Now approaching its 100th anniversary, Dickies Workwear has become a name whose logo is worn by workers in almost every industry. In 2017, Dickies was acquired by multinational apparel firm, VF Corp, giving the company access to a range of expertise and resources as it continues to expand its ranges in Europe.
It’s also seen Timberland’s workwear range, Timberland PRO, brought into the same stable in the UK. This means the merchants the Dickies team works with now have access to both brands, allowing them to match broader tastes and budgets while using the same workwear supplier. The Timberland PRO range has been completely reinvigorated, using the latest technology and with an ethos of responsible innovation at the heart of every design.
PBM speaks with Rob Haines, UK Sales Director for the Dickies Workwear and Timberland Pro (VF Workwear).
How did you get into the industry and to your current position?
My first job on leaving school was in the merchant industry as a trainee with Arnold Laver. After leaving to pursue a career in external sales I eventually joined Dickies where I found myself linked with the industry again as merchants started to recognise the potential that selling workwear presented.
I’m now in my second spell with Dickies after re-joining in 2005 following similar roles with Buckler and Marshalls. I became Sales Director in 2016.
How do you feel the industry has changed in recent years?
The rise of digital technology has had a massive impact in our sector. With competition from ecommerce, merchants can’t neglect their displays (both online and instore) and leave the items to sell themselves. It’s important to refresh the products on offer and get the balance right on price.
Plus, today’s consumers are looking for better quality and fashionable brands, even in workwear.
We’ve seen some merchants really excel as they’ve met these challenges. They have great relationships with their clients and, with the right product knowledge, they’ve become true workwear sales professionals in their own right
What are your perspectives on the impact of Covid-19?
The Coronavirus outbreak is undoubtedly a huge challenge, both from a sales point of view and product supply. Most workwear is manufactured in countries that were hit by the virus a few months before the UK felt the impact. This means we’ll be seeing a longer-term impact months after we’ve returned to some sort of normality.
From a sales point of view, clothing and footwear is a very ‘touch feely’ type of product and in-store browsing allows consumers to get a better feel for the quality of what’s on offer. As browsing in stores won’t be so easy with social distancing measures in place, it will be more challenging for merchants to promote their products.
What are the challenges facing the merchant sector in particular?
With ever-improving automation in the distribution process, manufacturers will find it increasingly easier to sell direct to the consumer (DTC). Unfortunately, where many merchants have recently looked to withhold payments and change trading terms overnight, manufacturers are likely to continue to view DTC as a more attractive proposition.
Merchants can play a very important role in the route to market, but it’s equally important that too many trading obstacles aren’t put in place.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
The acquisition of Dickies by the VF Corporation in 2017 bought many changes and we’re still experiencing those now. Adapting to a new way of working is always a challenge, but the team at Dickies Europe has embraced the change and VF is an incredibly exiting company with a great track record — so the biggest challenge has also become the biggest opportunity.
What has been the highlight of your career to date?
Being involved with the relaunch of the Timberland PRO brand in Europe has been very exciting. It’s rare you get the chance to start with a blank sheet of paper and develop products and a sales strategy from scratch. It’s equally rare that you get to do it with a brand that has such high awareness and recognition as Timberland PRO.
For more information on Dickies, visit: https://www.dickiesworkwear.com/uk/info/contact-us
