performance

PERFORMANCE FABRICS

Blake’s testimonial and reference to “performance fabrics” started me thinking that maybe I should start referring to some of the fabrics that I use as “performance fabrics”?But if I do I will only be repeating myself. After all the products that I produce are made of different fabrics and the products always “perform” as I advertise what you can expect from them. I know this is true because of the vast number of people who have confirmed or verified the truth to my advertising, as Blake attested too in his letter to me.

The fact that he used the reference “performance fabrics” to other garments that he has used that did not perform as they have been advertised to do. Note that he said he was warm while engaged in the activity of running which should not surprise anyone, but it is what happened when he stopped the activity demonstrated that the performance of the garments to continue to keep him warm failed to do so. As I have previously explained the close knit fabric traps the sweat which cools to cause the chill when you stop the activity.

The companies that market these garments advertise that the fabrics they use do the impossible, they “wick” moisture. Since these fabrics are made from polyester yarn even if silicone coated they do not “wick” because they are incapable of absorbing moisture in the first place. The end result is the moisture staying on the skin surface which cools quickly again causing the chill effect.

I am sure they never get the type of letters that I get specifically about their insulations also because the chopped staple fiberfill insulations marketed, the fleece marketed, and whatever else is out there simply put do not “perform”, so they do not get letters as I do and the end result is a lack of published letters.

THE OUTDOOR RETAILER SHOW

In I think two weeks all of these companies offering outdoor products will be exhibiting their “new improved” performance fabric made garments at the Outdoor Retailer show in Denver, I do not attend since nothing has changed for 30 years except the names of the companies. You could say “same old, same old” products.

The only change that I suspect will be the addition of one new buyer and that is amazon. From what I have been reading they have already made deals with some contract factories in China who make these products for many of the companies exhibiting. If they see something they like they may buy a few but then have the factory make the volume for them, this is an old way of doing business.

Years ago I had an account buying thousands of yards of fiberfill from me and they took on the Sears account. After two years and Sears absorbing 90 percent of their production Sears left to make the garments themselves and the company was on very hard times and may have closed. That is going to be the end result for many companies dealing with amazon in my opinion.

This is not good for the consumer, even though the prices will be much lower.If you want to return product for lack of “performance” you may be out of luck. Maybe the local retail outlets that you have supported go by the way side. I believe there will be lots of talk about amazon at the show.

However, I do believe there are young people who will be chomping at the bit to sell amazon. This is what I call taking the course of least resistance and not having an interest in building their own company name in the public domain. Their measure of success is if they sell amazon or walmart two organizations that beat you down so if you do sell them they do not allow you to make profit but they will if your product sells.

A few years ago Walmart called me and wanted Wiggy’s bags. I told them to look at the web site and tell me what bag they wanted and since they were asking for 15000 I would give them my best price for that bag.They asked about the poncho liner with a zipper, so I gave them a price where my margin was okay at best. Their selling price would have been in the mid-forties, they never called back. I received several calls from amazon, they would only buy if they sold product they just wanted to list my bags. Also if someone did not want the bag it was to be returned to me. Obviously not a good deal, I wonder how many of their suppliers sell them in this manner.Hence you will never see Wiggy’s on amazon.

The young people in the industry do not understand how these giants work. Others like bean and rei function exactly the same way. They have made it possible for companies like North Face, Columbia, Nike and a dozen others to create their own consumer web sites. As the web sites of these companies prove more profitable they will sell fewer and fewer brick and mortar stores. Less people working will be one of the fallout problems.

In the meantime the OR show will attract a number of retailers but the future as I see it is bleak. So if these young entrepreneurs if they have a good product they should develop their own web site and promote their product directly to the general public. They would have to ignore all of the B/S that has preceded them in the industry that does not work and examine what materials are available that can/do work for what they want to make and then go for it. That process would involve thinking and I do not believe that will be an easy task for them. But I could be misjudging some of them, we will see.

You can log on the outdoor retailer trade show and read what is hot for next winter.