Workwear is far more important to many workplaces than it gets credit for. It creates brand visibility and awareness, a sense of community, and perhaps most importantly, it can provide employees with the protection necessary to go about their jobs.
The workwear market is estimated to be worth $12.6Billion by the close-of-year 2022, with an expected growth projection to $42.7Billion worldwide by 2026. The growth is driven by increasing population figures and by growing demand for workwear from workers aged 20-35, the rising employment of women, and the modernizing transformation of workwear from conventional business suits to casual corporate wear. This offers lucrative opportunities for the market, however, ordering uniforms is often a hassle for businesses.
Companies spend hours taking measurements of employees before placing a large-scale order that is meant to hold them over for years. This approach isn’t business-forward or sustainable as it doesn’t consider business growth, replacement of garments, or changes in body size. By using social technologies, such as sizing tech, companies can raise productivity by 20-25% by eliminating time spent on repetitive tasks, like taking measurements. This translates to saving approximately 2.5 hours a day, according to Forbes.
Additionally, the pandemic has changed the acceptable standards in the way we do business, including how workwear and uniforms are fitted. Professional in-person measurements were replaced by employees attempting self-measurement, an approach that often results in faulty sizing and consequential costly alterations or returns for businesses.Total returns account for over $400 billion in lost sales for US retailers. The customer also pays as retailers spend as much as 66% of the price of a product to process a return.
Sizing technology is the answer, enabling customers to confidently take accurate professional measurements, even from the comfort of their own homes. With this information from the start, companies can place large orders without the hassle and worry about costly returns and alterations. Sizing technology also enables employers to respond effectively when items of workwear need replacing, or when a company grows. With a solution that enables employees to take their own measurements whenever is needed, uniform manufacturers are able to streamline their process, enabling employers to respond more flexibly when items of workwear need replacing or when a company grows.
Businesses and workwear manufacturers must find alternative solutions to succeed in this new post-pandemic environment. Sizing-tech tools are that solution. Read our E-Book to find out more.
