With Father’s Day approaching, North America’s favourite men’s underwear brand has finally made it down under, with a soft launch earlier in the year and gearing up for its trade fair debut in August.
Exhibiting at Life Instyle in Melbourne, SAXX will be launching five ranges under the Everyday collection and Sarah Scarlet, owner of agency Sparkes Apparel which has exclusive distribution rights in Australia, is confident the brand will see a great uptake in Australia.
“From the initial feedback with the Everyday range, we knew that timing was going to play a crucial part in the uptake,” she explains. “We have held off officially launching until closer to Father’s Day when men’s gifting will be at the forefront of retailer’s buying plans.
“For the ‘Everyday’ range, we are looking for reputable lifestyle, giftware and fashion retailers that have an established men’s area or that may just inject a small but premium selection of gifts for Father’s Day, Movember or Christmas.
“SAXX is a premium product that will be supported with product information guides, marketing assets for online, social and instore promotions. Its contemporary box packaging, point of sale material and incredible offer will assist retailers to execute quick in-store purchases.”
Scarlet decided to bring the brand to Australia after her husband bought some pairs in the US and couldn’t stop raving about them.
“My husband and I were shopping in the States just before returning to Australia, and we asked the sales assistant ‘what’s popular in store?’. She asked if we had heard of SAXX. Well, my husband brought a few pairs and wore a pair on the flight home. By the time we landed in Australia, he had convinced me he’d never felt anything like it and we needed to sell them in Australia,” she enthuses.
Saxx was developed by Canadian Trent Kitsch in 2006, who pitched the concept to the Canadian reality TV show Dragon’s Den for start-up funding. Whilst he did not receive direct funding from the show, he went on to win the Viewer’s Choice Award helping to kick start his brand. He sold the brand in 2010 to the No Limits Group, which has grown the business to over $50 million in sales today.
“SAXX is not ‘traditional’ underwear. It is a ‘life changing’ experience for the wearer with its revolutionary technical design and fabrications.
“Research shows that two-thirds of men still depend on their partners, girlfriends, wives, and even mothers to replace their worn out underwear. Giftware and lifestyle retailers will see huge return as these women look for a premium functional gift for Father’s Day, birthdays and Christmas,” adds Scarlet.
By Marion Gerritsen
