October 4, 2009
Suppliers Are Not Concentrating On Consumers.
The turmoil of the tuxedo rental business continued in the month of September, as retailers and suppliers remain embroiled in a battle of who will break first regarding the supply of fresh, new formal wear products to consumers. Store owners say they refuse to place orders, so long as suppliers refuse to reveal their intent to provide information on advertising and marketing campaigns designed to reach consumers. Suppliers respond by saying they will not spend money to reach consumers, as long as they do not receive adequate support from store owners in the form of orders.
The standoff is expected to continue through the next few weeks, as a series of traditional trade shows wind down the final hope for orders in a broken supplier chain system that has been severely challenged since 9/11/2001. According to readers of our news source, E- Formal News, most tuxedo Specialists that purchase, own and maintain their own goods say, “There is nothing to buy; we haven’t heard or seen of anything worth investing in,” according to Ron Kahan of Top Hat Formals, Pennsylvania.
Kahan and hundreds of other formal wear stores say the general declining lack of interest in formal wear rentals are due for the most part in the diminishing role played by the makers of the products. Many cite the general disappearance of ads featuring tuxedos as both a standalone product or the backdrop to major gown and dress campaigns.
To date, only two of the remaining five suppliers have even remotely expressed an interest in creating new items and advertising them properly. Of the five, the oldest and most respected have reportedly buried their head in the sand when it comes to innovation in styling, products and technology, feel a growing cross-section of formal wear Specialists.
Joseph Doyle, an esteemed figure, expressed concerns over the current path of the formal wear supply chain.
On the outskirts of the business, ex-owners of major retailers being brought up to speed say they’re not surprised. Joseph Doyle, founder of After Hours formal wear told EFN, “I always knew that the business would become commoditized, especially since major players that came into the business have made it less interesting and less romantic to wear a tuxedo,” he feels.
Mr. Doyle sold his retail chain, After Hours Formal Wear, several years ago to Federated, who in turned sold it to Men’s Wearhouse. Doyle is currently the Director of the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Office of Customer Service for the state of Georgia; one of 40 emerging state leaders from across the nation selected for the prestigious Toll Fellowship Program sponsored by The Council of State Governments. His experience prior to becoming a business owner includes positions with Arthur Andersen & Co. and Augusta National Golf Club. Doyle is an active member of the community, including involvement in the Boxwood Society of America, the Atlanta Historical Society, and Turnaround Management Association. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife, Carol, have three children and is still highly respected in the formal wear business.
Through our discussions with most formal wear manufacturers, suppliers and distributors, it is feared manufacturers will simply continue to do nothing, rather than embrace technology and ways to spark interest in fresh, new formal wear merchandise. The result will be existing merchandise in stores becoming one year older and offering even less value to tuxedo renters in 2010 and beyond. If allowed to happen, this will lead to an even sharper decline in the way tuxedo rentals are viewed and perceived by the public.
Please continue to contact us at 516-312-0090 or mailto:info@1800mytuxes.com and tell us what you think about the probable disappearance of tuxedos, as we know them.
