The Future Uniform Store:
Part Two

By Jackie Rosselli

Last month, UniformMarket ran the first in a series of articles examining the state of today’s uniform stores and the changes they are undergoing to assure success and viability.

Part 1 focused on the technological changes going on that affect the way a uniform store conducts business. This month, we’ll take a closer look at the brick and mortar store and what it is doing to attract customers in terms of overall store design. Finally, we’ll take a look at where the industry is in terms of inventory and product mix, and what the future may hold in these areas.

Initially appearing online, some topics in the Series will be expanded and run in the Spring & Summer 2008 Edition of Made to Measure.

Part II – Appealing to Today’s Customer: the Brick and Mortar gets a Facelift

Background: In the beginning, uniform stores were a hodgepodge of merchandise, with little, if any, design elements incorporated into the overall layout.

No more. Competition from catalogers, e-commerce sites and companies outside the uniform marketplace has forced the brick and mortar to rethink its merchandising equation. A changing customer base has had an impact as well. Shoppers are more discriminating thanks to all the options at their disposal. As a result, brick and mortars across the country and across all market segments are rethinking their existing layouts, sprucing up their image and making some important changes to attract – and retain customers.

How has the uniform store adapted to the new paradigm? We’ll examine the trends, and responses, below.

Trend 1: Keep it Simple, Make it Pretty, and Ring up Sales

It wasn’t long ago that walking into a uniform store conjured up images of being in a war zone. Customers walked across thick, shag carpet and plowed through rack upon rack of merchandise to find what they were looking for.

Full Story

Healthy Organizational Politics

By Joseph Greco, M.S.O.D.

Unfortunately, when the word ‘politics’ is used the connotation is typically negative. And I am not even referring to politics associated with electing government officials. Politics exist in organizations because they are comprised of human beings who have various agenda including needs, goals and desires. Resources are finite and often of limited availability when required or more expensive than estimated.

Politics in an organization has to do with power. Power is the ability to affect change. Who gets what, when and how? This change can range from seemingly minor issues like who gets the prime office location to determining the strategic future of the company. How change is influenced and how one is affected may depend on one’s understanding of and use of organizational politics.

When change is implemented someone is bound to be more satisfied than another. Keeping everyone happy all the time is a pipe dream but you can work to maximize the opportunity to create and foster satisfaction. This week, I was asked to participate in a panel at the University of Pennsylvania in a class in the graduate program of Organizational Dynamics. Professor John Eldred, who teaches the course; “Mastering Organizational Politics and Power,” asked us panelists to address the question, “What should leaders do to encourage healthy politics in an organization?” In thinking about this question I considered the obvious negative response. Don’t do the things that support unhealthy politics. What are some of those points?

Full Story

Suiting Up For Santa Claus

By Debra Hindlemann Webster

(Editor’s Note: If uniforms serve to identify the wearer, then the Santa Suit could be viewed as the mother of all uniforms. In a salute to the season, UniformMarket brings you a brief history of the cheerful garb, as well as quotes from those doing quite a nice business selling this unique “career apparel” item. So if you’ve been searching for a lucrative niche market, read on…)

Every year, Santa puts down his pipe, fluffs up his whiskers, and makes sure he has his list that’s been checked twice. He puts on his Christmas best, and gets ready to spread love, good cheer, and goodies to children all over the world.

It seems that Santa Claus, or Saint Nicholas, evolved with various cultures over time: The Greeks knew him as Poseidon, god of the sea; the Romans changed his name to Neptune; early European Christianity drew on these images of this powerful sea god, the benevolent Christ child, and the concept that children should be good Christians, calling him Hagios Nikolaos (Latin for Saint Nicholas). It seems there is no proof that there was an actual person named Nicholas.

Full Story

Product Roundup

After a two-month hiatus, Product Roundup is back with news from Dickies, Burlington, and Tru-Spec:

Dickies, the leading global workwear brand, has added new high visibility and enhanced visibility garments for spring 2008. The new apparel addresses the industry demand for garments that are more adaptable to changing work conditions.

Dickies launched its high and enhanced visibility line last fall – a line the meets the standards of the American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel (ANSI) 107 – 2004. Many of the existing and new garments feature 3M Scotchlite Reflective Material, which is recognized as the leading high performance retro-flective material to enhance visibility in low-light and nighttime conditions.

Full Story

Burlington WorldWide, too, announced a new product line in November. Burlington Labs, a division of Burlington WorldWide, launched Easy WOOL, a new proprietary washable product line exclusively engineered for 100% worsted wool.

This announcement comes after the successful launches earlier this year of Cocona Wool, and Invisible Barrier, other exclusive BWW wool products.

“Revolutionary technologies now allow fine worsted garments to be washed and dried up to 25 times,” said Ken Kunberger, president of Burlington WorldWide. “We are continuously researching innovative sustainable technologies and products that differentiate us in the market and help our clients tailor their product lines to better fit their consumers’ lifestyles.”

Full Story

The line between a uniform and everyday wear is further blurred with the introduction of a new tactical pant from Tru-Spec. Referring to Tru-Spec’s new 24/7 trousers as “tactical pants” would be somewhat of a misnomer. Although they’re based on the multi-function trousers commonly worn by many police tactical teams, Tru-Spec has designed the ultra-comfortable new 24/7’s to easily cross the line between duty and casual wear. Tru-Spec describes the new 24/7’s as “versatile enough for stakeout or desk duty, stylish enough for a night on the town.”

For maximum wearability virtually around the clock, the new 24/7 trousers are manufactured from garment washed 100% cotton canvas to guarantee a constantly clean, neat appearance and day-long comfort, even on demanding double-shifts, as well as to ensure against shrinking and color fading. The pants were designed with what Tru-Spec calls an “Engineered Dimensional Fit.” That simply means that the length of the rise increases in proportion to the length of the inseam. The result is a nearly perfect fit – a Tru-Fit - regardless of the wearer’s size or body style.

Full Story

UniformMarket Store System Welcomes New Users

The following companies have launched new web sites using the UniformMarket Store System:

	At Work Uniforms www.atworkuniforms.com
	Ronk's Uniform Center www.ronksuniformcenter.com
Sites Coming soon....	MP Uniform, PA Uniform Junction, CO Lark Uniforms, WI Global Uniforms, NJ ID By Landau, MS and others...

Looking to improve your web site and online customer service?