Nautica Doubles Bath, Grows Welspun and Zorlu Lines

By Michele SanFilippo -- Home Textiles Today, 11/8/2004 12:00:00 AM

New York —

Nautica has doubled its bath offerings in its branded line with 10 new fully coordinated patterns featuring bath accessories and towels — now more of a concentration at the company.

A new merchandising strategy that ties back to collection beds is now in place along with more fabric-driven shower curtains and more traditional looks.

“We really invested in the bath category and wanted to show a broader range of offerings and fabrications,” said Piera Onorati, Nautica's senior director-retail development.

Meanwhile, through its Welspun licensee, Nautica is merchandising brightly colored solid Crew Classics towels with jacquards in stripes and florals to coordinate back to collection beds or stand on their own. The Crew Classics towel wall is set up in color families that complement bedding. Crew Classics, which are solids with a double windowpane dobby, are priced at $9.99 on 30-by-56 bath towels in 18 colors in soft twist cotton with hollow yarns. Two coordinated jacquards in four colors retail for $12.99.

Also, a new design director for bath, Blair Tate, was hired by Welspun USA this past summer. Prior to working at Welspun USA, Tate worked at WestPoint Stevens for 12 years, most recently as bath design manager.

Through its partnership with Zorlu, Nautica will be offering an Oxford sheeting program in six fashion brights featuring the Nautica J-Class embroidered sailboat logo. This pinpoint oxford weave program will be sold as sheet sets for $59.99 queen. There is also a 450-count Stateroom Sateen Stripe sheet in six muted tones and a flannel program in duvets and sheet sets with yarn-dye stripes, buffalo check plaids and two-tone twill weave solids.