Fruit of the Loom (FOTL, asi/84257) will stop selling its namesake brand in the wholesale channel by the end of 2025, but FOTL’s JERZEES and Russell Athletic brands will continue to be available in the promotional products/decorated apparel space.

That’s according to a message Counselor Top 40 suppliers S&S Activewear (asi/84358) and alphabroder (asi/34063) recently sent to distributor and decorator customers.

“We want to inform you that Fruit of the Loom has decided to discontinue selling the Fruit of the Loom brand in the wholesaler channel by the end of 2025,” the statement said.

S&S, promo’s second-largest supplier, completed the acquisition of alphabroder, promo’s third-largest supplier, at the end of September. While the FOTL brand will reportedly be available in the wholesale market through 2025, S&S and alphabroder plan to stop selling the line at the start of the coming new year – effective Jan. 1, 2025. Suppliers such as Carolina Made (asi/43993), Inc., Mission Imprintables (asi/71781), and One Stop, Inc. (asi/75085) will carry the Fruit of the Loom brand through next year, according to Fruit of the Loom.

Speaking on behalf of S&S and alphabroder, S&S Chief Marketing Officer Marc Vitulli told ASI Media that the FOTL products that the suppliers will no longer be carrying are primarily T-shirts and fleece (sweatshirts).

“For FOTL’s core selling item, which is the 5-oz. HD cotton shirt, both S&S and alphabroder have high-quality comparable items with additional selling features in the M&O and Gildan brands,” Vitulli said. “We will be able to service our customers for their needs with this product offering.”

ASI Media contacted FOTL for comment about the apparent decision to sunset the FOTL brand in the wholesale channel but didn't heard back before the original Oct. 29 publishing of this article. A week later, FOTL released a statement on the decision.

It said, in part, that FOTL will be concentrating its wholesale efforts on expanding the JERZEES brand.

“Over the past few years, we have focused on strengthening the JERZEES brand through targeted investments in product development, marketing and imagery,” said Jeff Traen, senior director of marketing at Fruit of the Loom, Inc. “Our decision to exit the North American wholesale channel with Fruit of the Loom reflects our commitment to creating an enhanced JERZEES portfolio that meets all our customers’ needs in one place.”

With origins stretching back to 1851 in Rhode Island, FOTL is currently a Bowling Green, KY-headquartered subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.

Earlier this year, FOTL announced the shuttering of a distribution center in Summerville, SC.