Springs antes up with 400-count Sateen line

By Marvin Lazaro -- Home Textiles Today, 3/19/2001 12:00:00 AM

FORT MILL, SC -Springs Industries' latest introduction to its solid color line of sheeting is pushing the construction envelope a little bit higher.

New from the Fort Mill, SC-based textiles manufacturer for the spring market will be a new sateen line with 400-count, 100 percent cotton construction. The collection will be offered in six colors-white, ivory, pearl, dove, feather and shadow-and a feature of the line will be a rayon/cotton piping insert.

"For your high-end luxury consumer, we see that market as more of a white and ivory, sophisticated neutrals market," said Donna Hein, team leader, Wamsutta bed/bath, about the colorways chosen for the new line.

Further tailoring the line toward the high-end consumer, Springs will only offer the sheeting line in queen and king sizes and at $59.99 and $69.99 price points, respectively.

The sheets are stand-alone products for now and do not coordinate with any of the patterns currently in production at Springs. If a coordinating top-of-the-bed line is produced, Hein said, then it would most likely also fall under the high-end category.

"Our Wamsutta product lines do not go lower than 250, and last market we introduced the 320s. So right now we see the potential to add tiers to the upper level and push upwards," Hein said about Springs' strategy to pursue higher level goods and not just add to already existing product lines.

The yarns for the 400 Sateen line, which Hein said was a "true 400 line," are imported from Pakistan as gray goods and dyed, finished and fabricated at Springs' facilities. When finished, the sheeting has a sheen and a "wonderful drape quality to it that's very fine," Hein said.

Springs will ship the new line, which has already received placement, in the spring to department and specialty store retailers, which were very pleased, Hein added, to see the luxury direction Springs is going in.