Traceable wool penetrates new product sectors

Ulster Wool partners British Wool’s traceable wool scheme has gone from strength to strength over the past 12 months, with the addition of several new brands to the scheme.

Following a successful trial with national consumer brands Harrison Spinks, Woolroom, Devon Duvets and Luna Textiles, this enabled Ulster Wool partners British Wool to implement a new warehouse management system that traces all of the wool graded and packed via QR codes.

Graham Clark, Marketing Director at Ulster Wool, said: “In the space of a year we handle over 11 million fleeces across eight depots in the UK. Farms on average produce 500kg of wool of varying different grades.

“The fact that all the wool we grade through our depots can now be offered as traceable is a sizeable achievement and one that we are all very proud of. The system we have in place is the most comprehensive in the UK and comparable to any system globally.”

Brands that have joined Ulster Wool partners British Wool’s traceable scheme over the past 12 months include John Arbon and Laxtons (yarns), Millbrook and Dreams (mattresses), Floks and Cowberry (bedding) and Avena Carpets.

Graham continued: “It’s great to see that we are still growing our traceable ranges in the sleep sector, and I am delighted that we are now starting to penetrate other product categories such as yarns and carpets. We have several other brands in the pipeline who are looking at joining the scheme which is exciting news.

“As part of our traceability programme we have created some really interesting and compelling hero farmer stories for the brands. Such stories help communicate the fact that the wool in the products is all traceable to specific farms, something consumers are keen to hear more and more.”

Laurence Borrows, National Sales Manager at Harrison Spinks, said: “The tracing system used at Ulster Wool is excellent - we have had tours with several national retailers who have all been very impressed with the operation. We are very proud to be one of the first to come on board with the scheme and are delighted to be able to contribute a bit extra to the hard-working sheep farmers.”