ECONOMIC STIMULUS: HARD TIMES MAY HAVE INCREASED SALE'S APPEAL
Addie Walden came all the way from Romulus, Mich., to look for bargains at the Hanesbrands community-product sale.
The annual sale was held yesterday in the parking lot of Hanesbrands' Weeks plant on Hanes Mill Road. Hanesbrands has put on the sale since 2001 to raise money for United Way of Forsyth County.
Walden actually arrived by plane a week ago hoping to make the original day of the sale, Sept. 26. But when it was canceled because of rain, she stayed over one more week with her youngest sister, Carlaine Bell of Winston-Salem. This was Walden's first time at the sale.
"It's just awesome," she said, looking around yesterday morning at an estimated 3,000 people. "I've never seen anything like this."
Chris Fox, the vice president of corporate social responsibility for Hanesbrands said that in addition to benefiting United Way, the sale provides good products at bargain prices to people in the area, especially during a slowdown in the economy.
"I think it has a positive impact on the community," he said, "and I think it helps give us a good name in the community."
People started flooding in at 8 a.m. when Hanesbrands opened its gates.
The number of shoppers at the sale has been going up each year since it started, Fox said. Yesterday's turnout seemed to mirror that trend and appeared to be much heavier than last year, he said.
Ron Drago, the president of the local United Way, was pleased with the crowd.
"This has to be probably the biggest community event relating to the United Way campaign and maybe to all our activities here in Forsyth County," he said.
Christy Jones, a co-chairman of the Hanesbrands United Way campaign with Fox, said that there is always pent-up demand, people waiting for the sale, each year but given the tough economy, she believed there were more people than usual.
The plant parking lot where the sale was held was already full only 25 minutes after the sale started. Traffic headed for the sale was lined up nearby on University Parkway, Hanes Mill Road and U.S. 52. The sale featured products from the company's top brands, including Hanes, Champion, Playtex and L'eggs. Most of the apparel from panties to sport shirts was priced between 50 cents and $8.
In its first year, the sale raised about $12,000. Last year, combined proceeds from an employee sale and a community sale generated $250,000.
This year, Hanesbrands donated more than 11 tractor-trailer loads of apparel for the sale, about the same as last year. Yesterday's public sale raised $186,000, and several recent employee sales raised $80,000 for a total of $266,000.
The company will have another community sale to benefit the United Way, Saturday Oct. 17 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at West Forsyth High School.
Fox said that Hanesbrands decided to have a sale on the west side of town to try to pull in folks from other parts of the county and region.
Britt Beemer, the chief executive of America's Research Group based in Charleston, S.C., said Friday that the sale should attract more people than in the past because many shoppers are looking for deals and prices such as the ones offered in dollar stores.
Some shoppers at the Hanesbrands' sale bought just a few items while others left carrying several bags or big boxes.
Walden came to the sale with her sister, Carlaine, and seven other friends, the majority of them from Winston-Salem. After working as a team to find deals, they found a bare spot on a cement divider in the middle of the Weeks plant parking to sort out their loot. They had two large bags filled with pantyhose and at least eight more bags with samplings of just about everything offered at the sale.
Connie Caldwell of Kernersville grew up on Hanesbrands' merchandise but had never been to the community-product sale. She was there shopping for herself and other relatives.
Caldwell said in these tough times it's important to "tighten your belt" and that the sale will help her with birthday and holiday gifts.
"A lot of Christmas shopping is being done today," she said.
fdaniel@wsjournal.com
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