Stormtech Performance Apparel is preparing to build on growth in the UK by introducing new products and services including a range made with Polygiene Stay Fresh technology.
It has revealed plans to add Polygiene to its portfolio in the UK and the rest of Europe in 2023 after its success in other markets including North America and Australia.
Polygiene is a natural anti-odour treatment that ensures garments and textiles stay fresh and last longer, helping to reduce the frequency they need to be washed.
The move was revealed to customers at an event for distributors and decorators in Elstree in Hertfordshire this month – the first event especially targeted at the UK’s promotional merchandise sector.
Andrew Kouroushi, director of sales for the UK and northern Europe, explained: “Two-thirds of the damage to the environment comes after the product is made including the washing cycle, the drying cycle and the ironing.
“Our products last longer and minimise the effect they are going to have on the environment.”
At the event, Stormtech highlighted the breadth of its range, from its core ranges of high-performance jackets to its premium T-shirts and bags.
In the autumn, Stormtech is due to introduce a new service in the UK, offering decoration to resellers – a service that has been popular in North America because of the specialist skills and technology needed to add branding to bags.
Stormtech founder and CEO Blake Annable explained: “In North America, a lot of our resellers ask us to do the decorating as they maybe don’t have access to a decorator who is confident enough to print on them.”
After Stormtech increased sales by 35% last year, Blake added that the UK market was now its fastest-growing in Europe after Scandinavia. “The corporate customers here have discovered the value of buying premium apparel.”
He added that there had been a very strong response to the launch of the Pure Earth outerwear collection in the UK in February. The garments use recycled fibres and cotton accredited to the Better Cotton initiative (BCI), with compliance through to the use of biodegradable packaging.
