Blue Tomato Taps Kornit To Cut Inventory, Speed Up Apparel Production

European board sports retailer Blue Tomato is using two Kornit Atlas MAX PLUS systems to bring apparel printing in-house, respond faster to consumer trends and reduce inventory risk across its network of 86 stores.

The move allows the retailer to introduce designs in smaller batches, track customer response and replenish popular products without committing to large production runs months in advance. The systems support direct-to-garment printing across a range of fabrics.

Blue Tomato, which has served Europe’s snowboard, skate and surf communities for more than three decades, adopted the model as retail shifted from two seasonal collections to multiple product drops throughout the year.

“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, Blue Tomato.

The retailer selected Kornit following an evaluation of competing technologies, citing ease of production, service support and overall performance. Following the Atlas MAX PLUS upgrade, Blue Tomato reported machine availability of more than 90%, alongside improved print quality for complex, multicolour designs.

“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.

Sustainability also influenced the investment, with Blue Tomato highlighting Kornit’s water-based inks and the ability to produce garments in line with demand. The retailer also uses the platform to manufacture apparel for customers with stringent sustainability requirements, including B Corp-certified brands.

Blue Tomato could further expand production at its Graz facility through the Kornit Atlas MATRIX upgrade, which would enable printing on polyester and other synthetic fabrics, opening opportunities in performance apparel and athleisure.