Back to school...and work

How many workers in the US wear a uniform to work every day? Depends on how you define a uniform. There are certain occupations (police officer, fire fighter, pilot, etc) that require a uniform - identifiable and counted by census reports. Other segments considered part of the uniform market have exploded and are not as easy to quantify. For example, uniform dealers now sell promotional products, corporate logo'd apparel and school uniforms.

According to estimates, one-fourth of employees in the US wear a uniform of some type.

US manufacturing base

The number of manufacturers serving the market is a variable based on changing uniform specifications and career apparel fashions. Many firms have serviced the industry for decades, while others enter and exit as clothing styles for the workplace evolve. 'Made To Measure', by database projection and from general industry analysis, estimates the number of suppliers serving the uniform industry to be between 700 and 1,200 manufacturers.

The US census survey of manufacturers figures below include those manufacturers exclusively devoted to uniforms and career apparel as well as others who market a portion of their production to the industry.

School uniform sales are climbing in the US

According to leading marketing information provider The NPD Group, Inc., school uniform sales are rising by almost 18-20 per cent in the US. An NPD school uniform report, an analysis of more than 9,000 respondents, reveals uniform sales have captured a significant share of the childrenswear apparel market and now represent five per cent of this US$ 20.4 billion industry.

This boost in sales can be attributed to more schools implementing school uniform polices. Uniform requirements for children in kindergarten through eighth grade are more prevalent than ever before in public schools. Fourteen per cent of NPD's respondents with children in elementary and middle schools said they have at least one child who is required to wear a uniform. As requirements for school uniforms increase, so will consumers who make uniform item purchases.

"People make school uniform purchases throughout the year," said Ms Robyn Teplansky, NPD childrenswear account executive. "It's very important to consumers that stores remain well stocked with school uniform items and that retailers offer the quality of merchandise that consumers desire," said Ms Teplansky. When making a school uniform purchase, consumers have clearly stated that fit, size availability and durability are highest in importance. Approximately nine in every ten consumers feel these qualities are priority when selecting uniform apparel. The firm's data reveal these factors rate even higher than price when consumers are deciding which items to buy.

Ten most important attributes when purchasing school uniform items

• Fit 91%
• Size availability 90%
• Durability 89%
• Quality 86%
• Ease of Care 85%
• Comfort 85%
• Color availability 81%
• Color retention after washing 80%
• Price 77%
• School required 72%

Nevertheless, saving money is a priority to parents when making an apparel selection for their children. Although price is not as high as other factors in determining which items to buy once the consumer is in a store, price is the main reason given for deciding where to shop for school uniform items. Mirroring the total apparel market, NPD data show that across all channels of distribution, mass merchants, specialty stores, and national chains are capturing the largest share of the uniform dollar.

Top five reasons for deciding to shop at store for school uniform items

• Price 51%
• Recommended by the School 25%
• Brand carried by retailer 10%
• Recommendation of other parents 5%
• Local school/retailer discount 4%

"Good selection, value and comfort are key to school uniform shoppers," said Ms Teplansky. "Retailers and manufacturers must convince consumers that their stores and products provide these basic attributes. Manufacturers that can conquer these issues will have the potential for a huge success in the school uniform market," she concludes.

The European workwear market

The European workwear market is both large and mature, especially in Northern Europe, and total sales are moving forward only very gradually. From a user base of over 50 million in 2001, the market was worth US$ 3.59 billion, the equivalent of 306.2 million pieces.

Frost and Sullivan expect the market to achieve compound annual growth of 2.5 per cent between 2001 and 2008, which will take revenues to US$ 4.27 billion by 2008.

In such a market it is difficult to see how the present 650 European suppliers can all survive, according to the research firm. "It is certainly true to say that suppliers to the workwear market in Europe have had to overcome numerous challenges in the recent past in order to stay competitive in what remains a very crowded marketplace," according to the firm.

Not least among these challenges has been the rise in imports of working clothes from countries that command significantly lower operational costs. The end result of this has been the influx of clothes on the European market at a price that cannot be matched by Western suppliers. The availability of low cost clothing in Europe was the challenge that was most commonly identified by suppliers interviewed for the report. Frost and Sullivan has identified two principal means of surmounting this problem:

The relocation of garment manufacturing facilities to low-cost countries, and the upgrading of product offerings to justify higher prices.

According to them, only those companies who adopt a strategic marketing policy of aggressive expansion will survive and begin to dominate this fragmented marketplace.