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Worthy of a walk in a browse at our showroom

truspec combat shirtsAfter the demise of several clothing companies in recent years we tip toed our way through the various tactical clothing brands and asked our customers what they were going to be wearing once the other brands stopped becoming available.  It seems that the 100% cotton rip stop pants that we sold are not really being made by anyone anymore and it’s mostly the 65%/35% poly cotton ripstop pants.  Mostly Law Enforcement prefer that material design for training or off duty work.  We do notice the the majority of our military contractors want cotton ripstop or cotton canvas clothing and according to them, it’s more comfortable to wear.

Sometimes the amount of “new” stuff that comes out each year is overwhelming but I have to force myself to try things on and wear them long enough to be able to speak for myself.  Recently I picked up some body armor that worked for me but I needed to try on the TruSpec combat shirts that so many of our local law enforcement and government departments are wearing.   Even though there has been a major switch over to multicam, several departments here are still using urban digit for combat uniform.  Sometimes it’s more about identifying your department and not trying to hide.

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Another Tru-Spec 3,2,1 Promotion starting March 1st

truspec pantsWe are already under way of another Tru-Spec promotion this year and it’s the same great deal we had last year.  After selling the Woolrich Elite Series and Eotac product lines, we have a customer base that are not sure what they should be wearing since those product lines are drying up. The polycotton ripstop pants are very simliar in feel to the well known 5.11 tactical pants.   Most of our customers all own something from 5.11 because 5.11 tactical has been king for so many years and their products seem to be far more available.   Much of the tactical clothing market, especially tactical pants is all about preference, price points and quality.

We have seen many of our Special Ops guys showing up wearing the Vertx product line but most of our LEO’s don’t want to spend $64 on a pair of pants.   Now is a very good time to try out the TruSpec pants with the 3,2,1 Promotion that is going on until the end of April.   Don’t sit  on  your hands about this promo because many of the dealers are going to sell out of the product line before the promo is over.  I know last year we were out of certain colors and sizes by the end of the first month.  You will get 15% off your first pair, 20% off a second and 25% percent off when you buy 3 or more pants which brings the price down to $29.95.

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Expanding our product line based upon customer feedback

Tru-Spec softshell jacketsWe are expanding our tactical clothing line towards Law Enforcement products in 2013.  We have a really good location for many of our police departments and it’s really all about logistics.   This year we have brought in some of the Tru-Spec Extreme Assault Suits which is something we really didn’t know about until we were asked to bring them in.  There are always slight functionality differences between these and other manufacturers that each department might want, but you never know until they ask for it, or walk in and ask us about them.  Having a shoulder or arm pocket that Law Enforcement can use when identifying a person or persons that have a warrant out for their arrest.

Fabric and materials really matter depending on the work you are doing.  We ran a promo on the Tru-Spec Softshell jackets this past fall and they were very popular with our customer base.  They are more useful and practical since they are a Fall and Spring jacket and give you a level of water resistance that other jackets don’t have.   Here in our parts of the Country we can get a  lot of rain in cold and warm temperatures and being able to adapt to whatever you wake up to in the morning means having a very diverse wardrobe.

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Some feedback about Tru-Spec shirts compared to others

truspec shirtsWe’ve had the Tru-Spec product line in our store for a little over a year and  a half and when we bring new things in, we usually let customer tell us what they like and if it’s a good product.  Part of being a good seller of tactical clothing is listing to what your customers are asking for  or complaining about and giving them a good product or products to choose from.  This year we tested the waters and we sold  out certain products and brought in new ones based on feedback.   There still is a great unknown what is going on with the Woolrich Elite customer base we have had for almost 8yrs because it looks like they are not making the product anymore.  There shirts are still well made but you have to alter things based on what your customers ask for.

When it comes to durability and fit, I’d say that after about a year of use my Tru-Spec shirts started to fall apart but I sure got my monies worth.  The major selling point we have with the Tru-Spec shirts we have are they are close to $10-$15 less than their 5.11 tactical comparisons.  Since so many of our customers shop at our store based on their yearly clothing allowances, Tru-Spec products are even more popular.  As a dealer it’s nice to have stuff here that is less money and less dollar amounts of inventory.

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What does Tru-Spec have in store for us in 2013 regarding their tactical pants?

tactical pants We just watched a video about the new stuff coming from Tru-Spec and it was music to our ears to here that what they were primarily going to do is put a less expensive pant on the market.  Who has done something like that in the last 10yrs?  Not a single company that we can think of.  Years ago 5.11 pants were about $30-$40 and when Woolrich Elite Series hit the market they were the first tactical pant we sold that was almost $50 a pair.  You do get what you pay for but now that we see that so many tactical clothing companies have overdone their designs, there is something to be said for simplicity and quality.

We like the Tru-Spec tactical pants and especially the new Gunny boot cut pant, but were looking forward to the new pants that will be well received with our Law Enforcement departments that are always on a budget.   We have not seen these new Tactical Pants yet but I expect our sales rep will be out with them shortly.  The major selling point of the Tru-Spec product line is that it is the best priced tactical product line in comparison to Vertx and 5.11 tactical.  We’ve picked up a lot of customers in the EMS world from 5.11 just based on price points.

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TruSpec Softshell promo has ended and it’s time to move to Winter Apparel

Several years ago our number on selling item was the Sig Tac jacket.   I have no idea whatever happened to the production of these jackets because they were widely accepted and nobody out there made something like it.  It was  a very nice jacket that looked like regular clothing but had large internal pockets for CCW.   We’ve seen several nice things from the Woolrich Elite line but many of their jackets had some short comings.   There was a Woolrich Elite Series Barn coat that looked nice but it really needed to be lined and was basically a dud product.   TruSpec has gained lots of ground in the industry an from what we see is only behind 5.11 tactical as far as market share in our territory.

TruSpecs name basically lives up to it’s quality control because the tactical pants have all been very consistent compared to other products like Blackhawk, Woolrich and Eotac.   We’ve had so many issues with 5.11 products that we avoid them unless we get special orders, the TruSpec jackets have also become broader in design with the new Soft shell jackets and the 3 in 1 jackets and parka are a staple with local law enforcement due to their features and designs.  Tru Spec does a good job with their winter outerwear but we have had several people say that the sizes run a little smaller.

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TruSpec Combat Shirt options

There are several products like this on the market from 5.11, Proper and TruSpec.   This is a product that can easily cross over from Police supplies to paintball shirts.  There are a lot of things that can easily be sold for young adults to use effectively in paintball games which we high recommend.  Paintball gives you realistic skills and a reality check about what happens when bullets can let loose.   A less trained shooter in a good position can cause damage and unfortunately this is a reality all law enforcement and military may face.   The guy you use can give you an edge in hot environments where sweating and dehydration may occur.

The no melt no drip TruSpec combat shirt comes in a few different materials.  These truspec combat shirts have a strong reputation of getting the job done for many of the Delaware County Pennsylvania.  The Mutlicam combat shirts come in a cotton nylon material which is more money but gives more protection.  The side arm sleeves have a place for patches and to date, the only complaint we get about these shirts is they can seem a little long on the underarms for some customers.   These are great to wear under body armor.

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Woolrich Elite nearing the end?

Its looking more and more like the Woolrich Elite Series Tactical product line is no more.  We’ve seen several clothing companies and various other tactical gear manufacturers pull out of China and the task of retooling the the machines and launching the products in a bad economy have been rough.   We recently heard that Tru-Spec is now making their clothing in Honduras which is a major shift from our standpoint because just about everyone making tactical clothing came in from somewhere in Asia.   India, Cambodia, Vietnam, China it seemed like everyone had a manufacturer over there, but cost increases have really hit some companies and from what we see it can cause a certain percentage of your customers to switch to another brand.

Now that we  have such a large Law Enforcement customer base, many of these guys and gals have a clothing allowance and increase the cost of tactical clothing by $10 per item means they may can few items.   The differences between 5.11 tactical and TruSpec shirts are considerable as far as pocket designs and such, but many of the Tru-Spec and 5.11 tactical clothing products are made of similar materials.   The differences are quality control and sizing consistency.  We here so many complaints about 5.11 products getting expensive and the truth of the matter, they are not the only ones, Vertx pants are usually over $60, Woolrich Elite $50 and from what we see Tru-Spec products from Atlanco are the best priced products.

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Tactical outerwear from Tru-Spec

It looks like Tru-Spec has really grown some balls in recent years and several of our customers that have shopped here over the years have been shocked by the change over we’ve seen from Woolrich Elite and Eotac to the Tru-Spec brand.  There are so many cool things out from Tru-Spec that they really have cut into the 5.11 market and really have a lot of jackets, pants, and especially a growing Law Enforcement and Military product line.   We’ve fielded the Tru-Spec EMS pants and wanted to hear from the people wearing the 5.11 pants and we’ve had a 98% positive response from men and women about their ems pants.   There are a lot of good products out there now but it really has been a pain watching companies come and go and certain brands really loose their quality control.

We’re about 90% of the way through the Tru-Spec softshell outwear promotion that started in mid-October and the Tru-Spec soft shell jackets have been the biggest hit.  We’re still waiting for feedback about the other Tru-Spec jackets but the soft shells have a very broad use since they are not just heavy winter jackets.  Finding something that looks good and can be used for atleast half of the year here in Pennsylvania means getting your moneys worth.  There have been times guys have purchased things like the Woolrich Elite Twill jackets and then we have a very mild winter and it never gets worn.

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Some feedback for customers that wore Eotac or Woolrich Elite Shirts

I’m not going to bash either product because if you really want an opinion about those three products, they are all well made tactical products but they really are more about the mission or the preference you have in your work space.   Here in Pennsylvania, I’ve told people many times, that we can get all 4 Seasons, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring.  And when i mean all 4 Seasons, I mean zero degrees to 103 F in the same year.   Which tactical polo is going to work well for you in that situation?  I have some customers that love the Woolrich Elite Polos because they are a looser fit, but some customers don’t like them because they are heavier in weight compared to 5.11, Tru-Spec or Eotac stuff.

Many of the products we sell from Tru-Spec are very well received.  Even though we are clearing out some other tactical apparel product lines, many of our customers are trying to move away from the 5.11 tactical clothing and we have been successful in moving the Tru Spec shirts that have been coming in.  There will be a new line of the Gunny approved Tru-Spec product line in the coming weeks.  There are also new backpacks and lightweight tactical vests coming in with the product line.  We are hoping to add more and more lightweight products including the new gunny pants that have slight differences, yet improvements to the 24/7 series.

 

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