Woolmark Brand Backs Quality Wool Products

When AWI acquired The Woolmark Company in 2007, AWI became the owner of the Woolmark brand. During the past five years, the number of Woolmark licensees has increased by 144%. By providing quality assurance to more customers, the Woolmark Licensing Program is helping to support and increase the demand for wool.

The Woolmark logo is the world’s best-known textile fibre quality brand. When attached to a product, such as on a sewn-in label or a swing ticket, the logo provides customers with guaranteed wool fibre content and an assurance of quality for the product.

Since the logo was created in 1964, more than five billion wool and wool care products have been Woolmark-certified. The logo’s use is administered through The Woolmark Company’s Woolmark Licensing Program.

The Woolmark Licensing Program covers clothing, fabrics and yarns, as well as bedding, carpets, accessories, sheepskin, furnishing fabrics and footwear. In addition, The Woolmark Company certifies products for apparel and home care such as wool detergents and cycles on washing machines, dryers and irons.

The majority of Woolmark licences that are currently in operation have been issued for clothing products – knitted apparel (48%) and woven apparel (21%) – followed by bedding (18%), yarns (11%) and woven fabric (10%). Only licensees, who have met strict performance and quality standards, can use the Woolmark logo on their products.

AWI CEO John Roberts says the Woolmark Licensing Program has been updated in recent years to give retailers and brands greater access to the program, ensuring the iconic Woolmark logo is seen by a greater number of global customers.

“The licensing program will continue its recent focus on building upon and strengthening the Woolmark licence along the supply chain, by encouraging spinners, weavers, knitters and garment makers to pass on their Woolmark licence to retailers and brands, as a value add to the sale of their wool products,” John said.

There has been a 144% increase in Woolmark licensees during the past five years, from 243 licensees in 2018 to 594 licensees today.

The Woolmark Licensing Program operates globally. Almost half (48%) of Woolmark licensees are based in Asia, and about a third (32%) in Europe.

John says AWI will support Woolmark licensees and the broader wool industry further in the future by improving wool supply chain transparency and data access, so as to capitalise on the market’s interest in traceability and provenance.

“Linked to AWI’s Traceability Program, we aim to incorporate a chain of custody tool into the Woolmark Licensing Program, thereby creating the ability for licensees to trace and validate the supply chain journey that the wool has travelled to reach a finished garment. This will help them maintain and increase market competitiveness,” John added.

More information: www.woolmark.com/certification