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| Issue date:01/04/2010 |
| ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel - Apr 2010 Issue |
| Source:Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel |
| by Adrian Wilson |
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| The broadly-defined market called "corporate wear" is currently worth in the region of US$10 billion in annual sales, of which "workwear" can be considered to constitute 45%, or $4.5 billion.This last figure assumes that there were around 215 million wearers of "workwear" clothing worldwide in 2009, each using an average of four separate garments – jackets, shirts, trousers or skirts – a year.Growth rates for the workwear market are above average, at a conservative estimate of around 4.5% per year. However, some analysts have put annual growth at above 8% – reflecting growing interest in Asia, although little or no growth is forecast for workwear in Europe and North America in the next five years. |
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| The market of workwear comprises ordinary and corporate uniform as well as protective clothing for different work environments (Photo: Schoeller) |
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Fragmented market
It is important, however, to define just what is included in the definition of this significant category for textiles.
In addition to workwear, the umbrella "corporate wear" also covers "technical wear" and protective clothing – which is required by law in some cases – in addition to what could be termed "career wear".
Basically, in the broader sense, we are talking about everything from the expensive suits worn by bankers to essential protective uniforms worn by those in the emergency services.
With such a vast spectrum, clothing at work obviously represents an enormous market, but to complicate matters further, in recent years there has been a blurring of the differences which once existed between these various categories of clothing for work.
This stems partly from innovations in technical fabrics and partly from the influences of fashion and image.
Technical fabrics are now used in a wide range of garments and are not limited to the protective categories, for instance, while the focus on image and fashion in career wear has also infiltrated the basic workwear market.
Nevertheless, as many as half of all people working in the USA, for example, are said to wear clothing provided by their employers at work – although penetration rates are not yet as high in Europe or elsewhere.
Perhaps the best definition of what constitutes workwear should be broken down into three categories:
• Ordinary or basic workwear. Overalls, shirts, trousers and hospital clothing, generally made of fabrics similar to those used in fashion garments. This type of workwear is functional, durable and cheap.
• Corporate wear made from ordinary fabrics, but with an emphasis on design and colour. This category covers uniforms for the private and public sectors
• Technical or protective workwear. Garments made of special fabrics, or ordinary fabrics which have been treated to make them fit for a special purpose. Examples include garments which provide protection from acid, water, bullets, heat or chemicals. Within this category is the high added value market for PPE (Personal Protection Equipment), of which more, later.
In terms of suppliers, the market is highly fragmented. It is served by many specialist national companies and there are few regional or global players.
To some extent, this has suited the nature of the business in the past, because local suppliers tend to be especially responsive to the needs of local buyers.
Such a structure reflects the fact that companies and the public sector tend to buy their garments from local or national suppliers, mainly because they are able to meet the need for short delivery times and can customise garments so that they comply with specifications demanded by the buyer. Such specifications may also require the manufacturer to tailor a range of clothing not just in terms of logos, colours, designs, fabrics and quality of fabrics, but also in accordance with the precise measurements of the wearers.
Some of the larger suppliers are garment rental and laundry companies which provide garments and cleaning services. The largest buyers, however, are companies that do not manufacture garments themselves. Other large customers include public authorities.
Within the mature markets of Western Europe and the USA, growth sectors include protective wear –which is being driven predominantly by legislation – and career wear, which is being fuelled by a desire to present a good corporate image. By contrast, the workwear market is stagnant or in decline, in line with the demise of heavy industry in these regions.
The biggest opportunities for clothing at work lie in the developing world. Most of the future growth in this market will come from the take up of workwear, and eventually career wear, in Asia.
Enlarging market of protective wear
Big opportunities, however, are to be found within the protective clothing market, which falls under another general term of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The global market for PPE is estimated at around US$12 billion, according to Dr Brian Balmer of Frost & Sullivan, a research consultancy which conducts regular surveys of the PPE market.
Dr Balmer also estimates that protective clothing represents around 20% of this total – or US$2.4 billion, or half of the total market for the broadly-defined corporate wear sector.
In terms of geographical breakdown, Europe and the USA alone account for 80% of the global market for PPE.
Factors driving sales of PPE include:
• The size of the labour force in industries requiring PPE
• Legislation in respect of PPE and the enforcement of such laws
• Heightened concerns over safety
• Technical innovation.
Globally, the number of workers requiring protection is growing – but not in the USA and Western Europe where numbers are generally declining. Hot spots for sales of PPE are in Eastern Europe and Asia where the number of workers requiring it are growing in response to exponential increases in the size of some industrial sectors.
However, legislation is the biggest driver of PPE sales, and in the USA and Western Europe stringent legislation is reinforced by effective policing. Enforcement in the USA is considered by Dr Balmer to be the strictest in the world.
"Those who fail to comply face fines and bad publicity – all of which serves to ensure that the majority of companies continue to monitor and update their own PPE requirements," he says.
China's enormous workforce, meanwhile, offers huge potential for the PPE market.
The country is swiftly catching up with other countries, and is developing standards and a cohesive regulatory framework for employee health and safety. As it does so, its PPE market will grow.
For its part, China is working with other countries, including those in the EU, to develop internationally acceptable standards. As the US organisation ISEA (International Safety Equipment Association) sees it: "The nations of the European Community clearly understand the market potential and advantages that would come with adoption of their standards, and are aggressively wooing the Chinese government."
China is also a major manufacturer of PPE in its own right, and distributes its products worldwide.
Added pressure is being brought to bear by Western companies using manufacturing facilities in developing countries, including China. The onus here is on the Western company to ensure that its own standards of health and safety are met. Many large Western companies have well-documented codes of ethical practice covering labour issues, including the health and safety of employees.
In addition to legislation, sales of PPE are also being driven by additional safety concerns – especially among the emergency services. Ambulance crews in some European countries, for example, are now being routinely issued with ballistic protection or stab-proof clothing.
Similarly, the increasing use of automatic weapons is forcing police forces to provide officers with protective body armour.
Again, the supply of PPE apparel is fragmented. In this sector there are few global or regional suppliers and there are many locally based firms.
According to Dr Balmer, the current innovative trends in PPE are being driven by fabric suppliers rather than those who supply the finished product.
He recognises two key trends. The first is for more multi-functional clothing or items of PPE. Such items are designed to meet the requirements of more than one safety-related standard – for example, a high visibility jacket, which is also compliant with weather protection standards or a fire and chemical protective suit.
The second key trend is an increasing focus on comfort and wearability. PPE must not only meet standards of protection but must also be comfortable to wear and to work in. An example of this is the increasing number of PPE garments, which are breathable, reducing the discomfort of perspiration.
Given the importance that PPE has in meeting standards, it is, unsurprisingly, not cheap. But while companies may balk at the cost of PPE, they would do well to consider that there are cost benefits too. Protection of the health and safety of employees plays an important part in reducing the number of work-related injuries or illnesses and their associated costs.
Latest technologies for workwear
Two recent exhibitions in Europe illustrated the wide range of demands on clothing for different working environments – from office comfort through to extreme protection.
At the 25th Milipol exhibition, held in Paris in November 2009, workwear and protective clothing for the military and security sectors was extensively showcased.
Among key introductions at this show were new TenCate Defender M fabrics. As a result of a new combination of fibres and a new dyeing method, these are now available in navy blue and black and can be used in the protective clothing of special police units, such as riot police and arrest squads. In addition to their inherently heat and flame-resistant characteristics, the fabrics from the TenCate Defender M collection provide a great deal of comfort – as is proven by substantial repeat orders from the US military.
"The products from the Defender M collection are extremely strong and durable," said Robert Brinks, business development manager at TenCate Protective Fabrics. "Inherently flame-resistant, they provide the greatest possible protection against a flashover. The fabric is cooling, breathable and extremely comfortable, thanks to the high percentage of Lenzing FR fibres it contains. A number of armies and police forces in Europe are currently showing interest in these fabrics and various wearer trials have already been started."
A second recent European event, the A+A show for safety, health and security at work, held in Düsseldorf, Germany, featured developments in the more general workwear and uniform sector.
The show attracted some 55,800 visitors over its four-day run – up from 55,200 on the last event in 2007 – and over 5,000 companies exhibited, including virtually all of the leading fibre, fabrics and garment producers supplying the protective clothing and workwear markets.
The emphasis at A+A was very much on fibre properties, and both Lauffenmühle of Germany and Indonesia's Argo Workwear, for instance, introduced new fabric ranges featuring Dow XLA fibre.
Billed as the only olefin-based stretch fibre, XLA can add value to uniforms and other garments with its soft stretch for comfort, unrestricted movement and inherent resistance to high temperatures and harsh chemicals used in typical industrial laundering.
TenCate Defender M fabrics: military wear that resists heat and flame |
Austria's Lenzing pointed out it was the only fibre manufacturer at the A+A show displaying products from a renewable raw material for professional and protective clothing.
Flame-resistant Lenzing FR is a skin-friendly protective fibre employed in many professional applications as an optimum protection against different sources of heat. Its good moisture transportation also reduces the risk from life-threatening heat strokes.
Lenzing's Tencel, meanwhile, is increasingly finding applications in areas such as corporate fashion, professional clothing and service sector uniforms. Reduced bacterial growth, good skin-sensory properties and an excellent moisture management ensure an optimum wear comfort.
Membrane specialist Gore also exhibited a wool suit with a Windstopper membrane liner which weighs just 85gsm, making it no heavier than a standard suit lining fabric. It is aimed at the many people whose work requires being both inside and outdoors at different times of the day.
These were just a few examples that illustrate the vast potential that exists in examining the "corporate wear" sector.
The textile market for military purposes is believed to be positive as the Asian countries are getting economically stronger. The Indian military forces announced in 2009 a plan to add some 1.5 million defense and 1.2 million paramilitary personnel. In a study conducted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) after consulting with the Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) of India, the FICCI said that many materials currently in use were outdated and should be immediately upgraded. The Indian industry chamber hoped the government would leverage strengths of the domestic textile industry rather than depending on imports. The industry chamber, estimating that the potential market for textiles in Indian defense was approximately Rs 2,000 crore.
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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