The Workwear Column
Then we have the builder’s merchant workwear which is expanding into the workwear sector and trying to pick up add-on sales. The power tool licensed products do offer features and functionally of the premium workwear brands and are priced at a realistic level for the tradesperson. However, I have also looked at some of the builder’s merchants’ own brand products, and I was less impressed with the quality of these, namely SITE. I found that these products were mass produced and did not offer anywhere near the quality or include the features the premium brands have. It’s ok, if you want to pick up a cheap pair of honey work boots and some poly cotton holster pocket trousers for around £50 for both, then you can get these easily. Cheap is not better and in my experience, we had plenty of people coming to our store to buy some decent workwear after the builder’s merchants’ offerings. A brand that I have seen come on in recent years is Scruffs. When I first saw Scruffs it was in my opinion where SITE workwear is now, pitched at a much cheaper price and also did not have the durability, especially in the footwear. More recently though this brand has developed a series of shoes that are much higher quality than the previous Scruffs range. Take for example the Scruffs Switchback 3, it’s a very well-made, stylish boot.
Deep pockets
We all know the big brands that have deep pockets for sales and marketing budgets to drive even more people to buy their products. Their ranges get bigger every year. One brand that we used to sell had so many similar products it was becoming a bit of a headache to keep a handle on what was different between their integral product lines. They no doubt have an amazing high-quality product range at exceptionally good prices which can only be good for the end users. Let’s take the time to look at some of the smaller UK brands and their new developing product ranges. These guys are key to you winning business and stocking your retail store with more choices for your customers. The
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
The 715 Proflex Trouser from TuffStuff are an example of great value workwear trousers
premium brand name products are an expensive commodity to hold in stock and although they bring people in you will be dictated to by how much you sell the products for and the margins that you can work too. I found this felt like price fixing the market and although we understand that the manufacturers do not want you to undervalue their products it still took the flexibility out of the game. Brands such as Helly Hansen workwear and RockFall safety footwear are creeping their way into many of the other trade counters too, as everyone pushes hard and fast to make sure they have as much exposure as possible, pick up impulsive sales and close the door on the next brand to enter the market. This market is growing and becoming even more competitive, workwear is now found in petrol stations, pound saver stores and sports shops. It is everywhere and you can see why so many people want to jump on board. These store placements are aiding the growth of the workwear industry, yet the other side of the coin is, it
is diluting the sales for those who specialise in selling workwear and this will ultimately be the demise of many workwear retail stores, like mine.
Tough market
As it becomes tougher in this market place I am conscious of what you are doing to offer your customers a great retail experience, It will help by increasing the stock level of the challenger brands as they develop their product lines, and it will bolster your stock levels during the up-and-coming credit crunch. This will not only help you reduce your expenditure on stock but keep a good selection of products in store. There is nothing worse than coming into a workwear store that looks like a closing down sale. Construction workers are very loyal to their brands, but if they are looking to save a few quid if things get a bit tight this winter then you will have the opportunity to offer them a more reasonably priced product and who knows, once they have tried them then maybe they will be converted. Keep fighting the fight and keep the independent workwear industry alive.
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