Velcro: used more often than you think
The origin of hook-and-loop tape is just as remarkable as the product itself. Around 1941, Swiss engineer George de Mestral went for a walk with his dog. Afterwards, his clothes and his dog’s fur were covered in burrs from the burdock plant. Where most people would probably have just complained, De Mestral looked closer.
Under the microscope, he discovered that the burrs had tiny hooks that attached themselves to loops in fabric, hair and fibres. This idea was later turned into a fastening system with two parts: one side with tiny hooks and one side with loops. The name Velcro came from the French words velours — velvet — and crochet — hook.
Where is hook-and-loop tape used?
Much more often than you think.
In clothing and footwear, hook-and-loop tape is used in jackets, workwear, children’s clothing, sportswear and shoes. In bags and backpacks, it closes compartments, flaps, covers and tool bags. For curtains and window decoration, it is used for temporarily attaching fabrics, net curtains and blackout materials.
Hook-and-loop tape is also useful in furniture and upholstery, for example to keep cushions on sofas, chairs, boat cushions or garden furniture in place. In shops and at trade fairs, it is used for displays, price cards, banners, panels and temporary presentations.
You will also find hook-and-loop tape in cars, campers and caravans, for curtains, storage nets, mats and covers. In healthcare, it is used in braces, blood pressure cuffs, bandages and orthopaedic aids. In sports and outdoor products, it appears in protectors, tents, tarpaulins, cycling clothing and equestrian products.
And that is before we have even mentioned cable management, hobbies and crafts, industry, packaging, hospitality, interiors and events.
In other words: hook-and-loop tape is not a small niche product. It is a quiet all-rounder. For many shops and resellers, hook-and-loop tape often remains a side product. Something lying somewhere among the haberdashery. But actually, that is a missed opportunity.
Because customers do not always literally search for “hook-and-loop tape”. They search for solutions:
How do I secure a cushion?
How do I temporarily attach a piece of fabric?
How do I close a cover?
How do I bundle cables without cable ties?
How do I make something adjustable?
How do I attach something without a zip, button or screw?
That is where the opportunity lies.
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