Evolution and growth of the workwear market

In this month’s article, Adrian Burton of Ask Ady, takes a look at the current state of the workwear market and what brands are doing to make sure their products are seen.

The global workwear market is huge and is estimated to be worth approximately $17 billion by the end of 2022 and could be worth as much as $45 billion by 2030. That said, you can see why so many brands are looking to get into this space and stake their claim in the market.

The importance of workwear is now more essential than ever and not just from the point of protection but to reflect the company’s image and status in their own working sector. As the world becomes more focused on health and safety and the increasing occurrence of workplace accidents, this is expected to help drive the growth of the safety footwear and apparel marketplace globally.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused huge issues with supply chains that we are still trying to recover from, production plants were interrupted and caused backlogs of work when lockdown kicked in and the demand for workwear products subsided throughout this period. This is something that is close to my heart as our family retail business suffered and struggled to recover after COVID-19, this with the added problems of Brexit and rising raw materials ultimately saw the end of our business just like hundreds of thousands of businesses around the world. Where our normal business suffered like many at the height of the pandemic, we adapted and switched to selling PPE and this saw a huge growth in sales in that period, but not in profit. These days were worrying and exciting at the same time in business and something I will remember for the rest of my life.

Mergers and acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions have been accelerating across the globe as sports and leisure clothing brands look to increase their growth of sales and market share. This pursuit for market growth has led to acquisitions of different market sectors to keep up with the demands of the shareholders. What this means to many in the UK workwear market is this can have a significant impact in many different directions. Take, for example, the acquisition of Dickies by the VF corporation. One of the most well-known brands in Europe had a devastating impact on so many companies, from retailers to direct customers.

They say one door closes and another one opens. In this case, it paved the way for many other brands, who may not have been as high profile, to now pick up where they left a gap in the market and start to capitalise.

The cross-pollination of workwear brands and sports brands brings new exciting products integrating the latest technical and sustainable fabrics. This means the construction industry is now benefiting from products that nowadays have supreme durability and flexibility, fabrics that regulate your body temperature and keep you dry in the harshest of conditions. It’s truly an exciting time for the manufacturers and end users.

There are hundreds of workwear brands on the market, all offering a huge variety of products. But which are the best? That’s a tough question to answer because it depends on your needs and preferences. Some people prefer a brand that’s well known and has a long history of producing quality products, while others prefer a newer brand that offers innovative features at a lower price point.

We see brands that sell off the back of their power tool success. This is a very smart move as tradespeople are more likely to trust a brand that is recognised with reliable tools they use all day long. These brands are expanding their ranges from workwear and safety footwear to PPE. I have been looking at the offerings of some of these brands and am happy to say that the build quality of the workwear that they put their names to is very good indeed. Brands such as Dewalt and Milwaukee are offering something different and are pushing the boundaries of their products. They are not just rebranding an already existing product on the market but are creating and innovating their own range of products.

Features and functionality

Then we have the builder’s merchant workwear which is expanding into the workwear sector and trying to pick up add-on sales. The power tool licensed products do offer features and functionally of the premium workwear brands and are priced at a realistic level for the tradesperson. However, I have also looked at some of the builder’s merchants’ own brand products, and I was less impressed with the quality of these, namely SITE. I found that these products were mass produced and did not offer anywhere near the quality or include the features the premium brands have. It’s ok, if you want to pick up a cheap pair of honey work boots and some poly cotton holster pocket trousers for around £50 for both, then you can get these easily. Cheap is not better and in my experience, we had plenty of people coming to our store to buy some decent workwear after the builder’s merchants’ offerings.

A brand that I have seen come on in recent years is Scruffs. When I first saw Scruffs it was in my opinion where SITE workwear is now, pitched at a much cheaper price and also did not have the durability, especially in the footwear. More recently though this brand has developed a series of shoes that are much higher quality than the previous Scruffs range. Take for example the Scruffs Switchback 3, it’s a very well-made, stylish boot.

Deep pockets

We all know the big brands that have deep pockets for sales and marketing budgets to drive even more people to buy their products. Their ranges get bigger every year. One brand that we used to sell had so many similar products it was becoming a bit of a headache to keep a handle on what was different between their integral product lines. They no doubt have an amazing high-quality product range at exceptionally good prices which can only be good for the end users.

Let’s take the time to look at some of the smaller UK brands and their new developing product ranges. These guys are key to you winning business and stocking your retail store with more choices for your customers. The premium brand name products are an expensive commodity to hold in stock and although they bring people in you will be dictated to by how much you sell the products for and the margins that you can work too. I found this felt like price fixing the market and although we understand that the manufacturers do not want you to undervalue their products it still took the flexibility out of the game.

Brands such as Helly Hansen workwear and RockFall safety footwear are creeping their way into many of the other trade counters too, as everyone pushes hard and fast to make sure they have as much exposure as possible, pick up impulsive sales and close the door on the next brand to enter the market. This market is growing and becoming even more competitive, workwear is now found in petrol stations, pound saver stores and sports shops. It is everywhere and you can see why so many people want to jump on board.

These store placements are aiding the growth of the workwear industry, yet the other side of the coin is, it is diluting the sales for those who specialise in selling workwear and this will ultimately be the demise of many workwear retail stores, like mine.

As it becomes tougher in this market place I am conscious of what you are doing to offer your customers a great retail experience, It will help by increasing the sock level of the challenger brands as they develop their product lines, and it will bolster your stock levels during the up-and-coming credit crunch. This will not only help you reduce your expenditure on stock but keep a good selection of products in store. There is nothing worse than coming into a workwear store that looks like a closing down sale. Construction workers are very loyal to their brands, but if they are looking to save a few quid if things get a bit tight this winter then you will have the opportunity to offer them a more reasonably priced product and who knows, once they have tried them then maybe they will be converted.

Keep fighting the fight and keep the independent workwear industry alive.