AKUBRA DEMAND IS FULL TO THE BRIM
DEMAND for Australia’s iconic Akubra felt hats has gone through the roof, leaving the family-owned company racing to keep up, and some hat shop shelves empty.
Akubra general manager of sales and marketing Andrew Angus said the level of demand for the hats was unprecedented.
“We’ve never seen demand like this before, other than the early to mid1980s when The Man from Snowy River and Crocodile Dundee were on television – and this has probably surpassed even that,” he said.
The Aussie brand, which turns 149 years old this year, operates out of Kempsey in northern NSW. Every hat is handmade and takes six to eight weeks to complete, making it hard for the company to keep up with the level of demand.
“Our production team is working overtime to make as much as we can to feed this demand,” Mr Angus said. “Our guys and girls are exhausted. It’s blowing our mind that we keep selling the volume that we do.”
The strong demand for Akubras has created a shortage in stores across the country.
Manager of Strand Hatters in Sydney’s CBD Hamish McLeod said they were now constantly sold out of most Akubra stock due to the sheer demand. “It’s never been like this,” he said.
So why the sudden interest? Mr McLeod thinks the hat is now seen as more fashionable, and it’s also a result of more people holidaying in rural Australia, where the hats fit right in.
“People couldn’t travel overseas, and they needed alternate ways to travel,” he said.
“The outback of Australia is really a beautiful place to visit – and to look the part you need to wear an Akubra hat and a pair of RM Williams boots.”