We are thrilled to announce that Polkemmet Embroidery is now the official leisurewear supplier of The National Youth Brass Band of Scotland!

You can now purchase the band’s official leisurewear from our website at https://shop.polkemmet.uk/nybbs. Our team is excited to work with the band to create high-quality, comfortable, and stylish clothing that will make you stand out from the crowd. Whether you’re a musician, a fan, or just someone who loves great fashion, we’ve got you covered.

Stay tuned for more updates on our collaboration with The National Youth Brass Band of Scotland. We can’t wait to see what the future holds! 😊

Shipping challenges
We know that there may still be issues with some stock levels and understand the frustration this can cause. There’s a ‘perfect storm’ with the ongoing effects of the pandemic combined with the more complex supply chains post-Brexit which continue to pose production and shipping challenges for many of the brands.  High infection levels in garment manufacturing countries means that production has been interrupted and Covid closures have again been affecting capacity at ports, causing a backlog of container traffic.

Logistics shortages
Exceptional demand globally for containers has meant everyone is fighting for capacity, and escalating costs are also making it harder for brands to plan shipping. Additionally, once the goods reach the UK, many suppliers are still limiting volumes to their customers, which, combined with staff shortages due to self-isolation and difficulty recruiting post-Brexit, is leading to an increase in lead times. 

What is Polkemmet Embroidery doing to help the situation?

Our suppliers are investing heavily to build and maintain stock levels
Generally our suppliers have a good level of stock on most styles, however there are still gaps. They’ve made significant stock orders with the brands to fill these gaps as quickly as possible and are continuing to monitor levels and order accordingly.

Working with our brands
Our brand partners are keeping us updated on their stock levels, but unfortunately there is a lack of visibility for both us and the brands on delivery dates due to the shipping issues mentioned before. We’re working together to get the most up-to-date information available.  

How can you get ahead with these challenges?

Place orders early on items you know you’ll need
Ordering earlier than you usually would is advised. 

Use similar products
We may offer similar styles for products, so if something you need to order isn’t in stock, there may be alternatives that we can offer.

Free digitising of your logo on orders over £50
Free shipping on orders over £30

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Unfortunately, we have been advised by a number of our suppliers of further price increases due to come into effect from 4th January 2022.

The rationale for these changes are detailed below.

Further increases to the cost of raw materials

Raw cotton has continued to rise and has now risen another 17% since September 2021 and 42% since January 2021. Polyester has again continued to rise by a further 19% since September 2021 and 24% since January 2021.

Garment production and new COVID-19 variants

Garment production prices are starting to rise, due to a number of factors. COVID-19 lockdowns were imposed in manufacturing countries such as Bangladesh and China, due to the spread of the Delta variant earlier in the year, causing slowdowns and even stoppages in production and deliveries in these regions. Many factories in Myanmar (Burma) have also been closed down since the military coup in February, leading to higher demands from factories in Bangladesh and China. The new Omicron variant could further add to these issues.

General inflation in the UK economy

Inflation has continued to rise within the UK, in 2021. In September, the RPI was 3.9%; and in October, it was 6%.

Currency pressures

There is also the extra pressure of the value of GBP vs USD. Since September, GBP has fallen from $1.38 to $1.32 – a fall of 4.3%. As goods and freight are paid in USD, this increases the landed price.

If you have any further questions about these price changes, please do not hesitate to get in touch.