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SEE PAGE 17 Insight www.sports-insight.co.uk THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF SPORTS AND PLAY ASSOCIATIONS £3.50 JULY/AUG 2011 SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI Sports MARKETING THE 'MAGIC WORDS' THAT BOOST SALES IN SEASON FOCUS ON TENNIS, RUGBY, SWIMMING AND TRIATHLON ECOMMERCE 9 TRIED AND TESTED WAYS TO DRIVE ONLINE PROFITS FSPA SPORTS STUDY 100-PAGE UK MARKET REPORT PUBLISHED INSIDE THIS ISSUE 01306 883 240 www.primallifestyle.com [email protected] FOR FULLY FUNCTIONAL INFANT FEET The long awaited VFF KIDS RANGE

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Page 1: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

SEE PAGE 17

Insightwww.sports-insight.co.uk

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF SPORTS AND PLAY ASSOCIATIONS

£3.50 JULY/AUG 2011

SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROISports

MARKETINGTHE 'MAGIC WORDS' THAT BOOST SALES

IN SEASONFOCUS ON TENNIS, RUGBY,SWIMMING AND TRIATHLON

ECOMMERCE9 TRIED AND TESTED WAYS TO DRIVE ONLINE PROFITS

FSPA SPORTS STUDY100-PAGE UK MARKETREPORT PUBLISHED

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

01306 883 240www.primallifestyle.com

[email protected]

”“FOR FULLY

FUNCTIONALINFANT FEET

The long awaitedVFF KIDS RANGE

Page 2: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

NEW FOR SS12

GEL-FUJI Series

Meeting the performance benefits demanded by the trail runner

Talk to your Sales Manager or call the Sales Office:

UK: 01925 243360Republic of Ireland: 1 800 927 324

www.asicsonline.co.uk

Men’s

Women’s

GEL-FUJIRACER

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GEL-FUJITRAINER

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Page 3: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com
Page 4: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com
Page 5: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

PROUD KIT SUPPLIER OF NATIONAL CORPORATE SEVENS

T: 01507 523243 [email protected] www.gforcesportswear.co.uk

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Page 6: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

IN THIS ISSUE

ABC CertificationSports Insight has a current ABCcertified circulation of 5,496 (auditperiod July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011).The Audit Bureau of Circulations

(ABC) is an independent audit watchdog that verifiesmagazines’ circulation figures, providing accurateand comparable data for advertisers.

ABC Certification demonstrates a media owner’sintegrity, in their willingness to be audited and toconform to industry standards.

SportsInsight

COVER STORIES30 FSPA SPORTS STUDY100-page UK market report published

40 MARKETINGThe ‘magic words’ that boost sales

58 ECOMMERCE9 tried and tested ways to drive online profits

REGULARS10 NEWSLatest headlines, key dates and events

18 KIT STOPEssential stock for your shop

26 FOCUS ONfootdisc insoles

29 MOVERS & SHAKERSMark Upshall, product manager at Mitre Sports International

33 TALKING SHOPKatrina Ellerton is director of online sportsretail outlet Sportfreakz.com

63 E-TAILINGThe pros and cons of marketplaces versusyour own ecommerce store

working with

Editor: Jeff James. Tel: 01273 748675

Email: [email protected]

Assistant Editors: Catherine Eade and Louise Ramsay

Advertising Manager: Keith Marshall

Tel: 01206 505947

Email: [email protected]

Fax: 01206 500243.

Advertising Sales

21-23 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Rd,

Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY

Group Advertising Manager: Sam Reubin

Group Editor: Ted Rowe

Publisher: Matthew Tudor

Art Director: Jim Philp

Tel: 01206 508601

Email: [email protected]

Designers: Chris Ashworth

Advertisement Art Director: Clare Brasier

Reproduction: Ace Pre-Press. Tel: 01206 797541

Accounts: Philip Bale. Tel: 01206 505907

Published by Maze Media (2000) Ltd, 21-23 Phoenix Court,

Hawkins Rd, Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY

06 SPORTS INSIGHT

Are you missing out on the latest industry news? Then subscribe to the FREESports Insight newsletter. Simply go towww.sports-insight.co.uk andclick on thenewsletter tab.

For more details on the latest Sports Insightonline competition visit www.sports-insight.co.uk and click on the competition tabfor your chance to win.

E-CATALOGUES & BROCHURES

WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER

ONLINE COMPETITIONS

WWW.SPORTS-INSIGHT.CO.UK

Contents 07.11To view the latest trade e-catalogues and brochures,visit www.sports-insight.co.uk.

66 UNDER THE COUNTERA sideways look at the world of independent retailing

IN SEASON44 TENNIS46 TRIATHLON50 RUGBY52 SWIMMING

FEATURES8 PRICE PRESSUREIs the VAT increase to 20 per cent hiding thetrue value of the sports retail sector? The NPDGroup investigates

34 KIT PARADEWhat are the issues facing a selection of the smaller kit manufacturers and suppliers in this market?

38 MY SPORTING LIFEDaryl Selby, the national squash champion anddirector of sports retailer Off The Wall

All contents © Maze Media (2000) Limited. The views expressed in this

magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort is made to

ensure the veracity and integrity of the companies, persons, products and

services mentioned in this publication and details given are believed to be

accurate at the time of going to press. However, no responsibility or liability

whatsoever can be accepted for any consequence or repercussion of

responding to any information or advice given or inferred. No part of this

publication may be copied, broadcast, interpreted, or stored, in any form, for

any purpose, without the written permission of the publisher.

ABC certified circulation: 5,496 (audit period July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011)

UK/ROW SUBSCRIPTION: £25/£42.50 for one year (10 issues)

Page 7: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

Following the world-wide success of the I.C.E. range we are excited to launch

the awesome “next generation”.

Black Titanium Nitride has been

applied to the barrels using a Vapour Deposition Process

(V.D.P.), which impregnates the tungsten with a tough

non slip coating.

Each barrel features unique laser engraving of both “I.C.E.” and

“Harrows”. This permanent branding is a constant reminder

to the player of their high technology winning weapons !

...BLACK ICE

new darts generation: 01/08/2011

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reverse cut to create a uniform barrel of unrivalled concentricity and balance.

Featuring Supergripshafts and a brand new Marathon® I.C.E. flight.

MADE IN ENGLAND

EST. 1973

Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX.Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305.

Email: [email protected] www.harrowsdarts.com

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

Page 8: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

Price PRESSUREThe general conception is that we are slowly coming out of theturmoil that has brought the retail sector close to its knees overthe past two years. In some parts of the country new stores areopening for business, thus going some way to revitalising theirhigh street locations.

Many retailers are reporting healthy sales and expanding into newareas, but is the market really in good health? NPD’s Consumer Panelstates that the sports footwear and apparel market increased by two percent in the 12 months to March 2011 when compared to the previousyear. Both footwear and apparel sales have grown at a similar pace, so onthe face of it the market is looking in decent shape.

08 SPORTS INSIGHT

Is the VAT increase to 20 per cent hiding the true valueof the sports retail sector? The NPD Group investigates

RETAIL

Page 9: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

09www.sports-insight.co.uk

si

marginal increase on Q1 2010. Another interesting aspect is that as the

cost of full priced items rose, so did the priceof reduced goods. According to NPD, itemsselling at a reduced price have increased byseven per cent on 2010, while the averageprice of discounted offers has rise by two percent. Full priced items rose in price by sixper cent.

CompetitiveThis though is an overall market picture andit would be folly to suggest that everyretailer has struggled. Sports Direct and JDSports have performed consistently well, andit is due to their size that they have been ableto keep prices competitive. So it’s nocoincidence that these retailers have seensales volumes rise.

Other retailers have not been able toachieve this, and it is away from the twomega sports stores that the market hasstruggled. Ten retailers in the top 20 sawvolumes on the decline as they entered thefirst quarter of 2011. Nine of these retailersimplemented price increases, with onlyMatalan able to keep prices in check. EvenTesco and Primark had to raise theirprices, with the latter retailer seeingdeclining sales as a result.

Bottom lineOutside the leading two sportschains, the ‘tops and bottoms’market is not so important, but itplays a large enough role toimpact on retailers’ bottomlines. Around 50 per cent ofsales are attributed to thesetwo types of garments in therest of the market, and lostvalue here can significantlyhit turnover.

Tesco’s overall apparelloss was 14 per cent involume, with over 50 percent of this declineattributed to lost tops and

PricingHowever, when you start to look atthe subject of pricing, another pointcomes to the surface. The rise in VATto 20 per cent, which came into forcelast January, has meant average priceshave risen. Most retailers didn’t droptheir prices when VAT wastemporarily reduced from 17.5 percent to 15 per cent on December 1,2008, but by the start of 2011 priceson the high street began to rise -reflecting the tax increase - while atthe same time some enterprisingretailers offered ‘VAT busting’ dealsto attract potential customers.

Does this mean that the market isonly growing because of price rises?When studying the level of units soldin the GB sports market, NPD foundthe sector has remained static. Around50 million units of footwear andapparel were sold in Q1 2011, a

bottoms sales. Shop Direct experienced a 29per cent fall in apparel volume and a similarpercentage decrease to Tesco when it came totops and bottoms.

A retail success story of the past year hasbeen Marks & Spencer - one of the fewretailers to reduce the price of its tops. Thisstrategy appears to have paid dividends, asalthough overall its apparel business hasfallen, M&S’ tops sector has begun to seeimprovement.

Did retailers jump too soon when it cameto increasing their prices? Whether they wereforced into it because of rising costs or it wasa strategic move, it appears that only a fewgot the timing right. Consumers are not yetreturning to the high street in healthynumbers, so until footfall increases retailerswill have to make some clever strategicdecisions to keep the numbers in the black.

The NPD Group monitors the sales of sportsfootwear and apparel in many countries aroundthe world. For more information contact TheNPD Group sports team on 01932 355580.

Page 10: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

WHAT’S NEWS Send your news stories to the Sports Insight news desk [email protected] or call 01273 748675

ALL THE VERY LATEST IN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY...

10 SPORTS INSIGHT

…INTERSPORT UK has promotedBridget Marshall-Keith to product andbrand manager. Marshall-Keith has spent21 years in the sports trade, starting her

career at Terry Warner Sports before joining INTERSPORT…JohnScott, the CEO of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Gamesorganising committee, has resigned after admitting breaking rulesabout accepting gifts and hospitality from a potentialsupplier…following the appointment of Duncan Bembridge assales director for JanSport in Europe, the Middle East and Africa(EMEA), The North Face has promoted Nathan Hill to sales andmarketing director of the brand…in line with the ongoingdevelopment of the Hilly brand, the company has appointed AlexWilson as its representative for London, the south east andChannel Isles…

Transfer Market

DatesOUTDOOR TRADE SHOW SEPTEMBER 26-28Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire

INTERSPORT Q2 2012 SHOW SEPTEMBER 27-28Cranmore Park, Solihull

STAG ALL IRELAND BUYING SHOW 2011 OCTOBER 23-24Tullamore Court Hotel, Tullamore, Co Offaly

STAG BUYING SHOW 2011 20-21 NOVEMBERCotswold Water Park, Four Pillars Hotel

ISPO MUNICH JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 1, 2012New Munich Trade Fair

ISPO BEIJING FEBRUARY 22-25China National Convention Center

SMMEX 2012 MARCH 5Wembley Stadium

CEO SETS OUTGROWTH STRATEGYOnline retailer Sports PLC is seeking to expand its globaloperations through acquisitions, its CEO Simon Millingtonhas announced.

The UK-based company, which owns golf and cricketbrands Forgan and Woodworm and also has successful retailoperations in the USA and Australia, sees expanding itsproduct portfolio by acquiring other sports equipmentcompanies as a key part of its growth strategy.

“We are proud to be in a position where we cancontinue to invest in Sports PLC and strategically plan ourgrowth efforts,” says Millington. “Our successful businesshas been built around establishing our own brands andacquiring others, as we did with Woodworm, and we areactively pursuing this plan.

“We would be interested to hear from any sport brandsand companies in all markets. All enquiries will be treated ashighly confidential.

“Our economies of scale in product sourcing, sales andcustomer support, and warehousing and distribution meanwe are ideally placed to either galvanise an establishedcompany that’s suffering in the current economic conditions,or provide a fantastic platform to help a new company orbrand achieve its objectives.”

Sports PLC rescued Woodworm from administration in2008 and resurrected the fortunes of Forgan of St Andrews,the world’s oldest golf club maker.

Adds Millington, who heads the operation from HongKong: “We buy our products from all over the world in hugequantities and by selling direct to thousands of end users weare able to pass on massive savings and create tremendoushigh quality, value-for-money brands.

“Having access to this resource and customer base is aproven way to build a business and we’d love to find morebrands, products and companies to add to our portfolio andhelp realise their potential.”

SPORTS PLCLOOKING TO BUY AS

Page 11: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

11www.sports-insight.co.uk

“I don’t remember the last time I ate KFC. I haven’t had a Guinnessfor about three months. It’s the way it has to be, but it sucks.”

Usain Bolt reveals the sacrifices top athletes have to make.

TURNAROUND MAKINGGOOD PROGRESS, SAYS JJBJJB Sports’ turnaround business plan is making good progress, theretailer said at its AGM on July 8.

The company has closed 38 CVA stores, completed eight storerefits, and realigned its cost base in-store, through the supplychain and at its retail support centre in Wigan.

JJB said that while working capital and cash management areits key focus, in the 22 weeks to July 3 the financial performanceof the business has been in line with the board’s expectations.

“We are delivering on our business plan objectives andprogress remains on track,” says JJB chairman Mike McTigue.“While we expect the retail environment to remain extremelychallenging over the medium term, we are confident of deliveringthe full turnaround to ensure JJB’s future as a prosperous business.”

BUT MARGINS TAKE A TUMBLENike’s latest quarterly revenues rose 14 per cent to $5.8 billion,in what president and CEO Mark Parker described as“exceptional results in extraordinary times”.

“Our business is organised to drive growth across multiplebrands, geographies and categories as we manage through theever-changing macroeconomic landscape,” says Parker. “Wecontinue to deliver compelling innovation to athletes andconsumers, and strong returns for our shareholders. The globalappetite for sports has never been stronger.”

Revenues rose by one per cent in Central and EasternEurope, five per cent in Western Europe, 22 per cent in NorthAmerica and 21 per cent in China. Forward orders scheduledfor delivery between June-November also look healthy forNike, totalling $10.3 billion - 15 per cent higher than orders forthe same period last year.

However, the company’s gross margin fell from 47.4 percent to 44.3 per cent, driven by higher production costs.

QUARTERLYREVENUES ATNIKE RISE 14%,

Page 12: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

WHAT’S NEWS Send your news stories to the Sports Insight news desk [email protected] or call 01273 748675

ALL THE VERY LATEST IN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY...

JD SPORTS SIGNS LICENSEAGREEMENT WITH FILA

JD Sports will sell the Fila brand from this autumn after signing along-term licensing agreement covering the UK, Ireland and theChannel Islands.

Fila will also be sold in other fascias of the JD Group, selectedwholesale channels and in its retail stores across Europe.

The news came on the same day as master licensee FilaLuxembourg announced similar deals in Europe, the Middle East,Northern Africa and India. The agreements include the rights tomanufacture and sell women’s, men’s and children’s apparel,footwear and accessories.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to combine our Filabrand with the successful, well-established infrastructure of our newlicensee partners in the EMEA region,” says Gene Yoon, chairman ofFila Korea, the parent company of Fila Luxembourg.

“Each partner has scale, performance market positioning andthe ability to deliver growth in both profitability and market share,quarter after quarter. I cannot think of better broad-based partnersfor our brand in these markets. As we celebrate the centennial ofthe Fila brand, we look forward to working with each partner toreestablish Fila as a premier sport lifestyle brand in the influentialEMEA region.”

“The Fila brand is one of the most recognisable names insportswear and athletic footwear and has long been known as anauthentic sport brand,” says Peter Cowgill, chairman of JD Sports.“We are excited to share in the heritage of this storied brandthrough this licensing arrangement.

“This partnership allows us to advance our strategy of bringinghigh quality, sport fashion brands to our consumers.”

As part of the restructuring process, most of the previous Filaoperations in the UK, Germany and Italy are being discontinued. Inaddition, a commercial director, based in Italy, will be appointed tocoordinate Fila activities in EMEA with additional administrative andproduct functions based in Europe.

12 SPORTS INSIGHT

…Caroline Wozniacki has renewed andextended her role as a global SonyEricsson brand ambassador to support itsXperia smartphone portfolio. The Danish

tennis star has signed a deal that will extend her partnership with SonyEricsson to 2013. The exclusive off-court agreement expands theWozniacki sponsorship from Danish-only to a worldwidecontract…adidas is the new technical partner and official supplier of allplaying and training kit to Swansea City FC…uhlsport has agreed afour-year kit supplier deal with 1860 Munich...Slazenger has extendedits sponsorship with South African cricketer Jacques Kallis…PowerBarhas signed a deal with Harlequins to become the club’s official sportsnutritional supplier for the next five years…The Football League hasextended its partnership with Chevron, owner of the Texaco brand, theofficial Motor Fuel and Motor Oil Partner of the npower Championship,until the end of the 2013/14 season. The three-year renewal takes therelationship to six seasons and will see participating Championship clubsreceive funding towards the cost of first team travel. The multi-millionpound ‘opt in’ deal also includes designation, club inventory - includingperimeter boards - and programme advertising for all participating clubs.Texaco will remain as sponsor of the online Fantasy Football predictorgame for the Championship and receive an online package acrossparticipating club and Football League websites… FIFA has revealedthat Johnson & Johnson has joined its sponsorship family as OfficialHealthcare Sponsor of the 2014 World Cup…British Swimming hasannounced British Airways as its official airline in a deal that will

SponsorshipNews

Page 13: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

“I went back in the gym, but it just wasn’t the same after Pacquiao. I couldn’t get up in themorning to go running, I couldn’t do the sparring and I couldn’t walk past the chippy.”

Ricky Hatton reveals the reasons behind his decision to retire from boxing.

13www.sports-insight.co.uk

www.isra.ie

ISRA SHOW CREATES‘REAL BUYING ENVIRONMENT’Both retail members and suppliers played their part in creatinga “real buying environment” at the latest ISRA show, accordingto John Riordan, the buying group’s coordinator.

Forty suppliers exhibited, including the likes of Harrows,Ridge 53, Reusch, Mizuno, ASICS, Fitness-Mad, Precision Trainingand Wacky Sox, while over 30 retailers attended the two-dayevent, which took place at the superb five-star Heritage Golf &Spa Resort in Killenard, County Laois on July 11-12.

“Promoting buying activity is especially challenging in sportsretail in Ireland at the moment,” says Riordan. “For that reason,both suppliers and retailers had realistic expectations at thisshow. I am pleased to say that these expectations were met.

“As always, it was great to see the level of supplier supportfor ISRA members. It is a time where it is critical that the retailand supplier links in the chain work closely together, and ISRAprovides that unique opportunity.

“The overall effect of this cooperation was that levels oforders placed at the show were on a par with the same periodlast year. I would like to thank our members and suppliers fortheir continued support, and look forward to an uplift inactivity for everybody over the next few months.”

Positive reactions from all members allowed Fitness-Mad toenjoy a good couple of days at the Heritage Hotel, according toJon Drage, the brand’s sales manager.

“With a growing range and a change in supply chain, therewas a lot to discuss over the show, with the reaction from themembers being very favourable,” explains Drage.

“The ISRA group represent all that is best with traditional‘real’ sports shops and the product quality and added value theMad brand could add was recognised, with many memberstaking the opportunity to add Fitness-Mad as a new supplier tobolster their existing accessories supply.

“Coupled with the usual legendary Irish hospitality, it allmade for a fantastic trip, with our thanks to John Riordan for awell organised show.”

provide national teams with flights to major swimming events…TheScottish Premier League and Mitre have agreed a four-yearpartnership that will see Mitre continue as official ball supplier until2015…Jaguar has signed a deal to sponsor the English Cricket Boardchannel on ePlayer, the VoD network…ASICS has been unveiled as theofficial sportswear and running shoe partner of the Bupa Great RunSeries. The running brand will display, promote and sell products atsome of the largest running events in the UK, and will create adedicated area on the Great Run website offering product and trainingadvice for runners…The FA has agreed a three-year deal withBudweiser that will see the lager brand become the Lead Partner ofThe FA Cup, to be known as The FA Cup with Budweiser from nextseason…event promoter internationalSPORTgroup has appointedMANTIS as the Official Racket Partner for the ROWE British Grand PrixSquash Championship 2011, to be staged in Manchester fromSeptember 19-25…2XU has signed a two-year agreement to be theexclusive Official Compression Partner of World Triathlon Corporation’sglobal IRONMAN Series. The apparel brand will now operate as thepreferred supplier of compression apparel at IRONMAN and IRONMAN70.3 events…adidas and the Argentine Football Association haveextended their sponsorship agreement until December 2022…GráinneMurphy, the 18-year-old Irish freestyle and individual medley swimmingsensation, has joined Arena’s Elite Team of sponsored athletes…Britishtennis talent Heather Watson has joined Dunlop as an officialambassador. She will be endorsing Dunlop’s new Biomimetic range andcurrently uses the Dunlop Biomimetic 300 Tour tennis racquet…

SPORTS DIRECTGROUP REVENUETOPS £1.5 BILLION

Sports Direct’s chief executive said the success of the company’semployee bonus share scheme was key to its 10.2 per centincrease in group revenue for the year ended April 24.

Group revenue hit £1,599 million, while profit before taxstood at £118.8 million. The group’s gross margin increasedfrom 40.6 per cent to 41.2 per cent.

As a result of hitting its underlying EBITDA (earningsbefore interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization)targets, around 2,000 of Sports Direct’s 17,000 employeeswill receive share payouts in both 2012 and 2013.

“This has been an excellent year of growth for the groupin what has been a challenging retail environment,” saysDave Forsey, Sports Direct’s chief executive. “The strength ofour business model means we are very well positioned forthe challenges and targets for the future.

“Our progress since the year end is in line withmanagement expectations and we are confident of reachingour current year target of underlying EBITDA.”

Other highlights of the retailer’s preliminary results:■ Online revenue increased 97.1 per cent from £48.6 million

to £95.7 million, which represents 7.7 per cent of total UKretail sales.

■ International retail sales were up 10.3 per cent to £132.3million.

■ Brands total revenue fell 1.5 per cent to £187.7 million,driven by Sports Direct’s strategy to change some of itssales from wholesale to licensing.

Page 14: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

14 SPORTS INSIGHT

WHAT’S NEWS Send your news stories to the Sports Insight news desk [email protected] or call 01273 748675

ALL THE VERY LATEST IN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY...

…The VF Corporation, which owns brands suchas JanSport, The North Face and Vans, has boughtTimberland for around $2 billion…a new sportsprogramme has been launched by Sport England

to give 300,000 14 to 25-year-olds the chance to receive six-eights weeksof coaching. Sportivate is a £32 million National Lottery funded projectthat aims to increase sport participation among teenagers…Columbiaplans to launch new ecommerce websites for its flagship Columbia andSorel brands, enabling customers in Canada, the UK, Germany, France,Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Spain to buy online from acompany managed site for the first time…The Board of Sport Englandhas reduced the funding available to the Rugby Football League andEngland Golf Partnership as a result of disappointing participationfigures revealed in the Active People survey…JD Sports has bought theeight-store menswear retailer Cecil Gee for £1.7 million. The retailer hasalso announced that JD Sprinter Holdings 2010, its newly incorporated50.1 per cent subsidiary, has acquired the trading businesses that makeup the Sprinter group of companies in Spain for €20 million. The sportsretailer has 47 stores, primarily based in Andalucia and Levante…SportsDirect has acquired an 80 per cent shareholding in USC and CruiseClothing for £7 million. USC currently has 38 UK stores and a turnoverof £70 million. Cruise has 10 stores in the UK and an annual turnover ofaround £20 million. Both fashion retailers are owned by Sir Tom Hunter,who will retain a 20 per cent shareholding in both USC and Cruise andwill remain as chairman of both companies. He will also provide strategicguidance to Sports Direct’s newly established Premium and LuxuryLifestyle division. Sports Direct will provide a facility of up to £20 millionto enable the existing management teams to develop the two businesses,which enjoy premium market positions…a new free-to-view digital sportschannel dedicated to the live streaming of British sports is set to launch inSeptember. Backed by sports production company Input Media, brandengagement specialist Kameleon, the Telegraph Media Group andConvers Sports Initiatives, a rapidly expanding sports, media andentertainment company, GBsport TV says it will stream 1,400 hours oflive coverage a year. The core sports GBsport TV will cover includeathletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, handball,hockey, rowing, sailing, swimming, taekwondo, tennis and winter sports.The coverage will be a combination of live domestic and internationalevents, including national, European and world championships…

Sports Shorts

INTERSPORT Q1 SHOWPACKED WITH EXCLUSIVESINTERSPORT’s Q1 show, which took place at the retailer’s Solihullheadquarters on June 29-30, was packed with exclusive brandcampaigns and product deals that left members spoilt for choice.

A total of 42 suppliers were in attendance, including adidas, Nikeand six ’showcase’ brands, as well as an international INTERSPORTarea and own-brands PRO TOUCH, TECNOpro and ENERGETICS. Inaddition, the show featured a number of key focus areas, includingexclusive campaigns from adidas, ASICS, Puma and Nike, as well asEURO 2012 and London 2012 presentations.

The central INTERSPORT area showcased comprehensive footwearand apparel collections with new exclusive products from adidas,ASICS, Babolat, New Balance, Nike, Puma, Reebok and Salomon.

ASICS hosted a drinks reception for members on the evening ofthe first day of the show, taking the opportunity to present its newrunning category called NATURAL.

“Even with the tough retail environment, the members werepositive and good orders were received,” says Tom Foley,INTERSPORT’s general manager. “The shows are a great opportunityfor us to work as a group, where collective and directional buyingyields positive results.

“The team are working hard and developing to make the showsa success for suppliers and members alike.”

Page 15: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

15www.sports-insight.co.uk

“When I see guys who are smaller than me, I start thinking I can comeback and knock out most of them. Then I talk myself out of it.”

Don’t expect to see Lennox Lewis, 45, in a boxing ring any time soon.

ADIDAS TO INVEST OVER€100 MILLION IN NEWDISTRIBUTION CENTREadidas has announced plans to open the biggest distributioncentre in its history in Niedersachsenpark, Germany in the firsthalf of 2013.

Costing over €100 million and creating around 200 jobs,the centre will accommodate wholesale, own retail andecommerce for both the adidas and Reebok brands in Western Europe.

Herbert Hainer, adidas Group CEO, says: “Until2015 we want to grow our business to €17

billion. The new distribution centre willenable us to bring our products faster

and more efficiently to our customersand consumers.

“This major investment in astate-of-the-art facility also clearlyshows our commitment to ourhome market, Germany.”

Glenn Bennett, an executiveboard member of the adidas Groupwho is responsible for global

operations, adds: “The new distribution centre will support theambitious growth targets of our company over the years tocome. At the same time, this facility will enable us to reducecomplexity, increase productivity andoffer better services to ourcustomers.”

Ground is scheduledto be broken at theNiedersachsenpark sitein August, with thecentre forecast toreach its full capacityby 2015. The facilitywill be part ofadidas’ ‘GreenCompany’ initiative,which aims to reducethe group’senvironmentalfootprint.

Page 16: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

16 SPORTS INSIGHT

WHAT’S NEWS Send your news stories to the Sports Insight news desk [email protected] or call 01273 748675

ALL THE VERY LATEST IN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY...

Aqua Sphere is helping boost sales for its retailers, thanks to its redesignedgoggle packaging - which is proving a hit with independents up anddown the country.

The swim brand has invested a significant sum of money in thepresentation of its goggles, introducing new high impact graphics insidereusable cases, which not only enhance shelf appeal, but are also 11 percent smaller than previous packaging.

The cases also feature an improved universal hook; a durable internaldisplay card, which is colour coded to differentiate each model

and clearly explains the technological features; a‘Made in Italy’ stamp; and useful drainage holes.

“There’s no doubt that Aqua Sphere’s newpackaging looks smart and displays the gogglesto better effect,” says Mark Savage of D&J

Sports in Cirencester. “Crucially, it’s very easy to get the goggles

out and let people try them withoutcompromising the case, and we feel that isessential if customers are to fully appreciate thedifferences in the various makes and modelsand make an informed purchase. I believe weare selling more units as a result, because once

Lond

on 2

012

SURVEYS PREDICT OLYMPIC SPENDING BOOSTThe UK is set to benefit from a £750 million consumer spendingboost during the seven-week period of the London 2012 Olympicand Paralympic Games, according to a report by Visa Europe.

Expected to be the biggest ever consumer spending increase fora host country, the Games will deliver up to £5.1 billion to the UKeconomy by 2015.

The report, A Golden Opportunity - London 2012 Olympicand Paralympic Games Expenditure and Economic Impact, foundthat during the three weeks between the opening and closingceremonies tills will be ringing to the tune of an extra £621million. This will be supplemented by a further £129 millionspend during the Paralympic Games, an increase of 18.5 per centabove what would be expected during the same period had theGames not taken place.

Meanwhile, the Games are expected to give the UK’s sportinggoods industry a major fillip over the next two years, claims a newreport from sports equipment company Amer Sports.

The sporting goods sector - which includes equipment used in allball sports, outdoor activity, and gym and fitness regimes - isanticipating a strong sales recovery between now and 2013, led by

the high profile surrounding the Games.Much of the growth in spending on sports goods is likely to be

shared among the biggest brands in the industry, as consumers areexpected to gravitate more towards established names.

New research among leading sports and outdoor retailers andbuyers confirms the trend and shows one in five pointing to asignificant 33 per cent swing towards established brands since 2008.

Last year an estimated £7.7 billion was spent on sporting goodsin the UK, with cycles, footwear and apparel at the top of shoppinglists - putting the nation in fifth spot in a global industry believed tobe worth £172 billion in 2010.

The UK Sporting Goods Report is the first published by AmerSports since the beginning of 2008 - the year that saw the biggesteconomic downturn in generations. It highlights the track record ofmajor events like the Olympics and FIFA World Cup in lifting sales ofsporting goods across all sports.

Amer Sports, which includes among its portfolio brands such asWilson, Salomon, Precor, Atomic, Suunto, Mavic and Arc’teryx,believes that working with retail partners to introduce innovativenew products holds the key to future success.

AQUA SPHERE’S NEW GOGGLEPACKAGING BOOSTS SALES

people try Aqua Sphere goggles the product speaks for itself.”Steve Coram of triathlon specialist Cyclelogic in Helston also believes

it’s important for prospective customers to be able to inspect the gogglesto fully appreciate their features.

“People are particularly impressed with the wide panoramic visionand superb One Touch button that allows for easy adjustment to createthe perfect fit,” Coram adds. “The new packaging easily conveys thetechnological innovations of the product in bullet points and the reusablecase is very durable, capable of withstanding constant on-off hanging,and is very easy to open and shut.

“People can immediately see that this is a quality product, which hasbeen really thought through, even down to the case. I’m happy to saythat sales are strong.”

According to Jo Holvey of INTERSPORT member John Moore Sports inBath, the new packaging looks good, takes up less space and presents afresh and sharp image that attracts customers.

She explains: “We encourage people to try the goggles, which theyreally appreciate, and we are not scared of them getting into the displayand trying on various styles because we know it’s an easy and secureprocedure to replace the goggles without damage.

“Aqua Sphere is our favourite goggle brand and we are quick torecommend it because we know it represents innovation and quality, andonce people try it they will be hooked. By making it easier for us to helppeople test the fit for themselves, Aqua Sphere is reaping the rewardsthrough increased sales.

“The thought and investment that has gone into this repackaging isdefinitely paying off for both parties.”

Page 17: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

FOR

FULLY

FUNCTIONAL

INFANT

FEET

www.primallifestyle.com | 01306 883 240 | [email protected] to the UK by Primal Lifestyle Ltd. Exclusive Distributors of Vibram Fivefiingers to the UK Market

With Vibram Fivefingers, you are the technology.

The long awaited

VFF Kids Range

Page 18: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

PRODUCT ROUND-UP

KIT stopEssential stock for your shop

CORE COMPRESSION SHORT WITH BIOFLEX CUP

● Constructedwith supportivefour-way stretchanti-microbialfabric that wicksmoisture awayfrom the skin.

● VERSATILECOMPRESSION SHORTwith interlocking flatseams, a ventilatedinside cup pocket andcomfort fit waistband.

● BIOFLEX CUPunique, vented bio-shape body withintegrated gelperimeter pad forunrestrictedmovement andimproved comfort.

● X-FIT CUP RETENTION SYSTEM integrates a wraparound externalsupporter for unparalleled comfort, fit and protection.

18 SPORTS INSIGHT

To find out more about GFORCE visit www.gforcesportswear.co.uk or call Gymphlex on 01507 523243.

Cricket wear has historically been a lynchpin of the Gymphlexcollection, and this remains true within the cutting edge GFORCEcollection. High performance fabrics and superior designs all

go to create what has to be one of the most attractive ranges of cricket wear

on the market.The collection comprises

several cricket garments,including trousers, shirts andovershirts, available in a choiceof six designs. All can beenhanced with flashes of teamcolours or embroidered clubbadges or logos. Fabrics such

as Aircool, Eyedroplet and CottonJersey have been selected as they offerexcellent moisture managementproperties and unrivalled comfort.

As with all of the GFORCEcollection, these cricket garments areavailable on minimum orders of just10, making GFORCE a practical solutionfor clubs seeking a fresh image.

GFORCE - A CRICKET RANGETO BOWL YOU OVER

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www.sportindustry.biz

www.sports-insight.co.uk 19

PHYSICOOLWhat do you currently offer customers suffering from asprained ankle, Achilles injuries or plantar fasciitis?

Physicool supplies an innovative range of reusablecooling bandages that: ■ Administer instant cooling.■ Reduce swelling.■ Combat pain.■ Offer compression and support.■Work without prior refrigeration.

Cooling Bandage size A. Trade price £5.53. RRP £9.99.1,200 units bought by runners at the London MarathonExhibition.

Here’s what some recent Physicool customers hadto say about the products:

“More portable and certainly less hassle than icepacks, I found them indispensable for treating arecurring niggle on the recent Atlantic Coast Challengetriple marathon.” Justin Bowyer, ultra-marathon runner.

“Physicool worked fantastically for one of mychampion fighters. Tim Newman won the British titlebelt and damaged his foot during the bout. We used iton his foot, whereby Tim felt instant relief as thebandage cooled the wound and absorbed the heat fromthe swelling.” Gary Cross, manager, G4 MMA fighters.

“A great alternative to ice, with the advantagethat our players can maximise recovery by leaving iton for extended periods after a game.” Ray Breed,high performance coach, Kangaroos, Australia.

For more information visitwww.physicool.co.uk. Available

from the Reydon Sportscatalogue (page 173).

Page 20: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

PRODUCT ROUND-UP

SPORTS INSIGHT20

HEADMaria Sharapova, the newest addition to the HEAD pro-player team, andThomas Berdych will play with the YouTek IG Instinct MP, launching at theUS Open.

The latest addition to the HEAD tour racquets features a slim,aerodynamic frame geometry in the racquet head, making the racquetmore manoeuvrable and allowing for highest swing speeds. In contrast, thenewly designed racquet shaft has a robust and stable cross section, whichprovides maximum stiffness in the area with the highest bending moment.

Behind all the science and technology is a simple result: throughbetter manoeuvrability and less energy loss during impact, power can becreated much easier or, in other words, effortlessly.

See below for the details of the two brand-new HEAD YouTek IGInstinct racquets:For more information visit www.HEAD.com or contact the company’s UK office: 01539 724740.

Instinct MP Instinct S

Technology d3o, Innegra d3o, Innegra

Head size 645 cm2 660 cm2

Weight 300g 270g

Balance 320mm 340mm

String patterns 16/19 16/19

SRP £119.99 £99.99

Page 21: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

www.sportindustry.biz

21www.sports-insight.co.uk

BUY A FULL PROSTAR DYNAMO PLUS KIT

Did you know Prostar has a fantasticoffer that includes 15 Dynamo Plus

jerseys, one Genoa goalkeeper jersey,one Palmas goalkeeper short, 15 Kievshorts and 16 Mercury plain socks, allfor a fantastic £456.75 (adult), £393(junior)? And all colour options are

available for each product. Plus if you place this order you will

also receive a free Mitre Promax matchball, worth £43.

Please ensure youquote ‘FREE

PROMAX’ whenplacing your order.

For more informationcall 0844 902 1801,

[email protected]

or visitwww.prostar.co.uk.

Page 22: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

PRODUCT ROUND-UP

22 SPORTS INSIGHT

OPTIMUMIncorporating the spirit of the forthcoming Rugby World Cup, Optimum will be extending its already established products to include a range in the tournament’s colours:

BLITZ RIFTOffering high impact resistance protection at all points of major contactduring match play, Blitz Rift incorporates a full length body and comesemblazoned in the new Blitz Rift colourway design. MINI, SB, LB: RRP £34.99.S, M, L, XL, XXL: RRP £39.99.

ECLIPSE RIFTThe ever-popular Optimum Eclipse

rugby boot is now in its thirdyear and has continued to be ahuge success. Increasing yourcustomers’ choice even further,Optimum has extended thecolour range options to include the

new Rift design of green and blue and anexciting navy/orange.

Juniors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6: RRP £24.99.Seniors 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13: RRP £34.99.

For more details contact your localagent or call Optimum direct on

01942 497707.

TEAM COLOURSTeam Colours offers the complete custom package for teams thatwant a professional and distinctive image. A wide range ofbespoke manufacture options are available for team kits,tracksuits and hooded tops, as well as a great selection ofmatching extras.

With printing and embroidery services available for mostproducts, teams can customise anything from training orleisurewear to sports bags and equipment. Put your club badge on a set of custom training balls, on water bottles or even onbespoke ties. These options can even be customised to individualnames or numbers.

For creating unique teamwear, Team Colours provides a rangeof online designer tools and can mock up visuals on request. Toenquire about custom team options go online or call Team Colours’sales team.For more information call+44 (0)1920 871453 / +44 (0)1920 877270, email [email protected] or visit www.team-colours.co.uk.

Page 23: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

www.sportindustry.biz

23www.sports-insight.co.uk

ULTIMATE PERFORMANCEUltimate Performance is a new brand already enjoying space onmany key retailers’ shelves, thanks to the 15 years’ experienceits creator, 1000 Mile Sportswear, has in the running packs andaccessories sector. 1000 Mile understands it is not just aboutinnovative design, but value for money for the consumer,margin for the retailer and product development targeted atthe UK consumer. There will be almost monthly additions tothe range, which will make Ultimate Performance the mostcomprehensive range of running and outdoor accessories in theUK market. The brand is supported by an advertising and PRcampaign through core media including Men’s Fitness, Health &Fitness and BodyFit magazines, as well as online promotion anda dedicated website: www.ultimate-performance.co.uk.

The range currently includes hydration packs, phone andmusic carriers, gloves and hats, head torches, sports laces andtrack spikes. To find out more about stocking Ultimate Performance email [email protected] or call 01923 242233.

Page 24: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

24 SPORTS INSIGHT

PRODUCT ROUND-UP

TOP MARKS TO BRAND AGILITYFOR GREAT 2011 SCHOOL BAGSBrand Agility is delighted to announce the arrival of the latest backpack brand from the States -YAK PAK.

YAK PAK has pioneered the trend of bringing fashionable prints to the backpack market, and allcome with a lifetime warranty. The brand is popular with school children and has a loyal followingof UK children on Facebook. Retail price points start from £19.99.

Four styles are available:● Deluxe backpack - RRP £27.50-£30.● Basic backpack - RRP £24.99.● Mini backpack - RRP £19.99.● Basic messenger - RRP £24.99.

In a multitude of vibrant colours,YAK PAK is available to order now

from stock. No minimum order.

To find out more about YAK PAK andarrange an appointment with

representatives in your area call JacquieSandison on 0131 554 5555 or

email [email protected].

ALPHA STRONG BAG FRESH FROM THE USA Alpha Strong sand bags are simple, strong and made to last. They’re the firstsandbags on the market that have function driven handles for easy handling andversatility. Benefits include:

■ Multiple exercise drills standing in one position.■ Portable.■ For beginners and pros.■ Can be used in conjunction with kettlebells, bands, etc.■ Great for conditioning training.■ Challenging, but never boring.

There are three versions available in different colours, which can be supplied unfilledto end users. Offering good margins, the suggested retail price for these bags startsat £72.00 (inc VAT). Jordan Fitness is the main European distributor for Alpha Strong.For more details email [email protected].

Page 25: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

www.gamegear.co.ukt: 01332 85 83 85

PERFORMANCE TEAMWEAR NEW COLLECTION

Page 26: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

PRODUCT PROFILE

footdisc insolesnaturally shock absorbingproperties, even as the footstarts to fatigue.

Too much cushioning dumbsdown the brain’s understanding of theimpact forces and therefore its responseand timing is diminished, leaving youpredisposed to injury.

Who designed footdisc?The original concept was from BjornGustafsson, a former world triathlon championwho studied sport science specialising in rearfoot motion and fatigue in running. He hasworked with several shoe manufacturers andcountless athletes - he regularly holds lecturesin running biomechanics and footwearthroughout Europe.

Why should a retailer stock footdisc?footdisc insoles offer a unique service that willenable retailers to enhance their credibility asa specialist and offer customers a specificinsole to accommodate their foot type. Inaddition, footdisc makes a retailer more profitfrom each running shoe sale.

The footdisc measuring device, which islike the wet test but much more accurate andless messy, allows you to analyse, recommendand fit the right insoles easily and quicklyusing a device that enables retailers to standout from the competition.

With more than 70 per cent of runnerssuffering from injury each year, retailers needto provide an effective injury prevention

alternative. footdisc

Jonathan Hedges, managing director offootdisc insoles, talks us through the offering

What is so special about footdisc?They are the first truly dynamic insolesdesigned specifically for sport, to enhanceperformance and alleviate injuries caused bypoor/excessive pronation and fatigue.

The principal design feature is theDynamic Arch Cradle (DAC), which supportsand guides the foot throughout the entire gaitcycle. Energy from impacts - normallydissipated by the cushioning materials - isstored and the DAC returns this energy as thefoot moves towards toe off.

The insoles come in three different archheights to accommodate customers’ varyingfoot types. Weight is also important. We haveworked hard to produce the lightest functionalinsole available. When you consider that duringa marathon the average runner takes 41,000steps, if they had chosen to use a well knowncushioning insole a simple calculation provesthat they will have moved an additional 1.6metric tons - now that is fatiguing.

How they fitted into a shoe was a majordesign consideration, as distorting the uppermaterial has an affect on both function andperformance. We also had to ensure that theperformance features of footwear were notcompromised. Comfort is a given.

So they don’t just cushion?Our philosophy is that your body has anamazing ability to absorb shock. However,through poor function thisdiminishes.�footdisc�insoles improvealignment and foot positioningthroughout contact,enhancing the body’s

provides asolution for many sporting

injuries, such as plantar fasciitis, shin splints,knee pain, blisters, etc.

The foot is a highly complex structure andproduct knowledge and education isparamount. We provide all our retailers within-house training and will be shortly releasingour footdisc ‘fitsology’ manual, whichfeatures detailed injury guides and afrequently asked questions section.

Who are they aimed at?Anyone involved in sport, from a jogger witha niggle to an elite athlete looking for an edge.Recently Ironman world champion CarolineSteffen won the PowerBar Ironman 70.3 inSwitzerland. She isn’t sponsored by footdisc,but was so pleased with her insoles she iscontinuing to use them and has given uspermission to use her story.

How are they marketed?We have been growing organically for threeyears, slowly building a retail and medicalbase. Our starter packs with free footdiscdevices has been instrumental in openingaccounts. We also have a trade and consumeradvertising strategy. Recently we haveemployed a PR agency to help get the wordout, but our current customers are our best

ambassadors and sales team.

Focus ON...

si

SPORTS INSIGHT26

Page 27: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

www.xpres.co.uk Tel: 01332 85 50 85

XPRES CUT®

THE PERSONALISED SPORTSWEAR SOLUTION

The increasing demand for low volume runs of personalised sportswear make the Xpres Cut transfer system a must for all suppliers of sports apparel.

� Produce single and multi colour transfers for Football Shirts, T-Shirts, Bags, Polo Shirts, Caps, Jackets, Tracksuits, Promotional Wear and more

� No screen or set up costs

� Superb profit potential

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Page 28: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com
Page 29: Sports SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI · 2014. 8. 13. · Harrows Darts, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0JX. Telephone: 01992 300300, Fax: 01992 462305. Email: sales@harrowsdarts.com

When did you getinto the sportstrade and why?I’ve been with Mitrefor nearly eight yearsand it was my first jobout of university. I

always wanted to work for a sports brand,and after doing a product design degree Iwas lucky enough to find a job as aproduct designer for Mitre. My long-termaim was to become a product manager,and after a few years I was promoted tolook after goalkeeping gloves andshinguards.

What does your job entail?I am mainly responsible for thedevelopment of new gloves and guards,but with a small development team I alsoget involved in balls and footwear withmy colleagues, although these products dohave product managers of their own. Thisincludes the design, functionality andinnovations of the product, materialselection, factory sourcing andnegotiations. I also manage the graphicdesign team.

Who has been the biggestinfluence on your career?There are a few people I feel need amention. From a design anddevelopment pointof view, Ihave

PEOPLE

always followed Philippe Starck and Ioften refer to his work when thinkingabout my own development. However,Duncan Anderson is the ball developmentdirector at Mitre and he has been at thebrand for 30 years. After such a long time,he is still so passionate about the brand,and especially balls, that I have alwayslooked up to him. He has always showedfaith in me, mentoring and guiding methrough my career. I think he has playeda major part in moulding me into theproduct manager I am today.

What other brands do youadmire and why?I think the brand I most admire is Audi.Not only do I love their design andinnovations, but I love what they standfor as well. I work with technical productsand to me they are the epitome oftechnical brands.

How did you come up with theidea for the IntelligentCompression shinguard?Most guards on the market act as a shieldto your leg, but an in-depth considerationis rarely given as to how they will protectyou. I was trying to think of ways to offersomething more than just a shield and

quickly realised the only way todo that was to find a

way to deal withimpact. I

needed

a robust but lightweight outer shell, andthe interlocking hexagonal pattern is aform often seen in nature to create strong,reinforced structures. It has also beenadopted throughout architectural designs,so I knew it was a good direction to gosin. The next task was to find a way tomake the impact spread to the outeredges of the guard, increasing the surfacearea of impact. Adding a cavity betweenthe front of the guard and the backingfoam was the obvious solution.

Can you tell us about thetechnology?Intelligent Compression works byspreading the initial shock to the outeredges of the guard before a three-stageprogressive compression graduallyabsorbs the impact. On initial impact thesmooth solid outer surface of the guardspreads the shock to the outer edges ofthe shell. Once the initial impact hasbeen spread, the shell and moulded EVAfoam backing begin to compress. Thiscompression closes the air cavity betweenthe shell and the EVA, graduallyabsorbing the impact. Finally, underheavy impacts the hexagonal structure onthe reverse of the shell interacts with themoulded EVA foam backing, acting as animpact dampener. This absorbs theremaining impact energy, ensuring thewearer feels less of it.

How have sales been?It is very early to say as the product isonly really starting to hit the marketplace,

but early indications show thetechnology is being well received

by the industry and willdefinitely show increased

sales of shinguardsfor Mitre.

29www.sports-insight.co.uk

Movers & ShakersMark Upshall, product manager at Mitre Sports Internationaland designer of the brand’s Intelligent Compression shinguard

si

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Written from the perspective ofindustry suppliers, readers of the report willfind valuable information on the state of themarket in a variety of sports, includingfootball, rugby, cricket, golf, hockey,netball, basketball, tennis, badminton,squash, table tennis, swimming, runningand triathlon, darts and snooker.

Over 60 interviews were carried out withsuppliers in each of the featured sports, aswell as leading retailers, wholesalers, buyinggroups, trade press and school suppliers. Thisprimary research was supplemented by anextensive review of published informationfrom commercial research organisations,sports associations, governing bodies,business and news sources. In addition,exclusive consumer research wascommissioned into the buying habits andbrand awareness of participants and followersin the majority of the featured sports.

The report sets the sporting goodsmarket in a general economic anddemographic context. Its scope rangesfrom a review of the market sizes of thekey segments of sports clothing, footwearand equipment - including a ‘by product’and ‘by sport’ breakdown for 2009 and2010, as well as a forecast for 2011 -through to a review of the extensivenumber of initiatives that exist, in termsof private sponsorship and public sectorsupport, for each of the featured sports.

Each market featured includesinformation on the values of each of thekey segments - and further detail, insome cases - as well as the key trends

FSPA MEMBER NEWS

30 SPORTS INSIGHT

FSPA focus

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The latest news from the Federation of Sports and Play Associations

The FSPA’s leading play association, the Association of PlayIndustries, was pleased to report the success of its fourthsuccessive PlayFair ‘play, sport and leisure’ activity event, whichtook place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on June 21-22.

PlayFair is the UK trade event for those involved in theselection, purchase, upkeep and replacement of children’s playequipment, and is the only outdoor event dedicated to thisimportant industry sector.

Despite being a complex time for children’s play, withgovernment cuts and the ongoing childhood obesity crisis, thisyear’s event did not disappoint, with a strong showing from API members of all sizes stepping up to promote thebenefits of play. Not only was the show well supported by APImembers, but many of this year’s visitors were clearly passionateabout play provision and children’s play in general.

One of the key draws for the show’s seminar programme wasthe keynote speech by event VIP Sally Gunnell OBE (pictured).More well known for her exploits on the track, since retiring fromcompetitive running Gunnell has campaigned for and spoken insupport of the benefits of sport and play for children, particularly

in their early years whenmany of our most vitalcoordination and motor skillsare first learnt.

Gunnell said she hadnoticed the importance ofinstilling these lessons in thehearts and minds of youngchildren after visiting severalschools where pupilsdisplayed poor balancing andcatching skills due to a lack ofplay outside of the schoolenvironment.

She also spoke about her aim of reaching the Olympics afterwatching the hurdling and running events on television when shewas 14. This goal gave her the drive to engage with variousforms of physical activity and led her all the way to the 1992Olympics in Barcelona, where she won gold in the 400m hurdles.www.api-play.org.

and drivers within each sport. Additional chapters look at the

changing nature of sports distribution,with a particular emphasis on the growingimportance of the internet and theevolving role of specialist sports retailers,and information on sports participationand consumer behaviour for each of thefeatured sports. This highlights differencesin participation between men and women,old and young, and indicates howknowledgeable consumers are about theproducts they buy for their chosen sports.

The important school sport market isreviewed for the first time, incorporatingthe implications of recent changes tofunding, with estimates made of themarkets for school teamwear, outdoor andindoor equipment, as well as a review ofthe various sport-by-sport initiatives topromote sport in schools.

The report ends by drawingconclusions for the overall market and on asport-by-sport basis in what is an importanttime for an industry looking forward to theLondon Olympic Games in 2012.

The Sporting Goods industryAssociation (SGIA), the FSPA’s sporttrade body, is currently undertaking amembership recruitment drive to attractparticipants of the study and other leadingcompanies within the industry to becomemembers of the association.

For more information on the study, orbecoming a member of the SGIA, contactMilly Durrant at [email protected] orcall 02476 414 999 x207. Alternatively, visitwww.sportsandplay.com or www.sgiauk.com.

API REPORTS ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL PLAYFAIR 2011 EVENT

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The FSPA are delighted to announce its2011 study on the current state andfuture direction of the UK sportinggoods market is complete and wasprovided to all FSPA full members freeof charge in early June.

The comprehensive report wascommissioned in late 2010 after the UKsports trade body identified a lack ofinformation in the marketplace and ademand from its member companies foraccurate, up-to-date and useful data toassist with market analysis and intelligence.

The 100-page study is a timely anddetailed snapshot of the current situationfacing companies in the £5.7 billion sportinggoods industry. It highlights an overallmarket getting to grips with the longestrecession in the UK for a generation andpoints to bright spots within certain sports.

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Katrina Ellerton is director of online sports retail outletSportfreakz.com, which she runs from her offices in Stockport

TALKING shopRETAIL INTERVIEW

from friends and family about emergingbrands and new products.

How do you get customersvisiting/returning to your site? When Sportfreakz first started, we were keento stay true to who we are. It started as afamily business and I’m proud that weincorporate that fact within our business corevalues. I was determined that we make thesite around the customer, and therefore everystage of our site was built from a customer’spoint of view and we speak to visitorsregularly. Sportfreakz is designed to be easyto use and transparent, with no nastysurprises at the checkout. I genuinely believewe do the right thing, in the right way andour customers respect that, which is why theycome back

What have been your biggestchallenges in sports retail? There have been several challenges along theway, but with such a great team around mewe have not just overcome them, but learntfrom them too.

What do you like most and least about the business? Ironically my worst and best bits areprobably the same thing: I love to be busyand I enjoy my role and all that itincorporates. On the downside, it does tendto turn you into a bit of a workaholic.

If you would like your store featured inSports Insight call 01273 748675 or [email protected].

Why and how did you decide toget into sports retailing? I’ve been brought up with sport in my life.My family are all really active and weregularly play sports. The opportunity cameup to create a family enterprise and it wasobvious to us that we should follow that path.Since then we’ve grown and although at ourcore we’re still a family business, we’ve hadsome like-minded members join our team.

How would you describe your online store? The idea from the beginning was to be ageneral sports store, but as time has progressedwe’ve been surprised by the interest in some ofour more specialist products. Our customersare what make us, so we regularly analyse ourbest-selling products and review customerrequests to continually bring in new suppliersand introduce new ranges.

What is the strongest sector of themarket for you at the moment? It continues to vary with the various sportingseasons. Sportfreakz stocks a wide range offitness and exercise equipment, which hasbeen continually strong for us. Swimming hasalso proved really popular, and as such we areexpanding our swimming lines even further.

How has trade been over the past 12 months? Sportfreakz has performed well over the lastyear. We’ve grown and added new productsand taken on board some fantastic suppliers.We’re pleased with the progress we’ve madeand hope it continues over the next 12 months.

What are your current best-sellers? The more niche sports, like American football,that we stock have been superb sellers for us,and we’ve just had to reorder due to demand.We’ve also been pleased with the response tosome of our non-branded goods, which aregood value and excellent quality.

How do you compete with other online sports retailers?Does online retail threatentraditional sports outlets? I genuinely feel there is a huge market outthere and I would never see us competing assuch with anybody else. We all work hardand we all have different strategies andselling points, but I think there’s enoughroom for us all.

Are there any current or future marketing strategies you can talk about? There are a few interesting opportunities thathave presented themselves throughSportfreakz recently. All are still very muchin the early stages of negotiation, but weregularly update our blog with all our latestnews as well as our social media linksTwitter and Facebook.

How do you find out about new products? We work closely with our suppliers and areproud of the relationship we have with them.They have been great to us and always keepus informed of any changes. Also, I find thatbeing in and around sport I’m always hearingabout new innovations and picking up ideas

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33www.sports-insight.co.uk

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TEAMWEAR

34 SPORTS INSIGHT

KitPARADEKit manufacturers and suppliers have a race on to prepare stocks for the armyof social players ready for the 2011/12 season. What are the issues facing aselection of the smaller companies in this market, asks Adrian Hill?

Go to any park on most Sundaymornings and you’ll see people of allages and fitness levels taking part insocial football.

Whether it be excited children dippingtheir toes into the world of organisedcompetitive sport, older blokes attemptingto revive past glories, or just those therefor the ‘craic’ - plus a whole load workingoff Saturday night excesses or trying tolose a few pounds - tens of thousands ofpeople take part come rain or shine. Theyall need kit, which makes for a hugemarket chased by a phalanx ofmanufacturers, distributors and retailers.

The big brand names are obviouslyinvolved, but for a host of small firms thisis their bread and butter, and for mostdeveloping or maintaining trade withregistered clubs is the be-all and end-all oftheir operations.

Hard work“We’re all right, but it’s hard work,”admits John Trickey, managing directorof Kent-based Jacetts Ltd. “We’reconstantly under pressure; people don’tgive us long lead times any more.”

Jacetts, based in Deal on the Kent coast,makes customised football team kits andpersonalised school team sports garments.However, the nature of the market and thecompany’s local customer base means it hasto diversify into other areas and providethat key driver - personalised service.

“It tends to go in a biennial cycle forus,” explains Trickey. “Last year was slack,but this year is better. We do most of ourbusiness with colt football teams, who tendto buy kit that lasts two years. Aside fromkits, we’re busy with polo shirts andhoodies. Teams like the feel of anembroidered club badge and their sponsor’sname, which we can provide for them.

“We have three sections: retail, buy andsell-on, and cut, make and trim for others.We make all our stock, whether beautyqueen sashes, banners or football kits. Welike to think we have a niche market. Mostof the teams in the East Kent YouthLeague are supplied by us. We prideourselves in making bespoke kits.”

The Open Golf Championship, playedthis year at nearby Sandwich, causedanother complication at traditionally thebusiest time of year for a provider of teamkits. Jacetts was asked to make corporatetagged clothing for companies attendingthis prestigious event, which only comesto the Kent course generally once adecade. For a small business it’s anopportunity that can’t be turned down.

Trickey also services cricket clubs withcolour trimmed shirts, now allowed underthe England and Wales Cricket Boardregulations, netball teams with the newstyle athletic top and shorts, basketballsides and even ring garb for boxers.

“The clubs we deal with are all run byvolunteers - they are not professionalbuyers,” adds Trickey. “It’s all done bycommittee, and you know that a camel is ahorse designed by a committee. Forinstance, people ask us for kit in blue andwhite when it’s not their registered colourwith their league. We have to tell them thatwe can’t do it, that they are red and white.”

Lack of moneyChallenging lead times and incoherentordering are difficulties, but money (or thelack of it) is the primary concern -flexibility of delivery is a key factor whendealing with clubs run on a shoestring,particularly in the current financialclimate, as Keith Carne, a director at KCSports of Stevenage, explains: “Business ispretty strong at the moment, but it’s nowa 52 weeks-of-the-year business.August/September is always big, but oftenteams will come back for the new seasonand have no money, so they wait untilOctober before getting new kit. So wehave to cater for that.”

KC Sports is on the supply side,offering for the past 25 years teamwearfrom big brands such as Nike, Puma,Hummel and Mitre. “Most of the clubs wesupply are kids’ clubs, who could have oneteam or 45,” adds Carne. “The great thingis every season the kids grow. The peakperiod is from 7-10, once you get to 13 theleagues narrow down as players drop out.”

A set of shirt, socks and shorts can cost

£10 in a clearance sale, so an outlay of justover £100 for a team is good value whencompared to the other expenses teams face.“It’s not a cheap sport any more,” stressesCarne. “Pitch fees can cost £55-£60 andthen there’s £25-£30 for the referee, soyou’re talking close to £100 per game.

“If you look after them and get arelationship going with the kit man andmanagers they generally keep comingback. You can go direct to an internet site,we’re all buying from the same peopleafter all, but the way we can compete withthe big boys is that they take longer toturn around. We have shorter lead times -often when you ask when they want itthey will say ‘last week’.”

With over 40,000 registered footballclubs and in excess of 2,000 rugby sides inEngland alone, there are plenty ofopportunities, but in such a competitivemarket added value is always a benefit toan offer. AGH South Western in Clevedon,near Bristol (formerly known as YaskinSports), which distributes kit from Erreathroughout the West Country, has come upwith an innovative way of giving kitsponsors a greater platform forpromotion as part of their supplymodel.

“We realised that we could go tothe club sponsor and say that wecan give them trade rates for thekit, so their money goes thatbit further,” explains salesdirector Martin Cassidy.“An outlay of £500would get them three sets ofkits, the kids would paythem £10 each and we wouldthrow in a 20-foot banner freeof charge.”

AGH, which has been tradingunder its new name since May, havealso found an avenue opening up inthe supply of referee’s kit. “Errea’sreferee kit has a black collar, which used tobe against FA regulations,” adds Cassidy, aformer Football League assistant ref.“However, there was a change in theregulations in July 2010 and now Errea is anationally known product for referees.”

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35www.sports-insight.co.uk

Selling pointsAs a distributor, delivery of stock is vitalto the survival of a regional concern suchas AGH. The tie-up with Errea may nothave the impact on the public of thehousehold names, but there are two sellingpoints that Cassidy can offer. “Errea aremaking big inroads,” he says. “They arethe only major manufacturer of kit wherethe operation is based in the EuropeanUnion and can guarantee two deliveriesper week to England. The biggermanufacturers make all their kit in the FarEast, so can’t do that.”

The other differentiator, in AGH’smind, is Errea’s green credentials - theOeko-Tex Standard 100 tests textileproducts for use of harmful substances. It’s a rigorous procedure involvingextensive laboratory tests on allcomponents. Manufacturers who pass the

test are entitled to mark their productswith the Oeko-Tex label. The certificateapplies for one year and can berenewed.

“Errea is the only brand to haveOeko-Tex,” boasts Cassidy. “Youhave to earn it; they check everyyear that you are carrying outthe correct processes. Erreaticks the boxes for social andenvironmental responsibility -it’s a big selling point.”

The impressive progressof girls’ and women’sfootball (almost 1.4million players in

England) means that kitsupply requirements aresurely going to grow; thepublicity of the 2012Olympics can also onlyhelp participationnumbers in other teamsports.

Whatever the stateof the market, knowingwhat your customerwants - one of thebasic maxims insalesmanship - isvital. “It’s aboutknowing what clubswant. You have togive a little in these hard times,”advises Cassidy. si

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Sensport offer Stock and custom teamwear solutions in a range of highly advanced

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To present your customers with a full colour presentation teamwear of their

total requirements go to kitselector.com

For details of our Custom Teamwear go to myteamkit.net

For further details call 02476 644 666

To view our new season ‘11-‘12 stock Teamwear and Custom Performance Brochures go to

www.sensport.co.uk THE FABRIC OF SPORTCaldoni House I 3 Crondal RoadBayton Road Industrial Estate I Coventry I CV7 9NHTel: 02476 644666 I Fax: 02476 367971Website: www.sensport.co.ukEmail: [email protected]

EARN YOUR STRIPESView our knitted Milan shirts and Newfield

Broadstripe shirts at sensport.co.uk, stripes that knock spots off the opposition.

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INTERVIEW

My sporting life:

Daryl Selbygeneral ambassador and giving marketinga personal touch,” he says.

“Although we specialise in squashequipment, we also stock a good range ofbadminton, racquetball and tennisequipment, as well as shoes for all sportsincluding netball, hockey and cricket. It’sa very competitive market and I want ourbusiness to take advantage of my input asmuch as possible. The family make agood team. Mum is very efficient on thebusiness side and Dad’s very good withpeople. He’s also a superb coach andknows everyone in the sport.

“My sister is also very involved in thebusiness, but she’s also an exceptionalsquash coach. Her understanding of thegame is excellent and youngstersparticularly enjoy working with Lauren.She is a bubbly character, alwayslaughing and joking.

“We’ve found that a lot of people likedealing with a family-run business, andit’s only good sense to cash in on thatfeeling by providing a good service andoffering experience and productknowledge with thepersonal touch. Itest a lot of

38 SPORTS INSIGHT

Daryl Selby had his first squash lessonat the age of five and got on so wellwith his coach that they’re stilltogether 23 years later - and Daryl isnow British national champion.

“Although we may disagree on somethings, we never argue - we talk it overand work out a solution,” says Daryl ofhis dad Paul, who’s also his coach andone of the game’s most experienced andrespected figures. He’s also the head of afamily that, without any exaggeration,can be said to live for squash.

Spin-offPaul and his wife Karen started the sportsretailer 10 years ago as a spin-off fromPaul’s full-time squash coaching and willsoon have four branches in Essex as wellas a rapidly expanding online business.Their daughter Lauren, currently on theWISPA professional squash circuit and aformer junior number one, is a highlysuccessful coach as well as being aworking director in the family business.Another son, Matthew, is involved insquash administration.

Which leaves Daryl. “As I’m trainingfor around four hours every day and goon tour many weeks of the year, I can’t atthe moment give as much time to OffThe Wall as the others, but they werevery pleased when I won the UKchampionship and if it can help thebusiness, that’s great,” he says.

“We use both Daryl and Lauren tobuild brand awareness,” Paul Selby says.“They are the link for people who wantto engage with a top sports person - notusually something most customers cando. They also have first-hand knowledgeof what it’s like to play with the product -Daryl is used by major companies to testnew racquets and equipment.”

Paul has a father’s pride in his son’s

success, tempered by a natural reluctanceto bask in reflected glory. “Perhaps I shouldmake more of it in promoting the business,but I tend to guard against sounding toosycophantic,” is how he puts it. “But, ofcourse, it’s a wonderful achievement."

Daryl won the British title inFebruary this year by beating Englandteammate and current world championNick Matthew. “It’s by far the biggestthing I’ve ever won,” he says. “I havewon 10 professional titles, but this was avery different feeling. To wake up in themorning and know I’m UK champion issomething special.

“You can’t beat anyone better thanthe world number one and if I canreproduce this form I can hopefully gethigher in the ratings [he’s 11th at themoment]. I’d like to get into the top four.I’m 28 and should be hitting my peak.”

Both Daryl and Lauren startedplaying squash at five, but Daryl was alsotempted by other sports - he playedfootball for England schoolboys andjunior county cricket for Essex.

“He had extraordinary coordinationand a natural aptitude for any sport with aball in it,” his father remembers. “Butthe family was pleased when hedecided to specialise in squash. It’sbeen our preoccupation for aslong as I can remember.”

AmbassadorWhen did Daryl getinvolved in the familybusiness, of which he’snow a director? “Prettywell since it started, butmore so in the last twoyears, largely on thepromotional side, gettingpeople to look at ourwebsite and being a

The national squash champion and director ofsports retailer Off The Wall talks to Tony Jamesabout life at the top of his game

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products, particularly for Head, who aremy main sponsors, so I can often provideanswers to the questions that can helppeople get the right equipment andincrease their enjoyment of the game.”

Being so involved in squash meansthe Selby family usually gets advanceinformation about new product launches,while Paul’s other job as a professionalplayer support manager allows him to getsneak previews of new products monthsahead of their release.

“Squash seems to have suffered lessthan tennis in the current economicsituation,” Daryl says. “As we are not atraditional high street retailer, we benefitfrom customers who don’t just come in tobrowse, but know specifically what theywant to buy. We’re also fortunate that theinternet is now our core business,accounting for at least 75 per cent ofsales, and every indication is that theonline business will continue to grow.

“The internet trend is unfortunate forthose independent retailers who relyalmost entirely on shop sales and no onelikes to see small businesses closingdown, but if you want to survive youhave no alternative but to keep up withthe trends, and obviously the internet isthe way to go.”

How is the squash scenelikely to change? Daryl says itdepends to a large extenton how many

39www.sports-insight.co.uk

youngsters take up the sport: “In certainareas squash is really popular with kidsand that’s great, but a lot depends ondevelopment officers and on theprogrammes they have to get childrenonto the squash courts.

“For instance, there is a fantasticprogramme in Manchester, withyoungsters playing every day. But atother places, where I have doneexhibition matches, kids have told methat they would like to learn to playsquash, but there just aren’t any localcoaches available to teach them.”

World team titleSo what next for Daryl Selby? “There’ssummer training, which includes runningand gym work, then I’m hoping we willhave a chance to regain the world teamtitle from Egypt, the current champions,”he explains.

“We are not world champions inmany sports, but if we can regain theteam championship as well as having aworld champion in Nick, perhaps squashwill start to get

more than its usual inch of coverage inthe sports columns.”

Daryl admits he is bemused by thegeneral lack of media interest in squash:“The British public are veryknowledgeable about sport and love tosupport home-grown players, but insquash they usually don’t get the chancebecause most of the media, for somebizarre reason, don’t let them knowwhat’s going on in the game.”

Although very much on top of hisgame and nowhere near retirement, Darylhas recently married and knows thatultimately there will be changes ahead.He says: “Of course I love what I do, butno one can pretend that with the trainingand the time away from home on tour thatit’s an easy life. However the future pansout, I imagine I will be involved insquash one way or another. But there isnow my wife Lucie and, hopefully, afamily to consider in the future.

“But whatever I do I can tell you that- as in everything I’ve done in the past -I'll be giving it 100 per cent.” si

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was a parka hung over a chair back withThe Who’s logo on it. The headline was:‘You didn’t die before you got old. You’dbetter start a pension’. Apart from contactdetails, there was very little body copyand it didn’t need it because the messagewas crystal clear to anyone who was intheir teens in the late sixties andearly/mid seventies - the target audience.It’s worth adding that the whole topic ofpensions is deeply unsexy.

Encapsulated in that example are twofundamentals of good communication:simplicity and emotional engagement. Allthe good salesmen I’ve ever met orworked with achieved both. Classically,they had pared back their presentation tothe essentials and had added in thoseemotive connections - the magic words of

The heart and soul of effectivemarketing and successful sales is goodcommunication. Obvious? Not if youread plenty of marketing materials, orlisten to sales pitches. Too often theseare littered with some of the mostunholy tosh imaginable.

Communication, lest we forget, is atwo-way street: I tell you and you get it,first time; you tell me and I provide justwhat you want. Understanding is central tothis, but much marketing and sales materialappears to be designed to show off thegenius of the producer, rather than to createthat understanding, make that sale.

Crystal clearTake an example of a press advert byBarclays Bank in the Eighties. The image

MARKETING

40 SPORTS INSIGHT

Communication is key to effective marketing and salessuccess, but what’s the best way to get your message across?Paul Clapham investigates

selling. The same applies to marketingmessages; the ones that work speak to theheart as well as the head. You will hearpeople say that in selling you have toestablish need. Really? You won’t closethat sale until you’ve translated ‘need’into ‘want’ or if you focus on ‘need’ youwon’t get the additional or big ticket saleswhere the higher profits are to be found.

I recently received an email with thesubject: ‘We miss you and we want youback’. That one got straight through mydefences. I had to open it. Unfortunately,it was from a company I’ve never donebusiness with, demonstrating that youhave to target messages carefully (andmanage your database properly) or all theemotional connection on earth is wasted.

The Barclays example has a musical

MAGIC WORDS

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‘New’ is a potent magic word. It isalso immensely flexible. A short tripround a supermarket will demonstratethat lots of products are sporting ‘new’flashes, but the product isn’t really new atall, it’s just different. It might have adifferent flavour or pack size or a smallchange to the product formulation.Customers know this really, but that newflash still gets the product into the trolley.

Use these variants of new and suggestthat the newness is in response tocustomer requests (which it should be).Take pack sizes as a case in point. I don’tsee socks or underpants sold in packs ofseven, but it seems such an obviousmulti-buy. Keen sportsmen may beplaying or training three-four times aweek or more. Check with them andmulti-pack to fit. By the same token, ifyou only want one of something havingto multi-buy is aggravating.

Cutting edge‘New’ isn’t just about product. ‘New inAnytown’ creates interest. There are a lotof ‘new’ aspects to service, too: openinghours, delivery times, speed of delivery,payment options and extent of range. Ipredict that you could campaign ‘new’messages by email and have a differentmessage to tell virtually every month,which could make the business lookcutting edge. It also justifies regularcommunication - customers will come torecognise that you always have somethingnew and worthwhile to talk about.

When selling toother businessesor the educationsector, don’tjust focus onprofit orprice.

theme that is a great way to make theemotional connection. The problem is thatwhat connects to a 40-year-old just doesn’tdo it for a 30-year-old. But if you cancampaign the approach across the agegroups or have a very specific age group toreach, it’s highly effective. Incidentally it’sthe music they were listening to when theywere 19 that makes that connection. Don’tbe scared to segment your market like this.The fact that your customers are aged fromnine to 90 doesn’t mean you should try fora message that appeals to all of them. I’dsuggest that’s impossible or a weakmessage with little emotional connection.

There is an important discipline inthis: it forces you to think about what thecustomer wants, rather than what you’vegot. I regularly see adverts and othermarketing materials offering - all together- biggest range, expertise, bargain price,immediate delivery, best quality. I’mconfident that the businesses doing thisare sincere (although I can’t see how theymake a decent profit). But it stronglysuggests that they don’t really know whattheir customers want, so they offereverything, which either confusescustomers or makes them suspicious.There is a marketing theory that youdon’t need to offer good, fast and cheap.Do two and you don’t need the third. It’scalled the GFC Triangle and, like I say,it’s a theory, but it sounds right.

EmotiveTwo of the most emotive words you canlay hands on are free and save. Somethingfor nothing or saving money makes peoplefeel good about themselves - ‘aren’t Iclever?’ The head might be telling themthere’s no such thing as a free lunch, butthe heart is saying ‘go on’. As a practise,aim to use free rather than save becauseit’s stronger. It’s also a better deal for you.Look at the sums: if you give 10 per centextra free on, say, 100 units at £1 each,you charge £100 and deliver 110; if youdeliver 110 of the same units costing £110,10 per cent off is £11 and you charge £99.

Scrutinise your sales propositioncompared to your competitors’ and youwill probably find that there are somethings you do for free that they don’t.Make a feature of this. The more you cansay free, the better your deal looks.

There are some words that work betterwith one of the sexes than the other. ‘We’dlove to do business with you’ works farbetter with women than men. Equally, menrespond to the prompt of ‘win’ better thanwomen. In the same way, teamworkingappeals to men (even though the expertssay women are better at it) and partnershipbuilding appeals to women. In practise, thetwo dovetail together quite nicely.

41www.sports-insight.co.uk

Businesses know that profit contributioncomes from many corners. From time totime along comes a service or idea that is areal contributor, but they’re far, far rarerthan the number that claim it. More thanthat, there are a lot of other emotionalhooks for the business owner. ‘See more ofyour kids’; ‘earn respect for your business’;‘develop for the future’. The same appliesto schools and colleges: excellence, fameand recruiting more pupils can help takethe eye off the price.

Emotional imagery is something of aminefield, but not to be ignored. Benettongained fame and then infamy byoverdoing it. Dulux, Andrex and ChurchillInsurance all use dogs, which are nothingto do with their product, but peoplerespond well to them. These are amongour most trusted brands. In Canada I’mtold the beaver gets plenty of marketinguse, thanks to his notorious business.Babies and young children do it for recentmothers, but not by any means women ingeneral. You’ll have noticed that chocolateis being used to fill this role.

Negatives and positives are aninteresting issue. Sales trainers will tellyou always accentuate the positive andavoid negative terms. At the same time,John Lewis has made a good thing out ofbeing ‘never knowingly undersold’.‘We’ll never let you down’ is strongerthan ‘We’ll always look after you’. si

The more you cansay ‘free’, the betteryour deal looks

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Firstly, congratulations on your success at Germany 2010. That victory signified the Kookaburras third consecutive Champions Trophy title.Des, you've been a part of the triumphant Kookaburras team at eachof these tournaments. Do you ever get used to winning?

With a very good team I guess we always hope to win. But we know it'salways going to be a hard tournament.

Why is Australia doing so well at the moment?

We've got a lot of depth and a lot of good players at the moment. So doesn't matter who goes away, there's always quality guys doing the hardyards for Australia.

There were some notable older players missing from the team in Germany. Do you feel as though you are now one of the leaders androle models in the team?

Yeah I guess I was one of the more senior players on the trip, but I trylead by playing well on the field and trying to be good role model foryoung kids back in Australia.

Between the Champions Trophy, World Cup and recent Tests Series, it seems there is no shortage of action for you boys. Does all the travelling and competing wear you out?

No, I've always wanted to travel the world and play for the Kookaburras.Getting to do with a great bunch of boys as well. With the high commitment of being with the Kookaburras, I definitely miss stayinghome and being with my family.

How do you stay healthy and energetic all the time?

I've got a pretty relaxed manner. During games and trainings it's prettyfull on, look after myself by eating well and getting treated by the physiowhen needed. But away from hockey I like to have a joke and chill outwith mates to get my head away from it.

How do you prepare yourself mentally for each tournament?

Each tournament there is a different challenge with different players onour team against different quality opponents.

You're one of the most exciting goal scorers in the world at the moment. What's your secret to success? Do you have to allow time ontop of practise to perfect your goal shots?

I guess I've always been an ok natural goal shooter. The main things youshould work on is your foot work and watching the ball. Just try andmake sure every shot is at goal. Make the keeper make a save.

What do you like best about playing international hockey?

Playing in the green and gold against the best players in the world. Also getting to go to the Olympics with every other best sportsperson inthe world.

Do you have a favourite destination?

I don't think I have one favourite destination. They're all fantastic. But Iwould always say Darwin is the best!!

Do you think Australia will be able to continue its winning streak?

Yeah I hope we can continue our winning, but it's going to be a lot ofhard work especially with every other country getting better and wantingto beat us.

Despite all the touring you do with the Kookaburras, you still manage to find time for playing professional hockey in the Netherlands. What's it like playing over there?

It's been good playing overseas. Meeting new people, and playing withand against the players in the world. Playing different styles of hockey.Living in a totally different place where everything is different. Recommend it to anybody.

Hockey really is a full time occupation for you. Do you see yourselfpursuing hockey as a career once your playing days are over?

I'm not sure what I'm going to do after I finish hockey. Hopefully oneday helping kids pursue there dreams.

What would be your best tip for all the aspiring future champions out there?

Have fun and enjoy your hockey. Hockey tripshave been definitely the best times of my life andhave a lot of memories and still a lot to come.

Thank you for the interview and goodluck with future Events

DES ABBOTT PLAYS AND ENDORSES MAZON HOCKEYEQUIPMENT

Interview with Des Abbott - Australian Hockey Player

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I AM TOMAS BERDYCH.

I AM MARIA SHARAPOVA.

AND OUR GAME IS INSTINCT.

On the court, a split second can decide between victory and defeat.Therefore, players like Maria Sharapova or Tomas Berdych not only rely on their skills, but also on their instinct. For them, HEAD de-signed a racquet that makes it easier to swing fast and hit powerful shots. The HEAD YouTek™ IG Instinct – for Effortless Power.

WHAT’S YOUR GAME? FIND OUT AT HEAD.COM/TENNIS

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IN SEASON TENNIS

44 SPORTS INSIGHT

A new Wimbledon champion and world number one emerged in July. Sports Insight spoke to HEAD general manager Dave Shaw and promotions

manager Helen McHugh about the brand behind Novak Djokovic

AHEADOF THE GAME

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over 230,000 combined additional views ofour teaser films, interviews and the ‘makingof’ documentary. In addition, we managed tocreate interaction by extending the content intosocial media via our websites.

People engage with content they like viacomments, ratings, likes/dislikes and Tweets.The Wing Tennis short films [where Djokovicplays tennis on the wing of a biplane] createdover 40,000 engagements in the digital media,with 96 per cent of the ratings positive. OnMarch 23 it was the best-rated video in theYouTube Sports section worldwide.

What successes have you had interms of new developments inracquet technology?Previously we launched our tour frames withd3o technology. This allowed a racquet to beunique to each individual player. We have nowadded Innegra to our YouTek umbrella. Innegrais the new technology that we have in the latestSpeed, Extreme and Instinct frames, and is theworld’s lightest high performance fibre. Itsextreme toughness, together with HEAD’sadvanced carbon composite technology, leads toa novel ultra-tough hybrid composite.

The latest racquet to join the HEAD familyis the YouTek IG Instinct MP, as used by MariaSharapova and Thomas Berdych, which will belaunched at the US Open. There is also a moreforgiving version of this racquet, the YouTek IGInstinct S, which is a little easier to use andtherefore suitable for a wider range of abilities.

What are HEAD’s current best sellers?It is too early to say regarding the YouTek IGInstinct, but in terms of player frames theYouTek Radical MP is still our most popularracquet within the UK market. It isexceptionally well balanced and the weight iswell accepted with consumers - it’s a moreforgiving racquet than the YouTek Radical Proand is Andy Murray’s weapon of choice.

Very close behind is Novak Djokovic’sYouTek IG Speed MP, which is becomingincreasingly popular with the youngergeneration of players. HEAD is stillrecognised for its lightweight power racquets,which are designed to help the more generalplayer, and currently the PCT Six and Twogenerate the greatest volume of sales.

What do you make of SportEngland’s latest Active Peoplesurvey, which shows the number ofpeople playing tennis has fallenfrom over half a million to 402,200,making tennis the worst performingsport in the UK for participation?Participation is a major factor for the industryas a whole, not just from a sales perspectivebut for future tennis champions as well. As acompany our main focus is on sales, but at thesame time we do actively participate in grassroots events and, along with our UK tennisambassador Judy Murray, do what we can togive back as much as possible to the tenniscommunity. Ultimately, the responsibility forincreasing participation is down to thegoverning body and we have always beenwilling to offer our support where possible.

With Djokovic, Andy Murray and MariaSharapova just three of many HEAD playerswho performed well at Wimbledon, it seemsthe company is having a great season.

Yes, Novak Djokovic had an incredibleunbeaten run after winning the Australian Open,then a well deserved triumph at Wimbledon.HEAD currently has four men in the Top 10 -Djokovic, Murray, Soderling and Berdych - andwith Gasquet, Wawrinka, Simon, Youzhny andMayer this makes a total of nine HEAD playersin the Top 20 [as of June 2011].

The addition of Maria Sharapovaundoubtedly gives us our best crop of playersfor a number of years.

How long has HEAD been associatedwith the British number one?Andy has been using HEAD products for manyyears. In fact, we used to send equipment tohim when he was training in Barcelona as ayoung teenager. Our continued association withAndy will help us towards our goals of growingsales, gaining market share and getting moreyoung kids using HEAD products from an earlyage as they look to emulate him.

What marketing strategies are HEAD focusing on?Social media is rapidly growing and this hasbeen HEAD’s main marketing focus. Anumber of viral campaigns were producedfeaturing both Andy Murray and NovakDjokovic, which got incredible coverage.

During both Queen’s and Wimbledon theBBC showed the Andy Murray viral. Murray’sbag with the printed messages of support alsohad a significant amount of coverage, which isgreat for the brand as well as showing supportfor our player. We have more planned withNovak and Maria, so keep a lookout.

In addition, our sponsorship agreementwas extended with the ATP, which maintainsHEAD as the official ball of the World TourFinals to be held in London later this year. Ingeneral, we want consumers to feel more partof the HEAD team, have greater opportunityto interact with players and gain betterknowledge of our products.

What power does digital mediahave to boost sales? Social media websites are huge. Facebook andYouTube allow people to share content,personal opinions, swap different perspectivesand gain valuable feedback - all useful fortargeted marketing. And they allow HEAD tobuild a conversation with customers andclients. We keep the content updated regularly,make it interactive and build a community tocreate a positive, well known brand.

I noticed 98,758 people ‘like’HEAD Tennis on Facebook. Howdid you manage that?We more than doubled the number of HEADTennis Facebook fans at the beginning of theyear with virals, one of which started as just aquote on Facebook. ‘Is it possible to playtennis on the wings of a flying double decker?’resulted in over half a million people viewingthis short film in the first week. We generated

45www.sports-insight.co.uk

What do you think should bedone to raise playing numbers?Children need to be given the opportunity to tryout as many different sports as possible from ayoung age. Tennis needs to be more accessible.

How can British players improve?It all comes down to numbers. The more playerswe have the greater chance of seeing more reachthe top. I am led to believe we have our bestcrop of juniors for a long time, so let’s see whathappens over the next few years.

Roger Draper is constantly underfire for his running of the LTA andpoor British results. Do you thinkhis target of five British playersin the top 100 is realistic? The ladies definitely seem to be moving in theright direction, but take Andy Murray out ofthe men’s game and it looks a long way off.

Has Britain got the ‘raw material’to produce champions?Of course we have the potential, but we needto tap into it. And once we find the talent wehave to find a way to nurture it and keep it inthe sport and away from other distractions.

Tennis’ profile is obviously high atthis time of the year, but what aboutthe rest of the year? Is there enoughtennis on TV aside from Wimbledon?Tennis is available all year round on TV.Unfortunately the majority of the British publiconly see tennis as a sport played in June whenQueen’s and Wimbledon is the main focus. Theaddition of the World Tour Finals to the Britishcalendar has added more interest at the back endof the year. Unfortunately the GB Davis Cupteam is not doing so well at present, so this is verylow key at the moment and not always televised.

How has the last 12 months beenfor HEAD in terms of sales?Overall the company has been very successful. Inrespect to tennis specifically, our tennis ballbusiness has grown significantly and continues todo so. Tennis racquets, coming off a record year,have become much more challenging in recentmonths. Sales of top-end products have slowedand this is down to the tough economic climate.

What are the biggest hurdles togetting new product to market?Ensuring that the products are correctly displayedand presented, both in-store and on the internet.To make sure consumers are given correctinformation and given the chance to test products.

How does your globalsponsorship programme HEAD Team Elite contribute?Team Elite are the tennis players of the future,so it is important for us to support these playersand build a community with them. Gone are thedays where you just give free of chargeequipment - we are about creating a supportnetwork where our young players are proud andexcited about being part of the HEAD team.From this group of players we hope to discoverthe next Andy Murray or Novak Djokovic. si

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SOMETHING AFOOT There’s something afoot - but it doesn’t look like a foot.

Take a look at your feet. Do they look more like a shoe (above) or a foot(below)? If you were born in a Westernised country, it is likely your foot looksmore like the mould of a shoe than a natural human foot. This club-likeappearance belies a lack of functionality and decreased potential for feedback,stability and therefore power generation. If you’re looking for top flightperformance you want a foot that has uncompromised function.

We can’t always have perfection, but we can always be moving in perfection’sdirection. YogaToes, like all of Primal Lifestyle’s product line, help to move youtoward the environment within which the human being was designed to function.

For moreinformation,or to stockYogaToes,[email protected] call +441306 883 240.

IN SEASON TRIATHLON

46 SPORTS INSIGHT

ASICSASICS’ Leg Balance and Core Balance technologies are designedto support and stabilise muscles.

Core Balance are highly elasticated panels around thewaist and lower back designed to improve pelvic alignment,which helps posture, stability and movement (improving stridelength and reducing the risk of injury).

Leg Balance technology provides support around the thighmuscles by reducing thigh vibrations, which can delay the onsetof fatigue and therefore reduce the risk of injury. By stabilisingthe muscles around the knee, it also reduces the load put ontothe joint.

These are separate technologies, but both can befound in the AW11 Leg Balance Tight.

Freedom fabric within items such as the AW11 L/SFreedom Top is designed to keep runners warm anddry in the cold, and cool and dry in the heat. It iswater resistant from the outside and has highwicking properties, absorbing and evaporating 90per cent of perspiration - leaving no visible sweatmarks on the outside and ensuring the materialdoesn’t cling to the body.

The current AW11 L/S Freedom Top is madefrom 100 per cent recycled material. For more information call 01925 241041.

Triathlon

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www.sportindustry.biz

SAUCONY’S GEOMETRY OF STRONGAs the first running shoe brand to offer a minimalism range of footwear, withstyles such as the top-selling Kinvara and the revolutionary Hattori(pictured), Saucony has brought the barefoot or natural runningmovement into the mainstream.

The research that has developed from the minimalism range has inspired a dramatic change in the way the company’s core models are designed.

Spencer White, head of Saucony’s new human performancelaboratory at the company’s R&D headquarters, explains: “In the averagerunning shoe there is typically a 12mm difference between the height ofthe runner’s heel and forefoot. We’ve reduced this by 33 per cent to 8mm.This change in geometry allows runners to easily adjust their stride andland further forward, without reducing cushioning or stability, setting upthe runner so the ankles, calves, knees, quads and hamstrings are in abetter position to take the impact of striking the ground.”

This new last will be launched in December with the ProGrid Guide 5and the ProGrid Triumph 9. Saucony is showing 100 per cent commitment tothe 8mm revolution by switching all its core models to the new 8mm lastover the course of 2012.

For more information visit www.saucony.co.uk,

talk to your rep or call01794 537537.

HILLYHilly has announced the release of its revamped neopreneaccessories range. The hugely successful range of carriers hasbeen developed to keep up to date with the ever-changing sizeof running gadgets and technology.

While more and more runners take to the streets withiPods/smartphones, lipstick and tissues, among other things,Hilly’s range of accessories cater for the needs of every runner.Comprising five key pieces (arm pocket, wrist wallet, shoe wallet,arm gel strap and waist pouch), they’re all constructed with a

lightweight stretch neoprene that holds contentstightly and securely.

For more information/samples orto place an order call Hilly on 0161 366 5020. Alternativelyemail [email protected] or visit www.hillyclothing.co.uk.

47www.sports-insight.co.uk

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0.1TRAIN

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FEATURING BRAND AMBASSADOR BRYAN HABANA

Mercury Compression garments feature graduated compression zones to aid circulation and higher venous return resulting in a faster removal of lactic acid, improved warm-up time and the ability to train harder for longer. Enhanced proprioception and muscular awareness promote a positive response to feedback within an isolated training environment.

The constant compression applied by Mercury Compression garments can reduce muscle oscillation by up to 50%, resulting in decreased energy expenditure linked to improved mean power output, muscle endurance and strength. Enhanced garment fit and freedom of movement obtained from LYCRA® SPORT fabric provide comfort in demanding physical environments.

Following intense exercise, Mercury Compression reduces muscles soreness and DOMS by up to 30% which is associated with reduced swelling, improved recovery and a quicker return to training. The use of LYCRA® SPORT fabric improves shape retention of the garments maintaining greater levels of compression for prolonged periods of time.

www.canterbury.com

POWERED BY

Graduated compression applies to hybrid legging and long sleeve garments only

* Suggested benefits

*

*

*

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business now has real focus. When I firstjoined all customers spoke about wasappalling service. Now, with the oddexception our service is described as the bestin class, and better than our competition.That was step one. Step two is to grow thebusiness in a sensible manner and trulyexploit the appeal that the brand can offer.

Are there plans to expand the brand?Absolutely. In the past six months we haveentered into distribution agreements in newterritories UAE and Latin America. Havingsigned the Russian Rugby Federation, wehave big plans afoot to launch the brand inthis emerging economy. Given theauthenticity of the brand and its roots, weare receiving a lot of interest from the Far

East to take the brand there also, soI’m guessing I will be clocking up afew air miles in the near future.

We are also in the secondseason of our lifestyle range, whichtakes the heritage and values ofthe New Zealand brand, buthopefully attracts a wider audience

than that of our loyal rugby base.We have adopted an alternativelogo on the product range - theKiwi bird - and opened two stores inBath and Oxford respectively.Despite a tough retail climate, initialresults have been promising.

How have sales beenduring the last 12 months?Despite the historic failings of thebrand, the consumer has notturned its back on it. Due to aninability to deliver, it inadvertentlystimulated demand and, as aresult in the UK particularly, theorder book has seen growth year

on year. We have been chieflyfocused on delivering value to theindependent base and ensuringtheir sell-through was ourpriority. Across the globe, butparticularly in New Zealand andAustralia, sales - and more

importantly profit - have exceededexpectations in the last two years.

On July 13, 2009 Canterbury CEO ChrisStephenson stood in front of theworkforce and placed the world’s oldestrugby brand into administration. Losseshad spiralled to over £13 million;sponsorships were aplenty and expensive.Combined with too much stock and toomany employees, the writing was on thewall for this much-loved brand. Twoyears on the story is very different.

Sports Insight spoke to ChrisStephenson about the rebirth of Canterbury.

What has been going on at Canterbury over the last couple of years?It's been a challenging, but very rewardingtwo years. We’ve re-established the business,put processes in place and renegotiated allcontracts on a truly commercial basis. The

When the economy is littered with businessfailures, it’s refreshing to hear a success story.It has been a busy two years for Canterbury,and the journey is just beginning

Can you tell us about the launchof your new ranges? What’sdifferent about them?It’s Rugby World Cup year, and despite allthe focus on getting the controls right itwas important that Canterbury took thelead when it came to playing jerseys. Theteam has risen to the challenge and wehave produced the strongest jersey ever -we believe its technology is a market leader.

We have worked extensively withINVISTA and have incorporated LYCRA®SPORT fabric technology, which combinedwith our new patented Loop 21 necklinemakes it a formidable playing jersey. Notsettling for kitting out our internationalteams, we have also given this newtechnology to our provincial teams in thesame year, resulting in eight Team Jerseylaunches in the space of three weeks. It'sbeen pretty busy.

In addition and again in collaborationwith the LYCRA® SPORT technology, wehave launched our new MercuryCompression range. We have spentconsiderable time with a leading researchhouse so that our range actually does whatit should do - compress, rather than claimit does. With Bryan Habana showcasingthe white Mercury Compression at theRugby World Cup later this year, heemphasises that the product should beworn to train, compete and recover.

How well are you doingcompared to other rugby brands?My job is to grow Canterbury, and focuson the task at hand. I’m happy that we’vegrown market share and have a healthyorder book, and to date we are onschedule to achieve our long-term businessplan. If we concentrate on our owntargets, what other brands do to a certainextent is irrelevant.

What marketing strategies have worked well for you?Again, historically for a global brand itsmarketing initiatives were dysfunctionaland very territorial. Our Rugby WorldCup campaign ‘Only the StrongestSucceed’ is the first global campaign thatshowcases the five teams we partner, theplayers who play and the fabric of thejerseys they play in.

It’s a powerful message and we’ve hadpositive feedback from both retailers andconsumers. Ultimately we aim to supportour retailers wherever possible to enhancesell-through, drive sales and grow the brand.

What have you got planned for the forthcoming season? We have the former IRB World Player ofthe Year Bryan Habana fronting ourrevolutionary Mercury Compressioncampaign, which should position

ON THE UPIN SEASON RUGBY

50 SPORTS INSIGHT

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really speak for other brands. However, as anEnglishman I hope the media park the issueand focus on getting behind the team,resulting in success in New Zealand this October.

What are yourcurrent best-sellers?Our Stadiumpants havealways beengood sellers.The key is tolearn fromtheir successand expandthat into otherproducts. I have been

Canterbury well to grow market share inthis field. We’ve also had world cupwinner Will Greenwood and RPA playerof the year Thomas Waldrom join ourteam. Both are excited about theirinvolvement, so watch this space.

How involved is the brand ingrass roots rugby? The core of our business is rugby. We believewe are the players’ choice, whether you areJon Smit, captain of the Springboks, or ayoung boy or girl playing for their local team.The market is saturated with brands and it’sthe toughest part of any business. However, Ido believe that if we get it right theopportunity will be massive, so we have putconsiderable resource in this area right now.

In association with the RFU, we providekit to Super Skills Travel, which focuses onyoung children being taught the virtues ofthe game by world cup winners WillGreenwood and Austin Healey. We seeinitiatives such as these as instrumental ingrowing the popularity of the sport andreaching the next generation.

We have also set up an initiativecalled ‘Rugby for Good’. Inconjunction with Beyond Sport, weare embarking on a number ofspecial projects where we canuse the game and what itstands for in conjunction withthe values of our business tohelp change people’s lives.It’s very early days, butI’m extremely passionateabout how we canimpact social change through rugby.

What do youmake of therecentstatement byformer RFU chiefexecutiveFrancis Baronthat thegoverning body is on the point ofmeltdown?Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but in atime of adversity it may have been moreproactive to be positive and empower thestaff to make a difference. Like rugby or anyteam sport, its leaders are only as good asthe infrastructure supporting them.Undoubtedly businesses need decisionmakers, but strength in depth is key and Ihave no doubt that the RFU will havegood people who can make a difference.

How do things like this affect the brands?I don’t believe it’s had much of animpact on Canterbury and can’t

51www.sports-insight.co.uk

particularly pleased with our Ugliesproduct, which I believe as a concept setsus apart from other brands. You’ll seesome exciting developments in this areaover the next 12 months.

Are social networking sites the future for raising a

company’s profile? Without a doubt. Our Facebook pagehas over 51,000 fans and growsweekly. We interact daily and listen towhat people say. Any business thatdoesn't acknowledge the views of theirconsumers is destined for failure, andnow with advancements in socialmedia it would be criminal not to take

advantage of it.We also recognise more than ever

the use of viral marketing and haveincorporated a number of funelements, challenging some of the

best and strongest rugby playersin the world to rip our

jersey, whichremains

undefeated. si

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www.sportindustry.biz

52 SPORTS INSIGHT

AQUA SPHEREDELIVERS LATESTADVANCES INSWIMWEAR ANDEYEWEAR

Swimming

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Your product images can also beenhanced with zoom features thatallow customers to view in detailevery aspect of the item they are

thinking of buying. Systems you could employinclude Digital Brochure Design’s ImageZoom tool, Photo Zoom and Magic Zoom.

SEO is still importantGood SEO is vital for all online storeownersto ensure their business has a high searchengine page ranking. Good SEO is not ablack art, but a sensible approach to how youcreate the content that appears on every pageacross your site.

Think about the keywords potentialcustomers would use to locate the goodsyou’re selling - these words should beincluded in your key product pages. Becareful, though, not to overload your pages.Google is especially sensitive when a pagecontains too many keywords. Called keyworddensity, try and ensure your pages don’t havemore than a 10 per cent density of yourtargeted keywords. You can use keyworddensity checkers such as keyworddensity.comto evaluate each of your pages.

Barriers to orderingOne of the most common criticisms ofecommerce websites is their owner’sinsistence that a password protected accountmust be set up before an order can be placed.

Chris Barling, CEO of ecommercesoftware specialist Actinic, says: “Sometimessmall changes can have a dramatic impact onsales. An example is where sites force buyersto create an account.

“Removing this restriction alone willusually provide a major boost, as manypeople don’t wish to create any more onlineaccounts and remember yet morepasswords. The best thing is to ask somefriends to try buying from your site, andobserve them while they give you a runningcommentary. This will usually yield somegreat ideas for improvements.”

Social networkingRetailers that embrace social networkingwill ultimately reap the rewards it offers.Your store should have appropriate

Today ecommerce sites can be set up inminutes, and the number of stores on theweb means it’s increasingly difficult toattract and retain customers. As astoreowner you are, however, notpowerless to act.

With some simple and cost-effectivechanges, you can ensure you receive highlevels of traffic and, what’s more, thecustomers that visit your store will have amemorable experience. By following thesesimple steps you can improve your site’ssearch ranking, expand its customer baseand retain a higher percentage of visitors.

Content is still kingIt’s an old adage, but it’s still true that theonline stores that receive the most visitorsand appear in a high position on searchengines are those that feature superb content.

Updating your site’s content should be adaily routine, not an annual chore. Everytime you place an image or text on a pageask yourself whether that piece of content isas good as it could be. Is the image engagingand optimised? Is the text interesting andinformative, as well as search engineoptimisation compliant, based on the searchterms you are targeting?

Images sellWhat became clear very quickly during theearly days of ecommerce was that highquality images were vitally important. Withbroadband connections almost ubiquitous, thebandwidth now exists to allow you to displayhigh quality images right across your store.However, it’s still vital to optimise everyimage, as consumers still have little patiencewhen it comes to web page loading times.

It’s also possible to offer a variety ofdifferent viewing methods across your site.Pop-up lightbox effects, 3D image viewersand rotators such as 3D REV and WebRotate360 can all be used to give your images moreappeal. And if you want to try your hand atcreating 3D images, the Minoru 3D webcamis a very cost-effective way of doing so.

E-TAILING

56 SPORTS INSIGHT

presences on all the relevant socialnetworks, but don’t think this is just Twitterand Facebook. Today your customers usethe web to check every aspect of any goodsor services they want to buy. And don’tforget that content created by yourcustomers is highly valuable.

Research from the Internet AdvertisingBureau revealed that 88 per cent of UKbrands rate social media as important totheir business, with 22 per cent ofrespondents making it a core part of theircommunications strategy and 23.5 per centusing social media in ad hoc projects.

Tony Effik, chair of the IAB socialmedia council, explains: “This is going tobe a big year for social media, and we at thesocial media council are determined to helpmake it easier and more effective formarketers and agencies to participate in thisrevolution. The research highlights some ofthe challenges we are facing, such asensuring clarity of new social concepts,crowdsourcing, and in ensuring that returnon investment and accountability areessential in the drive for growth.”

M-commerce is hereThe iPhone and iPad have placed mobileinternet access in the hands of millions ofpotential customers. But whether youoptimise your website for smartphones andthe raft of tablet PCs on the market shouldbe evaluated carefully. If your customersare looking to access your store on mobiledevices, then creating a new site for theseplatforms can be money well spent.

Often ecommerce stores designed fortraditional desktop and notebook PCsdon’t work that well ontouchscreen devices. Assessyour site to identify wherechanges need to be made inorder to move into what willbecome the highly lucrativem-commerce space.

“I have watchedtechnophobes interact with aniPad with such intuition and assurancethat I have become convinced that tabletsand touchscreen PCs will becomeubiquitous,” says Marc Peter, creative

Dave Howell highlights nineways to boost your website’ssearch ranking, expand itscustomer base and retain ahigher percentage of visitors

KICK-online sales

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your visitors and they will simply leave.Your home page may be the shop

window of your website, but many of yourcustomers will jump straight into yourproduct pages. These should be clean andeasy to navigate. And don’t forget search onyour site. Create a drop-down list of thecommon attributes of your products andsupplement your normal keyword searching.

If some products are out of stock,remove them from your site immediately ormark them as ‘temporarily out of stock’,and make sure your terms and conditionsexplain what happens if this occurs. Theinternet is very good for disposing of deadstock at discount prices, but keep this in aseparate section from your regular items sothat you can update it easily.

Steve Krug, the author of the bookDon’t Make Me Think!, which is describedas a common sense approach to webusability, explains: “When we’re using theweb every question mark adds to ourcognitive workload, distracting our attentionfrom the job at hand. The distractions may

57www.sports-insight.co.uk

be slight but they add up, and sometimes itdoesn’t take much to throw us.

“As a rule, people don’t like to puzzleover how to do things. The fact that thepeople who built the site didn’t care enoughto make things obvious - and easy - canerode our confidence in the site and itspublishers.”

Customer interactionSocial networking can often be a passiveexperience for retailers. They develop a pageon Facebook that they update and perhapsenter into some form of conversation withtheir customers. Twitter, of course, has madethese conversations fast and efficient tomaintain. However, increasingly retailers arerealising that their sites can be hosts forcustomer interaction as well.

Developing platforms to allow a site’svisitors to interact with each other isbecoming a common feature. There are nowa number of applications you could use tocreate your own community, includingBoonEx, SocialGO, KickApps and Ning.

director at on-IDLE, a branding, design andweb development company. “In 10 yearstime we will have forgotten thattouchscreens used to be novelties seen infuturistic films and shopping centre way-finding kiosks.”

Navigation and layoutIntuitive site navigation is one of thefundamental components of goodecommerce design. If you confuse your site’svisitors, or they get lost when navigatingyour pages, they are unlikely to buy fromyour store or return for another visit.

Try and view the design of your site witha critical eye. Can your main offers be easilyfound and purchased? Does your navigationclearly show customers where they havebeen on your site? Including a breadcrumbpath, which appears on each page, is a triedand tested example of good design.

Customers expect to see certainstandards on a website - like a company’slogo on the top left of a page and corenavigation across the top or down the side.These common layout aspects create asense of familiarity that encouragespotential customers to browse the site. Thesite map should be user friendly andsearch engine friendly too.

First impressionsAs the vast majority of your visitorswill most likely find your website via asearch engine, you have a very shortspace of time to make that vital firstimpression.

Online consumers havedeveloped skills that enable themto evaluate a web page inseconds, so every one should beclearly laid out and have yourmost attractive marketingmessages front and centre.This doesn’t mean youshould overload your pageswith banner ads and otherflashy promotions.Overwhelm

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from a bank and accept cardpayments without going throughPayPal - it’s much cheaper.

■ Investing in your own online storedoesn’t stop you from also selling viaa marketplace. The key is to have aclear strategy. Offering the sameproduct at different price pointsdepending on the channel is a fastway to alienate your customers.However, many retailers usemarketplaces to get rid of excess orold stock, or to test new product lines.

■ You can consider telephone ordering.This is more critical for certaindemographics and products where fit iskey, something is technically complexor costs a lot and so customers want tobe sure they are ordering the correctitem. Telephone ordering won’t workthrough marketplaces.

CONS■ There is more work to do than

simply listing products and waitingfor the orders. You have to attracttraffic yourself.

■ If you opt for your own store you’llneed to familiarise yourself - and yourstaff - with how to use the ecommerceplatform and this takes time.

Choosing a platform isn’t easy, thereare many pros and cons of each. Myadvice is a blended approach - makethe marketplace advantages work foryou while mitigating the risk as yougrow your own store.

E-TAILING

Which platform for the

ECOMMERCEEXPRESS?

Benjamin Dyer, CEO ofActinic Software, anecommerce specialist,looks at the pros and consof marketplaces versusyour own ecommerce store

An important decision in the early daysof your web channel is what platformto sell from. There are several choices:packaged software solutions versusbespoke, or desktop versus online.

Here I will focus on the onlinemarketplace versus your own domain.

OPTION A:THE MARKETPLACEDuring the last few years onlinemarketplaces such as eBay, Amazonand Buy have helped tens of thousandsof people to start ecommerce businesses.

PROS■ The great advantage of marketplaces

is that they require no technicalknowledge to get selling. Even moreimportantly, they deliver visitors toyour store from day one.

■ Marketplaces use a feedback score,which many consider a blessing as wellas a curse. However, positive feedbackequates to more sales, so for potentialcustomers the system provides acompletely transparent trading history.

■ Most marketplaces use their ownpayment process - eBay uses PayPal,whereas Amazon requires allmerchants to use its standardcheckout. The plus is the positivecustomer perception, ie smallmerchants’ reputations are boosted bythis Big Brother approach. Customersalso have an easy appeals process ifanything goes wrong. For example,PayPal protects its users on alltransactions, whatever the amount.

■ Another advantage of marketplaces isthat if you have the right product atthe right price you get traffic - lots of it.

CONS■ On the downside, the listing and

transaction fees cut into your profitmargin. Taking the sportswear categoryon Amazon, for example, a 15 per cent‘tax’ on each sale is fairly typical. Thesefees need to be considered against theadvantage of the traffic; sometimes lesssales equals more profit.

■ All marketplaces have a number ofstrict service level agreements andpolicies to protect their brand andrevenue. I know of several highflying businesses that have been

switched off for what seemed prettytrivial offences. This can be fatal toan established business.

■ Due to the low barriers of entry,there is a constant stream of newcompetitors - and more competitorsgenerally means price pressure.Amazon provides a slick pricingcomparison process, alerting you ifyou are the lowest provider of aspecific product. While this is highlyuseful, it does encourage pricingwars between providers, which putspressure on margins for everyone.

Most of these new competitors do not lastlong; many exhaust their savings or stockselling at a loss. Unfortunately there arealways new ones to take their place.

■ Depending on the marketplace, thereare limits to the amount of brandingyou can give your own storefront.Amazon permits virtually none, whileeBay is better but still limited. What’sworse is that the marketplace ‘owns’the customer, and all communicationhas to go through the system. Thislimits additional marketingopportunities and the chance to turn aone-off customer into a repeat buyer.

OPTION B: OWNING YOUR OWN STOREThe alternative to starting up with amarketplace is to register a domainname and build your own online store.

PROS■ If you are going to do this it’s sensible

to choose one of the establishedecommerce providers. Again, thatpretty much eliminates the need fortechnical knowledge. A search for‘ecommerce software’ will give you a list of the top providers andasking in a forum will generatelots of suggestions.

■ Owning your own site meansyou can create a design that’sunique and doesn’t have to fitmarketplace templates. Andwhile you have to doeverything yourself, you canmake more profit as well sinceyou’re not giving away a bigcommission on every sale. Youcan also obtain merchant status

63www.sports-insight.co.uk

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“What this shop needs,” said myassistant Norman, “is some corporatebonding. Do you realise we haven’tspoken a word to each other since thetea break? You haven’t even asked meabout my sty.”

When I said I thought corporatebonding sounded like a new sort of superglue, Norman gave me a pitying look andsaid he could call it social motivation if Ipreferred or even togetherness therapy, butit all boiled down to being pleasant to eachother in the name of business efficiency.And in his humble opinion, there wasn’tmuch of that at Elite Sports Enterprises.

Work Force Commitment IndexApparently there’s something called theWork Force Commitment Index, whichshows just how well workers get on withthe boss and how much the bossappreciates his staff.

“There was a sample questionnaire inThe Sunday Times business section,”Norman said. “My score didn’t evenreach as high as the ‘Have you thoughtabout getting another job?’ category.

I don’t know where he got the idea thatyou actually go to work to be liked and tospend the days in cosy chat. After all, Iworked with my dad for 20 years and wenever once discussed our sties, or anythingelse much, come to that. In fact, he’d beenretired a fortnight before he got around totelling me, although I was beginning tonotice I was by myself in the shop and washaving to buy all the doughnuts.

I was starting to wonder if I shouldreport his absence to someone when herang to say he was fishing on the NorfolkBroads. The weather was lousy, but hehad caught a couple of nice chub. Could Itell my mother that he was still alive, ifdamp, and would be back at theweekend? But to tell the truth I’m notsure she had noticed he’d gone, either.

Okay, dad and I didn’t do a lot ofhugging and high fives (none at all, to behonest), but business was a darned sightbetter than it is now, I can tell you. But thebad news is that the pressure is on usantisocial loners to reform, or to perishlike dinosaurs in the Ice Age. There iseven a thriving industry devoted tomaking us pretend to be nice to each other.

Corporate bonding activities, despite

TAIL-ENDER

66 SPORTS INSIGHT

the occasional glitch involving a£275,000 payout to the victim of a sumowrestling mishap, are booming to the tuneof £100 million a year. At the last countover 2,000 companies now offer coursesranging from wandering round Dartmoorin your underpants to bungee jumpinginto a damp sponge, which in somemysterious way are supposed to makeyou better at your job.

Norman seemed to have forgotten -and I didn’t remind him - that I probablyknew more about corporate bonding thanhe did. And that’s because I was once sentan invitation by a cellular vest company totake part in a ‘rapport workshop’ weekendfor its employees at an adventure centre inSurrey - and fortuitously ricked my anklewithin minutes of arrival.

Frightened, flabby folkAs a result, I was drinking a thermos oftea in the car and listening to The Archersomnibus as frightened, flabby folk firedpaint guns at each other, clung shudderingto cliffs and waded into icy streams. Itwas one of the most enjoyable weekendsI’d had for some time.

On the last evening nine shell-shocked and weary salesmen were lockedinto a pitch black concrete cave and told

to create a prehistoric society. Hidden inthe cave were candles and fire-makingequipment, but they had to find them inthe dark. After an hour of hearing themdiscuss forming a prehistoric strategycommittee, I shouted that there was atrapdoor at the back of the cave and agood pub down the road.

They had another meeting to discussthe ethics of the situation and formed asub-committee to decide whether to pickup the cigarette lighter I’d pushed underthe door. Eventually after a vote of fourto three with two abstentions, theydecided to remain prehistoric and in thedark. I asked for my lighter back andwent to the pub.

Hours later, when finally released,the prehistoric captives gave me a goodearbending about trying to destroy teamcommitment and not entering into thespirit of comradely cooperation. Withthat sort of attitude, I’d never get a job intheir company. At that moment, havingto buy your own insurance stamp seemeda real bargain.

This afternoon Norman’s once againbeen banging on about going on acorporate bonding course and while Imight tell him about the cellular vestplace, he’s certainly not having my lighter.

A sideways look at the world of independent retailing

Under the counter

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