CWB Schoolwear

March/April 2014 39�

40:News

43:Going the extra milePlans for school bag supplier Marathonas the company celebrates 25 years in business.

46:Play to your strengthsSchoolwear independent Brenda’s onrestructuring the business to pave theway for future growth

Also, don’t miss:

12:Open for BusinessLegal and business advice plusindustry opinion

24:The reality of UK manufactureFindings from the recent ASBCI conference

CHARLES KIRK

The Schoolwear Show Limited is the new, simplercompany name for the organiser of TheSchoolwear Show, formerly known as Force 12.

In line with the new company name, there isa new logo, and general enquiries should now bedirected to [email protected].

The Schoolwear Show, which is selling wellin advance of the 2014 edition on 12-14 October2014 at Cranmore Park, Solihull, will soon beopen for visitor online registration atwww.theschoolwearshow.co.uk.

March/April 201440 �

Keynote speaker and digital commerce expertWarren Knight is encouraging independentretailers to explore the “underpublicised reservesof knowledge and cash” that he says are availablefor SMEs.

Knight, whose own businesses havebenefitted from assisted funding – one receiving£150,000 SEIS investment and a secondlaunched with a £5,000 Start Up Loan – admitsbanks are reluctant to pay out, and advises SMEsto look at forms of asset-based finance.

“Around 336,000 of UK SMEs applied forbank loans between Q3 2011 and Q2 2012, and23 per cent of these were rejected. However, withall these government-run initiatives available, youas a business owner can get the funding andinvestment you need to grow your business,” he says.

Independent retailers can, for instance,apply for a Growth Accelerator loan and match-funding of £2,000, a Start Up Loan of upto £15,000 and, with the Seed EnterpriseInvestment Scheme, they can receive £150,000from angel investors.

School uniform and its links with behaviour anddiscipline will be under scrutiny as the chiefinspector of Ofsted launches a rollingprogramme of unannounced visits to schools where standards of behaviour are cause for concern.

Tackling what Ofsted describes as “a culture of casual acceptance” of low-leveldisruption in schools, the visits will be on thebasis of parental concerns and evidencegathered from previous inspections. The visitswill look at a wide range of evidence to reach ajudgement on the standards of behaviour,including an assessment of the culture of theschool and observing pupils’ behaviour in theclassroom, between lessons, during breaks andafter school.

Specialist schoolwear provider Trutex haslaunched an information video on YouTube toillustrate how it has gained carbon neutral status.

The video explains the process involved,from the extensive auditing program undertakenby The Carbon Footprint Ltd in line withISO14064 and the Greenhouse Gas Protocolthrough to Trutex’s investment in a VerifiedCarbon Standard (VCS) project to offset its emissions.

It also highlights other eco-friendly factsabout the company, such as only using paperfrom sustainable forests for its brochures andliterature, resulting in 1,453m of forest preservedsince 2011.

Blue Max Banner has pledged its support to agroup of schoolchildren who performed in aconcert at the Royal Albert Hall earlier this month,celebrating 30 years of music making.

The supplier’s support comes in the form ofprinted Champion T-shirts, which have beendonated to the Berkshire Maestros, a charitydedicated to the support and development ofyoung musicians throughout Berkshire.

Over 1,800 children from 63 Berkshireschools – primary, secondary and special – tookto the stage wearing the donated T-shirts at the Royal Albert Hall.

“Not only is it wonderful to be able to helpwith such a worthy cause, but an event of thismagnitude and prestige offers a fantasticplatform for us to showcase the possibilities ofthe Blue Max Banner business,” says Blue MaxBanner MD Nigel Plenderleith.


Independent retailers face fiercecompetition from big chains all year roundbut, of course, for school uniformspecialists, the heat gets turned up everysummer. Claims that school uniform isexpensive get blown out of proportion andplay into the hands of the big stores, whooften only stock school uniform for aroundsix weeks or so per year, and who areunable to provide the specialist serviceindependents offer or stock all sizes and allcolours of uniform all year around. Thisyear, the Schoolwear Association is againcampaigning to put the facts straight.

Hard-pressed parents can easily beswayed by chain-store offers of lossleading, cheap uniform. Meanwhile,schools with a sole supplier relationshipface pressure to provide more than onesupplier. Of course, this is bad news forindependents, but it is also bad for schoolsand parents who often find themselvescaught between two suppliers. A solesupplier has to have the commitment toclothe every child in the school – whatevertheir needs. When there are severalsuppliers, they all have to guess what stockto carry and some children can “slipthrough the cracks” when availability canbecome an issue.

The Schoolwear Association promotesthat a quality uniform that is specific to aschool has numerous benefits for parents,schools and students. It may cost a littlemore than “cheap grey wear”, but theAssociation maintains it is money wellspent. So its message to parents is this,“Your child is worth it.”

The Schoolwear Association representsall those involved in the supply of school-specific uniform, including retailers,direct-to-school suppliers, manufacturers,distributors, wholesalers, suppliers,decorators, agents and schools. Its role is topromote the benefits of school-specificuniform to schools, parents and students. Itbelieves that a distinctive uniform aids a child’s sense of belonging, and is good for security in and out of school, and its research shows that parents andteachers agree.

SCHOOLWEARASSOCIATIONINITIATIVES FOR 2014:

Study showsschool uniform is affordable The Associationinvestigateduniform at topstate schools inEngland anddiscovered that allof the top 20schools have auniform, and the cost of a complete daywearoutfit ranges from £34.99 to £126.20. TheSchoolwear Association will use this researchto back up its case that school uniform isreasonably priced and strongly associated withgood education.

Regular communications The Schoolwear Association endeavours tosend email communications on issuespertaining to the industry. Regular fact sheetsand press information is available to allmembers, with the Association also keeping apress-cutting service to ensure it can keepmembers updated.

Talk to the head teacher The Schoolwear Association sends out regularcommunications to head teachers to provideadvice on subjects such as how to specifyuniform and to protect their school badgesfrom copyright infringement. It also helpsthem to build the case with parents for good-quality schoolwear with a series of fact sheets.

Video The Association’s YouTube video, whichalready has more than 500 views, showsparents discussing the benefits of schooluniform and debating their preference forschool-specific uniform over “grey wear”. The video can be viewed atyoutube.com/watch?v=8gp-6xOPc3A.

Working with the media The Schoolwear Association is invitingbloggers and regional journalists to aninformative participatory event to show theeffort that goes into creating quality schooluniform – from fibre and fabric to garmentdelivery. This is just one of a whole host ofmedia relations initiatives under way, set toraise the profile of the Association andpresent its argument to millions of newspaperand magazine readers, digital media users,and broadcast viewers and listeners. In thepast 12 months, the Association has beenfeatured on Simon Mayo’s BBC Radio 2Drivetime show, in The Independent andMetro, and in At Home and Reveal magazines.

Getting involvedThe Association is also appealing formembers to join its regular meetings, whichare run by its volunteer executives from acrossthe industry. Regional meetings are plannedfor this year, alongside the Association’sannual fundraising evening – taking place onMonday 13 October – which coincides withThe Schoolwear Show, with the fundraisertaking place in close proximity to theexhibition’s venue.

If you have not yet joined the SchoolwearAssociation, your support would be valued.The Association is run by its members for itsmembers. Established in 2006, it now haswell over 200 members, representing all areasof the UK school-specific uniform trade.Member benefits include free media support,advice and fact sheets. Find out more atwww.schoolwearassociation.co.uk.

Connect with the Schoolwear Association:Facebook – www.facebook.com/SchoolwearAssociation Twitter – @SAschoolwear


When it comes to school uniform andaccessories, products have to be of highquality if they are to withstand the daily rigoursplaced on them by pupils. Additionally, withthe Prime Minister’s former policy chief PaulKirby’s proposal for the General Election in2015 that “from September 2016 all state-funded schools will, by law, provide 45hours of education per week for 45 weeks ofthe year”, children could, potentially, beputting their school uniform through evenmore wear and tear. This would bring the

issue of quality schoolwear even further to thefore and, subsequently, for suppliers of schoolbags, longer school days would see studentscarrying more belongings for longer lengthsof time, seeing the need for quality,comfortable and back-healthy school bagsneeded more than ever before.

Even without the added hours of the proposedextending school days, I myself can vividlyremember struggling at secondary school witha bag full of heavy books and the back pain

that followed from carrying them daily.Nowadays, however, there are bags on themarket that ensure back pain doesn’t need tobe part of a school child’s daily life, with onesuch supplier being Marathon.

Marathon has been supplying schoolbags tothousands of schools in the UK for 25 years,providing a wide range of durable productsthat are both comfortable and practical to useas well as gentle on growing bodies. Thecompany was established in Staines in 1989,

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founded by an Australian family that alsoowned Spartan, a leading school bag supplierin Australia. As the business grew, it movedfrom Staines, first to Chertsey and then toWeybridge, where it has remained at itscurrent, purpose-built factory in Brooklands,since December 2008.

In September 2013, the company was boughtby Surrey couple Janet and Sean Fay, whowere more than familiar with the Marathonbrand, having been loyal customers of itsproducts for many years. The addition of theFays sees new blood brought to the business,complemented by the strong foundation of theexisting management team, which continuesto run the company, headed by Nina Cassidywho, together with other key team members,has been managing the firm since 2009.

Much has happened since the launch in 1989,with the business evolving considerably overthe years. In terms of product, Marathondesigns its own, made exclusively by thecompany’s factories and printed at its facilityin Weybridge. The product offer, which coversschool bags and also accessories such ashats, pencil cases, water bottles and artsmocks, is broad. It offers two ranges ofschool bags – The Performance Range andThe Attitude Range – both of whichencompass the full spectrum of school bagrequirements, from nursery through to sixthform students, including back packs, bookbags and sports bags. The PerformanceRange, as the name suggests, is Marathon’spremium line of bags, all designed withperformance in mind in terms of quality,durability, design features and aesthetics. TheAttitude Range, meanwhile, caters for themore budget conscious, but maintains thesupplier’s standards in terms of quality,manufacture and design.

With regards to the aforementioned features,ergonomic design is key, with all Marathon’sproducts ergonomically created followingyears of research in association with leadingacademic, chiropractic and physiotherapyinstitutions. The product offer also includestwo bags endorsed on the UK market to helpsupport children’s backs and minimise backproblems. The ChiroPak is proven to reducethe incidence and severity of neck and backpain associated with the carriage of heavyloads such as school books and laptops,therefore best suited to teenagers, and isendorsed by the Chiropractors Association ofAustralia (CAA). The design of the bag wasdeveloped hand-in-hand with the CAA,Macquarie University, and Spartan/Marathon.Research by the University proved that wearingthe bag correctly reduces the incidences andseverity of neck and back pain, with the CAAendorsing the bag on this basis. ThePhysioPak III, meanwhile, caters for youngerchildren and is proven to minimise harmfulpostural response and significantly reducesassociated back pain, neck pain and minorspinal injury. It is endorsed by the AustralianPhysiotherapy Association (APA), and wasdesigned jointly with the APA and theUniversity of South Australia.

Other core products, alongside the endorsedbags, include the LitePak, a backpack with anergonomic design that shares many of thesame back-care features of the ChiroPak andPhysioPak III, and is available in threedifferent sizes and multiple colours. Thesupplier’s signature sports bag – theOlympic – is another bestseller, offering aclassic design tailored to accommodate sportskits but still fits into school lockers. Key styleswithin the accessory bags are the Book Folio

and Marathon’s boot/swim bag.

Another USP of Marathon is its warranty – thesupplier offers either a three-year or one-yearwarranty against faulty workmanship on all ofits non-accessory bags. It also holds stock inits Surrey warehouse, prints to order on-site –keeping the delivery time from order todelivery as short as possible – and offers in-house artwork design and printing,including screen printing, heat transfer and embroidery.

Although the schools sector is a marketplacewith which the business is more than familiar,with Marathon building up a loyal customerbase over the years, the company made thedecision to make its Schoolwear Show debutin October 2013. This was part of a marketingand brand awareness activity, with the exerciseallowing the business to successfully marketthe Marathon brand more widely.

Going forward, in addition to several productupgrades and improvements scheduled forlater in the year, the company aims to continuegrowing and expanding its customer base,product range, and broadening the recognitionof the Marathon brand while remaining a UK,family owned and run business. Part of itsstrategy includes launching a new website,with Marathon having appointed a webdesigner, which it is currently working with torefine specifications. The supplier’s intentionand brief is that the new website will bedynamic and relevant to the brand, providingcustomers with a much more user-friendlytool, with the first phase of the relaunchscheduled for spring. Additionally, Marathonwill be working on marketing activities, events, and offers throughout the year to mark its quarter-century anniversary, so watchthis space...

MARATHONCIRCA 1990

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BACK TO SCHOOL


Established in 1949, Brenda’s Schoolwear is awell-rooted independent retailer in Surrey,servicing the North-East Hampshire, Surrey,and Berkshire borders. Over the last 10 years,it has cultivated its stock to give parents thecomplete school offering of uniform, footwear,coats, bags, stationery, sports accessories anditems for other extra-curricular activities,which it provided until January 2014, via twoshops based in Farnborough and Camberley.

Like any savvy independent retailer, themanagement behind Brenda’s Schoolwear isconstantly working on moving the businessforward. Over recent years, the main focus fordevelopment has been centred on its retailoutlets, namely attempts to relocate theFarnborough store to larger premises. Despiteyears of hunting, however, the search for asuitable property proved fruitless so, inJanuary 2013, the business went back to thedrawing board. Possibilities for the future ofthe retailer were dissected, a number ofpotential properties located betweenFarnborough and Camberley were assessed,as was the possibility of moving both shopsinto one, larger store. Nevertheless, aftermuch deliberation and years of research,Brenda’s Schoolwear management came tothe conclusion that they already had what theywere looking for.

“What made most sense to us was just tomerge the Farnborough shop into our muchlarger, already existing Camberley store,” says Steve Optix, a partner at Brenda’sSchoolwear. “The plan was always to openfurther stores in surrounding areas, but itbecame obvious that this could easily be theundoing of the business.”

By reinventing its existing business andmerging the two stores, Brenda’s Schoolwearhas achieved the development it has soughtfor years, without the risk of raised overheadsand massive investment. Housing one unitedteam of staff, the newly improved Camberley

shop has been refreshed with extra tills andcounters to enable pay points on both of itsfloors as well as additional changing roomfacilities and seating to accommodate theextra business during peak selling periods.

As well as the recent change to its retailstructure, at Optix’s own admittance, thewhole business dynamic of Brenda’sSchoolwear has altered massively over theyears. A business model that worked in 1949,for instance, is going to be very different tothe one required to run a successfulindependent schoolwear business today.

“Epos systems have economised thestock holding side of things, creating lessunnecessary overspend and having moreconsistent stock levels,” he says. “Barcodeshave made the service flow of customers moreefficient, increased till points and havereduced bottle necks during peak seasons.And, as uniforms have become moreelaborate over the years, it has certainly beento our benefit that many schools feel they canno longer cope with holding their own stock,projecting ordering and dealing with sales andcash handling, and so are passing thebusiness on to experienced companies suchas ours to deal with.”

Online is another factor that Optixhighlights as contributing to changes in thebusiness model of selling schoolwear today.For Brenda’s Schoolwear, its online presenceis key, to the extent that the retailer nowconsiders the store as much a shop front forthe online operation. Optix’s view is balancedwhen it comes to the selling of schoolwearonline and, while he admits the e-commerceside of the business does take some footfallaway from the bricks-and-mortar store, it alsoenables him to suggest products and add-onsto customers purchasing online, much in thesame way as staff would in his physical store.

With its proactive approach to commerce,Brenda’s Schoolwear employs every available

opportunity to develop its business. It is astrong supporter and participator ofcommunity events and heavily utilises socialmedia. The latter being something Optixnotes as a “huge aspect” of the business, withcustomers and schools able to find thebusiness on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Flickrand Wordpress, where Optix has his own blog,The Life and Times of an IndependentSchoolwear Retailer.

“We try to operate with maximumtransparency to our schools and customersand, as well as obvious messages, we cancommunicate via these [social media]mediums,” he says. “It helps customers tounderstand our business and some of theissues we face.”

As well as the underlying aim of continuingto solidify its market position and grow at amanageable rate, Brenda’s Schoolwear’spursuit to remain ahead of current in-storeand online retail trends continues. Optix, forinstance, is looking into the possibilities ofintroducing in-store iPad ordering and stock-checking points, as well as furtherdeveloping the online service to create a moreintuitive shopping experience for customers.

While Brenda’s Schoolwear may havechanged and evolved in many ways over theyears, one element that remains steadfast isthe retailer’s mission statement – “To deliverquality schoolwear and associated product at areasonable price in a friendly and well-stockedstore.” Its three main facets – quality, serviceand price – remain the number-one focus.

“Our short-term aims are to continue toconstantly tweak and fine-tune our operationsto become as dynamic and efficient aspossible,” says Optix. “This is something thathas been an ongoing undertaking for the last10 years so, ultimately, short-term aims are abig part of our long-term aims.

March/April 2014 47� � �

0: 1 + in the Family, 0034 600420873, www.onemoreinthefamily.com • 1 Two Kids, 01383 735134, www.1two.co.ukA: Amy & Ivor, www.amyandivor.com • Angulus, 020 8987 8313,www.angulus.dk • ASBCI, 01422 354666, www.asbci.co.uk • Attic, 01202 669201, www.attic-textiles.com • Ava & Luc, www.avaandluc.comB: Bamboo Baby, 07771 933045, www.wholesale-baby-clothes.co.uk •Barbour, 07725 596659, www.barbour.cm • BbK, 07909 900700 • BeauLoves, 07903 949650, www.beauloves.co.uk • Bejaks, 020 7666 3210,www.bejaks.com • Belle & Boo, 0117 924 6382, www.belleandboo.com •Bobux, 07808 730176, www.bobux.com • Bogs, 0800 032 3505,www.bogs.com • Bonnie Baby, 01273 227779, www.bonniebaby.co.uk. •Bundgaard, 020 8567 2384 • Butler, 01604 876800, www.butlerboot.comC: Camper, 020 7313 7510 • Chapter 2, 07855 750277,www.chapter2kids.com • Chipmunks, 01925 710110,www.chipmunksfootwear.co.ukD: David Charles, www.davidcharleschildrenswear.com • Didriksons, 01275390451, www.didriksons.com • Diesel, www.dieselkid.com • Dr Martens,01933 663281, www.drmartens.comE: Emel Shoes, 07788 628949, www.emelshoes.com • EMU, 020 77132080, www.emuaustralia.comF: Fendi Kid, 0039 07312301, www.simonetta.it • Froddo, 07796 766669,www.froddo.net • Frugi, 01326 572828, www.frugiwholesale.comG: Garvalin, 07822 937370, www.garvalin.com • GBB, 07834 862770,www.wingategb.co.ukH: Hengst, 01785 662102, www.hengstfootwear.com • Hilda.Henri, 00436602954590, www.hildahenri.com • Holly & Beau, 01328 830820,www.hollyandbeau.com • Hug and Hatch, 01306 877665,www.heritage.comI: Ima, 0034 958794469, www.imaforkids.com • Izzy Melody, 07528794496, www.izzymelody.co.ukJ: Joules, 01858 435261, www.joules.comK: Kozangian, 07462 400412, www.kozangian.comL: Lazy Francis, 07525 936058, www.lazyfrancis.com • Lea Lelo, 07761437793 • Lilly + Sid, 01788 332278, www.lillyandsid.com • Little GreenRadicals, 020 7733 6402, www.littlegreenradicals.co.uk • Little Remix,020 7148 6394, www.designersremix.com • Love Keep Create LoveFrankie, 07940 421812, www.lovefrankie.com • Lucypeachslice, 07798771739, www.lucypeachslice.com • Luluzulu, 01890 771298,www.luluzulu.comM:Marathon School Supplies, 01932 359188, www.marathonss.com • Me Too, 0045 76412900, www.metoo.dk • Mini A Ture, 020 7348 7316,www.solobi.co.uk • Molo, 020 7250 0569, www.molo-kids.com •Mousehouse, 01606 868000, www.mousehousegifts.co.ukN: Nixie Clothing,www.nixieclothing.comP: Pediped, 07703 856072, www.pediped.com • Picaloulou, 01208814392, www.picaloulou.com • Pineapple, 01992 769612,www.pineapplefootwear.com • Pippo, 0191 246 1474,www.pippofootwear.com • Piupiuchick, 0035 1220933761,www.piupiuchick.com • PL Child, 020 7034 0035, www.pinklining.co.uk •Pod, 01234 240440, www.pod-footwear.com • Primigi, 020 8567 2384,www.primigi.comR: Raspberry Plum, 07516 920347, www.raspberryplum.com • Ricosta,0116 259 7427, www.ricosta.comS: Shepherd of Sweden, 01455 891711, www.shepherd.nu • Silly U,Simonetta, 0039 07312301, www.simonetta.it • Skechers, 01707 655955,www.skechers.co.uk • Snoozy, 0046 730492155, www.snoozy.com • Sorel,07814 976777, www.sorelfootwear.co.uk • Superfit, 07775 995547,www.superfit.atT: Tootsa MacGinty, www.tootsamacginty.com • Tour of Glastonbury, 01934733700, www.tourofglastonbury.com • Travis Designs, 01442 289898,www.travis.co.ukV: Valeria Couture, 0034 617412378, www.valeria-couture.comW:Wild Things Funky Little Dresses, 01254 830735,www.wildthingsdresses.comY: Young Soles, 07515 369391, www.youngsoles.co.uk

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Laura Turner: What is the ethos behindTootsa MacGinty? Kate Pietrasik: I have very strong opinionsabout how we dress our boys and girls, andthose opinions are paramount to TootsaMacGinty’s design philosophy. Clothing forchildren, I believe, ought to be made forsturdier purposes than the changingvagarities of fashion. I also believe genderstereotypes have a harmful effect; boys areencouraged to be aggressive and active, whilstgirls are expected to play a more passive role,with much emphasis placed on beauty andtheir looks. As a result, as well as being verystylish, the collections are always genderneutral – or unisex – hardwearing andcolourful. Additionally, due to the concerns Ihave about mass-produced throwawayfashions, it is important that the clothes Imake have more than one life, so they arealways designed and built to be handed on toyounger siblings or friends.

LT: What inspired you to launch achildrenswear brand in the first place? KP: It’s a cliché, but becoming a parent.Shortly after having my daughter I movedback to London after living overseas since mylate teens. When shopping for her, I wasshocked by the stark gendering of clothingand toys for children on the UK high street, soI set about creating an alternative.

LT: What was your background prior tolaunching Tootsa MacGinty?KP: I previously worked as a womensweardesigner; mainly for sport and streetwearbrands. The experience I gained then hasbeen invaluable to my own business. I use thesame factories and suppliers for TootsaMacGinty that I worked with at some of theworld’s top streetwear brands, for instance.

LT: How would you sum up Tootsa MacGinty’soffer?KP: Each collection is quite wide ranging, andpredominantly knitwear, jerseywear, denimand outerwear styles. Almost immediately itbecame evident there was a real appetite forour colourful knitwear, and so these machinewashable knitted jumpers quickly became oursignature piece. Initially, we started outdesigning for pre-school children, but now thecollections is available up to eight years. Also,having heard “I wish that came in my size” so

often, we have also developed a limitededition, adult-sized version of our bestsellingjumper.

LT: Do your own children inspire your work?KP: Absolutely! It was my desire to give mydaughter a childhood free from restrictionsthat gave me the initial idea to begin a unisexchildrenswear label. She now road-tests manyof my designs and, needless to say, firstprototypes are always in her size.

LT: What is your favourite Tootsa MacGintypiece to date?KP: Our best selling jacquard knit fox jumper,which has taken on a few differentreincarnations over the seasons. The fox woreits own Christmas jumper last winter, and isseen wearing an iconic “I love NY” T-shirt for our s/s 14 collection entitled Summer inthe City.

LT: Which other childrenswearbrands do you admire?KP: Any that don’t conform togender stereotypes and offergood quality, stylish design; PetitBateau, Imps and Elfs,Munster Kids and Mini Rodini,to name a few.

LT: What are the plans forTootsa MacGinty?KP: We are alwaysbrainstorming ideas for thefuture. I recently got quiteanimated about thepossibility of tacklinghomeware, and I’d quite liketo have a go at designing acollection for the challenging“tween” market. I’ve alsojust begun working with salesagents, so I am excited by theprospect of reaching a wideraudience with increased sales.

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