Developments

In The Market

For more than 20 years, Allshoes has been providing hardworking people with safety footwear. For both comfort and style.

We offer a wide product range that is geared to all types of working conditions.

We have also built up a strong network in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany and provide more than 700,000 pairs of shoes each year. But we have done much more than simply provide shoes. In that network we saw a change in the demand by our distributors, major companies, the government and those wearing safety footwear. The demand for sustainability.

Sustainability is important and is becoming increasingly more so. The consumer is becoming more and more aware of his or her contribution to improving the world. We also see that a new generation of employees is entering the labour market: Gen Z. Young people with a huge feeling of responsibility for the world and the well-being of people and animals. Sustainability, inclusivity and authenticity are important concepts in their eyes. With an increase in legislation and regulations in the area of sustainability alongside of this, there is no way of getting around it. Not for us, but not for our customers either.

What has remained unchanged is the fact that safety comes first. Safety in the broadest sense of the word. Finding and keeping the right employees can be difficult for organisations. Since staff is scarce, it is essential that physical and social safety be created on the work floor. Having an updated hazard identification and risk assessment (HIRA) is being monitored more closely by the government and environmental health & safety (EHS) is high on the agenda for many organisations. We see an increasing focus on the prevention of physical accidents by the correct use of equipment and using personal protective equipment (PPE). Correct conduct by employers and employees also contributes to job satisfaction and creating a safe workplace. A good pair of safety shoes can contribute to that. Protection of feet and offering comfort and design contribute to ensuring staff commitment. It also decreases absence due to physical discomfort.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also caused a changing demand from the market. The Dutch already purchased a great deal through the internet. Due to the long closure of physical shops, however, the number of online purchases rose even further. The number of logistics employees increased in order to be able to handle the growing demand. We also saw growth in construction because many people decided to invest in their own homes by renovating. This was due to the housing shortage and therefore a lack of new, better residential accommodation, but also in order to live a more energy-efficient lifestyle. In the meantime, the Netherlands continues to build to compensate for the shortage in housing. The growth in both the logistics and the transport sector as well as the construction sector caused the demand for safety footwear to grow as well.

To conclude, we saw the importance of data continue to increase – at our company, but also at our suppliers, customers and partners. It became easier and easier to share this data with one another. Since supply chains become more transparent by using data, sustainability becomes somewhat easier.

We also see a new group of workers entering the labor market: Gen Z.