L eggs Began with a Series of Exploratory Research Projects

Leggs Began with a Series of Exploratory Research Projects

The Leggs venture began in May 1969 with the implementation of a series of research projects designed to identify the supermarket and drugstore opportunity for hosiery products. Hanes had no experience with the food and drug distribution channels, and there were many questions that it had to answer before it proceeded with a venture of this magnitudequestions like: Who is the hosiery consumer in these channels? How does this differ between pantyhose purchasers and purchasers of stockings? What are the attitudes, opinions , and beliefs about hosiery as they relate to the supermarket and drugstore? Is selling hosiery through the supermarket a viable concept? To whom should advertising be directed? What should the advertising say?

The research began with a national profile study of the hosiery market throughout the United States. This was coupled with a series of store checks conducted in supermarkets and drugstores in key markets throughout the country. Key retail accounts were called on for the purpose of obtaining information on current hosiery programs, uncovering problems and opportunities, and informing them that a new unit of the Hanes Corporation was thinking about an entry into that market. No selling or soliciting of accounts was done at that time. Finally, focus groups were conducted with supermarket and drugstore shoppers to obtain their attitudes toward hosiery sold in food stores and drugstores.