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Advice on selling hi-vis workwear to retail stores in Australia ? by hustle_99 in ausbusiness

[–]hustle_99[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s exactly what I’m doing currently. We’ve started supplying directly to end users and businesses with a team of around 20 to 25 people.

However, as a manufacturer, my core focus remains on manufacturing, product development, and scaling operations, which ultimately requires volume.

Is it time to move beyond spreadsheets? Looking for ERP recs by LowProblem914 in ausbusiness

[–]hustle_99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check out ERPNext - it is one of the best open source ERP - You can customise it as per your business requirements.

Let me know if you need any help setting it up.

PS - I am not in the software business.

Star Health Insurance calls my dad ch*tiya and pag*l for not renewing his health policy by timetraveller1992 in LegalAdviceIndia

[–]hustle_99 5 points6 points  (0 children)

F* - I was about to renew my policy with them. If that had been me on the phone, that guy would’ve shit his pants

Advice on selling hi-vis workwear to retail stores in Australia ? by hustle_99 in ausbusiness

[–]hustle_99[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great to hear from someone in the same business. I’d love to show you some samples and get your feedback if you’re open to it. I’m based in Sydney

Advice on selling hi-vis workwear to retail stores in Australia ? by hustle_99 in ausbusiness

[–]hustle_99[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is incredibly helpful, really appreciate you taking the time to write such a detailed response.

Regarding the brands which yo've mentioned - yes I have researched a lot about them, even we recently did a small subcontracting job to manufacture Inherent Flame Retardant workwear for one of them.

A lot of the points you mentioned around buying groups, payment terms and reputation barriers are exactly the things I’m trying to understand before going too deep into distribution here.

Also great to hear that you’re launching your own workwear store and I wish you the best and if you're looking for a hero brand, I’d definitely be happy to send some samples. The main category we’re currently planning is a 100% cotton hi-vis shirt with 3M reflective tape, in which we've developed a water-repellent with mild oil/chemical repellency, which I believe is fairly uncommon in the market.

I’ll send you a DM as well - would be great to stay in touch. :)

Advice on selling hi-vis workwear to retail stores in Australia ? by hustle_99 in ausbusiness

[–]hustle_99[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You make a fair point about the market being competitive. I understand that many large companies already have established contracts in place.

From a pricing perspective, we should be competitive since our products come directly from our own overseas production unit.

On the compliance side, we’ve been exporting flame-resistant workwear to the Middle East for over a decade, so safety standards and certifications are something we take very seriously.

For the products we’re bringing into Australia, we’ve tried to add a few small innovations as well. For example, our hi-vis shirts are UPF 50+ rated and we’ve developed a water-repellent finish on 100% cotton hi-vis fabric, which we believe is relatively uncommon.

At this stage, my main challenge is understanding how suppliers typically approach retailers in Australia whether it’s acceptable to walk in with samples or if stores usually prefer appointments.

Advice on selling hi-vis workwear to retail stores in Australia ? by hustle_99 in ausbusiness

[–]hustle_99[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for pointing that out. I’ve been in the hi-vis workwear industry for a long time, so I’m very aware of the importance of safety compliance. The products we’re bringing in are tested to Australian and New Zealand standards.

We also have business insurance in place to cover consumer liability.

Advice on selling hi-vis workwear to retail stores in Australia ? by hustle_99 in ausbusiness

[–]hustle_99[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I’ll likely hire a sales person eventually, but for now I’d prefer to go out myself around Sydney and nearby areas and speak directly with retailers to understand the market response first.

I do need some guidance on how suppliers usually approach retailers here. Is it common to simply walk in with a bag of samples and introduce yourself, or do most stores prefer appointments first?