Quality gets noticed

The reel industry is established and well developed, with reels maintaining their fundamental design for over 60 years. As with any long-standing industry, trends cycle and response can be slow. For the last few years the major trends seen in the reel market have been a demand for quality and a drive toward increasingly specialized products.

With the ever increasing influx of imported products, the market saturation with lower quality goods is growing and people are noticing the difference. There is now a consistent trend of users who demand high quality, well designed and manufactured products. As a result, product development is trending more toward product improvement in terms of reliability and quality rather than the drive for cost reduction, as is the focus of many companies.

The other trend being seen in the marketplace is the desire for application-specific products. Where in the past it was common place for the customer to use a generic reel for most applications, we are finding more and more that customers desire small adaptations specific to their application. Customers are demanding personalization and customization as the line between consumer and creator continues to blur.

More than ever in the past, customers wish to have their individual needs and whishes considered in any business relationship, and converted into products and services that address those needs and whishes effectively. Recent customer trends in the reel industry are indicating that end users are willing to pay a little more for their reel in exchange for higher quality, often custom products. Overall, quality reel products are catching consumers’ attention now more so than ever. Understanding that the service provided to the customer will remain in the customer’s mind long after the product he’s purchased has run its course is key to success in the industry.