Unique but uniform
First port of call on David Tyler's fantasy buying tour was Simon Jersey. Who can blame him? The company's stand was prominent and it was one of the few uniform specialists which exhibited at the show.
Tyler discussed the pros and cons of bespoke versus catalogue uniforms but came down firmly on the catalogue side. It means he does not have to hold quantities of stock and therefore it would cost him less.
The best of both worlds was available from Simon Jersey, which could provide Tyler with a unique look created exclusively for his company while removing the worries of multiple stocks. "I want unique - it has to be made only for me," said Tyler.
He built on a standard base of a white blouse and navy skirt, but staff would then be given the opportunity to decide the type of collar and sleeve length and the length of skirt they felt most comfortable in. Tyler needed outfits for both front and back of house that were practical for different working environments and comfortable for staff. Tyler chose blouses in the region of £15 each and skirts from £20 to £25 each. These basic items of clothing could then be jazzed up with brightly coloured ties or rosettes priced from £4. Kitting out 250 employees would cost about £9,000.
It was the Denny's stand which caught Tyler's eye next. The company offered both chef and food service wear and Tyler felt that with today's multi-skilling, where staff could be in the kitchen one minute and serving behind the counter the next, the garments would work well in either situation. Tyler liked the chef's trousers in black and white check or polka dot, from the Le Chef range, priced at £26.95. Similarly patterned ties could also help jazz up a basic uniform. The Le Chef print tie costs £3.95.
Tyler was also shopping for ways to make signage more prominent. Although research shows that the majority of people stop at MSAs to use the loo, it is important that customers notice other facilities for the MSA to benefit from impulse buying. Strong branding and signage are important here and Tyler liked the idea of Magnetic Media's range of signboards which cost about £400 for an unframed monolith sign.
Menu displays would also be important in creating the brand. "A lot of labelling has gone low key. It will be beside the food so that people don't have to remember a list as they go along," said Tyler. For the past 40 years menu display systems have come in the form of the traditional plastic holder. He was pleased to see that one company, Cameo Signs, had come up with an alternative - the Universal Holder.
This new product came in different colours and materials such as wood, brass and plastic. Tyler liked one product that was a combination of leaflet holders with a space to put a complimentary bottle of wine or mints. He felt this would be ideal for a reception area or even a hotel room. The Universal Holder was priced from £4 to £15 depending on quantities and materials.
