Step aside, New York Fashion Week. Our new uniforms are hitting stores this fall!
Have you ever wondered what occurs before new uniforms make it to your store? We don’t want curiosity to kill anyone’s cat, so we took a peek behind the scenes and asked the people involved. From colors to fabrics, find out all the juicy details about our brand-new styles!
First things first
All things must start somewhere, and planning uniforms is no different. Major changes to our uniforms can happen for a number of reasons like matching store décor, branding or logo changes. One of the goals for the latest update was to reduce the number of different uniforms. Having fewer variations can help our customers more easily identify Publix associates.
The drawing board
After figuring out what updates needed to be made, our marketing team created simple drawings of their ideas. These sketches were divided by department and position. With this change, our uniforms more closely follow the colors of our brand with some neutral tones for variation. After looking over the different color options — so. many. greens. — and styles, the team chose to go with a simple yet classic look that can be worn by anyone.
Decisions, decisions
When the overall concept was complete, marketing sent the top-secret sketches to the customer service retail business unit (RBU) for review. When both departments agreed on the designs, they were sent along to the other RBUs for feedback and eventually presented to our leaders. Once approved, our marketing and customer service teams worked with a uniform company to get samples of different materials for shirts and pants. Typically, fabric that is breathable and wrinkle resistant is preferred for our associates’ comfort and appearance. Marketing and customer service then chose the fabrics they felt would work best, and an order was placed.
Testing … 1, 2, 3
One district per division piloted the uniforms for about three months. During this time, associates provided feedback on how the uniforms stood up to real-world conditions, including how well they came through the wash and whether the colors faded, they were breathable outdoors and were wrinkle resistant.
Left, right, come on “werk” it!
So, what’s next? The best part of all, my friend! After the pilot, both teams made changes needed for companywide rollout. The customer service RBU estimated how many uniforms were needed and placed the first big order with our uniform supplier. Thirty weeks later, they’re heading to your closets to get ready for their runway debut. If “America’s Next Top Model” comes calling, don’t forget: It’s all about the strut!
If you want to see more of the new uniforms, head over to PASSport after Oct. 26 to see photos of all the changes.
