If you’ve spent some time researching towels for your business, odds are that you’ve come across several options for irregular or imperfect towels. We offer an entire line of irregular towels in addition to our first-quality towels, as we’ve found that many of our clients are able to take advantage of these value-priced items.
Tight weft pick means an uneven distribution of thread. This would be rejected by a mill but is still a perfectly viable towel.
Tight weft pick means an uneven distribution of thread. This would be rejected by a mill but is still a perfectly viable towel.
First things first: what makes a towel irregular? Irregular simply means that there is a small flaw somewhere in the construction. We have found that one of the determining factors of towel brand hierarchy is the customer’s tolerance of imperfection. Many expensively branded towels feature similar cotton and weave as a discount towel, but they generate so many imperfects in the production that it drives the cost of the towel up.
Flaws vary and may include anything from a missing thread to tiny perforations or perhaps a color irregularity. Any of these flaws would be cause for a mill to classify the towel as irregular and set it aside, and that’s where we come in!
We partner with mills all over the world to purchase these budget-friendly towels so that we can offer them to our client at a savings of 20-40% compared to our first-quality towels. These items are perfectly suited for high-loss environments, such as gyms, health clubs, and schools. Many institutional facilities choose irregular towels as well.
In high-loss environments the expectation is that the items will be discarded more often than not, due to hard use or due to customers simply forgetting to return the towels. Purchasing and stocking irregular towels is how you can continue to provide excellent service and keep your customer satisfaction high while remaining cost-effective. Odds are that your customers will not notice any differences in the weave or color as they use and discard them.
We may not be able to guarantee stock on the exact same irregular towel over time, as we’re purchasing based on opportunity. If slight differences will not affect your business, then our Eclipse towels are the best option for you. If you’re looking to provide consistent quality month after month, I would recommend that you go with a first-quality towel.
Keep in mind that whether the towel is imperfect or first-quality, the specifications on size and weight still count. A first quality 16”x27” 3lb hand towel is still going to be thinner than an imperfect 16”x27” 4lb hand towel. (For more on what cotton construction in a towel means and how to know which towel will be plusher, you can visit a previous blog post by clicking on the following: Why Is Towel Construction Important?. ) The weights and thickness of the towel are still dependent on the same considerations regardless of any flaws.
As you prepare to purchase towels for your business, you’ll have to ask yourself what your clients’ expectations are and how best to meet those expectations. If the expectation is simply that the towel needs to be there and ready to use, or that the towels will be beat up, our line of irregular Eclipse towels is perfect for you. If your customer is discerning, try our premier collection of Magellan towels. If your laundry keeps tight controls over towel lifecycle, and therefore demands the same spec of towel consistently, try Admiral towels.
We supply some of the world’s biggest brands with towel programs, and we are ready to help develop a program that works for you! Contact me to chat about your needs.
Author: Lynette Salas
