CWB 102

A FRESH LOOK AT KIDS’ FASHION, FOOTWEAR AND LIFESTYLE PRODUCTS

www.cwb-online.co.uk October 2016 Issue 102 £9.95

THE SCHOOLWEAR SHOW Exclusive preview of the exhibition’s offer for BTS 2017 BREXIT AND BUSINESS Industry views on the EU referendum and the potential effects on the schoolwear market SHOES 4 SCHOOL Camberley schoolwear retailer Brenda’s opens a standalone school shoe shop

Incorporating

SCHOOLWEAR BUYER:

CONTENTS | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

CONT ENTS:

16

45 22

14 REGULARS

FEATURES

05: Comment

18: Europe’s view on Brexit How European consumers are more concerned over the economic impact of Brexit than the UK

06: News 08: NCWA 10: Open for business Legal and business advice plus industry opinion 14: Retail Therapy Store profiles and retail news 16: Brands to Watch Editor’s pick of brands 26: Style guide Changing bags 27: Laura loves The coolest products for kids

20: History in the making Croatian kids’ footwear brand Froddo celebrates 70 years in business 22: Christmas gift guide CWB’s selection of Christmas gift ideas for kids, available to get in-store now 24: Rebirth of a babywear brand Pex looks to babywear for growth opportunities with the relaunch of its wholesale website SCHOOLWEAR 30: News

Front cover: Marton Mills 0113 284 3364 www.martonmills.com (Image courtesy of Schoolblazer and Loretto School)

32: Brexit and business Industry views on the EU referendum and its potential effects on the schoolwear market

36: Twenty Questions Q&A with School Uniform Shop, winner of the Best Schoolwear Store category in the CWB Independent Retail Awards 2015 38: Shoes 4 School Camberley schoolwear retailer Brenda’s opens a standalone school shoe shop 40: A weaver’s tale Marton Mills enhances its offer through the buyout of textile supplier Cedric Roberts 45: The Schoolwear Show Preview of what will be on offer at this month’s show 56: Setting a new prestige The plans in store for UK school uniform manufacturer Prestige School Wear 58: BMB & SWI BMB (Blue Max Banner) on its acquisition of SWI Schoolwear 62: Talking Point Neil Ward, commercial director, Rowlinson Knitwear OCTOBER 2016 - 03

LONDON

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29 & 30 January 2017 Business Design Centre www.bubblelondon.com #madeyoulook

COM MENT: Beyond the City, a recent report commissioned by economic forecaster Oxford Economics, predicts Manchester will outperform some of the world’s top cities, including Berlin, Paris and Tokyo, in job growth over the next five years. As our business CURIOUS ORANJis based in the North, this report piqued my interest.

Manchester has seen a sharp upturn in job creation between 2010 and 2015, with fashion being a key driver. Fashion giants Missguided and Boohoo.com – one of the biggest employers in the area – are both headquartered in the city, and an abundance of independent stores line the streets of the city’s Northern Quarter.

Meanwhile, The University of Manchester’s extensive portfolio of fashion courses provides a constant stream of start-up brands and new designers, and the city even has its own Fashion Week. It is encouraging to see Manchester starting to gain the recognition it deserves, but also fashion being taken more seriously in the North.

The subject of the North actually brings us nicely on to the topic of schoolwear, with a number of the UK’s leading schoolwear suppliers being located in Manchester and the North-West. As our dedicated schoolwear edition, this issue offers a host of industry news and views as well as our exclusive preview of this month’s Schoolwear Show, on page 45.

Some of the topics we’ve tackled include Brexit, and how school uniform retailers and suppliers feel about the potential changes to business as a result of the UK leaving the EU. Price hikes, currency rates, cuts in consumer spending and the general overriding uncertainty of the situation are all among the concerns aired.

That said, it is also clear that businesses are making proactive moves in light of Brexit and, in many cases, are embracing the referendum result with a positive outlook – after all, the decision has been

Editor Laura Turner laura@ras-publishing.com Contributors Isabella Griffiths isabella@ras-publishing.com Christina Williams christina@ras-publishing.com Victoria Jackson victoria@ras-publishing.com Editorial assistant Rebecca Jackson rebecca.jackson@ras-publishing.com Designers Michael Podger mick@ras-publishing.com Clive Holloway clive@ras-publishing.com James Lindley james@ras-publishing.com Richard Boyle richard@ras-publishing.com Sales executive Michele Ali michele@ras-publishing.com Subscriptions data@ras-publishing.com Head of childrenswear Lindsay Hoyes lindsay@ras-publishing.com Editorial director Gill Brabham gill@ras-publishing.com Marketing director Stephanie Parker stephanie@moda-uk.co.uk Managing director Colette Tebbutt colette@ras-publishing.com Reprographics/printing Image Data Group Ltd 01482 652323

CWB is published 6 times per year by ITE Moda Ltd, The Old Town Hall, Lewisham Road, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5AL. Call 01484 846069 Fax 01484 846232 www.cwb-online.co.uk Copyright© 2016 CWB Magazine Limited. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any written material or illustration in any form for any purpose, other than short extracts for review purposes, is strictly forbidden. Neither ITE Moda Ltd nor its agents accept liability for loss or damage to transparencies and any other material submitted for publication.

COMMENT | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

made, and whether agreed with or not, the focus now should be on making the best of the situation.

Elsewhere in schoolwear, we have the latest from Marton Mills, the Yorkshire family-owned weaving mill that recently bought out textile supplier Cedric Roberts; we hear from newly formed UK schoolwear manufacturer Prestige School Wear about its plans for the company; BMB reveals what’s in-store following its acquisition of SWI Schoolwear; and schoolwear independent Brenda’s unveils its newest addition, a school shoe shop, aptly named Shoes 4 School.

Next issue, our November/December edition, we will be moving onto the a/w 17 season. (Where does the time go?) We will also be announcing the winners and finalists of this year’s CWB Independent Retail Awards as we continue our campaign to celebrate and promote the best in UK childrenswear retail – #wearthecrown.

Laura Turner Editor

CWB is a joint venture between RAS Publishing and the National Childrenswear Association.

A Buyer Series Fashion Business Publication CWB is a fashion business publication produced by ITE Moda Ltd. Other titles include WWB and MWB. ITE Moda Ltd is an ITE Group company.

OCTOBER 2016 - 05

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | NEWS

CWB NEWS: START-RITE STRENGTHENS BOARD

PIGEON ORGANICS SPREADS ITS WINGS Childrenswear brand Pigeon Organics has supported the opening of a small new UK factory following the closure of its former supplier in 2013, which produced 100 per cent of its collection in the UK. The new facility, which currently has four machinists but the capacity for another six to seven, is run by the son of Pigeon Organics’ original factory owner. Housed in a converted stable block, it is located in the Nottinghamshire countryside.

“The new factory is very efficient, largely because they already know our styles so well,” says Pigeon Organics’ founder, Jane Shepherd.

“With the current production level, they can make approximately half of our continuity collection, which is a dream come true. The quality is fantastic and we have a great working relationship once more.”

Following a recent inspection by the Soil Association, the factory has also been approved as a GOTS supplier, the main organic certification standard.

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IRREGULAR CHOICE FOR KIDS For s/s 17, stand-out footwear brand Irregular Choice launched a new collection for kids, offering a unique take on the traditional Mary-Jane alongside pumps and sandals.

Catering for girls aged 4-11 years, and available in sizes 27-35, the debut collection presents fun, bright colours, metallics and floral fabrics adorned with bows, bunny ears, angel wings and cherries. Other key design features include appliqué crabs, flamingos, unicorns and kittens.

The debut collection comprises 12 styles, with wholesale prices ranging from £20-£25.

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James Southall, the parent company of Start-rite Shoes, has appointed Andrew Staff to its board as finance director and company secretary.

Staff brings with him significant knowledge and experience from previous appointments, including group financial director/CEO of national garden centre chain Notcutts and global CFO for international toy company Underground Toys.

“I’m thrilled to be joining an established business steeped in history and taking a key role in driving it forward in today’s changing retail climate,” says Staff.

Start-rite chief executive, Ian Watson, adds, “I am delighted that Andrew has agreed to join us, as we embark on a new and exciting stage in the company’s journey.”

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CORBY TINDERSTICKS X MAMAS & PAPAS British children’s label Corby Tindersticks has teamed up with Mamas & Papas, one of the UK’s leading nursery brands, on a collaborative a/w 16 clothing range.

The exclusive 19-piece fashion collection includes bodysuits for 0-12 months, jumpers, dresses, joggers, trousers, dungarees and jackets for infants aged 0-3 years. Corby Tindersticks’ signature grey marl is used together with pom-pom detail and a colour palette featuring mustard, soft greens and blues, plum shades and splashes of white.

Prices start from £12 for a pair of joggers through to £29 for a padded jacket and dungaree set.

The collection is available in Mamas & Papas stores across the country and online from mamasandpapas.com.

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BUBBLE LONDON A/W17 The a/w 17 edition of Bubble London on 29-30 January is set to present an exciting line-up of new signings alongside a host of key returns.

Among the new names is Bulb London (pictured), which uses monochrome illustrations to creatively incorporate light bulbs into contemporary kidswear and kids’ room decor.

Elsewhere, Adelita’s is set to join the show with a collection of hand-crafted, whimsical dresses for 3-7 years, alongside the Swiss kids’ collection Goganga.

New to Bubble Bump – the exhibition’s showcase for maternity and nursery – is luxury leather changing bag brand KeriKit as well as Avery Row, who is set to return for a/w 17 with its offer of stylish and practical baby products including The Go Everywhere Mat, a design-led baby playmat for mums and babies on the go.

Elsewhere, key returns for a/w include Catimini, Mayoral, Rachel Riley, Mini Melissa, Hatley and last season’s Rising Star Award winner, Noook.

Bubble London will take place on 29-30 January at the Business Design Centre, Islington.

For further information or to register for the show, visit bubblelondon.com.

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MANCHESTER LEADS THE WAY IN ONLINE FASHION North-west digital recruitment specialist Forward Role has explored Manchester’s influence in the digital industry and its findings show the north of England, and in particular Manchester, has experienced significant growth over the past few years.

Job creation increased rapidly between 2010 and 2015 in the city, leading to predictions that Manchester would outperform some of the world’s top cities, including Berlin, Paris and Tokyo, for job growth over the next five years.

Manchester has already established itself as a fashion destination, with districts such as the Northern Quarter, yet there is growing evidence the region’s digital industry is also maturing at speed with a number of large online fashion brands, including Boohoo.com and Missguided, choosing the city as their home.

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NEWS | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

NEW FORUM TO SUPPORT UK MANUFACTURING

NEW ARRIVAL FOR SMALLS

The first Make it British Forum in association with the UK Fashion and Textile Association will launch on 26 October at De Montfort University as part of the Leicester Business Festival. The one-day conference will provide designers and business owners with the knowledge and tools required to successfully develop a ‘Made in Britain’ brand.

The event follows the success of the Meet the Manufacturer conference and trade show organised by Make it British, which was held in London earlier this year.

The Make it British Forum will offer a step-by-step guide on how to build a British brand, covering all aspects of design, branding, manufacturing and marketing. Designers, buyers, fashion students and UK manufacturers will have the opportunity to forge links with one another and fill the gaps on how to source in the UK. To register for Make it British visit the website at makeitbritish.co.uk.

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Smalls, the British-designed merino clothing brand for 0-14 years, is introducing the Aroha baby range for a/w 16/17. Made with 100 per cent superfine merino for 0-2 years, Aroha includes a bodysuit, hat, trouser and Bleat, a blankety swaddle sheet in a coordinating bamboo printed bag.

“Since we launched Smalls in 2014, we’ve been asked countless times when we’re going to develop a baby range,” says Smalls co-founder Cat Pharo. “Creating the Aroha baby line was therefore a very natural progression for us, building on the success of our range for older children.”

Included within the range is an exclusive new, lightweight and fully traceable 100 per cent merino fabric in a limited edition Pacific Moss shade.

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NATURAL BABY SHOWER FLIES FLAG FOR SMALL BUSINESS

MOLLY & MOO LAUNCH

Natural Baby Shower, a multichannel retailer of eco, ethical and premium baby products, has been named among the 100 small businesses in the UK to be celebrated by Small Business Saturday, a campaign that culminates on 3 December, the UK’s dedicated day for small businesses.

The retailer will be among a select number of businesses to be featured by the campaign, one per day for the 100 days, leading up to Small Business Saturday itself.

Small Business Saturday is the UK’s most successful small business campaign, with £623m spent across the UK on last year’s Small Business Saturday. It is free to participate and any small businesses can get involved.

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Molly & Moo is a new modern baby brand designed to bring together minimalist design with a Scandinavian feel.

Initial products include a pack of three printed baby muslins in a selection of prints: ‘Pitter Patter’ raindrops, ‘Peep-Po’ portholes and the brand’s signature tree print. There is also a swaddle blanket available in a classic grey and white stripe.

Both the baby muslins and swaddle range are produced in 100 per cent cotton, which is highly absorbent and soft against newborn skin.

Luxury baby gift boxes – the Molly & Moo Marlow and the Molly & Moo Mabel – also feature.

More products will be joining the range this year.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

— Californian clothing brand Rails has launched its a/w 16 childrenswear range, Little Rails, exclusively at Harrods’ Mini Fashion Lab. Following its launch in the US, the brand’s laid-back, Southern Californian style is reflected in a boys’ and girls’ range of soft, practical pieces for children aged 2-10 years.

The a/w 16 collection offers a mix of fabrics including Tencel denim, the brand’s bespoke rayon, traditional plaid and fun prints, such as a flamingo print shirt.

PROGRESS ON CLOSING GENDER PAY GAPS STALLS In the retail and wholesale sector, the gender pay gap between men and women stands at 14.3 percent, representing £4,523, according to research issued by the Chartered Management Institute and XpertHR. Analysis of salary data of more than 60,000 UK employees found that in the past year, 14 per cent of men in management roles were promoted compared to 10 per cent of women. For managers who have stayed with the same employer for the last five years, the figures are 47 per cent of men and 39 per cent of women. This difference is one of the main causes of the gender pay gap, which in 2016 remains at 23.1 per cent compared to 22.8 per cent in 2015.

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TOBIAS & THE BEAR COLLABORATES British-made children’s fashion and homeware label Tobias & the Bear has collaborated with Mr. Men and Little Miss on a collection set to launch at TobiasandTheBear.com on 1 November.

The retro-influenced line, which is available wholesale, sees the brand take inspiration directly from Mr. Men’s vintage artworks, interpreting them into prints across rompers, sweatshirts, leggings, T-shirts, blankets, a duvet set and bibs.

Commenting on the partnership, Hannah Rowlands from Mr. Men and Little Miss’s brand team, says, “Being British, Tobias & the Bear is a perfect match to our brand; we love how the collection strikes the balance between old school and modern.”

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— Victoria Gate, a £165m development in Leeds, will open to the public for the first time on 20 October, along with its anchor tenant, John Lewis. Set to provide a hub for premium shopping and dining in the north of the UK, Victoria Gate will become part of the 575,000 sq ft Victoria Estate shopping district, which also includes Leeds’ Victoria Quarter arcades.

— New footwear label Cobbler & Concept has revealed plans to increase its presence on a national scale following a positive launch at Moda Footwear in August. Established in October last year, the London label brings a new dimension to fleecelined footwear for men, women and children, incorporating a fashion-focused athleisure aesthetic to natural sheep fleece designs.

OCTOBER 2016 - 07

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | NCWA NEWS

NCWA NEWS: The latest news from the National Childrenswear Association EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S COMMENT: There is much speculation and scaremongering about the impact of Brexit on the economy and life in the UK in general.

We do not yet know when HM Government will trigger Article 50, in order to begin the negotiations to leave the European Union. Many think it will be in the New Year and the Prime Minister Theresa May has made it clear that “Brexit means Brexit”, so there would seem little point in postponing the start of those negotiations, particularly as the process will take two years. May has also made it clear that she is not prepared to give a running commentary on the negotiations, nor is she ready to “give away” her negotiating hand. What then, can companies do to prepare for the UK leaving the EU? The immediate challenge is that of exchange rates. The pound fell steeply against the euro after the result of the referendum was known, which is a great concern for those trying to export to the Eurozone countries. With so much clothing and textiles being imported from the Far East, where many currencies are linked to the dollar, and with the dollar being viewed as a safe haven in times of economic disruption or worry, the value of the pound to the dollar is of equal, if not more importance.

If you do not already have currency arrangements in place (buying forwards, holding a euro and/or US$ account, etc), then now is the time to investigate setting them up. Similarly, whilst it might be risky to make changes to your business by gambling on the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, it would be advisable to think about minimising the risk to your business by ensuring that not all your eggs are in the same basket. Are all your products sourced from the same supplier/country/area? Have you concentrated your export activity too narrowly?

I do not anticipate much change in many areas of legislation. Parliament may well decide to amend or repeal certain pieces of legislation which are on the statute book because they started life as an EU regulation or directive. There is no way that all such legislation could be repealed in one fell swoop. Further, if we are going to continue to trade with the EU, whether or not we are a member of the single market, we shall have to meet EU legislative requirements on our products and services. The same argument applies to the British Standards Institution and those European (CEN) Standards with which all sectors have become familiar and which they will still have to adhere to if they wish to sell into the EU. One thing I can assure you is that NCWA will be looking after the interests of its members and seeking to ensure the best possible outcome for the whole of the industry.

NCWA will have a presence at Textile Forum on 12 and 13 October. This twice-yearly fabric exhibition is held at One Marylebone (opposite Great Portland Street station in London).

British wools, tweeds, silks, cottons and leathers, together with buttons, linings and labels are on offer, both stock and forward order, with no or very small minimum order requirements.

Many of the fabrics are suitable for childrenswear. To register, visit www.textileforum.org.uk.

Details on all NCWA’s activities are available from Michelle Payne at NCWA, 3 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, tel: 020 7843 9488, e-mail: info@ncwa.co.uk or on our website, www.ncwa.co.uk (it is possible to join online). Membership is open to manufacturers and suppliers, retailers (of all sizes) and agents. Associate membership is available to those providing services to the industry and to those based abroad.

Elizabeth P Fox

NCWA Council: Chairman: DAVID HULL Agent Vice Chairman: VIRGINIA ROSS Pollyanna Retailer Imm Past Chairman: SHARON BEARDSWORTH Emile et Rose Manufacturer Treasurer: DAVID BURGESS David Luke Ltd Manufacturer

Executive Director: ELIZABETH FOX

08 - OCTOBER 2016

12 The Courtyard, Montpellier, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire Established in 2014, Dulcie Children’s Boutique presents apparel, shoes and accessories within baby, boys’ and girls’ categories at its premises in the heart of Cheltenham. Stocking sizes from premature babies up to age 10 years, the store includes offerings from the likes of Pretty Originals, Rachel Riley, Le Chic, BillieBlush, Emile Et Rose and Bowtique. The family-run business also maintains a strong online presence, with options to also shop through its transactional website, dulciechildrensboutique.co.uk. Visitors can also shop via the ‘lookbook’ feature, an interactive tool allowing users to click on and shop featured products/brands.

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ITTY BITTY BOUTIQUE www.ittybitty.co.uk New NCWA member Itty Bitty Boutique has amassed a strong following since its beginnings just six months ago. With an army of over 65,000 social media fans, the e-tailer relies on Facebook in particular to communicate and sell to its customer base. The easy-to-navigate website presents product categories including knitwear, outerwear, baby sets and rompers. Sections named ‘last chance to buy’ and ‘top rated’ are useful for inspiration or just general browsing.

The site also includes more interactive elements such as ‘Itty Bitty superstars’, which is a showcase of customers modelling items bought in-store.

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Make your voice heard

Council Members: MARK BARNETT Barnett Agencies Agent NUALA MCKENNA Nuala McKenna Agencies Agent DIANE SHAW Agent SARAH TAYLOR Agent MALCOLM TRAVIS Travis Designs Manufacturer RACHEL RILEY Rachel Riley Manufacturer JILLIAN PETRIE Young Trend Retailer DAVID PARKER Baby Melanie Retailer President: KEN SCATES Marketing consultant Vice Presidents: LESLEY FALLON Retail consultant JACKIE COOK Retail consultant

DULCIE CHILDREN’S BOUTIQUE

• Membership is open to everyone involved in the British childrenswear industry.

Read our blog and follow us on Twitter

• Associate membership, open to non-British organisations, is now available.

• Membership costs from £95.

NCWA NEWS | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

ITTY BITTY BOUTIQUE ACCREDITED BY YAHOO!

NEW LOOK FOR STARCHILD

Online childrenswear store Itty Bitty Boutique has been awarded with Yahoo!’s Top Destination Award. Yahoo!’s awards, known as Live Store Badges, are designed to help e-commerce merchants showcase their achievements, inspire shopper confidence and promote their most popular products. Itty Bitty’s Top Destination recognition helps shoppers identify it as a reliable retailer with a high performing e-commerce site.

Since launching six months ago, Itty Bitty Boutique has also built up an impressive social media following of over 65,000, an achievement it attributes to its easy-to-use website, high customer service levels and strong brand portfolio.

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Children’s soft leather baby shoe and bootie brand Starchild has unveiled a new logo complete with matching labels and packaging.

The update is the brand’s response to retail trends, and the need for a more contemporary style of labelling to match the current aesthetic.

All new orders placed with Starchild will feature a new grey woven tag, swing tags and come packed in either the current clear pouch bags or new gift boxes at request Starchild shoes are handmade in England with no minimum order nor VAT. —

LITTLE WARDROBE LONDON LAUNCHES WHOLESALE WEBSITE Luxury childrenswear label Little Wardrobe London has launched a wholesale website for retailers.

The trade platform can be viewed and ordered from via the brand’s website, offering both forward and short order. Key features include a Digital Pick Rail, which allows retailers to curate their order and see how it sits together.

Garment Selection Tools meanwhile, allow buyers to browse every detail of each garment, including point-by-point garment descriptions, fabric mix, care instructions and wholesale pricing. The site can also be used to download high resolution images and videos of each garment.

Access to the wholesale section of the website is restricted to pre-approved wholesalers only. A wholesale account can be requested at www.littlewardrobelondon.co.uk.

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KITE TAKES GOLD

JOULES HIRES CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER

DEVELOPMENTS FOR MORI

Dorset childrenswear brand Kite has won Gold in the Toddler Clothing Brand category in the Best Baby and Toddler Gear 2016 Awards by Mumii, a women’s magazine for mums. Now in its fourth year, the Awards see real-life testing carried out by both industry experts and hundreds of parents.

Kite entered its toddler collection, which includes mix-and-match outfits for 0-4 years, all produced from certified organic cotton or recycled polyester.

“I’m thrilled to receive this award on behalf of the whole Kite team,” says Kite’s sales director, Ally Tyler. “We’re delighted to have been recognised by industry experts for the fabulous design and high quality of our collections.”

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British lifestyle brand Joules has appointed Lysa Hardy as chief customer officer, with overarching responsibility for the business’s marketing and e-commerce strategies.

Hardy previously held the role of chief operating officer at Holland & Barrett, where she was responsible for e-commerce, marketing, CRM and PR. She has also held senior roles with Orange, T-Mobile and RAC. The new appointment comes as Joules restructures its marketing and e-commerce teams to support future growth. Marketing director Ronny Helvey, who after seven years with the brand is scaling back, will become director of creative services, continuing to manage the internal design agency. Ralph Percival continues in his role as e-commerce director, taking responsibility for e-commerce operations.

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Mori, the luxury UK brand of baby essentials focused on ethical production, is focusing its attention on growth in the US. Having entered the American market earlier this year on board an accelerator programme in Silicon Valley, Mori has partnered with Amazon and its affiliated companies and is now also beginning strong wholesale efforts. In the UK, it has signed with London PR and VIP agency B Public Relations to help support rapid UK growth.

The collection of eco-friendly baby essentials also continues to expand, with a new colour, ‘blush’, a neutral shade of pink, added to its product line. The colour is available in the brand’s muslin collection, and will be present across its full range towards the end of the year. Also new are towels in 100 per cent micro cotton, with newborn swaddle bags launching next month.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

— Organic children’s clothing brand Frugi scooped Gold for Best Eco Fashion brand in the recent Junior Design Awards.

Additionally, despite having only entered the homeware market last year, it was also recognised with a Gold accolade in the Best Interior Accessory category for its children’s bedding collection.

— Petit Bateau’s artistic director, Inès de la Fressange, has designed a capsule collection of six classic styles. The minicollection includes a hand painted stripe, a twist on the iconic Petit Bateau Bretton stripe. All profits from the capsule range, available in both kids’ and adults’ ready-to-wear, will benefit FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights).

— Samantha Morgan-Bertish, owner of children’s brand Zuma the Dog, recently secured Small Business of the Year and Overall Business of the Year awards at the Business Matters ceremony. This year has seen the label gaining strength via an accompanying line of awardwinning books and a television series, due to start broadcasting on You Tube’s Kids Cast channel this autumn.

OCTOBER 2016 - 09

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | BUSINESS

Open for BUSINESS Bringing you straight-talking legal and business advice.

STEPHEN SIDKIN Partner in Fox Williams LLP www.agentlaw.co.uk www.foxwilliams.com

RICHARD ROBINSON Associate solicitor at Shulmans corporate solicitors www.shulmans.co.uk

HOW FAILURE TO FULFIL ORDERS CAN AFFECT THE AMOUNT YOU PAY YOUR AGENT

HOW RETAILERS CAN BEST MANAGE THE RISK OF DILAPIDATIONS

Stuff happens. Failure to fulfil orders also happens. Sometimes this is for reasons outside of your control. Containers can fall off ships. Lorries’ contents can be stolen. But from time to time you may fail to fulfil an order for a reason for which you are responsible. Usually this is where you have confirmed orders in excess of orders placed with the factories.

Understandably, you do not wish to be overstocked. The difficulty is that by failing to fulfil an order for a reason for which you are responsible, you remain liable to pay commission to the agent who obtained the relevant order.

Whilst the agency agreement is still ongoing, you can expect that the agent will not claim for such commission (sometimes called “back commission”). The agent may regard it as taking the rough with the smooth – “It’s common in the industry for only 90-95 per cent of confirmed orders to be fulfilled.”

But when the agency ends, and the agent takes legal advice, that advice will include the fact that the agent is entitled to back commission. A claim for back commission is just one of a number of claims that most agents will make on termination. The largest is a claim for compensation or indemnity.

Compensation is determined by reference to the value of the agency at the time of termination to a notional third party purchaser.

The amount which can be claimed by the agent as being the compensation payable will depend upon how the principal’s business was performing over a period of time leading up to the end of the agency agreement and, in some situations, the anticipated outlook for that business. Unsurprisingly, if the principal’s business is doing well, it is likely that the amount attributed as the value of the agency will be higher than if the business is doing poorly. In contrast, the starting point for the calculation of the indemnity is that it cannot exceed the average of the annual commission earned by the agent during the five years preceding termination of the agency.

It is the case that compensation or indemnity are alternatives and that usually (but not always) the amount payable by way of indemnity will be less than that payable by way of compensation. But to reach that position, it is imperative that the agency agreement expressly provides for principal and agent to have chosen indemnity. If no election is made, there will be an entitlement to compensation by default.

But in either case – compensation or indemnity – there will be brought into the calculation the amount of back commission that is due to the agent. This amount can be considerable where the principal has failed to deliver, for example, 7.5 per cent of orders by value a season for a reason for which it is responsible over, say, a period of six years before the agency came to an end.

And in case you were asking, whether it is compensation or indemnity, the agent’s right to one or the other cannot by law be contracted out. Similarly, the law prohibits contracting out of the agent’s entitlement to back commission. From small failures do large amounts grow. © 2016 Fox Williams LLP

Most retail units are occupied pursuant to a lease, usually requiring the tenant to keep the property in repair. This can prove costly if the tenant takes no steps to manage the risk of property disrepair, and simply vacates the retail unit at the expiry of the lease. Ultimately, the landlord may pursue a ‘dilapidations’ claim for many thousands of pounds in damages. ‘Dilapidations’ are claims for damages for an alleged failure on the part of the tenant to comply with the repairing (and other) covenants in a lease, which is usually pursued by landlords after tenants have vacated property when the lease ends.

So, what should retailers do to actively manage the risk of dilapidations?

Forward Plan Start with a detailed analysis of what is required to deliver the property to the landlord in a lease compliant state. Someone needs to take ownership of the process of delivering the property back to the landlord and should work with solicitors and other specialists to identify what needs to be done to best reduce risk.

Do you need to undertake works of repair?

There are a number of possible outcomes to this process. Not all will involve the undertaking of works. It may be that a thorough analysis results in the conclusion that there is little risk: instead some preparation may be required prior to the end of the lease to lay the groundwork for defending any claim presented by the landlord.

Analyse the claim rather than haggle a deal It is not unknown for tenants (and their advisers) to negotiate with landlords without anyone actually analysing whether there is a genuine claim for losses. Consequently, significant sums are needlessly paid out by tenants. Generally, planning and implementing a strategy to mitigate risk at least a year before lease expiry is prudent.

Get the right team in place Managing the risk of a claim for damages may require input from any or all of the following: solicitor, building surveyor, quantity surveyor and valuation surveyor. This may look an expensive team, but the potential saving of thousands against often exaggerated claims by landlords can far outweigh the cost of expert advice.

Watch out for contingency fees Quite often, landlords retain advisers to pursue such claims on the basis of ‘no win no fee’ arrangements. This gives landlords’ advisers a direct incentive to claim as much as possible from the outgoing tenant. Something for tenants to bear in mind.

Interim Dilapidations Claims Sometimes, landlords take action to enforce repairing obligations during the lease term. Tenants should react immediately if a schedule of dilapidations is served by taking expert advice.

Unfortunately, tenants often consider dilapidations a matter that can be left until the end of the lease. By that time the landlord may already have taken legitimate and expensive enforcement action and the best opportunity for mitigating the risk of a substantial claim may have been lost.

10 - OCTOBER 2016

BUSINESS | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

Three childrenswear retailers discuss how they integrate into the local community

KATE AUSTIN Co-owner, Spotty Herberts, Bath

ASHLYN GIBSON Owner, Olive Loves Alfie, London N16; Olive Loves Alfie East, London E20

Do you believe it’s important to integrate an independent business into the local community?

Absolutely. Taking time and effort to integrate our business into the community benefits both parties. As a shop for children we enjoy building and maintaining our relationships with local families. In this way we can tweak our buying to find new brands we know they’ll love.

Do you believe it’s important to integrate an independent business into the local community?

We rely on the support of our community so it’s important that we give something back.

Being part of the community is one of the gems of being an independent store; we have a genuine interest in our neighbours and our customers. All of my staff live locally and are part of the local community.

In what ways do you do this?

We love putting on a party and hosting an event. This summer we began ‘The Great Spotty Herbert Stickman Hunt’, hiding many little pipe cleaner people around the children’s spaces of Bath and offering rewards for their return. We regularly donate to local charity raffles and attend summer and Christmas fetes with our special shop in a box, ‘Spotty Herberts Supplies’. Each year we donate a percentage of our takings to the Bath branch of SANDS Charity.

In what ways do you do this?

In Stoke Newington we support local schools by making raffle donations for summer and Christmas events. We dedicated our window to a primary school art exhibition. In our new store in East Village, Stratford, we have the space to hold workshops and ‘mama meets’ that are a focal point for local parents. We hold product launches here for British designers and run a series of pop-up shops.

We’re also very active on social media – Instagram is particularly effective.

What do you find the best means to promote anything you are doing?

We are very lucky in Bath to have a wide and supportive network of social media accounts and websites that promote and support local independent businesses. Venturing outside the shop and into the community has undoubtedly introduced us to new customers. We have met some great people, made many new friends and have also discovered small local businesses making beautiful products which we are very happy to support and stock at Spotty Herberts, most recently Bimble Shoes and Sleepy Doe Pyjamas.

How has working with the community helped your business/sales?

Olive Loves Alfie East is central to the community. Hosting events gives people a lovely emotional attachment to our brand and means that people feel happy to pop in and browse or just to say hello. We have just turned 10 in our Stoke Newington store, and the sense of family and community that we have built up over the last decade is incredibly strong. Lots of families who move away from the area are loyal online customers.

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

The end of the summer means the exciting arrival of autumn/winter stock. We have a giant homemade spider that each year becomes a little creepier. A bowl of something gory on the shop counter and we’re ready! We are also planning Christmas decorations; something magical and surprising for the window and big hanging decorations inside.

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

We have a series of illustration and creative workshops in our Stratford store and continue to build on our ‘mama meets’ that we run in collaboration with local blogger Finlay Fox.

SUSSANNA DI PALMA Owner/manager, Pickles and Poppets, Bristol

Do you believe it’s important to integrate an independent business into the local community?

Absolutely. As an independent business, you, by very definition, ‘stand alone’. Being involved with the local community gives you a sense of family and solidarity beyond yourself, which in turn enables you to sow that back into that community.

In what ways do you do this?

We host ‘fun days’ in the shop, inviting passers-by and regular customers to participate in lucky dips, ‘pin the patch on the pirate’ and prize draws on special occasions. We also get involved in the events put on by other independent businesses local to us, perhaps providing face painting at street parties, raffle prizes for schools, or stalls in Christmas markets. We also like to build relationships with fellow traders as well as customers, sharing storage space with them, inputting ideas and thoughts to the collective business guilds or offering promotional vouchers to other businesses.

What do you find the best means to promote anything you are doing?

We are still fairly young and so getting our name out there has been a slow process, but one that grows with our reputation. We are hoping that our website and social media pages will increasingly help with this too, but in the meantime, chatting to customers and friends alike encourages relationships and support from both sides.

How has working with the community helped your business/sales?

Being part of a community has greatly helped our business and sales. When the community do hear of you, we find ourselves stacking up a large amount of ‘regulars’.

These people have occasionally turned into partners. For example, the company who did the photography for our website, Wild & Small, started out as a conversation between me and a customer. We struck up a deal.

They very kindly did a free shoot for the website and we in turn now promote them in the shop as well as online.

OCTOBER 2016 - 11

BEAUTIFUL . ETHICAL . ORGANIC. Pigeon offers a beautiful collection that is pure organic and ethically sourced. We’re delighted to be supporting manufacturing in Nottinghamshire, where part of our collection is made. Shown above is one of our new woodland prints for AW16.

Telephone: +44 (0) 1865 379230 | Email: info@pigeonorganics.com | Web: www.pigeonorganics.com

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | RETAIL

RETAIL THERAPY We reveal our favourite independent boutiques as well as news and store events from the world of childrenswear retail.

EENYMEENY 116a Fortess Road, London NW5 Eenymeeny is all about providing thoughtfully designed, quality products for kids and their environments. All of the design-led toys, clothes, gifts and baby items that owners Tammy Keogh and Clare Jay select for the store are chosen based on their quality, usefulness and uniqueness.

These products are housed in an equally impressive setting – a brand new store, in fact – with the business having moved to new premises in June on Fortess Road in between Kentish Town and Highgate.

Prior to opening the first Eenymeeny store on Campdale Road, Tufnell Park in 2010, Jay was an illustrator and designer. Keogh, meanwhile, recently left a career as a lawyer to work for Eenymeeny full time. Now, from their new, “uncomplicated, fresh, contemporary and cool” store, the duo are working hard to continue developing the Eenymeeny brand.

The main focal point of the new shop is the ‘baby table’, which is located in the middle of the store, stylishly arranged with irresistible baby products. As a rule, Eenymeeny doesn’t genderise. Brands and products are mixed up, with colour and texture displayed to contrast and complement, allowing customers to be taken on a visual journey as they peruse the shop. Another crowd-puller is the store’s book wall, which children make a beeline for to browse. In keeping with the feel of the store, clothing is displayed in a modern, relaxed manner, showcased on a single, freestanding rail, which is placed in different spots around the shop.

In the coming weeks and months, plans are to start building up customer profiles, with the offer of tailor-made discounts for the shop’s most loyal customers on their favourite brands and products. As with any retail business, the duo have aspirations to expand and open another shop as well starting their own kids’ clothing range at some point in the future. www.eenymeenykids.co.uk

14 - OCTOBER 2016

RETAIL | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

THE LITTLE NATURAL CO. 147 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex Coming from a background in fashion wholesale, Charlotte Samandi was well placed to launch her own fashion business in the form of baby and children’s lifestyle store, The Little Natural Co. Established in Essex last autumn, the store specialises in organic, natural and handmade products with an emphasis on ethical and sustainable production. This ethos continues into the store design, with recycled and upcycled fixtures and fittings, clean lines and industrial influences. The product mix spans childrenswear, accessories, toys and skincare from brands such as aden + anais, Cowshed, Gray Label, Sapling Child, Mini Rodini and Organic Zoo. With Samandi’s initial focus on establishing a customer demographic, The Little Natural Co. currently offers a loyalty card scheme and also holds regular kids’ events. www.thelittlenaturalco.co.uk

BIZZYBODS BOUTIQUE 16 Hospital Street, Nantwich, Cheshire Mandy Platt set up a party plan business in 2000, after swapping a career in sales to stay at home with her two children. When her youngest began school, she seized the opportunity to develop her retail ambition, opening Bizzybods Boutique in the market town of Nantwich.

Supported by a loyal and local customer base born of Platt’s keen customer service, Bizzybods Boutique stocks toys, gifts and childrenswear for 0-8 years. Key brands include Frugi, Mayoral, Lilly + Sid, Hatley, Emile et Rose, Big Jigs Toys, Steiff, Kaloo and Le Toy Van. Competitions are a regular occurrence, both in-store and via Facebook. Additionally, through various initiatives including in-store prize draws this year, Platt has raised £1,700 for The Joshua Tree, a local childhood cancer charity. www.bizzybods.co.uk

News:

HARRODS LAUNCHES MINI FASHION LAB Mini Fashion Lab is a new shopping destination within Harrods’ fourth-floor childrenswear department, which mirrors the Fashion Lab department in womenswear.

Housing an edit of the retailer’s most contemporary childrenswear brands, the new concept includes Gardner & the Gang, Mini Rodini, Little Remix, Sweet Pants and Finger in the Nose, as well as a range of accessories from Herschel.

MABEL CHILD Launched at the end of July by Uzma Westbury, Mabel Child is the new online boutique for baby, boys and girls. “Inspired by the whimsicality and nostalgia of vintage fairy tales, and the imagination of childhood wonder,” the site reflects Westbury’s inspiration sourced from her own three daughters, her love of colour, ethnic patterns, travelling, exploring new cultural styles and her eye for vintage finds.

Westbury updates the site on a daily basis as new items arrive, with all of the clothing hand-picked for being wearable, fun and refined.

Also available are accessories – bonnets, bow ties and socks – toys and decor. Brands, meanwhile, include Hubble and Duke, Briar Handmade, French King, and Lapin and Me. www.mabelchild.co.uk

JOULES OPENS LARGEST EVER STORE British lifestyle brand Joules opened its largest store ever on 24 August in Edinburgh.

Spanning 3,375 sq ft, the new shop replaces the brand’s existing store, which was also based in George Street, and houses all of Joules’ key collections – childrenswear, womenswear, menswear and homeware. The Edinburgh shop is the eighth store Joules has opened in six months, and is the most recent illustration of the brand’s strategy to open 10 to 12 stores per year.

Retail news in brief: JOHN LEWIS CHAMPIONS LOCAL UK PRODUCT Locally Made is John Lewis’s new initiative to enhance its support of local UK suppliers and manufacturers.

The project will see the retailer bring together locally designed and made products from across the country in a dedicated area in its shops. The initiative will kick-start in John Lewis Leeds, which opens on 20 October, with over 120 products from 11 Yorkshire suppliers based within a 30-mile radius of the city.

ANIMAL OPENS IN BRIGHTON Action sports-inspired lifestyle brand Animal opened a 1,291 sq ft store within Brighton’s Churchill Square Shopping Centre in August. The new shop is home to the latest Animal collections for men, women and children, fitting into the categories of lifestyle, apparel and accessories. The arrival was celebrated with in-store offers and free goodie bags for the first 50 customers spending over £50.

NEW ROYAL MAIL SERVICE TO AID RETAILERS With 8 per cent of the UK’s adult population moving home each year, retailers have a huge opportunity to reach potential customers when they are actively searching for products.

By engaging in ‘Mover Marketing’, retailers can target home movers with the right product at the right time in their buying cycle, according to Royal Mail Data Services. To help data-led retailers target home movers successfully, Royal Mail Data Services has launched a Guide to Mover Marketing.

OCTOBER 2016 - 15

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | EDITOR’S PICK

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BRANDS To Watch CWB editor Laura Turner selects the must-have collections to get in-store.

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16 - OCTOBER 2016

01: VILD – HOUSE OF LITTLE Vild – House of Little is a new UK childrenswear brand with Scandinavian heritage. Founded by Allison Mitchell and Sofia Sköld, it caters for 0-5 years, offering luxury basics that resonate with the Scandinavian design concept of form and function in equilibrium. Unisex bodysuits, hats, socks and blankets are made from bespoke bamboo and organic cotton fabrics in a colour palette ranging from black to natural cotton ecru. Limited edition ‘Vild Lab’ printed pieces are also available, with the new Vild Lab No. 3 - Mini Collection available at the end of the month. Wholesale prices £5-£35. www.vildhouseoflittle.com

02: THE GREAT BRITISH BABY COMPANY Combining the finest of British materials and craftsmanship, The Great British Baby Company offers luxury apparel and accessories for boys and girls aged nine months to six years, specialising in fresh interpretations of traditional British coat styles.

With attention to detail at every step, each of its luxury garments is made by British craftsmen using premium British cloth. The collection comprises around 25 pieces, including luxury coats, tailored daywear and accessories. Wholesale prices on application. www.greatbritishbabycompany.com

EDITOR’S PICK | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

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05 03: LAKES AND LAMBS

04: LOUVEA

05: FRED & NOAH

Launched this year, Lakes and Lambs is a UK brand of children’s outdoor overalls, created by founder Jannike Taylor in response to her failure to find well-designed, all-purpose overalls for her own young children. Inspired by a love of the Lake District, nature and farming, the overalls offer colourful, bespoke prints and practical design features such as elasticated cuffs, playful pockets and durable, lightweight and breathable fabric with an invisible water and stain repellent coating.

Catering for boys and girls aged 1-5 years, the collection currently offers three styles.

Wholesale prices £20-£24. www.lakesandlambs.co.uk

New for 2016 is London childrenswear label Louvea for 0-7 years, founded by British designer Patricia Hong and Swedish illustrator Linda Ayres. A gender-neutral collection designed with comfort, quality and practicality in mind, Louvea’s signature animal characters appear on colourful long-sleeved T-shirts, sweatshirts, a long sleeved jersey dress and a baby suit. The product range is non-seasonal, with new characters and original designs added periodically throughout the year.

Retailers can order the range at any time for short order delivery within four weeks.

Wholesale prices £9.58-£12.71. www.louvea.co.uk

Teacher Natalie Reynolds launched UK brand Fred & Noah in 2004, offering premium clothing for 0-4 years, along with premature garments on request. All Fred & Noah garments are made in the UK, with some pieces made in the brand’s Essex studio, where prints are also screenprinted by hand, using non-toxic inks. Key to the collection are the printed baby leggings and T-shirts, with the brand’s signature cloud collection continuing to be a firm favourite alongside its Tools and Dinosaurs designs. Also available are hats, bibs, blankets and vests. Wholesale prices £5-£23. www.fredandnoah.com OCTOBER 2016 - 17

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | REPORT

EUROPE’S VIEW ON BREXIT

New research from leading market intelligence agency Mintel has revealed European consumers are more concerned over the economic impact of Brexit than the UK, with half of Spanish consumers believing Brexit will have a negative effect on their own economy, compared to 39 per cent of Brits. Here are Mintel’s findings.

— In the aftermath of the Brexit vote, the UK media has proffered masses of opinion on how we, as Britons, feel about leaving Europe, with the overriding concern for UK consumers being the cost of living in a post-Brexit Britain.

But how has the decision been received

by Europe? According to leading market intelligence agency Mintel, not too well, with European consumers seemingly more concerned over Brexit’s economic impact than the UK. Specifically, Mintel’s findings, sourced from a survey it conducted of over 7,000 consumers across Europe, reveals that people in Spain, Italy and Poland are more concerned about the effects of Brexit on their own economies than British consumers are on the UK economy.

In research specially commissioned in the aftermath of Britain’s vote to leave the EU, Mintel found that almost half (48 per cent) of Spanish consumers fear that Brexit will have a ‘somewhat’ or ‘extremely’ negative impact on their own economy, as do 41 per cent of Italian and Polish consumers respectively.

Additionally, over one in three (36 per cent) Germans agree that the UK’s vote to leave will have a negative impact on their country’s economy, with 31 per cent of French consumers saying they expect it to impact France’s economic growth.

In comparison, 39 per cent of Brits say they expect the UK’s vote to have a negative impact on their economy. A sizeable minority of British consumers welcome the result, and think that it could be good for the economy. In fact, 25 per cent think that it will have an ‘extremely’ or ‘somewhat’ positive impact.

Their European counterparts, on the other hand, are far more negative about the UK’s economic prospects now that the country has voted to leave the EU. Over three in five (64 per cent) Germans say that the Brexit vote will have a negative effect on Britain’s economy, as do 58 per cent of Spanish consumers, 50 per cent of French, 43 per cent of Italian, and 41 per cent of Polish respondents.

“The results show how widely the repercussions of the Brexit vote have spread and clearly highlight the risk that uncertainty and disruption have, as well as the potential to drag down consumer sentiment across the continent as a whole,” says Toby Clark, director 18 - OCTOBER 2016

of EMEA Research at Mintel. “But the data also shows that British consumers are much more upbeat about their prospects than their counterparts in other key European markets.”

While the negative effect on their own country’s economies is top of European consumers’ Brexit concerns, fears over unemployment are also high. Mintel research finds that 42 per cent of Italian, 40 per cent of Spanish and 50 per cent of Polish consumers believe that the UK vote to leave the EU will have an unwelcome effect on their respective national unemployment levels. In comparison, 37 per cent of UK consumers say they expect Brexit to have a negative impact on the UK’s unemployment levels, with 24 per cent saying it will have a positive effect.

That said, British consumers do have some apprehensions over the Brexit vote.

Topping the list of UK concerns is the cost of living, with many believing that it will be negatively impacted by the UK’s vote to leave the EU. Almost half (46 per cent) of UK consumers say they expect the cost of living to be negatively impacted as a result of Brexit, followed by 41 per cent of Italians, 36 per cent of Polish and 34 per cent of Spanish consumers. German consumers appear less cautious, with only 22 per cent anticipating a negative outcome.

What Mintel’s research really highlights is a distinct contrast in attitudes towards the impact that Brexit will have on the economy as a whole, and the effect that it will have on individual financial situations. Just 27 per cent of Brits say they expect their household income to be negatively impacted by the UK’s vote to leave, followed by 25 per cent of Italian, 24 per cent of Polish and 20 per cent of French and Spanish consumers respectively.

Furthermore, the majority of consumers, both in the UK and in other European economies, expect Brexit to have limited or no effect on their own career prospects. Fewer than three in 10 Spanish (29 per cent), Polish (27 per cent), Italian (27 per cent) and British (23 per cent) consumers say that the UK’s vote to leave will have a negative effect on their career prospects, while just 18 per cent of French, and 12 per cent of German consumers say they’ll feel the effects.

“It’s clear that the vote has unsettled

people, but in the UK especially, people separate the impact that Brexit will have on the economy as a whole, and what it means for their own finances,” says Clark. “For the moment at least, five years of steady economic growth and falling unemployment means that many people feel well-insulated from the potential downsides of the vote.”

While consumers across Europe share fears over the impact of Brexit, research from Mintel’s financial confidence tracker reveals that post-referendum, UK consumer confidence has been undermined, but that it hasn’t collapsed. In results collected postreferendum asking Brits about their financial situation over the next year, just over one quarter (27 per cent) of consumers said that they were reasonably confident they would be OK, down from one in three (33 per cent) Brits who agreed with this in May 2016. Meanwhile, 55 per cent said they were concerned about their finances over the next year, but should be fine, up from 52 per cent who said this two months previously.

“British consumers are far more optimistic about their own financial situation than they are about the prospects for the economy as a whole,” continues Clark. “For most people, nothing has actually changed yet: they’re still in a job and prices in the shops haven’t changed dramatically. It’s this tendency to separate their personal situation from the broader economic picture that explains why Mintel’s consumer confidence data hasn’t fallen as much as might be expected. The uncertainty about the future has hit sentiment, but it hasn’t been enough to wipe out the gains we’ve seen over the last few years.”

Nevertheless, Mintel research does indicate that Brexit uncertainty is having an effect. Many consumers are reluctant to commit to big-ticket purchases, but on a positive note, other spending plans are holding up much better.

“Post-referendum, the nation’s spending intentions don’t appear to have shifted markedly, other than plans to spend on the home, which seem to have been hit the hardest,” concludes Clark. “For most consumers, there’s no real trigger to change spending patterns at the moment.”

Research provided by Mintel: www.mintel.com

19-21 FEBRUARY 2017

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WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | PROFILE

HISTORY IN THE MAKING This year marks 70 years in business for the manufacturer of Croatian kids’ footwear label Froddo. Rebecca Jackson catches up with its UK & Ireland representative, Pauly Tong, as the brand looks to its future.

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The birth of Croatian footwear brand Froddo in 1999 was, at the time, a move into the unknown. Entering the premium end of the kids’ footwear market – something which was less heard of at the time – it was not known what the reaction would be.

However, it was a move that proved itself to be worth the risk for its parent manufacturer, Ivancica, as today Froddo is the company’s flagship product.

Although the Froddo brand is still a teenager, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the start of Ivancica’s presence in the shoe-making industry. And it’s come a long way since 1946. Initially making shoes for 20 - OCTOBER 2016

miners, the footwear manufacturer eventually branched into ladies’ footwear and then began making children’s shoes.

Froddo is now present in key markets such as Germany, Austria, France, Russia, USA and the UK & Ireland, to name just a few. Pauly Tong, Hertfordshire-based director of Froddo distributor Kidsnewshoes.com, was responsible for bringing it to the British and Irish markets.

“I decided to work with the brand after I visited the factory,” says Tong. “I have a background in and extensive knowledge of just in time manufacturing, but in the electronics industry, so I was familiar with the process. I was working with a different brand at the time and wasn’t too impressed with the quality.

“After visiting the Froddo retail outlets in Zagreb, and having bought two pairs of shoes for my daughter, I decided to go back and visit the factory and was impressed by the controlled production process. That really drew me in.”

Described as a premium product with a market price point, Froddo’s full range is designed and produced in Croatia at a footwear factory located in a small town called Ivanec.

Situated at the base of Ivancica mountain, the production facility is at home within a rural setting, one that Ivancica is keen to protect through clean production methods. It is partly a desire to preserve the landscape there and partly a genuine interest to supply its customers with a healthy, well-fitting product that explains why the production is so well-considered.

With an ethical stance on production, manufacturing is geared around the environment. Recycled materials are used whenever possible and water-based glues and dyes are all part of the carefully managed production process. Reducing the number of chemicals not only minimises the amount of pollution to the surrounding town and environment but is healthier for the child who ends up wearing the shoe. Chrome VI-free leathers and vegetable materials are the main components of the collection. Froddo Prewalkers are made from 100 per cent chrome-free leather and are completely safe for babies.

Though Ivancica was established as a small group of shoemakers, today the team has grown to over 800 employees and the factory is the leading footwear manufacturer in Croatia.

“After the company made a name for itself as a maker of quality shoes, which were durable enough to withstand use in the mining industry, they thought about where else they could take the production,” says Tong. “Quality shoes were manufactured for women, then the production of a kids’ range seemed like a natural progression.

“The quality production methods and hardy materials were transferred into the kids’ shoes and are seen across the line in features like the reinforced toe cap to make the shoes more resilient. At the time there was a gap in the market for good quality, hard-wearing shoes made specifically for kids – and so the brand was born.”

The brand is recommended in the UK and

PROFILE | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

Ireland by podiatrists, and Froddo’s design team works with experts in the field, using the latest technology to continue product development in children’s shoe design.

“We wanted to present the market with a well-fitting shoe for children, rather than just another shoe that perhaps the producers didn’t care about. We wanted to do something different,” Tong says.

It’s this approach that has given Froddo a global growth of approximately 140 per cent over the past two years, as well as over 100 accounts across the UK since its launch at Moda Footwear nine years ago.

“Export is very important to the company,” says Tong. “It likes to look forward and to be ahead of its competitors. Germany is the biggest market, though recently it successfully entered Austria, France, Canada and the USA with the brand and is hoping to explore the markets in Asia next.”

Froddo’s immediate plan is to continue growth within existing markets and to increase its production capacity to keep pace with the demand. “Our proximity to London allows us to attract international buyers from other locations as far-reaching as Dubai, Mongolia and Japan.”

All shoes typically boast features including padding on the inside of the shoe, ankle support, arch support, leather toe cap, leather heel support and a leather lining. Design features include a double lace option, reflective materials for use during cycling and the added

option to personalise the back of the shoe with a space for kids to write their own messages.

Sizes start from the pre-walker model 16 and go up to an adult size 42. Typically, the bestselling age range is 1-8 years, and it is this age range for which the brand is best known.

“Each season we introduce innovative new materials, colours, styles and details, but the core designs and features remain consistent, for example, heel and arch support, leather lining and ankle cushioning,” Tong says.

Starting at £11 for a leather lined, structured indoor house shoe, wholesale prices go up to approximately £45 for a long boot in the largest sizes. Bestselling styles for the brand have always included essential elements such as the rubber front toe protection feature and the ‘distressed look’ effect, with a rebellious scratched finish leather to create a retro appearance.

The Soft Sole range, which includes a removable dual insole feature providing two width fittings, remains popular, too. The removable insoles are antibacterial, breathable, anatomically shaped and mould to the form of a child’s foot.

The s/s 17 collection introduces a bright and at times glitzy direction for the brand.

Inspired by the Cote d’Azur, an intense Mediterranean colour palette of rich, contemporary hues includes shades of red, green, pink and yellow. A touch of glamour comes in the form of gold and silver glitter and soft patent leather. This season, the brand has

created a new range of older girls’ T-bar casual shoes in sizes 25–40, available in eight colours including black for the Back to School range.

Froddo developed its school range three years ago. Stitch-down styles have proved to be a popular choice, along with Mary-Jane styles for girls and Velcro for boys. The school shoes carry many of the same features as the brand’s everyday range such as leather toe cap, removable insoles, padded ankle support, arch support, natural production methods and chrome VI-free materials.

Other recent brand developments include Froddo’s B2B online service for its retailers.

The service allows retailers to view and purchase fashion and school shoe stock all year around, with delivery to the UK and Ireland within three to five working days.

Retailers can also now add their websites to the Froddo.com site, which in turn helps drive customers and increases sales.

As for the vision for the brand’s future?

It’s to keep on growing and improving.

“The plan is to further develop the environmental aspects of production, to continue to care for our employees and customers while striving to make Froddo children’s shoes the best quality and value for money brand in the UK and Europe,” says Tong.

Not as easy as it sounds. But if anyone can do it, Froddo can. www.kidsnewshoes.com | www.froddo.com

OCTOBER 2016 - 21

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | PRODUCT

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CUSHIONED LONG RIB SOCKS IN BRUSHED COTTON WITH A TERRY SOLE £6 07754 500583

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SHOOTING STAR BANGLE £20 01376 532000

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LETTER TO FATHER CHRISTMAS £7.45 07817 977530

MERINO WOOL CHRISTMAS PUDDING HAT £15 07769 704379

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SET OF THREE BOARD MASK-BOOKS £6 WOOF@OWLANDDOG.COM

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SCULPT YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS TREE CLAY MODEL-MAKING KIT £2.50 01603 397105

PRODUCT | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

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SET OF 20 LARGE WOODEN BLOCKS PACKED IN A COTTON BAG £13 07850 450056

CIRCUS DOG MOBILE £6.50 07969 750919

THE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE CWB’s pick of children’s Christmas gift ideas, available to get in-store now.

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THE BRIGHT COMPANY

CHRISTMAS EDITION MONTY SLEEPSUIT £12.50 HELLO@THEBRIGHTCOMPANY.UK

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SELFIE CLOTHING

COLOUR-IN TOPS WITH SIX PERMANENT FABRIC PENS £7.50 01638 666432

OCTOBER 2016 - 23

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | PROFILE

REBIRTH OF A BABYWEAR BRAND UK brand Pex has long been recognised as a leading independent children’s hosiery supplier, but with the relaunch of its wholesale website, the brand is now looking to babywear for growth opportunities.

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Pex has every reason to feel optimistic about the future. At the start of this year, it relaunched its babywear wholesale website and the surge in sales suggests that it is giving independent childrenswear retailers what they, and their customers, want. The figures speak for themselves. In the first half of 2016, January to the end of June, sales were up by 119 per cent compared to the same period in 2015. The number of orders placed, meanwhile, has increased by 78 per cent.

So, what’s changed? Pex is no newcomer to the babywear sector. Indeed, it made its first sortie into babywear almost 16 years ago – and almost by accident. A senior hosiery buyer for the company was visiting an international exhibition and happened across a small babywear manufacturer and, almost on a whim, ordered several samples. When the tiny samples arrived at head office, there was much “oohing” and “ahhing” from the Pex customer support team and it was decided a small range would be run to see how it performed.

The initial response was hardly overwhelming; that is until Pex changed ownership. A management buyout was driven by its then general manager John Norton and his accountant partner, Jim Kirkman: together they bought the business and set about transforming its premises and its product offer. They moved the entire operation into a modern, purpose designed warehouse, distribution and customer support centre in Leicester and then re-evaluated the product mix. Babywear, at that time, was still a tiny fraction of the turnover.

“We had an experienced national sales team who spent their time visiting children’s and babywear independents the length and breadth of the UK and Eire,” says Pex MD, John Norton. “It seemed obvious that this team should take a proper, well thought-out collection of babywear with them in addition to our hosiery ranges.

“From a fairly random collection of garments that we liked, we started to establish a ‘Pex style’,” he continues. “We have honed and perfected that style over the years to 24 - OCTOBER 2016

produce a very commercial, coordinated babywear collection.”

The Pex sales team reported back on customers’ responses to the garments and the company’s buying team passed their requirements onto the designers and suppliers. The aforementioned “Pex style” began to consolidate, very much characterised by traditional craftsmanship, such as handfinished smock dresses, classic cotton and knitwear rompers, and two-piece suits, all offered with coordinated accessories including shoes, jackets, bibs, bonnets and of course, socks and tights.

Whilst curating its signature style, Pex babywear also gained a devoted following of UK childrenswear independents, including Sue Leonard of Baby Melanie in Liverpool.

“The Pex babywear offer is not a mass market product,” explains Leonard, on what attracted her to the range. “It has a distinctive, timeless and classic look, which is very popular right now – think Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

“Pex knitwear is one of our bestselling babywear lines,” she continues. “It has the look and feel of an artisan product and sits happily alongside our most expensive brands. My customers think it represents great value for money.”

In recognition of the babywear collection’s potential, Pex invested in a complete redesign and relaunch of its wholesale website, www.pexwholesale.co.uk, early last year.

Dedicated to in-season babywear collections, the site presents a new, fresher brand identity.

Key features include added search capabilities to allow retailers to shop across the company’s in-season and ex-stock collections and advanced browser tools to make searching for items by gender, age, size and colour quicker and easier. The latest internet security platform and Sage Pay online ordering protocols also feature, as do links to Pex’s Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Accessed by existing and new retail customers via a log-in procedure, the website complements the company’s UK and Eire sales team, who continue to support

customers’ forward orders for its pre-season fashion lines.

“We launched our first wholesale website in 2011, and it has been crucial in promoting our in-season sales and growing our international business,” says Norton.

“Although the majority of our sales are in the UK and Eire, we have found our classic British style is also popular with customers across the globe, including the Middle East and Australia.

It is important to keep our brand and offer relevant so we have invested significantly in the website redesign and upgrade.”

Norton is quick to point out that the wholesale website is by no means a replacement for the Pex sales force. The two are equally fundamental to the business’s strategy; the website providing the convenience of digital technology and the sales force enabling the continued gleaning of vital market intelligence and feedback through good old-fashioned face-to-face interaction.

“We wanted to showcase our babywear, and a dedicated wholesale website was the way we chose to do that,” adds Norton. “However, we are unique in that we have also retained our full sales team, most of who have been with Pex for many years – they are fantastically loyal and very experienced.

“Although we have Twitter and Facebook on our website, which enables us to interact with our customers, our sales executives have always been, and remain, the best source of feedback from our customers. They are vital in feeding our product development and buying decisions.”

Whilst babywear is unquestionably booming for Pex, and holds much in the way of growth opportunity for the business, hosiery is still at its heart and key to the company’s future.

“Children’s and back to school hosiery remains our core business, but we see a massive opportunity for our distinctive offer in the babywear market,” concludes Norton.

“Crucial to this success, is making sure we continue to listen to our customers and do everything we can to make sure we deliver the product they want to sell.”

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Style GUIDE:

BAX & BAY Cub Bag in cobalt suede £76, 07961 046715 —

IN THE BAG: CWB’s pick of baby changing bags that will make heads turn.

Unless stated otherwise all prices are wholesale

JEM + BEA Beatrice bag in taupe leather £116, 07718 318328 —

CURIOUS ORANJ

KERIKIT Joy leather baby changing backpack £91.67, 0161 818 9038 — 26 - OCTOBER 2016

BELLAMY BABY The Leopard bag in leather with Italian hair hide leather front panel £130, 07824 812175 —

TIBA + MARL Kaspar backpack in gold £48, 07958 947914 —

PRODUCT | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

LAURA

LOVES

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CURIOUS ORANJ

01: MOBA Washable, breathable Moses basket with integrated handles Price on request 01323 410470 04: COCO & WOLF Liberty print doll’s bedding set; pillow, sheet and quilt £16 07739 839301

02: DJECO Pull-along toy Price on request 01263 741548

03: TOBIAS & THE BEAR Sweatshirt with Mr Sneeze ‘Atishoo’ graphic £10 hello@tobiasandthebear.com

05: INKY & MOLE My Sweetie necklace and bracelet set in pastel £6.50 01935 826071

06: LITTLE CLOUD Swan cushion £15 07766 226707

Unless stated otherwise all prices are wholesale OCTOBER 2016 - 27

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SCHOOLWEAR BUYER: THE LATEST NEWS AND OPINION FROM THE SCHOOLWEAR INDUSTRY

CURIOUS ORANJ

30: News 32: Brexit and business Industry views on Brexit and its potential effects on the schoolwear market

36: Twenty Questions Q&A with Luke Conod, owner of School Uniform Shop and winner of the Best Schoolwear Store category in the CWB Independent Retail Awards 2015

38: Shoes 4 School Camberley schoolwear retailer Brenda’s opens a standalone school shoe shop 40: A weaver’s tale Marton Mills enhances its offer through the buyout of textile supplier Cedric Roberts

45: The Schoolwear Show Preview of what will be on offer at this month’s show 56: Setting a new prestige The plans in store for UK school uniform manufacturer Prestige School Wear

58: BMB & SWI BMB (Blue Max Banner) on its acquisition of SWI Schoolwear 62: Talking Point Neil Ward, commercial director, Rowlinson Knitwear

OCTOBER 2016 - 29

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | SCHOOLWEAR

Schoolwear NEWS: The latest news from the schoolwear industry.

CHARLES KIRK INVESTS

SMALLS LAUNCHES BTS CAMPAIGN

Charles Kirk, UK manufacturer of specialised school knitwear, has invested over £100,000 in new knitting and embroidery machines as part of a continuous plant replacement programme.

The machines use the latest technology and will help the company continue to deliver high quality garments and embroidery, whilst reducing energy and waste.

“My family has been manufacturing toys and garments in the UK for over 150 years,” says Charles Kirk director Sarah Horton-Parsons. “I want to continue this tradition as I feel that we can offer a quality product, which is good value for money, as our garments are made with the best materials to give softness, durability and longevity.”

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Smalls, the British-designed merino clothing brand for children aged 0-14, has joined forces with Campaign For Wool on a Back to School and Eczema Awareness Campaign.

With new clinical research conducted in Australia revealing that superfine merino wool reduces the severity of paediatric mild-moderate atopic dermatitis, Smalls has partnered with the Campaign For Wool to raise awareness of the proven benefits of merino wool for eczema-prone wearers. The brand’s vests, for instance, are suitable for layering under school uniforms to help protect skin.

“We’re really excited that this new study is challenging the common misconception that wool is an irritant and exacerbates itchy and dry skin,” says Peter Ackroyd, COO for The Campaign For Wool. “The new research findings may help change the public perception of wool, describing it as not only a low allergy risk, but also a low irritant with a therapeutic effect.”

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CONTINUED GROWTH FOR ECOOUTFITTERS Reports by the British Skin Foundation reveal a dramatic rise in the number of children in the UK suffering from eczema and various skin complaints, with fabrics such as polyester known to irritate skin and aggravate the conditions. In response to this, EcoOutfitters launched three years ago offering GOTS certified, 100 per cent organic cotton everyday school uniform and made to order school specific products.

The brand has been well received, with sales going from strength to strength both in the UK and overseas, including orders from Japan and Bermuda. As a result, EcoOutfitters is introducing additional new fabrics, styles and colours to its offer.

EcoOutfitters’ offer includes polo shirts, sweatshirts, cardigans, fleeces, boys’ and girls’ trousers, skirts and pinafores featuring no chlorine based bleaches, synthetic dyes or other hazardous chemicals used during the fabric production process.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

30 - OCTOBER 2016

M&S LAUNCHES AUTISMFRIENDLY SCHOOLWEAR This Back to School saw Marks & Spencer (M&S) launch The Easy Dressing collection, the first mainstream range of autism-friendly schoolwear developed with the National Autistic Society.

The range is in response to the 70 per cent of autistic children that are educated in mainstream schools and required to wear a uniform every day. Many of these children experience sensory sensitivity to clothing, with others suffering motor skills problems that make small buttons difficult to manage.

To create a school uniform to overcome such problems, M&S’s Kidswear team consulted with professionals who work with autistic children to discover more about the sensory difficulties that can be caused by fabrics and standard clothing design. It also approached the National Autistic Society, who as well as providing advice, arranged for children at its Helen Allison School to work with M&S’s designers and tell them what they did and didn’t like about clothes – particularly things like “scratchy labels” and “fiddly fastenings”.

As well as working with the charity to develop The Easy Dressing collection, M&S is donating 10 per cent from every item sold to the National Autistic Society.

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— To mark this year’s 40th anniversary of Pod Footwear, the brand has produced its most comprehensive offer to date.

Collections include Back to School (available to view at this month’s Schoolwear Show), Pod Heritage, Podlers and most recently, the formal Paul O’Donnell line.

NEW FROM RESULT Result has added new items to its Youth & Junior range for school, which are all ready-to-brand and suitable for decoration.

Highlights include a new shower-andwindproof padded jacket with a hinged inner neck panel for self-branding. A gilet version is also available, with both styles offered in ages 2-3 up to 12-13 years.

New to kids’ headwear is the Junior Boston Printers Cap available in 10 colours and made from recycled materials. Decoration access is open and the decoration process is embroidery and transfer print. There is also a new Ocean Trapper Hat, a windproof deer stalker style. Finally, a new 2XS size has been added to the Junior Art Smock, which is suitable for direct print and digital transfer.

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— Epos and stock management solution provider Top to Toe has appointed Adam Bloom as its new sales team leader. Bloom will be in attendance at this month’s Schoolwear Show to meet customers and provide online demonstrations.

— For BTS 2017, global stationery brand Maped is launching Picnik, a range of easy-to-clean lunchtime items. Highlights include water bottles, lunch boxes and lunch bag sets in matching designs. The lunch box features three separate compartments and a twist lock lid, which opens in one easy motion.

The water bottle, meanwhile, has a patented anti-leak and anti-spill design to guarantee no mess.

SCHOOLWEAR | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

1880 CLUB INTRODUCES NEW TRADE SITE 1880 Club has launching a brand new trade customer support site, which will allow buyers to log in and check stock availability or process replenishment orders on a 24/7 basis.

Accessed via www.1880CLUB.com, the new system is designed to offer the same reliability as the former, with the addition of a richer, more visual experience and some added functionality.

Highlights include users being able to browse the full collection, check stock availability with more ease as well as being able to track orders and review order history online.

The new trade site is in addition to the company’s existing in-person and telephone sales and customer service offering.

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THE UNIFORM CHALLENGE The Schoolwear Association has pinpointed five key challenges facing schools, governors, parents and suppliers when it comes to school uniforms.

Government figures show the number of pupils attending England’s secondary schools is to rise by 20 per cent over the course of the next decade, with nearly 3.3 million pupils expected to be attending state-funded secondary schools by 2024, compared with just over 2.7 million in 2015. Schools don’t always get the timing right with suppliers, so with rising numbers of students needing to be kitted out, it is vital to work closely together and plan well in advance.

Pressure to reduce cost and price is compromising quality. Some stores are launching a price war in order to increase footfall by selling off-the-shelf school clothing. In turn, some schools are under unreasonable pressure to reduce uniform prices.

Schools must consider how to accommodate religious beliefs. Uniforms must be flexible enough to be able to meet the needs of everyone, without compromising the school’s identity.

Childhood obesity continues to increase in the UK, resulting in a need for schoolwear suppliers to stock a wide range of different shapes and sizes, including larger uniforms.

Finally, some schools are moving towards more gender neutral uniforms as part of a drive for the education system to be more open to children questioning their gender identity.

According to the Association, the important thing is not whether there are well-defined male and female versions of a uniform, but that the school retains a strict policy to ensure that everyone can wear the uniform in a way that contributes to the school’s identity and their sense of belonging to the school and its local community.

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— A new survey conducted by The Schoolwear Association shows uniform at England’s best state schools won’t drain parents’ pockets. The study of the top 20 state schools in England revealed the average cost of a complete outfit is less than £107 - 54p a day per school year.

SCHOOLWEAR ASSOCIATION CHAIRMAN COMMENT: WHO NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY? I trust you have all had another successful Back to School. The last time I wrote a piece for CWB, it was just a couple of years after the collapse of some of the banks and the new coalition world was taking shape.

So what’s happened since then? (Apart from me just completing a 48th Back to School.) We got through the cotton crisis. Plastic bottles can be made into school uniform. Government has been driving Academy growth. The DfE Guidelines will become statutory. Retailers will have to be effective tenderers.

On top of all that, somehow we voted to leave the European Union. Who knows what the future holds, but in the short term it brings big challenges right through the supply chain. The next few years will likely be even more interesting.

Prices have been rising and are likely to continue to do so. When will sterling stop falling? The banks and economists say it might hit $1.10, or even lower. Sterling has been holding reasonably steady for a while now, but it has fallen around 18 per cent over the last year. Let’s see how it responds to Mr Hammond’s Autumn Statement.

Our schoolwear market is changing, and new supply models have been developing within the supply chain. You might say that we’ve seen it all before, and we have. Ignore them at your peril.

So, we have plenty of challenges to face, but how do we respond positively to them?

We all operate in a very effective and extremely competitive environment. There will be tough choices to make and the best way to make them work for you is to be sure you have all the latest information. There’s no room for complacency.

For me, we also have to look at how we can support the market we are working in.

What does that mean? Well, for a start, everyone, and I mean everyone, should be a member of the Schoolwear Association. It provides a voice, and much more, to independent businesses.

All suppliers should also be members of the National Children’s Wear Association (NCWA). Suppliers in particular need to be very aware of all the various technical standards and their implications for product design, development and performance.

Both associations are low cost to join and have critical influence in promoting best practice and market stability.

Essentially, we all have to take more responsibility; there has to be give as well as take. If we just take, the market will not flourish and business will suffer – everyone’s business!

As well as being part of trade associations, we should all subscribe to trade magazines and suppliers should regularly advertise in them, to ensure there can be even more vibrant coverage of this great market. Let’s all participate, with enthusiasm and determination.

The final part of the jigsaw is to make sure you attend The Schoolwear Show. Time spent there will be beneficial to your business. Plan for a longer day, even an extra one.

I’ll leave the final words to my wife, Pam. Taken from a poem she wrote to celebrate the 25th anniversary of David Luke nine years ago. How time passes when you’re having fun!

“Who knows what the future holds, or where the danger lurks. One thing we know full well, is that independence works.”

David Burgess Schoolwear Association chairman, NCWA treasurer and chairman of David Luke

OCTOBER 2016 - 31

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | OPINION

BREXIT AND BUSINESS Industry views on the EU referendum and the potential effects on the schoolwear market.

— DAVID BURGESS CHAIRMAN, SCHOOLWEAR ASSOCIATION

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HELEN SERRANO OWNER, SCHOOLTOGS, TEWKESBURY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE As retailers, we’re all waiting to learn the true effects of the referendum result, as we haven’t had any news on how it will really affect us. I think the US elections will affect business, depending on which way it goes.

Most fabric is traded in dollars, and so the value of the pound against the dollar is a major factor, just as the value of the pound is against the euro. It will be interesting to see what happens after the US elections, but until then, there’s not much we can plan for as it could all change again.

I think we’re all anticipating an inflation of prices, that much is certain. The question of who will absorb the extra cost is still unknown at this point. It’s a very uncertain time. Exportation and overseas trading will no doubt be affected most by the poor exchange rate and increased prices. This will have a knock-on effect to the other areas of business, too.

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32 - OCTOBER 2016

“It’s a scarier world post-Brexit, but we all have to be brave and remain positive. We have a new Prime Minister and a new Education Secretary, Justine Greening, who has sensibly said that she is going to look at the strategies her department currently has in place before she changes anything.

Whenever there is a big change there are lots of opportunities and that is what we have to look at. There are downsides, such as the exchange rate, which will mean prices rise, but as the Governor of the Bank of England has said, there is not yet enough information about what will happen post-Brexit to make a sensible decision about the future. There are a lot of possibilities.

As an industry, we have to ensure we do a great job this year, to make sure we deliver in retail and manufacture and in all other areas. We have to make sure we deliver quality and value to parents. We know from a Department for Education survey that eight out of 10 parents are satisfied with the arrangements for uniform at their children’s schools, and we must all work to ensure that this continues.”

OPINION | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

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MARK STEVENSON MANAGING DIRECTOR, STEVENSONS

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RACHEL MCHUGH DIRECTOR, JOHN MCHUGH SCHOOLWEAR, STRETFORD, MANCHESTER

“At the moment we’re in the initial stages of post-Brexit so it’s hard to say how we feel for certain, as no one has been properly informed. As a business, we will experience the knock-on effects from Brexit. It’s hard to say what the definite effects will be, as we’re in no man’s land at the moment, with little information available as to how it will affect us. One thing that has already happened is that our suppliers have increased costs by five per cent. No doubt exportation and the overall cost of transportation will be affected further as time goes by. I think the industry as a whole will see a knock-on effect. Employment and business overseas will be effected. We’re in a period of uncertainty at the moment.”

NIGEL PLENDERLEITH CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BMB (BLUE MAX BANNER)

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The outcome of the referendum has started a series of shockwaves for the UK and I feel we are only experiencing the start of it. The uncertainty we are now operating in means we’re going to need to be agile and quick to adapt to the changes around us.

Our industry has been dependent upon imports for a long time now, and what is likely to be a prolonged period of sterling weakness means costs for everyone will increase. The dream of a resurgence in UK manufacturing to counter this would take many years of investment and training, and I would still be doubtful about how ready we are as a nation to pay what we should for our clothes.

As a business, we are planning forward for next year, modelling the different scenarios, working closely with our factories, and trying to keep the communication levels high with customers and staff through any changes. We are confident that there will be positive outcomes and opportunities that will arise; at David Luke, we’re all up for the challenge of seeking them out and sharing what we find.

“The biggest concern for the clothing industry is the devaluation of sterling. With around a 15 per cent devaluation in sterling against both the dollar and the euro, we face significant price pressure for 2017. Almost certainly there will be a correction once the terms of Brexit have been sorted out and the rates will improve, but this could take a while. So, in the coming years, we have to face the reality that the price of clothes will go up. Schoolwear suppliers do not have the high levels of margins and profitability to be able to absorb such increases like fashion companies might, so must decide upon what level of increase we pass on to our customers and over what period of time.

Ultimately, I think both suppliers and retailers will ease the burden of price increases over a period of time, rather than put the full increase on with immediate effect. However, with standards of living and minimum wages increasing across the globe, it is not only the exchange rate we need to be looking at. We could find ourselves in the perfect storm over the next two years, whereby prices actually have to increase by over 20 per cent to cover factory increases as well as the currency issue. We can only hope that the Brexit terms are negotiated quickly, or maybe the whole Europe project falls down, at which point we could be talking about prices then decreasing. Either way, it’s going to be a rollercoaster for the next two to three years.”

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KATHRYN SHUTTLEWORTH MANAGING DIRECTOR, DAVID LUKE

“The implications of the Brexit referendum have not yet been fully understood. No one expected it, and no one was prepared for it. However, the immediate effect was the weakening of the British pound, which has had significant implications for BMB as most of our product is purchased in foreign currency. The consequence is an increase in our buying costs, which increases our stock levels and cash requirement. Whilst everyone is focused on the euro and dollar, the impact had also affected other currencies, and this has not been helped by the downgrading of the British credit rating. We are in the market of selling school uniform and not gambling on currency, but we will need to look very closely at our forward currency buying policy. Our buying focus needs to be on stability in risk averse countries and currencies, as we can’t just pass on increases on as they occur. Management of stock and forecasting will be critical over the coming months and we will try to buy as efficiently as we can to keep prices where they need to be.

Other concerns include customers having to pay more for the same volume of product, which ties up more cash and thus could affect their ability to pay. If consumers buy more from supermarkets then the independent retailer will suffer. Some may take the decision to compromise on quality to lower their selling prices. It is a concern to BMB, and undoubtedly to the industry as a whole, as there has already been pressure on school uniform prices. It will be interesting to see how the supermarkets respond with their pricing strategy. There is also the wider implication for how families will be affected as wages will not rise in line with price increases. How people manage their household budget is going to be key.”

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OCTOBER 2016 - 33

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | OPINION

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ANDY SMITH SALES DIRECTOR, WILLIAM TURNER

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34 - OCTOBER 2016

MATTHEW EASTER MANAGING DIRECTOR, TRUTEX “We have to accept, for better or worse, the result of the referendum. Whilst there is a degree of uncertainty in the short term that will drive some business decisions, the biggest step change as a result of us moving to leave the EU is likely to be the long-term devaluation of the pound sterling against all currencies, but the US dollar in particular. There has already been a significant downward movement over the last 12 months, and the pound is forecast to continue weakening against other currencies in the next few years. This has increased the cost of most, but not all, schoolwear made outside the UK and paid for in foreign currencies, which will be a challenge for everyone. However, it’s important to remember that the currency effect will impact all imported goods, not just schoolwear.

As a company, we aren’t making any changes, or taking any preventative measures for the business, as a direct result of Brexit. We will continue to manage our currency exposure as previously, accepting the fact that the costs have increased significantly as a result of the weakening pound. There will still be the same requirement for schoolwear across the UK and it is up to all of us to manage our businesses accordingly to adjust to the changing market conditions.”

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“The decision to leave the EU is going to have far-reaching consequences for the economy and for the schoolwear industry, specifically in the next couple of years. Inflation rates of four per cent and the possibility of the planned living wage increase being scrapped, combined with a predicted rise in unemployment, means that there will be less disposable income to go around, so parents will probably buy fewer items and make school uniform last longer.

HSBC is forecasting that the US dollar currency rate to sterling will be $1.20 by the end of 2016 and $1.10 by the end of 2017. The impact of weak sterling will be massive for anyone who manufactures overseas – it is very bad news for importers and for most people in the schoolwear market. Based on previous challenges in the economy, everyone in the supply chain took a hit to minimise the impact for consumers as much as possible. We also expect that this won’t just affect schoolwear – all clothing will cost more by 2017.

We have already seen fuel prices increase, as well as the costs of taking holidays abroad, where you get much less for your pound than previously. This may appear pessimistic, but we prefer to be realistic about the challenges ahead. At Rowlinson Knitwear, we will continue to focus on premium quality products and great service.”

“Like many companies across the country, we didn’t anticipate that we would vote to leave the EU. However, following the result, we have done what we can at this initial stage to prepare for the challenges ahead, but also try to make sure we are well placed to capitalise on the opportunities.

Fortunately, we have been manufacturing our ties and scarves in our UK factories since 1969, so these products are, by and large, unaffected by currency fluctuations, especially as our main customer base is also the UK. However, due to the significant decline of the British pound against the Chinese RMB, we have reluctantly had to increase our prices for imported products – bags, predominantly. This price change came into effect from 1 October.

We’ve always been proud to employ local people and now have 125 dedicated employees, with 53 per cent of our staff being a part of the company for 10 years or more. Over the last few years, we have recruited some skilled machinists from Eastern Europe; it is difficult to foresee how Brexit will affect future staffing long term. In the meantime, we’ll continue to support our workers and prepare to adapt to any changes to ensure any disruption is kept to an absolute minimum. We hope that in due course, it may now be possible for the Government to remove VAT on all school uniform, not just smaller sizes.

Our main concern is the prospect of the vote triggering a recession, which would damage confidence. We are about to invest a significant amount in a new tie factory in Lancashire and we would, of course, rather that was in a positive economic environment. But, having been in the industry for nearly 50 years, we’ve gone through many ups and downs before, so we feel robust enough to withstand any economic turbulence that Brexit may throw up. For now though, until 2019, it is business as usual.”

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DONALD MOORE MANAGING DIRECTOR, ROWLINSON KNITWEAR

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | CWB RETAIL AWARDS

TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH...

Luke Conod, owner of School Uniform Shop and winner of the Best Schoolwear Store category in the CWB Independent Retail Awards 2015.

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1. What is an average day in your job?

For me, there is no ‘average day’; every day brings new things. One day I can be visiting schools to help create and decide a new item of uniform, and another day I can be doing deliveries in the van. No two days are the same, which I love!

2. Was retail something you always wanted to work in?

Not really, I sort of fell into it when I was 14 years old and had a part-time job at Woolworths. When I left school, I joined its management training scheme. I was one of the youngest Woolworths managers, and things just progressed from there.

3. What do you love most about your job?

I love the variety. Like I said, no two working days are the same. I love meeting new people on a daily basis and attending new, exciting product launches. Seeing customers leave our store happy is also something I love.

4. And your least favourite part?

Definitely the paperwork. I would much rather be out there on the ‘front line’, so to speak.

5. What motivates you?

A sense of achievement. We have worked with Hereford Rotary Club to build a school in Nepal, which is an incredible achievement. I recently went out to the Calais Jungle to help build accommodation for the refugees.

Knowing we have helped many people, and children especially, across the world is enough motivation for me and the team.

6. What is your greatest career achievement?

I think that would have to be building the school in Nepal with Hereford Rotary Club. The

school was officially opened in 2012, and has helped more than 3,000 students. We have also worked alongside other charities, such as the Gloag Foundation, Care 4 Calais, Stella in Cambodia and People in Motion, to name just a few. We believe in ‘people, planet, profit’.

7. Do you have a business mentor?

I have lots! Most of my friends and the people I mix with are business owners themselves; we bounce off each other and share ideas and inspiration to help each other out.

8. What do you like most about the schoolwear industry?

I like interacting with the schools themselves.

They are very supportive of us, as we are of them. We work together to create new school uniforms and source and produce them ethically and sustainably. There is a massive sense of teamwork within the schoolwear industry.

9. Who would be your dream customer?

We are lucky enough to have supplied school uniform for the Harry Potter films, a TV advert for KFC, The A Word on BBC One starring Christopher Eccleston, Matilda the Musical and more recently, the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage show.

10. What do you look for in a supplier?

All of our suppliers are ethical and sustainable.

We carefully handpick the best brands to work with that fit in with our ethical policy. This means that no child labour is used, working conditions are safe and hygienic, working hours are not excessive and regular breaks are implemented, wages are of the industry or country norm, employment is freely chosen, no person will be taken against their will or forced to work and factories undergo rigorous checks and audits to make sure they are a safe and secure structure.

11. If you launched your own schoolwear brand, what would it offer?

It would need to be both ethical and sustainable. We have created our own brand of T-shirts for our FIT Menswear Store, which are ethically sourced by the brand AIM Apparel.

AIM Apparel is based in Cambodia and its goal is to provide education and vocation for young women who have been subjected to sex trafficking.

12. What’s your strategy to create a positive customer experience?

We want to make the mundane job of purchasing school uniform more joyful for a child, an experience they will remember as pleasant, which will in turn make them want to come back to us again. Last year we relocated our shop to a bigger and brighter store, all on

one floor. It provides easier access and implements everything possible to give the customer the best experience including a play area, customer toilets and changing rooms – even collection by car. We always strive to offer customers the best shopping experience possible.

13. What is the strangest customer request you have had?

Well, it wasn’t from the school uniform side of our business, but on our jeans website (www.buy-jeans.net). A customer requested that her deceased husband was buried in double denim. Denim jacket and jeans. It’s definitely a look.

14. What is the best piece of business advice you’ve been given?

Sales are vanity, profits are sanity.

15. And the worst?

Always trust your bank manager.

16. What do you wish you had known before you started your business?

That you don’t have to do everything yourself. I think it is important to build a team around you that you can trust.

17. How do you find inspiration?

Listening to others gives me inspiration.

Friends and family are always on hand to offer advice and inspiration, sometimes unintentionally. I also think when you visit other retailers who are doing inspirational things, you can learn a lot from that.

18. What’s your productivity secret?

It has to be dealing with things straight away.

There’s nothing worse than not doing something there and then and having it playing on your mind for the rest of the day.

Having a good group of colleagues allows me to be as productive as possible.

19. Where do you see your business in five years’ time?

Leading the way and championing ethical and sustainable schoolwear retailing. It’s not acceptable for larger corporate companies to be paying their workers so little in factories across the world – workers who cannot afford to send their own children to school, whilst working to make the school uniform for our children.

20. What difference has being a CWB Independent Retail Award winner made?

It’s made all the difference to School Uniform Shop. New brands have noticed us and want us to work with them. We have told all of the local schools we work with, which has given them confidence in us that we are leading the way in ethical and sustainable uniform. Thank you CWB, this year has been a blast!

Best schoolwear store dent Indepen il REta s Award

•2015•

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Winner

in association with CWB Magazine. #wearthecrown

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | PROFILE

SHOES 4 SCHOOL Camberley school uniform retailer Brenda’s has stepped up the competition in the local area by opening a standalone school shoe shop. CWB’s Laura Turner speaks to business partner Steve Optix.

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Brenda’s in Camberley, Surrey, is a well-established and highly regarded school uniform independent with a heritage that dates back to 1949. Today, Steve Optix, grandson of the business’s founder Brenda Francis, is at the helm alongside his mother and business partner Jan Green. Over the years, Optix has honed the business with a proactive, forward thinking approach, combining the best of bespoke customer service with the convenience of digital and e-commerce.

Optix’s latest enhancement to the business is somewhat different, however. In fact, it’s a whole new retail venture in the form of a school shoe shop, Shoes 4 School, which opened in July opposite Brenda’s.

“It’s down to the opportunity that presented itself to us: the location of Brenda’s in relation to the new shop, our footfall readymade to convert, and the lack of a local supplier,” says Optix, on the motivation behind Shoes 4 School’s opening.

“We’ve sold school shoes as an add-on in our main store for over 10 years, but as we’ve taken on more and more school uniforms, the space to sell footwear diminished almost entirely. It pained us that we had a readymade footfall of customers wanting to purchase school shoes at the same time as uniforms, but because we didn’t have space for the stock, they were having to purchase shoes elsewhere.”

Shoes 4 School is the solution to this dilemma, allowing Optix to capitalise on demand. Now, he is able to direct customers purchasing uniform at the main store straight across the road for their footwear requirements at Shoes 4 School.

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Completely tailored to the needs of the school footwear customer, Shoes 4 School currently stocks POD, Just Good and Hi-Tec and also has accounts with K-Swiss and Kickers. In addition to footwear, the store carries related accessories, including a large range of school bags, socks, tights, drawstring bags and footwear related sundries.

“All of our shoes are aimed solely at school use – durable, hardwearing, stylish and not too contemporary – with some strong traditional styles,” says Optix. “All of the shoes are either a leather upper, or a full grain leather, with an overall price range of £19.50 up to £55,” he continues. “We stock boys’ shoes from a junior 9 to an adult 11.5, and girls’ shoes from a junior 7 through to an adult 9, covering Velcro, slip-on, lace up and T-bars.

We also sell trainers, plimsolls, wellingtons, ballet shoes and winter boots.”

While some footwear stores’ USP is in being completely customer centric, accommodating all specialist footwear requests, Shoes 4 School intends to provide a more straightforward service: a core range of functional school shoes at good prices, in a convenient setting, and with a basic fitting service; Shoes 4 School’s niche isn’t in width fittings nor overly complex sizing.

“We have a local footwear independent within five miles who is a lot more specialised than us and covers a larger range of requirements across children’s footwear,” says Optix. “We know the owners – they’re lovely people – and our ranges don’t cross over much, if at all. Our aim is to take market share from the well-known high street retailers.”

Displays of shoes feature around the store, which totals around 800 sq ft, with large

product detail signs for clarity. A telling sign of a schoolwear retailer’s mind being behind the shop layout are the efforts made to reduce waiting times and provide a speedy service. All stock, for instance, is available on the shop floor, together with plenty of seating, thus ensuring busy customers who don’t need assistance can self-serve if they so choose.

In addition to the convenience of its proximity to Brenda’s, Optix is further incentivising sales at Shoes 4 School via 10 per cent discount cards, which are being given to every customer at the till point in the main store. “It’s an unlimited use card aimed at getting customers in the door,” he says.

“Shoes 4 School is directly opposite our schoolwear store, one of the main reasons we considered this venture, so we literally can just point across the road to show customers where it is. Thus far, we’ve found customers very happy and relieved at not having to trudge into town centres to queue with ticketing systems.

It’s a daily learning curve, but we’re enjoying engaging with parents to find out what they want.”

Having stocked some school footwear in the past, Optix already has some long established footwear supplier accounts, picking up others in recent years through the Schoolwear Show and Moda Footwear.

Going forward, his aim is to frequent more related trade shows to ensure the store is offering the best products on the market at the right price points. As digital plays such a large part in Brenda’s service, online is also in the plan for Shoes 4 School and will be fully addressed when the Back to School rush subsides. In the meantime, the store can be found on Facebook.

Candy Bows School Hair Accessories High quality handtied and handmade hair accessories suitable for School using both grosgrain and gingham ribbon – using over 130 colours we are able to produce hair bows, hair bobbles and headbands that match and compliment uniforms, all at an affordable price point.

New for 2016 – headbands and hair scrunchies produced with the superior woven school fabric your uniform is currently made from, enabling you to have the perfect ‘made to match’ accessories.

For further information please contact: Charlotte Mackenzie info@candybows.co.uk – 0113 2037194

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | PROFILE

A WEAVER’S TALE This summer, Marton Mills, a Yorkshire family-owned weaving mill, bought out textile supplier Cedric Roberts. CWB discovers more about the development and how it will help further enhance Marton Mills’ offer.

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Founded in 1931 on Marton Street in Skipton, North Yorkshire, Marton Mills is a business steeped in tradition and heritage, yet one that wholeheartedly embraces innovation and evolution. Constant change and investment is in the company’s DNA, making it ever-responsive to market demands.

In the 1980s, the business moved to Pool Mills in Wharfedale, West Yorkshire, where it continues to thrive today. Through respect for traditional values and a continuous investment programme in technology, plant machinery and people, it has evolved into a strong family business with a laudable reputation as a British weaver of quality fabric. In addition to its proactive approach and a strong management team, its ‘Made in Britain’ status is the other key factor behind its success, along with short lead times due to flexibility of production, no minimum order levels on stock supported lines and an in-house design team creating bespoke fabrics.

“Marton Mills is one of a few remaining British mills,” says company MD Laura Watts.

“Operating 24 hours a day, six days a week, we produce in excess of 20,000 metres of fabric each week. The mill provides a fully integrated service; all processes are managed in-house ensuring continuity of quality, supply and service. By offering a stock supported range with no minimum order level, we are able to provide large scale flexibility in production, from bespoke short runs through to bulk supply in a variety of compositions and designs. This, in addition to the skill of the in-house design team that create bespoke designs for schools, gives a level of responsiveness and scope for innovation seldom found in the textile industry.”

In terms of schoolwear, Marton Mills specialises in Trevira Perform yarn, which is 40 - OCTOBER 2016

used extensively in poly wool blazer fabrics. Its properties ensure the garments retain their shape, are easy care, low-pill, hard-wearing and crease resistant. Having a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the schoolwear market ensures that all fabric woven – from poly viscose tartan for skirts to pure wool tweed for blazers – is of the optimum standard required by schools today.

This is where Marton Mills’ recent buyout of textile supplier Cedric Roberts comes into play, promising to enhance the company’s schoolwear offer even further.

Established in 1992 following the takeover of Courtaulds by Drummonds, Cedric Roberts mainly supplied pool cloth and later expanded into the blazer and uniform trade, providing Meltons and face finish fabrics. Due to the price sensitive trade, it had to start importing partially manufactured fabric from Europe, but maintained control over dyeing and finishing in the UK. Having been a customer of Cedric Roberts for many years, Marton Mills knew it would be a good fit for the company and so two years ago, it made a proposition to him when he was ready to retire.

“The deal completed on 31 July, with Cedric Roberts continuing as a consultant offering his technical expertise,” says Laura Watts.

The buyout, and the subsequent addition of the wool Melton range, will further extend Marton Mills’ offer to the schoolwear industry.

The high quality fabric, which is woven in Europe and dyed and finished in the UK, perfectly complements Marton Mill’s wool range. It includes luxury blends in a range of weights suitable for blazers and outerwear.

“The launch of new-style academies has the potential to drive schoolwear sales, as

many of these institutions have introduced stricter uniform policies, with pupils required to dress more smartly,” says Watts, on her view of the current school uniform market. “There is obvious uncertainty following Brexit; fabric costs have increased due to the exchange rate affecting raw materials. It will no doubt affect offshore CMT costs, too. It would be exciting to see the return of more garments made in the UK as a result.

“The schoolwear market has been gradually changing as a result of the rising influence of the main supermarket chains, which has led to the price of school uniform garments falling over the last few years,” she continues. “Aggressive price wars between supermarkets have meant that other key players in the sector, such as high street retailers, department stores and specialist retailers have been affected.”

As well as the buyout, Marton Mills has enjoyed other exciting news recently, receiving the Family Business of the Year Award 2016 in the Luxury Goods section. Recognised for its diverse role in the broader sector of textile manufacturing, Marton Mills was judged to be demonstrating a clear commitment, not just to the future of the business, but the sector as a whole. The business also won the Made in UK category at the 2016 Professional Clothing Awards.

So what next for the award–winning weaving mill? “The plan is to consolidate on recent growth and look to new markets,” concludes Watts. “Schoolwear fabric accounts for over half the business at Marton Mills and remains the priority. The aim is to provide an unrivalled level of service in this industry.

Having recently exhibited at Premiere Vision in Paris, this opens up the global market in both fashion and high street brands.”

New products and innovations / 2017 brochures and prices New suppliers / Existing suppliers face to face Three great days of networking opportunities Extra parking will be in place for all 3 days

Please register by Thursday 6th October www.theschoolwearshow.co.uk

THE SCHOOLWEAR ASSOCIATION Presents

TICKETS

£50

+VAT

PER HEAD

THE SCHOOLWEAR SHOW | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

THE SCHOOLWEAR SHOW

9-11 OCTOBER CRANMORE PARK SOLIHULL www.theschoolwearshow.co.uk

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1880 CLUB

1880 CLUB, part of the Douglas & Grahame brand house, prides itself on being “built for the classroom but durable enough for the rigours of the playground”. 1880 CLUB schoolwear is a range of garments that are easy-iron and enhanced with Teflon, offering improved laundering, increased durability and resistance to staining. The company develops the fabrics and designs every garment in the range for its ability to perform well – even beyond reasonable wear and tear.

The current offer spans blazers, shirts, ties, trousers, skirts and knitwear, all of which are available in a wide choice of colours to suit any school and can be adapted to specific institutions with bespoke embroidered badges and trims.

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AWDis ACADEMY FROM PENCARRIE

Available from PenCarrie, AWDis Academy is a new, dedicated schoolwear brand with five key styles for primary and secondary school. Featuring an extended colour palette of 14 colours made up of the classic school shades, along with some contemporary additions, it offers a smart, easy-care choice. Just Cool by AWDis offers cool comfort wearability for sports, work and play. With a wide selection of styles and colours, the array of performance fabrics makes the garments ideal for sports clubs, PE kits, clubs and teams. Just Hoods, meanwhile, offers hoodies, ‘zoodies’ (zip-up hoodies), jackets and casualwear. A number of new styles have also been added to the varsity range, including the Urban Varsity Hoodie and new SupaSoft Hoodie styles.

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BMB

The Prestwick Pinafore is the latest addition to BMB’s (Blue Max Banner) growing tartan stock supported range, which now incorporates a pinafore dress, a kilt, available in both junior and senior sizes, and a skirt.

The Prestwick, a box-pleat pinafore with a fully lined bodice, internal waist adjuster, two-shoulder fastening and side zip, is available to order immediately from stock in five yarn dyed tartan fabric options – bottle, grey, maroon, red and blue multi-prints – and in sizes 3/4 to 13 years. All BMB tartans are made from a durable 65/35 per cent poly/viscose combination fabric, and are designed to colour-match the stock-supported knitwear and blazer collections.

A new slim-fit shirt and blouse also features for BTS 2017. Available in twin packs, the slim-fit designs are constructed from a durable 65/35 per cent poly/cotton fabric and are non-iron. The girls’ blouse has a narrow modesty placket with seam and dart detailing for an extra flattering fit.

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CANDY BOWS

Candy Bows offers high quality handtied and handmade hair accessories suitable for school. Using grosgrain and gingham ribbon, and over 130 colours, the brand produces hair bows, ‘bobbles’ and headbands to match and complement uniforms. New items include headbands and hair scrunchies produced with the fabric of a school’s uniform, enabling the perfect ‘made to match’ accessory.

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BALMORAL KNITWEAR

Balmoral Knitwear utilises state-of-the-art knitting technology, high quality materials and three generations of knitwear experience. A wide range of styles, striping, special shades and an extensive range of yarns are available. The company also supplies bespoke corporate uniform knitwear for businesses and has produced cricket sweaters for prestigious teams, including Pakistan. Stock products have no minimum order quantity and include school pullovers and cardigans, as well as polo shirts, sweatshirts and fleeces.

Decoration is available via Balmoral’s in-house embroidery capacity or heat transfer printing if garments are suitable.

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CHADWICK TEAMWEAR

This year marks Chadwick Teamwear’s fourth consecutive Schoolwear Show since launching its stock range of unbranded performance sportswear six years ago. Utilising its knowledge and expertise as a performance fabric supplier, it offers a 38-piece range of key school products, with bestsellers including base layers, girls’ leggings, mid layers, T-shirts, polos, rugby and training shorts, skorts, technical jackets and pants. New schoolwear products include a quarter zip midlayer in seven colour combinations, a sub coat, skinny pant and school bag. The company is also launching its new PE range of girls’ and boys’ polos with matching skorts/shorts in 10 colour combinations.

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DAVID LUKE

New and improved from David Luke for BTS 2017 are new senior grey suits from stock. The modern grey jackets for boys and girls can be mixed and matched with any of David Luke’s stock trousers or skirts, to create a smart suit ideal for secondary schools, sixth forms and academies. The jackets are designed following the popular specification and style features of the supplier’s Eco-jackets, and are made from the same durable fabric as its trousers and skirts. Both jackets are available from stock in a 26”–52” chest.

Meanwhile, David Luke’s girls’ junior skirt range continues to grow with the addition of the new junior day skort – an innovative twist on a classic girl’s skirt. The practical alternative offers a neat wrap-over front with a pair of tailored shorts behind, visible from the back. With demand already high, the junior day skort will be available in grey from stock, plus limited stock in black and navy in ages 2/3 up to 11/12 years. Other additions to the girls’ skirt range include a new junior version of the senior pleated skirt style available in grey, black and navy in ages 3/4 to 12/13 years.

Elsewhere, David Luke has introduced two new colours to its large range of non-colour fade sweat shades, with dark purple and dark green available for 2017. All of the above new products sit within David Luke’s Eco-uniform range, made with a percentage of polyester that comes from recycled plastic bottles.

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CHARLES KIRK

With over 75 years’ manufacturing experience, Charles Kirk produces stock and bespoke garments in its factory in Worthing, West Sussex. By investing in the latest embroidery and knitting machine technology, it continues to produce high quality garments at affordable prices. Its most popular range is UK Heritage Definition acrylic knitwear, which is now complemented by COOLACRYL, developed to replicate the same performance at a competitive price. Blends of wool/acrylic and cotton/acrylic, including the popular COOLFLOW, are available from both UK and offshore production. The Colour + sweatshirt range also continues to expand as schools demand higher standards in colour retention. Charles Kirk offers a five-day embroidery and printing service on all stock garments, all year round, including Russell Europe’s Jerzees Schoolgear and the popular Result jackets, which are adorned in-house. Charles Kirk is using the latest technology to improve quality, reduce waste and upgrade existing styles, with examples to be presented at the show.

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ESKIMO EPOS

Eskimo EPOS offers IT solutions for the modern schoolwear retailer, providing effortless stock control, both in-store and online, for single and multi-store businesses across the UK. Its intuitive EPOS system provides a simple-to-use interface, helping store staff provide customers with a pleasant shopping experience. With the Eskimo Back Office Toolkit at the heart of the system, retailers can be assured of efficient stock control and effective communication with customers and suppliers alike. If integrated with an Eskimo e-commerce site, the retailer will be able to control both in-store and online sales from one database.

With tablet computer technology now often the preferred hardware option, retailers can also enjoy the benefits of an Eskimo EPOS system on a Windows tablet. Eskimo’s recommended tablet, which be on its stand at the show, can be used in conjunction with the mPop mini cash drawer and built-in receipt printer, providing a solution for selling onsite at schools.

Stand 13

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FALCON SPORTSWEAR

Falcon Sportswear has been supplying stock backed school sportswear, including a range of basic sportswear for primary schools, for over 40 years.

This year will see the introduction of new outerwear, which will complement Falcon Sportswear’s popular EncoRe range.

Stand 23

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GOLDEN FINISHES

Golden Finishes has been finishing and making badges since 1989.

Since then, technology has moved on, and now the Cardiff manufacturer produces a range of promotional textiles for the industry.

Schools have always played a large part in the range, with embroidered badges and pennants being the most popular, but also house colour patches, music stands, flags and even sashes for events being produced. Dye sublimation has become one of the leading advances in technology, making it an ideal option for highly complex designs that are required for badges and pennants.

Golden Finishes prides itself on manufacturing in the UK, employing a team of talented textile experts, something that South Wales has a long heritage in. By keeping costs down and closely monitoring the processes, prices have remained competitive and lead times rapid when compared to buying off-shore.

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GYMPHLEX

At this year’s show, Gymphlex’s GFORCE Teamwear range will showcase the work the company has done with schools across the UK, helping sports teams to bring their school’s identity to life through branded and customised garments. Alongside these case studies, the entire GFORCE range will be presented, ranging from tracksuits and polo tops through to core base layer clothing and new products including the Swimming T-Bag T-Short and fully customisable dye-sublimated hoodie.

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HALBRO

Halbro is launching a fresh new look for its brand, with a new logo reflecting both the heritage and future of the company “at the forefront of new innovations in sportswear.” Halbro is ready to meet demand for BTS 2017 with its most comprehensive range of high-performance, technical sports clothing. It will be showcasing additions to its exclusive Champion range, which has been enhanced with the option to include digital print panels on all Champion garments: games jersey and shorts, polo, T-shirt, hoody, rain jacket, tracksuit, training top, skort and hockey/netball top.

This offers each school the opportunity to achieve a fully coordinated look and create its own identity. Other services include a large stock range held at the brand’s UK warehouse, an in-house bespoke design service, and embroidery and garment embellishment.

Stand 9

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MAGICFIT

Magicfit is a leading manufacturer of school socks in the UK. A one-stop supplier for all schoolwear needs, it offers ranges of bespoke uniform socks, girls’ tights and team sports and games socks, along with quality core basic multipack school socks.

BTS 2017 marks major improvements in Magicfit’s school knitwear offer, with subtle new style details to ribs and welts heralding the launch of unique ‘colour-lock technology’. This innovation is the result of the company’s significant investment in research with expert science houses in Geneva and New York. The introduction of this technology increases the colour fastness of the knitwear, eliminating colour fading regardless of daily washing and wear.

Stand 34

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MACRON SCHOOLWEAR

This first-time exhibitor is a leading Italian sportswear brand supplying teams at the top level of rugby and football, and internationally with Scotland rugby.

Macron Schoolwear can offer bespoke, sublimated sportswear from its UK factory with fast turnaround times. Key products available to view will include the Draco Hydrotex Polo shirt, Rigel Evertex 150g round neck shirt, Mesa Evertex 150g sports short, Tarim ¼ zip Tussuto Poly Dry Mid Layer, Rayon sock and sublimated bespoke reversible games shirts.

Stand 14

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MARTON MILLS

Marton Mills was founded in 1931 to manufacture textiles. The company produces a wide variety of fabrics, ranging in composition and structure from plain weaves and twills to tartan checks and stripes.

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MAPED HELIX

Helix has been a trusted brand for over 125 years; now part of the Maped family, it has become a world leader in the design and production of school supplies. This year’s latest additions to Helix’s range include the Themed Maths Sets, which feature one of three designs, with each set including a ruler that incorporates stencil designs. A selection of new fashion pencil cases are also available. The Oxford brand has been used by children for generations and is best known for the Oxford Maths Set. The brand has since evolved to include everything needed for school, from pencil cases and colouring to fountain pens and drafting equipment. New to the Maped range is the Tatoo Teen collection with three designs to choose from and which includes matching canister sharpeners, erasers, fountain pens, folding rulers, pencil cases and scissors.

Additionally, for 2017, Maped is set to launch Picnik, a range of lunchtime items including water bottles, lunch boxes and lunch bag sets in matching designs.

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NATIONAL WEAVING

National Weaving offers a variety of options including woven name tapes, iron-on name tapes and stick-on name labels, as well as a full range of personalised school accessories. Name label printers are available to allow shops to provide quick and easy labelling for customers. Most orders are shipped the same day, and can be posted to the shop address or direct to the customer at no charge.

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PRESTIGE SCHOOL WEAR

Prestige School Wear is relaunching the Glengarnock range of corduroy lined shorts and elastic back ‘trews’, which will be made in its Glasgow factory and stock supported in grey and navy in mock fly and zip fly styles. Also available are aprons, Bermudas, blazers, blouses, cardigans, culottes, dresses, hair accessories, jackets, art smocks, pinafores, shirts, shorts, skirts, trousers and waistcoats.

Stand 7

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OPRO

The new Opro Self-Fit mouthguard range offers four levels of protection – Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum – spanning basic to ultimate protection. A 12-month dental warranty is included, and in the unlikely event of accidental tooth injury, the owner may claim towards the cost of remedial treatment.

New for BTS 2017, Opro is teaming up with antimicrobial product protection specialist, Biomaster, to offer antimicrobial protection in all levels of Self-Fit mouthguards from Silver upwards. Selected models include an antimicrobial case. The additive is odour and taste free and inhibits growth of bacteria by up to 99.99 per cent. Silver protection level flavoured mouthguards are also available in adult and junior in bubble gum, mint, or lemon flavour.

Additionally, Opro will be showcasing its Maru Core and Club range featuring garments designed for schools and swim clubs. In a choice of solid colours, the majority of items are made from durable Pacer fabric, which is fast-drying, 100 per cent chlorine-resistant and offers total UV protection.

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POD FOOTWEAR

Continuing with its ‘Quality you can trust’ campaign, the Pod BTS 2017 focus is on providing high quality and reliable footwear at a competitive price point. Using the brand’s 40 years of experience, the philosophy to support and protect developing feet remains strong, with the use of high grade leather uppers, breathable linings and sturdy flex soles. Highlights include the new Earth range and girls’ classic Mary-Jane and T-bar styles. Sizes start from infants through to an XL EU52 Stand 19

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RESULT

Result’s Youth & Junior range covers a variety of multi-purpose garments constructed to withstand everyday school and leisure activities. New is the shower-and-windproof padded jacket and gilet, the Junior Boston Printers Cap available in 10 colours, and the ocean trapper hat. A new 2XS size is also available in the Junior Art Smock.

Continuing in the range is the rugged stuff long coat, a sophisticated and soft-feel popular school jacket and the reversible Stormdri 4000 fleece jacket. Also key is the Junior high-viz safety vest, the Junior & Youth Polartherm top and the Waterproof 2000 team jacket, which packs down neatly into any kit bag or rucksack, and can be paired with the Junior Waterproof 2000 Sport Trouser.

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ROWLINSON KNITWEAR

At this year’s show, Rowlinson Knitwear is showcasing Performa 50, its superior quality knitwear product.

Offering a 4-5 week delivery on specially made orders, it is supported by one of the fastest embroidery services in the industry. Composed from a durable and unique 50/50 yarn blend of combed cotton and higher twist acrylic, Performa 50 is tested to meet rigorous quality standards, delivers performance and comfort, colour retention, and is pre-washed for extra softness. With superior fit in mind, garments offer snug fit hems, cuffs and necklines and are highly resistant to pilling. Performa 50 also has linked seams, providing a smarter, more comfortable finish for the wearer.

Available in a range of colours, plain garments are available from stock with a 24-hour delivery with very low minimum quantities for specially made orders, including striped garments.

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RUSSELL JERZEES AND FRUIT OF THE LOOM FROM PENCARRIE

The Russell Jerzees Schoolgear range features essential school styles, from ring spun T-shirts and poly/cotton polos through to raglan sweatshirts and outdoor fleece jackets. Additionally, Russell Jerzees offers a pledge to replace any Jerzees Schoolgear garment purchased within the school year if it does not meet performance expectations.

Clothing brand Fruit of the Loom, meanwhile, has over 160 years’ experience and a long history of manufacturing quality textiles. Offering a range of styles suitable for the schoolwear market, including the new Fruit Active range of performance kids’ garments for sports clubs, school clubs and teams.

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SPOT ON GIFTS

With national distribution for next day delivery, Spot on Gifts is a distributor of lunch bags and water bottles suitable for school uniform retailers. Licensed football, sports and character merchandise is available from all current children’s character brands together with Polar Gear, Sistema, DNC, Smash, and Zak. Football Clubs include Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and all other major clubs.

Stand 16

p

THE MAGIC TOUCH

The Magic Touch is introducing a new transfer paper considered a game-changer for the image transfer garment decoration business. The new T.One transfer is a one-step coated paper for use with the TMT/OKi white-toner printers. The paper offers cost-effective garment transfer that involves no cutting nor weeding and leaves no residue on the finished garment or textile. The product has recently and successfully been marketed to existing white-toner users in over 25 countries.

The new paper is an addition to the existing transfer paper range and complements the existing two-Step WoW transfer process, which continues for all black and dark colour garments/textiles due to the higher white opacity requirement.

Also launching is The Magic Touch’s new universal smartphone pouches. The high quality neoprene style 3.5mm rubber compound with white polyester jersey surface and heat-resistant thread offers a printable and durable surface suitable for decoration with either sublimation or TTC toner transfer paper. The pouches are available in three sizes to accommodate all smartphone models.

Stand 28

t

SPIRO

The Spiro brand, owned by Result Clothing, offers a junior activewear range for school and extra-curricular sports events.

Key items include the Junior Quick Dry T-shirt, which offers windproof, breathable protection.

Also, the Junior Bodyfit Base Layer Shorts, which are performance shorts treated with Quick Dry technology to wick moisture and keep skin cool and comfortable, and which feature a micro stretch soft athletic fabric for ease of movement. The Junior Skort, meanwhile, is windproof, quick drying, lightweight and breathable.

Stand 41

p

STABILO

From first attempts at pre-school through to improving and perfecting writing skills, Stabilo’s EASYstart range of products are recommended by teachers, occupational therapists and special needs experts and are approved by the National Handwriting Association.

BTS 2017 is the year of colour for Stabilo, with the company updating and rebranding all of its colouring range. Key favourites are Scribbi for younger children with its indestructible nibs; Cappi for kids when they’re out and about as it comes with a plastic loop to thread the pens onto and prevent lids being lost; and Woody, a 3-in-1 pencil that can be used as a pencil, a crayon and by adding water, a watercolour. Stabilo has also introduced Trio Frutti, a new felt tip pen that features fruity scents.

Stand 45 OCTOBER 2016 - 53

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | THE SCHOOLWEAR SHOW

q

TIE & SCARF COMPANY

Exhibiting at The Schoolwear Show for the first time, Tie & Scarf Company will present its full range of school ties along with new designs of scarves and hats plus school badges. As the company’s business continues to grow year on year, plans are underway to extend its warehouse facilities and offices, which are located in Bury, Greater Manchester.

Stand 22

p

TOP TO TOE

Top to Toe has been providing EPOS and stock management solutions to the schoolwear sector for over 25 years, staying abreast of changing customer habits and new technologies. At last year’s show it launched new product Wow Sync, which has continued to grow in popularity to become a core product. Wow Sync is designed for e-tail and retail business and is a quick, simple and portable system. It will scan, track and sync stock and sales across multiple channels; in store, on-line, via eBay and Amazon and more. It also has mobile stock checking and sales capture features available.

Stand 18

u

WILLIAM TURNER

William Turner is showcasing more than just new products at this year’s show. The family-run business invites attendees to come and visit its additional tie stand for a full insight into how it has sustained manufacturing quality school ties in the UK for nearly 50 years.

New products to the full accessory range for BTS 2017, meanwhile, include Touchscreen (text) gloves alongside new POS, which has already been proven to increase sales. Other popular lines from William Turner’s offer will also be available, including stock tie designs and its contrast trim bag range.

Stand 26/31

54 - OCTOBER 2016

THE SCHOOLWEAR SHOW | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

NATIONAL WEAVING

TOP TO TOE

PRESTIGE SCHOOLWEAR CWB

HALBRO

CARTA SPORTS

POD SHOES

SDL GROUP

KT LABELS SPOT ON GIFTS

MAGICFIT

Floorplan MAKURA

RESULT CLOTHING

WREN

MAPED HELIX

DENBY DALE

PENCARRIE

DOUGLAS & GRAHAME

KK MODEL

TIE & SCARF COMPANY

ZECO

ROWLINSON

WINTERBOTTOM SCHOOLWEAR

CHARLES KIRK

OPRO

BLUE MAX BANNER /ORION

FALCON

GARDNER BROS

EUROPA

PEX

COFFEE LOUNGE

TRUTEX

MACRON GYMPHLEX BLUE MAX BANNER /ORION

CHADWICK TEAMWEAR

CLOAKROOM AND TOILETS

BALMORAL

SCHOOL -WEAR ASSOCIATION

WILLIAM TURNER DAVID LUKE

ESKIMO EPOS

RECEPTION

MARTON MILLS

NCWA

LEGEA UK

AMAYA

GOLDEN FINISHES

DIAMOND TEXTILES

CANDY BOWS

WILLIAM TURNER

LOLLIPOP

STABILO

THE MAGIC TOUCH

ETRADER

PENCARRIE

BRAND AGILITY

ENTRANCE

List of exhibitors 2 GARDINER BROS 3 DOUGLAS & GRAHAME 4 DENBY DALE 6 NATIONAL WEAVING 7 PRESTIGE SCHOOL WEAR 8 CWB MAGAZINE 9 HALBRO 10 ZECO 11 OPRO 12 CHADWICK TEAMWEAR 13 ESKIMO EPOS 14 MACRON 14A BALMORAL 15 WINTERBOTTOMS

SCHOOLWEAR 16 SPOT ON GIFTS 17 CARTA SPORTS 18 TOP TO TOE 19 POD SHOES

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 40 41 42

KT LABELS MAPED HELIX TIE & SCARF COMPANY FALCON SCHOOLWEAR ASSOCIATON DIAMOND TEXTILES WILLIAM TURNER LOLLIPOP THE MAGIC TOUCH PENCARRIE BRAND AGILITY WILLIAM TURNER CHARLES KIRK KK MODEL MAGICFIT SDL GROUP MAKUMA RESULT CLOTHING WREN

43 ROWLINSON 44 BLUE MAX BANNER/ORION 45 STABILO 46 CANDY BOWS 47 MARTON MILLS 48 GYMPHLEX 49 DAVID LUKE 50 PEX 50A BLUE MAX BANNER/ORION 50B NCWA 50C LEGEA UK 50D GOLDEN FINISHES 50E ETRADER 51 PENCARRIE 52 EUROPA 53 TRUTEX 54 AMAYA

OCTOBER 2016 - 55

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | PROFILE

SETTING A NEW PRESTIGE The creation of UK schoolwear manufacturer Prestige School Wear follows the demise of fellow school uniform manufacturer G&D Garments, and sees the Glasgow firm take on many of the former business’s staff and facilities. Prestige School Wear has plenty in the pipeline, including reintroducing the Glengarnock range of corduroy lined shorts and elastic-back ‘trews’, which will be made in its Glasgow factory. CWB reports.

— Prestige School Wear was formed in February 2016, after the demise of Glasgow firm G&D Garments, which went out of business in December 2015. Chris Robb and Richard McNicol, owners of a fellow Scottish firm in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, had been a subcontractor to G&D Garments and it was they who identified a need for a new, high quality UK schoolwear manufacturer, who would keep local jobs and the skills involved alive, and be able to continue to serve the schoolwear market.

Robert Carey, who was formerly a director of G&D Garments, is now general manager of Prestige School Wear and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the factory. Conveniently, Prestige School Wear is based in a factory in the same industrial estate G&D Garments was, and subsequently it has acquired the business’s plant and machinery, as well as G&D Garments’ key workers.

In terms of its offer, Prestige School Wear manufactures girls’ blouses, summer dresses, plain and pleated skirts, pleated kilts, tunics, painters’ smocks, pinafores, culottes, trousers, shorts and boys’ waistcoats, tailcoats, trousers, shorts, Bermudas, breeches, elastic-back ‘trews’, shirts and ties.

Meanwhile, parent company Prestige Garment solutions – a major contractor to G&D Garments – specialises in the manufacture of waterproof and workwear garments in various fabrics, including Gore-Tex. 56 - OCTOBER 2016

“We have undertaken a long-term plan to grow the business activities to secure a permanent future for all concerned,” says Prestige School Wear’s general manager, Robert Carey. “With the buyout of G&D Garments, both companies now benefit from a much stronger management team that is committed to developing and investing in the future of Prestige School Wear.

“We have invested in new pressing equipment sourced from Italy to ensure our garments are top pressed to the highest standards,” he continues. “We have also very recently been involved with a Highland jacket wear company, which is closing due to the owner retiring. We will be employing some of the staff and developing this range further to include school blazers and jackets within the Prestige School Wear offer for trade.”

Being a UK based manufacturer, Prestige School Wear can respond speedily to its customers’ needs. The company prides itself on listening to customer feedback and acting upon it in a proactive manner, to benefit both the customer and the long-term success of the business.

“We have our own autoclave to heat set pleating for our garments, which enables us to have a very quick turnaround, especially at the busy Back to School period,” says Carey.

“At a time when top-ups are readily required, our customers do not have to wait for offshore deliveries.

“We also have our own CAD system for generating patterns, which assures meticulous fitting standards and enables us

to very quickly fulfil special measures when required.”

For 2017, Prestige School Wear is relaunching the Glengarnock brand of corduroy trousers and shorts, which are regarded as the original and best cord garments available to the schoolwear trade.

The trousers and shorts will be stock supported in navy and grey corduroy, in both fully lined elastic-back shorts and elasticback ‘trews’ in mock fly and zip fly versions.

The garments will also be available in a much more extensive size range than currently available to the market.

“As well as the stock supported cord items made in our Glasgow factory, customers can also benefit from our other made-to-order garments including culottes, pinafores, Bermudas, breeches and senior boys’ trousers, which are available in various styles made to our specifications, or to our customers specs, with a quick turnaround.”

As the dust settles from recent changes, the long-term plan for the company is to become a major player in the manufacturing and development of school uniform, with the introduction of blazers, jackets and suits to be added to the range in the very near future.

“The schoolwear market is a very competitive one,” concludes Carey. “We shall succeed in this market through working closely with our customers; being driven by their needs, through UK manufacturing and by responding and adapting quickly to requirements. Our products also carry the best label possible – ‘Made in the UK’.”

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | INTERVIEW

BMB & SWI On 1 July, a deal was signed that saw BMB (Blue Max Banner) acquire SWI Schoolwear.

Renowned for its sportswear portfolio, SWI Schoolwear will enable BMB to further extend its reach into the sportswear market, as BMB’s chief executive, Nigel Plenderleith, explains.

— are confident of delivering exciting, quality products to customers that are genuinely innovative and that forge new ground in the schoolwear marketplace.

LT: What makes the businesses a good fit?

NP: SWI Schoolwear’s core capabilities are in design, product development and marketing, while SWI Schoolwear’s customers will benefit from BMB’s operational expertise and unrivalled commitment to customer service.

Combined with BMB’s extensive experience and product portfolio, our opportunities for growth as an enlarged group are greatly enhanced, enabling us to drive the entire market with high quality clothing on a much larger scale. We are very excited at the prospect of joining learnings and best practice from both businesses to take the company forward.

Laura Turner: What led to BMB (Blue Max Banner) acquiring SWI Schoolwear?

Nigel Plenderleith: Since BMB’s management buyout in July 2015, our strategy has been to build the sportswear, marketing and product development side of the business. SWI Schoolwear already has an established reputation in the industry for a strong, high-performance sportswear offering, designed in collaboration with athletes and students. The addition of SWI Schoolwear’s sportswear to BMB’s current line-up, which has already been recently expanded with the acquisition of Orion Teamwear earlier this year, will enable us to further extend our reach into this profitable, but fiercely competitive, sector.

LT: How exactly will the acquisition enhance BMB’s offer?

NP: The acquisition of SWI Schoolwear will help us as a group to improve our marketing skills and develop a greater understanding of the needs of the market. The enlarged group will be the largest schoolwear provider in the UK, and our key ambition is to offer the best service, quality and value in the industry.

The market continues to change, and we are conscious that we need to have our finger on the pulse, evolving and adapting the business to keep it moving forward. Using the combined resources of both businesses, we

“

LT: What’s the history behind SWI Schoolwear?

NP: Kirk Robertson, a former product designer for Adidas, set up SWI Schoolwear 13 years ago. The objective of the business was to offer performance sportswear exclusively to schools. SWI Schoolwear’s reputation for its understanding of the evolving needs of the school sportswear market was greatly enhanced when two PE teachers joined the company as board members. It was a natural next step for SWI Schoolwear to expand its offering to incorporate school uniform in 2007.

LT: What does SWI Schoolwear offer product-wise?

NP: The SWI Schoolwear portfolio is currently divided into five key categories; business, traditional and informal school uniform as well as two sportswear brands, APTUS and S-TecX. LT: Are more acquisitions a consideration for BMB? NP: Driving market innovation and raising standards through growth is part of our core strategy. Following two strategic acquisitions since last year’s management buyout, our key priority at this stage is to ensure a smooth

The SWI Schoolwear portfolio is currently divided into five key categories; business, traditional and informal school uniform as well as two sportswear brands, APTUS and S-TecX.

“

58 - OCTOBER 2016

integration within the BMB business whilst continuing to deliver outstanding service to our customers.

LT: What factors set BMB apart from its competitors?

NP: We believe that our commitment to customer service gives us a distinct advantage.

This year alone, we have made a significantly increased investment in stock, meaning we can deliver a greater number of garments to schools all year round, not just during peak season. We have also established our own in-house embroidery department to offer added value to our customers. We have listened to our customers and as a direct result, have improved our service commitment during this year’s BTS period by extending opening hours to include weekends and guaranteeing next day delivery for orders placed up to 6pm. We are constantly exploring opportunities to source globally and to use our purchasing power to work with manufacturers to maximise efficiencies and keep costs where they need to be.

LT: Where are you exploring for growth and development?

NP: We will be looking to forge new ground in product development, improving styling, fabrics, sizing and fit of current collections. We want to appeal to a broader customer base, as well as intensifying our efforts in marketing and branding. We’re also working to make our schoolwear offering clearer and easier for the customer to understand. Other focuses include continuing to build on our strong reputation in the market for providing stock supported products in a variety of size options to cater for evolving customer needs. Ultimately, we want to become the one stop shop for all schoolwear needs – uniform and sportswear.

LT: How do you view the current market?

NP: Over the last two years, the market has been relatively stable from a supplier perspective. However, the Brexit vote has brought an unwelcome dimension, as a substantial proportion of product is purchased in foreign currency. As a consequence, we are facing significant price rises. The challenge is to find a way to minimise this impact on the consumer to prevent potential migration to supermarkets.

Academies have been a major factor in the growth of the schoolwear market in recent years. As such, we welcome the call for an increase in the number of academies across the UK as it presents an ongoing opportunity for ourselves and the whole of the industry.

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60 - OCTOBER 2016

1 1880 Club 028 9332 7777 www.1880club.com B Balmoral Knitwear 01900 829229 www.balmoralknitwear.co.uk • Bax & Bay 07961 046715 www.baxandbay.com • Bellamy Baby 07824 812175 www.bellamybaby.com • BMB 01225 715070 www.bluemaxbanner.co.uk • Braveling 07786 071667 www.braveling.co.uk • BrickStix 07870 132595 www.littleconcepts.co.uk • Bubble London 02075 965061 www.bubblelondon.com C Candy Bows 0113 2037194 www.candybows.co.uk • Chadwick Teamwear 0161 9272565 www.chadwicktextiles.co.uk • Charles Kirk 01903 244863 www.charleskirk.co.uk • Coco & Wolf 07739 839301 www.cocoandwolf.com D David Luke 0161 2727474 www.davidluketrade.com • Djeco 01263 741548 www.djeco.com • D for Diamond 01376 532000 www.geckojewellery.com E Eggnogg 0117 9277747 www.eggnogg.co.uk • Eskimo EPOS 01202 477111 www.EskimoEPOS.com F Falcon Sportswear 01274 306440 www.falconsports.co.uk • Fred & Noah 07830 707117 www.fredandnoah.com • Froddo 01707 888388 www.froddo.com • Frugi 01326 558462 www.frugiwholesale.com G Golden Finishes 02920 741650 www.goldenfinishes.com • Gymphlex/ GFORCE 0116 2556326 www.gforcesportswear.co.uk H Halbro 01204 696476 www.halbro.com • Happy Little Folks 07850 450056 www.happylittlefolks.com • Houlie 07754 500583 www.houlie.co.uk I Inky & Mole 01935 826071 www.inkyandmole.co.uk • Irregular Choice 01273 733869 www.irregularchoice.com J Jem + Bea 07718 318328 www.jemandbea.com • Joules www.joules.com K KeriKit 0161 8189038 www.kerikit.com • Kite 01202 733222 www.kite-clothing.co.uk L Lakes and Lambs 01768 894464 www.lakesandlambs.co.uk • Lala & Bea 07769 704379 www.lalaandbea.com • Little Cloud 07766 226707 www.little-cloud.co.uk • Little Wardrobe 020 80612062 www.littlewardrobelondon.co.uk • Louvea 07786 623124 www.louvea.co.uk M Macron Schoolwear 07464 613166 www.sportsscenedirect.com • MagicFit 0116 2773857 www.magicfit.co.uk • Maped Helix 01384 286860 www.mapedhelix.co.uk • Marton Mills 0113 2843364 www.martonmills.co.uk • Moba 01323 410470 www.mobauk.com • Molly & Moo www.mollyandmoo.co.uk • Mori www.babymori.com N National Weaving 01834 861446 www.nationalweaving.co.uk O Opro 01442 430690 www.oprogroup.com • Owl & Dog Playbooks www.owlanddog.com P Pex 0116 2861616 www.pexwholesale.co.uk • POD Footwear 01234 240440 www.pod-footwear.com • Polar Post 07817 977530 www.polarpost.co.uk • Pencarrie 0800 252248 www.pencarrie.com • Pigeon Organics 01865 379230 www.pigeonorganics.com • Prestige School Wear 0141 7740387 R Result Clothing 01206 798131 www.resultclothing.com • Rowlinson Knitwear 0161 4777791 www.rowlinson-knitwear.com S Schoolwear Association 0116 2044862 www.schoolwearassociation. co.uk • Selfie Clothing 01638 666432 www.selfieclothing.co.uk • Smalls 020 70027799 www.lovemysmalls.com • Spot on Gifts 020 85730803 www.spotongifts.net • Stabilo 01753 605656 www.stabilo.com/uk • Starchild 01530 264254 www.star-child.co.uk T The Bright Company www.thebrightcompany.uk • The Great British Baby Company 01273 455845 www.greatbritishbabycompany.com • The Magic Touch 01582 671444 www.themagictouch.co.uk • Tiba + Marl 07958 947914 www.tibaandmarl.com • Tie & Scarf Company 0161 7615151 www.tieandscarf.co.uk • Tobar 01603 397105 www.tobar.co.uk • Tobias & the Bear www.tobiasandthebear.com • Top to Toe 020 33765888 www.toptotoe.com • Trutex 01200 421205 www.trutex.com V Villa Carton www.villacarton.com • Vild – House of Little 07917 816598 www.vildhouseoflittle.com W William Turner 0161 4808582 www.unicol-schoolwear.co.uk • Wini-Tapp 07969 750919 www.wini-tapp.com

DIRECTORY | WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

ACCESSORIES

DISTRIBUTOR WANTED

SCHOOL TIES

Balloon Bijoux Girls hair & fashion accessories for all ages www.balloonbijoux.co.uk

New organic label with a unique concept are looking for a distributor in the UK.

TO ADVERTISE IN THE CWB DIRECTORY PLEASE CALL MICHELE ON

0208 207 2500 info@balloonbijoux.co.uk

01484 848337

Balloon Bijoux The Telegraph(UK) March 2015 “I am impressed by this organic babywear brand”.

OR EMAIL MICHELE @RAS-PUBLISHING.COM

Tel: +31(0)30 7514025 Email: natalie@daddyproof.nl www.daddyproofkidswear.com

SCHOOLWEAR

AGENCY

ORCHARD AGENCY Chris, Carol, Lisa & Ray are the team behind Orchard, a leading second generation childrens clothing agency in the UK, with expertise in London and the South East.

Orchard Agency, 28 Fourth Avenue, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex CO13 9DX Tel: 01255 674301 Email: chris@orchardagency.co.uk carol&ray@orchardagency.co.uk

BABY & KIDS SHOES

CWB BUSINESS DIRECTORY WELDON AGENCIES SCHOOL TIES

TIE & SCARF COMPANY

The specialist in

SCHOOL TIES plus badges

VANHUIZEN AGENCIES

TO ADVERTISE IN THE CWB DIRECTORY PLEASE CALL MICHELE ON

01484 848337 OR EMAIL MICHELE @RAS-PUBLISHING.COM

Established for over 25 years, two generations, covering all areas of the UK. Representing leading brands from Europe and Canada, catering for boys and girls 0 to 16 years. Styling from contemporary to traditional.

FUN & FUN, LE CHIC, DEUX PAR DEUX, NO NO, BOBOLI, FOQUE, SARDON, LARANJINHA, JEYCAT Weldon Agencies, Southport, Merseyside Tel: 01704 576033 Email: barrieweldon@btconnect.com, andrewweldon@btconnect.com www.weldonagencies.co.uk

Warth Industrial Park, Warth Road, Bury BL9 9NB Tel: 0161 761 5151 Fax: 0161 762 0202 Email: tieandscarf@chaytow.com Web: www.tieandscarf.co.uk

Van Huizen Agencies is a young, fresh and vibrant agency, for the more discerning retailer requiring beautiful and unique collections.

OILILY KIDS, ROOM SEVEN KIDS, RAP KIDS SHOES Unit 12, Derwent Business center, Clarke Street, DERBY DE1 2BU Tel: 07967 560633 Email: franck@vanhuizenagencies.co.uk www.vanhuizenagencies.co.uk

OCTOBER 2016 - 61

WWW.CWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | TALKING POINT

NEIL WARD Commercial director, Rowlinson Knitwear Formerly a highly qualified banker and area director at HSBC, Neil Ward has extensive first-hand experience advising international businesses on their growth strategies.

After working closely with Rowlinson Knitwear as its relationship director, Ward joined the schoolwear manufacturer as commercial director on 1 July.

—

warehouse or with our embroidery team to sharpen your focus on what matters to customers.

LT: And in the longer term?

NW: We’re currently reviewing our long-term business plans to align closely with our strategic mission, which is to become a great company to work with, and for.

LT: What are your initial impressions of the schoolwear market?

NW: It has grown in recent years, but it’s my view that we need to prepare for increasing pressure on parents’ disposable income by ensuring we continue to deliver premium schoolwear to our trusted customers. Quality and long-lasting uniforms remain incredibly important to parents and schools alike.

Laura Turner: What attracted you to Rowlinson as an employer?

Neil Ward: Thanks to my time with HSBC, I’ve had a close professional relationship with Rowlinson and the company’s MD, Donald Moore, for a number of years. This positive relationship was very influential in my decision to join the team, as were Rowlinson’s values and it being employee-owned (EO).

LT: What are your views on the EO business model?

NW: EO businesses usually achieve higher productivity, greater innovation and are more resilient to economic turbulence, meaning Rowlinson is in a strong position to meet any challenges that may affect the schoolwear market. Essentially, employee ownership allows us to control our own destiny and share the financial rewards fairly. How Rowlinson treats its people, customers and suppliers directly contributes to its commercial success. EOs tend to have more engaged and less stressed workforces and we benefit from incredible staff commitment, which in turn impacts on customer loyalty and satisfaction. Our people participate in day-to-day decision-making and we’ve seen the positive impact on our customer satisfaction levels. It’s important to me that everyone feels inspired and has a real say in the business.

LT: How has Rowlinson’s performance improved since becoming EO in September 2015?

NW: We’ve seen a 13 per cent increase in 62 - OCTOBER 2016

revenues, 44 per cent increase in profits, and customer satisfaction has risen to 98 per cent. The results are a pretty convincing business case for employee ownership.

LT: How will you support Rowlinson’s ethic of investing in its people?

NW: We are uncompromising in this aspect of the business, so providing staff with professional development opportunities and career progression is all part of the plan.

LT: How do your key strengths align with Rowlinson?

NW: Rowlinson relentlessly pursues the highest standards of quality and customer service. We receive excellent customer feedback, yet everyone is always looking for ways to be even better. I hope to use my experience working with a large number of different businesses to contribute towards this.

LT: What’s your leadership style?

NW: I’d describe it as ‘open’ and ‘fair’, which fits Rowlinson’s culture perfectly. My goal is to facilitate decision-making and support the entire team. Everyone offers ideas and is encouraged to take ownership, so listening is very important in my role.

LT: What’s first on your agenda?

NW: Meeting customers and suppliers and getting to know colleagues to learn as much as I can about the business. It’s a valuable use of time; nothing beats a stint in the

LT: What do you view as areas of growth?

NW: The pupil population is expected to grow significantly, so we will continue manufacturing schoolwear that is high quality, long-lasting and suits the pockets of parents. Low-cost uniform may appeal, but can prove a false economy if the garments don’t last.

LT: What commercial issues are you particularly interested in at the moment?

NW: There is turbulence in the wider commercial world that is having a massive impact on businesses. We are particularly focused on the weakness of sterling against the US dollar and how best to mitigate price increases without impacting upon quality or service.

LT: What can we expect from Rowlinson for Back to School (BTS) 2017?

NW: We’re improving quality standards even further and aiming to deliver an even better service to customers. We will not be adding new products this year, preferring to focus on what we do best.

LT: What’s the next phase?

NW: We’ll continue to deliver premium schoolwear that offers quality, durability and comfort, matched by excellent service. In 2016, we delivered over 1,000,000 embroidered garments in 4-5 working days of order – even during BTS. Ultimately, we want to be the ‘go-to knitwear supplier’ for schoolwear that represents value and performance.

A is for Apple and V is for Vegan…

It’s hard enough teaching our kids the alphabet, yet alone teaching them ethics. RAP has always been known for its ECO friendly credentials and now with its new VEGAN Kids collection, which has been created using a natural cork upper, organic cotton lining, water based non animal derived glues and a natural crepe sole, it’s 100% PeTA approved Vegan too.

So now YOU can support good ethics, whilst we support your kids feet.

RAP for your little eco warriors…

To make an appointment please contact: Franck@arautorap.com Tel: 07967 560633