The Future of Workwear
The world of workwear has been undergoing a major transformation in recent years. We talked about it with Rick Schurink - Commercial Director at Texet Workwear, one of the largest producers of workwear in Europe. Rick has been active in the industry for almost 14 years, 8 of which he has been working for Texet Workwear.
Have you seen the sector change in all that time?
The sector has certainly changed and is still changing. Where basic supply and quality used to be the standard, workwear has gained a lot of importance as part of a company's corporate identity. Things like fit, comfort and durability are much more important than before.
What are the main trends in workwear at the moment?
In our sector, we see a great demand for products that are very comfortable to wear. For example, you see a lot more products on the market that contain some degree of stretch. There is also a clear trend towards more sustainable materials. Today, we are certainly not 100% circular yet, but the right steps are being taken to make the textile chain more sustainable and to work towards 100% circular products.
What are the biggest challenges in the sector today?
As in many other industries, the textile sector also has its challenges in the supply chain. Apart from the ever-increasing shortage of transport from faraway countries, the enormously increased demand for raw materials is also creating scarcity on the world market. As a result, we are seeing delivery times soar. Many producers therefore look at nearshoring (production closer to home), but we also see a capacity problem arise there.
As Texet Workwear, you strongly believe in digitalization. What is your motivation?
Digitalization is the only way to keep growing in a sustainable way. Wage costs are rising continuously, and it is becoming more and more difficult to find new employees. Without digitalization, we cannot keep our service at the desired level and therefore cannot realize our ambitious growth. Digitizing your company also brings opportunities with it that would otherwise not have arisen. Think of a different interpretation of the daily activities. Repetitive work without much added value must be digitized, in order to deploy employees on matters that really contribute to the growth of the company. Moreover, in this way you also keep them motivated.
Digital size advice is another area where you want to digitize. What is your experience with this in the meantime?
The optimization of fitting processes has been a much-discussed topic in our sector for years. Certainly in larger projects, determining right sizes for all employees is an extremely time-consuming task, but one the importance of which should not be underestimated. Of course, every employee wants work clothing in which he or she can move easily in order to do the job optimally. In recent years, we have tested several initiatives to see if we can also digitize this step in the order process. But that is certainly not as simple as it seems. Every person has a different body, which means it is not an exact science. In addition, the wearer's personal preferences (such as clothing that is looser or tighter) play a major role in the choice of size. These are factors we have to deal with on a daily basis. With Shavatar, we have finally found a solution that we can fully support.
What is the added value of digital size advice in your sector?
The added value is really in the wearer's satisfaction. After all, if someone feels good in their company outfit, that contributes to employee satisfaction and therefore to the quality of their work. For our distributors, digital size advice can also save a lot of work - and therefore costs. The entire fitting process on site can be eliminated, as the employee can now easily take his measurements himself.
Is the concept of digital size advice already firmly established in your sector?
Digital size advice certainly has not yet. As with many new changes, it takes time. But it must also be said that you can never give a 100% guarantee in online size advice, which often contributes to the scepticism about it. You can present a 'technically correct size', but due to personal preferences of the wearer, it can still happen that he or she ultimately chooses a different size. Although this is kept to a minimum.
What do you dream of in your sector when it comes to innovation?
First of all, I dream of a completely closed circular chain. The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries. Making it 100% circular would have an enormous saving in environmental impact. It is nice to see that within Texet Workwear we are really taking the right steps towards 100% circularity. On the other hand, I think that we can still take some steps in the area of digitization as a sector. Think of accurate size advice and the digital presentation of collections to the end user.
Thanks for your contribution, Rick!
