Lowes Menswear
| Industry | Retail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1898 |
| Founder | William Lowe |
| Headquarters | , Australia |
Number of locations |
|
Area served | Australia; New Zealand |
Key people | Hans Mueller (MD) |
| Products | Clothing |
| Revenue | A$200,000,000 (2003) |
Number of employees | 1,400 (2003) |
| Website | Official website |
Lowes Menswear, also known as Lowes-Manhattan and Lowes Manhattan,[1][2] is a private, family-owned,[3] Australian menswear chain established in 1898 by William Lowe.[4] Expansion of the company from a single store in 1948 to a nationwide chain took place under Hans Mueller, an Austrian Jewish refugee who came to Australia via Shanghai, and his wife Gertie.[1][5] As of 2006[update], Mueller was the company's managing director.[6]
Lowes primarily sells workwear, suits, clothes for larger men, and schoolwear, with lesser sales in ladieswear, surfwear, and boyswear.
Operations
As of February 2014[update], the Lowes chain included 187 shop locations across all Australian states and mainland territories; this is a 40% increase from the 130 stores in the chain in 2003.[4] The largest of the chain's stores, in 2003, was located in Townsville.[4] As of 2003[update], the company employed 1,400 people and an annual revenue of A$200,000,000.[4]
The three main shops in New South Wales include Westfield Miranda, Bankstown, and Wynyard (located in Sydney's central business district). Lowes' head office and warehouse is located in Arncliffe.
Lowes had an internet presence in 1998, having deployed a web solution based on the NetCommerce platform from Creative Digital Technology.[7] In early 2015, Lowes also introduced an in-store iPad ordering system for their customers which enabled them to access a wider range of products from essentially the Lowes main website.
Koala Clothing, a clothing manufacturer and wholesaler established in 1890, is among Lowes' suppliers.[2]
Advertising
They are known for their use of past and present rugby league personalities in their commercials, most notably Paul Sironen, Paul Vautin, Daryl Brohman and Mark McGaw. Their television ads proclaiming you could good priced, quality clothing "At Lowes" became famous in Sydney during the 1980s and 1990s. Imre Salusinszky is a model for the brand's $99 suit.[8]
Recognition
In 2002, Lowes was recognized as "National Employer of the Year" by the Australian Retailers' Association.[9]
References
- ^ a b Quade, Anita (4 March 2002). "The Lowes down". Australas. Bus. Intell. Australia – via HighBeam Research.
- ^ a b Staff (12 September 2003). "We're still trading says Koala MD". Australas. Bus. Intell. Australia – via HighBeam Research.
- ^ Ross, Emily (5 August 2004). "Keeping it in the family". Australas. Bus. Intell. Australia – via HighBeam Research.
- ^ a b c d Gublin, Melissa (15 August 2003). "The lowdown on Lowes". Australas. Bus. Intell. Australia – via HighBeam Research.
- ^ Encel, Sol; Rutland, Suzanne D. (2008). "Australian Jewry". In Ehrlich, M. Avrum (ed.). The Jewish-Chinese Nexus. Routledge Jewish Studies Series. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. p. 139. ISBN 9781134105533.
- ^ White, Lyn (18 July 2006). "Lowes-Manhattan takes Gowings space". Australas. Bus. Intell. Australia – via HighBeam Research.
- ^ Long, Geoff (1 March 1998). "The next big thing". Australian PC World – via HighBeam Research.
- ^ Salusinszky, Imre (28 March 2012). "Rendezvous with the grinning cheapskate". The Australian. Retrieved 18 May 2012.(subscription required)
- ^ Heiskanen, Paul (9 September 2002). "Belief in training reaps ARA award for Lowes". Australas. Bus. Intell. Australia – via HighBeam Research.
External links
Further reading
- Previously used citation supporting Hans Mueller's role as CEO in 2001: Murphy, Cherelle; Mitchell, Susan (10 October 2001). "Retailers hopeful sentiment will recover". Australas. Bus. Intell. Australia – via HighBeam Research.