No fold, no twist

When Fitt filed an application for a patent on its NTS technology, the Italian manufacturer got the garden hose product group properly stirred up. No fold, no twist, easy – these are the buzzwords used at the time to describe the supplier’s no torsion system for garden hoses, which still today determines his position in the competitive market environment. Meanwhile the corporate research and development department has not remained idle: it has applied for a whole lot of other patents. The most recent innovations, Bios, Phthalate-free and TUF, are in response to the growth of environmental awareness in the gardening market. The production of Bios hoses, for example, requires around 20 per cent less oil because it can be replaced by readily renewable natural components in the manufacturing process. The phthalate-free and TUF products are suitable for food contact applications. The garden, with its use of hoses for both commercial and amateur gardeners, is not the only business segment where Fitt is actively involved. The company also manufactures a wide choice of spiral and flexible hoses for industrial use under the Hi-Fitt brand name. Some examples of where these products can be found include swimming pools, pressure cleaners and washing machines. Common to both these segments is the importance that Fitt attaches to the subject of customization. In the area of garden hoses this means that the company’s various business partners can create and market their own individual and distinctive range. On the marketing side, Fitt supports its customers with sales tools that are designed to help the consumer understand the different features of the hoses on display and so select the most appropriate product. The range of such merchandising instruments stretches from customized product packaging, based on the client’s needs and thorough market research, through to island displays for promotions, as well as so-called totem displays with multimedia elements. To start with, the design of the packaging has an important role to play in POS merchandising. Allowance must be made for different types of presentation, since the products are distributed in international markets. The Bios line of products provides an example of dealing creatively with the subject of packaging. These hoses, which are produced in accordance with sustainability criteria, are presented in recycled cardboard packaging printed with vegetable-based ink. Consequently the packaging fully reflects the…