Printwear & Promotion The Total Promotional Package
2020 was certainly an interesting year for The Outdoors Company and its stable of premium outdoor and lifestyle brands. Supply however was generally uninterrupted, and sales held up amazingly well.
Without a doubt the demand for TOC’s popular premium retail brands like The North Face, Berghaus and Patagonia looks set to continue into 2021, as more frequently demand is outstripping the supply of the brands.
Keeping up with demand is certainly a key challenge, but certainly a good problem! The ‘demand planners’ at TOC HQ, have been working overtime with various brand partners.
New brands on the rise
2021 promises to bring exciting growth in some of TOC’s newer brands like Hydro Flask, Herschel, Fjallraven and Barbour.
Hydro Flask bottles are the marketing leader in their sector, and with companies focusing on reduction of plastic in the work force, branded bottles are a stunning corporate gift. The surge in demand for Christmas gifts for staff has seen sales for this type of corporate gift sky rocket. They look awesome and perform so well. TOC’s expects to see this brand to really continue on an upward trajectory.
Herschel Supply Co, the Canadian bag brand, is seriously on the move. The company makes great looking iconic bags and are very on trend with current fashions, like brands like The North face and Patagonia they are very much in demand. The bags make amazing merchandise options from wash bags to day sacs all ethically sourced and manufactured.
Sustainability and recycled garments
2021 is definitely going to all be about sustainability, and recycled garments being the norm, not the exception.
With such a sea-change in demand for responsibly sourced sustainable clothing, surely the question is ‘why wouldn’t we be offering eco-friendly clothing as an option for corporatewear, uniform, workwear and promotional apparel?’ Research carried out by VF Corporation, owner of one of premium brand partner The North Face, showed 77% of millennials prefer to buy from environmentally conscious brands.
A workwear fleece made from 100% recycled polyester would be welcomed by an increasing number of people affected by the stark images of wildlife struggling to survive in an ocean of plastics, as highlighted in programmes such as Blue Planet. This would show an employee that the company they work for cares about much more than just their bottom line!
Premium outdoor brands like Jack Wolfskin, Patagonia and The North Face have all made significant changes to their manufacturing processes, turning the tide on plastics by reducing single-use polymers in their clothing. Known for their commitment to sourcing, manufacturing and distributing ethically and responsibly, these brands have become popular with businesses wishing to give back to our planet, while meeting CSR goals and aligning themselves with their environmentally, and socially friendly vision. With Jack Wolfskin’s goal to make all clothing items, packs and bags completely 100% PFC-free as from spring/summer 2019 achieved, companies can rest assured that their workwear is manufactured with an environmental conscience.
Patagonia states that: “We start with the knowledge that everything we produce comes at a cost to the environment. We then work continuously to lower the environmental and social costs of our products at every phase of their life cycle – from improving our manufacturing processes at every level of the supply chain to increasing our use of recycled and natural materials to encouraging reuse, repair and recycling among our customers.”
All TOC’s core brands The North Face, Berghaus, RAB, Patagonia, and Helly Hansen, to name a few all carry full recycled bags, fleeces, and waterproofs as standard. These world-leading retail brands are certainly setting a very high bar for corporate only workwear brands to follow, but the real winners are the end user companies who will receive incredible workwear and corporate gifts.
