Gildan

Name

Gildan

Legal name

Gildan Activewear Inc.

Website

https://gildancorp.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Basic Apparel Manufacturing

NAICS

Apparel Manufacturing (315), Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers (4243), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers (424350), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Branded Merchandise & Promotional Apparel Wholesale (CRAOADAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Workwear, Uniforms & Corporate Apparel Wholesale (CRAOADAF)

Keywords

• Basic apparel manufacturing
• Vertically integrated textiles
• Wholesale apparel distribution
• Screen printing apparel
• Hosiery and sock manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Wholesale/B2B Apparel Sales: Gildan generates the vast majority of its revenue by selling basic apparel (activewear, underwear, socks, intimates) in bulk to wholesale distributors, screenprinters, embellishers, retailers, and e-commerce platforms, as well as global lifestyle brand companies and directly to consumers. Products are sold under company-owned brands including Gildan, Hanes, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Bali, Maidenform, Playtex, GOLDTOE, Peds, as well as Champion under exclusive licensing for the printwear channel in the U.S. and Canada.
2. Consumer/Retail Sales: Post-HanesBrands acquisition, Gildan also sells directly to consumers through retail channels and e-commerce platforms under heritage brands such as Hanes, Maidenform, Bali, and Bonds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gildan manufactures and distributes basic apparel including T-shirts, activewear, underwear, socks, and intimates through a vertically integrated supply chain spanning yarn-spinning, knitting, dyeing, sewing, and distribution. Products are sold in bulk primarily to wholesale distributors, screenprinters, embellishers, retailers, and e-commerce platforms under a portfolio of company-owned brands (Gildan, Hanes, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Bali, Maidenform, Playtex, GOLDTOE, Peds, Bonds, ALLPRO) and one exclusively licensed brand (Champion for the printwear channel in the U.S. and Canada). The company operates 40+ manufacturing and distribution installations globally and after the December 2025 HanesBrands acquisition also sells directly to consumers through retail channels and brand websites.

Product overview

Gildan is a vertically integrated manufacturer of everyday basic apparel selling products under a diversified portfolio of Company-owned brands including Gildan®, Hanes®, Comfort Colors®, American Apparel®, Bali®, Maidenform®, Playtex®, GOLDTOE®, Peds®, and Bonds®, plus Champion® under exclusive licensing. The company's product lines span activewear, underwear, socks, and intimates, sold to wholesale distributors, screenprinters, embellishers, retailers, e-commerce platforms, and directly to consumers across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The December 2025 acquisition of HanesBrands approximately doubled the company's scale, adding heritage brands and go-to-market expertise to Gildan's low-cost manufacturing network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gildan: Core brand offering activewear, underwear, socks for wholesale and printwear markets
• Hanes
• Comfort Colors
• American Apparel
• Bali
• Maidenform
• Playtex
• GOLDTOE
• Peds
• Champion
• ALLPRO
• Bonds

Products and services

• Gildan® (basic apparel) Primary house brand offering everyday basic apparel including T-shirts, activewear, and imprinted garments, sold in bulk to wholesale distributors and screenprinters who customize and resell the products.
• Hanes® (underwear, socks, activewear) Heritage apparel brand offering underwear, socks, and intimate apparel products, one of the most recognized apparel brands in North America. Acquired through the December 2025 HanesBrands merger.
• Comfort Colors® (premium dyed apparel) Brand known for garment-dyed, ring-spun cotton garments with soft-hand feel, primarily serving the imprintables market. Acquired through the HanesBrands merger.
• American Apparel® (fashion basics) Premium fashion-forward basics brand offering contemporary apparel, distributed exclusively through S&S Activewear in the U.S. imprintables market.
• Bali® (intimate apparel) Intimate apparel brand specializing in bras, panties, and shapewear products. Acquired through the HanesBrands merger.
• Maidenform® (intimate apparel) Intimate apparel brand known for bras, panties, and shapewear offerings, targeting the mass-market women's intimates segment. Acquired through the HanesBrands merger.
• Playtex® (intimate apparel) Heritage brand for women's intimates and shapewear. Acquired through the HanesBrands merger.
• GOLDTOE® (premium socks) Premium sock brand known for quality dress, casual, and athletic socks. Acquired through the HanesBrands merger.
• Peds® (hosiery) Brand focused on women's hosiery and legwear. Acquired through the HanesBrands merger.
• Champion® (athleticwear — licensed) Iconic athleticwear brand available to Gildan under exclusive licensing agreement for the printwear channel in the U.S. and Canada.
• Bonds® (Australian innerwear) Australian innerwear and underwear brand acquired through HanesBrands merger, targeting the Asia Pacific market.
• ALLPRO™ (athletic socks) Athletic socks brand within Gildan's portfolio, distributed primarily through sporting goods channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record Q4 2025 net sales of $1,078 million, up 31.3% year-over-year, including $217 million from HanesBrands in its first month post-acquisition.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• S&S ActivewearcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 December 2025Gildan granted S&S Activewear exclusive wholesale distribution rights for its American Apparel brand in the U.S. imprintables market, and made S&S the exclusive wholesale distributor for Gildan's full brand portfolio in Canada. These exclusive distribution arrangements took effect on December 28, 2025, combining Gildan's manufacturing capabilities with S&S's distribution network to improve product availability and service for decorators in North America.
• ComputershareminorOthers · 1 December 2025Computershare serves as the exchange agent for the HanesBrands acquisition, handling the conversion of HanesBrands shares into Gildan shares and cash consideration. Shareholders of HanesBrands can contact Computershare for inquiries regarding the exchange of shares and cash payments related to the acquisition.
• ITOCHU CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITOCHU Corporation and Inglewood jointly acquired all shares of Hanesbrands Japan from Gildan, marking a strategic expansion of ITOCHU's textile and apparel portfolio in the Japanese market. Hanesbrands Japan was previously acquired by Gildan in December 2025 as part of the larger HanesBrands merger.
• World Vision HondurasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGildan maintains an 11-year partnership with World Vision Honduras focused on education programs for children in communities where Gildan operates. Employees in Honduras participate in volunteer activities with nearly 100 students from local schools, promoting environmental education and community engagement.
• First Book CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGildan's Montreal headquarters partnered with First Book Canada, an organization dedicated to promoting educational equity by creating home libraries for children in low-income and historically excluded communities. Gildan employees prepared book bags and wrote inspirational notes for 110 children as part of the Global Employee Volunteer Month initiative.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fruit of the Loom: Fruit of the Loom (Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary) is one of the world's largest vertically integrated basic apparel manufacturers, producing T-shirts, underwear, and activewear sold through similar wholesale and screenprinter channels. Most direct comparable to Gildan in product mix, manufacturing model, and customer base.
• Hanesbrands Inc. Pre-acquisition, Hanesbrands was Gildan's largest direct competitor in basic apparel, innerwear, and activewear across North America. Now a wholly-owned subsidiary, but pre-merger financials remain the most relevant benchmark for Gildan's addressable market and operating profile.
• Bella+Canvas: Bella+Canvas is a leading manufacturer of premium blank apparel serving the screenprint, embroidery, and DTC customization markets. Direct competitor to Gildan's premium sub-brands like Comfort Colors in the imprintables channel.
• Next Level Apparel: Next Level Apparel manufactures premium blank T-shirts, tanks, and fleece primarily for the wholesale decoration and screenprinter channel. Comparable to Gildan in target customer (decorators and distributors) and product category (basic apparel blanks).
• Augusta Sportswear: Augusta Sportswear manufactures athletic apparel, team uniforms, and activewear sold through wholesale distributors to the screenprint and team-decorator market. Directly comparable to Gildan's activewear and sportswear categories.
• S&S Activewear: S&S Activewear is the largest wholesaler of imprintable apparel and accessories in North America, holding exclusive distribution rights for Gildan's American Apparel brand in the U.S. imprintables market and the full Gildan portfolio in Canada. Functions as both a major customer and a competitor in blank apparel distribution to decorators.

Broad incumbents

• PVH Corp. PVH owns Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, operating a global apparel platform spanning wholesale and DTC. Broad incumbent in the apparel space with overlapping distribution channels but a fashion-led rather than basics-led portfolio.
• VF Corporation: VF Corporation owns a diversified portfolio of apparel and footwear brands (The North Face, Vans, Timberland, Dickies). Broad incumbent in wholesale apparel distribution with overlap in basics/workwear through Dickies but specialized across multiple categories beyond Gildan's basics focus.
• Levi Strauss & Co. Levi Strauss is a global apparel company with wholesale and DTC distribution of denim and casualwear. Broad incumbent sharing similar wholesale relationships with screenprinters and retailers, though focused on branded denim rather than basic apparel blanks.

Emerging players

• Printful: Printful is a print-on-demand and custom apparel fulfillment platform that sources blanks (including some from Gildan) for customization and direct shipping. Emerging player representing both a customer of Gildan's blank apparel and a partial alternative model for custom apparel distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/gildanactivewear
• Xx.com/gildancorp
• Facebookfacebook.com/gildancorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gildan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gildan