Innovation and Insight lead to Success in the Textile, Clothing, and Footwear Industies

In 1975, as Managing Director of Edward Fletcher & Co. Pty . Ltd. Philip recognised the huge potential of the U.S. market, and exported the first "STUBBIES" to Hawaii. At the same time, he orchestrated the launch of "STUBBIES" on the New Zealand market. Both proved to be highly successful. This was followed by further exports to the U.S. mainland and in 1977, Philip moved to the U.S.A. to head up "STUBBIES" (USA) as Chief Executive.

This company, a subsidiary of Bradmill Industries Ltd of Sydney, was formed to manufacture and distribute "STUBBIES" throughout the U.S. and Europe.

In the nearly 10 years he worked in the U.S. Stubbies grew into a highly profitable apparel company. In 1985, approximately 2 million units were sold.

The customers read like the who's who in American retailing,

US Department Stores with Parent Company and subsidiaries (through mergers and acquisition)

BIG LOTS & CHAIN Caters to lower class. Former names were Pic N' Save in the West and McFrugal's on the East Coast. Big Discounter!

Dillard's midwest, south-east, south-west (2)
• D.H.Holmes (New Orleans)
• Maison Blanche (South-east), stores are mow Dillard's
• Mercantile Stores (Cincinnati)
• Stix, Baer, Fuller

Federated Department Stores
• Abraham & Straus on level with Macy's and Sterns
• Bloomingdale's High-end department store, owned by Federated Department Stores, caters for wealthy and super-wealthy.
• Macy's - probably the strongest nationwide middle class department store brand.
• Bon Marché (Bon-Macy's)
• Burdines (Burdines-Macy's)
• Goldsmith's (Goldsmith's-Macy's)
• Lazarus (Lazarus-Macy's)
• Rich's (Rich's-Macy's)

Fred Meyer a department store (technically, a hypermarket) in the Pacific Northwest owned by Kroger, the supermarket conglomerate

Gottschalk's Fresno middle class retailer; primarily in California (3)

JC Penney national department store that caters to the lower and middle class.

Kohl's originally Midwest, but now national department store that caters to the lower and middle class.

Kresge's (now part of Kmart), going from dime store to mass market discounter, started in Detroit.

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May Department Stores
• Famous Barr Midwest
• Filene's, New England
• Foley's, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico
• Hecht's, Mid Atlantic
• Kaufmann's, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia
• L.S. Ayres Indiana
• Meler & Frank Washington, Oregon, Utah
• Robinsons-May California, Arizona, Nevada
• Strawbridge's Pennsylvania
• Lord & Taylor national department store catering to affluent although it focuses on American designers
• Marshall Field and Company, Chicago now owned by Target

Nelman Marcus, Dallas very high-end department store catering to wealthy upper class, owns Bergdorf Goodman as well competes with Saks and Bloomingdales.
• Bergdorf Goodman - currently owned by Neiman Marcus Group

Nordstrom national department stores competes for upper class with Lord & Taylor and Bloomingdales.

Saks
• Bergner's (Illinois)
• Boston Store (Wisconsin)
• Carson Pirie Scott (Illinois)
• Herberger's (Upper Great Plains)
• McRae's (Southeast)
• Parisian (Southeast)
• Proffitt's (Southeast)
• Saks Fifth Avenue (National) upscale, caters to wealthy
• Younkers (Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin)

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Sears, Roebuck and Company, later Sears, originally in Chicago, it's first mail order catalogs caused prices to drop all over the country, leading to their being called "the great price maker". Known better for electronics and appliances, clothing is lower end.

Spiegel, mostly a catalog company

ShopKo, regional, West/Midwest Discounter

Target, national, renowned as the "hip" mass-market discounter
• Mervyn's, a California-based chain specializing in clothing; caters to middle class; in process of phase-out by Target, with some stores being acquired by May Department Stores.

Pamida - discounter

TJ Maxx and TJX Companies, national off-price chain which also operates Marshalls and A.J. Wright

Wal-Mart, national discount store catering primarily to lower and middle classes, trying to transform itself into a hypermarket with its new Supercenters.

WiseBuys, founded 2003 in Governeur, New York; acquired am Ames in Canton, New York as its first location.

Philip maintains that the U.S.A. is undoubtedly one of the most choice and rewarding markets in the world today. His intimate knowledge of the who, where, when, why and how of it all can circumvent problems and guide exporters straight to the profitable heart of doing good business in the U.S.A.