4 minute read
Reportage
A GOOD FIT IS ESSENTIAL
– AND THE PRACTICAL ORDERING SYSTEM IS FABULOUS!
When Greger Lindholm started his cleaning business, Städkonsult in Skaraborg, in the late 1990s, he saw an opportunity to do things differently. The company started out with just two people. Now it has over 80 employees and covers the whole of Skaraborg in western Sweden. Several of the employees have been there through the whole journey. The company has won several awards, for example Entrepreneur of the Year and Skövde’s most attractive workplace.
Today the business has two brands: Städkonsult, which primarily serves business clients, and RutAkut, which provides home cleaning services. – “It’s important for us to be seen as a premium provider. We aim for high quality in everything we do. Having employees with the right approach is key, and if our employees are happy, our clients will notice it. That’s why it’s crucial for our clothing to fit well and make the wearer feel smart and fashionable,” says Martina Eklind, head of Städkonsult. – “The clothing gets washed several times a week, and it’s impressive to see how well Texstar’s garments maintain their colours and texture despite frequent washing.”
Easy ordering system New Promotion helped Städkonsult and RutAkut to set up online shops that communicate directly with Texstar’s warehouse. The garments are delivered ready to wear complete with logos etc., usually within just a couple of days. – “We place orders on a rolling basis, often once a week. This works very well. The clothes are delivered straight to us so we don’t need to pick them up anywhere,” explains Jessica Gustafsson, head of RutAkut. – “We’re constantly moving around, so in order to do a good job we need well-functioning clothes that allow good freedom of movement. We regularly review our range of clothing, so our employees’ feedback is important,” Jessica explains.
Emphasis on fashion It’s interesting to see how quickly the industry has gone from focusing mainly on function to becoming more fashion-oriented. Texstar has adapted well to this demand by offering a welldesigned collection that appeals to many people, explains Tomas Ejdersund at New Promotion, a Lidköping-based company that supplies Texstar products to customers such as Städkonsult and RutAkut. – “In-store sales are declining, and today’s customers want products delivered directly when they need them. Customers are also prepared to pay a bit more for higher quality. They want clothes that they enjoy wearing for longer and that don’t lose their colour and shape immediately. The garments have to be comfortable, stylish and trendy,” Tomas points out.
Sustainability, warehouse and logistics under one roof Everything happens much faster today, and having a large warehouse like Texstar does means that, in principle, you can deliver goods immediately. The only additional step is the finishing process, which means printing or sewing logos etc. onto the garments. Texstar has solved this by having its own finishing department at its premises.
Texstar and New Promotion have worked together for many years, and because Texstar products are perfect for the cleaning industry, Tomas was pleased to recommend Texstar’s solution to Städkonsult and RutAkut. – “Texstar are good at supporting us as a distributor, and they help us strengthen our business. There is wide demand for sustainable products, and Texstar has many interesting garments to offer in this regard. Another aspect of sustainability is transport, which can be reduced by sending everything from a single place. Customers value this,” Tomas concludes.
