The trade association group ANWR Schuh wants to open up a new business field for the product area occupational safety with shoes and textiles. So far, there has been no efficient association for this area, in which the focus is on personal protective equipment (PPE). According to the ANWR, both specialized dealers and manufacturers regret this.
“With a specialized team for retail partners and industry, we want to develop and offer new services in the field of personal protective equipment,” says Managing Director Helmut Wies, explaining the approach. According to estimates by the BDSE, the market potential for work shoes is around 900 million euros.
“On the one hand, we want to open up new sales channels for manufacturers as a competent and sustainable partner and, on the other hand, support specialist trade partners with know-how and a wide variety of services,” adds Wies.
Expand range of work shoes
The previous range of work shoes is to be significantly expanded. ANWR Schuh is currently working on the development of modules for the specialist trade, support in establishing strategic partnerships with manufacturers and specialist trade fairs in the field of workwear and occupational safety.
It is primarily about shoes for healthcare professions and gastronomy, because according to an ANWR retailer survey, the majority of employees in these professions buy their work shoes themselves classic shoe retail an additional profiling and turnover is opened up.
According to Wies, initial discussions with specialized industrial partners, led by the ANWR team of specialists with Kai Stawars, Carsten Sander and Andreas Schau, have already generated great interest in cooperation with a trade association. The response from retailers is just as promising. Wies also draws a positive conclusion after the team’s visit to the “Arbeitsschutz aktuell” trade fair, which took place in Stuttgart in October.