MELBOURNE: Grab Industries is set to catapult back into the fashion denim market in January 2011 following a complete brand and product overhaul.
The Collingwood-based company, formerly known as Grab Denim, has commenced closing its 12 retail stores in order to focus solely on a revamped wholesale offer. The more fashion-forward product will include denim and fashion apparel for women only, and will debut with the winter 2011 collection.
Grab Industries national sales manager Nina Hanna said the relaunch came on the back of period of increased market competition during which the Australian-designed denim label had 'lost its way'.
“The reason for the relaunch was to basically put Grab back into the marketplace where it was in the beginning,” Hanna said. “Eleven years ago when Grab launched, we were in stores like General Pants and we were doing a huge marketing campaign in those days. Now the whole media's changed in the way that we're bringing it forward.”
The company is promoting its overhaul to consumers via online and social media including Facebook, Grab's own blog, a short film and a new website to be unveiled in December. The label has also secured a new stockist in department store David Jones, dropping current partner Myer.
“It's just the way we saw the brand going,” Hanna said of the up-market shift.
She revealed David Jones will stock 50 per cent of the 150 pieces that make up the winter 2011 range, with other key accounts including Edge Clothing (Vic), Maple (NSW), Loose Threads (NSW), Urban Equipment (NSW), Parliament (ACT) and Transit (WA).
Hanna said the label has 30 to 50 accounts in each Australian state, plus 120 stockists in New Zealand.
Driving the overhaul has been a cluster of new staff, including a three-person design team. Hanna is also new to the company, having joined seven months ago as part of Grab Industries' strategy to push back into international markets.
“We used to be in Dubai, Singapore and we're heading back in that direction again,” Hanna said.
Grab's winter 2011 range includes Japanese and Turkish denim with women's jeans to retail from $119 to $179. The new-look fashion offer includes basics, exclusive print tops and dresses from $49.95 to $129, and leather jackets for $249.
The latest Grab Industries' overhaul follows a prior revamp in 2008. At that time, the company was headquartered in Hong Kong, offered men's denim and was refurbishing its retail sites. Grab Industries also wholesales plus-size womenswear labels Mink Denim and Riche.
Erin O'Loughlin.