ImagesMagUK-July-2020

www.images-magazine.com JULY 2020 images 45 IS BRAND PROFILE The non-sterile, disposable RV001X PPE mask UK, the cost of air freight tripled from mid-March to the end of April – from $9 to an eye-watering $28 per kg – although it has now dropped back. “Air freight was sometimes more expensive than the masks,” David points out. Costs were also driven up by demand for materials. “There are tens of thousands of factories making the masks but there are only five suppliers of the materials,” David explains. Inevitably, the cost of materials spiralled until the suppliers were forced by the Chinese government to drop their prices. Nevertheless, David points out that Result “will have stock arriving at the end of July that we would never be able to sell at the price it cost us. We will be selling those products based on what costs are today. We are working to much smaller margins than we normally work to.” One-stop service The Essential Hygiene range includes the white, non-sterile, disposable RV001X 4 Layer Respirator and the medical-grade disposable RV004X Disposable 3 Ply Type IIR Medical Mask, both of which come from China and are supplied in packs of 50. The washable and reusable, non-medical RV009X (Non-PPE) Natural Yarn Antibac Face Mask was sourced from the EU, with Result the sole UK importer. It is made of 90% natural cotton/8% antibacterial Prolen Silex /2% stretch elastane, and is available in black, white, charcoal grey, royal blue, navy blue, lime and pink. From the start, David was committed to sourcing proven high-quality products, such as masks with elastic warehouse on full pay even when they were reduced to two shifts Monday to Thursday. Not only was Result back to five days a week in June but, after sales were down 80% in April, it managed to hit budget in May. The UK government has stated that it is now “confident in stocks of face masks to meet demand” in healthcare, after agreeing deals for PPE from around the world. As for us ‘civilians’, David is convinced that we will be wearing face masks in public for some time to come. “The mask is not going away and we are now looking at other products. Every man and his dog is bringing out non-medical masks; I’m trying to come up with a mask that is better than what any of our competitors is offering.”. loops that won’t break. And in order to protect their viability, none of the face masks are intended for decoration. The new range also includes synthetic vinyl disposable gloves, face splash shields, antibacterial hand sanitiser, medical splash goggles, disinfectant wipes and more. David explains that for decorators the value of the Essential Hygiene range of PPE and non-medical masks is that it can support their wider business at this time. “This is a range that not only helps to keep our doors open but can help our customers as part of a one-stop service. When people are buying these masks and they need some sweatshirts or some T-shirts, they can buy them at the same time.” NHS and care home discounts Result and its four distributors – Ralawise, PenCarrie, Prestige and IS Enterprises – have also committed to a 20% discount on the price of PPE sold to the NHS or care homes, with the discount split equally between the brand and the distributor. As well as the demand for face masks, Result has also seen demand soar for its new R200X EV Enhanced Visibility Vest and its R201X Core Hi Vis Motorway Vest, with the R200X now available in an extended range of 14 colours, including traditional orange and yellow. “People are using them for messages like ‘Keep two metres apart’ printed on the back,” reports David. The sale of tabards and PPE has allowed Result to remain open during lockdown. The company’s staff were furloughed or kept on in the Result’s medical-grade, disposable RV004X mask Result’s tabards are also in high demand at present, including the new R201X EV Enhanced Visibility Vest in 14 colours