Aussino USA broadens product lineup

By Marvin Lazaro -- Home Textiles Today, 12/9/2002 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK —

Several years after entering the U. S. market with a collection of top-of-bed ensembles and soft window coverings of various constructions, Aussino USA Inc. is diversifying in an effort to become a one-stop shop.

Decorative towels, cotton blankets and shower curtains were all added to Aussino's mix during the Home Textiles Market in October. They join an already extensive offering that had primarily featured duvet covers, comforter sets with coordinate sheeting, decorative pillows and soft window coverings and solid-color towels, all with various constructions, thread counts and looks. The company also offers various juvenile and tweener looks.

Aussino is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Aussino Group Ltd., a publicly traded Singapore-based company which owns 17 manufacturing facilities in China and has the capacity of 15 more. Aussino Group is well-known in Asia with over 450 home furnishing retail stores. The company also supplies goods to Australia, England and Canada as well as the United States and Asia.

"We have to build the Aussino name in the industry," said Steve Lewis, executive vp. "We want to build it as a name that people know and understand and [that] will help draw them in."

The blankets are all 100 percent cotton and are available in a range of solid colors and thermal, waffle weave and mercerized cotton constructions. The new shower curtain line features 12 different designs that coordinate with the bedding. Embroidered, faux suede and cotton jacquard looks are all included. The company already has extensive experience in blankets, being one of the largest distributors in Australia.

The existing solid-color towel line, which is constructed from 16-pound ringspun cotton, led to the introduction of a line of embroidered "fancy" towels this past market, as well as a collection of solid-color micro-fiber towels. The fancy line features, for example, a variety of embroidery, crochet or eyelets.

Lewis, who characterized the company as "an overseas manufacturer offering upper-end fashion at competitive prices," said Aussino is open to entering into a licensing agreement with a partner "who wants to build with us.

"Our ability to customize and our flexibility are what has made us successful," Lewis said. "If a customer tells us what they want, we'll make it."