ImagesMagUK_November_2020

www.images-magazine.com 42 images NOVEMBER 2020 MARKET INTELLIGENCE in a rainbow of colours have fulfilled so many colour requirements of all industries during this time,” reports David. He notes that the new junior version of the enhanced tabard, the R200JEV, has also taken off with schools using the different colours to separate classes as well as teams. The three core styles at Pro RTX High Visibility – the RX700 Waistcoat, the RX710 HV Polo and the RX720 HV Images talks to four brands about how the target market for hi-vis has expanded during the pandemic, and what end users are looking for from their PPE movement of both workers and the general public has seen hi-vis pushed into markets and sectors that have rarely seen its use pre-pandemic. “Social distancing measures, queuing systems, traffic control and education settings and environments are all focused on having clear, visible and direct management. In most cases, the easiest way to achieve this is with hi-vis.” Keith notes that all Regatta’s hi-vis garments – from polos and softshells to fleeces and waterproofs – have seen an increase in demand with many end users looking for diversity in performance, fit, comfort and style, especially given that many garments are being worn in a multitude of indoor and outdoor settings and for hours at a time. A rainbow of choice Over at Result, managing director David Sanders-Smith advises that the company has seen “a dramatic increase in demand” for hi-vis, which he believes is down to the customers of Result’s distributors staying open during the pandemic to produce PPE, such as tabards printed with messages of support for the NHS. One product that has sold well is the Core High Viz Vest (R200X) that as well as hi-vis yellow is now available in hi-vis fluorescent orange and 11 other enhanced visibility colours (Enhanced Visibility Tabard R200XEV). “The new R200XEV Enhanced Visibility Tabards H i-vis is one of the positive stories to come out of 2020. When the UK government introduced lockdown measures to stem the rising rate of coronavirus in March, most non-essential businesses shut. With it, demand for hi-vis dropped – but not for long, explains Kirsten Ferrol, deputy product manager for Pro RTX High Visibility. “At the very beginning of the pandemic when there was a lot of uncertainty in the market, there was a very slight dip. However, we have actually seen a continual growth across our Pro RTX High Visibility offering. As a new collection to the Pro RTX range, we have had a strong start to 2020 despite the difficult conditions. We believe this is because our certified range offers various styles that are used across those key sectors and essential workers directly exposed to the effects of the pandemic.” Sales director Keith Browning confirms that hi-vis sales are up at Regatta Professional as well, which he says is “primarily due to the way as a nation we are having to marshal and maintain safe environments for work and leisure activities”. New areas of growth for hi-vis are centred on sectors such as retail, leisure venues and traditional office-based business sectors that have needed to adopt new safety rules and regulations in order to reopen safely. He comments: “From workplaces to public settings, the control and The RX710 HV Polo from Pro RTX High Visibility is Class 2-certified Shine on The Hi-Vis Pro 3 Layer Softshell from Regatta Professional