SARA LEE SELLS OFF TEXTILE OPERATION TO FOCUS ON MARKETING

          IL-based Sara Lee will "sell the bulk of its US yarn
     and textile operations to privately-owned National
     Textiles," according to Nikki Tait of the FINANCIAL TIMES. 
     The sale would cover nine of Sara Lee's 13 yarn and textile
     plants in the U.S.  The TIMES estimates the "cashflow
     benefits to Sara Lee would total about" $600M during the
     next three years.  The textile and yarn operations supply to
     Sara Lee's knitwear and personal products division, which
     includes Hanes and Champion (FINANCIAL TIMES, 1/6).  In
     Chicago, Nancy Millman reports the sale is the "first step"
     in Sara Lee's strategy to become "more of a marketer than a
     manufacturer" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/6).