How the Pandemic is Affecting the Apparel Industry and Our Customers

Much like the rest of the world, WorkPlacePro® and its affiliates are experiencing significant issues securing supplies due to the worldwide pandemic. Most apparel-based businesses across the United States are reporting increasing difficulties sourcing t-shirts and other items due to shipping delays, production issues, and price increases.

The havoc on the global supply chain starts overseas with factories coping with new health and safety protocols. Many suppliers have had issues getting staffed back up to be able to meet the consumer demand. In addition, changing regulations for trade and shipping have made logistics and exports even more difficult.

There are shipping challenges, too. FedEx, UPS and DHL have all increased fees in 2021, and have all experienced delays. Shipments overall have increased during 2021 due to more people staying at home and shopping online. Carriers have had significant difficulty managing the demand for space with increased e-commerce shipments. Further, they are providing logistics services for the vaccine, which added to the congestion.

What This Means

At WPP, we are doing everything we can to continue operating at full capacity despite these challenges. We are working to secure goods upfront, but we might have to get creative with solutions to get products in your hands on time. We work continuously with our suppliers to plan ahead, but sometimes shipping or production delays affect their schedules. As a result, we might have to order from different suppliers and warehouses across the U.S.

Color Variation Examples

Another result is that items might vary slightly within the same order. We might have to source substitute brands to fill in sizes that were never stocked, and as a result, one size might be a color shade off from other sizes in the order.

 

Customer satisfaction has always been of the utmost importance to us at WorkPlacePro. We truly hope that our customers understand we are doing everything we possibly can to provide the same great service they have always expected from us. These are unprecedented times, and the complications we have experienced are unlike anything before. With the support of our loyal customers and employees, we believe we will come through this a stronger company and hope to be your top apparel provider for many years to come.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we can continue to navigate these often-unforeseen challenges.

A Letter from Our Founder

Dear WorkPlacePro Customer,

I pray this letter finds you and your family healthy and well during this difficult time in our nation. During our 40 years of business, whether you have bought one shirt or a thousand, our customers are the heart of our company’s success and we are so thankful for each of you!

Many of you know high school and college seniors whose special year and last moments with lifelong friends have been tragically cut short. Our oldest grandson, Chase Cimala, is a senior in high school and one of the many that have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 crisis. We wanted to share that Chase has written an original song entitled “Cheers To My Teenage Years” dedicated to his graduating class, which we invite you to listen to from the links below. One music blogger wrote “his song throws a positive light on graduating from high school in 2020” and termed it “The Class of 2020’s Grad Song“.

In the midst of these troubling times, we hope this song brings hope that the people, places, and memories these students have made will always be a part of them. And for those of us that are older, we hope it reminds you of precious days gone by and brings a smile to your face as well! Cheers to the graduating class of 2020!

Best Regards,
Richard Humble
Founder/Owner
WorkPlacePro

» Listen on Amazon
» Listen on Spotify
» Listen on Apple Music

 

Follow Chase on Instagram or Facebook for more of his music.

 

New Round Up Partner for COVID-19 Relief

WorkPlacePro has partnered with GiveDirectly as part of our Round Up campaign during the current national and global COVID-19 crisis. Simply choose GiveDirectly as your organization of choice when checking out and your total will be rounded up to the next dollar. The change donated will go to GiveDirectly.

GiveDirectlly is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization committed to giving cash donations directly to the people that need it most. During the COVID-19 Crisis, GiveDirectly is delivering cash to families impacted in the U.S. first and then expanding globally when/if needed. Vulnerable households enrolled in SNAP and households living in areas hit hardest by this crisis will receive funds first. Populations suffering recent job loss & the elderly will also benefit through GiveDirectly donations.

Learn more at: https://www.givedirectly.org/covid-19/

WorkPlacePro’s Response to COVID-19

As the world navigates the COVID-19 health crisis, we want to assure you that our number one focus is to maintain the same level of availability and support that you’ve come to expect as our valued customer. We’d like to update you on the steps that we are taking to mitigate risks and ensure that WorkPlacePro (along with our affiliates, Better Life and EarthDayShirts) continues to meet your needs through this health crisis.

WorkPlacePro’s leadership team is meeting continuously to assess and appropriately respond to the crisis as it evolves, to adjust our operations to maintain continuity, and to support the safety and health of those impacted. In addition, WorkPlacePro is operating in accordance with guidance from local government and public health authorities across the globe. Of course, the health and welfare of both our employees and your employees remain a priority. We have put in place many virus-mitigating actions which result in a reduction of potential transmission.

We want you to feel confident about ordering from WorkPlacePro. Our manufacturing facilities will remain open, and our Customer Service Team will be ready to assist you. We know the health of your business relies on us to supply the right products to you in a timely fashion. We are working tirelessly to ensure we can provide the best service to you and your business.

Our business continuity plan has been activated to ensure our manufacturing staff, products, and customer support services are available for continuous operations in all areas of our business. We are confident in our business continuity plan to be effective as we all navigate this fast-changing situation. Here are some of the practices we have put in place:

• We have eliminated all non-essential business travel in the US and have restricted travel outside of North America at this time.

• We are requiring employees who are ill (or suspected to be exposed but not exhibiting symptoms) to self-quarantine for a 14-day period.

• All visiting vendors and customers who need to physically be present at our facilities are instructed to follow WorkPlacePro’s Standard Operating Procedures, including:

• If experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms, or have visited an area with high rates of disease transmission within the past 14 days, you are asked to self-isolate and not enter our facilities.

• Only attend in person if remote controls fail.

• Wash or sanitize hands prior to entering our facilities; maintain social-distancing guidelines of six feet of separation from others if practicable.

Based on currently available information, we continue to modify our practices and take new steps to ensure that we are providing quality service to our customers, reducing risks to our employees and their families, and sustaining the seamless operation of our business.

Although we will do everything in our ability to get your orders to you on time, there may be delays in your orders due to the effects resonating from the impacts of this global virus. To help schools which are closed temporarily, we are extending deadlines for upcoming educational designs through 4/16/2020.

Thank you so very much for your business. WorkPlacePro is committed to being a trusted, reliable partner to you during these challenging times. We will be updating you going forward as this rapidly evolving situation changes.

We have an attitude of gratitude for our customers

Today, and every day, we have an attitude of gratitude.

There are so many things to be grateful for, aren’t there? Family, friends, health, fellowship. We’d be remiss, though, if we let Thanksgiving go by without expressing how thankful we are at WorkPlacePro for you, our customers.

Continue reading We have an attitude of gratitude for our customers

Supporting employees creates a supportive workplace

One of the things we value most at WorkPlacePro is our ability to create group unity and a supportive workplace.

Providing your staff with apparel that communicates a common message can help foster a pleasant work environment and an office culture of having fun and giving back.

Continue reading Supporting employees creates a supportive workplace

Can’t find the design? Tips for ordering with WorkPlacePro

A cause that your business supports has a recognition day that’s approaching quickly, and you want to order shirts for your office staff to show support. It’s a month away. You remember that you saw a shirt design on WorkPlacePro that your coworkers will love, but when you go online to order, it’s no longer there.

Our customers tell us this is a common problem — when they are trying to promote an occupation or cause, they’re often too late in ordering the design they want. Let’s remedy that! At WorkPlacePro, we have processes and schedules in place to make sure we can produce the order you need in the time you need it. Because we are a print-to-order company, we only offer designs for a limited time.

Continue reading Can’t find the design? Tips for ordering with WorkPlacePro

Hurricane Relief Efforts

It takes an army to fight a battle on two fronts. That’s what the Salvation Army is doing right now. They are on the ground in Houston and ready with more teams in place for Florida. The Salvation Army’s words to live by are “Doing the Most Good.” Whether that means providing food, shelter, a shoulder to cry on or someone to give you hope. They have food trucks that are mobilized to feed thousands of victims and first responders. The disaster relief team is setting up shelters for rest and recovery for victims. The Salvation Army doesn’t leave either once the flooding stops and the power is turned back on, they stay until the healing is complete.

These are the reasons WorkPlacePro has decided to donate our relief efforts to this amazing nonprofit. All net proceeds of our Texas Love shirt are being donated – with your help we hope to lift our fellow Americans in their time of need. You never know when a disaster will hit your area and we can only hope that people will step in and stand up when that time comes. Let’s send some positive thoughts and donations to all the victims of Hurricane Harvey and Irma.

You can read more about the Salvation Army’s efforts and donate here: https://disaster.salvationarmyusa.org/

Purchase your Texas Love shirt to help relief efforts here: http://www.workplacepro.com/S-TEXAS

The Salvation Army is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Employee Spotlight: Amanda!

Amanda is our resident genius around here at WorkPlacePro. She has been here 12 years and I really don’t think any one of us could get by without her. She is the backbone of our website, the glue to our marketing team and all around just makes WPP “tick”. Yes, she is that good. We thought we’d sit down with her for some very important interview questions that we hope you enjoy and let you get to know her a little bit. 🙂

Interview Questions:

  1. If you were a Disney character, which one would you be? And why?

I googled “Which Disney character are you” and took this quiz.

My result: Sadness from Inside Out

I haven’t seen this movie, but it’s on disney.com so it must be official.  I guess see what you get to judge if this quiz is accurate

  1. What skill would you like to master? Reading Japanese, but I’m too lazy to stick with studying it.
  1. What’s your favorite drink? I usually drink water, but the fanciest I get is Coke Zero with lime.  Or a white mocha cappuccino.
  1. What are three small things that make your day better?
    1. Dark Chocolate
    2. New YouTube videos
    3. Feeling like I accomplished something
  1. What did you think you would grow out of but haven’t? Wanting a dog.
  1. If life is a game (like some people say) what’s two rules you would have?
    1. Don’t be rude.
    2. Be a geek about something you enjoy.
  1. Favorite restaurant? Food from what place? Given the opportunity, my favorite thing is to go somewhere new, or somewhere we rarely go, and have something a bit different that I wouldn’t usually have at home.