Glenmuir acquired the Sunderland distributorship at a hectic time. Even as they were purchasing the Sunderland inventory in January 2010, Lanark-based Glenmuir was preparing for a home Ryder Cup year in which they were supplying team attire and at which they would be prominent in Celtic Manor’s merchandising pavilion.
“We took on 15 extra staff, yet as a business, the Sunderland deal still put huge pressure on our infrastructure,” admits Glenmuir’s managing director Colin Mee.
Despite the brand’s equity remaining strong, Sunderland’s recent rocky past – it has changed hands three times since Warren Sunderland sold the company in 2003 – had seen service standards slip. While refreshing and updating product was naturally a priority, Mee’s first tasks were administrative. Stock was held randomly at bonded warehouses throughout the UK, limiting distribution efficiency; but now it is all delivered to, and distributed from, Glenmuir’s Lanark base.
“This had to happen,” Mee insists. “Glenmuir’s strength is level of service, and we had to bring the logistics of supplying Sunderland product up to the same standards as Glenmuir’s.”
There were also issues to be resolved with European distribution. Glenmuir terminated existing distributor arrangements in both France and Switzerland, and has introduced new partners who were working with Glenmuir. Other European distributorships are being considered on an ongoing basis.
The fact that the Foremost buying group recently voted Sunderland and Glenmuir as the leading supplier in their respective categories suggests that progress in this area has been swift.
“During 2010 we also identified a tranche of unprofitable business as far as Sunderland was concerned,” Mee continues. “There were certain multiple retail group businesses where pricing was not acceptable to us. In simple terms, people were expecting too much for their money. We couldn’t afford to continue with that. We probably dropped two significant retailers through the course of the year. Clearly this was cutting back on potential turnover, but I didn’t want to take turnover purely for the sake of growth – it had to generate a return to the business.”
Outer reaches
Naturally for an outerwear-based product line, Sunderland’s Autumn-Winter range is key, and Mee claims that Sunderland has moved on significantly over the past 18 months.
“We felt the top-end product, equipped with the successful Thermal 13 laminate fabric, was pretty good, so we pegged one at entry level and a more premium suit,” Mee explains. “We wanted to replace some of the old dropliner technology product, which offered waterproofing from an inner lining. That served its purpose but perhaps has not got what people now expect in terms of layering and breathability.”
The result was the introduction of the Resort and Links ranges, with breathable yet waterproof laminated fabric. Adds Mee: “These suits are lightweight, less cumbersome, easier and more comfortable to wear, but still protect you from the rain.”
Elsewhere the range was simply refreshed, including new colours in the ladies’ International and Classic jackets, but Mee insists Sunderland is becoming more progressive for Autumn 2011, with new product that is being sold through already.
“This collection sees Sunderland’s first ever base layer,” he says. “There is a new men’s lined sweater with performance layering and weatherproofing. There is a new ladies’ and men’s bonded fleece, new colours into the men’s Resort range, new colours in the ladies’ International convertible jacket, plus a new range of men’s and ladies’ windshirts.
“This is just a taste of what is to come; we are actively working on follow-up for Spring 2012 now.”
Seasonal synergy
One of Glenmuir’s reasons for taking on the Sunderland brand was to provide a more consistent demand pattern through the year – so just as Autumn is Sunderland’s significant period, it is more a time for some refreshment and subtle upgrades in the Glenmuir lines.
Autumn 2011 is, however, seeing some interesting additions for Glenmuir, notably the introduction of a lined and padded gilet for men, Ossian, alongside the ladies’ Poppy. “This is a fashionable look, one we’ve brought in from the high street and made appropriate for golf,” says Mee.
Elsewhere Glenmuir’s trouser range will see a “vast improvement” according to Mee, with the introduction of the men’s Hudson and ladies’ Vivienne in a new stretch-bonded fabric. “They have a lightweight fleece backing, they are water resistant and use a stretch fabric,” says Mee. “They are a step up for design, fit and cloth.”
Glenmuir is also bringing out its own base layer – the Baffin for men and Greta for women – as well as new lined sweaters for men (Kielder and Jupiter) and women (Kelly and Jodie). These products are appearing in Glenmuir’s Autumn 2011 colour palettes of Aviator (beige, black and tan), Titanium (grey, blues, navy) and Twilight (navy with hot pinks).
Meanwhile, Glenmuir’s famed Merino lambs wool offering will be supplemented by more fashion-based seasonal garments such as the Derwent, Wrexham and Hebden, fashioned from a water-resistant lambs wool blend with nanotechnology.
Glenmuir’s Spring 2011 collection included an eye-catching range of performance-based polos, including the Jackson, Vardon and Condor, packed with Thermocool, CoolPlus, Hi-Cool and CoolMax moisture-management fabrics and sun protection. Mee confirms that while the brand’s performance garments have grown, Glenmuir’s more traditional lines are still very much to the fore.
“We are selling luxury cotton products in vast numbers; we sell more cotton than we do performance,” he admits. “Our embroidery service for the green-grass club pro is still very strong.
“Over the last year we have developed what I would call a modified traditional fit, with reduced size of sleeve and fabric around the underarm; there is a little less fabric flapping about, but body shape is still the same. We do though cater for the performance fit with our Performance and Trend range, which is almost more of a European fit, with a slimmer body and arm shape cut a little bit.”
Mee believes the apparel market is in something of state of status quo. “Performance shirts are still around, but we have not seen anything very different over the past few years. There may be some different names given to fabrics, but in essence they are not wildly different. Personally, looking round Orlando in January I didn‘t see anything that innovative. Mercerised cotton is still premium. Perhaps this is a reflection of the economic climate; perhaps the industry is a little cautious about what it is doing.”
Perhaps this stability has contributed to the smoothness with which Sunderland has been subsumed into Glenmuir’s operation. “We finished 2010 increasing our turnover by 35% in total business, year-on-year,” Mee claims. “20% of that came through additional Sunderland business and 15% is organic growth in the Glenmuir brand.”
Mee identifies the opening of 40-50 new Sunderland accounts through 2010, as evidence that confidence in the brand has returned. This success has no doubt been helped by continuity with input from existing Sunderland shareholders Brian Mair as marketing director for both brands, Douglas Bryson as customer services manager, and supplier Kevin Fan.
“This has given us a strong and experienced management team, and allowed us to absorb everything.” Mee believes. “Now we are getting up to speed with Sunderland, we are finding our distributorship has opened up dialogues to both brands’ benefit. And we are sure that will continue as we move forward.”
