Finding opportunities to boost linen sales

The UK hotel and restaurant sector seems to have had a year of mixed fortunes in 2010 although there are hopes for a slight improvement in the coming months.

A review of the London scene by the 2011 Harden’s London Restaurant Guide, published on its website, reports that the capital’s restaurants achieved their highest level of annual growth in the last 12 months. However, the effect of the temporary VAT reduction meant that pre-tax prices were effectively flat (up by only 0.3%) the weakest level of growth in the past 10 years.

The hospitality market’s mixed fortunes were reflected in the market for table linens in 2009 – 2010.

“The hotel market would say it is suffering but generally hotels have been pretty busy,” says Tonrose sales director Chris Kingsford but he adds that many have stopped using table cloths, turning instead to polished glass or wood table tops with paper napkins and disposable table coverings. Some may still use table linen but keep it for the establishment’s dinner service. “Hotels are saving money wherever they can, although there are still pockets, such as Scotland, where table linen is fashionable and the London market is “not too bad” but “simplicity is the watchword,” explains Kingsford.

This is reflected in the choice of colours – white and ivory continue to be the most popular – along with simple designs such as 100% cotton satin band or plain polyester.

To respond to the increasing demand for polyester and to compete with cotton table linens, Tonrose spent the last year developing a heavier weight spun polyester product. The 240g Kudos Elite range was launched in April/May this year. Available in white and a range of nine colours, it has been designed with enhanced colour retention and stain release properties as well as having a cotton-like feel.

The expected slowdown was not reflected in table linen sales at Linen Connect. National account manager Richard Yates, says that the company enjoyed massive sales in 2010. Linen Connect launched the Forta spun polyester range at the beginning of the year and this has been very successful. Forta was initially offered in white and ivory but is now also available in burgundy and black. All three shades are used on a plain (non- patterned) design.

“We spent a lot of time bringing this product to market and testing it for its durability,” Yates says.”It can be washed a low temperatures, its stain release properties are excellent and it feels like cotton.”

In addition, Linen Connect offers the well-established Cezanne range of polyester filament table linen in a rose pattern design and this has also seen increased sales. “It is an old favourite,” says Yates.

Certainly, sales of polyester table linen are increasing throughout the sector because of its durability and colour retention but Yates adds that there is still demand for cotton and Linen Connect has a range of 100% cotton linen in ivy leaf and satin band designs to meet this requirement.

Gary Lomas, operations director at Sherry Textiles, says that he is surprised that table linen sales are still doing well, despite the recent general financial difficulties and the move to disposable napkins and table cloths in many restaurants. Like all the suppliers that LCN spoke to for this article, Sherry has seen a decline in sales of 100% cotton and increased demand for polyester. Its main seller is its range of polyester English rose patterned table linen, which appeals to less expensive establishments. The design is available in 12 colours in sizes up to 54 x 70cm, including bespoke sizes.

White and ivory continue to be the most popular colours, with darker colours such as burgundy, royal blue, forest green and Wedgwood blue also strong as they do not show the stains. Lighter colours, such as lemon, peach and pink, which once enjoyed the limelight are now not as popular.

Polyester is less prone to shrinkage so Lomas says that some companies have decreased the sizes of their polyester table linens. For example, a polyester cloth may be offered as 52 x 52cm or 52 x 70cm rather than 54 x 54 or 54 x 70cm.

Hilden has also seen table linen sales increase this year after experiencing a decrease last year. However, sales manager Rod Nutter has noticed a changing sales pattern for circular table cloths. This year sales of this shape have been steady throughout the year whereas previously it has sold mainly during the wedding season.

Nutter says the company’s spun polyester Alpha range continues to be a market leader. If has good colour retention and stain release, does not fade and will dry quickly. Hilden also supplies the Beta spun filament polyester range. Both the Beta and Alpha ranges are available in plain, ivy leaf and satin band designs but satin band and plain dominate and there has also been a year-on-year shift to white and cream. Currently, only Alpha is available in other colours but further colours are “on the horizon” for the Beta range.

For those with budgetary constraints, Hilden offers a range of 100% cotton products at entry price points so that a napkin could cost around 30p. But 2010 has seen the price of cotton escalate dramatically, driven by the cotton shortages and the reduction in the value of the pound. If this situation continues, it could make these prices unsustainable in future.

Hilden is currently working on a product due to be launched next spring, which Nutter says “will add to our range tremendously and will take us to a different level.”

For Richard Haworth, the Signature Plus polyester range continues to dominate. Manufactured by Milliken, it has patented “soft-touch technology” to give it a cotton-like feel. Richard Haworth general manager Sue Davies saysthat Signature Plus may cost more than some polyester products but it is constructed to last longer and reduce pilling so it gives better value.

Signature Plus is available in a range of 33 colours in a plain design. The core colours, such as white, ivory, black, forest green, royal blue and maroon, tend to be the main sellers, with white outselling the rest, but mocha is becoming more popular and turquoise was this year’s wedding colour, Davies says.

Milliken is currently working on developments to take Signature Plus to another level by improving its ability to retain colour when bleach is used, as often happens with the lighter colours. Each colour contains a different combination of chemicals and dyes so each needs a different treatment. The improved product will be launched in the next few months, once the process has been completed for the core colours.

Richard Haworth still sells some Stuart rose patterned table linen but has dropped the ivy leaf design. It now produces its 100% cotton table linen in white satin band only. Place settings hide the pattern says Davies. However, polyester gingham check is still popular in bistros and Italian restaurants.

Despite the move to polyester, some suppliers specialise in 100% cotton, catering to those who prefer the traditional natural fibre. Andy Jamshidzadeh, director of DG Textiles, is a firm believer in the quality of 100% cotton. “If you know how to process cotton, it can last two years – and a good launderer will know how to treat linen,” he says.

This does not just apply to the temperature at which it is washed and the use of bleach but also how often it is collected from the client. Some kitchens leave food-stained linen for days so it gathers mildew and mould but prompt collection will prevent such build-ups and prolong product life, says Jamshidzadeh.

DG Textiles sells a range of high-quality Croatian linen in satin band and ivy leaf in 15 colours, as well as a less expensive range of Egyptian cotton. The Croatian dyeing technique, which uses a Swiss dye, is very modern and Jamshidzadeh explains that cotton will retain its colour if a decent dye has been used.

DG sells largely to textile rental laundries that serve four- and five-star hotels and restaurants whose customers are looking for a high standard.

Esteco is another supplier who specialises in 100% cotton. Its main seller is its Adriatic range, a 100% cotton damask made in Croatia that is available in a range of 15 colours and in ivy leaf and satin band designs. Sales of the product have held out well but this year has been particularly tough for those who supply cotton products because of cotton price rises.

“For the last few years we kept our prices at the same level, but so far in 2010 we’ve had to increase our prices three times,” says Esteco director George Miljanich.

The company also used to supply a spun polyester product – it was one of the first in the UK to do so – but has temporarily stopped offering polyester due to a sourcing problem. However it is currently investigating fresh sources.

While most of its sales are to textile rental laundries, Esteco also offers a higher quality bespoke 100% cotton product with a light ”silky” finish, which it mainly sells directly to hotels and restaurants. The bespoke product can be treated in the laundry in much the same way as other cotton table linen.

David Hill, sales and marketing director for textile rental specialist Johnson Stalbridge Linen Services, confirms the general trends but says that despite ongoing move away from table cloths, Hill says the company has had a “fairly buoyant year”.

Johnson Stalbridge’s services include both permanent and temporary rental. The temporary rental option allows customers to hire table linens for one-off events and Hill says that this business has been picking up.

The choice of rental agreements requires the company to offer a wider range of sizes including the larger circular table cloths. Polyester makes up the majority of the table linen that Johnson Stalbridge supplies and around Christmas/New Year it plans to launch a range of white polyester with a cotton feel. Once this is established, the company will decide whether or not to continue its current polycotton range.

The customers’ main requirement is continuity of supply, Hill says. “They want to know they have a ready supply and that the product is finished properly, designed properly and that the edges are straight.”

To ensure this, the company maintains a large stock of table linen so that it can meet customer demand. As a result, Hill says, it has picked up business from other companies who have chosen not to reinvest in stock – a reflection perhaps of the market’s mixed fortunes.