Insight October 2022

In this issue...

Supporting customers in challenging times

Four steps to tender success

The value of uniform

Back to school review

Sustainability with Sarah Robins

Welcome to our autumn edition of Insight, which focuses on the value of uniform, for parents, schools and most importantly the children who wear it every day.

We know these last few months have been a busy time for schoolwear retailers and that Back to School was just as challenging as ever. No sooner has the pandemic receded than it appears the country is in a new crisis —this time to the cost of living and all the uncertainty that brings. People are worried about the bills they will face this winter and feeling the pinch in the cost of everyday items.

Our sector is no exception and in this edition we hear from retailers who share their experiences of the summer peak. We also hear from, Glenn Leech (CEO of Banner) who explains how, as market leader, they are working to support retailers in providing great value to parents and schools. And we reflect on the challenge of becoming more sustainable, making progress in what’s a marathon not a sprint!

To help retailers promote the real and lasting value of our core products, we’ve put together a colourful reminder of why schoolwear matters. We hope you’ll find this useful in talking to your schools and customers as well as for use on your websites. We’ve even added downloadable copies on our Media Hub where you’ll also find a range of marketing materials and details of how to contact us for more tailored support.

As we go to press it’s almost time for the annual Schoolwear show at Cranmore Park Exhibition Centre. We’re looking forward to meeting many of our readers there and getting your insight on how we can serve you better. Do drop by at the Banner stand and say hello.

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this autumn edition and wish you a successful year ahead.

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Supporting customers in challenging times.

A message from Glenn Leech, CEO at Banner

What a year it’s been!

So much so, it’s almost hard to believe that only last October many schoolchildren were still wearing masks, windows were wide open in classrooms and parents were anxious about what winter would bring. Twelve months on and attentions have shifted: energy bills, the cost of living, rising interest rates and the real prospect of a recession…

I could go on, but we all know the background and nobody knows better than retailers how turbulent the times are on the high street and wider economy. Which is why supporting retailers is our number one priority as we take action to steady and steer the ship in what are choppy waters for us all.

Firstly, I should acknowledge that worldwide supply chains continue to see disruption, and though less severe than previously, we are still some way from international exporting getting back to normal. We continue making every effort— backed by considerable cash investment —to secure stocks and though no one can offer a cast iron guarantee, we do expect the coming year to see a material improvement.

But more immediately, it’s clear that concerns over the cost of living are impacting consumer confidence, and schoolwear is no exception. The consistent feedback from our customers is that parents are shopping cautiously, buying fewer items now and delaying optional purchases to later in the year. Frankly, it didn’t help that Back to School fell before the announcement on further help with fuel bills.

From a supply side perspective, the weakening exchange rate has put huge pressure on import cost. Here at Banner we are doing all that we can to keep prices rises to a minimum, taking a long term view on offering value for money. Furthermore, although we can’t shift the economy, we can take action to help our customers and that means doubling down—rather than holding back—on our commitments to service, support and sustainability.

Investing in service

So we are investing even more in service this coming year. From a supply perspective, we will seek, and where necessary pay a premium for, priority deliveries from our partners. We are also expanding our embroidery services to meet growing demand. But most important of all we are increasing our product development to bring new, more sustainable and innovative garments to the market. For ultimately it is the quality and range of what we sell that make the most difference not only to our business but to our retailers’ fortunes too.

We are absolutely committed to supporting specialist schoolwear retailers, and plan to increase the resources that help you to promote your business to parents and schools. Over the coming months our Media Hub will have even more marketing materials, even more advice on winning and retaining contracts, and we’ll be adding posters and leaflets that promote the importance and value of schoolwear. Our aim is simple: to be your partner in success, helping you win contracts and grow your sales by freely drawing on whatever experience and expertise we can provide.

Supporting specialists Sustainable futures

And last but not least, we will be accelerating our commitment to sustainability. For now, more than ever, is the time to differentiate specialist schoolwear, showing that it’s made with care and makes a positive difference to the world we live in. In this regard, by meeting the aspirations of children and the concerns of schools, sustainability is the friend not the foe of value. By 2023 two thirds of Banner’s garments will be manufactured from eco fabrics, retaining all their trademark durability while strengthening their ethical standards. This isn’t just good for the planet and its people, it’s good for all our businesses too.

As I finish these remarks, I’m conscious that the immediate future remains uncertain. How I wish that Banner had all the tools to fix the economy and save the environment! But of course we don’t, and worrying about forces beyond our control is no reason to delay action that is sound for the long term as well as supportive of successes now. More than ever I am determined that we do everything possible to work with our customers and come through these challenging times together.

Four steps to tender success!

We’ve designed a huge range of tender support materials to help you through the process of uniform tendering, all available to you on the Media Hub.

What’s more, we’ve made it simple and easy to create your own tenders and presentations through our collection of flash cards. Just follow our four steps for creating a tender using materials on the Media Hub…

1.

to The Banner Media Hub

Simply sign in or, if you’re new to the Media Hub, you can request your login details here:

‘Tender Support’

You’ll find this in our ‘Featured collections’ where you can choose from ‘Product Flash Cards’ and ‘Create your own Tender – Flash Cards’. The flash cards available in each of these folders include everything you’ll need to create your own tender!

cards

All of the flash cards are JPGs and formatted to perfectly fit the standard PowerPoint slide size. So all you need to do is download the flash cards you need and drop them into your own presentation – it’s as easy as that!

Our Tender Support collection also features the folder ‘Tender Support Documents’. In here, you’ll find a simple PowerPoint tender template for you to drop your flash cards into!

We’re always looking for more ways to support you and your business in the tendering process. So, if there’s something missing or anything more you’d like to see on The Media Hub – just drop us an email at marketing@banner.co.uk

The Value of Uniform.

Banner is the UK’s leading supplier of school uniforms and sportswear.

We believe that school uniform plays a vital role in giving young people an equal opportunity to develop, perform and feel good about themselves.

Our purpose is to give every child the chance to shine by creating garments that are not only ‘built to last’, but also affordable, attractive and sustainable. And as a leader in sustainability, we aim to be a force for good, making a positive difference to the planet, its people and the communities we serve.

STYLE

Modern designs for today’s generation.

Celebrating who we are and where we’re from.

IDENTITY

Being a part of something bigger.

SAFETY

Staying safe in and out of school.

Inclusivity Giving child the to shine.

self-esteem and learning confidence.

for

Inclusivity

pricing that’s

for

Back to school 2022 A view from the shop floor.

Back to School is always challenging, and each year brings its highs and lows.

Here at Insight we spoke to three retailers to get their views on the trends in store, and how they see their customers shopping for schoolwear this summer.

Peter Dalton from Nextgen clothing says that ‘Careful’ is the word he’d use to describe customers this year. Serving 140 schools in and around York, and covering a broad range of catchments and incomes, his business is a good indicator of how parents in the region are reacting to cost of living concerns.

‘Customers are being more conservative, there’s no doubt about it,’ says Peter. ‘And it’s not helped by misinformation on costs spread in the media. Indeed, most parents are pleasantly surprised by the reasonableness of their total bill. So it may be that as anxieties ease we will see some spend come back later in the year – certainly, we hope so.’

That said, Peter acknowledges there are a growing number who are struggling and worried about their budget. ‘We’ve seen many more families deciding to buy some garments elsewhere or not renew last year’s items.’ There’s been an increase in direct support from schools to parents which helps, but even so, some parents are still shopping around.

Earlier this year, Nextgen contacted all their partner schools making a commitment to hold prices on essential items throughout the whole of 2022. Despite inflationary pressure they’re proud to have kept that promise. ‘It’s vital that we promote the value for money of schoolwear.’ says Peter.

Peter Dalton Nextgen Clothing

Top Tip!

Contact your schools regularly. Remind them that you are actively working for their parents. Don’t leave communication to them for the times when there are problems!

Michael Mirpuri Rough Cut Casuals

Top Tip!

Be part of your community. Try to move with the times in a way that keeps those personal connections with your customers and schools.

Michael Mirpuri from Rough Cut Casuals in Islington says that ‘prices have been the number one issue this summer.’ Serving their community for more than 47 years, Rough Cut supplies a range of state schools and value is a vital component of their customer service.

‘More than ever, we’ve seen parents with real concern about prices,’ he explains. ‘Customers will come to us for compulsory items, but they are clearly shopping around at outlets such as Primark and M&S too.’

With so much experience Michael understands the importance of schoolwear and is pleased that his local schools still back uniform policies for consistency, inclusion and safety. But he’s frustrated at the negative publicity and unrealistic figures bandied about in the press.

‘In August there were many articles claiming the cost of uniform was above £500. It’s a ridiculous figure for this area,’ he says. ‘But unfortunately, these cheap headlines spread concern that uniform is more expensive than it is or should be.’

On a brighter note, Michael credits his long association with the community as helping in these challenging times. ‘We have children coming to our store with their grandparents whom we clothed for decades. That’s a lovely part of our job and it reminds us that care and service is what makes our business flourish.’

Caeryn Collins from Impressions

Uniforms says that it’s been a varied summer but that volume is a good indicator of parental concerns. ‘We have just as many customers, but many parents are buying fewer items. Whereas previously they might have bought two jumpers and three or four polos, this year it’s one jumper and two polos.’

Caeryn Collins Impressions Uniforms

Impressions has three shops in the North West and Caeryn is founder of Smart Futures, a Community Interest Company that recycles second hand uniform. ‘We’ve stocked quality pre-used garments in store this summer and many parents have chosen to mix and match with new items — especially for spares or less essential items.’

Caeryn says that stocking second hand items is one of the best ways to promote the value of quality schoolwear. ‘Virtually all the items we sell through Smart Futures are from specialist suppliers because they are the products which last.’

Parents, she adds, are especially mindful of the pressures on their household budget, with many delaying purchases to later in the year, or supplementing core purchases with cheaper items. It’s interesting though that sales of some basic items such as shirts and blouses have held up well, which she attributes to more customers coming into store after the pandemic.

Impressions offered an early bird discount to parents ordering a package of garments in spring, with the option to choose sizes in the summer. ‘We worked hard to get the message across to parents and schools,’ explains Caeryn. ‘But it was worth it, and some customers saved as much as 20%.’

For all the focus on cost, great service and knowledgeable staff are still the bedrock of schoolwear specialists, says Caeryn, and she’s as worried about the impact of inflation on them. ‘We have to support our people too, and to me, that’s just as concerning as rising energy bills.’

Top Tip!

Communicate your cost-saving ideas. Impressions have used the blog section of their website to promote: buying early; school vouchers; early bird packages; and even advice how to wash items so they last longer.

Sustainability with Sarah Robins.

Sustainability Manager, Banner Group.

As I write this piece I’ve just seen an advert for the London Marathon; twenty six miles of effort and energy that attracts thousands of participants every year. It’s astonishing to think that the elite athletes will complete the course in just over two hours. But to me, the most inspiring are those who take more than twice that time, yet finish with the biggest smiles on their faces.

The advert was only a moment on my day, but it reminded me how anything worthwhile takes time, and that rushing to the finish is seldom the best way to proceed. Three years ago we set out on a marathon of our own: for all our garments to be manufactured in eco fabrics by 2025. What’s more, we planned to become carbon neutral,give back to nature and work to the highest ethical standards in our supply chain. It felt like a long road ahead!

And in truth, we are not yet there.

But just like running a marathon, we have made steady progress and are energised by the feedback from those wishing us to succeed. This coming year, two-thirds of our products will be made with eco fabrics; our overseas factories will be operating to higher standards than ever and our commitment to the planet will continue apace. We said we wanted to clothe children from ‘head to toe in eco’ – actually, we are not far off that goal but, as every runner knows, the last few miles are often the hardest.

Our sustainability report sets all this out in detail. What’s more, to help get the message across we’ve put together a visual summary of our progress in an easy to read presentation. It’s been designed so you can use its charts and graphics with schools and customers, showing how, by stocking Banner products, you are supporting goals they share.

More than ever, I’m convinced that ‘schoolwear for good’ is going to be the differentiator of the future. Price matters too and part of our journey is to make sure that the transition to eco is done in a way that doesn’t hurt customers’ wallets. This is also why the durability and wearability of eco garments are essential —it’s not all about fabrics, its’ about design and function and making sure that what we produce will last the course!

Which brings me back to that marathon. I doubt I’ll be entering anytime soon, though I’m pleased to know some who are. I’ll be cheering them on from the sidelines, and watching carefully as they come to those last few miles. I’ve no doubt they’ll get there and when they do, the smiles will be broader than ever.

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If you have a question or a suggestion on an issue you’d like us to cover in future editions then please get in touch and email marketing@banner.co.uk

Every quarter, Insight will bring you all the latest guidance, advice and inspiration from the schoolwear industry to help you in your business. Each issue will be jam-packed with insights from names across the industry - and we want to hear from you too!

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