A Feb. 20 webinar on “Uniform Rental and Direct Sale in the 2025 Economy” will explore how buyers’ present-day money and social concerns are impacting the growth of uniform rental and direct sale. It’s long been established that businesses and individuals who purchase uniforms outnumber those in rental. Webinar panelists will offer perspectives on the current climate for potential conversion to rental as well as the chance that direct sale will widen the gap, perhaps compelling rental companies to seek a bigger piece of the action.

Click here to register for the webinar, set for 2 p.m. Eastern time, featuring panelists from the memberships of TRSA and the Network Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors (NAUMD). The event is free to members of both associations.

Drops in consumer confidence, the volatile stock market, sudden pricing shifts from suppliers … all can increase business costs and shake business confidence. How do direct sale and rental marketing give customers and prospects greater confidence they won’t face increased pricing? How is this confidence built with customers and prospects who have high workforce turnover?

Among the latter, high employee turnover may not be forever. Employers can become more engaging and reduce it. Given the recent inflationary spiral that has prompted wage increases, what else needs to be done to keep good workers? Can rental and direct sale uniforms play a role?

Businesses are increasingly prioritizing flexibility and agility in their operations. How do rental and direct sale support this? Companies may view purchasing as affording them greater control over inventory and budgets. Rental can be viewed as rigid, but uniform services can adapt with shorter-term contracts and facilitate other ways to adapt uniform programs to quickly changing needs. Panelists will opine on whether economic conditions are requiring businesses to adapt more quickly and whether both rental and direct sale models can accommodate flexibility.

“America First” might be a factor as well. Will it be a factor in work uniform decision-making? Would expanded tariffs make a difference? In addition to raising expenses, they might contribute to supply-chain disruptions and concern customers.

TRSA webinar presenters will be John Auriemma, president, American Wear Inc., East Orange, NJ, and Josh Wildman, CEO, Wildman Uniform & Linen, Warsaw, IN.  Executive Director Rick Levine will represent NAUMD, as will Leslie Watt-McArdle, Owner, LMAC Solutions, Boston.

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