CARHARTT W.I.P Comparative brand report By Leah Rice
ABOUT THE BRAND “Carhartt Work In Progress (Carhartt WIP) forms a division of the American brand Carhartt, one of the first companies to pioneer workwear in the USA. Founded in Europe in 1989, 100 years after Hamilton Carhartt established his business in Detroit, Carhartt WIP has been carefully adapting and modifying Carhartt's core product characteristics for a different audience of consumers who value refined design and quality while still remaining true to Carhartt's brand origins. Since the beginning, Carhartt WIP have built a strong, organic relationship with unknown, inspiring, provocative and upcoming figures in music and sport, becoming an iconic and well respected brand in underground scenes, from hip-hop to skate, from graffiti to cycling, as well as working with labels such as A.P.C., Neighborhood, Patta, Vans, Junya Watanabe and many more.� (Carhartt, 2020)
COMPETITORS
ABOUT THE COMPETITORS PATAGONIA Patagonia is an American clothing company that was founded in 1973 and is based in Ventura, California. They claim to be a designer of ‘clothing and gear for the silent sports: climbing, surfing, skiing and snowboarding, fly fishing and trail running’ (Patagonia, 2020). They have a strong mission as a brand; their aim is to make the best product whilst causing no unnecessary harm to the environment, and to help the environment further. Their brand values are nature, sustainability, exploration and high quality in everything they do. They currently trade both online and in-store. In the UK, the majority of in-store sales are through authorised traders as they only have 2 standalone stores so far in the UK.
ABOUT THE COMPETITORS DICKIES Dickies is an American clothing company that was founded in 1922 in Texas. They started off creating durable workwear for farm workers. Today, the are still known for selling workwear, but also have a following in the world of streetwear which lead to the creation of ‘dickies life’ which specialises in street and skate wear. They have a strong mission as a brand; their aim is 'to support workers worldwide with innovative, lasting apparel, footwear and accessories for all their needs, on and off the job’. Their brand mission is that they will be the number 1 ‘manufacturer and provider of workwear worldwide by attracting, developing and retaining the best people, leading innovations in products and customer service, and delivering superior financial performance’ (Williamson-Dickie, 2020).
ABOUT THE COMPETITORS TIMBERLAND Timberland is an American clothing company that was founded in 1928 in Boston, Massachusetts. They specialise in clothing designed for outdoor use such as shoes, but also produce apparel such as clothes, watches, sunglasses and leather goods. Timberland ‘strive to create a culture built on giving back, and building relationships with communities’. Timberland also believe that a greener future is a better future. They have recently made a decades-long commitment to make products responsibly, protect the outdoors and strengthen communities around the world (Timberland, 2020). They currently trade both online and in-store. In the UK, they have stand alone retail stores, factory store outlets, and authorised retailers selling products on their behalf.
COMP SHOP PARKA JACKET CARHARTT WIP clash parka £225
Comparing the two jackets, I think when it comes to style the Carhartt jacket seems more fashionable whereas the Patagonia jacket seems more designed with purpose in mind as opposed to fashion. They are similarly priced and I believe the Carhartt one should be slightly more expensive as it has more style features such as the toggles and pockets. The Carhartt jacket is available in 3 colours, whereas the Patagonia jacket is available in 2
PATAGONIA Men’s lone mountain parka £216
COMP SHOP CARGO PANT CARHARTT WIP aviation pant £105
Comparing the two pants, I prefer the style of the Carhartt pants. They have amore relaxed fit appropriate for a cargo pant and the fabric looks more comfortable. They are differently priced with the Carhartt ones costing an extra £35. I think this is justified as they look of a higher quality however I would expect the Dickies ones to be more durable. The Carhartt pants are available in 9 colours and the dickies ones in 5.
DICKIES Edwardsport pant £70
COMP SHOP BACKPACK CARHARTT Delta Backpack £85
Comparing the two backpacks, the timberland one looks very basic whereas the Carhartt one looks fit for purpose and multifunctional. It has more pockets and the addition of rope. They have a price difference of £30. I think they are both expensive for a backpack but I think the timberland one is very overpriced considering how basic it is. The Carhartt backpack is available in 3 colours, and the timberland one is available in 5.
TIMBERLAND Classic Backpack £55
ONLINE COMP SHOP WEB HOME PAGE CARHARTT
PATAGONIA
Comparing the design of both home pages, I preferred Patagonia. Whilst both had easy to navigate menus, I preferred the opening image, colours and graphics on the page. I also liked how it was about a real world issue with a button saying ‘act now’ instead of Carhartt which was sending viewers straight to shop. In terms of usability, I found both were very easy to navigate and find products. Overall, I prefer the Patagonia website. Its nicer to look at, smoother to look through and features a lot of content on activism, not just fashion.
ONLINE COMP SHOP INSTAGRAM FEED CARHARTT
DICKIES
Comparing the content of both feeds, they are very different. In the time of lockdown, Dickies have used their feed to show workers which reflects back on their brand values of being workwear. They also have ‘make your own’ content on their IGTV that they have commissioned throughout lockdown. Carhartt’s instagram hasn’t really acknowledged the lockdown and have continued their normal content of fashion photos and posting radio shows. I do however prefer the photography style of Carhartt and find it more visually appealing.
ONLINE COMP SHOP BRAND BLOG CARHARTT
TIMBERLAND
Both websites have a blog section, but Carhartt labels theirs as a journal instead. I prefer this as sometimes ‘blog’ can sound daunting and boring. Timberland use their blog to post various articles on things such as outfit inspiration and style tips to eco-friendly changes to make and how to help save the planet. Their content is very on brand with the outdoor market they cover. Carhartt use their journal to post articles and radio shows. I like the addition of radio shows and I think Moree brands should do this as it is more interactive and is more likely to bring people back for more.
Consumer profile
•Millennial aged •Lives in the city •Works at a graduate level creative job •Interested in hip-hop and skate culture •Cares about wearing branded clothing •Has disposable income but still values high quality if money is spent
Swot analysis
•Narrow consumer base •Small market presence •Competitive market •Brand segmentation can be confusing (carhartt and Carhartt WIP) •Expensive
THREAT
•Price of competitors •With jobs changing, the functional goods market is declining not growing •Price of materials is ever increasing so may not be able to offer such quality for current prices. If any more expensive, they will be priced out by competitors
WEAKNESS
OPPORTUNITY
•Instead of collaborating with big names, turn to collaborating with upcoming indie brands •Room for expansion in women’s market •Increase marketing and advertisement
STRENGTH
•Niche products •Available in many countries •Reliable, established name •Collaborations with big brands such as Nike, Converse, Junya Watanabe •Strong history •High quality, durable products
References Boardsport SOURCE. 2020. Patagonia Opens Second UK Store In Bristol - Boardsport SOURCE. [online] Available at: <http://www.boardsportsource.com/ 2020/02/18/patagonia-opens-second-uk-store-in-bristol/> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. BrandStruck. 2020. Patagonia | Brandstruck: Brand Strategy / Positioning Case Studies. [online] Available at: <https://brandstruck.co/patagonia/> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. Carhartt-wip.com. 2020. Carhartt WIP Journal | Carhartt-Wip.Com. [online] Available at: <https://www.carhartt-wip.com/en/journal> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. Carhartt, 2020. Edwardsport Pant. [online] Dickieslife.com. Available at: <https://www.dickieslife.com/uk_en/dickies-edwardsport-121121-camouflage> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. Dickies. 2020. Dickies® | Official Site | Workwear & Apparel. [online] Available at: <https://www.dickies.com/home> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. Dickieslife. 2020. Dickies Streetwear & Skate Clothing | Dickies Life UK. [online] Available at: <https://www.dickieslife.com/uk_en/> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. Instagram.com. 2020. Carhartt WIP | Instagram. [online] Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/carharttwip/> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. Instagram.com. 2020. Dickies | Instagram. [online] Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/dickies/> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. Lakin, M., 2020. How Patagonia Became The Men’S Brand Of The Moment. [online] Mr Porter. Available at: <https://www.mrporter.com/en-us/journal/ fashion/how-patagonia-became-the-mens-brand-of-the-moment-423826> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. Patagonia. 2020. Patagonia Men's Lone Mountain Parka. [online] Available at: <https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/product/mens-lone-mountain-waterproofparka/27865.html?dwvar_27865_color=ARGR> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. Timberland UK. 2020. Timberland Blog - Read, Get Inspired & Shop | Timberland UK. [online] Available at: <https://www.timberland.co.uk/blog.html> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. Timberland. 2020. Timberland UK - Boots, Shoes, Clothes, Jackets & Accessories. [online] Available at: <https://www.timberland.co.uk> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. Timberland., 2020. Classic Backpack In Blue | Timberland. [online] Timberland United Kingdom. Available at: <https://www.timberland.co.uk/shop/en/ tbl-uk/classic-backpack-in-blue-a2gctx78> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. Williamson-dickie.com. 2020. Values & Vision | Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co.. [online] Available at: <https://www.williamson-dickie.com/company/valuesvision> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. www.carhartt-wip.com. 2020. Carhartt WIP Aviation Pant | Carhartt-Wip.Com. [online] Available at: <https://www.carhartt-wip.com/en/men-pants-cargo/ aviation-pant-camo-laurel-rinsed-305_1> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. www.carhartt-wip.com. 2020. Carhartt WIP Clash Parka | Carhartt-Wip.Com. [online] Available at: <https://www.carhartt-wip.com/en/men-jackets-parka/ clash-parka-cypress-460_1> [Accessed 8 June 2020]. www.carhartt-wip.com. 2020. Carhartt WIP Delta Backpack | Carhartt-Wip.Com. [online] Available at: <https://www.carhartt-wip.com/en/men-accessoriesbackpacks/delta-backpack-lime-1022_1> [Accessed 8 June 2020].