Every business wants to be more profitable and efficient. To achieve this, many focus on attracting new customers, retaining existing ones, and generating new business. 

It’s easy to overlook another effective strategy: reducing costs on your corporate apparel orders.

The goal is to cut costs without compromising the quality of your uniforms, services, and customer experience. This is totally possible, but only with the right strategies.

From selecting the right manufacturer to optimizing order sizes and timing, here are five out-of-the-box tips that will not only save costs on apparel orders but also streamline your processes. Let’s dive right in!

1. Choose the Right Manufacturer

Our first tip is the most relevant one. Finding the right manufacturer is key to the success of an apparel brand. It impacts everything from product quality to production timelines—and even your overall brand reputation.

According to McKinsey, speed and flexibility are the current top two priorities in the apparel industry. However, we recommend choosing a manufacturer that offers much more. Here are some metrics you should consider:

• Quality Standards – Defect-free products increase brand loyalty among your employees.
• Reliability and Timeliness – Delays in production and deliveries can damage your brand’s reputation.
• Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) – Ensure the manufacturer’s MOQs are compatible with your production needs.
• Production Capacity – The manufacturer should be able to scale production up or down based on your needs. This flexibility allows you to leverage seasonal sales and save money when sales drop.
• Communication and Responsiveness – Your manufacturer must be responsive and easy to communicate with, addressing any concerns promptly and minimizing costs generated by problems.
• Innovation – The best manufacturer will stay updated with the latest trends and technologies in apparel manufacturing, so you can leverage the most cost-effective processes and equipment on the market.
• Tailored Solutions – The manufacturer you go with should also be willing to adapt to your specific needs and requirements. That way, you won’t spend more than you need, thus reducing costs.

2. Invest in High-Quality Uniforms

Top-quality uniforms are non-negotiable because cheap uniforms can end up costing you more money in the long run. On top of that, there are many other benefits to this investment:

• Durability and Longevity – High-quality uniforms are made from superior materials that can withstand wear and tear. They last longer, reducing the frequency of replacements.
• Enhanced Employee Performance – When employees feel good in their uniforms, this boosts morale and productivity, so they are likely to perform better.
• Lower Maintenance Costs – Quality uniforms often require less maintenance. They are typically easier to clean and more resistant to stains and wrinkles. It minimizes cleaning costs and extends the garment’s life span.
• Employee Retention – Comfortable and high-quality garments contribute to job satisfaction and retention, saving the costs associated with hiring and training new staff.

Additionally, your company’s reputation and image are at stake. When your employees wear inferior quality clothing, they convey a message of unprofessionalism and portray a “cheap brand” to customers. Consequently, it can negatively impact your brand’s credibility, sales, and business opportunities.

On the other hand, a consistent and professional appearance reinforces brand identity and can attract more customers, leading to increased sales and revenue.

3. Streamline Your Inventory Management

Inventory management is one of the biggest expenses for any distribution business. A RetailWire study revealed that inventory problems lead to an average revenue loss of 7.3%. 3.2% of the loss is due to excess inventory and 4.1% is due to stockouts.

Businesses that fail to effectively manage their inventory often find themselves with surplus uniforms, generating additional costs.

That’s why our third tip is to precisely calculate your company’s needs to maintain an inventory suitable for your demand—and nothing more. You can conduct an analysis to reduce excess uniform purchases, eliminate costs from unused garments, and also prepare for future orders.

The first step is to collect employee size preferences by taking their most recent measurements, as well as analyzing previous orders. 

Then, prepare a budget for the average uniform replacement time for employees, which is usually between 12 and 18 months. Remember to consider each employee’s role, as some roles make uniform replacement more frequently necessary than others.

To manage your inventory, you can opt for inventory management software or a partner that can do this for you—like Scrappy Apparel! 

4. Nurture the Relationship With Your Manufacturer

In the last few years, apparel brands have deepened their relationships with manufacturers. That strategy is one of the best ways to save money. You can leverage benefits such as:

• Discount Opportunities – A long-term contract enables you to negotiate discounts or special conditions.
• Guaranteed Stability and Quality – Initiating a long-term contract ensures your needs are always met with readily available, quality uniforms.

However, there are some strategies you need to apply if you want to make good use of these advantages…

Understand Your Needs

First, have a strong understanding of your uniform purchasing patterns. When you know exactly what you need and the size of your orders, it becomes much easier to negotiate.

Commit to Bulk Orders

By purchasing a larger volume of uniforms, you can equip yourself with leverage to negotiate better prices or receive additional discounts.

Plus, instead of dealing with several small orders, you can consolidate all your needs into one large bulk order, minimizing management costs.

Commit to a Long-Term Contract

When you have longer contracts, you can negotiate better payment terms. With this strategy, you can delay your cash outflows and improve your cash flow.

Consider Business Expansion

As your company grows, finding a new manufacturer to meet all your uniform requirements can be tricky. It’s important to choose a partner that can handle all your current and future needs.

5. Choose Versatile Uniform Designs 

Versatile apparel designs that can be used in different settings is also a key strategy to minimize costs. In other words, the uniform should adapt to a variety of environments and situations in your employees’ work routines. For instance, it might be helpful to find a garment that can be used both by office and field employees.

When selecting a design, look for those that meet the needs of a variety of functions and departments within your organization. There are multiple factors to consider:

• Appropriate Materials and Fabrics – Corporate apparel should be comfortable for daily use so your team can perform their functions effectively.
• Adapting to Needs – It’s important that the uniform provides comfort in different settings, no matter if your employees are working outside or inside.
• Alignment With Company Style – Whether your company has a formal or informal environment, choose uniforms that convey your company’s image.
• Customization and Identity – To maximize versatility, choose an apparel partner that offers a variety of fabrics, ink types, finishings, and more.

Partner With Scrappy Apparel To Minimize Costs and Maximize Quality

Scrappy Apparel is a reliable and responsive manufacturer that offers high-quality, cost-effective uniforms. We have a strong focus on speed, flexibility, and innovation, making us the perfect partner for corporate apparel orders.

Guaranteed High-Quality and Versatile Uniforms

Our uniforms are made from superior materials that can withstand wear and tear. With our professional garments, you can enhance employee performance, reduce maintenance costs, and contribute to job satisfaction and retention.

We offer customization options to maximize personalization, identity, and versatility. Leverage our solutions to design uniforms that can be used in different settings and situations. You’ll receive uniforms that are comfortable, adaptable, and aligned with your company’s style.

3PL MGMT Program for High-Volume Orders

No matter how big your company is, we mass-produce high-quality uniforms and send them directly to your employees as needed. Our 3PL MGMT program takes care of all the logistics, including manufacturing, inventory management, and more. Here’s what you can expect from us:

• Warehousing – We provide exclusive, secure storage space to accommodate your uniforms.
• Order Fulfillment – We immediately send uniforms when new employees join your workforce or you require uniform replacements. You can eliminate all your management costs when you rely on us.
• Fast Nationwide Delivery – We ensure timely delivery no matter where your employees are located.

Transparency and Trust

Scrappy Apparel is committed to building long-term relationships with our clients. We help you leverage economies of scale for bulk orders, we guarantee stability and quality, and we provide personalized customer service.

By partnering with Scrappy Apparel, you will benefit from our expertise in providing high-quality, cost-effective uniform solutions that meet all your unique needs.

Choose Scrappy Apparel to Achieve a Higher Standard of Uniforms!

In 2024, the U.S. faces an increasing demand for fast fashion brands. At the same time, the popularity of slow fashion also keeps growing.

With both trends expanding simultaneously, you need to understand which business model best fits your company: fast fashion or slow fashion. This distinction is crucial for the future of your business.

The changing customer demands impact the entire production process for apparel brands. Eventually, you’ll need to adapt to new trends and market requirements. Quite a challenge, right?

But you are not alone! We’re here to help you understand the differences between fast and slow fashion—and how to thrive with both strategies.

Scrappy Apparel is Ready to Help You Choose the Best Manufacturing Strategy for Your Brand

@kirnpit There’s no going back #slowfashionmovement #prelovedfashion #browngirlmagic #styleovertrends @thredUP @Goodwill Southern California ♬ MILLION DOLLAR BABY – Tommy Richman

What is Fast Fashion?

Fast fashion is a business strategy focused on swiftly producing and cycling through inexpensive, trendy apparel.

Think Forever 21, H&M, Boohoo, Stradivarius, and Fashion Nova—these are some mainstream fast fashion giants.

But just following fashion trends and offering lower market prices isn’t enough to classify a brand as fast fashion. The entire manufacturing and marketing process determines if a brand is fast fashion.

Trend Replication and Fast Production

Fast fashion brands replicate tons of products and styles that have recently been showcased in fashion shows or are trending on social media—and they do this on a large scale.

In 2021, Forbes showed that some fast fashion brands can produce up to 5,000 styles per week. In other words, fast fashion gives the consumer what they’ve seen and now desire. It’s a way to instantly satisfy consumers’ needs.

High Turnover

Since these garments fit into just one style and prioritize quantity, they have a high turnover rate. Many consumers are aware of their lower-quality fabrics and consider them disposable after a short time. People wear the garments, get tired of them, and then pass the clothing items on to someone else.

Affordable Style and Purchase Incentive

Since the focus here is on quantity over quality, you already know what that means: the garments are lower in cost. The affordable price makes purchases more frequent.

What is Slow Fashion?

Slow fashion is almost the opposite of its fast counterpart.

The focus here is on producing and making garments in fewer quantities. Slow fashion encourages consumers to make more mindful purchases with access to more durable and higher-quality fabrics.

Some examples of slow fashion brands include Eileen Fisher, Patagonia, People Tree, and Everlane. But there’s more to slow fashion than just selling quality garments.

Ethical Manufacturing

Ethical manufacturing calls for sustainable and high-quality materials, fair working conditions, worker safety, and greater awareness of consumption.

Each garment comes with a seal of guarantee for a clear consumption conscience.

High-Quality Materials

The fabrics and other materials chosen have great quality and durability, and they prioritize craftsmanship. The goal of slow fashion is to provide consumers with garments that take years to show signs of wear.

Timeless Designs

Did you know? The average consumer only wears 20% of the clothing in their closet. This startling stat can easily encourage fashion enthusiasts to be more mindful of their purchases.

Slow fashion garments often follow a timeless design that never goes out of style. They can be used to create new outfit combinations with their timelessness and durability. 

Mindful Consumption

Due to their higher prices, high-quality craftsmanship, and versatility, purchases of new items are made for longer periods. These garments are made to last longer and transcend trend seasons.

What Are the Broader Implications for Apparel Brands?

Your choice between slow and fast fashion is going to have huge implications for your brand’s image, production process, audience, and much more.

Production Speed

Fast fashion churns out new pieces of clothing every few weeks, so it’s necessary to prioritize speed and trend replication. Slow fashion focuses on smaller production processes, emphasizing quality and longevity.

Brand Philosophy

Choosing fast fashion means quantity over quality. You’ll be seen as a brand with garments that fall apart quickly and rarely hold resale value.

While choosing slow fashion, your business will now be seen as an ethical brand with high-quality (and expensive) garments.

Supply Chain

If you choose fast fashion and don’t have reliable manufacturing partners, it will be difficult to trace materials and maintain ethical practices.

With the less-demanding manufacturing and supply chain processes in slow fashion, it’s easier to have transparency.

Target Audience

You’ll need to choose between serving fast or slow fashion customers. While it’s possible to sell to both at the same time, your marketing efforts should focus on just one.

To make the best choice, you can monitor which fashion trends your target audience has been following lately.

Scrappy Apparel Provides the Best of Both Worlds

Both slow fashion and fast fashion have their strengths and weaknesses, but it’s totally possible to have high-quality materials, produce a high quantity of garments, and offer affordable prices—all at the same time!

Here at Scrappy Apparel, we believe you don’t need to choose between quantity and quality. With us, you’ll have a complete solution in one place!

Mass Production of High-Quality Garments

Scrappy Apparel excels in mass-producing high-quality garments with remarkable speed.

We developed advanced manufacturing techniques and streamlined our production processes to the max. It doesn’t matter if you need thousands of pieces fast—we ensure that every piece meets our stringent quality standards.

Scrappy Apparel combines speed with excellence, making us a leader in high-volume apparel solutions.

You’ll never outgrow us, so it’s time to partner with us…

Full-Scale 3PL MGMT Program

Our 3PL MGMT program provides access to 4PL and 5PL-level support. You can expect us to provide you with everything you need to overcome logistics challenges:

• End-to-end supply chain management
• Efficient business scaling
• Strategic oversight
• Comprehensive apparel manufacturing services
• Integrated fulfillment solutions
• Streamlined operations
• Complete management of multiple 3PL warehouses

…and much more!

Complete Customization

Our exceptional manufacturing services encompass high-quality screen printing, private labeling, and a variety of specialized printing techniques. These capabilities allow your brand to offer premium products that distinguish themselves in a competitive market.

Our advanced manufacturing services facilitate extensive customization options for your brand. We assure faithful colors and printing to reflect your brand’s identity.

Transparency & Efficiency

Partner with us to enter a realm where efficiency and convenience converge.

We customize our fulfillment processes to meet the requirements of each final destination, offer personalized packing slips and shipping labels, and more.

With our state-of-the-art system, you are constantly updated on stock levels, ensuring real-time synchronization of your products and inventory no matter how big your operations are.

Our fulfillment service integrates with your online store and allows you to concentrate on marketing and sales.

Once an order is placed, we take care of everything. You are free to focus on attracting customers.

Become Our Next Scrappy Success Story!

Ensuring your employees present themselves in clean, professional, and functional workwear is crucial for maintaining your organization’s image. That’s where our home service uniforms come in, providing the perfect solution to keep your team looking sharp and ready to impress.

You can outfit your entire team with high-quality, durable uniforms that will increase their efficiency and leave a positive impression on your clients.

However, choosing the right uniform for home services isn’t always easy. You might have questions like:

• “How do I choose fabric?”
• “How do I incorporate my brand’s logo and colors effectively?”
• “How do I determine the quantity and sizes for placing an order?”
• “How can I customize the uniforms to meet each job’s requirements?”

Our experts are here to help you make the best decision for your business with our guide tailored to the home service industry. Let’s dive in!

Order High-Quality, Durable, and On-Brand Uniforms from Scrappy Apparel

What To Expect From High-Quality Uniforms

A uniform program for your team accomplishes numerous goals, ranging from boosting your image to increasing efficiency. Here are some benefits you might enjoy from investing in high-quality home service uniforms:

• Trust and Identification – Your customers will know your employees when they see your uniforms, reinforcing brand recognition.
• Elevated Professionalism – You’ll show your customers that you’re organized and down to business. This will also leave a positive impression on your prospects.
• Boosted Brand Visibility – You’ll be recognized through your visual identity, including specific colors or other brand elements. You want your employees to be quickly identifiable.
• Support for Your Team’s Daily Tasks – By wearing more comfortable and appropriate clothing, your employees will perform better.

What To Consider Before Choosing Home Service Uniforms

Selecting the perfect uniform requires a strategic approach that integrates both functional and aesthetic aspects. Let’s talk about how you can make an informed decision.

Choosing Durable Materials

Service uniforms are constantly washed, so they need materials that can withstand frequent trips through the washing machine.

After all, you don’t want a material that wears out or fades easily, right?

There are some well-known fabrics for making quality service uniforms. The first one is polyester, which has high durability and is wrinkle-resistant. It won’t crease easily, ensuring a professional appearance for extended periods.

The second one is cotton, which is known for being softer and more comfortable, as well as resistant to repeated washings—including at high temperatures for bacteria elimination.

However, to make the ideal choice, you’ll need to go beyond fabric and consider some other factors:

• Temperature Control Technology – This is an advanced fabric treatment that makes the garment lightweight, breathable, and still able to provide warmth when needed.
• Moisture-Wicking Fabrics – These are resistant to sweat and other liquids. They also dry faster, ensuring your employees stay comfortable and have greater freedom of movement.

These two features are essential for employees exposed to high temperatures or outdoor conditions. Choosing fabrics that help regulate temperature can be the best option for providing greater comfort during daily tasks.

Other details to take into account are proper seams and finishings, which ensure the garments won’t easily wear out even with high daily use. This guarantees greater durability so the uniforms remain in good condition. When evaluating a uniform provider, look into whether they pay attention to finishings and ask for samples.

Design for Mobility and Comfort

A uniform should do more than be durable and promote your brand—it should also boost your employees’ efficiency and productivity. 

Think that seems far-fetched? Think again! It’s totally possible if you keep an eye on certain design aspects.

For example, for home services uniforms, a design that includes pockets can help your employees carry necessary items, such as:

• Keys
• Small tools
• Cleaning products
• Gloves
• Masks
• Mobile devices

Incorporating Your Brand’s Colors and Logo Effectively

Selecting the right process to incorporate your colors and logo efficiently can be trickier than it seems.

The wrong choice can lead to issues such as color washing out, ink cracking too quickly, logos peeling over time, and logo misplacement, among other concerns.

That’s why it’s important to consider processes that ensure color contrast accuracy and print quality. Whether your partner uses sublimation or screen printing, they need to offer:

• High-quality printing on all different fabrics
• Wide range of screen printing inks, including plastisol, water-based, discharge, and more
• Precise printing of any color with vibrant contrasts
• Efficient mass printing while maintaining high quality

How To Choose the Right Sizes and Quantities

The next step is selecting the correct sizes and quantities, a pivotal choice to ensure every team member is comfortable. Of course, you also want your ordering process to be cost-efficient. Here’s how you can achieve both of these goals:

Deciding Uniform Sizes

Inaccurate measurements impact comfort, functionality, safety, appearance, and durability. It’s crucial to get it right the first time to avoid wasting money.

To make things easier, create a list of the employees who will wear the uniform, and survey the size each typically wears in their casual clothes. If possible, take measurements of the employees to facilitate this process.

The process of measuring differs between men and women. To determine the correct measurements for men:

• Neck – Measure around the base of the neck.
• Sleeve Length – Start at the back of the neck, measure across the shoulder, down to the elbow, and to the wrist.
• Chest – With arms at the sides, measure across the fullest part of the chest, under arms, and across shoulder blades. 
• Waist – Measure the natural waist at the level where men typically wear pants.
• Inseam – Measure from the crotch to top of the shoe, or use similar pants that fit well.

For women, the correct points to measure are:

• Bust – Keeping the tape straight and parallel to the floor, measure across the fullest part of the bust. 
• Waist – Measure around the natural waistline at its smallest part.
• Low Hip – Measure the fullest part of the hip, about 8” below the waist.
• High Hip – Measure around the protruding points of the hip bones, roughly 3” below the waist.

With the measurements in hand, refer to the size chart provided by your supplier for optimal accuracy. This essential practice ensures that no employee feels uncomfortable due to improper sizing.

Average Quantities of Uniforms

This is where you will need to do some calculations. You’ll have to determine:

• The number of employees in each role who will require staff uniforms
• The number of male and female employees
• Uniform allowance per person for each garment type
• Expected garment lifespan
• Incoming new hires

Discuss minimum production quantities with your business partner. Request an explanation of the variables that determine batch sizes, so you can make informed, cost-effective decisions. 

For instance, if the minimum production run is 500 shirts, inquire whether this can include a mix of male and female fits or long and short sleeve versions. This will help you understand how to optimize production for cost efficiency.

Additionally, ensure each employee has multiple uniforms. This guarantees that your team will always have a clean uniform available while others are being washed—or a backup if one gets torn.

Why Scrappy Apparel is the Best Uniform Manufacturer for the Home Services Industry

At Scrappy Apparel, we guarantee you’ll have top-notch uniforms for your home services! We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality uniforms that are comfortable, durable, and on-brand.

Top-Notch Sublimation and Screen Printing

With over 17 years of experience, we’ve perfected the screen printing process. Our team handpicks the finest inks and fabrics in the industry. Our colors and designs will stay true to your brand.

Our advanced techniques ensure greater durability and enhanced comfort, resulting in a unique and visually appealing uniform for your team. Our high standards reflect our commitment to excellence in every aspect of our work.

First-Class Manufacturing Skills

Scrappy Apparel is a manufacturing powerhouse, and quality is the foundation of our process. We are a one-stop-shop vendor that guarantees superior uniform production quality, competitive pricing, and prompt delivery.

Our cutting-edge techniques ensure durability, comfort, and style, creating garments that align with your brand’s high standards. We will collaborate with you to make sure your uniforms look exactly as you envision.

High-Volume, End-to-End Fulfillment Capabilities 

We specialize in corporate fulfillment solutions tailored for large organizations and franchises that need storage for thousands of garments until shipment.

Expect top-of-the-line warehousing. Scrappy Apparel’s facilities are designed for high-volume uniform inventories, ensuring your merchandise is stored safely and efficiently.

When new employees join your team or existing staff need uniform replacements, Scrappy is ready to respond. We process orders promptly, picking and packing items with precision to guarantee accurate fulfillment.

Our nationwide logistics network excels at shipping orders to multiple locations across the USA. No matter where your employee is, we seamlessly coordinate timely delivery.

Scrappy Apparel is the Comprehensive Solution for All Your Uniform Needs!