Dickies has unveiled a new merchandising concept for its expanding workwear portfolio.
The new Dickies Authorised Workwear Dealers project is already being rolled out to builders’ merchants with a strong footfall for Dickies products. Piers Beszant, from shopfitting specialist Unishop said: “The new displays resulted from design ideas coming from the States which Unishop then adapted for the British and European mainland markets. For the ‘shop in shop’ installations, which are tailored to local needs, we are utilising very much an industrial feel with panels in brick, wood and cement, blended with a metal rack style system.”
He continued: “For other dealers, we change to a modular display in a silver finish, together with photographic panels showing the current range of Dickies equipment.”
High Wycombe-based Isaac Lord recently became one of the few selected stores to be a Dickies Authorised Workwear Dealer. The firm’s Keith Robinson said: “We have been working with Dickies for over eight years and were keen to adopt a new concept which really made Dickies stand out in our large store. Since the transformation, sales have increased with the Dickies Fury and Storm boots being popular sellers alongside the Eisenhower and Redhawk trousers.”
He added: “The Dickies jeans are also selling well, as is the new two-tone soft shell jacket. Customers have commented that the area looks clean and fresh and they also really appreciate the changing room.”
Family-owned Frank Key supplies materials throughout Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The merchant has successfully sold Dickies clothing for years but reports that it struggled to display the items properly. As a new Authorised Workwear Dealer, Dickies has helped to implement a bespoke workwear feature utilising a minimalistic layout which allows the customer to view the products easily and even try them on in a dedicated changing room.
Chris Dove, Sales Assistant at Frank Key, said: “Since the transformation, sales have quadrupled with the Dickies Graton, Fife and Crawford boots being popular sellers alongside the Redhawk Pro black trousers. The new two-tone soft shell jackets have also sold well. Customers have passed positive comments on the look and feel of the area and the changing room.”
A further new Dealer is Wolverhampton-based Carvers. Established in 1896 and still owned by the same family, Carvers has emerged from a devastating fire three years ago to re-develop its 10-acre site into a modern and innovative ‘Builders Village’.
Managing Director Henry Carver said: “We have been working with Dickies for over 15 years and we wanted to ensure its workwear stood out in our Builders Village concept. We are very keen for the builder to get everything under one roof in order not to lose their custom — if a builder is buying the supplies he needs for his job, he can also get high visibility clothing, trousers or safety boots from a single site.”
Dickies’ Chris Atkinson commented: “In looking to support (merchant customers) grow their sales further with Dickies, we worked closely with Unishop to create a fresh new ‘shop within a shop’ workwear display area and a range to match that could cater for their whole customer base. Sales so far have spoken for themselves with a great response to the new products.”
Dickies will be present at the 2015 NMBS Exhibition, showcasing a number of new product initiatives and offering numerous promotions, incentives and ‘on the day’ discounts. Merchant visitors will also be able to pick up copies of the supplier’s new 2015 catalogue.
