Schools need hassle free uniform supply. This means quality, affordable garments delivered on time, every time.
Please use the following 10 questions to check whether a uniform supplier has the structure in place to match your expectations.
1. Where do they source the uniform from?
Some suppliers source their own product straight from the factory giving them much greater control over supply, quality, consistency and pricing.
Some suppliers buy from uniform brands, who in turn source their own product from the factory.
Other suppliers buy product from distributors, who in turn buy from brands, who source their own product from a factory (ie there are several people in the supply chain).
2. Do they have any control over the cost of the garment from the factory?
If your supplier is not dealing direct with a factory then they won’t have any influence over the cost. They also won’t really be able to do much about potential price increases coming down the line (other than cutting their own margin which doesn’t put them in a good position financially).
3. Are consistent colours offered across a range of garments?
Will your cotton / polyester sweatshirt be the same shade as an acrylic/polyester sweatshirt you also want to offer? A supplier who sources their own product will be able to specify the exact shade they want any garment to be. So red will be the same red across sweatshirts, jumpers, polo shirts, t shirts.
A uniform supplier who buys from uniform brands or distributors will only be able to offer you a variety of shades which come from different brands.
4. What guarantee is there that your colour won’t be dropped from the range?
Uniform suppliers who develop their own products are in control of their own destiny as far as products and colours go. They will already have made commercial decisions about the colours they run. If your supplier buys from other companies or distributors they are at the mercy of that brand and won’t have any influence over whether a particular colour is dropped or changed.
5. Are they involved in monitoring and controlling product quality?
If they source direct from a factory they will specify and approve products and check quality, in terms of sizing, fit, colour and finishing. If they buy from anywhere downstream of the factory they will not be involved in product specification or quality.
6. What control over product supply do they have?
A supplier buying from distributors or brands is reliant on the stock holding of that distributor if they need to restock (and this stock holding will be available for all their customers). A uniform supplier who sources their own product can arrange for more to be made or stock held at the factory to be delivered.
7. Do they hold stock of plain garments in their own warehouse?
Some suppliers keep stocks of plain garments ready to be embroidered.
Other suppliers don’t hold their own stocks and rely instead on ordering plain items from distributors when they receive uniform orders.
8. What options are there for ordering uniform?
Can your have uniform supplied to your school in bulk, parents to their chosen delivery address (home or school) or any combination of these ways.
9. Are free delivery and free returns offered?
10. How can schools and parents contact them?
Telephone, e mail, fax, post, online chat?
Your School Uniform has been supplying uniform to schools for 10 years.
Interested in finding out more about how we can help you offer parents great value and choice for their school uniform?
Please call us on 0844 272 1888 option 2 (customer services) or e mail us at: info@yourschooluniform.com.
