Hopes for improvement in the workwear sector

In common with other sectors of the textile rental market, the workwear sector saw some decline in 2009, but as economies begin to show signs of stabilising some practitioners and suppliers are hopeful of improvement in 2010.

Tibard is both a workwear supplier with a direct sales operation than covers a broad range of industries although it specialises in the catering/hospitality market and a textile rental operator with a laundry in Manchester and a sub-contracted network to provide a nationwide service.

Commercial director Rick Shonfeld acknowledges there was a small decline in volumes of pieces processed during 2009 as restaurant/hotel groups and smaller independent sites have had to cut costs to suit budgets that were based on declining trade and reduced customer spends.

Some chains have had to reduce staff numbers and this has had a knock-on effect on both his company’s production and its laundries, says Shonfeld.

A belief that a contracted chefs’ wear laundry service is a luxury has led to some customers taking laundry in-house. Nevertheless, he says that overall the decline was less than expected and having anticipated a decrease and taken precautionary steps, Tibard was in a good position to ride the lows.

He does not expect a complete recovery in the hospitality market in 2010 but feels that this sector is beginning to revive and with larger customers experiencing organic growth, the coming year will be positive. He adds that markets controlled by local authority or government budgets have suffered less than did hospitality.

At DG Textiles, an importer and wholesaler of table linen and chefs’ wear, Andy Jamshidzadeh says that workwear rental has suffered in 2009 and food service and catering, which he sees as the strongest section, has had a large downturn. Orders are still flowing from various sections but both the number and volume has reduced. On a more positive note for those supplying the hotel and restaurant market, he points out that any company that is involved food preparation needs chefs’ workwear.

So while business may not reach the levels of pre-recession days the trend for the future may be better than it has been over this past year. DG’s range includes jackets and trousers, in various styles and colours though mainly in white and black, complemented with white aprons or butchers’ aprons, skull caps and neckties. It also supplies porters’ white or navy coats and various uniforms for ancillary kitchen staff.

The climate of the past year has obviously had an effect on both product trends and on customer requirements. Rick Shonfeld at Tibard says that the hospitality market has not seen much progress in terms of product trends. Many customers want cheaper options and while this can be achieved by using lighter fabrics and producing simpler garments without special features, customers have to be aware that this demand for cheaper garments will mean workwear that has a shorter life and is less aesthetically pleasing.

Introducing breathable fabrics

Tibard’s product development has focused on garments that are more comfortable for chefs working long hours in the hot kitchen environment so it has introduced more soft, lightweight breathable fabrics into the chef’s range and has increased the number of garments using Coolmax, a fabric used widely in sportswear. This material allows perspiration to move through the fabric to the surface where it evaporates, thus helping to keep the wearer cool even in hot, humid conditions.

Looking specifically at the rental sector, he says that customers want a trouble-free service where clean stock is delivered and soiled garments removed without any problems. The key to this is simplicity and good communication between customer and supplier.

Tibard has always invested time in educating customers about the laundry processes and in how they should handle linen they send for laundering. However, the system can break down if the producer’s systems are not followed and stock does not go to the areas that it should. The company has definitely seen more emphasis on accountability over the past two years, as product losses can mean considerable expenditure. Laundry counts, signing for stock and internal audits are being given higher priority than ever before.

Buckley Lamb supplies garments to the healthcare sector across the UK and also to Europe and international markets. The company is involved in every aspect of apparel from design and manufacturing to distribution.

Managing director Richard Lamb says that the rental market for uniforms in the sector has been fairly steady. Demand for re-usable surgical garments has grown as customers have become more sophisticated in analysing the cost of products, taking into account factors such as waste disposal. This in-depth analysis should provide continued growth in the surgical garments sector throughout 2010 and in 2011.

With regard to product trends, he believes that there is now more use of technical textiles as end users increasingly ask for performance garments.

The ability of garments to withstand the laundering processes is hugely important as customers won’t buy garments that cannot be laundered satisfactorily.

Andy Johnson, account manager at Incorporatewear, a supplier of bespoke corporate wear and workwear, believes that laundry requirements have led to some changes in several sectors of the market.

For example, although fleeces are still popular for jackets, soft shell fabrics are now being used as an alternative because they can withstand high laundry temperatures and are both comfortable and durable.

In the high visibility sector, the demand is for cheaper garments. These will not withstand high temperature washing but are often accepted as a short-term solution, particularly where staff turnover is high. In effect, hi vis jackets and waistcoats have become disposable items, to be replaced when too dirty to wear.

For those customers that do need washable hi vis garments, jackets with 3M hi vis tape is essential.

In engineering, construction and general maintenance, casual workwear is becoming popular. The company’s Inworkwear collection includes 65/35 polyester cotton garments that are launderable and allow easy movement.

For heavy-duty wear, traditionalists will stick to durable tried and tested fabrics.

The catering sector requires garments that can be laundered but that can still allow bright colours and lighter fabrics with a soft feel.

Textiles company, Klopman International says that 2009 has generally been tough for the workwear industry but not surprisingly the health, food services and personal protective equipment sectors have held up the best.

In healthcare the consolidation of purchasing that has been seen over the past year looks likely to continue. The food service sector is still price driven but innovative products remain a popular choice – for example Klopman’s Super White.

Fabrics and garments for the PPE sector are now focused on providing protection from a number of factors. Klopman introduced several products and finishes at the recent A+A exhibition in Dusseldorf, which is concerned with health, safety and security in the workplace. These included OC1, a “skin-friendly” finish, and Sungrazer an advanced fabric that combines flame retardancy and antistaticity.