You can read the fourth quarter results that Gildan posted here. 

However, in plain English, here’s what they’re actually saying — and what it might mean for printers, decorators, and promo folks.

What Happened?

Gildan bought Hanes.

That makes them a much bigger company. No surprise there.

The fourth-quarter numbers look huge because Hanes was added. Again, not shocking — adding an entire major apparel company will do that.

They’re closing some factories and combining operations.
This is about cutting costs and consolidating production. There’s no real discussion of job losses, but consolidation always comes with some level of disruption.

They expect to save about $250 million per year once everything is fully integrated.
That’s the official “synergy” target. Sounds ambitious, but that’s what investors want to hear.

They also have a lot more debt now.
Buying Hanes cost a lot of money — again, not exactly a revelation. To help pay that down, they plan to sell the Hanes Australia business.

Looking ahead, they expect 2026 revenue to be much higher, projecting $6.0–$6.2 billion in sales.
Remember: cost savings usually mean improved margins for them, not necessarily lower prices for customers.

They’re also projecting strong cash flow and have announced a dividend increase, which is a way of signaling confidence to investors.

Another change: they’re reorganizing how they report sales.
Instead of breaking things out as “Activewear vs. Innerwear,” they’ll now report as “Retail vs. Wholesale,” which tells you how they’re thinking about the combined business going forward.

Now What Does That Mean for Us?

Gildan now controls a very large chunk of the basic apparel universe:

• Gildan

• Hanes

• Comfort Colors

• American Apparel

• Champion (for printwear)

That’s a lot of shelf space under one corporate roof.

For Decorators

Expect more coordination between Gildan and Hanes basics when it comes to pricing strategy and distribution.
In other words: don’t expect these brands to compete against each other the way they once might have.

Factory Consolidation and Inventory

Gildan is:

• Closing two textile facilities

• Moving production around

• Temporarily reducing inventory

• “Proactively reducing inventory,” in their words

This could mean:

• Short-term inventory shortages

• Longer lead times during transitions

• SKU rationalization

And yes, some fringe items may disappear. Of course, one person’s fringe item is another’s essential, so keep an eye on styles you rely on.

There may be some integration noise — for example, a favorite shirt getting phased out because someone decided another style was “similar enough.”

Pricing Expectations

Don’t expect dramatic price drops.

The goal of all these cost savings is to improve margins, not necessarily to lower prices. Expect strategic pricing moves rather than broad discounting. Gildan will likely focus on protecting higher-margin channels and maintaining pricing discipline.

That said, long term, greater manufacturing scale and vertical integration could bring some cost stability — just not immediate price reductions.

Other Things to Watch

• Possible inventory fluctuations as production shifts

• Potentially tighter credit or terms as the company manages debt

• More coordinated pricing across brands

• Less internal competition between Gildan and Hanes basics

It’s also worth monitoring distributor pricing alignment between Hanes and Gildan products, as well as potential SKU overlap elimination.

Tariffs Are Still in the Mix

Gildan specifically mentioned tariffs and pricing mitigation.

Translation:

• Tariffs are affecting their costs

• They’ve already adjusted pricing to offset some of that

• They’ll continue adjusting as trade policy changes

So if tariffs move, pricing may move with them.

The Bottom Line

Gildan just became a much bigger and more consolidated supplier to the printwear industry. Expect some short-term disruption as they integrate operations and streamline product lines, along with longer-term stability driven by scale and tighter cost control.

And keep an eye on your core styles — because when companies get bigger, the definition of “core” sometimes changes.