Kit needs to be practical, warm and safe in the yard, and recognisable at the counter.
Yard safety comes first
Yards are busy with forklifts, lorries and customers' vans, often with people on foot between them. Hi-vis is standard for yard staff, usually class 2 or 3 under EN ISO 20471 depending on your risk assessment. Safety boots protect against dropped blocks, timber and pallets; S3 boots with midsole protection suit yards with nails and debris.
Gloves for handling timber, sheet materials and bagged cement belong in every yard kit.
Behind the counter
Counter staff need a tough polo or sweatshirt in the company colour, plus a fleece or gilet because trade counters have doors and roller shutters that never stay shut. Many staff move between counter and yard, so a hi-vis vest kept by the door is a practical habit.
A smarter softshell suits branch managers and account managers visiting builders on site.
Drivers on customers' sites
Delivery drivers enter building sites and must follow each site's rules. Expect to need hi-vis, safety boots and often a hard hat and gloves. Branded hi-vis jackets put your name in front of every builder you deliver to.
Counter staff, yard staff and drivers
Trade counters have three jobs under one roof: serving at the counter, loading in the yard and delivering to sites. A branded polo works behind the counter, hi-vis is a must in the yard, and drivers need hi-vis plus safety boots on customers' sites. Using one logo across all three makes the business look organised to every trade customer.
Where to put your logo
Embroider the merchant's logo on the left chest of polos, fleeces and gilets for a durable finish that survives grit and washing. Hi-vis should be printed, with the logo on the fluorescent background and never over the reflective tape; a large back print can reduce the compliant area, so keep it proportionate. A branch name on the sleeve helps multi-branch businesses. Drivers' jackets with a clear back print work as advertising on every site you deliver to.
Ordering for trade counters and builders merchants
Most trade counters and builders merchants start with hi-vis jackets and rainwear, workwear polo shirts and padded gilets. You can order from one garment and add more as you take people on. The logo price drops at 9 and again at 25 garments, and every garment with a small logo counts towards it, so mixing styles and colours still gets the better price. Before anything is made, we embroider an actual sample of your logo and email you a photo to approve, or you can pop in to our Hull workshop to see it.
