Saturday, March 30, 2024

Woollen mask sales spike

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Suppliers of woollen face masks have been slammed with orders as a second wave of covid-19 threatens New Zealand.
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Following the Government’s warning that face masks may become compulsory, suppliers and manufacturers have been challenged to meet demand as NZ-made woollen face masks take a top spot on the fashion accessory charts.

“Face masks are out of stock.

Due to order demand, we are not currently taking back orders.

Available again for purchase September 1.”

These are the messages heading several websites and Facebook pages of Merino wool mask suppliers.

True Fleece Merino NZ owner and Le Bons Bay farmer Carl Uren shared a message to reassure customers that they’re trying to replenish stock “as quickly as possible.”

“We’ve been inundated with face mask orders in the last couple of weeks and in the light of the current situation, we know you are anxious to order masks,” the message said.

“While we have currently sold out, we want to reassure you that our team is working hard to replenish stock levels as quickly as possible and we expect to have more masks made very soon.

“We’ll be sure to keep you updated as soon as these are available for purchase online.

Overnight True Fleece went from selling a few Merino face masks a day to hundreds a day following the announcement from the Government that it is considering mandating the compulsory wearing of face masks.

“We have just been overwhelmed, it’s crazy how demand has ramped up,” Uren said.

“It would have been good to have had a heads up on this.”

He said the Merino fabric supply is not a problem and that their small team is “stretched to the max” trying to meet the demand.

Uren said covid-19 has created a big wave to 100% NZ-made.

“That has helped us a lot as we adapt to pivoting our business to the covid times,” he said.

Auckland-based Kiwi company Lanaco is in demand both nationally and globally for its specialist-bred NZ Astino wool protective mask filters.

Lanaco director of sales and marketing Nick Davenport said there’s been huge demand since the covid-19 outbreak.

“When we started the mask programme last year, we set up 25-30 companies to buy our Helix woollen air filter fills, now we have 100 companies around the country sewing and making masks with our fills,” he said.

“We have been just slammed with orders this week; we have produced as much product in two days as we did in the whole of the first round of covid.

“Hundreds and thousands of wool filters have been supplied for cloth masks.

“We’ve got hat-makers, dressmakers, flag-makers, bootmakers and clothing manufacturers all making masks and after wool filters.”

Lanaco contracts NZ farmers to its specialist Astino wool breeding programme.

“These farmers are our primary source of wool supply for our 100% NZ,” Davenport said.

“We are targeting global markets too and the operating environment right now is certainly challenging.

“We are producing our face masks in the greatest volume we can, but we are currently struggling to keep up with demand and we expect this situation to remain in place for some time.”

Campaign for Wool chair and Hawke’s Bay Pukenui Station farmer Tom O’Sullivan said all commercial projects selling and promoting wool have got to be good for the NZ wool industry.

“The wool industry behind the farmgate is in absolute crisis. I can say that from experience; in a year that it’s costing me $30,000 to shear my sheep,” he said.

Despite the unfortunate covid-19 situation, O’Sullivan said the masks are an example of industry innovation that is good for growers, good for business, and most of all, good for the overall wellbeing and health of NZ.

“Look at the wellbeing benefits for people and the environment using innovation to create a product that’s proving highly successful in marketing against synthetics,” he said.

“These masks are a good example of re-educating consumers and reinforcing the superior qualities of wool.

“This is where Campaign of Wool is going with other products as well.”

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