More and more Kiwi consumers are asking “what’s in my products?”.
This content was supplied and written entirely by The Big Save Group and is being published by the New Zealand Herald as advertorial.
More and more Kiwi consumers are asking “what’s in my products and are they good for me and the environment?” Product development and changing manufacturing supply changes is not easy for a small country like New Zealand. To get great value in product we New Zealanders rely on larger international manufactures who supply all the other countries around the world. We are to a degree, dictated to, as to what we can purchase and develop demanding on international trends and supply of components.
Luckily we have some large retailers who have the power of volume to move supply chains and help manufacture products in a more sustainable and customer focused direction. The Big Save Group of companies have taken their love for New Zealand Strong Wool and worked with international manufactures create product ranges for not only New Zealanders but the world.
“We have seen the customer feedback building over the past five years where customers want to know their products are sustainable and understand the sourcing of materials” says Lily Salter Director Big Save. The development team at Big Save started innovating with NZ Strong Wool in 2020 to help solve two problems. “We had customers wanting more sustainable products and we had customers worried about flammability in beds and sofas”, says Lily. Needing to solve two problems with one product, they discovered strong wool. “The benefits that strong wool present are unbelievable, from 100% biodegradable to it being flame resistant, is amazing”, says Lily.
Big Save has worked closely with some of the largest bed and sofa manufactures in the world to showcase NZ Strong Wool. They have NZ Strong wool through 90% of their bed ranges and developing it through the bulk of their sofa ranges. Part of their development story has been removing toxic chemical materials especial used in foam and replacing it with NZ Strong wool. A fantastic benefit from this is the nature flame resistance that comes form wool. “Wool has a very high ignition temperature, over 500 degrees”, says Lily. Big Save is passionate to see more focus on flame resistant materials however it is also very mindful of the flame-retardant chemicals that are cancer causing. “Our goal is to have every upholstery product we sell, like beds and sofas, having wool in them. The benefits to consumer safety via fire, and the advantages to the environment are a no brainer,” says Lily.
Big Save has shown serious commitment to their wool goals. The Big Save Group purchased two East Coast sheep and beef stations under the umbrella company BigRural. It processes and sells their wool via their BigWool business to offshore manufactures who make it into their beds, sofas and also on sells to other countries.
“We are a family-owned New Zealand company who believe in looking after our customers and the environment. We want to see the best products developed with the best materials and we know that NZ Strong Wool is the future,” says Lily. The team at Big Save will keep innovating with wool and other natural materials to bring New Zealanders leading products at value price points.