WORKWEAR

Retail demand is steady but strong as pricing pressures continue

After a bumper two years for hardware retailers and builders’ merchants, many retailers have reported a softening in footfall since the start of the summer. This is in line with retail across all sectors, with the CSO reporting an annual decline in footfall of 8.1% for the year to date. However, the booming construction industry is good news for the workwear sector. The EY Economic Advisory service estimates that the volume of construction projects will increase by 4.9% this year and an additional 4.1% in 2023. This growth will ensure the demand for tradespeople to build the houses so badly needed within Irish society, securing workwear sales as a result. While demand will be constant, the product being demanded is where we will continue to see disruption. A much-publicised skills shortage in the construction industry will see companies actively trying to recruit more women. Currently they make up just 9% of the workforce, https://cif.ie/2022/03/09/construction-willneed-more-women-to-meet-future-needs/, but we are set to see this increase as firms and industry bodies alike push for more women to join the trades. This has already increased from just 6% at the end of 2017. As workwear customers, women are rejecting the old-style unisex garments on offer to them and seeking out well fitted, good quality garments that are made specifically with them in mind. We have seen several major workwear brands launch women’s ranges and even maternity workwear over the past year or so and this sector looks set to continue to grow. Trades people in general have also become more discerning in what they buy. The consumer led drive to introduce more sustainable fabrics to all garments has seen a big increase in recycled materials and more sustainable fabrics like bamboo being introduced to workwear offerings. While these come with a higher price point than traditional materials, the more socially conscious customer is willing to pay the premium thus far and is actively seeking out garments with these qualities. Bamboo, for example, releases 35% more oxygen into the atmosphere when it is grown than your average tree and the fabric is biodegradable at its end of life, meaning less mass being added to our landfills. These factors are important purchasing considerations for our modern consumer. All of these factors play into increasingly complex consumer demand, and it is certainly a difficult time for retailers and manufacturers alike to navigate. The upward pressure on production costs and raw materials continues and although demand remains strong, it is possible that this will be hit as consumers disposable income reduces due to the cost of living crisis. As always, it is pertinent for brands to manage their stock well, listen closely to their customer and differentiate themselves with service and a strong branding offer.

Thanks to Anne McNicholas from Portwest for her assistance in compiling information for this introduction.

New Portwest DX4 Workwear Range is stretching all limits!

Portwest’s new DX4 workwear range has proved to be a massive hit for the company, with sales growing 130% in the past 12 months. The range, which launched in early 2021, has proven to be their most popular workwear range to date. That is saying something for a company which has been around for more than 120 years. Following the success of the DX4 range to date, Portwest have decided to heavily invest in the marketing of the DX4 product. Rachel Davoren, MD of Portwest Ireland, says “We’re backing this to be our best range ever and we know there is still more room for substantial growth in it. The range was on display at the National Ploughing Championships and the feedback from consumers was brilliant, they really loved it. It is supremely stylish and sold at a great price point, which makes it very attractive to tradespeople who want to look good while they are working.” This Autumn, Portwest are planning a series of on the road and sponsorship activations which will see them promoting the new range across a series of mediums. This is on the back of a big sponsorship investment in Mayo GAA and a deal to become the Official Workwear Partner of Croke Park, both of which were signed last year.

For retailers who wish to discuss stocking the DX4 workwear range or any Portwest products, they can contact sales@portwest.ie for more information or phone 098 51777, to talk to a member of the Portwest team.

Providing innovative safety solutions

Globus Group is a leading international PPE manufacturer with over 25 years of experience and expertise in providing innovative safety solutions across healthcare and multiple industrial sectors.

Leading the way in PPE, the business is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of global worker safety solutions for Respiratory Protection, Hand Protection, Safety Eyewear, Head Protection, Hearing Protection and Protective Clothing.

For decades, working closely alongside leading safety professionals and providers has enabled Globus Group’s dedicated team to build expertise, develop and deliver the best possible protection for workers, by providing support and advice including on-site training and assessments.

Globus Group is committed to a sustainable future with core values that include a deep commitment to the long-term welfare of future generations. That means they will ensure their business and operational processes are as economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable as possible.

As part of their strategy to manufacture 75% of their products in Europe, they accelerated their growth plan and commissioned three new factories in the UK and now have five factories across Europe providing resilient sustainable production.

The substantial increase in local production rather than South Asia manufacturing has had a significant, positive impact on their carbon footprint. The importance of control and resilience in local manufacturing means they have made good strides in driving efficiency and reducing waste. They are also driving in-country operational and supply sustainability, plus sourcing more raw materials locally.

At Globus Group, they believe in the safety, reliability and wearability of their products. They are proud to protect their customers in their working lives, equipping them to perform their roles safely and empowering them to do the best job possible. As well as providing safety products that their customers trust, their collaborative approach seeks to set them apart. They believe in building lifetime relationships with their customers and being there to respond to their changing requirements.

For further information, visit www.globusgroup.com

Stay safe and warm with Snickers Workwear

This season Snickers Workwear are not just focusing on strengthening their range of durable and functional trousers. Neither are they simply increasing workplace safety by expanding their line of high-visibility workwear for low-visibility work environments. They’re also adding a number of jackets, tops, and accessories that are vital for their head-to-toe layering system in cold and wet weather.

Layered from head to toe

No matter if it’s hot or cold outside, the common denominator to successful layering is the ability to stay dry, even when you’re working up a sweat. And your best tool to combat that is the layer that’s closest to your skin - the base layer.

Base layer

Your first layer is key to staying dry and ventilated and should wick moisture away from your skin. All of Snickers base layers offer seamless comfort and great fit, but with different degrees of ventilation and warmth depending on how active you are at work, and the weather you’re working in.

Midlayer

Your second layer is for warmth and insulation. Properly designed and sized, it should trap your body heat in a pocket of warm air around you. That means your mid-layer needs to fit well, without being too tight or snug. Ideally, it will be crafted of knitted, quilted, fleece, or microfleece materials that provide an airy yet comfortable enclosure.

Outer layer

Your third layer needs to provide both wind and water protection, as well as keep you warm. And just as with both base layers and midlayers, you don’t want to get too warm - so breathability and ventilation are key.

This means that Snickers durable design has to intersect with their technical functionality. Their outer layers are built to be weatherproof enough to keep the elements at bay, and durable enough to withstand the wear and tear of hard day’s work. And then they still deliver the level of breathability and ventilation you can expect and demand.

And even if this is all fantastic autumn and winter news, they’re not stopping there.

In this ever-changing world, Snickers Workwear are also taking decided steps to increase the levels of sustainability in all areas of their business practices. Specifically, how they make their products, what they make them with, and how their activities impact our environment and the world around us.

At Snickers Workwear, they innovate and develop durable and sustainable garments for demanding craftsmen and craftswomen everywhere. And that makes us all feel warm on the inside. #InventingWorkwear.

For further information contact Hultafors Group Ireland, Tel: +353 (0) 1 4098400 Email: info@hultaforsgroup.ie.