Number of locations 206 (2017)181 (2012) Key people Linda Penn (MD) (2017) | Area served Australia; New Zealand Founded 1898 | |
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Founder William Lowe (1898)Hans Mueller (1948) | ||
Lowes Menswear, also currently known as Lowes Manhattan Pty Ltd is a private, family-owned leading Australian menswear and retail chain established in 1898 by William Lowe. There are now over 200 stores nationally because of expansion driven by Hans Muller who established Lowes Manhattan Pty Ltd in 1948.
Contents
Lowes remains an entirely family-owned and Australian company and is considered to be iconic in the country.
Lowes primarily sells casual wear, big men's, corporate workwear, school wear and have expanded into selling basic essentials to seniors.
Lowes menswear 2004 with bill harrigan terry hill
Product range
Lowes sells school wear, casual wear, workwear, business and formal wear, men's outsize clothing, socks, underwear, shoes and accessories. In addition, their range includes sportswear and clothes for older people, fragrances and gifts, household items, confectionary and stationery.
Operations
As of January 2017, the Lowes chain employed 1900 employees and includes 206 shop locations across all Australian states and mainland territories; this is a 13% increase from the 181 stores in the chain in 2012. The largest of the chain's stores is in Bankstown.
The three main shops in New South Wales include Westfield Miranda, Bankstown and MacArthur. Lowes’ head office and warehouse is located in Arncliffe.
In 2012, Lowes challenged what it meant to be a traditional retailer and introduced a seamless in-store iPad ordering system to over 200 store locations for their customers. This enabled Lowes customers to access a wider range of products and create a virtual warehouse of stock with products that they could never carry in each of their 200 stores.
Advertising
Lowes is known for their use of rugby league personalities in their commercials, most notably Paul Sironen, Paul Vautin, Daryl Brohman. These television ads proclaiming you get good priced, quality clothing “At Lowes” became famous in Sydney during the 1980s and 1990s.
Future
In December 2016, Hans Muller died. His son, Jeffery Muller, and daughter, Linda Penn, are now directors of Lowes.