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Insightwww.sports-insight.co.uk

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF SPORTS AND PLAY ASSOCIATIONS

£3.50 OCTOBER 2011

SERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROISports

IN SEASONFocus on swimming, footballand rugby

E-TAILINGTop tips for a successfulChristmas season

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

DAVID VS GOLIATHHow one retailer competesagainst the big boys

MARKETINGExpert advice on avoidingbasic blunders

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PROCEEDINGS WILL SHORTLY COMMENCE TO ADDRESS SPORTS RETAILERS FAILING TOSTOCK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW. ONGOING TRADING IN CONTRAVENTION TOAND WITH DISREGARD OF, GOVERNING LAWS, VALIDATED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT ANDFOUNDATIONAL TO EVOLUTIONARY PRINCIPLE, MAY RESULT IN IMMEDIATEVISITATION FROM A PRIMAL REPRESENTATIVE....

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SportsInsight

COVER STORIES30 MARKETINGExpert advice on avoiding basic blunders

36 DAVID VS GOLIATHHow one retailer competes with the big boys

65 E-TAILINGTop tips for a successful Christmas season

REGULARS10 NEWSLatest headlines, key dates and events

14 KIT STOPEssential stock for your shop

22 FOCUS ONASICS 33 range

23 FSPA FOCUSThe latest news from the Federation of Sports and Play Associations

24 TALKING SHOPSarah Thornton is manager of cycle equipment store Biketreks

27 MOVERS & SHAKERSFrédéric Olivier, president of Force XV

60 E-TAILINGA robust hosting service for your online store is a prerequisite for its success

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

IN SEASON45 CRICKET48 RUGBY52 TABLE TENNIS55 FOOTBALL56 SWIMMING59 INDOOR SPORTS

FEATURES28 UPPING THEIR GAMEIreland’s independent sports retailers are having to fight for every sale

32 TRADITIONAL VALUESWITH A MODERN TOUCH

If you’re not connecting with modern technology,chances are you’re not going to connect withcustomers

38 MY SPORTING LIFEAlthough he retired from first class cricket 10 yearsago, as a brand manager for Gray-Nicolls NickWilton is still deeply involved in the game

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IN THIS ISSUE

www.sports-insight.co.uk06

2010,nearly 50per cent ofthem were non-replica.

One of the main drivers ofnon-replica sales is price, as in 2010 consumers were able tosave an average £9 on each purchase, compared to replica.Cotton Traders, a company that supplies kits to clubs in theAviva Premiership, registered significant sales of non-replicas shirts, which tend to be more colourful andextravagant.

England’s excellent recent record on the world stagepartly explains why the Aviva Premiership is the third bestattended club competition in England behind football’sPremier League and Championship. During the 2010-11season the average attendance in the Aviva Premiership was

This year’s Rugby World Cup looks set to boost sales of

replica kit across Europe, with brands such as

Canterbury, Nike, Puma, Kappa, KooGa, Under Armour

and adidas hoping to benefit from what has been a

declining market during the past few years.

Replica shirts generated close to £30 million worth ofsales in the big five European countries in 2010 (GreatBritain, France, Germany, Spain and Italy), a figurethat’s been on the slide since 2008. Nearly three out offour replica shirts were sold in Great Britain, making itby far the biggest European market ahead of France.

CONTROVERSIALadidas’ controversial pricing of the All Blacks shirtin New Zealand might increase online sales of thejersey in Great Britain, after fans discovered it wascheaper to purchase it from a UK or US-based e-retailer and have it shipped to them, instead of buying locally.

England’s black away kit, unveiled before the RugbyWorld Cup, launched the battle between adidas and Nike.The strip looks similar to New Zealand’s iconic 127-year-oldAll Blacks jersey, and although it has generated anger amongAll Blacks’ fans, it could turn out to be a clever marketingploy by Nike.

Four years ago the Rugby World Cup - hosted by France,with Wales and Scotland staging some of the games - sawEngland reach the final, a feat that significantly impactedreplica sales.

According to NPD’s Online Consumer Panel, £9 millionwas spent on the England shirt in the 12 months followingthe tournament, while total sales of the French equivalent(the team reached the semi-finals of the tournament) topped£7 million. Defeated in the quarter-finals by theunpredictable French, the All Blacks shirt was the third mostpopular purchase during the period. Buying patterns showthat the further teams went in the tournament the morereplica product was sold.

NON-REPLICAWhen it comes to rugby, non-replica shirts represent alucrative market. Looking at Great Britain alone, NPDestimates that among the 1.2 million rugby shirts sold in

KNOCK-ONEFFECT

08 www.sports-insight.co.uk

Brands are hoping the 2011 Rugby World Cup will provide a welcome boost for sales of both replica and non-replica

product, says the NPD Group

RUGBY

13,003, compared to 17,457 in the Championship. 750,000 people were on the streets of London to

welcome the England team after their World Cup victoryin Australia in 2003, which shows the passion andenthusiasm for rugby in Great Britain.

New Zealand is currently under pressure to put on asuccessful Rugby World Cup, but in 2015 the focusswitches to these shores, with England the hosts, havingfought off rival bids from South Africa and Italy.

The NPD Group monitors the sales of sports footwear

and apparel in many countries around the world. For

more information contact The NPD Group sports team

on 01932 355580.

09www.sports-insight.co.uk

“”

REPLICA SHIRTS

GENERATEDCLOSE TO £30

MILLION OF

SALES IN THE BIG

FIVE EUROPEAN

COUNTRIES IN2010

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

ALL THE VERY LATEST IN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY...

…Lisa Thompson is ASICS’ new appareland accessories product manager for the UKand Ireland. Thompson joins the brand witha wealth of experience, including running

her own business and a number of years at Reebok, where she rose toglobal product manager. Thompson will be responsible for thecontinued growth of ASICS’ apparel offering, which has seen a 171 percent sales increase since 2010…Ronhill Sports and Hilly Limited

have appointed Laura Finucane as the brands’ first joint technicalrepresentative. Finucane, a former international athlete, will support therespective sales teams with product training and retailsupport…Charlotte Dover has joined 1000 Mile Sportswear asnational sales manager. Dover previously worked at Burton McCall andCanterbury…Nike has announced that Michael Egeck will be the newCEO of Hurley International…

TransferMarket


THE YOUTH SPORT TRUST:SPORT CHANGES LIVES

www.isra.ie

Independent Sports Retailers Alliance

BENEFITSAs part of the group, independent sports retailers

create a dynamic unit. The benefits are considerable:

■ Stronger collective buying.

■ Better discounts.

■ SMU and broader product offerings.

■ Access to new suppliers.

■ Lower costs.

■ Own-brand product.

■ Improved profit margins.

■ Market awareness and opportunities.

The Youth Sport Trust is passionate about helping young people achievetheir full potential in life and in sport by delivering high quality PE and sport.

To date the impact the organisation has had nationally has beensignificant. Between 2004-2010 the Youth Sport Trust helped increase thenumber of young people participating in at least two hours of school sportfrom 1.8 million to 6.5 million.

In the past 12 months the Young Ambassador programme has inspiredhundreds of young people to promote the Olympic and Paralympic values,while the Step into Sport programme has created hundreds of youngsporting role models and the 2011 Lloyds TSB National School Sport Weekinvolved over 12,000 schools and over four million pupils.

In order to bring this mission to life the Youth Sport Trust works inpartnership with a range of government departments, sporting organisationsand the private sector. Working in collaboration with select businessesprovides the ability to support the work of the Youth Sport Trust andtherefore the lives of young people through the positioning of innovativeproducts/services that can help with the delivery of a high quality PE andsport experience.

The Business Honours Club is a framework that offers commercialcompany’s access to the sector’s YST champion. It’s an exclusivecommercial membership scheme for businesses interested in education,particularly PE and sport.

This commercially focused initiative is the primary engagementmechanism for businesses working with the Youth Sport Trust and offers aseries of targeted benefits that can support the engagement and promotionof sport specific solutions through association with a quality mark,confirming the business bearing it is innovative and pre-approved.

There is a multitude of additional, progressive and commerciallyrewarding benefits. Examples include targeted and national marketing andcommunicational routes to market, networking, research, innovation anddevelopment opportunities with key personnel within the sectors, marketinsight through business-to-business events, and exclusive access toaudiences through flagship conferences and exhibitions.

In addition, the Youth Sport Trust also champions development withbusinesses through its innovation arm, Youth Sport Direct, which promotesproduct development, product refinement, resource development and online

sales opportunities through its web shop. For more information visit

www.youthsporttrust.org/supportus, [email protected]

or call 01509 226624.

“Firstly, there was no dwarf throwing - that’s just not cool.”The manager of The Altitude Bar in New Zealand responds to

tabloid stories about England’s Rugby World Cup antics


REEBOK ACCUSED OFDECEPTIVE ADVERTISINGReebok has agreed to pay $25 million to settle charges from The Federal TradeCommission in America that it deceptively advertised its toning shoes as providingextra tone and strength to leg and buttock muscles.

According to the US consumer watchdog, Reebok made unsupportedclaims in advertisements that walking in its EasyTone shoes and running in itsRunTone shoes strengthen and tone key leg and buttock muscles more thanregular shoes.

The FTC also alleges Reebok falsely claimed that walking in EasyTonefootwear had been proven to lead to 28 per cent more strength and tone in thebuttock muscles, 11 per cent more strength and tone in the hamstring muscles, and11 per cent more strength and tone in the calf muscles than regular walking shoes.

Beginning in early 2009, Reebok made its claims through print, television andinternet advertisements, the FTC alleged. The claims also appeared on shoe boxesand retail displays.

Under the settlement Reebok is barred from:●Making claims that toning shoes and other toning apparel are effective in

strengthening muscles, or that using the footwear will result in a specificpercentage or amount of muscle toning or strengthening, unless the claims aretrue and backed by scientific evidence.

●Making any health or fitness related efficacy claims for toning shoes and othertoning apparel, unless the claims are true and backed by scientific evidence.

●Misrepresenting any tests, studies or research results regarding toning shoes andother toning apparel.

“The FTC wants national advertisers to understand that they must exercise someresponsibility and ensure their claims for fitness gear are supported by soundscience,” says David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

…Dean ‘Over The Top’ Winstanley

has signed with Winmau. The currentWorld Darts Federation number one willwork closely with Winmau’s engineers to

create a new set of signature darts…MKK Sports has agreed a dealwith Harlequins Rugby League to supply the Super League club’straining and match-day kit for the next two years…Puma has signedManchester City’s Sergio Aguero, Atlético Madrid’s record signingRadamel Falcao and Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas to long-term bootdeals…British Welterweight star Kell Brook has inked a sponsorshipdeal with adidas to become its UK boxing ambassador…Aston Villa

has followed in the footsteps of Manchester United, Arsenal andEverton by agreeing a partnership with Japanese mobile contentprovider CWS Brains. The deal will allow Japanese fans to downloadAston Villa news, ringtones, wallpapers, screensavers and videos…UK

Sport has announced Bupa as its official Health Insurance Partner untilJune 2013, alongside BAE Systems, British Airways and Maxinutrition…

Sponsorship

News

INTERSPORT 2011 AWARDWINNERS ANNOUNCEDIntersport revealed its supplier award winners at a social evening followingday one of its Q2 show on September 27-28.

Announced by general manager Tom Foley, with guest of honourJonathan Trott presenting the trophies, the winners were:Best Footwear Brand of the Year 2011: ASICS.

Best Apparel Brand of the Year 2011: adidas.

Best Hardware Brand of the Year 2011: Babolat.

Best Overall Brand of the Year 2011: adidas.

Best Salesperson of the Year 2011: Chris Kelly, Babolat.

Best Member Award (as voted for by INTERSPORT suppliers):

Withers and George Donald.

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

ALL THE VERY LATEST IN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY...


STRONG DEMAND FOR NIKEBRANDS BOOSTS REVENUESNike’s revenues increased 18 per cent to $6.1 billion as net incomeclimbed 15 per cent to $645 million during the three months to August 31

“We’re off to a strong start in fiscal year 2012," says Mark Parker,Nike’s president and CEO. “We have a powerful and diverse portfolio ofbrands and businesses, and we’re focused on leveraging them to drivegrowth and create value for our shareholders.

“It pays to be prudent in times like these. It’s also essential that weremain on the offense, creating opportunities. We do that by connectingwith consumers, designing innovative products and delivering amazingexperiences. That’s how we continue to lead this company and theindustry into the future.”

As of the end of the quarter, worldwide futures orders for Nikeathletic footwear and apparel, scheduled for delivery from September2011 to January 2012, totalled $8.5 billion, 16 per cent higher than ordersreported for the same period last year.

MBT has opened a new store at Westfield Stratford City. The

800 sq ft London outlet is stocking the brand’s exclusive

autumn/winter 2011 collection as well as its latest, award

winning shoe, the Ari.

Bettina Frohn, head of marketing at MBT, says: “We are

delighted to be opening our second London flagship store in

Westfield Stratford City, building on the success of the

standalone MBT store in Westfield Shepherd’s Bush, and we

aim to continue investing in expanding a solid retail network of

MBT stores throughout the UK.”

MBT OPENS SECOND FLAGSHIP STORE

SALES SOAR AT ACTIVINSTINCTActivinstinct, the fast growing online sports retailer, increased sales by 33 per centto £11 million in its year ending August 31, with profits up 84 per cent.

The company is forecasting to increase sales by a further 40 per cent andprofits by 70 per cent in its current financial year.

Activinstinct says growth will come from existing channels and from the pushinto international markets, as it aims for overseas sales to overtake domesticrevenue within 18 months. The retailer has already started its drive into Europeanmarkets through the launch of its first overseas site in France in April, and eurodenominated sales now account for 25 per cent of revenue.

Germany will be the company’s next launch, followed by several otherEuropean territories in 2012.

“Although the UK has been the bedrock of the company’s performance todate, we now see outstanding prospects right across mainland Europe,” says MikeThornhill, Activinstinct’s chief executive.

“At the same time, we are looking at moves further afield to follow ourEuropean ventures. The turbines that will drive our growth for the future willcertainly be in international markets.”

“Two bob.”Clive Allen’s verdict on Arsene Wenger after the

Arsenal manager failed to shake the Tottenham coach’s hand


… Helly Hansen has appointed Tamim Ltd tooversee its lifestyle specific sales strategy for allthe company’s national and independentfootwear accounts. Established by sportswearsales specialists Gary Lee and Pete Cole, Tamim

will also be responsible for driving forward distribution channels forHelly Hansen’s growing range of sunglasses, luggage andaccessories…HI-TEC has appointed King Par LLC as the exclusiveNorth American sales and distribution partner for the brand’s golfproducts…etnies has opened a new flagship store in Amsterdam thatshowcases the largest collection of the brand’s footwear and apparelin Europe… HI-TEC is planning a series of branded trail runningevents. Called the HI-TEC Ultra Trail Series 2012, it is to be handledby experienced endurance events company Extreme Energy…The

Football League has launched a 47-match Family Football Festivalthat will run until December to encourage families to attend annpower Football League game. Each club will announce specificactivities at their designated fixture with family-themed entertainmentbefore, during and after each match, such as fancy dress competitionsand face painting…five sports are set to receive additional funding

from Sport England to boost their grass roots programmes and delivera lasting legacy beyond the London 2012 Olympic and ParalympicGames. Netball, cycling, running, canoeing and lacrosse will share atotal of £3.5 million…

Sportsshorts

JD SPORTS’FIRST-HALF

PROFITS RISE 20%Profits at JD Sports rose 20.6 per cent to £20.1 million during the firstsix months of 2011, while group revenue increased by 14.6 per cent to£439.8 million for the same period. Gross margins declined slightly to48 per cent (2010: 48.2 per cent).

£700,000 of stock was looted from 16 JD stores during the recentriots in England. One outlet in Woolwich, which suffered fire damage,is still not open.

JD’s distribution business, which comprises Canterbury, Topgrade,Deakins, KooGa, Kukri and Focus, made a first half operating loss of£500,000, compared to £1 million in 2010, primarily due to increasedprofit from Canterbury, where first-half profits grew to £900,000 (2010:£500,000)

"Our continual focus on exploiting all avenues of revenue growthand margin protection has enabled us to deliver a level of profit thatrepresents a platform for meeting expectations for the full year,although trading conditions remain tough,” says executive chairmanPeter Cowgill.

"Trading since the period end has continued to improve, withgross like-for-like sales for the core UK and Ireland retail fascias in theseven-week period to September 17 up by 3.3 per cent.

“The result for the full year remains dependent on the sales andmargin performance in December and January, and we will issue aninterim management statement in the third quarter in November.”

Cowgill adds: "We continue to look for appropriate acquisitionopportunities which can deliver additional sources of future earningsgrowth, principally in overseas sports retail, but also to complementour core retail fascias.

"The board again believes that the group is well positioned forfuture growth across its markets and trading is in line with itsexpectations."

PRODUCT ROUND-UP

KIT STOPLEE SPORTSDISTRIBUTORSLee Sports Distributors distributesuhlsport, Precision Training, Unicorn,PowerGlide, Vulkan and Sorbothane.

For more information contact John

O’Connell at Lee Sports Distributors

Ltd, Unit 3, MFT Business Park,

Doughcloyne Industrial Estate, Wilton,

Cork, Ireland. Tel: + 353 21 4545240.

Email: [email protected].

Website: www.leesportsireland.com.

Essential stock for your shop


REEBOK FITNESS Reebok Fitness’ product portfolio ranges from key trainingitems such as fitness mats and dumbbells, to innovative newproducts that take the sports equipment industry by surprise.

Reebok Fitness has just launched its new EasyTone Step, inspired byReebok’s EasyTone Moving Air Technology, and the TrainPod.

EASYTONE STEP

The integrated balance pods below the step platform have been engineered tocreate natural instability to force muscles to adapt and encourage toning.(Available in professional and retail versions.)

TRAINPOD

A fun and enjoyable toning experience designed to work muscles younever knew you had. The vertical air transferthrough the pod provides instabilityto help encourage muscle activation.

For more information email

[email protected]

or visit www.reebokfitness.co.uk

or www.rfeinternational.com.

www.sportindustry.biz

1000 MILE SPORTSWEARThe team is looking forward to showing you additions to the 1000Mile sock range, together with the bestselling Fusion and Fusion

Walk socks (with their Achilles tendon protectionand blister-free guarantee).

Additionally, this is the perfect time tosee the company’s new brand, UltimatePerformance - running and outdooraccessories developed for the UKconsumer with good margin forretailers and value for money forconsumers. Other brands being

shown include Noene,Thuasne and

Compeed.

www.sports-insight.co.uk 15

For an appointment email [email protected]

or call Nick Charles on 07968 307525.

PRODUCT ROUND-UP

MCDAVID: PROTECT YOUR BODYMcDavid recognises the importance of protecting an athlete’s body in any situation and presents a range of products under the ‘Protect Your Body’ strapline.

The brand offers three core ranges:

MCDAVID SPORTS SUPPORTS

Based on three simple to understandprotection levels, the range of McDavidsports supports offers the consumereverything - from basic two-way stretchelasticated supports, through to moresophisticated hinged knee braces.

MCDAVID HDC BASELAYERS

With its patented hDc technology,McDavid’s performance apparel helpsprevent your body’s core temperature from rising too high, which can lead topoor performance, early exhaustion and dehydration.

MCDAVID HEXPAD PROTECTIVE BASELAYERS

The next generation of baselayers, McDavid has combined its patented hDctechnology with HexPad technology to deliver super lightweight andbreathable protection to absorb and dissipate impact.

Contact McDavid on 08701 188002 or email [email protected].

ALPHA STRONGSANDBAGS Alpha Strong sandbags are internationallyrenowned for their extreme durability, superiorquality and outstanding versatility.

Supplied exclusively to the UK throughfunctional training specialist Jordan Fitness,Alpha Strong’s range of sandbags include thePowerbag and Thy range, which are able tosupport the most intense of exercise regimes.

Manufactured to combat issues that othersandbag manufacturers encounter, each bag hassix padded handles, reinforced with triple stitch

bar-tacked zigzag stitching. The bags are also made using ahigh count nylon outer shell to ensure maximum durabilityand product lifespan for the user. Weight can also be easily

adjusted via a non-leak inner liner toprovide a full body workout suited to

the needs of every user.


For more information call 01945 880257,

email [email protected] or visit

www.jordanfitness.co.uk.



PROTECT YOUR BODY WITH SHOCK DOCTORWhether you’re playing rugby, cricket or sparring, you always have to make sure you protect your bodyfrom dangerous blows. Shock Doctor specialises in technological advances to create protective sportsequipment for athletes, making sure you are always safe.

GEL MAX MOUTHGUARD

The heavy-duty rubber exoskeletal shock frame and gel-fit liner provides maximum protection, fit andcomfort in an easy-to-fit triple layered design. It’s ideal for all contact sports.

REFLEX ULTRA SHORTS

The sonic welded compression moulded foam pads maximise impact protection on the exposed tacklearea. The wraparound X-Fit Retention System and anti-microbial, moisture wicking four-way stretchfabric draws sweat away from the skin to provide a close, comfortable fit that minimises odour.

ULTRA SUPPORTER WITH ULTRA CARBON FLEX CUP

This multi-sport X-Fit supporter is made of extra supportive four-way stretchable material with aunique wraparound X-Fit cup Retention System.

All products are available in

national sporting goods shops, and

for online visit www.eninety.com.

CARIBEE BACKPACKSBrand Agility is delighted to announce the 2012 Caribee UK launch featuring anexciting new range of backpacks with retail price points starting from £15.

Impala 28L: RRP £27.50. Trail 30L: RRP £49.

● Caribee offers quality products at reasonable prices. ● No minimum order. ● Delivery next day from stock. ● Free shipping on orders over £250 (mainland UK - £350 NI and ROI). ● Free point of sale material.

See the new range at The Schoolwear Show and STAG show.

For further information on Caribee call Jacquie Sandison

on 0131 554 5555 or email [email protected].


For more information call 0800 030 4432,

email [email protected]

or visit www.cybertill.co.uk.

CYBERTILLCybertill’s web-based EPoS system allows sports retailers to increase sales while reducingstock. What’s more, retailers can manage their store and ecommerce from the system.

Independent retailers cannot normally afford to ring fence large amounts ofvaluable stock for web sales, but at the same time the vast majority of separatewebsites don’t communicate in real time to retailers’ EPoS stock control system,meaning that web stock levels are either not available online, which reducescustomer confidence, or are simply inaccurate, which allows for sales to be madeagainst stock already sold in store.

Cybertill, a cloud-based EPoS solution, has the capability to share stock inreal time with a store or stores and provide a truly integrated solution. Thisremoves all the above stock issues and allows for a unified customer file as well,so customer tracking and loyalty systems are also integrated, thus increasingsales. It is even possible for clients to reserve online and collect in store, againin real time, resulting in increased sales.

You can see Cybertill at both STAG Buying Shows in October and November.

PRODUCT ROUND-UP


ELEMENT -SINGLESTICK BAGNew colours for 2011. Whilemaintaining the same featuresand exceptional quality of theElement - the single stick bagin the 2011 range - Mercianhas used new fabrics andcolours to enhance thisversatile, entry level bag,retaining the popular featuresof a padded shoulder strap,enlarged valuables pocket witha neoprene storm flap andspace for a single stick.

Product Code: HO26.

Colours: black ripstop,

metallic red, metallic

blue, pink pinstripe or

pink zebra stripe. Size:

95cm x 15cm

approximately.

For more information

call 01483 757677 or email

[email protected].


visit www.alphaii.co.uk

or call Keith Childs on

07411 466292


EKTIOTM

● EktioTM

the most revolutionary patented sports boot on the planet.● Physician designed to prevent ankle sprains.● With two in-built straps, this secures the foot to the boot and supports the ankle, while the

bumpers on the side of the boot prevent the ankle from turning over.● Clinically tested / athlete approved.● Light and nimble with lateral bumpers for flat landings. Suitable for indoor five-

a-side football, basketball, tennis, squash, skateboarding and netball (all sportsplayed on a hard surface).

● Gives athletes more time playing sport and teams more player availability.● No need for tape and ankle braces.

● Can be used as a remedial tool by helping athletes with weak ankles to train confidentlyand play sports at full pace.

● Cuts the cost out of rehabilitation expense for the individual and teams.

GLENWAY IN IRELANDGlenway will be showing for the second time at the STAGShow in Tullamore, where Tim and Glenn look forward to

meeting customers old and new. Some of the 2012 range will be on display, and for the

first time their will be trophies specifically for the Irish sportsof hurling and Gaelic football, as well as traditional Irish

dance trophies. Come and have a chat and see what showoffers are available.

PRODUCT ROUND-UP


SAUCONYSaucony will once again be attending the STAG Ireland show with a collection of greatoffers on current and future products.

As with the rest of the UK, Saucony is already growing rapidly across the whole ofIreland and is developing some great partnerships with specialist and general sports storesalike. Product-wise, minimalism footwear and ViZi-PRO apparel are the key ranges forA/W11 and into 2012.

For more information visit

Saucony’s stand at the STAG

Ireland show, visit

www.saucony.co.uk, speak to

your Saucony representative

or call 01794 537537.


call +44 (0)116 2448131.



TEAM COLOURSTeam Colours offers the complete custom package for teams that want aprofessional and distinctive image. A wide range of bespoke manufactureoptions is available for team kits, tracksuits and hoodedtops, as well as a great selection of matching extras.

With printing and embroidery services availablefor most products, teams can customise anythingfrom training and leisurewear to sports bags andequipment. Put your club badge on a set of customtraining balls, water bottles or bespoke ties. Theseoptions can even be customised to individualnames or numbers.

For creating unique teamwear,Team Colours provides a range ofonline designer tools and canmock up visuals on request. Toenquire about custom teamoptions go online or call thesales team.

For more information call +44

(0)1920 871453 / +44 (0)1920

877270, email trade@team-

colours.co.uk or visit

www.team-colours.co.uk.

PRODUCT PROFILE

ASICS 33 rangeloading on the body and the input signals is a very important injuryprevention strategy. This is why ASICS advises runners to vary thesurface, intensity and terrain of their runs. The companyrecommends using a variety of shoes, which is where the 33 seriesplays such an important role. Suitable for everyday running as wellas mixed training with other ASICS products, the 33 collection is avery versatile offering.

As Simon Bartold puts it, the ASICS 33 range: “Is ideal for therunner wishing to add a new mix to their training schedule. They’vebeen designed for an awesome road feel and ride in the tradition ofour long-held belief the shoe should work with the foot and notagainst it.”

As with all athletic footwear, ASICS recommends that thoserunners with substantial biomechanical challenges should select amaximum support shoe.

The first two models in the 33 series - the GEL-HYPER 33 andGEL-EXCEL 33 - will launch in November, and on the 25th of thesame month ASICS will hold a natural running debate at Europe’sbiggest sports medicine conference, the ASICS UK Sports andExercise Medicine Conference in London.

Daniel Lieberman, a Harvard professor and well-knownadvocate of barefoot running, will be a key part of the symposiumalong with Simon Bartold. Hundreds of industry medicalprofessionals will attend the conference, where industry expertsfrom around the world will speak on various topics, from injuryprevention to the affects of the 2012 Olympics.

Continuing from this, ASICS will roll out content rich online andprint content for the information hungry running and health andfitness consumer, along with an above-the-line advertising campaign,window campaigns and PoS for selected retailers that will continue

well into 2012, when the GEL-VOLT33 will also be introduced.

Eóin Treacy, marketing manager for ASICS UK and Ireland,talks us through the offering.

ASICS 33 is a new collection of lightweight footwear that offers anew natural running experience. The 33 collection forms a new‘natural’ category in ASICS’ performance running footwear range,offering protection, flexibility, comfort and support in a lightweight,less structured package.

‘33’ derives its names from the 33 joints that make up the foot. Whatmakes the 33 collection so different is that ASICS has managed tocapture the lightweight, natural running experience through a decadeof research and development without exposing the user to the risksthat barefoot running can produce. The two core technologies atwork within the 33 category are the ASICS Impact Guidance Lineand extended Propulsion Trusstic. These work together with the footat every point of ground contact to enhance its natural propellingmotion, while protecting it from injury.

The ASICS GEL-33 collection is a natural shoe that still provides thecrucial support required, but allows every runner, regardless ofphysical condition, to experience natural running owing to ASICS’unique Impact Guidance Line and Propulsion Trusstic technologiesthat are built around the foot’s natural movement.

The Guidance Line system is a vertical grove design in the shoe thatruns from the heel to the toe. It’s positioned to channel the pressurethrough the foot in the most efficient way. The other technology inplay is the Propulsion Trusstic, which mimics the movement of thefoot’s vital connective tissue, the plantar facia, providing bothsupport and allowing the energy stored during heel strike andmidstance to be released at toe-off for maximum propulsion.

ASICS works with international research consultantSimon Bartold, who is a specialist sports podiatrist, and hebelieves: “The 33 collection is a unique product designed towork with all 33 joints of the foot. This destructured productoffers flexibility and comfort in a lightweight package.”

ASICS has a wealth of research and development expertiseat its Institute of Sports Science, which opened in 1979 in Kobe,Japan, and it is the team of sports scientists at this R&D centre wholooked into the science of natural running to develop the 33 series.

The collection derives from an in-depth understanding of thenatural movement of the foot, its 33 joints and how that movementadapts and changes according to many different factors, such asa runner’s pace, gait and physique.

The 33 collection is a range that offers something for everyrunner. Research is increasingly showing that mixing the

HOW WAS THE RANGE DEVELOPED?

WHAT IS THE 33 RANGE?

WHAT MAKES 33 DIFFERENT?HOW IS IT MARKETED?

KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS

WHO IS THE RANGE AIMED AT?

FOCUSON


The FSPA’s newly formed golf association, the UK Golf Course Owners Association(UKGCOA), held its first-ever members’ meeting at Burhill Golf Course on September 8. Over45 members and suppliers attended the general meeting to discuss the association’s progressand the various activities and plans going forward.

Areas discussed included the UK tax debate for golf clubs, which is a hot topic for clubs atpresent. Presentations were also given by Jim Croxton, CEO of BIGGA, John Bushell ofSports Marketing Surveys and Gary Firkins of Landmark Media.

The UKGCOA executive committee also came together for a board meeting prior to theevent to discuss topics such as how to grow and proactively take the association forward onbehalf of the membership.

for example, through modifying theenvironment, promoting workplacechampions and removing barriers tophysical activity during the working day.”

Prior to the Responsibility Deal, theDH launched the public-facing Change4lifeprogramme to encourage the people ofBritain to lead healthier lives. Using theslogan ‘Eat well, move more, live longer’,Change4life is an attempt to reduce thewidespread obesity problem by suggestingsimple alternatives to improve diet andactivity levels.

Joining the FSPA in signing up to thePhysical Activity Network are 240organisations including McCain, Coca-Cola, Ginsters and McDonald’s, as well asmajor supermarkets Tesco, Asda andMorrisons, who are all engaged in thecollective pledges, as well as creating their own individual pledges specific totheir company.

The Physical Activity in the Workplacepledge is likely to be the basis of theactivity the FSPA is to undertake, providingleadership and support to its 550-plusstrong membership base. A meeting withC4L and the FSPA is to take place in thecoming weeks where implementing acollective Olympic themed initiative will bediscussed, which can then be rolled out toFSPA members to participate in.

Public health is everyone’sresponsibility and, as the trade associationfor the sports industry, the FSPA believes itplays a crucial role in leading the industryvia the ongoing Responsibility Deal.

Playing a key role in the UK sportsindustry, the Federation of Sports andPlay Associations has taken thedecision to play an active role in thegovernment’s Public HealthResponsibility Deal, pledging toprovide opportunities for its 550-strong membership base to take partin helping people become morephysically active.

The Department of Health (DH) hasrecognised it cannot tackle the challengesof poor diet, harmful drinking and a lack ofexercise on its own. It states that: “Publichealth is everyone’s responsibility and thereis a role for all of us, working inpartnership to tackle these challenges.”

As a result, the DH has created thebusiness-to-business Public HealthResponsibility Deal, in which thegovernment, industry, the voluntary sector,non-governmental organisations and localgovernment have been brought together to

FSPA MEMBER NEWS

FSPAfocusThe latest news from the Federationof Sports and Play Associations

sign up and agree ona voluntary basis theactions they couldtake to help peoplemake healthierlifestyle choices.

The PublicHealthResponsibility Dealis split into five keynetworks - food,alcohol, physicalactivity, health in theworkplace andbehaviour change.Each of these is

based upon a number of collective andindividual pledges, which are a series ofactions that partners will undertake tosupport the delivery of the corecommitments. The core commitments ofthe Responsibility Deal define its scope,purpose and high-level ambitions, andinclude statements such as: “We willencourage and assist people to becomemore physically active and we willactively support our workforce to leadhealthier lives.”

The FSPA has committed to theinitiative by becoming a member of thePhysical Activity Network and signing upto the Community and Workplace pledges.The Community pledge states: “We willuse our local presence to get morechildren and adults more active, moreoften, including engaging communities inplanning and delivery.”

The Workplace pledge states: “We willincrease physical activity in the workplace,

UKGCOA FOUNDERMEMBERS MEETING

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WHY AND HOW DID YOU GET INTOSPORTS RETAILING?Biketreks started in the 1990s with AndyStevenson selling all manner of cyclingequipment from a van. He soon found therewas an opportunity to sell cycle equipmentto the masses and established a shop inAmbleside. In the last 15 years the businesshas gone from strength to strength on thepromise ‘Staff who ride, gear that works’.

WHAT IS THE STRONGESTSECTOR OF THE MARKET?The road market is where we‘ve seen thebiggest growth. With the Tour de Francehaving been so captivating this year, manypeople have been inspired to get out on theirbikes. Add to this the increase in petrolprices and more people are starting to biketo work - another growth area.

HOW HAS TRADE BEEN OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS?Trade has been steady, with us maintaininggood sales across the board, but all growthhas been in road biking. The enthusiast

RETAIL INTERVIEW

market is where we have suffered this year, aswe are unable to compete on pricing levelswith the likes of CRC and Wiggle.

WHAT ARE YOURCURRENT BEST-SELLINGBRANDS AND PRODUCTS? With it winning awards every year and beingperfectly suited to the Ambleside terrain, ourbest-selling bike has always been the OrangeFive Pro. As for clothing, Gore Bike Wear iswithout doubt the product of the moment -and most of our staff are decked out top totail in it, which helps.

ARE THERE COMPETITORSNEARBY? HOW DO YOUCOMPETE?We have one smaller retailer in the village andtwo big shops either side of us in the nexttowns. There is little crossover on branding andlocal competition isn’t something we concernourselves with, as we all get along quitehappily. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeand have a customer charter to provide serviceto all levels of cyclist, which sets us apart frommany cycle retailers. We are not the cheapest,but we guarantee a

unique service that is always backed up. Wehave a referral system in place to encouragecurrent customers to refer new ones and welook after all our customers the same, whetherthey spend £10 or £5,000.

ARE THERE ANYCURRENT OR FUTUREMARKETING STRATEGIESYOU CAN TALK ABOUT?We’ve finally come out of the dark ages with theinvention of broadband in the Lake District andare looking to expand our online services withhelp and information rather than hard selling.

HOW DO YOU FIND OUTABOUT NEW PRODUCTS? We aren’t a member of any buying groups,but when it comes to new products andinnovations we are ahead of most people.We are all cycling geeks at heart and alwayshave our ears to the ground,

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST AND LEAST ABOUT THE BUSINESS?The best thing about our shop is itsinnovation and location. We have the mostbeautiful scenery with a lifetime’s worth oftrails on the doorstep just waiting to beridden. The thing we like least is other cycleshops’ attitude towards discounting whenthere is really no need. If you truly believe ina product and know it is right for someone,why should there be the need to discount it?You don’t see Apple doing it, so why does thisindustry need to with our premium products?

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST RETAILCHALLENGES?Keeping it fresh and sorting the wheat fromthe chaff. Also, there is much out there toconfuse the consumer and many people endup not buying products as they areconstantly researching the best one. Ourchallenge is educating people to believe in uswhen we say: “We have done the hard workfor you, believe in us and our products, andjust get out there riding”.

TALKING


Sarah Thornton is managerof Biketreks, a cycleequipment store based inAmbleside, Cumbria SHOP

www.xpres.co.Tel: 01332 85 50

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WHEN DID YOU GET INTO THE SPORTS TRADE AND WHY?I run a family business that was set up bymy parents in 1985. I am an activesportsman and enjoy windsurfing, surfing,sailing, diving, running, skiing, snowboarding,and played handball and rugby when I wasyounger, so sport is in my family.

WHO’S BEEN THEBIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR CAREER?Both my father and mother have been greatexamples of how you can start fromnothing, but reach your goals if you arepassionate, hardworking and committed.

WHAT OTHER BRANDS DO YOU ADMIRE AND WHY?Patagonia sportswear is an example ofconsistency, while D3O has an excellentbusiness model. I admire Oakley and NeilPryde for their product design, and I mustsay that the coherence at Nike is impressive.

HOW HAS BUSINESSBEEN DURING THE PAST12 MONTHS?Tough. We are struggling to get our salesdepartment organised properly, especiallywhen it comes to export. You know how itworks in companies

PEOPLE

of our size - we don’t want to missanything and spend tremendous energyand time pushing the brand forward.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT BEST-SELLING PRODUCT?Our protective products are now very popular all over Europe, thanksto their highlydistinctive design and trendy style.

WHATIMPACT DOYOU THINKTHIS YEAR’SRUGBYWORLD CUPWILL HAVEON RUGBYPRODUCTSALES? The global marketwill grow, butin sectorswe haveonly

just entered. We are mainly focused on thefield side of rugby, not the street one.

HOW’S BUSINESS FOR2012 SHAPING UP?

We are currently busy building astable basis for our mid-

term project that willlead us to a

European topthree position

by 2015. Atthe sametime, oursalesforecasts arealready up

30 per centfor 2012.

Frédéric Olivier, president of Force XV


IRELAND

For Ireland’s independent sportsretailers it’s no longer a case ofjust opening the doors and seeingwho comes through them. They’rehaving to fight for every sale

be an area bucking the trend. Consumers are gravitating to thiscost-effective core activity that they can engage in at a numberof levels individually, collectively and at a time to suit.”

Nevertheless, keeping a close eye on costs and stockholding is still seen as critical to retail success. “Costs weretoo high and couldn’t be supported by the margins beingachieved,” says O’Connell. “Retailers’ buying patterns havechanged also - they’re now buying in less quantities, but doingso more frequently.”

Robertson says: “Cutting back on buying and reducing theamount of stock they have in store is the number one thing forretailers at the moment. Also, they’re cutting forward orders.”

Austere times further highlight the strengths of the buyinggroup model in the sports trade, where independents are ableto take advantage of group buying power, as well as a host ofother benefits.

BUYINGIn July Riordan said there was a “real buying environment” atISRA’s summer show in Killenard. “It is a time where it iscritical that the retail and supplier links in the chain workclosely together,” he says. “The overall effect of thiscooperation was that levels of orders placed at the show wereon a par with the same period last year.”

No mean feat when you consider Ireland is stillexperiencing a sharp fall in domestic demand.

Adds Riordan: “ISRA retailers are working harder, reducingcosts where possible and generally managing their businessesmore efficiently. Upskilling, diversifying product offerings,improving merchandising and working more closely withbrands are some of the ways that our members are copingwith the downturn.”

STAG’s looking forward to another successful buying showin Ireland this year. But despite signs of recovery - STAGreports that some of its existing retail members are openingnew sports and outdoor shops - Ward Robertson says thatretailers are resigned to the fact that they will be in hard timesfor the next few years.

“Although Ireland is considered to have stabilised, it hasdone so at a low level,” he concludes.

With recent research revealing the country’s economy

shrank by more than a fifth between 2007 and 2010,

Ireland’s independent sports retailers are having to up

their game to offset the fall in consumer spending.

But despite 14.3 per cent of the labour force being out ofwork (304,000 people out of a total working population of 2.1million), there’s still decent business being done by Ireland’smany proactive retailers and the brands that support them,according to John O’Connell, managing director of LeeSports, which distributes brands such as uhlsport, PrecisionTraining, Sorbothane and Unicorn.

SPECIALISTS“It’s very difficult at the moment, but Ireland is not unique inthat regard,” says O’Connell. “For retailers, it’s no longer acase of opening the doors and seeing who comes throughthem. You simply have to fight for every sale. Some retailershave become specialists, which is always a good tactic, whileothers have gone down the discount road, which also seems towork in the current climate.”

Ward Robertson, joint managing director of STAG, agreesthat retailers are finding it tough at the moment.

“Most sports retailers are now focusing on sport andoutdoor pursuits as opposed to fashion,” says Robertson,whose buying group hosts its second All Ireland Buying Showin Tullamore on October 23-24.

“Fashion is unpredictable, but sport is still strong. Becauseof this, many brands are hiring reps specifically to look afterIreland instead of relying on distributors.”

The sports market has reaped an unexpected benefit fromthe economic downturn, as Robertson explains: “Becausethere is high unemployment, there are more people with freetime doing sport to keep themselves fit for the jobs marketand to keep their minds sharp.”

As well as hurling and Gaelic football, strong sectors of thesports trade in Ireland include triathlon, running and boxing.Adds O’Connell: “People are more health conscious today andmany have more time on their hands to devote to sports,which can only be a good thing for the trade.”

John Riordan, ISRA’s coordinator, says: “Running seems to


THEIRGAMEUPPING

Typography is a potential minefield. A big cereal brand offered anon-pack children’s toy, similar to a mini frisbee, which you flicked andhence was called the little flicker. When the pack flash was artworkedin upper case, the marketing manager wasn’t happy to offer his sub-teen customers LITTLE FLICKERS.

It was, of course, changed, but it highlights an issue - what looksfine as draft copy can go badly wrong when turned into artwork. Infact, it should never have been an issue because you shouldn't use solidupper case, as people find it harder to read than upper and lower. Theexceptions are few - new, win, free, save - and are all short words.

Be conscious too of people’s eyesight. Small copy is unreadableto many, and white reversed out of black is the worst of all. A 25-year-old designer might be able to read it perfectly, but a goodnumber of your customers can’t. Be wary about some colourcombinations, because a lot of people are colour blind. Oddly, thesesins turn up most often on websites, where space constraints arehardly an issue and colour options infinite.

The facilities on our computers enable all manner of stress - bold,capitals, italics, underlining, colour. Unfortunately some people thinkthat means you have to use them all and, worse, all together. Stressshould take the eye to individual keywords or phrases and should,therefore, be used sparingly. Never use inverted commas for stress.‘Free’, rather than highlighting the benefit, implies that it is, in someunstated way, not free.

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHYAs witnessed by this magazine and lots of catalogues, the sports industrylargely avoids one classic error - using poor photography. Professionalphotography is expensive because the photographer is trained,understands lighting, shot composition and exposure, and has thousandsof pounds worth of kit to show the product off to its best advantage.

Your amateur version is just not good enough and it will stand outlike the proverbial sore thumb. Use of amateur models is likely to sufferthe same problem. Your niece or nephew may be drop dead gorgeousin the flesh, but strangely the camera will find out any flaws in 1/200thof a second. Do not be tempted to use amateur photography in anycircumstance and be very wary of amateur models.

A general point on photographs is that what makes theminteresting is people. Whether it’s product or facilities you’re talkingabout, pictures are far more interesting with people in them. Thesecomments are especially relevant to photographs for PR. An editorwith a choice between a warehouse shot showing just bricks andmortar and another including people wearing or using a product willpick the latter every time.

With spellchecker available on every computer, you’d think thiswould be a thing of the past, but spelling mistakes get a public airingevery day. Does it matter? Quite simply, yes. How can a customertrust you to recommend the right product if you can’t spell your ownmarketing materials correctly? Incidentally, spellchecker won’t solve

There is a simple and free way to improve your marketingeffectiveness - avoid making the classic errors. Most of theseare very basic, but they refuse to go away.

If any piece of marketing activity is time sensitive, make sure allthe elements can work together or your spend will be wasted. Forinstance, a major computer company invited me by mail to visit mylocal stockist after a given date to try its new product. When I wentthere, they hadn’t yet got it and didn’t know when it was due.

BACK TO SCHOOLThere was another famous instance that achieved comments bypoliticians. A retail group advertised its back-to-school rangenationally; unfortunately, that included Scotland, where the schoolyear begins earlier than the rest of the UK and children were alreadyin class when the campaign started. Then there was the bankadvertising car loans: ‘Be first with the new registration on August 1st’.But by the time the adverts appeared very few dealers could supply anew car for delivery on the said date.

Similar, but subtly different, is stock availability. As far as I amconcerned, this one beggars belief. Spending one penny on publicisinga product that you then can’t supply is madness, but it happens.


MAKE NO

“In the run-up to one recent Christmas stores ran out of a product

from a major international toy manufacturer - in November. Theproduct was being heavily advertised on TV. Moreover, because oflicensing agreements it was not going to be produced again. So whatwas the TV spend for?

In the same year there was a shortage of many children’s must-have games systems. The business press said that lack of stock cost the manufacturer as much as $1.3 billion in lost sales. How do you fancy explaining that at a shareholders’ meeting?Judging the right amount of stock to hold is, of course, something of an art form, but the above examples look like guesswork ratherthan professional marketing.

”GET SOMEONE LESS

INVOLVED TO READ

YOUR MATERIALS

BEFORE THEY’RE

PRODUCED

To ensure your marketing is effective, it’s important to avoidcommitting basic errors, says Paul Clapham

MARKETING


incorrect use of homophones (words that sound alike, but havedifferent meanings). You might get away with mixing up ‘practise’and ‘practice’, but you’ll have egg on your face if you use ‘flare’instead of ‘flair’, especially if related to trousers.

If you advertise on the radio, do not be tempted to force theproverbial quart into a pint pot. Three words per second is not thetarget, it’s the maximum. Listeners just do not get your message ifit’s an incoherent gabble. You would be better served having alonger slot repeated less often.

However, in most cases, editing out secondary information willenable your advert to be comprehensible, effective and short. Takecare, also, not to commit the audio version of ‘little flickers’. Ascript may look fine in black and white, but get someone to read itto you just in case there’s a problem lurking. One major recordcompany planning to launch a country and western blockbusterdecided against radio advertising for this reason - and that’s whyyou didn’t hear Dolly Parton’s Greatest Hits advertised on the radio.

SELL BENEFITS, NOT FEATURES This should be tattooed on every marketer’s arm, but it’sremarkable how often this golden rule is broken. I suspect it’sbecause the billions spent on caradvertising have madeconsumers

aware that features such as 60mpg means economical and 0-60 insix seconds means fast. Sports retailers don’t have the budgets toachieve that awareness level and many customers won’t have a highlevel of product knowledge.

Whether via advertising, direct mail or your website, any specialoffers should be up front and at the top. Obvious? Not to everybody.I’ve seen great offers relegated to a corner flash or buried in bodycopy. One high street bank offered a free RAC check on used-carloans, but instead of being a big headline the offer was in aparagraph of the body copy after the bank had finished explainingthe wonders of its personal loans - a deeply dull subject.

We are all human and therefore make mistakes. More than that,we can get too close to the subject and miss the obvious. Oneagency I worked at gave a piece of client approved artwork to aprinter who, happily, noticed the ‘deliberate’ error in the headline: ‘2for the price of 3’. Get someone less involved to read your materialsbefore they’re produced.

All the examples I’ve quoted come from major, high profilebusinesses, the sort that have wall-to-wall brand managers on onefloor of their offices and a variety of highly paid agencies. Most ofthe errors come from poor planning and giving yourself too little

time to create the best result. Remember, haste is thesister of regret.

If you’re not connecting with modern technology, chances areyou’re not going to connect with customers, says Lauren Fox

efficient online service, social media engagement and a hand on theirsmartphone as well as the till.

The cloud on the horizon for the high street has not just beenbusiness rates, or even the constantly blamed discount giants, it hasbeen cloud computing, which involves delivering hosted services overthe internet. After the initial dot-com burnout, it was retail giantAmazon that played a significant role in this internet development inorder to improve its own service. The concept had, in fact, beenpredicted in the 1960s - a way of sharing computer information via apublic utility - so like many things today it’s not actually a new idea,but the branding persuades us it is.

A poll by ForeSee Results last winter confirmed that moresmartphone owners in the UK have been shopping on their handhelddevices than ever before. Monitoring the habits of 10,000 shoppers athigh street retailers over the 2010 Christmas season confirmed that 32per cent of respondents accessed shops’ websites with browsing orshopping on the agenda. Most were comparing prices, but eight percent actually made purchases. This figure may seem low, but itrepresents a 400 per cent increase in a year.

“It looks like nearly two-thirds of shoppers in the UK will soon beusing their mobile phones for retail purposes, if they aren’t already,”says Kevin Ertell, ForeSee’s vice president of retail strategy. “Anyretailer not actively working to develop, measure and refine itsmobile experience is leaving money on the table for competitors.”

There is no doubt that consumers want a well organised, wellinformed and keenly priced traditional sports retail service. Whilediscounters obviously save their customers money, they do notalways save time or improve performance. And many sportsenthusiasts say they have to visit specialists to get specific products,which is even more reason for them to shop online.

So sports retailers needs to make sure these customers knowthey exist digitally and reinforce their expertise through the channelsthat connect. A well written and engaging web presence is essential,especially if you want to build loyalty through knowledge, providingaccess to sports and retail expertise that will draw and keepcustomers’ attention.

QR CODESBear in mind that today access to knowledge is all about the QRcode. Which means that with one quick click or scan of a mobilephone camera a little bit of artwork becomes an encyclopaedia ofproduct information. It’s something that’s been used in Japan forabout a decade (the codes were invented by a subsidiary of Toyota).

QR codes can be as complex as you want to make them, but theycan certainly add to the retail experience if they’re put on brochures,loyalty cards, business cards and shop windows. QR codes canincrease your customer base, driving them to your website, Facebookpage or blog containing special offers and promotions. You can share

Time was that a trip to the shops was exactly that. An outingthat combined a search for some essentials and a few frivolousextras with a spot of lunch or tea. And at the heart of it wassomething so vital to the whole experience it was almostinconceivable that you could manage a shopping venturewithout it. The most intricate, well prepared item that heldthe key to which outlets were visited and how much wasgoing to be spent - the shopping list.

TRADITIONALVALUES WITH AMODERN TOUCH


This simple piece of paper was carefully produced and guarded.In some instances prices were even included - and heaven forbid if afamily member was sent to do the shopping and didn’t follow theseessential guidelines. I can recall standing in a shop with my dadshaking his head and saying: “But it says on this list it should be twoand six.” Bizarrely this language sounds almost futuristic - no doubtattracting comments from store juniors asking what sort of sourcecode those numbers refer to and whether it’s an app for Android.

NEED FOR SPEEDAnd that’s the point. Your customers have moved beyond wondering ifyou have a website. The need for speed in modern life has meanteverything has to be abbreviated - and if time is money you have tomake an impact in a split second to survive. Three years ago at anindustry event I was stunned to discover that 85 per cent of sportsretailers had never used eBay. Fast forward to today and it’s almostunbelievable that anyone in the retail business can survive without an

”“NEARLY TWO-

THIRDS OF

SHOPPERS IN THE

UK WILL SOON BE

USING THEIR

MOBILE PHONES

FOR RETAIL

PURPOSES, IF THEY

AREN’T ALREADY

TECHNOLOGY

as much about your shop and its activities as you like - and they arenow being automatically generated when URL links are shortened,also providing useful analytics. Do you need to pay a fortune forexpert service? Not necessarily, as this is where the energy, interestand expertise of your younger staff can be harnessed.

How the sports retailer manages today’s technological andsocial changes and challenges is very important. They can’t beignored - and any industry dialogue, whether independently withbrands or through a buying group, for example, should be helpingto educate, encourage and embrace what’s going on.

The introduction of MediaCart’s smart supermarket trolley acouple of years ago was something that would seemincomprehensible to people searching for a ‘vintage’ one completewith a mini-clipboard on which to fix your shopping list. Designedin conjunction with computer giant Microsoft, the trolley guides acustomer to the exact shelf they want, adds up groceries, highlightsspecial offers and more. In addition, personalised features activatewhen a customer inserts their loyalty card.The trolley even analyses yourprevious purchases anddisplays items it‘thinks’ you

may want to buy. In South Korea Tesco has been covering subway walls with

images portraying shelves of products labelled with unique QRcodes. As commuters pass by on their way to work they can use amobile phone app to take pictures of the products they want, thencheck out. Groceries are automatically delivered to their doorstep bythe end of the day. Location-based advertising like this is only goingto get bigger, especially with the introduction of payment via mobilephone included in the QR.

Closer to home, in London Sainsbury’s has just introduced a testscheme in conjunction with Sky for an iPad-friendly trolley,complete with docking station and sensors in the front bumpers sothat shoppers engrossed in Sky Sports are alerted to otherconsumers, trolleys and obstacles.

Why is all this relevant? Because it is here - and now. It’s notabout cool, it’s commercial best practice. When the barcode wasintroduced in the 1970s many people thought it would never catch

on. Just as many said they didn’t need a website, or useeBay. It’s a new world out there, with a place

still for traditional expertise. Taking theinitiative to learn about it and

become involved isessential and, as the

saying goes, fortunefavours the

brave.


SPRING/SUMMER2012

For those brands

targeting exercising

women, summer 2012

is going to be an exciting

time and hopefully a plat-

form to help increase sales.

The Shock Absorber

collection for SS12 will in-

clude a unique flexible under-

wire as well as strong red, white

and blue limited edition colour on

two of our best-selling styles.

INTRODUCING THESHOCK ABSORBER

FLEXI-WIRE SPORTS BRA

Shock Absorber likes to stay ahead of the

game, and is the only sports bra brand on

the market to use a titanium flexible under-

wire. The titanium memory wire moves and

flexes in harmony with the body, giving both

support and comfort. Titanium is as strong as steel,

yet incredibly light and will not bend out of shape with

wash and wear like a traditional underwire.

This sports bra meets the challenge of addressing the

need of many of the women out there who are still not

wearing a sports bra to exercise in. When we asked

these women to describe their ideal sports

bra, they said that it would be an underwire**.

WHY A SHOCK ABSORBER SPORTS BRA?■ The award winning Shock Absorber sports bras offer scientifically proven support to give the

best performance whatever your activity.

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raise education and awareness of sports bras withthis important demographic. Our involvement so farthis year has included the women’s only triathlonheld at Dorney Lake which attracted over 1,200women, Davina McCall’s cycling initiative - Diva 100,Cyletta cycle events supported by Victoria Pendleton,Everywoman’s Series (a range of duathlon andaquathon events) as well as the Great Scottish Run.

In this context of increased participation, it perhapsnot a surprise that despite tough economic conditions,the sports bra market continues to grow year on year.The sports bra category is one that has huge growth potential as there are still widespread misconceptions ofsports bras and a lack of understanding of the necessityfor all exercising women to wear one when they exercise.

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**GFK consumer research 2010.

martial arts is very popular. We don’t sell three items - football shirts,trainers and football boots. We try to specialise.”

Cockers had its fingers burnt by the multinational brands andmade a strategic decision to move away from the most popularsports products as its wealthy competitors flooded the market withinmargins it just could not dream of rivalling, as Craig explains: “Yearsago we had big accounts with the likes of Nike and Reebok, but wehad our noses pushed out by them.

“They began talking ridiculous money, which may have been okayfor others, but was out of our reach. They sell to Mr Whelan and MrAshley. An adidas shirt would be sold at the same price to us as it isto Mr Ashley - there’s no difference - and we just can’t afford it.”

It was a sad end to the shop’s association with football. In the1950s Cockers would nail the studs to the legendary Tom Finney’sboots. Further back in time it used to provide clogs, one of thesymbols of Lancashire’s great industrial past, and even used tomake its own skis to get a foothold in a new market.

It’s been a slippery slope since those heady days. History andreputation can only get you so far, and in the harsh world of retailthere is no room for sentiment. Bills have to be paid and when themoney doesn’t come in to cover them, downsizing is the only routeto avoid bankruptcy.

“For 10 years we paid £30,000 a year in rent,” adds Craig. “Wehave now moved to a smaller shop and the rent is £7,000. The

overheads are still crippling. Most established smallbusinesses are not all right and the banks

don’t seem to care. New businesses areoffered six months free, but then get

into problems and disappear.Eighteen years ago we had 10local businesses in the town likeourselves. Now we are the oneand only in Burnley.”

EDUCATIONSECTOR

The core reason for Cockers’continued existence is the education

sector. The shop works with around 40 schools from Burnley and thewider area in the county of Lancashire. “We have a tight businessplan but the main thing is to keep people happy,” admits Craig. “Ourwholesaler is now on pro forma, so we buy in, pay and then go intothe schools over the next 30 days. Our wholesaler has just been donefor a massive order of £4,000-£5,000. The company ordered butnever paid. They now work from week-to-week, and they struggle.”

The mighty beasts of UKsports retail prowl the high

streets and shopping malls upand down the country, seeking

to gain an edge in one of the mostcompetitive of sectors. For them it’s

all about image, marketing,advertising and ferociously

undercutting each other on price.If Dave Whelan’s JJB and Mike Ashley’s

Sports Direct are the big players, locked in a powerstruggle for the sporting pound, then the likes of HD Cockers & Sonsin Burnley are among the small fry, trying to eke out a living on theircoat-tails. It’s like intensive farming against the subsistence brigade.

Cockers has been a part of life in the old Lancashire mill townfor 118 years, almost a century before Whelan and Ashley foundedtheir companies in 1971 and 1982 respectively. The Cockers shophas passed through six generations of the family, but never in all thattime has trading been as hard as now.

UNPREDICTABLE“It’s tough - you just have to live day-to-day,” says Craig Cocker, adirector of the business and son of current proprietor Ken Cocker.“One day is very good and the next day is a kickin the teeth - and demonstrateswhy you had to make theprevious day very good. Theweather plays a part - we hadeight Saturdays in a row in Julyand August when it rained.People did not come outshopping. It’s also down to theeconomy - people have no money,they’ve been screwed by therecession.”

Ken has worked in the shop for 45years and now is assisted by Craig and hissister Cheryl. They are from the old school ofsalesmanship where the person serving the customer has knowledgeof the product and is willing to suggest the best buy. Anyonewalking into Cockers is not left to wait and wonder.

“We’re very hands-on. We prefer to serve customers than standthere and let them fend for themselves. We walk around, offeringadvice,” says Craig. “We go from the lower end - someone whowants a tip for their snooker cue - to rugby, darts and now mixed


DAVIDVS

It’s hard on the high street, but Burnley sportsretailer HD Cockers & Sons is continuing itsbattle against the odds. Adrian Hill reports

GOLIATH

“ ”WE PREFER TO

SERVE CUSTOMERS

THAN STAND THERE

AND LET THEM FEND

FOR THEMSELVES

Adds Craig: “It’s about customer service. In the bigsports stores they seem to be happy to just stand behind thecounter and take the money. The staff are not taught how to sell.We are one-on-one with the customer. That’s the decision wehave taken, but that’s how it’s always been.”

With no marketing or advertising budget to speak of, Cockersmust make use of the personal touch to drum-up trade.Recommendations are the crock of gold that businesses liketheirs seek, not gimmicks or slogans. The way they reach theircustomers has not changed since the shop was set up in the 19thcentury.

“We have no website,” explains Craig. “It would cost between£2,000-£5,000 and there is no guarantee that it would do us anygood. We don’t use newspapers, adverts or flyers - it’s all word ofmouth. We specialise and offer good rates. Our biggest trade isout-of-town through word of mouth.”

MUSCLING INOn the face of it, it’s a precarious existence, which is not helpedby another sector muscling in on their territory in recent years -Messrs Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons.

Says Craig: “The big supermarkets have got involved. Forinstance, on the swimming side they have goggles in their storesbecause Speedo want to get them out there and know that thereis a supermarket in every town. It really hurts independent stores


like ours.”The traditional blend that has made up the high street for

decades is under threat like never before, with those dealing innon-essentials right in the firing line. Originality and scarcity is stillsought after, but it’s through innovation that small businesses haveto reach some customers.

“We have an eBay account,” says Craig. “We sold double sixdominoes to a bloke in Glasgow recently, as he couldn’t find themanywhere else.”

It’s an unequal struggle of David and Goliath proportions. Thesqueeze on family-run shops is a by-product of the fiercelycompetitive world of sports retailing where size is everything. Thebig chains battle each other without apparent regard for the littleman. However, the emotional pull of maintaining a tradition datingback generations keeps the traditional end of the market inexistence, but only just.

“If we gave up, we would have given in to them [the bigstores],” says Craig with determination. “Those 118 years wouldhave all been for nothing, but if we keep on going for another 10-15 years we would have done very well.

“I’m a realist and I have to be pessimistic. I would love it if oneof the big boys went out of business - it would help us massively.JJB talk about shutting 45 businesses. That’s a lot, but how manyhave they got? It’s a different world for us.”

RETAIL

skill levels have gone through the roof.“The structure of the game has changed, too. There are now

three divisions in county cricket and the domestic first class game ismore competitive, with relegation and promotional issues to makethings more exciting. You only have to look at how the England teamis performing to see how these players have benefited fromimprovements in the county game. Matches are more competitive andthere’s more to play for. Technical improvements in equipment have apretty profound effect, too.

STRENGTH TOSTRENGTHGray-Nicolls can certainly take some ofthe credit for that. Its story starts in1855 when world rackets champion HJGray started a racket making company.GJ Nicolls began making cricket bats in1876 in Robertsbridge, East Sussex,where the company is based today.

The firms amalgamated in the1940s and the company is still

owned and controlled by theGray family. It quickly wentfrom strength to strength -England captain WallyHammond and Australian starKeith Miller used Gray-

Nicolls’ bats and at one time thecaptains of all five Test playing

countries - Ted Dexter, Richie Benaud, Frank Worrell, John Reid andTrevor Goddard - were satisfied customers.

During this time Gray-Nicolls pioneered major innovations like thesteel spring and the first shoulderless Superlite bat. In the 1970s thecompany was the first to use coloured bat labels, which quicklybecame a major trend. Test stars using the Gray-Nicolls red flashincluded the Chappell brothers, Clive Lloyd, Tony Grieg and BarryRichards. The company also broke new ground with a revolutionarybat with a weight reducing scoop; Brian Lara was using one when hescored the highest-ever first class innings of 501.

Further innovations included carbon and titanium handles, andmore runs were scored with Gray-Nicolls’ bats than any other brandin the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

Three years ago Wilton was involved in the development of arevolutionary double-sided bat designed for the fast changing moderngame, particularly Twenty20 cricket. He recalls: “The bat had aslightly smaller pressed area on the reverse - in essence it had amiddle on either side of the bat, which would allow a player to sweepthe ball around the wicket to increase scoring options.”

The idea stemmed from Kevin Pietersen’s famous switch hit,

What do WG Grace, Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook havein common apart, of course, from being cricket legends? NickWilton, brand manager for Gray-Nicolls, will tell you theanswer to that. They all had bats specially made by theSussex wizards of the willow - and were delighted with them.

Indeed, the company still has a letter from WG, written in 1895thanking it for its support, and with good reason - that season thegreat man scored his 100th century and made 1,000 runs with aGray-Nicolls’ bat.

“Top batsmen know exactly what sort ofbats they want and we make themto their precise specifications,” saysWilton. “Even today there’s verylittle mechanisation in bat makingand we rely heavily on the skill ofour craftsmen for hand finishing,balancing, weight and pick-up.”

EXCITEMENTWilton misses the excitement of first classcricket since he retired as Sussexwicketkeeper and batsman 10 years ago, but hehas been deeply involved in the game eversince - first as a Gray-Nicolls coach, then onthe sales team and now as brand manager.

“Cricket has been my life for as longas I can remember,” he says. “Now I’min contact with all levels, from Testcricket to youngsters coming into the game. Gray-Nicolls sponsors three counties - Yorkshire, Gloucestershire andNorthants - so I keep up to speed with what’s going on.”

And what is going on is a constant surprise. “Cricket has changeddramatically,” Wilton explains. “I can hardly recognise it as the firstclass game I played 10 years ago. Bats and other equipment havechanged just as much as the actual game. In my day you werelooking at bats with edges of between one and three centimetres.

Now they’re four or five centimetres.“Bats are bigger, lighter and

perform better, whichmakes players

more confidentand morecomfortable.They are goingout andexpressingthemselves.They scoremore freely and

Nick WiltonAlthough he retired from first class cricket 10 years ago, as a brand manager for Gray-Nicolls Nick Wilton is still

deeply involved in the game

MY SPORTING LIFE:

“”

BATS ARE BIGGER,

LIGHTER AND

PERFORM BETTER,

WHICH MAKES

PLAYERS MORE

CONFIDENT AND

MORE COMFORTABLE


INTERVIEW


which relies on flipping the bat over with alightning-fast hand motion, and it washoped the two-sided bat would enablemore players to use similarly inventivestrokes and play reverse sweeps.

“The switch hit moved cricketforward and it was something we had tokeep up with,” says Wilton. “We havedouble-sided bats in our museumfrom the 1960s, but they had notbeen seen for a while and reversehitting had become very popular.”

The two-sided bat wasmarketed for a couple of years,but is not currently in the Gray-Nicolls range. Wilton believes itstill has great potential in themodern game and could wellbe reintroduced after furtherdevelopment.

BAT MAKINGResearch into improvementsin bat design is unceasing,but is to some extentlimited by stringent MCClegislation. “For instance,you can’t have colouredbats,” says Wilton. “Orsynthetic enhancementssuch as graphite.”

But for all theexcitement oftechnical innovation,the basic process ofmaking cricket batsat Robertsbridge hasbarely changed overa century and a half.Gray-Nicolls is theonly bat maker togrow all its ownwillow on site - on a 15-acre plot near the villagecricket pitch. English willow isfelled after 20-25 years and choppedinto four foot sections - one tree willproduce between 30 and 40 bats.

The rough pieces, known as splits, are thendried for six weeks in a kiln, pressed at 2,000lbs persquare inch and left for six months to dry before beingmachined into a basic bat shape by a skilled operator.

Laminated cane for the handles comes from the FarEast and rubber shock absorbers from Pakistan. At thisstage bats come under the expert eye of master batmaker John Gasson, who joined the company 50 yearsago at 16 and has been fine-tuning bats ever since.

Gasson and his team use traditional tools such asdraw knives and spokeshaves - plus decades ofexperience - to balance and shape bats to perfectionand cater for every playing style and technique.Finished bats are performance tested using a lignumvitae hammer. “We are continually coming up with newblade shapes and are working on changing theproportion of handles to blades,” Wilton says. “Buteven with the latest technology, a top class limited

editionbat selling at around£350 has a surprisingly short life.

“With the demands of today’s game,you’d be lucky to keep a bat for a season. Themajority of players will try to keep a match batgoing for as long as they can once they’ve foundone they’re happy with and use other bats forpractice and warm-ups.

Others may use different bats for different forms of thegame - perhaps a heavier one for hitting out in Twenty20games. It all depends on what suits you.”

At 33 Wilton has lost none of his appetite for cricket andstill plays for a local side when he has time. “I enjoy playingand I’ve got a pretty good bat,” he says. No prizes forguessing who made it.

IS THE RACQUET SPORTSMARKET GROWING?The market has remained fairly static overthe last 12 months, with some exceptions.Racquetball is in the ascendancy, tennis hasbeen flat, and squash and badminton haveseen pockets of growth. In areas that havegood and enthusiastic coaches, growth isalways a strong possibility.

HOW HAS TRADE BEENFOR KARAKAL OVER THELAST 12 MONTHS?Karakal has seen very encouraging growthin its market share of entry-level tennis, aswell as steady sales in racquetball, squashand badminton. We have been particularlydelighted in our continued growth in racquetapparel. A large number of retail shopsreport record sales of Karakal products.

WHY SHOULD RETAILERS STOCKKARAKAL RACQUETS? Karakal provides a comprehensive range ofracquets in all four sports, as well as clothing,footwear and a good range of accessories.Generally the majority of Karakal’s productswill retail at least one price point below itscompetitors on like-for-like products. We arealso very aware of the costs of running retailoutlets and provide retailers with probablythe best margins in the racquet trade.

WHAT ARE KARAKAL’SKEY MARKETS OUTSIDETHE UK?Ten years ago our main market was theUK, but as the number of retailers declinedwe had to look at other markets. Today,with distributors in over 50 countries, ourexport sales are larger than our UK sales.Our main markets are Asia, Europe andNorth America.

WHICH RETAILERSSET A GOODEXAMPLE?Independents are generally good at selling

racquets. However, I have come acrosssome excellent retailers who place a lot ofpride in their racquet departments. JulianLefevre and his team at Greaves Sports inGlasgow is a shining example. They arevery proactive in their location and theirknowledge of products is excellent. BrianGannon of Gullane Sports in East Lothianand Andrew Gyles of Gyles Brothers inBristol are two more very good examples.

DO MOST RETAILERSKNOW ENOUGH ABOUTRACQUETS?During my travels around the UK I have beenastonished at some of the misconceptionsretailers have about the construction ofracquets. This is not always the fault of therep, as they are not always given the correctinformation themselves. The largestmisconception in the trade at the moment isabout the graphite composite. Many peoplebelieve the main material is graphite, with asmall amount of fibreglass added. In fact, themain material is aluminium with a smallamount of graphite added.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANTFOR RETAILERS TOUNDERSTAND WHATTHEY STOCK?If they have little knowledge about racquetproducts the customer will soon pick up on it.It’s so important to match the right productto the right customer, as failing to do so oftenputs the customer off their chosen sport.Retailers also need to stock productsthat will maximise their profits,and the ‘sexy’ products oftendon’t allow this.

HOW IMPORTANT IS ITFOR CUSTOMERS TOHAVE FACE-TO-FACECONTACT WITH ARETAILER RATHER THANBUY ONLINE?It is a massive opportunity retailers need tocapitalise on. By meeting and talking tocustomers direct they can advise them onthe product to match their ability andpocket. Often people become disillusionedwith products purchased online. The otheradvantage a retailer has with a face-to-facecustomer is the possibility that there will beextra add-on sales.

HOW CAN RETAILERSBROADEN THEIRCUSTOMER BASE? One of the most important aspects for aretailer is widening their customer base.Good retailers like Greaves Sports don’tjust wait for the customer to cross thethreshold, they are proactive in the localcommunity. Staff attend functions at clubs’open days and promote the shop and itsbenefits.

Many shops attach themselves to localcoaches and promote their ranges this way.Incentives both in-store and throughcoaches are also a good way of keepingloyal customers.

Many good shops have excellentwebsites as well. A combination of bothshould provide a good opportunity for aprosperous and vibrant business.

Sports Insight spoke to Karakal partner Mark Kenyonabout the brand and the racquets sector

MAXIMISING RACQUET SPORTS


Winmau’s 2012 darts collection was launched on September 19 and it is anothermarket leading offering from the premium darts equipment manufacturer.

The response to Winmau’s 2011 collection was incredible and the companyreached new heights with the record breaking Blade 4 dartboard. The 2012collection takes this to a new level.

Winmau has added Steve ‘The Bronzed Adonis’ Beaton to its World Champion range alongside players such as Ted Hankey, Andy Fordham, Dennis Priestley and Trina Gulliver. With a unique knurled point and microgrip, Steve’s darts are a great addition to the portfolio.

Another market first is the launch of the Diamond Plus dartboard, whichfeatures 50 per cent thinner dynamic sector wire. Winmau continues to dominate this key market sector and can report a strong growth in dartboardsales this year.

However, it doesn’t just stop there, as Winmau has introduced some amazingly quirky and technical products that offer retailers a great opportunity to add value to their darts assortment. The Whizlock Shaft Capsand Flight Punch offer the keen darter a real plus in performance and increased life from their nylon shafts. Ted Hankey’s self-designed CoffinDarts Case is simply a brilliant concept and is a must for any Ted fans oranyone with a love of the Lord of Darkness.

The new WinCool darts shirt looks stylish and aids performance with itsmesh ventilation and anti-microbial technology, whilst the Winmau flightand shaft range has been enhanced with some eye-catching new designs.

Winmau is the largest producer of military grade tungsten darts in the world,and there are several notable additions to the darts range - The AluminiumTitanium Nitride coated 90% tungsten Highlander darts, tungsten and brassGift Sets (including many extras) and Leighton Rees brass darts in the WorldChampions range.

The Professional Darts Set now includes the Diamond Plus dartboard andthe company has also produced a new Slimline Aluminium Case and knurledpoints, which finish off the new range in style.

“2011 to date has been a phenomenal year that has exceeded our expectationsin all areas,” says Ian Flack, Winmau’s Sales and Marketing Director. “In fact, we haven’t discontinued one product from the 2011 range due tosuccessful sales across the board.

“With the 2012 assortment, we have simply strengthened the portfolio evenfurther. This has been bolstered by the most successful product launch inWinmau’s history - the Blade 4 dartboard. More people are buying Winmauthan ever before, and we are really proud of the team effort to produce our2012 collection.”

Winmau’s brand exposure has continued to gather pace worldwide. The Winmau World Masters was broadcast on ESPN, Eurosport and EurosportAsia in September to a global audience in well over 100 countries. The BBC’scoverage of the Lakeside World Championships will be enhanced by jointcoverage from ESPN and also global coverage via BBC Worldwide, whichensures this tournament remains the biggest in world darts.

Winmau has always been a dominant power in the UK and its export business is thriving, with new markets coming on stream almost everymonth. The company now exports to nearly 100 countries globally.

Winmau is moving the brand into live streaming of darts tournamentsthrough its 38-year relationship with the British Darts Organisation and related bodies. With webcasts viewed for weeks after the events, this promisesto be yet another exciting channel for Winmau to deliver televised darts topeople’s homes. The company has also invested heavily in the booming areaof social media and has a growing following on Twitter and Facebook.

Winmau’s commitment to design, functionality and retailer value allows itto justify the reputation it has built up over the past 65 years. The companyprides itself on its stock management and delivery lead times. With its slickUK operation and commitment to Group-owned manufacturing via the company’s bespoke facility in Kenya, Winmau has reinvented the darts distribution chain, allowing stockists to gain maximum advantages fromkeen pricing, increased sales and innovative products that are second tonone in the industry.

Winmau’s 2012 collection has a magical feel about it, as it strives to definethe future of darts retailing in today’s highly connected marketplace. Withthe televised darts season up and running, the launch of the new Winmaucollection and many new products (including world number one Dean Winstanley’s range) already in development, 2012 is set to be another goodyear for Winmau and its customers.

For details of the full range contact Winmau’s sales team via

telephone: +44 (0)1656 767042, fax: +44 (0)1656 650468,

email: [email protected] or log on to winmau.com

Winmau Dartboard Company Ltd., South Road, Bridgend Industrial Estate, Bridgend, CF31 3PT, UK

e-mail: [email protected] Tel +44 (0) 1656 767042 Fax +44 (0) 1656 650468

launches new 2012 collection

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IN SEASON CRICKET

England’s ascent to the top of the Test rankings hasbeen swift, and led commentators to call the last few

months a triumph for cricket both their home series this summer, and the England Lions, EnglandUnder 19 team and the national age group squads we administerfrom here. The England development programme, which targetsthe best cricketers in the 16-18 age group, is a priority for us.Former England captain Michael Vaughan is among the leadingex-players who play a key role in preparing the next generation.

HOW STRONG IS THE SPORT’S GRASS ROOTS?The ECB puts in excess of £20 million a year into grass rootscricket and the benefits are being felt in all areas of the game -with the number of qualified coaches now at an all-time highof 33,000. A major emphasis is being placed on investmentinto facilities, which means helping clubs improve theirpitches, pavilions and practice facilities.

DO YOU THINK YOUNG PEOPLEARE BEING INSPIRED BY THECURRENT SUCCESS OF THEENGLAND TEAM?There was a significant upsurge in participation followingthe iconic Ashes 2005 series in England and the events ofthis summer will no doubt help boost participation further.Around half a million youngsters currently play the game ina network of around 6,000 affiliated clubs nationwide and newfaster forms of cricket like Last Man Stands [an eight-a-sidegame] and indoor cricket will accelerate this process.

SHOULD CRICKET RETAILERS BE ANTICIPATING A GOOD 12 MONTHS OF TRADING?Cricket is not immune tothe recession and we havebeen affected by the fall inconsumer spend just asother sectors of theleusire industry have. Butour international ticketsales were strong thissummer - the best sinceEngland’s historic Ashesseries win in 2005 - andthis has been helpful indriving sales withingrounds via club shopsas well as in thegrowing onlinemarket.

That there was a huge turnout supporting England at lastmonth’s International Cricket Council Awards is hardlysurprising. The team has had an extraordinarily good year,retaining the Ashes in Australia and becoming the world

number one Test side.The speed of the team’s march to the summit of the world

game is particularly remarkable, considering their form as recently asthe spring of 2009. Its international success is not just good news forcricket fans and cricket retailers, but a huge vote of confidence for

the ECB, which has put many of the structures in place that allowthe national team to achieve such excellence.

The National Cricket Performance Centre is an all-year-roundfacility that benefits cricket as a whole. Under the guidance of theECB’s performance director David Parsons, its philosophy is toidentify and select the most talented cricketers, developing themthrough coaching and support services to achieve their potential.

If the ICC awards were any pointer, it appears to be working -Alistair Cook was crowned Test player of the year after his efforts

against Australia last winter - the first English player to win the award- while Jonathon Trott’s outstanding play over the last 12 monthsscooped him the award for best cricketer of the year.

Sports Insight spoke to ECB spokesman Andrew Walpole aboutthe background to England’s year of success.

HOW MUCH OF THE CURRENT SUCCESS ISDOWN TO THE WORK OF THE NATIONALCRICKET PERFORMANCE CENTRE? The NCPC has had an important role to play both in the provisionof the best sports science and medicine expertise, and also inproviding access to specialist coaching in all the main disciplines -batting, fast and slow bowling, wicketkeeping and fielding.

WHAT LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT ANDTRAINING HAS PRODUCED SUCH GOODRESULTS FOR ENGLAND?Achieving world number one status in Test cricket is primarily down tothe players, who have performed consistently and been superbly led

by Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower. Our preparation work hasbeen highly praised, with many cricket writers saying we were

the best England fielding side ever to tour Australia last winter.That has helped, as has a renewed commitment to buildingfitness and helping minimise injuries wherever possible.

WHAT HAS THE NCPC BEENFOCUSING ON SINCE IT OPENED?

The NCPC is very much a hub and centre of excellence forall England cricket teams - not just men, but our very

successful England women’s team, who won


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Gymphlex launched a new sportswear range at this year’sSchoolwear Show specifically developed for the school sport sector.

The advanced multisport range uses technical fabrics to createhigh performance garments. Offering a targeted range ofgarments, schools will be able to create a cohesive sportingidentity. Available in a wide range of school colours, there’s alsothe option to add embroidered or printed badges, which could runacross all sporting disciplines.

“We have learnt a great deal about school sportswear since westarted in 1906, enabling us to capitalise on our design and

GYMPHLEX LAUNCHES NEW SCHOOL SPORTSWEAR SOLUTION manufacturing experience to create a high performance andflexible school sportswear solution,” says Simon Ward, salesdirector at Gymphlex.

“We have been able to use all of our knowledge to develop thisrange, which possesses many of the features Gymphlex hasbecome known for. With our newly developed brand portfolio weare confident that Gymphlex will enhance its customer basefurther, building on our existing band of loyal followers as moreand more schools embrace the opportunity to develop a cohesiveschool or team identity.”

To find out more about Gymphlex visit

www.gymphlex.co.uk or call 01507 523243.

0.1TRAIN

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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.

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To receive a brochure or enquire about a trade account

call 01386 859 551 or visit www.fitness-mad.com

Fitness-Mad specialise in high specification fitness equipment focusing on the

areas of core stability, resistance, boxing & strength training.

The company’s sister brands, Yoga-Mad and Pilates-Mad, are the UK’s leading

brands of studio-quality yoga and Pilates equipment, offering a comprehensive

range of mats, props and small equipment.

The same MAD equipment that is the choice of many leading studios and clubs is available to independent sporting

goods retailers in new eye-catching retail packaging. The MAD brands offer high margins and minimal

commitments; come and see for yourself!

Joma Sport is the official

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La Liga giants Valencia C.F and

the official footwear sponsor to

Liverpool’s Pepe Reina.

Joma has over 40 years

experience of designing and

manufacturing the highest

quality technical football team

apparel and football boots and

has established itself as one of

Europe’s premium heritage

football brands.

The Joma Sport UK Sales team

are looking forward to meeting

all STAG members at the show.

In the meantime if you want to

find out more about the Joma

brand please contact UK &

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Jon Haile on 07540 049814 or

email [email protected]

IN SEASON TABLE TENNIS


There are a number of reasons why table tennis is in favour atthe moment. The amount of school children playing isincreasing, and when children ask their parents for a table sothey can play at home or in the garden the whole family plays.

The English Schools’ Table Tennis Association has revealed asubstantial increase in participation in competitions. It has beenworking with the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) to takeadvantage of government investment through Sport England and theYouth Sport Trust to increase participation in schools.

SUPPORTWe support the English Schools’ National Championships by providingthe table tennis tables, balls and other equipment for these events. Weare also working with them on three national projects: the ButterflySkills Programme, which is based on a coaching manual and awardsscheme with ETTA; the Butterfly ‘More Schools’ Project, which is atoolkit to help new schools start playing the sport; and the ButterflySchools’ League Project, which has encouraged more than 200 newschool table tennis leagues to organise competitions throughoutEngland. This last project falls clearly within the government’s aim ofintroducing more young people to regular competitive sport.

The second reason for the sport’s popularity is the work beingdone by ETTA and its partners. This has included initiatives such asPing, where table tennis tables were located throughout London lastsummer and followed up this summer in Birmingham and Hull. Therehas also been promotion inuniversities, where theButterfly EasifoldRollaway table has beenselected for thisparticular programme.

Another majorinitiative is by the charityGreenhouse, which hassupported full-timeprofessional coaches inseveral schools for thepast 10 years to the tuneof millions of pounds.

Sales of outdoor

Alan Ransome, managingdirector of Ransome Sporting

Goods, the distributor forButterfly and Donic Schildkrot,

explains why table tennis isenjoying new-found popularity

POSITIVESPIN

tables are on the rise, not just for gardens but parks, open spaces andschools as well. Throughout Europe outdoor table tennis tables incampsites, recreation areas, town centres and on beaches are afamiliar site - and they’re becoming increasingly common in the UK.We have seen a significant increase in sales of both our range ofconcrete tables and the standard permanent tables that have aspecial wood finish for the playing top and steel legs andundercarriage. The concrete tables have a particularly long life.

Some new ideas are coming through for the sport as well. RecentlyI spent a couple of evenings at the Spin Club, a social table tennis clubin New York, which is part owned by the actress Susan Sarandon. Itresembled a 10 pin bowling alley, except instead of bowling lanes it wasall table tennis tables, with a bar and restaurant, purely for social play.The idea has already spread to Toronto, Milwaukee and St Petersburgin Florida, and I’ve heard talk of similar initiatives in London.

DIFFERENCENext year’s Olympics has already had a significant impact on tabletennis. In particular, government investment through the Youth SportTrust into schools has made and will continue to make a big difference.

The publicity concerning the test event, the ITTF Pro Tour Finals inNovember at ExCeL in London - the venue for 2012 - and the Gamesthemselves will obviously be very beneficial. We are hoping some ofour sponsored players will be in Team GB. In fact, the whole of theEnglish team selected for the European Championships in Poland thismonth (seven players in all) use Butterfly equipment, and this includescurrent number one and three times champion Paul Drinkhall.

In terms of brand popularity, a new range of Butterfly rubber sheetscalled Tenergy has taken the international game by storm and most ofthe best players are now using it. At the English Championships inMarch all the winners and runners-up in the main events were usingButterfly equipment -the first time any tabletennis brand hasenjoyed this level ofachievement.

IN SEASON FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL

UHLSPORT INFINITY RAIN JACKETFrom the start of pre-season to the end of season awards, conditions can beunpredictable to say the least. The uhlsport infinity rain jacket incorporatesSmartbreathe HI COUNT technology, making it highly weatherproof andwater resistant. The elasticated hem cord, cuffs and full mesh lining worktogether to keep the rain out and players training for longer when lesserjackets would force you inside.



Available to all uhlsport customers at a net price of £10 in

all colourways while stocks last. For additional information call

uhlsport on 08448 849861 or email [email protected].

NEW SENSPORT ADRENALIN CUSTOM

RANGE Adrenalin by Sensport is a range of stylish, cutting-edge

garments in high performance fabrics designed to offer thecomplete multi-sport package to large clubs and organisations,

or focused ranges to single sports clubs, offering great value for money. Available in combinations of 18 colours, male and female pro and

regular fit. With styles to suit football, rugby, cricket, hockey, netball,lacrosse, basketball, athletics, and leisure and training wear, the

possibilities are endless.Lead times: 6-8 weeks. Minimum order: 15 units per style.

For more information on Sensport Adrenalin

call 02476 644 666, email [email protected]

or visit www.sensport.co.uk.

IN SEASON SWIMMING


The British Gas Learn to Swim programme has taught 600,000children to swim, making it the most successful sports initiativeof its kind. The Big Splash campaign, launched earlier this year,

is also looking like a winner, says Catherine Eade

Not since a disorientated whale took a

wrong turn and ended up in the River

Thames in 2006 has a swimmer

attracted so much attention from an

adoring public.

Comedian David Walliams’achievement of swimming the length ofthe Thames recently garnered as manycolumn inches as Eddie Izzard’s multiplemarathon feat in 2009. Walliamsmanaged the 140-mile swim - equivalentto swimming the Channel seven times -in eight days, despite various setbacksincluding illness and back problems.

HEROESThe comedian’s accomplishment is oneof many such long distance swims toraise money for charity, and it seemsthere are an increasing number ofheroes of the open water, such as JulieBradshaw, the British woman whorecently circumnavigated ManhattanIsland doing only the butterfly stroke.

It is great news for swimming thatthere is no shortage of high profileambassadors. Recent research releasedby the ASA, the sport’s governing body,showed that apart from walking,swimming is still the most participatedin sport in England, with the totalnumber of adult swimmers who swim atleast once a month estimated to be 5.56million. The number of swimmers hasincreased this year, says the ASA, whichalthough helped by high profile namessigning up for swimming challenges, ismainly due to the ASA’s massparticipation campaign the Big Splash.

Launched in May this year, the BigSplash hopes to inspire people to getinto the pool ahead of the 2012Olympics, and the signs are it hasalready been extremely successful. ASAspokesperson Kelly McHugh says: “Wehave definitely seen an upsurge in thechallenges being undertaken at present.

This has coincided with David Walliams’Big Splash Challenge for Sport Reliefand also the Irish Channel swim.

“We heavily promoted the Thamesswim and this is currently the mostpopular challenge being undertaken.These events certainly help to raise theprofile of swimming and we fullysupport them.”

With an increasing number ofswimmers looking for such challengesto liven up their routines, the launch ofthe Big Splash seems timely. Last montha partnership was launched betweenCommunity Swimming and LA Fitness,where 78 pools nationwide opened theirdoors to the public, allowing non-members to enjoy private swimmingpool facilities.

Zoggs is one brand that is putting itsmoney where its mouth is by becomingthe title sponsor of the Aspire ChannelSwim. Laudably, the brand has signedup its entire head office staff of 30people to swim the 22-mile EnglishChannel distance in their local poolwithin 12 weeks.

KEENInspired by such athletic feats andbeing a keen if casual swimmer myself,I am attempting to swim the Channelin my local pool after registering withSwimfit, the online programmedeveloped by the ASA and sponsoredby British Gas. (To manage the entiredistance in less than three months Ineed to swim 118 lengths per week.)

The Big Splash website has arange of watery targets. Fancyswimming round the Isle ofWight? That’s a cool 65miles to cover. Theinteractive mapis particularlyuseful anda great

motivation to stay in the water that bitlonger and do 10 more lengths. The ASAsays more than 50,000 people havesigned up to the Swimfit challenge since itwas launched.

Next year Swimathon, the world’sbiggest fundraising swim, joins BritishSwimming, the BBC’s Big Splash, MarieCurie Cancer Care and Sport Relief topromote what is hoped will be thebiggest Swimathon Weekend ever onApril 27-29. The event will be hosted in600 pools across the UK and provideswimmers with a personal challenge,goals to train for and causes to support.

This is good news for swimmingbrands and could be the start of a longdistance swimming habit for manypeople, myself included.

As Sports Insight went to press,Catherine had swum almost halfwayacross the Channel.

IN SEASON SWIMMING

JAKABEL IS IN STOCK ALL YEAR ROUND● Full range of neoprene wetsuits 0-11 years.● Floatsuits from 2-5 years.● UV 50+ wear from baby to 13 years.● Pool toys and accessories for all ages.● 2-3 day delivery.

For more information call +44 (0)20 8715 2385,

email [email protected] or visit www.jakabel.com.

Call 01254 692200 for your intro to

the uber-cool Kayenne Junior.


SWIMMING


BACK TO SCHOOL - NEW KAYENNE JUNIORSWIM GOGGLEVoted ‘10 out of 10’ and ‘Best on Test’ by 220 Triathlon, AquaSphere’s Kayenne goggle delivers true innovation. Its smart low-drag frame offers outstanding four-way vision (up and down aswell as 180 degrees to the side), a great bonus for open waterswimmers as well as pool enthusiasts.

The clever Quick Fit buckle enables fast and simple strapadjustment for a superbly comfortable fit. Fast becoming adesign icon, Aqua Sphere is now primed to launch a juniorversion - available for pre-order now - in fresh teen shades,bringing the best goggle innovation to a younger market.

IN SEASON INDOOR SPORTS

INDOOR SPORTS

WINMAUThe Diamond Plus Dartboard is another first from the world’s leading dartboardmanufacturer. This stunning new dartboard offers a wiring system that is leaner,more refined and geared towards modern darts performance at the advancedlevel. This board features a completely new high tensile Dynamic Sector Wiringsystem with wafer thin 0.75mm wires for reduced bounce outs.

GIFT SETS - ADVANCED RETAIL FOCUS

Winmau’s amazing value gift sets give retailers the opportunity to sell aprofessional 80 per cent tungsten or brass set for any aspiring darts player. Withtwo extra sets of flights, two extra sets of shafts and a checkout table, this truly isthe perfect darting gift.



For more information call +44 (0)1656 767042,

email [email protected] or visit www.winmau.com.

A robust hosting service for your online store is aprerequisite for its success, says Dave Howell

The cost of server space has fallen significantly over thelast few years. The chances are your site is still hosted on amanaged server, which simply means you share it with severalother businesses. The problem with this approach is that anyissues the other businesses may have with their websites couldadversely affect your online store.

A dedicated server, as the name suggests, gives yourbusiness its own unique server that is physically separate fromthe others your ISP has in its server rooms. Companies likeServerBeach offer customers dedicated servers, as well as theability to purchase different levels of support, thus avoidinghigh maintenance costs.

“Hosting is very much a horses for courses thing - it’s aquestion of getting the best and most appropriate solutionthat you can afford,” explains Abby Hardoon, founder andmanaging director of web hosting specialist Daily. “There’s noneed to hamstring yourself financially, though. If you’re juststarting out or you’re a relatively small business and you knowyour way around a server, you might like to consider a virtualprivate server, for example. These provide the flexibility of adedicated server, but at a reduced cost.

“If you want to set up an online shop, it’s worthconsidering something like an eShop package, which includesshop creation and back office functionality along with thehosting. If you’re smallish and not confident managing aserver, a higher-end shared web hosting package could be justup your street, as they’re usually easier for the non-techiesamong us to deal with.”

GEOGRAPHIC REDUNDANCYTo ensure your site stays live for the maximum time possibleISPs are now offering geographic redundancy services, whichsimply means that several servers at different locations are usedto ensure a website is live at all times, no matter what happens.

“The 1&1 Dual Hosting concept delivers a new dimensionof resilience as every online presence exists in two differenthigh performance data centres at the same time,” saysOliver Mauss, CEO of web host 1&1 Internet.“Freelancers, professionals and small tomedium-sized businesses thus benefit from asafeguard that before now only largeorganisations could afford.”

1&1 uses geo-cluster systems in order tocreate redundancy across locations. All data andprocesses are mirrored in separately locatedEuropean data centres. If there should be anyunexpected problems at one of the locations, such as anelectricity or server blackout, all upcoming exercises areautomatically taken over by the other data centre.

It is also important you understand who is hosting your

How long has your website been hosted by its ISP?Often overlooked, many retailers will have set up thehosting for their online store several years ago andthen neglected to review the service on a regular basis.But in a market awash with vendors due to theexplosion of cloud-based services, now is a good timeto overhaul your business hosting.

The quality of your hosting service is vital, as even shortdowntimes could mean substantial amounts of lost revenue.“There is strong evidence that the faster the website, the moresuccessful it will be,” says Nick Kington, managing director ofecommerce supplier Actinic. “We know that Google usesperformance as a key factor when ranking a site and yourvisitors will expect a fast response. If the response is slow, itwill put them off.

“Research has highlighted that a half-second delay inloading a web page can reduce traffic by 20 per cent and thatimproving speed reduces abandonment rates by up to 41 percent when selling online. The use of modern, fast hardwareand high speed internet connections, together with controllingthe number of sites on each server, will help to ensure a fastresponse. Too many sites on a server will lead to serveroverload and poor performance.”

HOST WITHTHE MOST


“EASY OPTIONDominic Monkhouse, UK managing director of PEER 1Hosting, says many hosting providers charge an all-in fee forset-up, hardware, operating system, support and bandwidth.“This may seem like an easy option, but the problem withthese deals is you can’t see exactly where your money is goingand so can’t see if you’re paying for things you don’t need,”he explains. “The best way to ensure you’re not taken for aride is to ask for a breakdown of services and individualquotes for support, bandwidth, additional hardware, etc. It’sthe only way to know what’s being delivered, what isn’t andwhat is surplus to requirements.”

”A HALF-SECOND

DELAY IN LOADING

A WEB PAGE CAN

REDUCE TRAFFIC BY

20 PER CENT

E-TAILING

site. This may sound odd, but some hosting companies arethemselves hosted by other ISPs. One of the best ways offinding out the owner of your ISP is by using Netcraft(http://news.netcraft.com), a service that allows you to seewho is hosting your site, which is important when ensuringyour service level agreements are honoured by their rightfulowners and not handled by a third party.

The advent of cloud computing, increased mobileinternet access and the continued proliferation ofecommerce has meant that today’s business hostingservices offer much more than they used to.

Looking to the future, Abby Hardoon concludes: “Itseems likely that cloud and software as a service willcontinue to play an increasing role in business hosting, andthe trend we’re seeing is definitely towards virtual privateservers, so we expect this market to continue to develop. Inthe still recuperating economic climate, we also expect thereto be an increased focus on reliability and service -customers can ill afford to risk their businesses on pile 'emhigh, sell 'em cheap hosting companies that place lessemphasis on service delivery.”

Customers are more inclined to buy from reliable onlinebusinesses that are available when they want to shop. Arobust hosting service for your online store is a prerequisitefor its success and the ISP you choose to host your site is animportant partner that should be embraced as an essentialcomponent of your company.


CHECKLIST1. SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTAny hosting service worth its salt should offer you one ofthese. Look closely at every clause so you don’t have anynasty surprises. Most items should be open for negotiation.

2. BANDWIDTHThe speed and efficiency of your website depends on howmuch data your server can send and receive. This is thebandwidth. Look for a hosting service that has bandwidthutilisation of below 50 per cent to avoid bottlenecks.

3. DEDICATED SERVERSTo avoid problems that other websites may have on theserver you are sharing with them, look for a hosting servicethat offers dedicated servers. These cost more, but give yougreater control over security.

4. CONNECTION TO THE BACKBONEYour ISP can be connected to the internet in one of threeways - these are referred to as tiers 1, 2 and 3. Look for ahost that has a tier 1 connection, as this means it has its ownportion of the internet that it controls. Tier 1 connectionsare the most expensive, but also the most reliable.

5. CAPACITYLook at the data traffic statistics your ISP should be able to

provide you with. What you are looking for is highlevels of uptime, which means

that the ISP is alwaysconnected to the internetand can cope with the

traffic your website isgenerating.

6. TRACKINGYour ISP shouldbe able to provideyou with fulltraffic statistics ofthe data that movesthough your server.This information isimportant when youare tracking return

on investment.

Cybertill has helped many sports and outdoors retailers reduce stock whilst increasing sales. It is an easy to use web based EPoS system, which seamlessly links with Cybertill’s ecommerce solution. It gives retailers a real time view of their stock and sales in-store and online so they never sell stock they don’t have. To find out more visit Cybertill at any STAG or INTERSPORT Buying Shows or arrange a free demonstration in-store by calling 0800 030 4432.

Reduce Stock and Increase Sales with Cybertill

Cybertill @ STAG Ireland & UK

Buying Shows:

23/24 Oct & 20/21 Nov

Cybertill is recommended by both STAG Buying Group and INTERSPORT to their members

[email protected]

E-TAILING

Mike Thornhill, CEO of ActivInstinct,provides his top tips for a successful season

I know what you’re thinking, the sun has barely set onanother classic British summer, so it’s surely not right to betalking about Christmas already. In many ways that is theright sentiment to have particularly if, like I, you think thatthere is something slightly distasteful about Harrodsopening its Christmas shop in July.

However, if you are a retailer you should already be planningfor the busiest time of the year - especially so if you are an onlineretailer, as the sales peak comes a couple of weeks before that ofbricks and mortar. Verdict Research is forecasting that online salesgrowth for Q4 2011 will be 16 per cent, so that’s an incentive ifever there was one to ensure that you’ve thought of everythingbefore it is too late.

At ActivInstinct we’ve found the following list a good basis toplan from and check that we have contingencies in place:

PRODUCTMake sure you have a view of what your best selling lines are likelyto be and you’ve got plenty of stock ordered - now is a good timeto double check and place top-up orders where you’re low or thinkyou might have underestimated originally.

MARKETINGFor many online retailers paid search is a major channel for sales, sonow is a good time to review your campaigns to make sure they coverall the categories and products you offer and check the ad copy tomake sure it is up to date. Remember too that as the Christmas tradingseason starts to heat up, prices for clicks start to increase, so closelymonitor the performance of your campaigns in the peak weeks andadjust where necessary to make sure they perform across the period.

Plan out your email communications and update yournewsletter templates, so that they reflect the season and help getyour customers in the mood to buy.

DELIVERYMake sure your last order/delivery dates and times are easy to findon your site, and be as specific as possible if different products orgeographies have differing cut offs.

The past two bad winters have proved that even the biggestcouriers can have difficulty delivering presents to customers in timefor Christmas. This could mean that customers might be wary andneed reassurance, so have a contingency plan for bad weather (andmake sure your couriers do) so that you can reassure them. It alsomight mean that sales pick up earlier than last year as people placeorders in plenty of time to get them, so make sure all of your stockis in as early as possible and your marketing activity is underway.

STAFFINGPlan the number of staff you need in customer services and thewarehouse, and make sure that everyone is available. It is also goodto have an agency on hand that can send part-time staff quicklyshould anything happen and you need someone to step in.

WEBSITEFinally, and perhaps the most important part of the whole mix, isthe place where customers will spend their money. Now is the timeto take a good look at your site and the analytics to see if there areany areas with high bounce rates that you need to fix before thingsget busy, as there’s no point in driving traffic to your site if peopleleave without ordering.

Remember that web shoppers are time poor at the best of times,but at this time of year that gets amplified hugely so make sure thatyour navigation is clear and the categories and products that will sellbest are on view as soon as the customer hits your site.

Make sure that you put a bit of festive sparkle on your site assoon as you are able to, as shoppers will expect this and you’ll reallystand out if you don’t.

JANUARY SALENot strictly a part of Christmas, butwith many online retailers hittingthe sale button onChristmas day lastyear, you’ll need tohave the changeover planned andready to go sothat you don’tmiss out onanyopportunityto closeout theyear witha bang.

CHRISTMASIS COMING


I should have twigged something was upwhen my assistant Norman put on hisbest blazer and asked for an hour off tohave his ears syringed.

He also mentioned twice in one week thathe hadn’t had a pay rise since 1984, was stillowed two weeks of last year’s holiday and Ihadn’t paid his National Insurance since 2004.

Okay, I might not be the world’s mostwonderful employer, but I have bought theelevenses doughnuts on a pretty regular basissince 1998 and usually turn a blind eye whenhe logs on to Twitter during the lunch hourand pretends to young ladies in Thailand thathe’s Stephen Fry.

PRETTY DAFTAnyway, when I came back from lunch lastTuesday Norman handed me a letteraddressed to ‘To Whom It May Concern’,which was pretty daft considering there’sbeen no one in the shop but him and mesince I took over from my dad in 1981.

The letter, which began ‘Dear Sir,’ officiallygave me four weeks’ notice and asked for hisP45 and - would you believe it? - a reference.

The formalities over, hetold me he hadbeen offered ajob as actingassistanttemporarydeputymanager ofleisurefootwear by ourdeadliest rival,the localbranch of asports goodschain, and as he hadread somewhere that proactive marketing washere to stay, felt it would be prudent to take it.

It seems his wife has also been stickingher oar in by saying that I had exploited himmercilessly and underpaid him for years andit was high time he found a job more suited tohis undoubted abilities.

They had also offered him four weeks’paid holiday, a non-contributory pensionscheme, opportunities for promotion, adiscount on in-store purchases, subsidisedcanteen facilities and a place on the waiting

TAIL-ENDER

list for the firm’s holidaytimeshare in Marbella.“That’s all very well,” Isaid. “But you’ll have tobuy your owndoughnuts.”

When itseemed obviousthat Norman (orhis wife) hadfirmly made hismind up, Ishook his hand,wished him allthe best andgave him thebottle ofScotch I’d gotfrom a pub raffle.

That eveningmy wife was very crosswhen she heard I had accepted Norman’sresignation without a fight. “You know you can’tmanage without him,” she said. “You can’t dothe VAT returns and you can’t work the burglaralarm. You don’t even know how to kick thefront door shut when it rains. And remember I

play whist with his wifeand we’re in the semi-finals of the WI Cup.You’d better sort it outtomorrow and I’ll havea word with Kevin.”

Kevin, in caseyou’rewondering,is my wife’ssecondcousin whoworks in the

swimweardepartment of

the sports chain’s branch in the next town. Itseems that in exchange for a bottle of ScotchKevin agreed to give Norman an idea ofwhat he was letting himself in for.

TOOK THE BAITI can report that Norman took the bait. Theymet apparently accidentally in a pub down theroad and Kevin soon got into his stride.Norman would, of course, be expected to weartrainers, not only at work but at home, too.

At work he would wear a yellow blazerwith his name on the pocket and be expectedto order a sushi takeaway for lunch. After workhe would be compelled to attend departmentalseminars on organisational culture, loyaltyoverlap, the tall poppy syndrome andcounselling out (that’s getting the sack).

His boss was into amateur dramatics andwould require Norman to attend the shows (hewas about to play the lion in The Wizard of Oz).If he claimed time off to go to the dentist, asupervisor would later check what dental workhad been done and mark the fillings on a chart.

Attendance at the company’s football andcricket matches was compulsory, so werebowling nights and country dancingcompetitions. Self-defence and karate classeswere encouraged - the CEO’s wife was abrown belt. A wheelbarrow race in the carpark commemorated the chairman’s birthday.

When I arrived at the shop the followingmorning, Norman was sitting at the counter withhis head in his hands. He said he might havemade a terrible mistake. After he had agreed tobuy the doughnuts until at least the end of nextyear, I said he could have his job back.

That evening I rang Kevin tocongratulate him on his powers ofpersuasion. Of course, I intend to keep myside of the bargain and give him a bottle ofScotch the moment I’ve found some way ofgetting it back from Norman.

UNDER THECOUNTER


A sideways look at the worldof independent retailing

”“ATTENDANCE AT

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