product offer, Totham said.
Last month, the company appointed a new senior designer to head up its women’s and kids’ apparel division, and point of sale marketing will also be transformed to suit the new product, he said.
“We are thinking about what our products are going to look like on the floor and the impact that is going to have on the consumer. We absolutely want to win that battle – consumer behaviour is won or lost on the floor and that is where we will be putting energy and effort going forward.”
Mitch Dowd will break away from its “everyday basics” offer for autumn/winter 2010, with a range of concept-driven apparel. This will include coordinated sleep and underwear sets for women and the introduction of exclusive knitted weave garments for men. Real-time sales feedback will be embraced to make immediate changes to the collections if necessary, he said.
Recent staff appointments to the company include a new women’s and kids’ business manager, Dora Bakasetas, who has worked for TMI, underwear giant Pacific Brands and womenswear chain Bardot; and sales and product executive Ian Rose, an industry veteran of 36 years and part of the family which founded sock giant Red Robin.
Totham said export plans were not on the agenda, with the focus on distribution through Myer, David Jones and Harris Scarfe.
Melinda Oliver