Blue Tomato brings apparel production in-house with Kornit
Blue Tomato is using two Kornit Atlas MAX PLUS systems to support a more agile approach to in-house apparel production.
The board sports retailer says the technology is helping it respond faster to changing consumer trends, produce high-quality apparel for its network of 86 stores across Europe and reduce inventory by printing only what the market demands.
Following a comprehensive market evaluation, Blue Tomato selected Kornit to support its retail production strategy. The systems support direct-to-garment printing across a broad range of fabrics, rather than being limited to cotton applications.
Responding at the speed of retail trends
For more than 30 years, Blue Tomato has served the snowboard, skate and surf communities across Europe. As retail evolved from two seasonal collections to multiple product drops throughout the year, the company recognised the need for a more agile production model.
Rather than committing to large production runs months in advance, Blue Tomato can now introduce smaller batches into stores, monitor customer demand and quickly replenish successful designs. The approach is intended to reduce storage requirements and avoid unnecessary inventory.
“Retail has changed dramatically. Today it’s all about reacting to trends as they happen. By bringing production in-house with Kornit, we’ve gained much greater control over our supply chain. We can test new products quickly, replenish successful designs and avoid investing in large inventories before we know what our customers really want,” said Karl Brandl, Team Manager, DTG & B2B Platform Department at Blue Tomato.
Reliability and print quality
Blue Tomato selected the Atlas MAX platform after comparing multiple technologies, citing Kornit’s ease of production, service support and overall performance as key differentiators. Since implementing the Atlas MAX PLUS upgrade, the company says it has achieved machine availability of more than 90%, significantly reducing downtime while improving print quality for complex, high-colour designs.
The increased reliability has enabled Blue Tomato to expand production capacity and introduce a wider variety of products.
“The Atlas MAX PLUS upgrade has made a real difference to our operation. Our machines are now running at more than 90% availability, giving us the confidence to increase capacity while maintaining the quality our customers expect,” Brandl added.
Supporting lower-inventory retail
Sustainability was another factor in Blue Tomato’s investment decision. The retailer highlighted Kornit’s water-based ink technology alongside an agile production model that enables apparel to be produced as demand develops rather than requiring large inventory commitments.
Blue Tomato also uses the Kornit platform to produce garments for customers with stringent sustainability requirements, including B Corp-certified brands.
Looking ahead, the retailer can expand the capabilities of its existing Kornit Atlas MAX PLUS systems through the Kornit Atlas MATRIX upgrade. This would enable production on polyester and other synthetic fabrics at its Graz facility, creating further opportunities in performance apparel and athleisure.
About the companies
Founded in 1988, Blue Tomato offers apparel, hardware and accessories for snowboarding, freeskiing, skateboarding and surfing through its online shop and European retail network.
Kornit Digital develops on-demand digital fashion and textile production technologies, including printing systems, inks, consumables, software and fulfilment services.
