PPB July 2018

Terry Ramsay is associate editor of PPB. Coo rd i na t i ng Appa r e l Spoiled For Choice A business was introducing a product line of certified organic and botanical essential oils, hydrosols and skin care, and the owner wanted to offer employees a selection of coordinating shirts to choose from to wear on the job. American Solutions for Business recommended retail-inspired triblends and ring-spun cotton fabrics that have a soft hand. The client chose a variety of styles featuring different sleeve lengths and cuts that work for both slim and full body types. The goal was for every employee to have flattering options they would be excited to wear. “Women don’t want a smaller semi-tailored version of a man’s shirt anymore, and it’s important that our industry understand this,” says Kristina Beal, sales associate for American Solutions for Business. “When it’s on trend, comfortable and good quality, the workforce becomes an even bigger asset by wearing their logowear while they are out in the community living life outside of the office.” Source: American Solutions for Business The biggest trend we’re seeing with company stores is paring down the number of items to better represent the company brand. We’re finding that most clients are looking for a sense of uniformity and synergy with their company culture. For instance, if the culture is more casual or edgy/hip, they may only provide items such as t-shirts, shorts, flip flops, trucker hats and polo shirts with a modern cut. If they have a more formal company culture, they tend to only add products such as button-down shirts, sweaters, golf attire and desk accessories. In the past, many clients would add a large variety of items to their company stores to give employees more options to choose from. In most cases, paring down the total number of items also allows for ease of ordering and inventory control. —Blake Bozeman, MAS, director of sales, SAGE Two trends are striking: 1 First, the trend toward the fast and efficient launch of a company store that allows employees to quickly and easily order products while simultaneously reducing the workload on the distributor with respect to managing these types of programs. No longer does a customer need to push six figures in sales to warrant the introduction of a company store into their program. 2 Second, the trend toward more creative and modern apparel selections. The days of standard embroidery on the left chest of a unisex polo are quickly being replaced by unique, complementary styles for men and women in modern performance materials. Fresh, bright colors are hot; casual performance fabrics are hot; and cutting- edge decorating techniques such as laser etching, laser applique, 3D full color logos and tech patches are hot. —Jason Nokes, president, DistributorCentral We’ve always noticed that company store apparel sales closely follow ecommerce trends. We often see office wear or uniforms as a key component of company store sales. What is most important to us is that we offer a solution that makes ordering apparel, in all of its many variations, easy and intuitive for the shopper as well as for the distributor. —Tanya Ignacek, vice president, BrightStores, Inc. Case Study What’s In Store For Company Stores Company stores typically offer coordinating apparel to ensure a coherent look among employees and to communicate a consistent corporate brand. PPB asked the experts what clients want from company stores now. Here’s what they revealed. 20 | JULY 2018 | INNOVATE