I like developing new umbrella program with customers who have never bought umbrella before. The feeling to create a new umbrella from zero is too terrific.
Customer always wants to get the best umbrella for their consumers, but the price will be certainly too high if we create a super umbrella. So it’s important for us to know what your end consumers care, and choose the right parts accordingly.
Step 1: Pick the Right Canopy
There are several types of umbrella canopy material.
Polyester: Fabrics or textiles made from certain yarns or fibers are called polyester. This cheaper canopy material has a more competitive price and the quality is acceptable. Polyester feels like a combination of silk and plastic and looks shiny.
Pongee: Pongee is a medium-weight, tightly woven fabric blended made with cotton and manufactured fibers. It is a smooth fabric that is light and durable. This fabric has good elasticity and density, and is most attractive to the middle-level customer. Compared with the shiny looking of polyester, the mat out looking provides a luxury feeling to customers.
Nylon: Nylon umbrellas are soft and often feel like silk. This fabric was popular many years ago, and is considered a classic structure. Nylon is not currently in demand because of the high price. Moreover, the nylon umbrella’s canopy is not steady, as this material is more liked to change its shape in hot or cold weather.
Canopy Coating:
UV coating: Ultraviolet (UV) coating protects people from harmful rays from the sun. UV coating is used in Asia area, as people there care the anti-sunshine feature more to protect their skin. UV coating can be added to both pongee and polyester fabric, while different levels of UV coating come with different prices. If a person lives where there is lot of sunshine, buying an umbrella with excellent UV protection is a necessity.
Water-resistant coating: A regular umbrella is acceptable on an average rainy day, but a better coating is needed for a rainstorm. Manufacturers use silicone sprays to add water resistance to umbrellas. Customers in the United States are more likely to select a basic level four water-resistant level. Other countries with heavier rain need more water-resistant coatings.
Color-fastness: Color-fastness means how resistant a fabric is to fade. This feature is more required for brand accessory or license customers, who cares if their designs could be maintained longer during the daily use.
Teflon coating: Teflon products add tiny holes to the umbrella that even small drops of liquid cannot cross. This kind of coating includes features such as non-sticky/heat resistance, moisture resistance, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. However, customer shall be careful about the expense part, as Teflon coating is pretty expensive.
