Cathy Coghlan of Celtic Tweed

‘Start of a Journey of Change’

Cathy Coghlan, founder of Celtic Tweed, talks to GS1 Ireland about their QR code adoption journey.

Cathy Coghlan set up Celtic Tweed in 2012 following her passion of taking something that has heritage, authenticity, and craft at its heart. With 35 years of experience in the clothing industry, Cathy was excited to produce clothing that can be traced from the field to the shop floor.

Passionate about creating a memorable and enjoyable experience for their consumers, Celtic Tweed’s success has been built completely from authenticity and craft that can be seen from the shop floor in the Balbriggan where there is a view into the tailoring room and designer’s studio.

In Partnership with Kinset

Celtic Tweed began their relationship with GS1 Ireland though Kinset, a GS1 Ireland Partner. Through this, Celtic Tweed became early adopters of the Digital Product Passport through Digital Link QR Codes Powered by GS1. Kinset provided Celtic Tweed with a platform to log all the details of their fabrics, trims, and CO2 levels in productions, a database that is now accessible to the consumer via a GS1 Powered QR Code.

Kinset recommends to any brand to start with a Pilot Programme when they decide to implement the Digital Product Passport. This allows for full visibility of the process, and for pain points to be identified prior to rolling out full production. Barcode Manager from GS1 Ireland integrates seamlessly with Kinset’s platform, allowing information to be collected and Digital Product Passports to be created.

Transitioning to QR Codes and the Digital Product Passport

There was a transition period for Celtic Tweed, from their old barcoding system to the GS1 Standards. This journey was supported by the GS1 Ireland team, and now Celtic Tweed can provide their suppliers with a fully traceable number system.

The addition of QR codes required additional work as the printing of their satin labels had to be outsourced initially. However, Celtic Tweed now have an in-house system which provides them with greater flexibility.

Implementing the Digital Product Passport occurs in 2 stages for Celtic Tweed. While production is being planned, the designers work to create the database of information required for the QR code on Kinset’s platform. Following this, the QR code will be created and added to the cutting list when on the cutting table.

Customers and QR Codes

With the Digital Product Passport, consumers instantly know the story of their garment

“I get very excited when I see people pull out their phone to scan the QR code, it’s the start of a journey of change for that consumer, and it’s a start of a journey of change for the world in how we view clothing, in how we make our decisions about what to buy, and it’s about informing the consumers before they buy.”

It has become an immersive experience from the mill to the cutting table, to their closet.

The Future of the Fashion Industry

Cathy sees a renaissance coming in the fashion industry, with the Digital Product Passport driving this change. As consumers move from quantity to quality, it is important for small businesses like Celtic Tweed to have the architecture in place through, GS1 Ireland and Kinset, to help them tell their story.

For more information on Celtic Tweed, visit www.celtictweed.ie/

Ready to start your QR Adoption Journey?

Talk to GS1 Ireland for next steps: retail@gs1ie.org