Richard Bloemendal, a director of Tech ‘N’ Color, has worked in the New Zealand textile industry since 1980. He said key people in the retail chain today were ignorant of the merits of wool.
He was commenting on news that thousands of bales of short, strong crossbred wool were being placed in storage since the price collapsed because of a lack of demand from yarn manufacturers.
There are predictions a recovery in demand could be a year away.
Bloemendal said ideally growers should take a financial stake in further processing industries to benefit sale of the end product, but that was difficult given most manufacturing had shifted off-shore.
However, gains were possible from educating marketers and salespeople.
“It’s purely and simply an educational thing at retail level and for carpet manufacturing. They have to be given a reason to sell wool carpet,” Bloemendal said.
He has worked for most of the large NZ-based textile firms during his career and was currently assisting Cavalier Bremworth. He said there was a dearth of knowledge about the qualities of wool carpets.
Bloemendal said he was approached recently by someone wanting to buy a wool carpet in Auckland but couldn’t find a retailer because stores were pushing nylon products.
Meanwhile, NZ First leader Winston Peters has promised if elected to make all government-funded buildings use wool carpets and insulation instead of synthetic.
“The Government claims it will build 34,000 houses in Auckland over the next 10 years alone, and what should be a bonanza for wool won’t be with National turning its back on wool,” Peters said in a policy statement.
The Taxpayers’ Union has costed the policy at $120 million to line all government offices with wool carpet based on a cost of $79 a square metre, for a total floor space of 1.5m square metres.
The lobby group’s executive director Jordan Williams said if new wool carpets were installed as part of regular maintenance, the marginal cost of wool was between $60m and $93m more than synthetic.
Wools of NZ chairman Mark Shadbolt welcomed Peters initiative, saying it showed common sense and was a way of supporting the sheep industry, which required wool and meat to perform to underpin viability.
While the policy was short on details, Shadbolt said criticism of the cost ignored the fact wool provided other benefits such as fire retardant and insulation qualities not provided by synthetics.
Shadbolt said growers were investing in the supply chain targeting affluent consumers who already knew the value and attributes of wool.
“You talk to them and they understand.”
It was crucial the sector got out of the price trap that was the commodity market to return to viability.
Shadbolt said in his experience the final determinant to secure a sale to affluent consumers was the colour and design, followed by price, and that required working with architects and designers.
“It’s a targeted approach depending on who has been identified as your consumer that can afford wool.”
