Images Magazine November 18

Merit Promotional Clothing to close “With very heavy hearts, Liz Karn and Richard Charlesworth have decided to close the doors at Merit Promotional Clothing Ltd as from the 31 December 2018,“ states the company. Merit is a family-run business that was set up by Liz 31 years ago. Over the years Merit has benefited from some amazing staff, says the company. “Special mention must be made of Nikki Griffiths and Jeff Hill – their efforts combined with Liz and Richard have made Merit a huge success over the years, remaining profitable right up to this managed ending.“ Merit continues: “The industry has changed beyond all recognition and in this challenging and changing era; it’s now time for Liz to continue her retirement and for Richard to move on to new challenges away from the industry.“ www.meritpcuk.com DecoNetwork’s ex-CEO committed to stand trial for murder Neil Pentland, the ex-CEO of DecoNetwork, was committed in October 2018 to stand trial for the 1997 murder of his business partner Philip Carlyle in Robina, Australia. The trial is expected to take place in 2019; Neil was arrested in June 2017 and resigned as DecoNetwork’s CEO at the same time. INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 16 images NOVEMBER 2018 AskAdy... AskAdy takes a look at low value extras that have high profit margins – and high customer appeal WORKWEAR REVIEW To see AskAdy’s video reviews, visit www.images-magazine.com . This month I want to discuss accessories. It’s not always about workwear, footwear and safety equipment in our shops – some of the best items to stock are the smaller, low value items such as gloves, socks and belts. Not only are these items important to the end user, they are important to our businesses for added revenue. When my customers buy boots and shoes they are always offered an upsell for socks and accessories. Adding these low value items to the products can increase the sale by 10-20% – and as they normally have higher value profit margins, they can really help boost your business‘s overall profit. It’s not all about the money though: a decent pair of work socks can make all the difference to a new pair of work boots. I remember wearing boots when I was an apprentice electrician – they used to rub so bad my heels bled and then, just as I got them broken in, I was given a new pair to wear! Some of the builders I get in the shop always wear two pairs of socks in the winter. Gloves are another vital product to consider stocking. I reviewed Portwest‘s gloves for my YouTube channel a while back and was really impressed with the quality and range that was available. Like all brands now, they have also produced a set of colour-coded gloves to help distinguish between the gloves‘ different protection values. I love selling the Dickies belts: they fly off the shelves and, at under £10, they are a great buy, as are the Dickies beanies and caps. Any of these are just an easy sell, especially as they are so on-trend at the moment – everyone wants the Dickies horseshoe badge! Finally, if like me you have an embroidery company, then you are probably gearing up for beanie season. We like using the Result beanies as they offer great value. The Lightweight Thinsulate Hat (RC133X) in particular is an excellent style that‘s a decent weight and will make you competitive on price too. The cuff hides the back of the embroidered logo and ensures that the customer is comfortable. The Portwest Nylon Polka Dot Glove (PW070) is available at Ralawise The Portwest Canadian Rigger Glove (PW082 from Ralawise) is made from cow split leather and cotton Regatta included in Sunday Times Fast Track 250 Garment and footwear manufacturer Regatta has been ranked 142 in the Sunday Times Grant Thornton Fast Track 250 for private mid-market growth companies with the biggest sales. The Manchester-based company, which was founded in 1981, includes Regatta Professional and posted sales of £193.2 million in the last financial year, with an operating profit of £20.4 million. www.regatta.com