Lower costs the key in uniforms

A NEW survey shows that the majority of SA Security Association members believe that price is the all-important and determining factor when buying uniforms for their staff.

In contrast, however, the 2014 Sparks & Ellis survey shows many uniform wearers want many more features on their attire. Also employers want to make their staff more visible as well as wear uniforms that are even more durable.

Sparks & Ellis conducted the online survey earlier this year to explore uniform attitudes and establish whether companies need more options.

Sparks & Ellis managing director Sue de Wet says it is a challenge to meet the demands of industry. "We find that most of our customers want high-quality uniforms without too many extras so that they can contain their costs. The challenge comes in providing added value which everyone wants because the cost can be quite significant."

Most respondents (95%) think their staff should be more visible, while most also believe their staff feel more authoritative wearing a uniform.

Most respondents (94%) believed that companies should have a standard uniform that represents the organisation's corporate identity and nearly everyone (97%) said they believed that uniforms help to build brand equity. Three- quarters of the sample said that uniforms should be replaced annually. – Business Reporter