Sports Trader Feb/March 2013

Southern Africa’s business-to-business magazine for the sport, outdoor and leisure industries • Vol 34 No 1Industry :: p1 • February/March 2013

warriorfootball.com

Tips to sell knives Holiday sales disappoint Future product trends from ispo show

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

Vol 34 Nr 1 February/March 2013 www.sportstrader.co.za

Industry

On the cover The Warrior brand entered the South African market last year and since then they have been loudly proclaiming that they come not to play.

The brand embodies a frame of mind: achievement and outplaying the competition … no matter what you are doing.

They have been backing the brand’s attitude with strong product and highprofile athlete and team signings.

For trade enquiries contact Warrior Sport on Tel: 021 705 6224, email katharine. tromp@warrior.com or visit www.warriorfootball.com.

Publisher: Nic du Toit Editor: Carin Hardisty Managing editor: Trudi du Toit Proofreader: Liz Milburn Features: Bevan Frank Carin Hardisty, Fanie Heyns Nelle du Toit, Nic du Toit, Rhianah Fredericks, Trudi du Toit Design: Carin Hardisty Photography: Nic du Toit Nelle du Toit Advertising: Nic du Toit Subscriptions: Johann du Toit Printing: ABC Press Distribution: Tunleys Sports Trader is published bi-monthly

by Rocklands Communications cc.

Reg. No: 1997/057165/23.

Members: N. J. & G. C. du Toit

Contact details:

PO Box 12197 Mill Street 8010 22 Rocklands Avenue, Vredehoek, Cape Town 8001 Tel: 021 461 2544 Fax: 021 461 2549 Website: www.sportstrader.co.za Facebook: SportsTraderMagazine Twitter: @SASportsTrader Advertising: nicol@sportstrader.co.za Editorial: trudi@sportstrader.co.za Subscribe: carin@sportstrader.co.za Publication information: The title and contents of Sports Trader are protected by copyright. It is a business to business publication compiled to inform, entertain and educate retailers, distributors and manufacturers of sports and outdoor equipment, footwear and clothing. It is available only to members of the sport, outdoor and activewear industries and is published bi-monthly. © Rocklands Communications.

14 19 20 22 24 25 33 34 36 39 54 60 61

Warrior

The Warrior brand comes not to play

Tips for selling children’s footwear

Skechers

Tips for selling knives

Hi-Tec

The holiday sales were disappointing

Skechers build on their 2012 momentum There have been changes at Hi-Tec

Edgars Active

How they managed to grow so quickly

Holiday market Sales disappoint

Industry stats

Annual figures compared

Asics

Asics Europe delegates show SA what’s instore

Adidas

Gavin Cowley retires

Brooks

Lars Luermann (Brooks Int) on why Brooks does so well

Adidas

The PR successes

Mikasa

Daisuke Akiyama (Mikasa Corporation) visits SA

Ram Mountaineering

They talk the outdoors talk and walk the walk

Trappers Trading

A new management structure

Clothing & footwear

26 28 42

Running

Running shoe sales grow

Running

Do your customers understand running lingo?

Children’s footwear

The latest trends and selling tips

Sport

44

Highlights:

Soccer and netball

What is being done to develop soccer and netball?

Sales tips and trend forecasts for children’s footwear p42

48 50 57 59

Athletics

Will the new school sport program revive athletics participation?

Team balls

Which team balls are the official balls?

Product knowledge: Strings

What to tell customers when selling racket strings

Racket news

News from the racket brands

Outdoor

62 65 67

How to sell … Knives

Marco Barnard shares his knowledge

Product knowledge: Hydration packs The ins and outs of hydration packs

Outdoor news

News from outdoor brands

Trade shows

68 73

ispo

Report back on this year’s ispo trade show

Trade shows

News from local and international trade shows

Regulars

2 4 15 23

People on the move

News about people in the industry

Brands on the move

News about brand activity in the industry

Companies on the move

News about companies in the industry

Shop Talk

Rand Outfitters

This year’s ispo trade show again set visitor and exhibitor number records p68

Industry :: p3

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

People on the move

p2 :: Industry

Morné Erasmus joined the Hammer Nutrition team as national sales manager in November 2012. He has worked in the industry for more than seven years in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Since Heinrich Reynecke started Bertuzzi Distribution in 2010, the company has become the distributor of the Fruit of the Loom and, more recently, the Russell Athletic range of clothing in SA. Fruit of the Loom is one of the biggest selling clothing brands in America and Europe while Russell Athletic is one of the oldest American after sports activewear brands in the world.

“Nike has suspended its contract with Oscar Pistorius,” says Seruscka Naidoo, communication manager for Nike SA. “We believe he should be afforded due process and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.” Pistorius has been a Nike athlete since 2007 and appeared in several brand campaigns. The athlete was arrested for murder on 14 February. Pistorius’ other sponsors, which include Oakley, have also distanced themselves and other advertising featuring Pistorius, for example DSTV’s billboards, have been taken down.

The Cannondale cycling team — consisting of former SA road and African Continental champion, Darren Lill, and former WP U23 champion Charles Keey — have taken a stance against the use of performance enhancing drugs. Should any athlete return a positive test result for the use of banned substances they will be held personally liable for reimbursing all sponsors the entire amount of sponsorship received, as well as serving 1 000 hours community service. Apart from Cannondale, the team’s equipment sponsorship also includes Easton wheels and components, Giro helmets and footwear, GoPro action cameras, Ryder components and Kenda tyres, all distributed by Omnico in SA.

Jockey SA announced their first brand ambassador at the end of last year — none other than the young Sharks and Springbok rugby star, Pat Lambie.

“Jockey has always positioned itself as a brand that focuses on a lifestyle that is fun-loving, active, confident and wholesome,” said Garlai Combrinck of Jockey SA (right in the photo with

Lambie and Hannah Francis of Ahoy!

PR). “We truly believe that Pat visibly embodies what our brand stands for.”

To celebrate the signing, Jockey SA took Lambie on a national roadshow to do autograph sessions with fans at the Gateway Theatre of Shopping, V&A Waterfront and the Eastgate Shopping Mall.

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

Adidas recently launched their Boost, a new outsole that provides cushioning combined with a firm response to create high energy return (see p39). It is part of a new adidas segment called Energy Running,

which has now been launched worldwide. South African women’s runners Elana Meyer, Rene Kalmer and Irvette van Blerk joined in the adidas Boost run along the Sea Point Promenade for the launch.

Lionel Messi, broke records when he became the first football player in history to win the Ball d’Or (for the world’s best player) four consecutive times. In October 2012 he won the FIFA Golden Boot award for the most goals scored in Europe (50) for the second time — he won it in 2010 for the 34 goals that helped Barcelona win the league title. Messi has been with Barcelona FC throughout his professional career and in December 2012 signed a new contract until 2018 with a base annual salary of €16-m (R180-m), making him the highest paid on-pitch player.

New Balance signed an agreement with cricketer Dale Steyn at the end of 2012 to endorse their range of products on- and off the cricket field.

The deal will also benefit two environmental organisations, who will each receive $5 per international wicket taken by Steyn: The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (a trust that protects wildlife in Kenya) and Food and Trees for Africa (an NGO addressing sustainable development in SA). Steyn wore the first prototype New Balance cricket boot in the third test between South Africa and England at Lords, where his 5-wicket haul helped South Africa to achieve victory and their #1 ranking as a test team.

RUSSELL ATHLETIC

official distributor of Russell Athletic

QUICK FACTS

“The Eagle has landed“ Russell Athletic the iconic American Sportswear Brand makes a return to South Africa.

Our History isn’t Brief!

It all started in Alexander City, Alabama USA, in May 1902, with 10 sewing machines, 8 knitting machines, and a 26 year old man named Benjamin Russell.

In 1910 Russell Manufacturing Co. became an established business. With a long-term commitment to Alexander City, Ben Russell built the town a kindergarten, school, hospital, hotel, laundry, grocery store, bakery and installed the telephone operation.

The Birth of the Sweatshirt!

Knowing the comfort and durability of cotton, Benjamin Russell Jr suggested to his father that an all-cotton version of the original woollen football jersey be produced in order to avoid the chaffing and discomfort caused by sweating in wool.

This change in fabric content resulted in the inception of the ‘sweatshirt’ as we know it today.

Back to school!

During World War Two, Russell’s ‘Athletic’ Division sold primarily to the military.

Shirts, drawers, t-shirts, athletic garments and special outer garments were made for the Army and Navy.

After the War the company embarked on further expansion and development throughout its knitting, weaving, dyeing, finishing and cutting departments. info@bertuzzi.co.za

Benjamin Russell

Alexander City High School was renamed Benjamin Russell High School in honour of the founder of the Russell brand.

The Eagle has landed!

During the 1960’s the ‘Athletic’ division was the largest marketer and manufacturer of athletic apparel and uniforms in the USA. By 1962 Russell Manufacturing Company had changed its name to Russell Mills, Inc. and began using the American Eagle to represent its iconic brand image.

From Strength to Strength...

By the 1990’s Russell Athletic was one of the largest suppliers of athletic team uniforms in Major League Baseball, NFL, college and high school sport programs through to little league. In 1995 sales reached US $1 billion.

Happy Anniversary!

In May 2002, Russell celebrated 100 years.

The Arch Logo hoodie, an American classic.

The ‘Sweatshirt’ is attributed to Benjamin Russell Junior, who was playing football for the University of Alabama at the time.

Why Russell Athletic?

As the Original American Sportswear label the Russell collection is now segmented into three exciting categories.

Vintage - an Authentic sportswear look offering a vibrant colours, soft fabrics and vintage washes.

University Store - drawn from our collegiate heritage a collection designed to fit in with the college lifestyle.

Arch Logo - probably the best known collection with the iconic arch logo in a fresh colours pallet and a selection of new graphics. tel. 021 552 2948

Brands on the move

p4 :: Industry

Kartal introduce new brands KARTAL Distribution has introduced three new brands to Southern Africa.

Starter is a fusion of sport clothing and popular culture and has been supplying premium products for over 40 years. Kartal clients will now have the opportunity to have their branding placed on Starter caps.

Happy Socks offers a variety of socks with different designs, colour combinations, materials and textures.

Blanks supplies good quality clothing known for a good fit, at affordable prices. Their range includes t-shirts, hoodies, sweaters and more.

Retailers can now also help their customers to be Cooler as Ekka in singer Jack Parow’s signature oversized caps. Kartal Distribution have collaborated with the iconic Afrikaans rapper to develop two

JanSport bags available in SA TERRA Brands has acquired the Southern African agency to distribute JanSport, a well-known US brand of lifestyle backpacks.

“With its vibrant colours and funky designs, JanSport is a favourite among university students and young adults worldwide,” says Adam Closenberg. The range includes backpacks, messengers, duffels and daypacks, all with a lifetime guarantee.

Stealth distribute Smith

caps — in black and leopard print — in the ultra-long brim cap style he made famous. The caps, manufactured by Kartal, are available from wholesaler The Greek Merchant.com, who specializes in distributing apparel linked to the music industry.

GoPro HD Hero 3 in SA

STEALTH Fly Rod will be distributing Smith eyewear optics, a leading international polarized eyewear brand, in South Africa.

They will be bringing in lifestyle, as well as performance eyewear and apparel.

Stealth Fly Rod will be distributing the brand to all interested lifestyle, fishing and sports retailers, said Gareth Adams. Even though Smith has previously been on the South African

market, it was distributed on a small scale by one retail fly fishing store.

Globally, Smith Optics is the second biggest sporting goods sunglasses in terms of sales, following Oakley, says Adams.

Wider range of Coleman and Campingaz JARDEN SA, local distributors of Coleman and Campingaz, recently unveiled their latest product offering to retailers.

The product range has been widened to include categories that were not previously available in SA.

THE ispo Gold award winning and much anticipated GoPro HD Hero 3 was launched at the end of last year to the SA trade. It is locally distributed by Omnico.

The range incorporates 3 different Hero 3 models — the Hero 3 White (entry level), Hero 3 Silver (mid-range) and Hero 3 Black edition (flagship).

The latest range is two thirds of the size of its predecessor (HD Hero 2), and feature a multifunctional USB port, hydrophobic/hydrophilic lens (repels water from its surface), is compatible with a LCD touch screen BacPac and has a built-in WiFi connection compatible with tablets and smartphones.

Killerdeals distribute HydroWave KILLERDEALS were recently awarded the rights to distribute the Hydrowave Feeding Stimulator in South Africa, an electronic device that emits the natural sounds of bait fish and the predatory fish feeding on them. This at-

tracts fish and encourages them to strike at the bait.

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

The brands are available to all retailers.

Mizuno worn by heavies DURING the 2012 end-of-the-year Springbok rugby tour to the UK, six of the eight forwards wore Mizuno boots.

The Springboks were: Jannie du Plessis, Adriaan Strauss, Flip van der Merwe, Heinke van der Merwe, Marcel Coetzee and Duane Vermeulen.

Mizuno boots are also the official boots worn by the Samoan rugby team (with the exception of one or two contracted players) that beat Grand Slam winners Wales.

The new Mizuno boot ranges have been available from December last year.

Custom Branded & Blank Headwear!

The only choice for superior headwear since 1974

Moisture Control One Size Fits All

Retains Shape

Slimmies, Fatties & Flatties

YOUR LOGO HERE “3D & Glow in the Dark Embroider Embroidery y, Printing y, Embroidery, and Flocking Now Available!�

A

Call us to have your own custom stom caps made up today...

We offer all caps from Snapback & Truckers to Flexfits!

Unit is an art-based streetwear clothing label with its heritage in two wheel action sports & lifestyle.

Each Unit product is conceptualized, designed and created with the highest degree of craftsmanship and precision.

Blanks is dedicated to supplying only the highest quality, best fitting blank apparel at affordable prices. Blanks offers premium blank T-shirts, Hoodies, Sweaters and more!

We believe you should be able to wear whatever socks you like. The collection of socks features an almost endless variety of models and designs, crossing a wide spectrum of color combinations, materials and textures. Simply put: a pair of high-quality socks for every occasion, mindset and style.

Our headwear is defined by our uncompromising attention to detail and quality. We are a proud licensed partner of Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association, and over 650 colleges.

At '47 Brand we take pride in making items that feel like they were made just for you.

'47 Brand - Classic Redefined.

Starter pioneered the fusion of sports clothing and popular culture in 1971. Starter continues to be a premium athletic brand connected to producing sports and fashion clothing to the highest standards of style, performance and value possible. Starter will also offer clients the opportunity to have their branding placed on starter caps.

Brands on the move

p6 :: Industry

Colourful new launches from Puma

Super light Hi-Tec Luca

PUMA introduced the latest colourway of the evoSPEED 1 FG (below), one of the lightest and fastest football boots in the market, and the PowerCat 1 FG, from their Power silo at the end of last year.

The new green and blue evoSPEED 1 FG is worn by fast and agile Puma players like Man-

Hi-Tec’s new ultra-lightweight (210g) Luca shoe, for men and women, is ideal for road running, walking or gym. The shoe was used by the Hi-Tec sponsored Change a Life team of athletes in the 2013 Dusi Canoe Marathon.

Luca features a lightweight reduced seam upper using welded overlays, EVA sockliner, and IMEVA midsole for cushioning and maximum flexibility. It also has durable rubber

chester City’s Sergio Agüero and Gaël Clichy, Atletico Madrid’s top star Radamel Falcao and Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud.

The one layer microfibre upper reduces weight, increases flexibility and improves grip in wet conditions, while the outsole combines stability and freedom during foot rotation.

The new black and green PowerCat 1 FG is worn by Puma stars like Marco Reus, Nemanja Vidic, Phil Jones, Gianluigi Buffon and Bacary Sagna, who seek power and accuracy.

A blend of materials and technologies increase kicking power and precision, improve ball grip, comfort, and touch and give better traction and manoeuverability.

plugs on the areas of the outsole that goes through the most wear.

Luca is available in a combination of pink/white/yellow and white/sky blue for ladies, and the men’s styles are available in charcoal/lime and sky blue/black.

New Balance RC1600 Best Racer THE New Balance women’s RC1600 was named Best Racer by the Women’s Running magazine (US Publication) in their November/December 2012 issue.

adidas for all sports ADIDAS recently released footwear covering a wide variety of sports from soccer and rugby to running, which won an award to boot.

Runner’s World Editor’s Choice Award The adidas Supernova Glide 5 was selected as the Runner’s World Editor’s Choice running shoe for 2013. Testers commented about the support and comfort it provides and it was especially noted that the addition of the continental rubber to the outsole “has given the shoe more grip in both wet and dry conditions” and that the even more responsive adiPrene+ gives “a boost of propulsion assistance at the toe-off.”

Boot for rugby forwards The adidas FF8o rugby boot (released February 2013) has been designed with a 5X2 stud configuration to cater for the unique requirement of specialist flankers and the

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

other eight forwards.

The boot is designed to help increase traction in scrums, rucks and mauls.

The additional stud toward the front of the boot is positioned where forwards exert the most pressure during a scrum or a ruck, or drive off the ground to accelerate.

The FF8o boot complements the rugbyspecific boot range designed by adidas.

Lightweight Messi-inspired boot The new f50 soccer boot, adidas’ signature boot inspired by Lionel Messi, forms

part of the new Messi Collection range of boots and clothing.

The boot’s design includes the Messi signature logo and the colour scheme was chosen to represent the danger he poses on the field and his burning desire for the game (red) as well as lightness (white). The graphics are speed inspired to demonstrate his pace. Of the 10 studs there is one that is red, symbolising Messi among his team mates, because he says he is only as strong as the team around him.

The f50 weighs only 165g and boasts to be one of the lightest shoes on the market.

TEL: 031 700 1601 WWW.ROCKYSA.CO.ZA

MULTI DIRECTIONAL LUG PATTERN RUBBER OUTSOLE WITH PHYLON COMFORT MIDSOLE. MESH COVERED EVA STYLE INNER SOLE. MOISTURE WICKING & PADDED COMFORT MESH COLLAR & TONGUE WITH WATERPROOF VAMP & QUARTER LINNING.

TRAIL -BROWN

WATER RESISTANT NUBUCK LEATHER UPPER WITH MESH BELLOWS TONGUE CONSTRUCTION. SKI HOOK TYPE SPEED LACE SYSTEM.

EXTRA LIGHT WITH MULTI DIRECTIONAL LUG PATTERN RUBBER COMPOUND OUTSOLE.

EXTREME OUTDOOR -BROWN

REMOVABLE COMPRESSION MOULDED HEEL WEDGE INNER SOLE. MOISTURE WICKING & PADDED COMFORT MESH COLLAR & TONGUE WITH WATERPROOF VAMP & QUARTER LINNING. WATER RESISTANT NUBUCK LEATHER UPPER WITH MESH BELLOWS TONGUE CONSTRUCTION. SKI HOOK TYPE SPEED LACE SYSTEM.

EXTRA LIGHT WITH MULTI DIRECTIONAL LUG PATTERN RUBBER CAMOUFLAGED COMPOUND OUTSOLE. REMOVABLE COMPRESSION MOULDED HEEL WEDGE INNER SOLE. MOISTURE WICKING & PADDED COMFORT MESH COLLAR & TONGUE WITH WATERPROOF VAMP & QUARTER LINNING. WATER RESISTANT NUBUCK LEATHER UPPER WITH MESH BELLOWS TONGUE CONSTRUCTION. SKI HOOK TYPE SPEED LACE SYSTEM.

EXTREME OUTDOOR -CAMO

Brands on the move

p8 :: Industry

Vibram’s Speed XC Lite wins PGA award

Puma signs Jesper Parnevik

VIBRAM’S Speed XC Lite, one of the four Vibram Fivefinger golf shoes to debut in 2013, has won the Top New Product Award at the PGA Merchandise Show.

“A line of customers circled Vibram’s booth so thickly that the company’s signage disappeared in the crowd. Sales reps didn’t see it coming,” reports Golfweek.com.

JESPER Parnevik — known for his 14 professional wins, Ryder Cup record, flipped brim caps, style on the course and his latest Gangnam Style viral video — will use Cobra Puma to make his comeback to the PGA Tour, following some time away due to an injury.

Parnevik kicked off his 2013 season at the Humana Challenge — the first tournament Parnevik played fully equipped with Cobra golf clubs, and Puma golf apparel, accessories and footwear.

He plays with the AMP CELL Pro driver in silver; MyFlyTM set to 7.5°, AMP CELL Pro Fairway (prototype) in silver, MyFly set to 13°, AMP Forged Irons, 3-P, Trusty Rusty in Rust finish, 49° and 53°.

Wilson Staff launches the D-100 women’s clubs WILSON Staff have introduced the D-100 women’s category of SuperLight products that emphasize the importance of correct weight distribution across the head, shaft and grip.

The D-100 women’s clubs were designed with SuperLight technology to create a powerful, solid-feeling, balanced club. With more weight removed from the shaft, grip and club head, these clubs are designed to be the right light. Female golfers can therefore achieve faster ball speeds with the same swing effort.

For Levi’s® Footwear orders contact Footwear Trading on 011 630 4000

p10 :: Industry

WE SHAPE

YOUR

PASSION

Vioz plus GT

Brands on the move Asics runner’s watch ASICS is well known in the running community for their shoes.

Now the brand has developed another wearable device that is designed to help runners.

The AP01 series is a range of runners’ watches developed to provide real time display of the wearer’s pace and distance.

Through their years of research the Asics Institute of Sport Science have collected extensive running data and they have taken this information and developed a new running/

training concept called SPM (Steps Per Minute), which focuses on the rhythm of running. In order to measure this they have also developed a 3D sensor technology that is able to record the precise number of steps that a runner takes whilst running.

The watch can be used as a training tool to help make you run more efficiently.

Asics watches are locally distributed by Wingki Chan.

www.zamberlan.com

New Ranger GT Parrot

Stuart Hutcheson (centre) of Native Sport with Glen Trueb and Dorran Galp at the opening of their store.

New developments for Vivobarefoot

VIVOBAREFOOT recently celebrated the opening of a new store as well as a new project run by local distributors Native Sport in conjunction with their Kids division. www.e-boreal.com

Zanskar lady

Flyers

G1 Lite

Traverse Outdoor Gear

Distributed by: Traverse Outdoor Gear Tel: 021 532 0855 info@traversegear.co.za www.traversegear.co.za

New store Glen Trueb and Dorran Galp, long-time friends, have extended their partnership in a kitchen business to opening a Vivobarefoot concept store in the Cape Quarter, Cape Town.

Galp, who has many years’ experience in electronics retailing, says the retail license was obtained independently from the wholesale distributorship, Native Sport, which is licensed to supply Vivobarefoot to other retailers. Trueb, who loves to go for long walks on Table Mountain, says he became a fan of the brand when he began wearing it when walking his dog. The store shows the full extent of the range — from running, trail, golf, sandals, to leisure lifestyle models that resemble vellies.

Vivobarefoot school shoes Vivobarefoot has launched their Kids division to the South African trade. The range includes school/activity and recreational shoes.

Experts believe that smart shoes equal smart kids. The nerves in kids’ feet teach them about balance, posture, and muscle tone. Therefore stimulating children’s feet, stimulates their brain … and that is what Vivobarefoot school shoes do.

In the coming months Vivobarefoot will be visiting independent schools to introduce their product through the uniform stores at participating schools and create awareness for their school shoe recycling campaign. The project aims to take old shoes, refurbish them and then distribute them to disadvantaged school children in South Africa.

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

SCIENCE OF RUNNING

AP01 SPM TRAINING WATCH

RUN IN RHYTHM!

STEPS PER MINUTE SPM = Steps Per Minute The ASICS Institute of Sport Science has extensive Running data from years of research.

Through this data, ASICS Institute of Sport Science has developed a new running / training concept and program called “SPM = Steps Per Minute”, which focuses on the “RHYTHM” of running.

For this reason, we have developed a 3D sensor technology that makes it possible to measure the precise number of steps while running. Real on-hand viewing of SPM gives runners a new training tool to make them more efficient and better runners.

PACE AND DISTANCE Check your PACE A 3D sensor captures the precise number of your steps from your SPM count, we have developed an algorithm that will give your running speed.

On-time display of the calculated PACE & DISTANCE.

CQAP0104

www.facebook.com/AsicsWatchesSA @AsicsWatchesSA

CQAP0101

CQAP0102

OFFICIAL ASICS WATCH DISTRIBUTOR For information please e-mail: timefactor@telkomsa.net

CPAP0103

Tel: (011) 822-8951

CQAP0105

Fax: (011) 822-7022

Brands on the move

p12 :: Industry

New Balance signs first federation NEW Balance signed their first major federation sponsorship. The signing with Athletics Ireland took place at the beginning of this year and is a multiyear deal.

New Balance will supply the Irish track and field team with a full selection of teamwear, including performance apparel for use in competition in all Irish events, World Championships and European Championships. They will also Jessie Barr, Colin Costello, Ciara Mageean, Fionnuala Britton, Thomas supply training and warm up items and Barr, Ava Hutchinson leisurewear for medal ceremonies,

travelling and public appearances.

The apparel range is green and white with a gold trim.

New Balance have a long history with Ireland. They have sponsored several high profile Irish athletes over the years, for example Olympic silver medallist John Treacy and two times World Indoor Champ Marcus O’Sullivan, and Ireland was the first country that New Balance used to gain entry to the European market when they started manufacturing there in 1978.

Vintage Bulls jersey from Puma

Canterbury signs Golden Lions

PUMA has designed a vintage limited edition jersey to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Bulls. Replicas of the jerseys, as well as short and longsleeved polo shirts (black and navy) are available. The jerseys have an old school feel that has been inspired by the first Blue Bulls jersey and the colour has been made to look as

CANTERBURY is the official rugby apparel sponsor for the Golden Lions, previously sponsored by Gilbert. They will provide all rugby apparel to the provincial team and extensions thereof, including all age groups and community programmes.

Canterbury is currently also the official rugby apparel provider for the Springboks, Scotland and England, among others.

close to the original as possible. The jerseys have an embroidered 75th anniversary badge that will be used on all Bulls’ kits for 2013.

The Bulls wore the new kit during warm up games against the Lions and the Toyota Cheetahs in February as well as during their first Vodacom Super Rugby match.

Puma launches Southern Kings Super Rugby kit PUMA recently unveiled the new kit that Southern Kings wore for their Super Rugby debut against Western Force in Nelson Mandela Bay. The design is bold, fresh and easily identifiable by its striking black colour and Southern Kings logo in the center of the chest.

XCO sell all brands to Kevro XCO Sport has sold all its brands — Brutal rugby, Sevenn netball, BRT team wear, Acelli football, Garrett athletics and Blackheath hockey — to Kevro, a nationwide supplier of corporate and promotional products and branding like embroidery, printing and engraving.

Founded in 1990, Kevro has grown into a major supplier of corporate clothing and promotional products in Africa. They own the clothing brand Barron, which is also well-known in the school sportswear market, as well as the Indestruktible promotional bag range.

In January 2012 private equity firm Ethos bought Kevro for R850-m.

With the acquisition of the six brands from Sportoria, a former XCO division, it will also become a strong player in

the sports market.

XCO Sport had been building the Brutal rugby clothing and equipment brand for more than five years, says MD Hugo Maree.

It is used by a number of leading schools, clubs and provincial rugby teams, including a number of Currie Cup contenders.

XCO Sport will now concentrate on their core business as a sports reseller to institutions, especially schools. They also plan on expanding their national footprint, which includes franchise outlets XCO Cape Coastal, and one in Namibia. Further franchise operations are planned, with the next expected to be opened in KwaZulu Natal.

“We intend to be aggressive in our sales endeavors going forward,” says Maree. They plan on expanding their sales force to 40 by the end of the first quarter in

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

The agreement between XCO Sport and Kevro were signed by (back) Martin Ferreira (XCO), Mike Salomom (Kevro) and Tim Souter (Ethos). In the front are Rael Hodes (Kevro) and Hugo Maree (XCO).

2013.

Following the appointment of XCO as an official supplier to Sports and Recreation SA — and other sales in the pipeline — they expect turnover to grow between

R25-R40-m in 2013.

The company recently announced plans to move into bigger premises by middle 2013, which will include larger warehousing space.

p14 :: Industry

Warrior challenges

the local market

T

he Warrior soccer brand last year athletes and teams — including clubs like Liventered the South African market erpool and Sevilla — they signed. with plenty of attitude and prodIt is also reflected in their boot designs: the uct to match. As the brand name bold colour palettes, aggressive designs and implies, Warrior announced their top end technical offerings like Superlight mipresence in the market with a challenge: We crofibre, stitch free internal construction, ArCome Not to Play! rowhead forefoot design and Claw Tec blades, Clearly not just your run-of-the-mill soccer make them stand out from the pack. brand.

The Warrior range consists of boots, equip“From the very beginning, Warrior changed ment and apparel. From top end Pro-Lite the face of the game,” says South African Skreamer boots to mid-range Combat Skreambrand manager Katharine Tromp. “Warrior will ers. They have also brought in boots in kidsmash and redefine expectations of the gear, dies, firm and soft ground, as well as turf and of how the game is played, and most impor- indoor, across adults and kids. tantly, how the game is viewed.

They also supply Liverpool FC replica items “We bring new life — from home, away and energy to the sport. and third kits to all the Warrior is about achieveWe make people sit training gear. ment, outplaying the up and take notice …

The Warrior internacompetition in all asand we will score a lot tional headquarters are pects of life. It’s a frame along the way. Warrior in Michigan, US, from is about hierarchy and where they have been of mind. achievement, outplayproviding high perforing the competition in mance, cutting-edge all aspects of life. It’s a frame of mind!” equipment, footwear and apparel for footThe kind of things that should appeal to their ball, lacrosse and hockey since 1992. Former core target market: the 17-23 year old indi- lacrosse champion David Morrow from the vidual thinker. beginning provided products with innovative “The Warrior player has natural charisma, performance technologies that redefined how making him an outstanding player on and off the game is played on the pitch — and how it the field. It’s a state of mind,” she continues. is viewed off it.

“Warriors cannot be made, they are born that New Balance bought the brand in February way. Young men need to see themselves as he- 2004 and subsequently set up a central hub for roes. They don’t buy stuff, they buy what it Warrior Football in the North West of England, does for them, and Warrior product does that.” made up of a team of hand-picked football inThis attitude is reflected in the high-profile dustry product and marketing experts.

Vincent Kompany Warrior football has signed the 2012 Premier League Player of the season Vincent Kompany to a long-term endorsement deal. The Belgian and Manchester City captain started his professional career at the age of 17 with Belgian team Anderlecht and later moved to the German club Hamburger SV. In 2008 he transferred to Manchester City and led the team to their first Premier League title in 44 years in the 2011-12 season.

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

Marouane Fellaini Everton and Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini signed a long-term partnership deal with Warrior in December 2012 to play in their first boot collection, Skreamer.

Since moving from Belgium to Everton in 2008, the 25-year old Fellaini has become one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League.

“Warrior is a brand that does things differently to the others and I really like that,” he says.

Skreamer Pro

Katharine Tromp Katharine Tromp, former promotions manager of New Balance SA, was appointed brand manager for Warrior South Africa last year after seven years with the company. “I live and conduct myself in the Warrior way, so, for me it was a natural synergy to become part of the Warrior family,” she says.

“I plan to infiltrate and obtain those assets that best represent the Warrior way of life, to create a brand and perception of dominance on and off the pitch! It’s a frame of mind that recognises that great players cannot be made, they are born that way. We want Warriors in life and in sport! When we get this combination right with teams and player signings, retail partners and our great product, I believe we will be armed and unstoppable. It’s about conquering and scoring a lot along the way.”

Jonás Gutiérrez Argentine international and Newcastle United FC midfielder Jonás Gutiérrez joined Warrior as ambassador for their Skreamer boot range at the end of 2012. Known for his entertaining goal celebrations and colourful personality, the 29-year old was signed by Newcastle in 2008 after achieving success at Vélez Sarsfield and Real Mallorca. He was seen locally in the Argentinian jersey during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Industry :: p15

Companies on the move Free Civvio watch stands with minimum orders The Civvio watch brand, developed specifically for the local market by DMQ Trading, is already strongly established in more than 120 sport and outdoor retail chains nationwide.

But, they now want to grow the watch brand among the independent retail trade.

DMQ Trading is therefore offering a complimentary stand to retailers who place an order of R3 000 or more watches. Those who place orders of R5 000 or more will receive free delivery as well as the complimentary stand.

The stand is an ideal way to display the watches — especially at point of sale, as the funky colours and eye catching designs will draw customer’s attention to the merchandise

that is very well priced.

Their merchandising solutions offer a range of fully adjustable and merchandised Civvio track stands that simplify matters for buyers of independent stores as the stand takes up less shelf space.

The stands have four different product combinations and two sticker sets to choose from — one with a sport theme and one with outdoor. DMQ Trading will also customise the stand to suit individual preferences.

Please note that the Civvio watch that was advertised in the October/November 2012 issue of Sports Trader, will unfortunately not be available in South Africa.

Competition Commission drops Sportsmans case THE Competition Commission concluded their investigation of Sportsmans Warehouse and decided, on the basis of the information available to it, not to refer the matter to the Competition Tribunal.

The Competition Commission confirmed to Sports Trader in December last year that they had been investigating a complaint of refusal to supply that was lodged against Sportsmans Warehouse on 26 June 2012. They refused to name the complainant.

“A complaint was lodged to the Competition Commission by Mr Price Group against Moresport, trading as Sportsmans Warehouse,” Holdsport CEO Kevin Hodgson confirmed after the Competition Commission declined to pursue the case.

When first approached, Hodgson said “if such an investigation was taking place, we would look forward to establish the basis of such a complaint as the sporting goods industry is a vibrant and highly competitive sector, both at retail and wholesale level.”

p16 :: Industry

Companies on the move Puma says transformation will pay off in 2013

Yes Man corporate identity rebranding AFTER 17 years in the visual advertising industry (indoor and outdoor), Yes Man is rebranding their corporate identity.

They hold various global patents, registered designs and trademarks that protect their intellectual property.

Yes Man supplies, among other things, flags, banners, gazebos, dye sublimation printing and large format digital print-

ing. They print and manufacture marketing material for indoor and outdoor applications on fabric, vinyls and a variety of other bases. The company customises their range and tailor makes marketing material that caters to their customers’ needs.

Yes Man is a business to business operation that caters for a range of industries.

2012 was a big year for Puma. With the second Volvo Ocean Race ending in July and the worldwide focus on athletes like Usain Bolt and the Jamaican track team during the London Olympics, the brand had plenty of global exposure. This was reflected in the 8.7% sales growth for the year to €3.3-bn.

In the 4th quarter of 2012, Puma’s sales grew 11.7% to €804.7-m, but due to inventory clearance the gross profit margin dropped. Although double-digit sales growth was achieved in the biggest markets, Asia and North America, the transformation and cost reduction programme Puma is undergoing resulted in a 4th quarter loss.

The transition period will continue into 2013, Puma announced — but they have high expectations of the Nature of Performance campaign and innovative new product launches in the performance category (see p38) will result in a profitable 2013.

Their transformation programme entails a new business model in Europe that will reduce the number of reporting entities from 23 countries to seven areas and the closing of about 90 unprofitable stores. Puma has also re-assessed its sponsorship portfolio and ended unprofitable contracts that are not part of their categories — for example, all European rugby activities, including sponsoring the Irish rugby union after 2013/14.

In sailing they will continue to endorse the America's Cup and Oracle Team US for 2013, but after 2013 Puma will no longer make sailing products and rather focus on its outdoor business.

All of Puma's product segments grew in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Footwear was up by 8.6% to €367.9 –m — with the Faas range doing especially well in performance footwear and the Puma Suede range driving sales in lifestyle. Apparel grew 15.2 % to €316.6-m, with increased demand for fitness and training gear. Accessories rose by 12.3 % to €120.1-m, which included Cobra Puma Golf.

In the EMEA region sales rose by 7% to €253.4-m, supported by strong growth in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. The lifestyle motorsport collections sold well in emerging markets.

Billabong considers more offers Billabong is considering the 4th and 5th offers to buy the company, following a year in which the fortunes of the home of some of the world’s leading surf brands have been in decline.

In December 2011 Billabong issued a profit warning about slow sales, which prompted an offer from TPG Capital in February 2012 for AU$3 (R28.41) per share (valuing the company at AU$765-m, or R7.2-bn). This was rejected by Billabong, little realising that it was the highest offer they were likely to get.

TPG made another offer of AU$1.45 (R13.73) per share in July 2012, valuing the company at AU$694-m (R1.6-bn). They, however, withdrew the offer in October after conducting due diligence. Another bidder also withdrew its offer of AU$1.45 per share.

The former head of Billabong US, Paul Naude, and a US private equity firm Sycamore Partners, then offered AU$1.10 (R10.42) per share at the end of 2012.

VF Corp and Altamont Capital Partners matched the offer — but said that it would split the brand. VF Corp (home of brands like Vans, The North Face, Timberland etc.) would take the Billabong brand and Altamont would take their other brands (Kustom, Von Zipper, Element, etc.). Their due diligence ends in March 2013.

In August 2012 Billabong reported that their net profits were 71% down to AU$16.1-m.

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

Companies on the move p18 :: Industry

Leisure Holdings now Gilbert distributor GILBERT has a new distributor in South Africa — and that is now official. Leisure Holdings was appointed the exclusive distributor of the brand in February after lengthy negotiations involving the previous distributor, James Gilbert SA (JGSA), owned by Transafrica Sport.

This means that Leisure Holdings are now also the official ball suppliers for all games played under the auspices of the SA Rugby Union (SARU) — including all Springbok games.

Earlier this year Leisure Holdings began distributing Gilbert products in South Africa under a temporary agreement with JGSA, in anticipation of the signing of a final agreement with Grays UK. JGSA had stopped distributing the brand in SA at the end of November last year.

JGSA had been distributing Gilbert in South Africa since 1995.

This was the same year that the brand became the official ball and equipment supplier to the Springboks.

Leisure Holdings had been distributing two other brands from the Gilbert owners, Grays International, successfully in Southern Africa for many years, namely Grays hockey and Gray-Nicolls cricket.

“South Africa is one of our most important markets and we are very pleased that all our products are now under one roof,” says Richard Gray, sales and marketing director of Grays International. “We are very excited by the mutual benefits this appointment brings for both our companies and also for the Gilbert brand in the exciting build-up to Rugby World Cup 2015 and beyond.”

Gilbert is the official ball for both the 2015 Rugby World Cup and Netball World Championships. It is not only the official ball for all matches played under the auspices of SARU, but is also the exclu-

Hatrick Sport closed The new year started on a sad note when South African manufacturer Hatrick Sports closed the doors of their Cape Town factory after fourteen years of manufacturing cricket balls and martial arts and boxing equipment.

“I have been making quality cricket balls for the local market for 34 years,” says Craig Roberts, who founded Hatrick Sports in 1998. Prior to that he made cricket balls under the local Lazer brand name for Sportsballs SA — it was the first brand to sponsor cricketer Jacques Kallis. Before that he made cricket balls for Manx Sport.

Apart from the tough conditions faced by all local manufacturers, the final straw that resulted in the closure of the Hatrick factory was the loss of the contract to supply balls to a cricket union cricket. They used to supply about 6 500 balls a year to them.

Hatrick Sport has been employing 45 workers in the factory that manufactured sportswear as well as cricket balls, martial arts and boxing equipment.

Roberts has now joined Medac Sport, manufacturers of sports supports and distributor of the Rockets compression range. He will be manufacturing boxing and martial arts equipment, among others, for them.

His former partner Clive Veitch will continue manufacturing sportswear and doing branding for schools and clubs under a new company name.

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/

Richard Gray (left), sales and marketing director of Grays International signing the new Gilbert distribution contract with Leisure Holdings directors Peter Reeves (middle) and Brett Burnill.

sive ball supplier to countries like Argentina, Australia, England, France, Ireland, Samoa, Scotland, as well as the Barbarians, the Super Rugby tournament, etc. The International Netball Federation, Australia, Botswana, Jamaica, Malawi, New Zealand, Wales all use Gilbert netballs.

Former Gilbert marketing director Damien Rudham has joined Leisure Holdings to manage the brand.

Iconix Brand Group buys Umbro The New York brand owning and licensing company Iconix Brand Group added Umbro to its stable of 27 other lifestyle and activewear brands In November 2012, when they bought the soccer brand from Nike for $225-m.

The Iconix Brand Group owns several well-known brands like the women’s activewear and dance brand Danskin, Rocawear, Zoo York,etc. and has interests in well-known lifestyle fashion brands Ecko, Marc Ecko, Ed Hardy, etc. They created a clothing range for daring women in collaboration with Madonna called Truth or Dare, and created the Material Girl range for younger women with Madonna and her daughter Lola.

The 89-year old Umbro brand from Manchester has been supplying sportswear to UK teams since 1924, and is now available in 100 countries, including South Africa.

Umbro has been the brand worn by the England soccer team for almost 60 years until Nike took over from them last year. Just before they sold Umbro, Nike signed a contract with the England Football Association to be their kit supplier until 31 July 2018. The agreement also includes sponsorship rights at the new National Football Centre and Wembley and the supply of match balls for the FA Cup. Before Nike bought Umbro in 2007, they had also taken over the Manchester United team sponsorship from them. When they sponsored Manchester United, Umbro produced a range of licensed items like bed linen, sleepwear, cups etc. for fans.

Nike said they wanted to sell Umbro in order to concentrate on growing their own Nike soccer brand.

They also plan to sell the Cole Haan brand, but will retain the Jordan, Converse and Hurley brands.

March

Skechers: Going Up! Skechers say they want to build on the momentum of a remarkable 2012

S

kechers is on an upwards roll. As CEO Robert Greenberg remarked: 2012 was a remarkable year! Sales grew more than 39% to $395.6-m in the 4th quarter of 2012. Net profit was $4-m, compared to a net loss of $57.7-m in the 4th quarter of 2011.

The US wholesale business grew 72% and international business 30% — indicating a wide acceptance of their products, as all channels showed growth, men’s and kids’ divisions experienced double-digit growth, while the women’s division saw triple-digit growth, David Weinberg, COO and CFO, told investors.

“We established an award-winning performance division and further grew our heritage business,” said Greenberg.

One of their big success stories was their new performance running range, Skechers GOrun, which received eight awards from noted running and fitness publications.

These include two Most Innovative product awards from the Competitor and Women’s Running magazines In addition, elite marathon runner Meb Keflezighi, the face of a major marketing campaign (see corner right), achieved his personal

‘We established an award-winning performance division’ best time running in Skechers GOrun. He not only established himself as America’s fastest marathon runner, but also came 4th at the 2012 London Olympics. His endorsement of new running products from the brand ensured credibility amongst serious runners.

The extensive GOrun advertising campaign featuring Keflezighi included a commercial that was flighted during the Super Bowl, which is the most desirable air time for US ads.

Apart from building on the momentum of 2012, Skechers can from this year also look forward to the support of people who are concerned about the environment and want to hold businesses accountable for their use of energy and other resources.

The Skechers North American distribution centre in California is the biggest US building yet to be certified LEED Gold by the US Green Building Council.

To get LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, a building is

given a score in several categories.

The Skechers centre earned 41 points for features like: almost covering the roof with solar power systems; lighting that operates as needed; a ventilation system that utilises air from prevailing winds, plus energy efficient heating and cooling systems; a solar reflective white cool roof and light coloured on-site pavement to help reduce heat; waterefficient and drought-tolerant landscaping; a water pollution prevention programme that treats storm water runoff; paints, coatings, glues, and sealants that comply with LEED standards and sourcing recycled and regional building materials within 500 miles of the construction site.

The automated facility can ship 100-m pairs of shoes a year and the warehouse can process 18 000-20 000 pairs of shoes for distribution in an hour.

p20 :: Industry

New developments at Hi-Tec

Mickey Mallet, daughters Amy and Erin Mallet, and Frank van Wezel

The Hi-Tec team has been busy adding new awards, staff and even a new SA head office building to their name

G

uests and customers came from near and far to celebrate the completion of the Hi-Tec SA head office building in Cape Town February this year.

When Mickey Mallett, SA general manager, showed chairman and owner Frank van Wezel a mud-filled hole in February last year and told him that they would move in in November, he thought “impossible!” said Van Wezel.

“But they did it — a testimony to the South African yes, we can do it attitude.” While Frank van Wezel and his wife Caroline are familiar faces in Cape Town, where they spend a lot of time in their Camps Bay home, his son and current CEO, Ed van Wezel, and his wife, Melissa, also flew out for the launch and sales conference. As did Brad Lemkus — nowadays based in London — whose Lemkus Sports formed a joint venture with Van Wezel in 1985 to distribute Hi-Tec shoes in South Africa.

Ed van Wezel, Brad Lemkus and Frank van Wezel

Apart from strong contingents from Capebased retailers like Cape Union Mart and Holdsport (Sportsmans Warehouse and Outdoor Warehouse), Tekkie Town founder Braam van Huyssteen came from George, Mallett’s parents came from East London and Hi-Tec agents and staff members from all over the country.

Awards Hi-Tec was recently voted Outdoor Footwear Brand of the Year at the prestigious UK Footwear Industry Awards. The presentation took place at the Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham, in front of an audience drawn from across the footwear industry. It was Hi-Tec’s first entry in the awards. “I would like to thank all our supporters for voting for us. We will continue to push boundaries in the outdoor footwear industry to ensure we are making the best footwear for our consumers!” said a delighted Ian Cameron, Hi-Tec UK MD.

Andre Laubuschagne (CEO of Cape Union Mart) and Braam van Huyssteen (founder Tekkie Town)

Juan Lombard (Outdoor Warehouse) and Bradley Moritz (COO Moresport)

New staff members Hi-Tec SA recently gained a new key account manager and marketing manager.

Malcolm Loos joined Hi-Tec as key account manager to manage business with the Cape Town-based key accounts.

He has extensive experience in the industry as he previously handled key accounts and sales for Adventure Inc. as national sales manager and headed

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

up and expanded the Capestorm retail side from 2004-2010.

Joanne Syfret worked for three and a half years internationally — in the Seychelles and Montenegro — before joining Adventure Inc in 2011. Before that she graduated BA honours, completed a year of LLB and obtained a distinction in Postgrad Marketing Management at UCT.

Why Edgars Active grew so well so fast

p22 :: Industry

Growing a chain of 119 stores in just 18 months is a feat that many can only dream of. Edgars Active explains how they achieved this growth — in addition to their 141 activewear sections in established Edgars stores

Left and below: the Edgars Active store in the Promenade shopping centre in Mitchell’s Plain.

Q

uietly, and without much blowing of their own horns, a major new activewear and sport lifestyle chain established itself across South Africa over the past

18 months.

Showing in no uncertain terms that branded lifestyle and activewear is in high demand, Edgars Active opened 119 stand-alone stores, in addition to the 141 activewear sections in Edgars stores. And that is merely the beginning.

“Edgars Active is our response to a heightened demand for branded sports merchandise, basically an opportunity to create a differentiated offering in this specialised active chain,” Hayley Khan, Edgars Active General Manager Buying, explains the reason for opening their first store in August 2011.

“We realised that there was great potential for smaller specialised format stores stocking active lifestyle brands in outlying locations, to give more South Africans easy access to the brands they love.”

The stores are located across the whole country — from Johannesburg and Cape Town CBD’s to outlying areas like Kuruman and Tzaneen — bringing branded fashion to all South Africans.

This penetration of the platteland market by a major branded chain is, however, but one of a number of factors that combined to the success of this store concept.

Another key factor, says Khan, is that Edgars Active offers access to credit.

The holding company Edcon has one of the largest data bases of credit customers in Southern Africa — namely 3.8-m. Their Thank U loyalty programme counts a record number of 7.2-m retail customers as club members.

“Product assortment is critical to making Edgars Active a compelling destination,” she

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

continues. “It’s all about giving customers great choice through both branded and private label products.”

This includes soccer supporter gear, lifestyle clothing (e.g. branded denim and tees) and footwear and sportswear from international brands for all genders and ages.

They want the on-the-go, brand-driven, urban cool guy to consider Edgars Active as the destination for active lifestyle brand gear … whether dressing for a social activity like a soccer match, going dancing, or just hanging out with mates, says Khan.

The typical Edgars Active customer is youthful — whether actually slightly younger or just young at heart — and more likely to be a man with a “strong desire for brands, style and fashion.”

The urban cool stores therefore offer “great value on a selection of active and lifestyle clothing, footwear and accessories across a wide range of international brands.”

These would include brands like Nike, adidas, Puma, Reebok, New Balance and Hi-Tec, as well as Edgars Active’s in-house brand Pro-

Action. They also stock lifestyle brands Levi’s, Guess, Sissy Boy, and Converse.

Sports brands began associating themselves with influential black musicians early on in the 80s and this became a trend ... it’s all about making a statement and showing what you’re worth.

When they opened the 100th store in October they launched the Be Unstoppable campaign, with urban cool ambassadors to represent the type of customer they target, like 22-year-old Supersport United goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, or deep house DJ and producer DJ Shimza (born Kholofelo Raphala 22 years ago) and 21-year-old fashion blogger and journalist Zee Fashionista.

Because they link store identity to this growing, young fashion market, Edgars Active believes there is still plenty of scope for growth — despite the fact that they, like all retailers, face the challenge of a tough economic environment and customers with less disposable income. “We offer value to customers through great prices and fantastic promotions,” she concludes.

op Sh

- p23 -

lk Ta

A family born to Rand Outfitters carry the brands and footwear styles to meet the needs of their diverse customer base aged 24-45 — from urban youths, sports brand fans, and non-branded fashion followers.

Above: Riad, Ashraf and Mohammed are members of the Laher family that owns and runs the chain.

F

retail

success

Reasons for the Laher’s success • The Laher family has retailing in their blood and all work together to make a success of their stores; • The Lahers adapt and change to keep up with consumer and retailing trends; • They cater for a wide range of customers: from trendy young urban youths, brand-conscioous fashion shoppers to the middle-aged customers who prefer comfort footwear; • Their stores are in the township malls where most of their customers shop.

• They sell lots of brands at good prices.

By adapting to changing consumer trends the Laher family has grown a successful mini-chain of retail stores selling the top lifestyle brands

or close to 70 years the Laher family has been part of Gauteng retail history. Today, the family is providing their hip and young customers with the urban streetwear and sport lifestyle brands they love, while also catering for the needs of customers looking for non-branded fashion and comfort wear.

Their mini-chain of Rand Outfitter stores, offering the latest lifestyle brands in a modern setting, are a far cry from the first small outfitter M.M.I. Laher opened in Wynberg in 1955.

Over the past 50-60 years they have grown a sucessful retail business by adapting and staying at the forefront of changing consumer trends.

For example, a few years after the father of one of the current owners opened the IS Laher and Sons store in 1955, they made history by becoming the first store to supply ready-made clothing to the women of Alexandra.

Until then, most women made their own dresses and few shops stocked off-the-peg dresses and women's specific clothing. Ashraf Laher explains that his father's shop was one of the first to stock women's dresses and what he calls exclusive clothing.

In 1963 the Men’s and Boy’s Outfitters in the Springs CBD opened, which was bought by the current branch of the Laher family in 1981.

Ashruf Laher became manager of this traditional family outfitter.

They bought the first Rand Outfitters in Springs in 1983, which has since grown into a successful chain of branded stores catering for men’s, ladies and kiddies footwear.

The whole Laher family is involved in the retail trade and over the past thirty years own-

To survive in the retail industry today, retailers should change and adapt with the times ers Ashruf and Mohammed and Riad Laher (MD) have transformed Men’s and Boy’s Outfitters into the modern, brand-driven lifestyle fashion retail chain, Rand Outfitters.

Apart from the head office and 4 000m² warehouse they own in Springs, they have two other branches in Springs, and stores in the Daveyton Mall (Benoni), Vosloorus, Birch Acres Mall (Tembisa) and Tsakane Mall.

In November they opened two new stores in Secunda, bringing the total number to eight.

They aim to soon have ten stores.

To survive in the retail industry today, retailers should change and adapt with the times, is Ashraf Laher’s firm belief.

Therefore, they also opened an online website called Brands Online in 2008, which is targeted towards a different target market than their stores, which are aimed at LSM 3-8. The website consumer target market is a higher LSM than the brick and mortar stores, as reflected in the price categories on offer.

While online retailing has been booming internationally, South Africa is quite new to this trend, says Riad. Brands Online had quite a few trials and errors before it was running smoothly, as there are no real guidelines for online shopping in South Africa.

This year, however, with the opening of Zandos and other online stores, their online re-

tail business has especially been growing, he continues. Thanks to the large online retailers spending large amounts of their marketing budgets on advertising, more and more South Africans are becoming more comfortable with buying shoes and clothing online.

Retailing today is a completely different ball game to what it was 50–60 years ago, comments Riad.

Their new lifestyle stores have a fast-growing consumer market — the lower LSM and upwardly mobile shoppers who frequent township malls. The opening of township malls have shifted Saturday trading towards the townships and they have felt the drop in Saturday and weekend trading in their CBD stores.

But, this shift in shoppers towards the townships has, however, also opened the market for new competitors.

“The market has become much more competitive,” explains Riad. “Today there is a wider range of products available and one has to sell it for smaller margins to compete with neighbouring retailers. Back in the olden days one had a limited range and one had more control over margins.

“You also compete with foreigners like the Chinese, Ethiopians and Somalians who sell products at very low prices because of their low overheads. They have a good financing model overseas, whereby a group of them would import directly from China and they would bring their own stock in to keep their overheads low. “They buy in high numbers and sell in low margins. They also stock a lot of knock-off brands and sell it for a very cheap price,” complains Riad.

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

p24 :: Industry

December 2012 sales meeting expectations

Type of items sold in January 2013 13%

13%

Luxury, high priced brands

40%

Be er than expected

50% 37%

Mid-price point brands

About what you expected

53%

Worse than expected

Half of the respondents said their December 2012 sales were disappointing and only 13% said their sales were better than expected.

Entry-level brands or unbranded items

More than half the respondents said their customers bought midpriced brands and nearly half bought entry-level or unbranded items.

Economy blamed for holiday sale concerns Customers buying less and cheaper items are the main reason for the disappointing December and January sales, according to most respondents in the annual Sports Trader survey of holiday sales at sport, outdoor and lifestyle footwear and clothing retailers

T

he downturn in the economy has caught up with the sport, outdoor and lifestyle retail industries.

More than 80% of the retailers who responded to our annual holiday sales survey said that the economy, which resulted in consumers spending less, is one of the biggest challenges they face.

Retailers were much more disappointed with their holiday sales than previous years — half of them said that the results were worse than they expected, compared to 11% who said their holiday sales were worse than expected the previous year. This year 36% said that their sales met expectations, compared to 54% who last year sold about as much as they expected.

Only 13% were this year pleasantly surprised by better than expected sales, compared to 34% last year.

The December pre-Christmas sales of nearly a third (30%) of the respondents were lower than last year, but the sales of a third (33%) were a little better than the previous year. In December 2011, however, 23% of the respondents reported much higher sales than in December 2010, and 40% a little higher.

The next biggest cause of concern is competition from other retailers Many retailers complained about the season starting late and therefore having a much shorter selling period in December 2012. December trade was so bad, one remarked, that many stores had to move their sales forward to before Christmas.

The disruptions caused by the farmworker strike along the N2 artery and blockade of Boland towns in December and January also had a negative impact on retail sales, another respondent said. The general deterioration of some platteland towns as rising unemployment impacts on whole communities, also resulted in lower sales, responded a retailer with lifestyle stores in several towns.

January 2013 didn’t bring relief, the respondents indicated: 23% reported much lower sales than in January 2012, while 27% said their sales were about the same or a little higher than the previous year. In January 2012

Comparing December 2012 to 2011 sales

Comparing January 2013 to 2012 sales

A lot higher than last year (more than 20%)

10%

30%

33% 7% 20%

A lot lower than last year (more than 20%) A li le lower than last year (less than 20%)

An equal number of respondents said their December 2012 sales were a little higher (less than 20% increase) and a little lower (less than 20% drop) than December 2011.

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

17%

A li le higher than last year (less than 20%) About the same as last year

40% respondents said their sales were a higher than the previous year.

The fact that suppliers open late in January and then take a while to settle in before they dispatch stock to retailers, is a problem mentioned by a sport retailer. “The first two weeks (of January) are littered with missed or delayed sales.”

The clothing and footwear retailers were the most disappointed by their pre-Christmas sales, with 70% reporting worse sales than they expected, and only 10% did better than expected. Outdoor retailers were split down the middle about whether they did worse than expected or about as they expected. Sport retailers were the most satisfied with sales: 22% did better than what they expected, 33% did what they expected to achieve, while 44% did worse than they expected.

The impact of the economy on consumers spending less than before is a major concern for retailers as 83% mentioned this as one of the major challenges they face. While the pre-Christmas season is traditionally the time when people splash out and spoil family members by spending their bonuses on items that A lot higher than last year (more than 20%)

7% 27%

A li le higher than last year (less than 20%) About the same as last year

23% 27%

A lot lower than last year (more than 20%) A li le lower than last year (less than 20%)

An equal number of respondents said their January 2013 sales were a little higher (less than 20% increase) and about the same as January 2012, but many more reported a drop in sales.

Industry :: p25

Sports goods imports grow in 2012 Billions

Annual import value sports goods R’bn R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 R0 R0 R0 2007

Millions

they would normally not be able to afford.

This year 63% of the respondents said that their customers bought more items at midprice point, while 27% said customers bought lower priced items.

Customers spent about R100 less than previous years on purchases and definitely bought cheaper gifts, remarked an outdoor retailer.

There appeared to be less purchases as gifts, and more purchases for customers themselves, observed a sport retailer.

Lifestyle clothing and footwear retailers in particular blamed the economy for their disappointing sales, as all of them identified it as a major challenge.

The customers who did buy higher-priced items, mainly bought functional items like shoes and clothing (53%), while only 13% respondents said their customers bought luxury items.

2008

2009

2010

2011

4th Q import value sports goods R’m 400 350 300 250 200 150 100

Other concerns The next biggest cause of concern — although at 40% much lower than the fears about consumer spending dropping — was competition from other retailers. It is interesting that sport retailers are more concerned about this competition (55%) than retailers selling clothing and footwear — even though one would think that the growth in clothing and footwear chains is more of a threat to them.

An independent outdoor retailer, however, mentioned that because mass discounters are gaining ground with their cheaper outdoor products thus resulting in smaller retailers losing sales or having to cut margins on top-end products.

The next cause for concern (of 30% respondents) is distributors selling directly to consumers — the tennis market, with direct sales to coaches, have been mentioned as a specific cause for concern.

The growth spurt of the discount Happy R5 Stores in so many suburbs and rural towns does not seem to be such a major concern for industry retailers, as only 27% consider the growth of discount stores to be a challenge.

The growing popularity of online sales is also a relatively low concern (for 23%), while only 10% of respondents are unhappy about top brands not supplying them.

50 0 2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

▪ ▪

▪

▪

2012

6-Month Interim results from major retailers Sales growth

Same store Turnover Nr growth Rm stores

TFG Sports*

21%

11%

1165

405

Mr Price Sport

27%

16%

373

49

Sportsmans Warehouse**

10%

8%

433

34

Outdoor Warehouse**

6%

6%

140

18

*TFG consists of Totalsports (60% of turnover), Sportscene (33%) and DueSouth (7%). ** Holdsport gave unaudited updated sales figures to investors for the 5 months to January 2012 for the two chains (see below)

Growth spurts for big SA retail chains

The concerns about the economy expressed by the (mostly independent) retailers that responded to the annual Sports Trader holiday sales survey seems to have little effect on the big retail chains. Most of the sport and outdoor retail chains listed on the JSE reported doubledigit growth for the 6-months period ending September 2012 (The Foschini Group (TFG) Sports division and Mr Price Sport) or August 31, 2012 (Holdsport).

These are the latest available results, as their annual results (due in March) had not yet been published at the time of going to press.

TFG (The Foschini Group) Sports division grew 20.7% in the 6 months until September Respondent profile: Lifestyle footwear & cloth2012, or 19.3% over the past two years (coming retailers 33%; Sport retailers 30%; outdoor repound growth rate). The same store growth tailers 27%, tackle traders 10%. Most (40%) come was 10.7% and turnover R1 165m. During the from major cities, 33% from platteland towns, 20% are chains with a combination of destinations and 6-month period they opened 28 new stores to 7% from holiday towns; 33% are in malls; 80% are bring the total for the division to 405. independent retailers.

Totalsports (with 179 stores at 2012 year end) contributes 60% to the TFG Sports division Challenges faced by retailers The economy turnover, Sportscene (142 stores) contributes 33% and Duesouth (38 stores) contributes 7%.

10% 27% Growth of online trading Mr Price Sport grew sales 27% to R373m over 83% the period,from with same store sales growing More compe on 30% other retailers 15.5%.

During the period they opened 5 more stores, selling to bring the total to 49 with a trading Distributors 40% directly density of R16 277m2. According to their pres23% Topentation brands refusing to to investors, the strong sales were supply you driven by equipment, accessories and seasonal Discount Chinese stores sports due to an improved range of internaThe economy Online retailing Competition from retailers Distributors sell direct Brands refuse to supply Discount stores tional brands, wider assortments and developMost respondents see the economy as a major threat. ment of high performance house brands.

▪▪

2012

450

During 2012 the import value of certain sporting goods categories recorded by the Department of Trade and Industries under the H9506 code showed a continued upward growth, passing the high of 2008.

But, in the 4th quarter of 2012 there was a bit of a slowdown from the high value of imports in 2011 Q4.

The sporting goods included in these statistics are snow-ski, watersport, golf, table tennis, tennis, other racket sports equipment as well as inflatable and other balls, exercise, gymnasium and athletics equipment, etc.

Inflatable ball imports have not yet reached the high 2010 levels (see p52), racket sports imports grew — especially badminton and squash rackets (see p59). The import value of golf equipment, however, remains static at the same level of the past three years, although golf clubs is one of the biggest categories in terms of Rand value.

The highest value is generated by exercise, gymnasium and athletics equipment.

Apparel contributed half of their sales, with equipment and accessories contributing 34% and footwear 16%. The new-look, smaller format stores are continuing to trade very successfully, with 7 of the top 10 performing stores smaller than 1 000m2.

For the 6-month period to end August Holdsport (Sportsmans Warehouse and Outdoor Warehouse) retail sales grew 9% (8% same store) to R572m, but in an unaudited sales update to shareholders they reported that in the five month period to end January 2013 sales grew 11.2% — with retail sales growing 11.5% and comparable store sales growing 8.6%.

Until end August Sportsmans Warehouse grew 10% to R432.5m (8% same store growth) and until January 12.9% (10.4% comparable).

Outdoor Warehouse grew 6% (including same store) to R139m until August, and 7.4% (3.6% comparable) until January.

Sportsmans Warehouse now has 34 stores after the Capestorm store in Fourways was added. There are 18 Outdoor Warehouse stores, but according to the January update they increased trading space by 5.4% between September-January.

The Holdsport Performance Brands division (First Ascent, Capestorm, Nathan) up to August grew 25% to R29.2m, with external sales growing 25.7% as a bigger proportion of total sales. Until January 2013 external sales grew 1.5%. According to the presentation to analysts, the Capestorm brand will be relaunched in the second half of the financial year.

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

p26 :: Apparel & Footwear Technical running sales per category 2011-2012

Technical running sales per price point 2011-2012

Jan 11- Apr 11- Jul 11- Oct 11- Jan 12- Apr 12- Jul 12- Oct 12Mar 11 Jun 11 Sep 11 Dec 11 Mar 12 Jun 12 Sep12 Dec 12

Jan 11- Apr 11- Jul 11- Oct 11- Jan 12- Apr 12- Jul 12- Oct 12Mar 11 Jun 11 Sep 11 Dec 11 Mar 12 Jun 12 Sep12 Dec 12

Sales Units %

Technical racing

Technical trail

Sales Values %

Jan 11- Apr 11- Jul 11- Oct 11- Jan 12- Apr 12- Jul 12- Oct 12Mar 11 Jun 11 Sep 11 Dec 11 Mar 12 Jun 12 Sep12 Dec 12

Technical road

Non-technical

Sales Units %

> R1 200

R1000-1200

R800-1000

Sales Values %

Jan 11- Apr 11- Jul 11- Oct 11- Jan 12- Apr 12- Jul 12- Oct 12Mar 11 Jun 11 Sep 11 Dec 11 Mar 12 Jun 12 Sep12 Dec 12

R600-800

R500-800

Boom for running shoes

<R500

Point of sale data supplied by GfK R&T Sports Shoe Panel. Contact Craig Bowen on Craig.Bowen@gfk.com or Tel: 011 803 1300.

S

outh African running shoe sales are booming. In key retailers the number of running shoe pairs sold in 2012 was 32% more than in 2011, and the Rand value of running shoe sales grew 35% from year to year.

The number of technical running shoes sold grew more than non-technical sales — namely 37%, compared to 28% growth in non-technical running shoe sales.

These figures are based on actual sales recorded by retailers participating in the GfK Retail & Technology Sports Shoe Panel (participation is free for retailers).

In 2012 unit sales of technical trail comprised between 21-23% of the total running shoe market, technical road running between 23-30% of total sales and non-technical running contributed 45-53% to the total number of running shoe units sold.

In Rand value, technical trail comprises 2125% of the market value, technical road 3241% and non-technical running shoes 33-40%.

Sales of technical road running units grew the most between 2011-2012, namely 38%, while technical trail running sales grew 32% and non-technical running sales grew 27%.

Non-technical running still remains by far the largest segment of the running market (53% in 2011 and 50% in 2012) in terms of unit sales.

Technical trail running is, however, catching up with technical road running sales: in 2011

% Growth per category 2011-2012

The trend is good news for retailers selling top end performance as well as entry level running shoes and 2012 technical trail comprised 22% of the market, compared to technical road running at 24% (2011) and 25% (2012) of running shoe sales.

While trail running is certainly growing in popularity, the number of trail running shoes sold, could create a bit of a false impression.

Many retailers know that technical trail shoes are bought as cross-trainers, for hockey, netball or just for casual wear — especially top brand shoes sold at affordable prices.

Technical racing is still a negligible category, representing only 1-2% of the sales.

But, while the number and value of running shoe pairs sold increased more than 30% in 2012, more customers have been buying technical running shoes at lower price points.

For example, in 2011, 19% of the technical running shoes were sold for less than R500 – but, in 2012 this percentage grew to 23%.

This is the price category (less than R500) where the highest number of technical running pairs had been sold in 2012. By comparison, in 2011 the highest number of technical running shoes were sold in the R600-800 category, Left: The quarterly growth between 2011-2012 in technical road was only slightly more than in technical trail running — except between July-September when there was a spurt in road running sales. By comparison, the growth in non-technical running shoe sales is smaller.

Right: While the number of technical road and technical trail running shoes sold have been on par, nontechnical sales as percentage of the total dropped slightly in 2012, while technical racing enjoyed a slight increase.

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

namely 24%.

A higher percentage of customers have also been buying shoes in the R800 –R1 000 price category in 2012 (19% of sales compared to 15% in 2011), but fewer have been buying shoes in the R1 000-R1 200 price category (10% in 2012 and 13% in 2011).

Yet, this trend is bucked at the top end: more running shoes were sold for more than R1 200 in 2012 (14% of all units sold) than in 2011 (12% of all units sold).

The higher number of technical shoes sold at lower and mid-price points could be because more runners are waiting to buy their shoes at sales, speculates Craig Bowen of GfK Retail & Technology SA . “We see that the sales of technical running shoes are coming closer to non-technical sales during peak sell out-periods matching. This gap has been reduced by over 85% in the last three years.”

An alternative explanation could be that because the prices of some technical running shoe models have come closer to non-technical running prices, consumers are opting for a technical performance shoe from a wellknown brand with many bells and whistles rather than a non-technical shoe selling for about the same price.

But, whatever the reason, it will be good news for retailers selling top end performance as well as those selling entry level technical running if this trend continues into 2013.

% Sales per category 2011 and 2012

p28 :: Apparel & Footwear

Do your running customers understand you?

You understand all the running shoe technologies … right? But, do your customers know what you are talking about when you explain the benefits of a caterpillar crash pad or a meta-flex groove? RHIANAH FREDERICKS provides a plain language glossary of what all the technical running terms actually mean

S

upercalifragilisticexpialidocious is a mouth full even for the skilled linguist: the same can be said of terms such as EVA, blown rubber, bi-directional outsole, etc. although they are used constantly when describing trail and road running shoes.

In research conducted by Brooks, it was found that there may be misunderstandings between retailers selling running shoes and their customers. In some cases what retailers are relaying to their consumers, may not be understood at all, due to technical terms.

A typical example would be that of a customer, who had been advised by a Chicago running specialist store on what type of running shoes to buy, confidently telling the Brooks team: “I’m a nator!” The running shoes that were recommended to him indicated that he was most likely a pronator.

“It taught us that sometimes we have to change our communication with the runner or consumer,” Lars Luermann, international sales manager of distribution for Brooks, said during a recent visit to South Africa. “We, who work in running day in and day out, know what a pronator is, but the person you are talking to not always understands.”

In order to ensure you are giving the best advice to your customers, you have to ensure that they know exactly what the product can do. This means that both the first-timer and avid runner should be able to understand the benefits of the product they are buying.

To help clear up some misconceptions, we’ve asked the experts at respective brands to help decipher some of the technological terms that can baffle your customers.

Here is an alphabetical glossary to help you.

4: SYS: Hi-Tec's multi-density midsole for sport specific shoes provides assistance from the heel impact right through to the toe-off

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

phase when running.

Abzorb is New Balance’s cushioning system. A foam compound absorbs the shock of impact very well to provide a soft underfoot feeling.

Acteva lite foam midsole is a midsole compound found in some New Balance shoes.

It is 10% lighter than traditional foams and provides a soft underfoot feel in the shoe.

Aegis Microbe Shield, used by Merrell, takes a more aggressive approach to microbes that cause odours. Polymer spikes rupture the cell walls of odour producing microbes to stop odour in its tracks. It never wears out, won’t leech out despite repeated washings, and won’t harm the environment.

We, who work in running day in and day out, know what a pronator is, but the person you are talking to not always understands.

Anti-slip technology: shoes with outsoles made of softer rubber and special design patterns that are less likely to slip when exposed to water, or uneven surfaces. The outsole may have an interlocked tread pattern that allows the release of trapped water under the shoe, giving better grip on wet surfaces.

Ballistic Rock Shield designed by Brooks, is a toughened thermoplastic (see below) EVA sheath between the outsole and midsole that protects the forefoot by spreading out point loads from sharp objects.

Barefoot running shoe sound like a contradiction, but it is the popular name given to shoes that are made to favour a barefoot running style — landing and pushing off from the ball of the foot, instead of heel first. The shoes are lightweight, flexible and usually don’t have thick cushioning in the outsole to

allow the runner to better feel the running surface (also see minimalist shoes).

Bi-directional lugs: deep indentations in the outsole form lugs that are placed in opposing directions to provide better grip or traction.

Biomogo: Brooks has made the long-lasting cushioning of their MoGo midsole (a polymer material that is more durable than EVA) more environmentally friendly. A non-toxic, natural additive in the compound encourages anaerobic microbes to munch away 50 times faster once it hits an enclosed landfill.

BioRide technology: a technology by Puma that has three performance-enhancing parts that work together to create a naturally responsive ride. Rocker gives a natural ride as the rocker shape ensures a smooth touchdown and effortless toe-off. Flex offers a responsive ride with flex grooves in key zones creating a natural foot movement and added responsiveness. Groove offers a stable ride with a midsole groove that gives natural stability that responds to individual needs.

Blown rubber is formed by inserting air bubbles into the rubber composition; creating a lighter form than usual.

Breathability refers to the ability of the shoe to allow the movement of moisture (from sweat build up) from inside to outside the shoe. A breathable shoe also allows air to enter cooling down the foot.

Brooks DNA is a patent-pending cushioning material in Brooks’ shoes that provides a customised ride. In collaboration with BioMoGo it responds to every step by dispersing impact as the pace and surface change. It stiffens with more impact and softens with less.

Caterpillar Crash pad: this segmented crash pad (see below) from Brooks, adapts to individual landing; with just the right amount of cushioning and stabilisation, giving the runner a smooth heel to toe transition.

Climashield membrane is a light, breathable, quick drying forefoot membrane from Sa-

Apparel & Footwear :: p29

lomon to protect from mud and moisture without trapping in sweat.

Contragrip rubber outsole LT is a Salomon term for a light weight rubber outsole that provides good grip on all surfaces. HA refers to a high abrasion sole with added durability in the area’s where soles typically wear out.

Crash pad is a removable cushioning-support device, which decreases the amount of pressure on the foot as it lands on the ground. It also plays a support function for runners who, when they run, bear more weight on the inner edges of their feet (see Pronate).

Dri-lex is a feature used by Vivobarefoot; a lining that manages moisture and has antiodour properties.

Dri-Tec is a waterproofing, breathable technology used by Hi-Tec. Dual-density collar: the material stitched around the rim of the shoe contains two concentrations of foam: soft, for cushioning, as well as a firm one for support. The collar stops the foot from slipping inside the shoe, thus making it steadier for running.

Dynamic Support midsole from Nike, offers moderate pronation control. It works with a Lunarlon (see below) cushioning system for a blend of plush, yet responsive cushioning. It uses a wedge design encased within the midsole, so the footbed itself remains flat, which provides comfortable stability without the added weight or stiffness of a traditional medial post.

Dynamotion fit from Mizuno was designed using motion capture technology that tracks the movement of the foot throughout the run during manufacturing to create shoes that move the way you move.

EBO (External Bedrock Outsole) protection plate, designed by Saucony, is a protective shield in the midsole used in trail shoes to protect the bottom of the foot from stone bruises caused from running on uneven surfaces.

Engineered Hyper Pod Configuration: a midsole and outsole component from Brooks that holds the foot in an efficient, balanced position, offering a very flexible and unrestricted forefoot ride.

EVA: a chemical compound, Ethylene Vinyl

Acetate that is similar to plastic compounds that can be softened by heating. It is highly transparent, glossy and gives off little to no odour. It has a shock absorbent function in sport shoes and helps control pronation.

• Injected EVA: the EVA gets injected into a pressure mould until it is dry. The mould is then removed and the product expands to the desired size.

• Compression moulding EVA: moulding material (EVA) gets pre-heated and placed into a warm mould cavity. Pressure is applied to ensure the even spread of the material on the mould surface until it is ready for use.

• Dual-density EVA: different concentrations of EVA are used, i.e. a low density (soft on the outer edges) and higher density (firm on the inside) is used in one outsole.

• EVA foam Fusion Sole from Inov8, consists of light rubber and EVA foam that are blended into a unique compound before being injection-moulded.

EverTrack high-abrasion pods: a long lasting high abrasion resistant rubber composite used in Puma shoes, in outsole areas with strong wear-off.

Faas Foam+: a Puma technology that is a resilient, lightweight blend of foam and rubber that provides a good heel to toe transition with just the right amount of cushioning, rebound, and response.

Fantom Fit: a seamless upper support system from New Balance. The panels that keep the foot in place are welded to the shoe for a smoother fit.

FitSole Sockliner: Nike’s sockliners conform to the shape of the foot, providing underfoot support.

Flex grooves are small dents/slashes on the outsole of the shoe that allow natural bending/movement at the ball of the foot. The location of these dents/slashes may vary depending on the purpose of the shoe.

Flextra is a technology from Brooks. A rubber piece strategically placed in the forefoot outsole varies the degree of support it gives as needed, providing tuned flexibility.

Flywire technology: a Nike technology that uses strategically placed, high-strength

threads (similar to cables on a suspension bridge) to provide ultra-lightweight support and comfort for your foot.

Fused Phylite midsole/outsole: Nike mixes phylon material and rubber to create a Phylite material that is both lightweight and durable. Phylite can be used in making single-piece outsoles/midsoles, eliminating the need for adhesive to hold these two parts of the shoe together, providing a resilient ride.

Go Impulse Sensors: small circular buttons on the bottom of Skechers GOrun shoes are positioned to move together and independently, helping to absorb impact and ensure flexibility. They are designed to provide traction, stability and reaction to the terrain.

Gore-tex lining: Gore-Tex is the brand name of a membrane that has over 9-bn tiny pores per square inch. Each pore is 20 000 times smaller than a water droplet, but 700 times bigger than a water vapour molecule (moisture created by perspiration). This means that water cannot easily penetrate the membrane, making it waterproof, and simultaneously allowing the escape of perspiration.

Guidance Line is a technology from Asics.

The vertical flexi groove that runs through the outer sole into the midsole helps the outsole deform along the guidance line to help guide the foot to follow the same foot strike pattern every time a runner puts his foot down.

Heel, ankle and forefoot pivot system: The heel, ankle and forefoot each play a role in a runner’s gait. As your foot strikes the ground, the heel becomes the fixed point of contact.

As the foot flattens, the ankle becomes the pivot and as propulsion takes place, the forefoot will become the pivot. Some running shoes have technologies that help speed up this process so that there is less time and chance for the foot to over-pronate.

Heel counter refers to a stiff structure placed around the heel that helps support the foot and prevents unnecessary movement.

Heel to toe drop/differential (0mm drop, 10mm drop): the difference in the height off the ground between the forefoot and the heel of the shoe, with a 0mm To p29

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

p30 :: Apparel & Footwear

Do your customers understand? cont from p30

drop being the lowest, where both the heel and the ball of the foot would be equally far from the ground. A 10mm drop would mean the heel of the foot is 10mm higher off the ground than the ball of the foot.

HRC (High Rebound Compound) strobel board: Saucony uses a responsive EVA/ rubber compound in the heel, forefoot, or strobel board (see below) to provide shock attenuation and a more cushioned ride.

Hydramax Lining: Saucony’s performance apparel fabric that provides next-to-skin comfort and maximizes wicking.

Hydroguard: a 360 degree waterproof and breathable membrane used by Vivobarefoot.

Ion Mask is a waterproof technology used by Hi-Tec. The outer material is impregnated with the hydrophobic technology that repels water whilst maintaining breathability.

KMS Sockliner: Puma's 3D moulded EVA sockliner to improve comfort and performance.

Lightning Dry is New Balance's moisture management technology and it is used on the inside linings of the shoe to help manage moisture.

Lunarlon dual-density midsole or cushioning system from Nike, is a cushioning system with a unique, lightweight blend of plush cushioning, springy response and support. A cushion foam core is bonded to a lightweight phylon carrier that delivers an excellent blend of plush cushioning and durable support underfoot.

MDT (Multi-Directional Traction) is a specifically designed outsole pattern to optimize grip, braking, and releasing mud from the outsole during outdoor activities.

Medial/lateral flare: pieces of extra lightweight rubber are added to the sole of the shoe, to help reduce the effect of favouring the outside or inside of the shoe (pronation) and help it to last longer.

Medial post is a piece of thicker material that is placed on the inside edge of the shoe, between the heel and the ball of the foot. It helps with controlling movement and can be shortened or lengthened in order to increase or decrease flexibility. It is usually made of EVA and is thicker than the rest of the sole.

It is often very noticeable, as some manufacturers use transparent or bright coloured EVA. Memory foam is made of artificial plastic with chemical additions and is able to conform to the shape of the foot in reaction to heat and pressure. It also has the ability to go back to its original shape, once the pressure has been removed.

Meta-Flex forefoot flex groove is a structure design by Inov-8 that is a groove in the forefoot that provides a natural flex point in the shoe, allowing the forefoot to function naturally with each step.

Minimalist shoes: there is not yet a clear cut definition when a shoe becomes minimalist.

Some would define it as a shoe without high cushioned heels, stiff soles and arch support — but instead have a low heel-to-toe drop (and can be twisted along the axis). But, there are minimalist shoes with 12mm drops and thick cushioning. Others define a shoe as minimalist

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

if weight has been cut down to the minimum and the heel-to-toe drop is less than 4%.

M-strike technology: a Skechers technology that refers to a curved outsole that forces a mid-food strike and natural motion. The runner will land mid-foot, instead of on the heel, which reduces impact and prevents joint stress.

N2 cushioning is a new, very lightweight, cushioning technology from New Balance that offers an energy return upon impact.

It absorbs shock, but also gives you a nice bounce in the shoe.

N-Durance blown rubber outsole: a term used by New Balance to describe carbon rubber used on the higher wear areas of shoes to make them more durable.

Nav Band, created by Brooks, is a flexible band that wraps over the instep to comfortably secure the foot in place. The dynamic stretch provides just the right amount of support and can accommodate different foot shapes with a comfortable, assured midsole fit.

Omni-fit Lacing System: Merrell’s Omni-Fit lacing system integrates the laces, tongue and upper to enhance performance and provide a comfortable fit. By tightening the laces, it pulls the tongue and upper closer, wrapping the shoe around the foot to prevent slipping, locking the heel into place and providing a secure fit for all foot types.

Ortholite insole is a lightweight, removable shoe liner. It is made with open-cell foam that allows airflow around the foot and moves moisture away from the foot, leaving it drier and cooler. It has built in antimicrobial qualities that will not wear off after washing.

OS muscle: a Salomon EVA midsole that provides shock absorption and rebound for smooth transitions and a better ride. OS tendon technology is a stretchy band of TPU (see below) running from the heel crash area through the forefoot.

Outlast enhances textiles through temperature regulation that controls heat and moisture. Outlast technology, originally developed for NASA, uses materials that absorb, store and release heat for more thermal comfort. It is not a wicking technology, as it manages heat, while controlling the production of moisture before it begins.

Peak Force outsole: a specific outsole used on Hi-Tec court shoes to assist with grip and support needed when playing squash.

ProGrid Respon-Tek: Saucony’s impact-cushioning technology that absorbs impact, dissipates shock and provides a seamless transition from heel to toe.

Pronation refers to the side-to-side movement of the foot as you run. The foot naturally rolls inward (helping the body absorb shock) as it strikes the ground and should start rolling outward at the toe-off.

• Under-pronation (Supination) occurs when the foot does not roll inward enough after striking the ground; weight is transferred to the outside of the foot and pushes off the outer toes to begin the next stride. Under-

Photo: Nelle du Toit

pronators should use neutral running shoes with extra cushioning to help absorb force of impact.

• Over-pronation occurs when, after the heel strikes the ground, the foot rolls more than 15 degrees inward; weight is transferred to the inside of the foot and pushes off the big toe and second toe to begin the next stride.

Over-pronators would use stability shoes to help correct their stride and even out impact forces.

Proprioception: the awareness of the position of one’s body in space (nearly 70% of proprioception comes from our feet). Proprioceptive soles allow the foot to gather information about the running surface and send sensory feedback to the brain, aiding movement.

Q-Form Comfort is a specially formulated midsole for womens' running shoes from Merrell. It provides the proper support, cushioning, and corrective positioning women need; to create a balanced, natural stride that ensures longer-lasting comfort and reduce wear on the shoe.

Resalyte cushioning is a technology from Skechers GoRun, which refers to the cushioning in the mid-sole and outer-sole. Mid-sole Resalyte has memory retention, which ensures a snug, but comfortable fit. The outer-sole Resalyte provides just the right amount of impact absorption on practically any surface.

Revlite is the lightest midsole compound New Balance has developed to date that offers the same cushioning and durability as traditional foams. It also offers a better energy return and much lighter than standard foams used.

Rock Stop technology from New Balance, is a TPU (see below) plate that is embedded between the midsole and outsole of a shoe to prevent thorns, glass and sharp rocks from penetrating. This is found mostly in trail shoes.

Super Lite: Saucony's EVA blend that maximises rebound and durability while minimizing weight.

Sensiflex liner from Salomon is a stretch material that is placed over the forefoot area to enable freedom of movement, To p30

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Apparel & Footwear :: p31

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

p32 :: Apparel & Footwear

Do your customers understand? cont from p32

while providing comfortable support. It reduces incidence of bunions and calluses over the forefoot.

Shoc-Zone is Inov-8’s name for a heel that has varying degrees of heel to toe drop; 3 being the highest degree of cushioning and 0 being the lowest degree of cushioning (almost barefoot running).

Smooth ride is an engineering approach trademarked by Mizuno to design a fluid, rocking, motion when running. Flex grooves in the heel and forefoot work together to ensure a smooth rolling movement of the flexible sole towards a solid platform in the forefoot for a powerful toe-off.

Sockliner is a thin layer of material that is laid on top of the insole of the shoe.

Solyte, a technology from Asics, is a type of EVA that is lighter than conventional EVA and retains its form for longer. It therefore retains cushioning properties for longer.

Space Trusstic System, designed by Asics, refers to the space between the outer trusstic (see below) and the midsole. Every time the foot loads pressure on the arch, the arch drops and presses downward. A space between the midsole and trusstic allows the arch to press downward, but still get stability from the trusstic as a means not to overstrain it.

Speed-lace system: extensions are fitted to the eyelets of a shoe, through which laces are threaded and tied together with a lock.

It is especially popular with triathletes who have to put their running shoes on or take them off in the shortest time.

Stabilicore medial posting: this support structure from New Balance is found in stability shoes on the medial (inside) side of the shoe and provides stability as well as a very smooth transition from heel-strike to toeoff.

Stability shank is used to stiffen the area under

the arch (middle) of the shoe. It helps ensure that the sole bends at the toes instead of under the arch. It also supports and stabilizes the arch of the foot when running.

Sticky Terrafly rubber outsole was developed

by Inov-8. It uses sticky rubber outsole technology to optimize grip in wet conditions.

Strobel board: a sole shaped fabric board is stitched to the upper of the shoe, which is slipped onto a last, closing the upper with stitches around the perimeter of the sole.

T-Beam shank is a support structure from New Balance that is added to the mid-foot region of the shoe to provide more support in the arch region of the foot.

T-Cup slip resistant heel/tongue construction is a feature in some Merrell running shoes. Anti-slip fabric used in the heel and on the inside of the tongue of the shoe, prevent any additional movement in the heel area, which causes blistering.

Toe Protect is a New Balance technology found in trail shoes, where the front part of the shoe is strengthened to protect the runner’s toes when bumped against rocks or other elements while trail running.

Torsional stiffness/rigidity refers to how easily a shoe is able to twist when it is held by the heel and the front is turned in the direction of the big toe i.e. the stiffness in the sole when moved from side to side.

TPU (Thermoplastic polyurethane) is a strong, flexible and durable material that can be soft and pliable or stiff and hard. It has thousands of applications, because it offers the elasticity of rubber, the hardness and durability of fiberglass, is tear-resistant, impact resistant and hardwearing. Thermoplastic fibres become liquid when heated and hard when cooled. It can repeatedly be reheated, reshaped, and frozen, and can therefore be shaped and moulded with ease, or used as an application on other materials.

Trusstic system device from Asics, is the plastic material under the arch of the shoe to help reduce weight in the shoe, but also to give arch stability and connects the forefoot with the heel of the shoe.

Tuned density midsole: Brooks has tuned the density in their midsoles to better correspond with gender and weight categories, delivering a custom balance of cushioning that is not too soft or stiff.

Upper element: upper technology from Brooks features quality microfibre construction to provide a light, supple, quiet fabric that offers breathability, durability, or comfort.

V Aqua: the softest sole designed by Vivobarefoot, with hexagon EVA grip.

V-hot sock from Vivobarefoot is a sandwich construction of reflective foil and thin, insulating fabric.

V-Lite: this is a concept from Hi-Tec that describes a technology that strips away as much weight as possible in the product without sacrificing performance or durability.

V Web: a lightweight upper lamination used by Vivobarefoot for stitchless lateral support.

V Trek from Vivobarefoot, is multi-directional V-teeth on the outsole for grip on the steepest, muddiest, wettest terrains. It also allows good off-road traction and sensory feedback.

V Multi 2: a technology from Vivobarefoot.

Coned, hexagon shapes on the outsole allowing gripping and balance on- and off -road.

Waffle pistons is a design by Nike that uses large, deep, extended squares in the forefoot to grip the ground and helps propel the athlete forward.

Wave is a cushioning and stability technology from Mizuno. It offers motion control and good cushioning for the runner.

XT-900 carbon: Saucony’s outsole is made from carbon rubber that offers outstanding abrasion and traction properties.

Zoom heel unit: Nike Zoom technology delivers low-profile, lightweight, responsive cushioning for top speeds, fast cuts and quickness off the mark.

Apparel & Footwear :: p33 Janine Stokes, Asics brand manager, Ron van der Linde, EMEA manager for emerging markets, Rykie van der Merwe, Jordan & Co marketing manager, Asics Europe CEO Alistair Cameron (holding the new Gel Lyte 33), Michael Price, EMEA marketing director, and Brian Pollock, Jordan & Co CEO, all together in Cape Town.

Asics targets all athletes A high-level delegation from Asics Europe recently visited South Africa to introduce the latest offering from the brand that has evolved beyond its running heritage to a full-blown sports brand

F

or years Asics has been known as THE performance running brand.

Now they have set their sights on the general sports market.

Although their strategy is still to own running, they now want to position themselves as the top — or close to the top — brand in all the sports they are involved in.

Intersport, the massive sport buying group with more than 5 400 stores in 42 countries, recently confirmed that Asics is among their top three sporting goods suppliers.

This clearly pleases Alistair Cameron, Asics Europe CEO, who expressed his joy at being back in South Africa. A sentiment echoed by EMEA emerging market manager Ron van der Linde and marketing director Michael Price.

Despite pulling out of some of the mass international retail chains they grew 8% in Europe over the past nine months, and 11% in the US. In South Africa Asics sales grew 17%.

“Over the past six years we have doubled our running sales — it is a good place to be in.”

Indoor and field key areas But, over the past year the key areas for growth had been in indoor and field sports and training. While running footwear grew 10% and apparel a solid 40% over the past year, sports like tennis and indoor sports made a significant contribution.

Lifestyle will be a strategic focus area in future, as they want to reposition Onitsuka Tiger as a leading lifestyle brand and increase its brand awareness.

They have been growing brand awareness over all sporting categories. The new running campaign, Better your best, will probably be flighted on TV in South Africa as well. An internet film clip featuring sponsored tennis player Gael Monfils got more than 500 000 clicks in

Unlimited athlete also defines the athlete who sets no limits on his performance and always tries to better his best its first month.

They have aligned themselves with some of the top teams in the core sports where they aim to become market leaders — for example, the Australian cricket team and Italian volleyball teams, both among the top ranked teams in the world.

They recently signed the French track and field team (9th on the 2012 London Olympics medal table), who used to have a 43-year relationship with another brand. The 5 or 6 French athletes they sent to their research and design facility in Kobe, Japan, were astonished to be welcomed by the entire company in the foyer.

“They couldn’t believe the individual attention they received to ensure the products we supply them are exactly right. Every part of their bodies was measured by the sport scientists,” says Cameron.

Sponsorships But, this involvement with teams does not deflect from their aim of winning at point-of sale, says Cameron.

Asics recently also became the title sponsor of the LA marathon — the latest addition to the many major marathons they sponsor, like Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Dam to Dam (a 10 mile event attracting over 50 000 runners to the streets of Amsterdam).

Asics now targets unlimited competitors — whether they are elite athletes or occasional trainers. This also defines the athlete who sets

no limits on his performance and always tries to better his best. My Asics is an application that allows an athlete to design a detailed personalised training plan to achieve this. By, for example, entering the time you are aiming for in the Comrades, the application will design a daily training programme to enable you to meet your goal at the right time.

Price believes the new Asics natural running technology, FluidAxis, will be perfect for the South African market.

New technology “Natural running is a special growth category in South Africa,” he says. The new Gel Lyte 33, developed, with this technology, will “change the way running shoes are built,” he predicts.

Asics has moved the focus to the subtalar joint (the joint below the ankle) that controls the sideways as well as up and down movement of the foot. A diagonal groove in the outsole decouples the part of the sole below the subtalar joint from the rest of the sole — allowing a more natural side-to-side foot movement during the transition from heel to toe.

“It is a new way of designing shoes,” says Price. “We now know that it is the repetitive foot strike that is more likely to cause injuries — but by alternating shoes, you change your foot strike.” Gone are the days where you bought one pair of running shoes for the season. Runners would at least have two pairs of running shoes to fit different terrain, distance and conditions.

Technical apparel is another growth area where they see huge potential.

Although the scope will be broadened, Asics remains an aspirational brand, says Cameron.

“We just employ our technical know-how to meet the needs of aspirational consumers over more sports categories.”

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

p34 :: Apparel & Footwear

After 27 years working for adidas and 10 years as their sponsored athlete, Gavin Cowley reflects on the changes in the company and the South African sports industry — on and off the field. Interview: Trudi du Toit. Photo: Nic du Toit

Gavin Cowley reflects on

Becoming more professional

T

he number 27 has a special meaning for Gavin Cowley. In July 2013 it will be exactly 27 years since he joined the adidas South Africa staff … an experience he thoroughly enjoyed. “Going to work was like a hobby. I didn’t regret going to work on a single day,” says Cowley, who will be leaving adidas at the end of March when he reaches the compulsory retirement age (60).

Before becoming a staff member he had been an adidas-sponsored athlete for ten years. He became an adidas athlete in 1975, three years after he had left school (Grey High School in Port Elizabeth).

After obtaining a BA with psychology as major, a teaching qualification and a PR diploma, Cowley was appointed sports administrator at the University of Port Elizabeth (now NMMU). This was followed by a stint at a Port Elizabeth paint company (1980-1981) and a year as a sporting goods agent with cricketer Simon Bezuidenhout and cyclist Martin Nefdt, before he joined Volkswagen in Uitenhage as PR manager.

He had always made a point of visiting the adidas offices when in Cape Town and built a strong relationship with the brand. Coupled with his PR experience, it was no surprise that the company offered him the position of communications manager in July 1986.

At that stage Cowley was Director of Sport for the University of Natal, and he also played cricket for the province, which entailed a lot of travelling. Moving his young family to Cape Town, where his parents lived, certainly appealed.

When he joined adidas Alain Ronc had just replaced Tex van Beuge as general manager and one of Cowley’s first tasks as communications manager was to reduce their vast list of assets (sponsored players and teams) to a more manageable size … he promptly removed himself from the list.

The title communications manager in those days covered a variety of functions, includ-

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

ing marketing, promotion, PR, advertising, research — but the whole department consisted of Cowley, a secretary and two people in the warehouse in Cape Town and three people in Johannesburg.

The company then looked very different.

Most of the adidas apparel and many of the shoes were locally made in the Sportshoe factory or the Sechic factory run by Ian Stadler — both owned by Jan Pickard. Globally adidas was part of a stable of brands that included Arena, Pony and Le Coq Sportif.

Alain Ronc ran adidas for about 2 ½ — 3 years, before he left for the US to run Pony.

Gustav Preller, grandson of the Afrikaans literary historian, took over from him. During this time the global company was streamlined and divested from the other brands. When Preller moved to adidas UK, sales director Tony O’Hagan took over the helm in South Africa.

He would like to share the benefit of his experience with young athletes — for example, his belief that luck is where opportunity meets preparedness.

When he retired in 2000, Gary Thomas briefly took over before a young Brian Kerby, then sales director, was promoted from within the company to run adidas.

Cowley, who says that he wasn’t interested in the job, acknowledges that the hugely popular O’Hagan had left “a massive hole.”

In the new century, adidas began climbing an upward curve, which culminated in the high of the 2010 FIFA World Cup with the brand as the official ball and FIFA technical apparel sponsor.

The growth in the company — topline growth as well as in the people employed — was one of the biggest changes he experienced over the years.

Another was the professionalisation of the

industry. In the “good old days” they traded in an informal, friendly environment. Everybody knew everybody else by first name and weeklong sales conferences were as much about socialising as work. SASGAM meetings and the annual show brought friends from across the country and industry together.

In many ways we’ve outgrown the need for an organisation like SASGAM as the business model has moved to key accounts and on-site range shows, he believes. The approach has changed. “But in some ways it is sad that those days are past.”

Now, the business environment has become as professional as any other industry. “I believe adidas is playing a leading role in professionalising the work environment,” says Cowley. “Many things have been incorporated from a global perspective and the local company has adapted well.”

The overall brand mix has followed the international model, he continues. “Adidas has a history of products with great style, represented in the Originals and performance styles. Taylormade adidas golf complements the mix.”

The brand mix is diverse and forms a solid foundation, with apparel being a big growth area. Their product split has traditionally been about 60% footwear, 30% apparel, 10% hardware. “Each category has a role to play,” says Cowley. “The brand gets credibility from hardware, apparel ensures exposure and footwear is our core strength and strongest source of innovation.”

He mentions the example of the surprise German victory over Hungary in the 1954 FIFA World Cup where adidas was the first to introduce screw-in studs. The advantage of these studs on the rain-soaked pitch was believed to have given Germany the upper hand. Introducing technologies before everyone else is a heritage of the adidas brand, says Cowley.

“I have been able to live a full and balanced life,” says Cowley, who managed to enjoy a To p34 very full top level sports

BOOST changes running FOREVER

Advertorial :: p1

adidas introduces cushioning innovation and sets new standards for the industry

R

evolutionary energy return, superior cushioning, optimal fit and temperature independence: adidas introduces the Energy Boost, a cushioning technology that provides the highest energy return in the running industry. And just like that, running will never be the same.

Boost your cushioning The foundation of the BOOST™ innovation is centred on a revolutionary cushioning material. Based on an innovative development process created by our partner BASF, the world's leading chemical company, solid granular material (TPU) is literally blown up and turned into thousands of small energy capsules that make up the footwear’s distinctive midsole.

With their unique cell structure, these energy capsules store and unleash energy more efficiently in every stride. Tests conducted by

the adidas Innovation Team (ait.) show that the highly durable material found only in Energy Boost products provides the highest energy return in the running industry. “adidas is committed to creating innovative products that make athletes better. With BOOST™ we have created a cushioning revolution that provides the highest energy return in the industry,” says Eric Liedtke, head of Sport Performance. “In short, Energy Boost is the next great running shoe and will reset the running industry.”

“BOOST™ is a revolutionary material that combines the usually conflicting performance benefits of soft and comfortable, on the one hand, and firm and responsive cushioning, on the other, for the most comfortable run ever,” adds Bernd Wahler, head of Innovation for adidas. “It almost makes the shoe come to life, and you will feel it from the first moment you put it on. BOOST™ sets a new standard not only for

running shoes, but for the entire industry and all products going forward.”

Boost your conditions The new cushioning material does not only provide the highest energy return in the industry; it also holds its performance in almost any condition at unparalleled levels. Ait. conducted tests to monitor how the BOOST™ foam material would react in a variety of temperatures compared to standard EVA foam commonly used in most running shoes.

These tests revealed that, when taken from +40 to -20 degrees Celsius, BOOST™ foam is three times more temperature-resistant than standard EVA material, thus providing a more consistent run.

Boost your comfort The innovation goes beyond the revolutionary midsole technology. The upper on the Energy Boost features adidas Techfit technology with highly durable and elastic polyurethane, which provides optimal comfort and support to the entire foot while in motion.

A stretch, breathable, mesh material offers the fit of a sock while engineered powerbands across the upper provide targeted support and stabilise the foot where needed when moving.

For more information contact adidas on Tel: 021 442 6200 Fax: 021 442 0580 or visit www.adidas.com/za.

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

p36 :: Apparel & Footwear

With multiple awards, over 40% growth and #1 status in running specialists in top markets, Brooks is enjoying exceptional success. An international executive explains why

Why Brooks enjoys so much success

Brooks’ international sales manager of distribution, Lars Luermann, South African distributor Clive Chowles and Cape Town agent Gaye Naude

I

t sounds such common sense when Lars Luermann explains the reasons behind Brooks’ stellar success: ask runners what they need, get biomechanics experts to make shoes to meet these needs and ensure that retailers understand how to get the information across to their customers.

This philosophy resulted in statistics and awards to envy in a year when international headlines like Running market slowing down... were not uncommon. Brooks defied the trend and in 2012 reported 43% sales growth in the US and 41% across Europe.

They were the #1 brand in running specialist stores in the US and Germany and the #2 brand in markets like the UK and France, according to Sports Marketing Surveys.

Their new PureProject category gained 12% of the US lightweight running shoe retail dollar market share, according to the January 28 issue of Sports Executive Weekly. In the Lex group of 70 US speciality running stores, they were the top brand with 25% market share.

This success was recognised by the industry.

The US Independent Running Retailer Association chose Brooks as their Vendor of the Year for the second year in a row, sport and outdoor retail chain REI (Recreational Equipment Inc) named Brooks their overall Vendor of the Year, while in the Footwear News Achievement Awards, Brooks won the Brand of the Year in the athletics category.

Among the shoes that contributed to this success were the three models that were the Runner’s World Editor’s Choice — Ghost 5, Adrenaline GTS 13 and Trance 11— while PureCadence

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

There is the green story, or the Brooks DNA, or the PureProject, or how we integrate all of this... the different concepts appeal to different people. was the Running Network’s Best New Shoe.

While 2012 was an excellent year for Brooks, they have been building on this success for the past decade. They have posted doubledigit growth since 2002 and have been the top brand in US specialist running stores over the past couple of years — and the gap between Brooks and the runner-up has been growing year-by-year, explains Luermann.

He is Brook’s international sales manager of distribution, responsible for all countries importing and distributing the brand. He was on a brief visit to South Africa, where Clive and Michelle Chowles’ SBR Agencies have been distributing the brand for the past year.

“SBR Agency relaunched Brooks as a brand with a high performance approach in technical running in a fantastic way,” he says. “They started very strong and exceeded our expectation. We are pleased to have a strong partner who understands the running business and the needs of runners.”

The interesting part of his job is that the markets are so diverse — In the EMEA there are 23 countries and South Africa would be very different to, for example, Sweden, or the

Netherlands or Germany.

Yet, in some ways the South African market is very similar to other markets with running specialist stores and general sport stores on a national basis.

Brooks has been around a long time — 73 years — and have been focusing on the running market since the end of the 1990’s. What changed over the past few years to propel the brand to the forefront of the running market?

“We inspire people to be active and go out and run,” he says, “and people should enjoy running, no matter for what reason they run.”

The brand’s motto, Run Happy, resonates with consumers. When Brooks researchers conducted an impromptu survey at the running track close to their Seattle head office, runners instinctively smiled as soon as they spotted this motto on a flip chart.

Brooks has always been a company where the people all have a passion for running, says Luermann. This team has mostly stayed together — some for longer than twenty years.

“A couple of years ago we made good investments in people,” he continues. Since 2009, Brooks has been focusing more on product innovations and took people on board to support this. Notably, director of footwear Andre Kriwet, who was trained in biomechanics and who formerly worked for Nike. “This guy is so dedicated he can talk for two hours just on the crash pad of a running shoe,” laughs Luermann.

Another reason for their success is because Brooks is a running specialist brand that only To p36 focuses on providing high perfor

Brooks understands runners. That’s why we know that while the perfect biomechanics for the right fit is vital, so is making sure that the experience of the run exceeds all their expectations.

We engineer the finest fit by combining advanced biomechanics, terrain knowledge and a deep understanding of the experiences runners want and need.

Our performance footwear incorporates our unique technologies to create a spectrum of experiential choices from “Float” to “Feel”. Brooks Float shoes like Glycerin or Ghost provide a plush and comfortable ride.

They are the luxury sedans of footwear, whereas our lightweight PureProject Collection shoes are performance racing cars built for speed, freeing the feet to connect with the ground beneath you.

We know that when a runner is focussed on the run, when the road or trail is all there is, they need a lightweight, efficient and flexible shoe that tailors to their needs without compromising.

The PureProject Collection is the next evolution in the feel running experience. Brooks has combined five unique technologies in the PureProject collection that promotes an efficient, aligned stride.

• The split toe enhances flexibility, stability and power • The Brooks signature heel aligns the joints and creates optimal energy return • BioMogo DNA guarantees adaptable cushioning • Each shoe is anatomically designed for glove-like comfort and support • The elastic Nav Band provides the perfect fit

PUREDRIFT

HARNESS THE SPIRIT OF THE PERFECT STRIDE

FEEL MORE WITH LESS

Whatever the mood, wherever the road leads, whether it’s the beat of the music, the end in sight, the finish line or the sheer joy of the experience, Brooks has a shoe that makes every step part of the journey.

It’s all about the sheer joy of hitting the right stride. It’s why we believe in Run Happy.

where sleek style meets lightweight efficiency.

FIND YOUR STRIDE Man or woman, big or small, flat-footed or high arched, Brooks DNA allows us to custom fit each runner’s stride to the perfect performance footwear. We can’t guarantee they’ll win every race, but we can guarantee they’ll get to the finish line in comfort.

Our smart cushioning system automatically adjusts to a runner’s weight, gait and speed. The non-Newtonian liquid DNA reacts to the amount of force placed on the foot and disperses pressure providing resiliency as needed. Very simply it is soft comfort or firm support whenever needed.

FLOAT THROUGH THE RUN

THE AXIS OF EXCELLENCE Say hello to Float, Feel, Freedom, and Assurance.

Together, these components answer the question of how much support you need and how you want to experience your run. Look at the chart below to see how the Brooks footwear line shakes out.

FLOAT

Beast®

Glycerin® 10

Ghost 5

Defyance 6

Ravenna 4 Adrenaline GTS 13

CORE SHOES

®

GLYCERIN 10

TM

TM

ADRENALINE GTS 13

The Brooks Core Collection is the epitome of running in stylish comfort. Plush, balanced and supremely comfortable they are packed with runner inspired technology, responding to your every step, aligning the stride and cushioning the ride.

Guidance

Freedom

Support

Control Assurance

Cascadia 8 Racer ST 5

where high performance meets plush comfort

T7 Racer

PUREPROJECT

with refined Caterpillar Crash Pad

GHOST 5

CASCADIA 8

TM

with optimised underfoot flex & fit

Neutral

TM

PureCadence 2 TM

TM

TM

PureDrift

FEEL

TAKE THE LEAD where silky meets smooth

SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE CORE COLLECTION: • • •

PureFlow 2 PureGrit 2 PureConnect 2

Biomogo Midsoles are non-toxic and biodegradable so you leave a lighter footprint on the world you run in.

Omega Flex Grooves dynamically expand & contract for maximum flexibility.

Caterpillar Crash Pad customises flex to a runner’s unique laydown style.

Contact us today and become a leading supplier of BROOKS PERFORMANCE FOOTWEAR. Call Clive at SBR IMPORTERS AND DISTRIBUTORS CC on 082 322 5620 or email clive@sbragencies.co.za

Brooks is world renowned as providing premium performance footwear and apparel with a primary focus on creating an extraordinary running experience.

The company is fast gaining a foothold in the South African market that will soon see them achieve status in line with their international success.

There is no doubt South African runners will soon be joining the ranks of their loyal worldwide following.

p38 :: Apparel & Footwear

Brooks’ success story cont from p36 mance shoes and equipment for runners.

“We don’t get distracted by other sections of the business.

“We really believe in innovation and if we bring out something new, it has to be better.

We will not just bring out something new for a marketing reason, the runner should experience the improvement.”

They have consistently built on the success formulas of certain models. For example, the GTS had been very successful because the last it is built on ensures such a good fit. “Our philosophy is to have a 360 degree vision in making the shoe more adaptable to the foot, taking the story beyond gender.

Biomechanics — how shoes react to the movement of the body — are important when they develop shoes. Therefore, Brooks shoes are known for their fit and comfort.

their ideal running shoe should look like.

“We listened and put all the feedback together, and that is how we created PureProject. We made sure that the shoes are biomechanically sound so that they will work.”

There was a lot of confusion in the market about minimalist and natural running shoes, he says. Some people say less is more and then take something out of their shoes to sell it as a natural running shoe at the same, or higher, price.

“Less is more might be a design approach, but if you talk to a guy who drives a Porsche and tell him ‘here is a bike, less is more,’ the guy would say ‘what are you talking about’?”

In the past twenty years only two brands have been #1 in technical running

Technology leader Brooks has always been a leader in technology — they were, for example, the first brand to build a medial post into a shoe, says Luermann.

Their biodegradable, waste-reducing BioMogo midsole technology has been made available as an open source to others interested in more sustainable manufacturing.

“We work on solutions with technologies that make shoes more adaptable to runners’ needs,” he continues. “Every runner’s foot is different, every one run’s on a different surface, at a different mileage, speed, and with a different gait.”

They developed the PureProject concept to meet runner needs identified during consumer research they conduct with IDEO, described by Luermann as “the Harvard of design or consumer insight companies”. They went to runner’s homes to try and understand their way of living, their philosophy of life, why they run and what

Brooks therefore added five new technologies in the PureProject concept. “For us it was important to have a lightweight package with new technologies that make the shoe really runable for everyone — a forefoot striker, a heel striker, a runner that prefers a cushioned ride, etc. We have always believed in the biomechanics of natural running and have always incorporated this into our shoes.”

It is therefore important for Brooks that their shoes are sold by retailers who understand that the two concepts, Core and PureProject, go together and that they can explain to customers that the one is not secondary to the other, but that they complement each other.

“In the Core line we have more the idea of floating, and in the Pure line more the feel of it. So we give the runner a choice of float versus feel,” says Luermann.

Working with IDEO taught them to look at

things from a different perspective, he says.

For example, they went shopping and in Chicago asked a runner coming out of a speciality running shop what advice he received. He said, “I’m a nator” (see p26).

“It taught us that sometimes we have to change our communications a little bit with the runner or consumer,” says Luermann.

“Therefore, we changed the conversation.

In Core we have categories like neutral, guidance, support, motion control. In Pure we like to use different expressions. We like to talk about freedom for the foot, or assurance for the foot. Even if you are not a runner, you understand that. It’s more emotional, but people understand it a little bit better.”

Brooks and their tech reps regularly go to stores where they explain the concepts and the need for a conversation with runners.

“It is important that stores that sell our brand understand our product and philosophy.

That’s why we have very controlled distribution, because we want to make sure that the store can sell running in the right way.”

They therefore like to form long term partnerships with partners that understand how to build the brand, as well as the running market.

In the past twenty years only two brands have been #1 in technical running and “we believe Brooks is the brand that will be leading technical running for the next few years.

“People resonate with us as a brand because we are running specialists, they understand our concepts because they are really good.

“We get feedback: you guys have so much to talk about. There is the green story, or the Brooks DNA, or the PureProject, or how we integrate all of this... the different concepts appeal to different people.

“That’s why we believe we can stay the #1 technical running brand in the world.”

Puma is giving new meaning to the phrase the nature of performance with a creative and marketing campaign for a collection of innovative soccer, running and training products.

The latest additions to their running category sets new boundaries — a shoe that expands and contracts with the foot and clothing that combines the benefits of compression with those of athletic taping.

The Mobium Elite is the first model in Puma’s new Adaptive Running category.

The performance trainer adapts to the longitudinal, lateral and vertical expansion of the foot during motion for a more natural and effi-

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

cient mid-foot strike.

Puma has developed new compression ranges with built in elasticised silicone athletic taping. The Puma Activ compression garments — training tights, shorts and tops — are designed to work with the body to help maximize muscle power. The compression technology mimics muscle patterns.

Puma RCVR maximizes recovery after work outs. It fuses the recovery benefits of targeted compression with athletic taping to help the body’s natural systems support tired muscles.

In an effort to make their products clearly identifiable, Puma will be introducing a naming Mobium Elite men’s

Mobium Elite women’s

Puma redefines the ‘nature of performance’ in running and labeling concept: the Puma CELL system.

It has 14 CELL names and each corresponds to a specific key performance benefit. For instance, the dryCELL is for moisture management, visiCELL for increased visibility and powerCELL for compression.

Puma has also launched a closed loop footwear, clothing and accessories collection. This means that the products are either entirely biodegradable or recyclable. This InCycle collection has earned them Cradle to Cradle certification, which means that they fully recycle a garment by returning it to a form of fibre that can be remade into fabric.

Other sustainable features of the range are the use of environmentally safe and healthy materials, management of carbon and renewable energy, water stewardship and social fairness.

The Basket Biodegradable shoe, a fully compostable shoe, is the only product in Puma’s InCycle biodegradable range that will be available in South Africa.

Apparel & Footwear :: p39

Memorable promotions At the end of February adidas PR manager Zobuzwe Ngobese moved from Cape Town to Johannesburg where he will be joining a marketing agency, where he will continue to work in public relations management, but first he stayed in Cape Town to run the Two Oceans half marathon and ride in the Pick n Pay Cape Argus race.

He has been training in the new adidas Boost Energy running shoe, recently launched in the US. “From the moment I put it on I could feel the rebound and cushioning made a big difference, even though I am a heavy runner.”

The world launch, attended by luminaries like running great Haile Gebrselassie and Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake, generated plenty of interest in this new midsole cushioning technology.

They dropped silver balls on normal EVA – it hardly bounced – but when they repeated that on the new material – consisting of thousands of small energy capsules that store and unleash energy more efficiently in every stride – the balls really bounced, recounts Ngobese (see p35).

This was followed by the South African launch, where adidas athletes like Bryan Habana, Jean

Cowley cont from p39 programme while also studying or working full time.

He had provincial colours (Eastern Province) in hockey, rugby and cricket and was captain of the latter sides. Barely out of school and with little experience at provincial level, he was selected for the Springbok rugby squad for the 1974 test series against the British Lions and All Blacks in 1976.

Because a substitute could then only be sent on to replace an injured player, the good luck of others turned into bad luck for Cowley — although many rugby writers considered him to be the best fly-half at the time.

Sport was in his genes: His mother Cynthia was an Eastern Province tennis player and her brothers Errol and Ronnie played provincial cricket — the latter also played for South Africa.

He would play cricket and tennis until April and in winter play a rugby, hockey and soccer match for his respective clubs in one weekend — and fit in some golf as well.

In the amateur days, most top sports people had professional qualifications and careers

de Villiers, Rene Kalmer and Elana Meyer gave the new technology the thumbs up (see p2).

The adidas partnership with the Two Oceans Marathon company spawned one of the recent PR campaigns of which Ngobese is proud of: 3 098 pairs of running shoes were collected from runners who swopped their old shoes for a R400 discount voucher on a new pair of adidas shoes — with the used pairs donated to runners who cannot afford their own shoes. The Two Ocean Marathon Initiative, and by proxy the WP Athletics' development programme, and SCORE, a charity supported by adidas, selected the disadvantaged runners to benefit from this Refresh Your Gear campaign (below left).

The highlights of his five-year career with adidas were the PR initiatives he were involved in during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The local team worked alongside a German team from adidas head office on campaigns like the naming and launch of the Confederations Cup and Jabulani World Cup ball and introducing the Bafana Bafana team to their South African fans during autograph signings.

Ngobese was also instrumental in bringing adidas athletes to the office and introducing them

that they simply continued with when their playing days ended.

“We were more balanced, mature and wellprepared for the demands of working life, and in demand by companies,” says Cowley.

Many top sports people were employed in the sports industry. Just in the adidas-related companies Tony Harris, a double Springbok, was the first adidas importer into South Africa, Morné du Plessis was a former marketing director, Springbok centre Peter Whipp ran Le Coq Sportif, 800m world record holder March Fiasconaro and badminton Springbok Gordon McMillan still work for adidas in Gauteng and sales agents Chicken Price and Grant McDade played professional soccer.

Mentoring athletes In contrast, today’s professional sports people have to specialise from a young age and do not have much of an opportunity to experience life outside the demands of their sport. Providing mentorship to young sports and business professionals is a field that Cowley is looking forward to exploring now that he will have more time.

He would like to share the benefit of his ex-

Adidas Head of Design for Sport Performance James Carnes, introduces the new Energy Boost to Haile Gebrselassie.

and the staff to each other – for example, the women’s hockey team, playing in adidas kit, visited before the test series in which they were narrowly defeated by world #1 Netherlands in the final, after they beat England and drew with Australia (below).

The approachable and likeable Ngobese is a journalist by training and started his career with Business Report, then joined Metropolitan Asset Management, before joining adidas in 2008. He is currently studying towards an MBA degree.

perience with young athletes. He believes that luck is where opportunity meets preparedness.

He is looking forward to working in this field with Jenny Handley, a friend who is running a performance management company, with whom he co-authored the book Raise your Game.

Since his rugby commentating career kicked off in 1989, he has become a well-known face and voice on SABC sport and after 1995 on SuperSport. A career hobby he loves.

He is happy that he can now devote more time to commentary and will be able to accept assignments that he previously had to decline because they would conflict with his work for adidas.

He also loves addressing people and is in demand as MC or after dinner speaker. He will also have more time for interests like genealogy — he is busy working on a book of his family’s history — and Egyptology.

He is also a director of the African operation of the Chief Marketing Officer Council, with its headquarters in the US. It would therefore not be correct to say that Cowley will be retiring at the end of March — merely that he is changing direction.

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

p40 :: Advertorial

How Co-Lab Industries learnt

What’s in a name

Two entrepreneurs share how they turned an idea into six successful business units supplying clothing, headwear and accessories to retailers

R

yan Ambler-Smith and his partner, Bevan Edgley, started Naked Solutions, a company supplying clothing products to the promotions industry, in 2006. Ambler-Smith, who had experience of working for companies operating in that sector, saw an opportunity for a service oriented business and convinced his friend with a financial background to join him.

One of the first lessons the young entrepreneurs learned was that the word Naked is not a very good idea for a name for a serious business. Apart from the inevitable jokes — which were funny to start off with, but quickly became tiresome — they received a lot of crank calls and wasted valuable time and resources dealing with it. To make matters worse, their emails were rejected as spam and business opportunities were lost due to their messages not reaching their customers.

They realised that the name of their business must give potential customers an indication of what they are doing. By then, their main business had become promotional headwear and they decided to call themselves simply Headwear 24. This was a great choice — it defined their business and made a clear statement

about their service delivery — and they quickly became established as a serious player in the promotions industry.

As the business grew, Headwear 24 was asked by major retailers to manufacture their in-house ranges and they currently supply every major retail chain with a quality range of caps, hats, trilbys, fedoras, sun hats, panamas, scarves, gloves and beanies for ladies, men and kids.

One of the keys to their business is the staff.

Through several (more) mistakes, they have come to realise that good competent staff is the key to any business. One of them is coowner of Frontman (one of the divisions), Chris Scholtz, who heads up the trending division for the entire business. According to Ambler Smith, it gives them a competitive edge over the opposition knowing what is trending every season and planning accordingly.

About three years ago, during one of their product sourcing expeditions, they were offered the exclusive rights to distribute Hanes t-shirts in South Africa. Hanes’ 100-year old quality philosophy of making the best darn shirt in the world fitted perfectly with Headwear24’s service ethics ... and it turned out to be a good partnership.

They soon realised that there were opportunities in acquiring brands for

Their recipe for success

What made them successful and continues to set them apart from competitors?

• Their quest for quality. All their brands have proven track records and they match that to their emphasis on quality on-time service. They have good systems in place and continuously strive to improve the service to their customers. Their aim is to deliver a quality product on time, no excuse. They want to be the best, not the biggest. They are small enough to change their offering quickly if fashion changes and can bring product to the market in a very short time. This leaves them flexible enough to accommodate short and long runs.

• Niche offerings. They offer a full range of services. They have their own printing division but can outsource printing and embroidery as well. They pride themselves that they carry a lot of stock and give clients access to their stockholding to assist in their own planning.

• Short lead times. They only need a lead time of of 24 hours between placing an order and delivering goods. They carry a lot of stock so that they can deliver quickly and have warehouses in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth to avoid transport delays. They also support local production where they can. This gives them quicker turnaround times and allow custom made products, which is ideal for smaller retailers.

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

Ryan Ambler-Smith and Bevan Edgley.

resale and they added the trendy skateboarding brand Iron Fist to their portfolio.

The success of the initial venture, plus the new direction the company was taking, just proved too much for the two entrepreneurs to handle and they convinced Dave Turnbull to join them as managing director. Turnbull came with a proven business pedigree, having gained marketing experience in various companies, including Reebok.

Soon after, they also started up Hair Candy, which is a range of ladies and girls hair accessories. This business has taken off overnight, mainly due to their good relationship with chain stores, and the fact that they have a proven track record in the industry of delivering quality goods on time. Although the brand has only been around for a year, they are already supplying the major chains.

This was not the end of all the changes, as they realised that the name Headwear24 was no longer appropriate. They then changed their name to Co-Lab Industries, to house all divisions.

The vision for Co-Lab is to be a company that has fun providing our customers with innovative, trending, value for money fashion accessories and niche products.

Within Co-Lab Industries they now have the following brands: • Headwear 24: supplying headwear to retail and promotional markets.

• Apparel 24: sourcing niche technical product to chains for their in-house brands.

• Hanes: t-shirts for retail sales and promotional products.

• Hair Candy: hair accessories for promotional (schools) and the retail markets.

• Iron Fist: A new athletic range is being launched to complement the lifestyle range.

• Frontman: a division that supplies novelty product such as headphones, bags and sunglasses for promotional and retail markets.

Co-Lab Industries can be contacted on Tel: 031 303 1928 or Email: dave@apparel24.net or visit: www.headwear24.com

Selling kids’ shoes

p42 :: Apparel & Footwear

C

While parents like to think of their children as smaller versions of themselves, there are some differences when it comes to their shoes and that of their offspring — and the ways a retailer should go about selling the footwear, reports CARIN HARDISTY.

hildren’s footwear sales grew by 12% in value during 2012, a recent survey by the NPD Group revealed.

This makes the category the fastestgrowing segment of the US athletic footwear market.

With this growth it is no wonder brands are focusing more and more on the children’s market — going as far as dedicating entire stores to children, for example the store that adidas opened in Cape Town last year and Skye Distribution’s deal signed at the beginning of this year to open Rookie kids stores in SA. The deal was signed with Haddad, who represent Converse, Jordan and Nike Action kids. The Rookie stores concept comes from the US and the kids-only stores are meant to be an experience for children, where the layout of the store includes interactive elements that are meant to offer advice and guidance on making product selections.

As more emphasis is being placed on the children’s market, it is becoming more and more important for retailers to stock children’s footwear.

Not just mini-me’s Remember that children have their own needs.

There are several physical challenges that you need to keep in mind when suggesting a shoe for a child.

Children are constantly growing, reminds Dale

As more emphasis is being placed on the children’s market, it is becoming more and more important for retailers to stock children’s footwear.

Turrell of Native Sports, local distributors of Vivobarefoot. “Between the ages of 5-12 children's feet are still growing and developing, so the shoe should not hinder or alter this. You do not want tight or rigid shoes. That is why children love being barefoot — not in shoes that look like mom's and dad's.”

“Parents should avoid inflexible and restrictive shoes. Children’s feet function as nature intended and it is only footwear that has caused many adults to have problems with their feet and limbs as a result. A shoe that allows the child’s feet to function without restriction is a must,” says a spokesperson from Inov-8 SA. Children are therefore well-suited to minimalist footwear. Their muscles are more flexible than those of adults and as such they do not need to go through the different phases of going down to minimalist footwear as grownups need to do, says Inov-8 SA’s spokesperson.

Selling tips • Find out what the footwear will be used for and if it is needed for a specific activity.

• Retailers need to convince the parents of the importance of getting proper shoes for the development of their children’s feet. “Their feet are growing and the correct footwear for children is almost more important than for adults,” says Hefer.

• Sell the benefits of the shoe to the parents and highlight the positives of the footwear, e.g. those used for natural running.

• Children’s shoes should be comfortable. Shoes with a big toe box allow the toes to spread and a nice flexible sole allows the foot to act and strengthen naturally, says Turrell.

• The ability to provide parents with Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

technical advice gives the retailer a great advantage, says Hefer.

• Retailers need to make sure that their products are priced properly as customers are very price sensitive, says Buthelezi.

• Children’s footwear should be merchandised and displayed in an exciting manner to lure the children and make it more appealing to them, says Hefer.

It helps when customers can be sold a complete look, including apparel, says Buthelezi.

• “Focus on the parent to follow through with the final purchase — and not on the child,” says Buthelezi. In the younger shoe ranges, the parents choose the shoe style and colours, Syfret adds.

“Because children are light their footwear don’t need a lot of cushioning,” Jo Syfret of HiTec Sports SA points out. “Most children’s footwear don’t have a midsole as the sock liner gives the cushioning, as opposed to the midsole in adult footwear.”

This lack of midsole also makes the footwear less technical than adults'.

It is tempting to think that you can just take an adult's shoe and make a smaller version for kids, but the truth is that adults' and children's feet are not the same.

“In the past, children's footwear used to be seasonal (October-December),” says Celo Buthelezi of Skye Group, local distributors of Mille and Converse. “However, there is now a shift towards supplying different styles all year round.”

Also keep in mind that children are active and their shoes need to be durable to be able to keep up. “Sketchers Kids shoes are made from durable materials to ensure longevity,” Dianri Malan of local distributor, Footwear Trading, points out.

“Our shoes are durable enough to survive the rigorous playing schedule of all kids.”

There is, however, a universal similarity when it comes to selling shoes for children and adults: information is crucial in selecting the correct footwear. “Children choose footwear that looks nice and appeals to them, but that might not necessarily be the best for them. So they need to be guided in the right direction when it comes to buying footwear as the incorrect footwear can do more harm than good,” advises Coenraad Hefer of New Balance SA.

What colour?

The purpose of the shoe plays a big role in determining what the popular colour for the style will be, for example plain white and plain black dominate the school category in athletic footwear. Hefer says that they have also experienced that their white base with navy trim shoe sells well. “This is allowed at schools and parents buy it as an all-round shoe to be used for all school activities.”

Stronger colour is popular on other types of footwear. “Typically, running and gym shoes feature bright seasonal colours,” says Syfret. “In the running category, bright colour meshes and colour pops on outsoles are more popular than plain black.”

There are some practical aspects to having footwear with bright colours, Buthelezi points

Apparel & Footwear :: p43

The annual GDS show features a wide variety of the latest footwear trends and developments, including children’s footwear. Photos by Messe Duesseldorf

out. The dirt doesn't show up as well. “Children are known to get dirty and parents prefer colours that do not show dirt easily. Bright vibrant colours have always been the most popular amongst children — blue, green and cherry tomato to name a few.”

“The most flashy and bright colours sell well,” agrees Inov-8 SA’s spokesperson.

Apart from these practical considerations, there is also the big influence from what children see on television.

“Children like bright colours, but they are also heavily influenced by TV characters/movies, for example Spiderman,” says Turrell.

“The sales in more colourful children shoes have picked up substantially in the last two seasons,” agrees Hefer. “Children want to wear what they see on television and want to look the part more and more now. This sometimes overrides the parent’s choice.”

Some things, however, are so entrenched into society that trends don't influence them — such as that for infants' shoes there are only two colours worth mentioning. “Blue wins hands down for boys and pink for girls,” says Hefer.

What attracts children?

Velcro closures are popular for children's shoes, says Syfret. These closures are great from a safety perspective — no shoe laces to come loose and trip on — and young children can fasten the shoes themselves.

She points out that there is also a trend towards low-cut sneakers.

Children want to wear the styles that look like the popular adult styles, agrees Hefer.

However, children also like footwear that is different and stands out, he adds. “They either want

what their sporting heroes are wearing, or footwear that is different and makes them stand out from the crowd. They don’t want to wear the same shoes that everyone else is wearing at school.”

Patterns are often a deal closer.

“Patterns such as stars and flames are the most popular amongst children and is trending globally,” says Buthelezi.

New for 2013 What do suppliers have to offer in children’s footwear?

Look out for flames, stars and other funky prints, advises Buthelezi.

These include country flags and will have bright colours. She adds that camo designs will also be big for summer. With regards to the construction, Buthelezi says that the “double tongue will feature predominately”. Velcro fasteners and slip-on styles are also features that their footwear will have.

Skechers’ 2013 range of children’s footwear, locally distributed by Footwear Trading, is full of bright and colourful styles and contains favourite styles such as Twinkle Toes, Hotlights and Luminators. Twinkle Toes — with the sequined toe-cap, colourful print designs and a light up surprise — has so far proven popular among girls, straight through from infants to pre-school and older. Hotlights and Luminators have bright colours, sporty designs and flashing lights are designed to fuel boys’ imaginations when playing.

To ensure the shoes don’t aren’t tired before the child is, Skechers Kids have made their boys’ range in a combination of leather and synthetic uppers with mesh inserts, which allows for lightweight comfort, and the girls’ range has a soft canvas fabric upper with shock absorbing midsole and flexible rubber traction outsole.

New Balance is expanding the children's footwear in their Minimus range. “Children are the ones that can benefit the most from wearing this type of footwear,” says Hefer.

“The shoes are very comfortable and functional and children love to wear them.” The range also helps the child's feet to become stronger and function naturally, adds Hefer.

They are also working on closing the gap between adult and children footwear — with technologies in the children's footwear becoming more and more like those found in adults'.

“We on the other hand are moving away from creating children's footwear that is similar to adults'.

The designs are more specific to children and you won't be seeing drop-down styles,” says Buthelezi.

She goes on to point out that children's shoes need to be practical and, most obviously, cute. “Children's shoes are attention seekers.”

Hi-Tec have also considered children specifically when designing their footwear ranges. “There is a great range of sandals, aqua boo-

ties, technical hiking boots and running shoes that allow them to wear the best shoe for each activity,” says Syfret.

Their Big Fit System is ideal for parents with growing children, who are continuously outgrowing their shoes. The system helps children's shoes last longer as the shoes grow with the child's feet. This is done with the help of the two insoles: a Green Contoured insole, for comfort and cushioning, and a volume adjuster. “The volume adjuster can be removed as the child’s feet grow to increase the shoe by 2/3 of the size,” explains Syfret.

Cultivating a healthy posture and aiding with the child’s overall good health is important to Vivobarefoot, says Turrell. Their range includes a school range that conforms with regulations as well as a range of footwear that incorporates fun and practical colours for leisure time — all on their original barefoot-designed sole. “At the end of the day the parents have the final say and we want our shoes to be timeless and not just worn a few times.”

The adidas Kids store in Canal Walk, Cape Town, stocks sport and lifestyle footwear and apparel for boys and girls from newborns to 14 year-olds. It “provides a great family-focused store with plenty of fun,” says Warren Bowers, Retail Director for adidas SA.

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

p44 :: Sport

Developing netball and soccer High participation numbers do not automatically equal good equipment sales, because the lower the level of participation, the less products are bought. What is being done to grow the participation level of netball and soccer? asked RHIANAH FREDERICKS

S

occer and netball are among the biggest participation sports in South Africa. The majority of South African athletes of all age groups either play soccer (men) or netball (women) — yet, the retail sales don’t reflect this.

Soccer has the most adult participants of all South African sports across all race groups — followed by road running and netball, a 2009 survey by Accelerate Sport South Africa showed.

In 2007 a survey BMI Sportinfo did for Sport and Recreation SA (SRSA) found that an estimated 1.3-m juniors and 2.3-m adults played soccer — a total of 3.3-m. According to SAFA the current soccer participation numbers are about 3-m. Therefore, despite the hype around the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the number of soccer players declined over the past six years.

What’s more, since 1996, when Bafana Bafana was crowned African Cup of Nations champions, the national team has underperformed in the international sporting world (to put it kindly). At the time of going to press they were ranked 60th in the world and 10th in Africa.

Netball, on the other hand, has been growing an average of 9.5% per year since 1994, Netball South Africa (NSA) president Mimi Mthethwa told the Parliamentary Committee on Sport in September last year. Participation is now estimated at 1-m adults and 1.5m juniors, compared to the 2007 estimate of 991 000 adults and 847 000 juniors. Accelerate Sport will be conducting a proper audit of netball participation during the course of the year, says director Gary Grant.

Despite these high participation numbers, the soccer and netball markets for replica etc.

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

are not nearly as lucrative as cricket or rugby — sports that do not even feature among the top 5 in terms of participation numbers.

Since last year the national soccer and netball organisations have, however, been introducing measures that could change the profiles and fortunes of these sports.

SAFA established the SAFA Development Agency (SDA) under the high-profile leadership of its former CEO Robin Petersen as a recovery system for South African soccer. It aims to achieve international success over the next ten years by creating structures for soccer development in schools and clubs in line with their Technical Master Plan (TMP) and to identify and grow talent, says Petersen.

development academies, which are believed to assist the development process. Club structures will be grown in all 320 Local Football Associations (LFA), ensuring that competition structures are functioning at all age group levels. The SDA’s programme also involves training 15 000 coaches per year, allowing a 1:20 coach to player ratio by the 2022 World Cup. An online database of all 3-m players, coaches, referees and administrators has been initiated and Petersen says that the roll-out of this management system is a core pillar of the plan, which already began in January this year.

The SDA will be working with NGO’s to, for example, implement life skills that are a core component of players’ and coaches’ development. They have had discussions with a number of development agencies to draw on their experience and resources, provided they align with the TMP. “Our goal is to work collaboratively with all stakeholders in football and youth development,” says Peterson. While SAFA values the many private initiatives — including from companies in the industry (see box) — they will, over time, ensure that the initiatives align with the overall TMP, “so that they all work together for this common goal.”

Soccer development

Netball initiatives

“The primary focus of the plan is to identify and develop talent in South African football, and not address mass participation as such.”

But, team success and better organisation would create more interest in soccer, which will lead to more participation, he envisages.

It is their intention to identify the top 1 000 U13 and U15 boys and girls throughout the country, in order to test and place them in

NSA has a 3-point plan for growing netball, Mthethwa told the parliamentary committee: they want to strengthen administration and create strategic alliances; they want to win at national level by focusing on high performance, talent identification, and excellence; and they want to make money through new competition structures (a pro league), new events and brands and media partnerships.

To p44

Despite these high participation numbers, the soccer and netball markets are not nearly as lucrative as cricket or rugby — sports that do not even feature among the top 5 in terms of participation numbers.

p46 :: Sport

Netball and soccer development cont from p46

“We have ensured that the 47 member regions benefit directly from NSA programmes aimed at developing technical officials (coaches, umpires and administrators),” says Mthethwa. They participate in national competitions, where selected players are put in different programmes and get the opportunity to represent the country.

Last year there was quite some activity in the netball sphere, with many international competitions like the Diamond Challenge (where South Africa beat Malawi), the Quad series (South Africa played against New Zealand, Australia and England) as well as the Fast 5 World Series where the top six netball countries play in a 5-a-side series (South Africa, ranked #5 in the world, came third) taking place.

These international competitions are believed to have generated some new interest in the sport. “The interest in netball has grown considerably because netball was shown live through SuperSport, reaching 28 African countries. Ordinary people in the street are now talking about netball and most agree that it is one of the most exciting family sports worth watching,” says Mthethwa.

This appears to have resulted in an increase in netball sales. Their sponsor, Mitre, has seen a substantial growth in sales of their official SASN (South African Schools Netball) balls over the last three years, says Peter Reeves, a director of the South African supplier Leisure Holdings.

The Professional Netball League (NPL), launched in March 2013, will be a viable ca-

Several brands available in Southern Africa also contribute to the development of grassroots soccer through various initiatives — as the following examples show.

Nike

reer option for women, although sponsorship for the league has not yet been established, Mthethwa believes. NSA needs a R52.62-m budget to host a functioning NPL over a three month period. Their current ball sponsor, Mitre, will also be the official ball sponsor for the league.

Mthethwa believes that netball has grown, but acknowledges the need to brand the sport in a way that will make it attractive to viewers and sponsors. To ensure success of branding the sport, NSA has entered into a five year broadcasting contract with SuperSport, stipulating that the SABC will have access to live footage as well.

She also acknowledges challenges, such as improving the functionality of netball structures in all regions linked to NSA, as well as training and providing support to players as well as technical officials, in order “to lift the standard of netball in the country, continent and internationally.”

Brands help develop soccer Adidas Through their partnership with SCORE, an NGO that uses sport for community development, adidas has been involved in getting youths in rural and vulnerable communities to take part in sport — as an alternative to joining gangs or taking drugs.

Founded in 1991, SCORE has built more than 45 multi-purpose sports facilities for communities in four provinces.

In February this year, after the AFCON tournament, adidas donated 32 match balls used in the tournament to a disadvantaged soccer club in Durban. During the event former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe conducted a coaching clinic at the club.

Mille Mille is involved in the Kia Street Soccer (2013) programme, where 5 600 children U13 will be participating in the streets of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Welkom. In collaboration with the NGO Sporting Chance, the programme brings the game to regions that are facing socio-economic difficulties and lack facilities as well as quality coaching.

“The children feel part of something special that unites both the team players and their peers, which encourages future growth in the sport,” says Kate Maclennan of the local Mille distributor, Skye Distribution.

Mille has also been the official kit sponsor of the PSL soccer team Golden arrows, since 2006.

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

Nike has a number of development initiatives for youth soccer, says communications manager Seruscka Naidoo. Some examples are: • The Football Training Centre in Soweto, a Nike initiative that has an 18 year legacy, has helped to train and mentor over 1 200 teams and 20 000 players.

• Nike’s The Chance initiative is a global soccer talent search that has been running since 2010. In South Africa 5 500 young hopefuls between the ages of 16-21 years attended last year’s local trials hosted in Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth.

Three of the 100 spots are awarded to the best from the trial stages in South Africa.

The winners go on to compete against players representing 55 other countries at the international final, which was last year held at the Barcelona FC youth academy in Spain.

In 2012 South Africa’s Charlie Tsotetsi was among the 16 winners selected to go on a world tour, playing against some of the best academy teams in the world and train at the best facilities, with the chance of being noticed by top club coaches and scouts. The ultimate prize is being selected as one of the eight players to train and play with the Nike Academy in the UK. Reyaad Pieterse, who earned his spot in the Nike Academy in the UK in 2011, was offered a contract with Irish-based Shamrock Rovers FC in 2012 and returned to South Africa this year to play for Kaizer Chiefs.

• Nike has been hosting the Manchester United Premier Cup for the past 19 years — an U15 international event, where the winning team from each participating country has the chance to play against the top 19

teams worldwide. Academy and amateur teams qualify to participate and represent their country at the global finals in Europe or Asia.

Puma As technical sponsor for SAFA, Puma is also involved in their academies and programmes that focus on developing young talent for the national teams.

They also sponsor Moroka Swallows and Jomo Cosmos as well as their respective academies, which helps to develop football talent, not necessarily increase participation, says marketing director Brett Bellinger.

Umbro In association with Spur Steak Ranches, Umbro has been running the Spur Masidlale soccer and life skills programme since 2005, bringing soccer to more than 30 000 children and training over 700 coaches.

This year Umbro will also support the launch of the Spur Masidlale League in which 1 600 children will be competing in Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg.

Ten schools in each region will be fielding ten teams of boys and girls aged 9-13. After regional activations, there will be nine weekly league meetings where 200 children will play.

“We started from humble beginnings, with 12 one-day coaching clinics in 2005, but the Masidlale programme has grown steadily and has highlighted the huge need for initiatives that provide a platform for youth development,” says Khakhi Diala of the Spur group.

They hosted the first pilot league in Sandton in 2009, and are now running four leagues in key urban areas across South Africa.

RUGBY SOCCER NETBALL HOCKEY DARTS TENNIS SQUASH BADMINTON EXERCISE KAREM POOL DIVING SWIMMING TABLE TENNIS BASKETBALL FISHING VOLLEYBALL SUNNY SKIES

Quality Products and Service Since 1984

Telescopic Kicking Tees Also in Adjustable & Standard

Crystal Shinguard

Matrix Shinguard

Junior with ankle protection

Lightweight in senior & junior

Mega Squash String

Stiff Force Tennis Strings

Yellow/Black with low vibration

Polyester String available in 200m

Badminton Shuttles Durable for Sea level or High Altitude

Vector Mouthguard

Badminton Net

NEW Groovy Mouthguard

Rox Practice/Social Net

New L24 Ball Pump Comes with Needle Adaptor

Hockey Balls Dimple, Practice & Mini available

Fluoro Laces Cord Skipping Rope

180cm Laces in High vis colours

Billiard Glove New sold 12 on a card

Popular jump rope with Ball Bearing

Rubber Netballs

Basketballs

Exciting colours in Size 4 & 5

Rubber Size 7

Hockey Sticks New Cosmetics Available in 28, 30, 32, 34 & 36â&#x20AC;?

Junior Swim Goggles In Plain. Alligator or Fish Variations

Spandex Swim Caps

Fishing Gloves

Comfortable caps in a variety of colours

Neoprene fingerless glove Available in Medium & Large

LP MAXTAPING Reduces edema & inflammation. Innovative, colourful, highly flexible taping

Tournament Dartboard Well priced Bristle Dartboard

3D Dimplex Flights No glasses required inflight entertainment

LP 110 XT

LP 130 XT

LP 170 XT

X-TREMUS Ankle Support

X-TREMUS Wrist Brace

X-TREMUS Knee Support

LP X-TREMUS RANGE OFFERS 3 DIMENSIONAL 3 DENSITY EXTREME CONTOUR, EXACT PROTECTION, EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE

For a full range of items shown, latest catalogue & pricelist Contact us on 021-9488150 or wetsports@wirelessza.co.za. Visit us on Facebook or visit our website www.wetsports.co.za

p48 :: Sport

Will school sport plan grow athletics … or not?

T

he reintroduction of school sport into all SA schools could be the dawn of a new dispensation that could see South African athletics enhance their medal chances at the Olympic Games in 2016 — but the Department of Sport and Recreation (SRSA) and SA Schools Athletics (SASA) will have to negotiate several challenges to improve a flawed system if the country is to improve on its one athletics medal at the Games in London this year.

Of a total of 25 851 schools in the country, 13 782 have had registered (at the time of writing) to participate in nine sporting codes to be offered for the school sport programmes. Athletics is one of the prioritised sporting codes.

Since March last year, schools have been engaged in programmes to qualify for the national top-schools championships in December.

This year SRSA will implement a sport focus school programme, says Rohini Naidoo, director of School Sport at SRSA. Federations, school sport code committees and provincial departments of sport have identified schools with infrastructure to be set up as sport focus schools. Learners who demonstrate exceptional talent across the prioritised school sport codes will be placed in the sport focus schools to receive specialised training in their sport.

A minister’s sport bursary programme will be introduced, and talented athletes can apply for the bursary support. As part of a long term athlete development plan, certain sport specialist schools will offer a full complement of scientific support.

From this year schools will participate in a track and field league system, with athletes having to qualify from inter-school to district and then to provincial level competition, says Naidoo. “Athletes will be groomed in a system that will be focusing on their long-term participation and development, which will produce a holistic athlete not for one event, but for long-term achievement.”

SASA upbeat Athletic heroes will only emerge if a solid base is built at school level, says Peppi Olevano and William Mokatsanyane, general secretary and chairperson of SASA. “We trust that with the support from government, we will revive the programmes we had from 1995 to 2006 for participating beyond national schools level, to the international arena.”

Through a partnership between SRSA, the Department of Basic Education, Athletics

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

Will the reintroduction of school sport be the injection needed to revive athletics participation and groom future medal winners? A growth in athletics participation at school will be good news for retailers. But, it might take some time before they see the benefits, FANIE HEYNS cautions Athletics must rediscover its legitimate place in school sport. A culture of athletics must return.

South Africa (ASA) and SASA a development programme will unfold that will be directed to improving coaching, administration and technical officiating in the nine provinces, says Mokatsanyane and Olevano. “SASA already started with a development programme in 2011 by grouping the nine provinces together in four sessions related to coaching.”

According to them approximately 27 000 schools in SA participate in track and field events, as well as cross-country. These schools represent approximately 15-m learners at school level. “Approximately 40% of these learners take part in a form of track and field and cross-country events.”

They are confident that participation in schools sport will grow after it was reintroduced into all schools in March last year. SASA will be organising educators and athletes to attend training sessions. “We hope the base for athletics in schools will grow as educators will acquire the skills from training,” they say.

Benefits of programme The introduction of school sport will have an impact as children thrive on the ability to be fit, strong and proficient at sport, says Marcel Viljoen, founder of Fitness from Africa, who is involved as coach in a number of schools.

“With the introduction of physical education and use of a gymnasium at schools, I have noticed how the bar has been raised in a variety of areas.”

The introduction of school sport in schools and the focus on athletics will also impact in the sales of equipment, says Viljoen. “But it will also depend on the school’s financial resources and how serious the school is about improving. Many schools are also making use of ergogenic aids to optimise the performances of their athletes.”

The reintroduction of school sport will definitely make a difference, says Arnaud Malherbe, a former 400m champion and still national record holder over the distance, and an accomplished TV-commentator. “Kids will be introduced to a wide variety of sports and existing structures will be used to identify talent, rather than costly talent identification programmes. But, athletics coaching will only be improved if the national federation takes an interest in this,” he adds.

Athletics is still strong in South African schools, with many strong inter-schools competitions, says James Evans, president of ASA. In fact, the strength of schools athletics can be a source for concern, as many athletes are developing too early and are not progressing into the senior ranks as they would do in other countries. ASA has been working with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to introduce the IAAF coaching education system into SA. The roll-out of the project will start soon and gain momentum early next year. “Hopefully, with a uniform coaching ideology the development of schools athletes can progress at the pace it should do.”

Official divisions Evans says schools athletics is not organised under the direct wing of ASA. SASA covers most, but not all, schools in SA. “What complicates the matter is that ASA caters for youth and junior athletes, which in many cases overlap with the schools athletics.

So, until 2012, there has been a separate SA Schools Championships and SA Junior Championships. This has put pressure on funding and also on available dates.

“Also, whereas ASA regards the sport as one whole, SASA treats track and field and crosscountry as separate events, meaning that some schools only offer one and not the other,” says Evans.

“It was hoped that with the resolutions taken at the Sports Indaba and the minister’s emphasis on schools sport, there would have been a drive to normalise the situation with schools

Sport :: p49

athletics — but it appears that the national department is supportive of the continuation of the divided structures.

“Unfortunately, because of the parallel schools athletics structures, it is impossible for ASA to influence how schools coach and to (have an impact on) the standard of officiating at schools level. This is an unfortunate situation, which will continue to exist while there is not one structure for junior and schools athletics.”

ASA hosts a national youth and junior championship as a prelude to the World Championships. SASA holds a national high school championship for age groups U15, U17 and U19. These are, however, not international age groups. The athletes who participate in the ASA hosted youth and junior championships often also participate in the high school championships.

According to Olevano a combined school championships were held in March this year in association with ASA, and if duplication is to be eradicated, the system will have to change. ASA caters for the club athletes who are teenagers, while SASA focuses on schools athletes.

He claims there are attempts by ASA to hijack junior athletics in SA and to side-line SASA as a prominent role player in junior athletics, an attitude that contributes to friction within athletics.

False standards A false impression of the quality of schools athletics is created because many schools still use the old ABSA tables at top-ten meetings, instead of the new IAAF-standards, says Irma Reynecke, a prominent athletics coach at the University of Pretoria who also mentored schools-athletes at Waterkloof, Menlopark and Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool for several years.

If they use the IAAF-standards, athletes won’t even amass 800 points, she claims. The reason why they don’t use the IAAF-tables, is that they don’t want to discourage school athletes.

According to SRSA, there are many training courses for officials in provinces and regions, but they do not carry national endorsement.

Many schools officials are not using the current IAAF rulebook. The national office is working on a proposal for the upgrading of the skills of the current officials and training new ones.

Once the structure is finalised, training courses and programs will be rolled out.

ASA qualifying standards for World Youth and Junior Championships are not always honoured when school teams are selected, says Reyneke. In 2012, twelve junior girls went to an international meeting in Barcelona who did not qualify according to the ASA qualifying criteria. All the boys in the team did qualify.

“How can they favour the girls and take them along, but leave the boys who did qualify at home. That is discrimination,” she adds.

Other challenges Malherbe says the popularity of other sporting codes and the lack of qualified coaches are some of the major challenges facing athletics at schools level. School teachers often favour rugby and encourage children to play the ovalball sport.

“There is also a change needed in the schools athletics season, currently running from about August to November. Nobody in the world participates in athletics then. We lose a lot of athletes because of this.”

Most of the so-called athletics schools in the Western Cape and Boland are only supportive of their athletes when focusing on colour sports and small inter-schools meetings, agrees Marcel Otto, a Western Cape-based top-coach. As soon as these meetings end, schools turn their attention to winter sports.

Winning a local inter-schools derby is much more prestigious for a school than to have one or two athletes of international quality being groomed for the big stage.

The biggest problem (with schools athletics) is winter sports and the pressure exerted on school kids to choose between athletics and winter sports, adds Ilze Wicksell, a former SA

and African record holder in the middle distances and a prominent coach. Team sports nowadays start in February, which means that most learners have to make a choice between athletics and team sports.

“I told the Deputy Minister of Sport on more than one occasion we would be lucky to get a medal in London (because of that). Another big problem is that there are very few qualified athletics coaches at schools,” she adds.

Otto says he believes schools could be centres of excellence where coaching should be a priority. “But there are very few coaches available and it takes years, if not decades, for coaches to mature and gain the experience required.”

Where are the Casters and Khotsos?

Little is being done by ASA to improve athletics standards, says Wicksell. “How is it possible that there are so few athletes in Soweto or any black township outside the big cities who qualify for the Olympic Games? There certainly must be more Casters (Semenya) and Khotsos (Mokoena) in the townships. Caster and Tsholefelo Thipe are the only black female athletes that have represented South Africa at the Games since 2008,” she says.

Viljoen says Fitness from Africa is planning to form some focus groups in order to facilitate the growth of coaching and in order to give coaches a platform to share ideas. “I do believe it might be up to individual coaches who have the drive and the passion to promote athletics. There are a number of coaches out there who have made their mark at some time on the tracks of SA and beyond.”

“Athletics must rediscover its legitimate place in school sport,” says Wicksell. “A culture of athletics must return. We are bombarded by winter sports. We need definite seasons for sports. We must broadcast schools athletics on SuperSport. We need a (national) coaching structure and more symposiums for coaches, especially at primary school level.”

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

p50 :: Sport

On the

Ball

Each sport and controlling body have their own specifications of what ball to use in their ant to get your Soccer official competitions. BEVAN FRANK fills kicks by knowAdidas has been the official you in on the official balls and what ing the ins and outs FIFA World Cup ball sponsor since of rugby and soccer requirement an official ball 1970 — and will be until at least the balls? Worried about 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The adidas has to fulfil sinking a sale when it comes to water polo?

W

Are you up in the air about the dimensions of a netball ball?

Then the following information should be handy when buying stock and selling team balls.

There are certain basic requirements that need to be met before a team ball can qualify to get the stamp of its official governing body. Knowing some of the basic specifications will help you to be on the ball when you most need to be!

Rugby Gilbert has been the official ball sponsor for SARU since 1995 (See story on new distributor p18). In March 2012 a new ball and equipment contract was signed with Gilbert Rugby SA to supply the ball for all matches that are played under the auspices of SARU, including test matches, Sevens matches, provincial matches and regional matches.

These include the Currie Cup, Craven Week, Vodacom Cup, Varsity Cup and the new Community Shield tournament.

“In practical terms this means that all Coca-Cola Youth Week events will feature Gilbert balls, but events such as the FNB Classic Clashes, which are not under SARU’s jurisdiction, would not,” says Andy Colquhoun, GM for Corporate Affairs at SARU. “In fact, no other school event would be required to feature Gilbert balls.”

There is no official ball for the FNB Classic Clashes, therefore schools use the rugby balls of their own choice,” says Patty Seetharam, Senior Communications Manager at FNB. Internationally, Gilbert also supplies the of-

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

There are certain basic requirements that need to be met before a team ball can qualify to get the stamp of it’s official governing body. ficial ball for SANZAR (Super Rugby) and has for many years been the official supplier to numerous other international and regional rugby unions, including the IRB World Cup. In order for a rugby ball to meet International Rugby Board (IRB) approval, it has to comply with various technical regulations.

The ball must be oval and should be made of four panels. The length in line is 280-300 mm.

The circumference from end to end should be 740–770 mm and the circumference in width should be 580–620 mm.

An official rugby ball should be made of leather or suitable synthetic material and should weigh 410–460 grams.

Size 5 balls are used in matches for senior players, size 4 for juniors and size 3 balls are used for promotional gifts. Balls of different sizes may be used for matches between young players, says Coris Zietsman, Promotions Manager at the South African Rugby Union (SARU).

contract includes sponsorship of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and World Youth Championships. The Katlego ball from adidas used in this year’s Orange AFCON matches was the fourth AFCON ball supplied by adidas.

In local club matches, the ball provided by the sponsor of the club hosting the home game is used. The adidas ball would therefore be used in home games for Orlando Pirates, Ajax or AmaZulu — and also the home games of PSL teams without sponsors.

Nike is the official partner of Kaiser Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns as well as Bidvest Wits soccer clubs.

All balls used in FIFA matches have to pass rigorous tests to comply with the standards of the FIFA Quality Programme. Manufacturers can enter into a licence agreement to use the FIFA hallmarks on soccer balls that have passed the rigorous testing procedure.

There are two categories to classify outdoor, futsal and beach soccer balls. FIFA Approved are top quality soccer balls that meet FIFA’s highest demands. FIFA Inspected are soccer balls that can be used in matches or training at all competitive levels Balls to be used in official FIFA competition matches must either have the official FIFA Approved, FIFA Inspected or the International Mathchball Standard logo.

Such a logo indicates that the ball had been tested officially and complies with specific technical requirements. These requirements include aspects pertaining to the ball circumference, its roundness, water ab To p50

p52 :: Sport

R 120 R 100 R 80

Left: The impact of the 2010 FIFA World Cup on the inflatable ball market can se seen in the 37% growth in import value in 2010 and the lead up in 2009.

Right: December and January are the big months for inflatable ball imports, with another pre-Christmas peak in October.

R 60 R 40 R 20 R0 2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Statistics supplied by the Department of Trade and Industry

Inflatable ball imports 2012 Import Value in Millions

Millions

Inflatable ball imports 2007-2012

R 16 R 14 R 12 R 10 R8 R6 R4 R2 R0

Team ball market stabilising The inflatable team ball market is stabilising after the flurry before the 2010 FIFA World Cup when just about every South African and international company wanted soccer balls to hand out to disadvantaged communities and the official ball dominated most retail shelves.

In 2009 the value of inflatable ball imports jumped 37%, and increased again in 2010. But, in 2011 it dropped 33% to about the same value as in 2008. In 2012 the value of imports grew 14%, which would have been about on par without the 2009-2010 anomalies.

China is by far the biggest supplier of inflatable balls — with import values more than 200% higher than the next countries, Pakistan and India, even though the cost per Chinese ball is half that of Pakistani balls and about the same as Indian balls.

Official team balls cont from p50 sorption, weight and balance.

According to the FIFA specifications the ball has to be spherical and made of leather or other suitable material. The ball should have a circumference of not more than 70cm (28 inches) and not less than 68cm (27 inches).

At the start of a match the ball should weigh not more than 450g and not less than 410g. The ball should be of a pressure equal to 0.6–1.1 atmosphere (600–1 100g/cm2) at sea level.

According to the South African Football Association (SAFA) the approved or acceptable ball for high schools is size 5 and size 4 for primary schools.

Netball Internationally, Gilbert is the official ball of the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA). “This is the only ball that carries the IFNA logo,” says Maggie Ross, administration manager, IFNA Secretariat.

It is used in all INF World Cup, World Series and World Youth Netball Championships matches.

But, in South Africa Mitre is the official ball for all matches played under the auspices of Netball South Africa and all schools netball matches played under the auspices of USSASA. They also provide balls for various provinces, universities and schools.

The official netball ball is similar in size to a standard size 5 soccer ball. According to the IFNA rules the ball must measure between 690mm and 710mm (27-28 inches) in circumference and weigh between 400 and 450g. The ball can be leather, rubber or something similar. Younger players often play with a size 4 ball, with a softer cover material.

Water Polo Mikasa has supplied the official ball used for all events that are authorised by the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) for the past 32 years.

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

According to the FINA rules, the official ball should be round and have an air chamber with a self-closing valve. The ball should be waterproof, and there should be no external strapping or any covering of grease or similar substance. The ball must not weigh less than 400g and not more than 450g.

In games played by men the circumference of the ball may be not less than 68cm and not more than 71cm, and its pressure shall be 9097 kPa (kilo Pascal's).

For games played by women the circumference of the ball may be not less than 65cm and not more than 67cm, and its pressure shall be 83-90 kPa. As far as the future design of the official water polo ball goes, the outer coating and artwork of the ball is currently under perusal.

Volleyball Until 2016, the MIKASA type MVA-200 ball will be the exclusive game ball of the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) for World Competitions. It is also the official ball of official FIVB competitions like the World League and World Grand Prix.

The last contract was signed in 2009, but Mikasa has been the official FIVB ball supplier since 1969.

There is no local volleyball ball sponsorship agreement and the Mikasa ball is therefore used in all competitions, says Deva Moodliar, Volleyball South Africa’s schools volleyball exco member.

“For the indoor events we use the Mikasa MVA 200, which is also the match ball for the Olympic Games and World Championship. For outdoor purposes we use the Mikasa MV 250 volleyballs.”

Moodliar points out that these volleyballs are suitable for use both for juniors and adults.

For primary schools and development purposes, the Mikasa ISV 100 No Sting volleyball

Photo by Barry Lamprecht / Image SA

is used.

Only synthetic leather coloured volleyballs can qualify to be FIVB Approved volleyball balls, says Helgi Thorsteinsson, FIVB technical and development director. There is also a stamp for FIVB Inspected balls.

The size 5 ball for seniors should be made from synthetic leather (or non-woven fabric and PU) with a minimum of 8 panels and a maximum of 18 panels. There should be a minimum of two colours and a maximum of three colours. The weight should be 270g (±10g deviation) and the circumference 66cm (±1cm difference). The pressure in the ball should be 0.30–0.325kg/cm2.

For beach volleyball a size 5 ball with 10–18 panels should be used. The material should be flexible leather or a man-made leather material (non-woven fabric and PU). There should be three colours and the weight should be 270g with a circumference of 67cm.

Websites consulted: www.irb.com, www.fifa.com, www.footballs.fifa.com, www.netball.org, www.fivb. org,

p54 :: Sport

Mikasa – a brand for many sports

The Japanese company Mikasa Corporation has been supplying rubber products, including sports balls, to the world for close to a century. Their general manager for international sales, Daisuke Akiyama, recently visited South Africa, which is very unique compared to their other markets.

S

outh Africa is an important market for Mikasa, said Daisuke Akiyama, the Japanese ball brand’s general manager for international sales, during a recent visit to their local distributor, Pat Wiltshire Sports.

The South African market is, however, very different from the European and American markets.

Here, Mikasa is well-known as the supplier of hardy soccer balls, so well suited to the hard surfaces so many of our teams play on. The scuff-resistant outer of their wound balls have made Mikasa a soughtafter ball brand amongst inland soccer teams who play on sparse, stony fields in winter.

But, in the rest of the world, Mikasa is known as the volleyball and water polo suppliers for most international games.

Volleyball was actually the first sport to launch the brand into the international sporting arena and is still responsible for the highest number of their sales, explains Akiyama.

Although volleyball has been identified as one of the priority sports for schools, South African volleyball and water polo ball sales are far from as significant as overseas, says local distributor Nick Wiltshire.

The South African volleyball and water polo associations, however, use the Mikasa balls for matches played under their jurisdiction (see team ball article p50).

Mikasa Corporation was founded in Hiroshima in 1917 as Miyojyo Rubber Industries to produce rubber items like propeller coatings. Since then the company has had many name changes and in 2001 was renamed the Mikasa Corporation. Among the many rubber products the global company nowadays produces are balls for sports like volleyball (beach and indoor), basketball, soccer, water polo and handball.

In 1969 the brand was first approved as the official game ball for the Olympic Games in Tokyo and the partnership with FIVB (Fédération Internationale de Volleyball) was recently extended to 2016. This gives Mikasa the sponsorship, marketing and licensing rights for the official game ball for all FIVB flagship events. These include the FIVB Volleyball World Championships, FIVB Volleyball World Cup, FIVB Volleyball World League and

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

Daisuke Akiyama (right) of Mikasa Corporation with local distributor Nick Wiltshire of Pat Wiltshire Sports.

Over the years, Mikasa has introduced variations to the ball, which has led to better playability.

World Grand Prix and the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships and World Tour.

They also gain wide international exposure by sponsoring international players such as Reid Priddy (2008 Olympic gold medalist), a member of the US men's national volleyball side, says Akiyama.

Mikasa Corporation is dedicated to help grow the sport of volleyball and they have partnerships across the world, where they are the official ball supplier for national teams and federations.

Last year the brand signed a four year partnership deal with the Italian Men’s Volleyball League Serie A to be their official ball supplier and a five year partnership deal with the Brazilian Volleyball Federation (CBV) for both their indoor and outdoor volleyball tournaments. Mikasa is also the official game ball for the Australian Volleyball Federation.

The brand has even made inroads into other African countries sponsoring national volleyball sides, such as the Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF), through their South African distributors Pat Wiltshire Sports.

Mikasa not only aims to grow the sport among professionals. They also support the FIVB Volleyball Cooperation Programme. This programme aims to make a permanent development impact in countries where the sport does not have a foothold yet.

Water polo The Mikasa water polo balls are approved for use in the international FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation) competitions and the balls have been official game balls for major events since 1980.

Mikasa has long-standing relationships with other water polo organisations, such as the European

federation LEN (Ligue Européenne de Natation) — LEN recently extended their partnership with Mikasa, official ball since 2009, to 2016 — and the Australian Water Polo Inc. (AWPI).

They also sponsor the captain of the US men's water polo side, Tony Azevedo, as well as the US national men's (2008 Olympic silver medallists, 2008 FINA World League silver medallists) and women's (2012 Olympic Games gold medallists, 2009 FINA World Championship gold medallists and 2008 Olympic silver medallists) water polo teams.

Developments in the ball To stay at the top, a brand has to keep improving their product. Over the years, Mikasa has introduced variations to the ball, which has led to better playability.

Since 1980, the sport of water polo used a onecolour (yellow) ball. Mikasa introduced the twocolour (blue/yellow) ball for the first time at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the tri-colour (Yellow/Blue/Red) ball for the 2012 London Olympic Games — a move that has been well received as the patterns improve visibility for both the players and spectators.

In addition to the improved visibility, Mikasa also introduced a better grip to their balls. Since the 1970's, Mikasa has been using buffing (the cut lines on a water polo ball) to enhance grip on the ball.

However, they realised that the way they print their logo on the ball minimises grip by flattening some of the ridges. By switching from a thermal transfer process to a spray painting method, they keep the grip on the ball.

Mikasa's products don't stop at the well-known sports. They are also recognised by the korfball and handball associations — with handball a major Olympic sport in Europe.

In 1980, their handballs were approved as the official ball for the International Handball Fédération and in 1985 they became the official ball for the International Korfball Federation (IKF).

57

Selling strings with confidence

Visit Sports Trader’s website for more product knowledge: www.sportstrader.co.za

S

trings are vital ingredients in racket sports, as it is the string that makes contact with the ball, not the racket. It is the string that determines the power or the feel generated when playing a shot … even more than the expensive racket frame.

Former world #1 player and winner of eight Grand Slam-titles, Andre Agassi, actually said that his game was transformed once he changed to new strings.

A retailer will sell many more strings than rackets. Even though they cost so much less than the frame, strings are very important stock items.

Many racket frames are sold without strings and retailers have to string the rackets before they sell them — or recommend a type of string to complement the racket. Retailers also regularly sell string to replace broken strings. Or they are called upon to replace a string because a customer complained that it had lost tension.

But what type of strings should retailers stock in order to satisfy the wide-ranging needs of entry-level players, good club players, provincial stars or international performers?

It is pivotal for retailers to stock a wide range of strings in order to meet the needs of all customers in the racket sport market.

Our cut-out-and-keep series to assist retailers with product knowledge Words: Fanie Heyns. Compiled with the help of Brad Summers of The Golf Racket, distributor of Luxilon strings; Steve Gallienne of Super-Brands, distributor of Ashaway; John Abrahams of Shuttle Sport, distributor of Yonex; Cyprian Martin, manager at Highly Strung Tennis Pro Shop; String Matters, a series of articles by Steve Crandall, vice-president sales and marketing of Ashaway at www.squashplayer.co.uk/magazine/ string_matters.htm; and websites www. sicstringers.com, www.advantagestringing. com, www.tennis-warehouse.com, www. yonex.co.uk, www.badmintoninformation. com, www.ashaway.com and www.stringsolutions.co.uk

Stringing patterns • The number of strings used in a string bed can determine the flexibility of a racket, with the more strings, the less flexibility — for example, a racket with a 500cm2 frame will be less flexible with a 16x19 string pattern than with a 14x18 pattern.

• Fewer strings provide more of a trampoline effect, which generates more power.

• A fan stringing pattern delivers more power.

Because the string is double the length and threaded back on itself, it stretches more than a single length string would. As a result it delivers more power.

• Rackets with a straight stringing pattern can be strung at a lower tension than rackets with a fan stringing pattern, to give a similar feel.

Materials used

Thickness • The thickness of a string is indicated on most packages with a gauge number — the lower the gauge number, the thicker the string.

Tennis strings are thicker than squash strings, with badminton strings thinner still.

• Thicker strings offer more durability, but give you less feel.

• Thinner strings will offer more power and feel because they stretch further and on the rebound propel the ball further forward. They are also lighter. But, they are less durable.

• The more elastic the string, the more power it generates and the more shock it absorbs.

It may feel more comfortable when playing than a stiff string, but it would lose its tension quicker.

• A stiffer string keeps its tension longer, but absorbs less shock and has less power.

• A string with a soft coating vibrates less, while a textured string gives more control and feel.

tension is high.

• At the same tension a thin string will be stretched more than a thicker one and the thin string will feel tighter — a thinner string will therefore require less tension to maintain the same power as a thicker one.

• Even when the racket is not used, it will gradually loose tension in the strings and experts advise that a racket needs restringing every couple of months to maintain good tension for striking the ball.

Stringing tension • A lower tension gives more power, because the strings stretch more on impact and generate more power as they rebound back into place.

• The higher the tension of a string, the more control you get, but the less power you will have. Because the strings stretch less on impact, the ball rapidly bounces off the racket, giving the player a better chance to control its path by adjusting the racket.

• Long strings stretch more than short ones at the same stringing tension and a racket with a longer head will therefore have more power than a short one, even if the string

Natural gut: many players still believe that natural gut is the only tennis string to use, because it offers such a great feel when you play and gives you power and nice control. The biggest disadvantage of it is that it is not very durable.

Hybrids: many professional players use a hybrid stringing pattern, including natural gut and a multi-filament string as the crossstring. Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt, for example, use natural gut as a main string and a co-polymer nylon (Luxilon Big Banger) as a cross-string.

Multi-filament synthetic gut strings (like Ashaway Zyex) can mimic the power and feel of more expensive natural gut, but at a more affordable price.

Monofilament nylon strings are very tough and are less likely to break — but have less feel and power than multi-filaments or natural gut.

They are good, all-round reasonably durable strings, offering control. They To p57

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

p58 :: Sport

Selling racket strings cont from p58 are the most basic choice, and are usually the cheapest strings on the market.

Kevlar is the most durable and stiffest string available and is usually used for chronic string breakers. They are very stiff and are usually combined with a soft synthetic to reduce shock and vibration to the arm.

Polyester strings are recommended for the hard-hitting customer looking for a durable string that offers a lot of spin. They are often mixed with a softer multi-filament string to soften the effect on the arm and elbow.

Player level Entry-level players or beginners: the best value-for–money-string is one that offers both some durability as well as control at a reasonable price. A good option would be synthetic gut (e.g. Ashaway) that gives a monofilament with abrasion wear layer. It offers good value for money and above average durability.

• Players using aluminium frames should use synthetic strings — polyester strings at the most — as the frame cannot generate enough performance to get the best out of more expensive strings.

• Polyester is not recommended for juniors and beginners, because the high swing speeds and impact shock could hurt their arms and shoulders.

Intermediate players use polyester-based strings as it takes a lot of impact, but doesn’t give you that much feel.

• Polyester will especially suit club players with high swing speeds and good hand eye coordination.

• Although it is polyester-based, a string like Luxilon Big Banger plays a bit softer and has metallic elements in the material that gives a bit of feel, without vibration that goes through the arm.

• Intermediate players might benefit from a multiple polymer monofilament synthetic gut, offering hard hitters the best feel and control, without sacrifice of performance.

• In badminton, generally, Yonex BG-65 or BG80 strings are considered the best options.

The BG-65 consists of 0.70mm strings, while the BG-80 strings are 0.68mm strings. It consists of a high-modulus Vectran fibre, an advanced material wrapped around a strong multifilament core.

Powerful hitters would generally look for more durable or thicker strings, like a 15 or 15L gauge.

• While polyester strings are good choices for this category, a hybrid could even be a better choice. That means using a polyester string for the mains and a softer string for the crosses.

• If a player needs more spin, it may be good to look at a thinner gauge or a string with nicks or a rough feel.

• Badminton suppliers recommend the BG-65 string for durability, price and the soft feel.

The BG-80 is slightly thinner and provides a powerful feeling. This badminton string is suitable for the harder hitting players.

• Both the BG-65 and BG-80 are suitable and desirable for intermediate, provincial and professional badminton players.

Top-end or provincial players • Ashaway, known for manufacturing top quality racket strings, are used by some of the world’s leading professional players. It is the official string for Professional Squash Association events in England.

• Luxilon, essentially a plastic polymer that has been shaped into string form, is used by 81% of the top-100 male tennis players in the world. Its benefit is that it can move and snap back into place, allowing top-players ultimate control and spin.

• Tecnifibre, will be the official partner of the ATP World Tour for the following five years.

• Most top-players will be looking for thinner gauge strings, which generally give more spin and feel.

Stringing per sport Tennis strings are available in 16 or 15 gauge and the recommended tension for average tennis players is 55-60 pounds.

• In recent years, tensions on the professional

tour have gradually been coming down and some players even string their rackets at a tension of 30 pounds.

• Baseline players tend to go for more durable and slightly thicker strings, while serve and volley specialists tend to look for strings with more feel and control, e.g. multi-filament strings.

• Always follow the recommended tensions on the frames when stringing.

Squash strings come in two gauges: 17 and 18, with 18 giving more power, but less strength and durability. The recommended tension is between 25-42 pounds.

• It’s always best to check on the frames for recommended stringing tension.

• Thin strings penetrate the surface of the squash ball a bit deeper on impact, and this tends to enhance control.

Badminton racket strings are thinner than squash and tennis and tensions range between 7–11kg.

• There is no common answer to stringing tensions, as it is a personal preference, depending on the style of player. Top players like their rackets strung at a higher tension, mainly for control and accuracy.

• Most badminton rackets for beginners in South Africa are pre-strung.

• Badminton strings are mostly made of synthetic material.

Impact of climate • Summer climates will allow more expansion in the string as it is hot and there will be greater flexibility.

• In hot, humid conditions it would be preferable to string it slightly tighter than normal, as strings may lose tension more rapidly from heat.

• The colder the air, the more brittle a string can become, so cheaper synthetics will snap easier in winter and especially when it is strung too tightly. In South Africa, there is only a slight variance in cold conditions, where the strings become tighter.

• In very cold areas you generally look to try and get a more lively strung racket, for example a thinner gauge multifilament string, and try and string it down by 1.5kg.

Wilson stars on the court Wilson sponsored Belarusian professional tennis player, Victoria Azarenka (right), is this year’s WTA world #1 ranked women’s tennis player. She became the first Belarusian player to win a Grand Slam singles title when she won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013. Her recent achievements include winning the bronze medal singles and the gold medal in the mixed doubles category at the

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Former French #1 Gael Monfils (above) announced his comeback from injury timeoff with a new racket brand. He used the Wilson Blade 98, to reach the semifinals of the Heineken Open in Auckland, where he was beaten by the tournament winner David Ferrer.

Hatrick win for New Balance’s Raonic

New Balance-sponsored Milos Raonic recently beat Tommy Haas in the final SAP Open tournament.

The win makes it Raonic’s third straight SAP Open win — the first player to reach three straight wins in this tournament in over 50 years.

Dunlop has developed an entire new racket range for 2013, which will soon be available to retailers.

“We are taking our Biomimetics range to a new level,” says local distributor Steve Gallienne of Super-Brands. “We have created the most performance enhancing range of rackets ever. We are offering rackets with performance-related materials to enhance all styles of play and swing,” They are introducing new technologies and have completely re-engineered their racket frame geometries in the new F-Series, M-Series and S-Series they are introducing. Each series is colour coded for easy reference.

“With the naming of the new series Dunlop has made it easier to select a frame to fit a particular game,” he says. For example: • F–Series: a full, fast, swing offers ultimate control.

• M-Series: a medium, moderate, swing offers control with added power and spin.

• S-Series: short, slow swing for power enhanced comfort and added forgiveness.

Due to the success of some models of the previous series, they will continue with them.

New technologies from Yonex The new Yonex Voltric badminton racket uniquely combines exceptional power and fast handling in one racket.

Their Tri-voltage system for the first time allows a player to combine the best of two playing styles — heavy smashes and speedy racket handling — in a stiffer frame with head-heavy balance for an exceptionally powerful swing.

This is achieved with their Nanopreme nano-technology that overcomes the limited qualities of carbon technology to uniquely provide stiffness, high resilience and high repulsion in a single racket.

Traditionally, extra weight at the top of the frame increases hitting power, but reduces speed. In contrast, a lighter top increases speed, but reduces hitting power.

The stiff structure at the top of the Voltric frame allows the head to bend in a very controlled way and holds shuttles on the string bed for longer. The thin frame sides then allow the frame to flex more and transfer more energy to the shuttle. This combination allows a player to smash with instant power.

The weight is balanced on the top of the frame and at the joint area, which allows good handling while also maintaining power. The thin sides of the frame and at the top of the head reduce air resistance and improve the handling even further. Players can now make a full swing even during short range rallies as the Voltric racket responds instantly to even subtle movements.

The new Yonex Nanoray 800 racket combines two technologies, XFullerine and Sonic Metal, to produce a fast and controlled swing that generates powerfully accurate, rapid-fire, shots. The latest head-light Nanoray series provides a fast and controlled swing with enhanced repulsion via the new Aero frame.

Nanoray has been designed for players who force their opponents into the back of the court with extreme speed.

The thinner top of the frame sides minimize air resistance for greater head speed, while the thicker sides at the bottom of the head generate maximum repulsion through greater frame stiffness.

Millions Import Value in

Racket brands have new developments on offer that are bound to fly off retailers’ shelves.

R 2.50

2012 value2012 of rackets ImportImport Value Rackets

R 2.00

R 1.50

R 1.00

R 0.50

R 0.00

As can be seen on the chart left, the Rand value of imports of rackets into South Africa peaked in June-July 2012 (in time for delivery to retailers when tennis starts in the summer terms) and again in October, in time for Christmas. These figures had been supplied by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Racket imports up in 2012 The rackets imported into South Africa to the value of R27-m during 2012, compensated for the lower volume in 2011 (R22-m).

This is in line with the alternating high-low years of the past six years.

But, although racket imports

peaked in October 2012, the value of rackets imported during the 4th quarter of last year were the lowest in the past six years.

Fourth quarter sales peaked in 2008 with a value of R7.1-m.

Racket imports peaked in JuneJuly last year.

Growth in racket imports 2007-2012 Millions

New for 2013

Sport :: p59

R R30.00 8.0 R 7.0 R25.00 R 6.0 R20.00 R 5.0 R 4.0 R15.00 R 3.0 R10.00 R 2.0 R5.00 R 1.0 RR0.00 0.0 2007 2007

2008 2008

2009 2009

2010 2010

2011 2011

2012

According to DTI statistics the value of racket imports in 2012 compensated for the dip in 2011. It also shows that higher volumes alternate with lower volumes, which would correspond to the alternative years that brands introduce new ranges.

To say that Ram Mountaineering is staffed by outdoor adventurists is a bit of an understatement. Owner Simon Larsen (third from left) is a rock climber who founded a mountaineering school and introduced the local community of Howick Falls to the sport of abseiling and rock climbing through his Over the Top company – where his partnership with Ryan van Niekerk (second from left) started. Van Niekerk, who subsequently became a sales rep for Ram Mountaineering in KwaZulu Natal and a partner in 2002, was involved with the company as an undergraduate and masters student at the University of KwaZulu. He did research on the spatial ecology of lions (developing models to predict their behaviour) for his undergraduate studies in wildlife science. He also hikes, mountainbikes and does adventure racing. Marketing manager Tatum Prins (right), well-known as the Hobbit in the top adventure racing team Merrell Adventure Addicts, is currently on maternity leave with her first baby and is planning on devoting more time to her own running and events company in future. Shaun Wakelin (left) cycles, surfs, and does slacklining with Warren Gans (back row middle). Deidre Keulder (second from right) is an open water swimmer. Amanda Jayiya is in the middle of the front row, with Louise Olieslagen left of her. Behind them are Camin Fourie (left) and Bonita Koopman (right). In the back row are Mario Daries (red shirt) and Nelson Mbiko (right).

p60 :: Outdoor

A company for and run by adventurists

Ram Mountaineering is staffed by gear freaks who live the outdoor adventure life personified by their brands

A

n owner who climbs steep rock faces, a partner who used to track the movements of lions, a marketing manager who set a new record for the 2 400km Freedom Challenge across South Africa, two managers who walked over a ravine on Table Mountain on a one inch slackline, another who swim with sharks — and claim they do it for fun! — is a clear indication that Ram Mountaineering is no run of the mill company.

All staff members are gear freaks who live and work the outdoor adventure lifestyle personified by the brands they distribute. They have a passion for the products they supply — and use extensively — and a passion for the international brands that come from manufacturers who are equally passionate about providing quality gear.

“We see the passion and that draws us to the brands," founder Simon Larsen explain their long-term relationship with top outdoor companies like Black Diamond, Jetboil, SteriPen, Beal, and many others.

Innovation, the use of top-end technology and meticulous research further characterise the brands they distribute.

Larsen believes that this focus on quality contributed to their successful trading in a time when many retailers complained about consumers keeping a tight grip on their purses.

"Internationally it has become clear that as the market evolves, people migrate to better quality product. Brands lead the trend and gain market share as lesser quality products fall out of favour,” he says.

He believes that in South Africa the same is happening as black consumers are moving beyond just aspiring to the basic necessities to the more luxury consumer commodities like

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

TV's, cars, higher living standards, etc. “The South African consumer market for international outdoor brands is therefore growing.”

Over the past 20 years Ram Mountaineering has been growing their footprint in the Southern African outdoor market. They now employ thirteen people on the outdoor side and distribute about ten international brands. “They are all technology driven and at the front of the wave in newness and advances.”

Early years Larsen started the distributorship in the early 1990’s as a complimentary business to the Orca Industries outdoor retailer he and Duncan Pattenden had founded on a shoe string after the Adventure Centre, where they worked, closed.

He had started rock climbing at university (the University of Natal, Durban) in the early 1980’s. Following his compulsory army training he began working at the Adventure Centre in Rondebosch when he couldn't find employment in the field he studied, human resources.

In the 1990's the outdoor industry in South Africa looked different: instead of the licensed brand distributors who import and sell to retailers that we have today, most stores imported directly from the international brands like Petzl, Black Diamond, Wild Country etc.

But, when a store imported a popular brand, they would get requests from other stores to supply them as well. Direct importing was also costly: you had to pay in advance, even though you might have to wait as long as six months before you got your money back.

These factors — and the success Geoff Ward enjoyed with his Outward Ventures distributorship — inspired Larsen to find funding for a separate distributing channel. Ram Mountaineering was launched when he landed the

rights to a premium brand, Black Diamond.

"We have been extremely happy working wth Black Diamond, it is a very innovative brand," says Larsen.

He added other outdoor brands — Saltic shoes, New England ropes, etc. All top-end technical brands for the active consumer.

Evolve products Initially, Ram Mountaineering focused on rock climbing and mountaineering, but they evolved and gradually added gear for general leisure, adventure racing and outdoor sports.

A few years ago they saw a gap in the market for more affordable, but good quality, outdoor gear, and founded e3 Gear, which has been especially successful in tents.

Larsen believes that there has been a growth in the general camping market — as mass discount stores help grow the entry level camping market, there are opportunities opening for quality brands as consumers evolve to them.

Their focus has been on brands, as they take brand positioning seriously and consider it their responsibility to establish and promote brands in the market.

Their other strategy has been to grow industrial safety, which is currently about 50% of the business, albeit a side that the public never sees. Globally industrial safety sales took off over the past few years after equipment from Singing Rock and other brands started gaining ground in this category. This is also where there is the biggest potential for growth, says Larsen.

Outdoor footwear Towards the end of last year they saw a similar trend in the outdoor footwear market, namely a bigger demand for better quality gear, espe-

Changes at

Outdoor :: p61

Trappers THE TRAPPERS outdoor group have a new management and ownership structure after Grant Ponting, John Black and a private investor acquired Mark Ponting’s shares in both Trappers Franchising and the Trappers Retail business.

They have also acquired his shares in sourcing and distributing company Outland Distributors, headed by Black.

“I have had a good ten years at Trappers and I look forward to new challenges,” says Mark Ponting.

The changes mean that Black will be head of the Trappers merchandise, marketing and retail business, while Grant Ponting will be the MD of Trappers Franchising.

“The transaction has the full backing of all of our stakeholders, including franchisees and suppliers,” says Grant.

Mark and Grant Ponting bought Trappers Trading in 2002 from its previous owners and since then have developed it into the easily recognisable, respected, Trappers outdoor retail brand.

Black — an accomplished mountaineer who has mastered 6 of the 7 Summits, including Everest — has for the last two years been sourcing product and developing exclusive pri-

Fishing-inspired Puma bag Puma recently launched two new products: the fly-fishing inspired Puma Catch Grip bag and the urban-inspred Macht’s Mit Qualitat (MMQ) backpack.

The Puma Catch Grip bag is inspired by fly-fishing and reinvents the classic Puma Grip bag, with details inspired by outdoor tradition: utility fishing jackets (small front pockets), carp nets (spacious side

vate label ranges for Trappers under the Terra-Firma brand through Outland Distributors. Outland also distributes brands under license to the general outdoor market.

“Our sourcing, private label development and the distributorship are key elements of our long term goals for Trappers. Outland will continue to operate as an independent distributor for the foreseeable future,” says Ponting.

Over the past decade the Pontings grew Trappers into a major player in the South African outdoor retail market. After an initial period of consolidation “we wanted to tap into a broader segment of our customers’ disposable income, without losing our heritage. The subtle changes to the logo and the removal of the Trading part of our name was part of that process,” explains Ponting.

“Based on our franchise model we believe that we are the leading community-driven outdoor apparel, footwear and equipment store in the areas in which we trade.”

He believes their success is due to the fact that the majority of their stores are owner-

run, which allows for greater interaction with local communities, both in-store and through marketing, fund raising or other community initiatives that the franchisees are involved in.

“Our business model means that we can optimise economies of scale with regard to purchasing, partnerships, marketing, institutional services and the like without losing that local is lekker element, which separates Trappers from our competitors.”

They do not plan any changes to the Trappers business model in the short term, he says. They will continue to grow their franchise base in outlying areas and continue to seek opportunities to increase the number of company owned stores in Gauteng.

In the medium term their goal is to expand their business into areas like the Eastern and Western Cape. “We have, however, identified opportunities within our current operating territories to grow in the short term. There is definitely scope for growth.”

mesh pockets), and fishing flies (zipper pulls).

The eclectic material mash-up of woven-faux leather-fleece is accessorized with antique gold brackets and badges.

The MMQ backpack has a traditional silhouette that is equipped with two-tone polyester and leather trims for a vintage hiking look and feel. The top and bottom rolls are separate storage compartments: the top is lined with a soft fleece to protect electronic goods from scratching while the bottom easily stores dura-

ble goods such as shoes and clothing. Padded shoulder straps help reinforce fit and comfort, while the buckleand-drawstring open into a spacious main compartment.

Ram Mountaineering cont from p60 cially with the emergence of trail running as a popular sport. With the opening of our borders more South Africans travel internationally, go on guided mountain trips, there is growing interest in doing the 7 Summits — all resulting in consumers who demand good quality technical footwear and want more choice, he explains.

This led to the formation of a new division, Transverse Outdoor Gear, their biggest investment to date. Their first two footwear brands are Boreal and Zamberlan, which Larsen says are good matches.

While he was still working at the Adventure Centre, they imported Boreal directly — which was then THE rock climbing shoe brand. “It's an excellent product high in demand by rock climbers,” he says. Boreal was later also im-

ported on a limited scale by Capestorm and Mountain Mail Order, but mainly for selected retail stores.

“Through TOG all retailers can have access to this brand sought after by mountaineers.”

Zamberlan, also an established quality international brand, has a different style and focus. Its Italian styling and panache complements a high quality product, he says, which covers the leisure and travel markets.

Zamberlan is also a market leader in the new international trend: speed hiking. “Hikers travel light and as fast as they can for 3-4 days on a route they must navigate without a compass,” he explains. “They wear a specialist speed hiking shoe that is something between a trail running and hiking shoe.”

Good growth Unaudited figures show that Black Diamond can expect to report a record 33% growth in sales in the 4th quarter of 2012 to $48.8-m. The growth is mainly due to the acquisition of POC Sweden and Pieps Holding of Austria. Full year sales is expected to grow 20% to $175.5-m. A new line of Black Diamond apparel is expected to contribute significantly to future growth.

Jarden Corporation's outdoor segment grew sales by 9.4% in the fourth quarter of 2012 to $61.7 m, while total company sales for the year grew 3.5% to $1.82-bn.

The outdoor business segment owns brands like Abu Garcia, Aero, Berkley, Campingaz and Coleman, Fenwick , Gulp! Mitchell, Penn, Rawlings, Shakespeare.

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

p62 :: Outdoor

g tips f

sa

Selli n

m top

en

ro

Marco Barnard was nominated by Next Field retail group founder Brandt Broodryk. Operations manager Ian Currie describes him as 6 follows: “Marco’s knowledge base of products is born from his genuine interest in outdoor activities, his active participation in a number of activities, as well as his intense listening skills. He is always looking out for more Information on products and thus learning is an ongoing attitude of his. His genuine interest in assisting customers and providing them with the best service and product knowledge, makes him a really successful salesman. He is a salesman to the core. With his sound product knowledge and his ability to make customers feel at ease and comfortable, customers are returning to be served by him, in ever increasing numbers. He is certainly a pleasure to deal with and a pleasure to have in our business — a true asset and a gentleman.”

les m

Selling more… knives and multi-tools

A

passionate interest and fascination for the products he works with makes Marco Barnard stand out from the crowd as a salesman.

His product knowledge makes him the go-to guy for customers new and old, as well as fellow staff members at the Vaal Mall store of the outdoor retail group Next Field.

He loves studying catalogues, reading up about new product features on the internet and talking to customers about their experiences using the products.

It is therefore no surprise that he says good and solid product knowledge is the most important requisite for becoming a top salesman. The next two most important things are a well-mannered approach to customers and asking the right questions.

Approach a customer by politely greeting him — for example, “Good morning, sir” — keeping it short and allowing the customer space to browse.

He finds that new customers generally come in to look around what they have in the store — once they start looking at a specific item, he would approach them and ask what they are looking for.

Asking the correct questions are important, he says. Start with: what will the product be used for? This is followed up by more specific questions, depending on the product.

He would follow this up by taking out four or five different products to see what attracts the customer. “You can see what he likes — then you can put the rest away. I am usually guided by what the customer likes.”

If needs be, he will then show him more

More about Marco Barnard When Marco Barnard started talking to Brandt Broodryk in his Trappers store about seven years ago, the former label printer knew he had found the ideal job — much better than printing.

Broodryk recognised the interest and passion that would make Barnard such a good salesman, and offered him a job.

As a keen fly fisherman, hiker and paint baller Barnard loves the outdoors. Little realising that the irony that a retail job would leave him little time for these hobbies!

“But from the start I enjoyed working in the outdoor stores!” he says. “I loved serving the customers and within a few months my product knowlSports Trader :: 2013 February/March

Marco Barnard (left) has a passionate interest in knives

items that are similar to the one he likes, or are in the same price bracket.

If the customer does not mention a price bracket, show him good quality items in a higher price bracket, not cheaper lowerpriced items.

Barnard enjoys talking to people and often finds it very instructive.

“I enjoy working with the customers, who are generally down to earth people. I find the stories they tell very interesting. I learn a lot from our customers — what they used products for, how they used them and how well they worked.”

In turn, lots of people phone him to ask questions about the use and performance of products.

He mentions two types of customers: the high reactor is the guy that comes To p63

edge had climbed sky high.”

Barnard’s special interest is knives. “I find them fascinating — how they are made, the shapes, what blade should be used for what purpose. I have gone hunting in the past and used knives on skin, and I therefore know how they should work.”

When Broodryk started his own small chain of outdoor stores, Next Field, Barnard became a key staff member.

From the first Westgate store, Barnard moved to the Key West Next Field, and after 18 months helped Broodryk open the new Vaal Mall store in 2011, where he is their sales specialist and assistant manager.

Good salesman cont from p62

in jumpy and happy, eager to share his needs and experiences. The low reactor is quiet and more difficult to draw out. It therefore requires more skill to get him talking and explaining his needs in such a way that will not make him back off.

There are two important principles to achieving success as a salesman, says Barnard.

FAB is short for Features, Advantages and Benefits — in other words, having enough product knowledge to explain the features and point out the advantages to a customer in such a way that the customer understands the benefits and therefore wants to buy it.

The ABC of selling is short for Always Be Closing. “Basically it comes down to if your customer is interested in an item, ask him

We’re looking for top salespeople In response to retailers’ request for articles on the art of selling, we’ll be asking successful salespeople in the industry for tips on how they clinch that sale in this series on Sales tips from top sales people. Please nominate yourself, or a staff member, to share your sales philosophy by contacting Trudi du Toit on Tel: 021 461 2544, Fax: 021 461 2549.

Email: trudi@sportstrader.co.za.

Laguiole knife Laguiole knife with corkscrew.

440 stainless steel blade, 2 forged stainless steel bolsters, 3 versions available – true horn handle, olive tree wood handle, juniper wood handle.

how’s he going to pay — or move the item to the cash desk. Once, the deal is made, move on to the next item.”

Tips for selling knives and multi-tools Customers visit their store because they have various needs for a knife — either for hunting, fishing, camping, the 4x4 enthusiast, or the average guy who needs a utility knife. Most customers want to buy a pocket knife for general utility use or camping.

There is about the same kind of demand for the standard pocket knives as for multi-tools — but from customers with different needs.

The most popular type of knife he sells is a folding blade utility knife that is small enough to fit into a pocket, but sturdy enough to do serious cutting, says Barnard.

Showing knives After asking what the knife would be used for, he would follow up with for specific questions, like which size he or she wants, and what kind of blade and handle he prefers. He will also look at the size of the customer: does he have big or small hands, is he big and bulky or slim and light? “Once you have that kind of information it is much easier to pinpoint what the customer might want.”

Never show too many knives at the same time, as it confuses the customer, advises Barnard. He will take out a maximum of five knives at a time in the category the client is looking for, and take it from there.

• If someone is going to do rugged cutting, of for example, cardboard and ropes, he would suggest a serrated blade; if he plans on only doing standard cutting of meat and plastics, a smooth blade would work well.

• Hunting knives do not come in such a large variety as fixed blade and folding knives. You would look for a gutting hook at the back of the blade, while a skinner blade must have a round belly as it is easier to remove the skin. “You’ll need a high quality blade as you will do a lot of cut-

ting, and you don’t want to go half way and then have to resharpen the blade.”

• For fishing he would rather suggest a filleting blade that is nice and flexible and easy to cut with. He would also recommend a rubberised handle to that the fisherman’s wet hands don’t accidentally slide over the blade.

• A pocket knife is usually a very personal type of purchase, says Barnard. Some people like a small blade, while others prefer a larger, but light, blade. That is why he’ll spend time with a customer to establish what he wants from his pocket knife.

• For camping he would recommend a multi-tool as one will never know what you’d want to fix.

Baladeo Alcane pocket knife One – hand opening/closing locking system, stainless steel blade, stainless steel and black G10 handle and belt clip.

Multi-tools The multi-tool user generally likes to fix things and therefore wants a screwdriver, pliers, ruler etc., says Barnard. Many hikers also like to carry a multi-tool as they never know what they may encounter along the route.

Screwdrivers, pliers and knife blades — serrated or smooth — are the basic tools found on most multi-tools, with interesting add-ons that identify the different models for a specific use. Another popular feature in multi-tools is that it should be able to fit in a pocket.

When recommending a multi-tool, there are many models with different functions to keep in mind. Barnard says he is blessed with a photographic memory, which makes it easier for him to memorise the different features and uses of each multi-tool model.

“Whenever a new product arrives, I’ll open it and have a good look — most things remain the same, and I will therefore pay more attention to the new features.”

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

G-SERIES knife G-SERIES knife, 27grams, ultra light 420 stainless steel pocket knife with matte finish. Blade with liner lock locking system. Translucent polycarbonate handle slab and belt clip.

22gram, 27gram & 37gram. Available in red, pink, black and zebra wood finishes.

G-SERIES

Distributed by Ram Mountaineering www.rammountain.co.za

65

Hydration pack care Visit Sports Trader’s website for more product knowledge: www.sportstrader.co.za

A

healthy customer is a happy customer and one that could potentially buy from you again. It’s helpful to offer cleaning and care tips when selling personal items such as hydration bladders. This can prevent sickness, which may result in an unhappy customer advising friends against the product.

One problem with hydration packs is that they’re not the easiest thing to keep clean and dry. It’s near impossible to get all droplets and moisture out of the bladder after it has been used or cleaned.

Stagnant water is a breeding ground for bacteria, which will make water stored in the bladder taste nasty and potentially unsafe to drink.

Additionally, sugars found in many energy drinks also encourage the rapid multiplication of fungal growth.

There are various illnesses, from an upset stomach to life-threatening gastro-enteritis, that can occur from drinking infected stagnant water.

Our cut-out-and-keep series to assist retailers with product knowledge Words: Nelle du Toit. Sources: www.adkforum.com, www.hydrationpackguide. com, www.spadout.com, www.walking. about.com, www. hydrationsummit.com, www.cascadedesigns.com.

After use

One product for many uses Hydration bladders are designed to be versatile. Hydration compatible back/hip-packs are often sold without bladders — which in turn can be bought in a standardized size — allowing one bladder to be used in a variety of different packs.

Customers might be more willing to purchase a new cycling specific backpack if they can use the same bladder from their hiking/rockclimbing backpack, and don’t have to fork out another few hundred Rands on a bladder. A customer that believes they can save money by buying from your store is a customer that will want to buy from you again.

Some customers might be prepared to invest a little more money in a product if they can be assured a longer term of use.

It is important for you as a retailer to create awareness on how the customer should care for their bladder, prolonging the lifespan of this multi-purpose product, as well as reducing the returns rate of a hydration system.

Questions customers may ask One of the first questions a retailer should answer is how to clean the hydration bladder.

• Some customers dislike the plastic taste that is often found in a new bladder. Offering cleaning tips that sterilizes and deodor-

tion pack before each use to ensure that everything looks clean and free of mould.

• Advise your customers to check the seal on the reservoir cap by filling the reservoir with water and screwing the cap completely closed before rotating the reservoir at different angles. If leaks are found the o-ring should be examined around the base of the cap for debris or tears.

• Customers can ensure that the o-ring stays well lubricated by applying food grade oil, like olive oil, around the o-ring.

• Make sure the water tube won’t come loose by giving a tug at each end. Some hydration systems have a quick release/locking system to help lock the tube in place.

• As a general rule recommend that only water be used in a bladder system. Sports drinks (that contain sugar) are the perfect breeding ground for bacterial colonies and accelerate the build-up of mould/fungus.

izes the bladder which could help rid it of these unwanted tastes.

• Various brands produce cleaning kits and chlorine dioxide (bleach) tablets that customers can purchase to clean and sterilize their bladders.

• Many experts advise using household consumables such as bicarbonate of soda (baking powder), lemon juice and vinegar to remove the chlorine/chemical taste after sanitising the bladder/before its first use.

• Fill the bladder, add one tablespoon of vinegar and shake it, then add one tablespoon baking powder and shake it. Now drain and rinse thoroughly.

Precautions Sports people should ideally check their hydra-

It is recommended to clean and dry the hydration system after each use.

• Some people advise using warm water and regular washing-up liquid or, if the bladder is suited, turning it inside out and putting it into the dishwasher.

• Others advise using one teaspoon of baking soda with warm water, allowing it to steep and draining the solution through the hose before air drying it.

• The tube and bite valve is where most of the bacteria, if present, would form. Remove the adaptor house and the connector with bite valve from the drink tube. Soaking the hose and bite valve in soapy water should clean almost anything that accumulates.

Drying the bladder Since microorganisms grow in water, the most critical element to cleaning a hydration reservoir is drying. Using proper drying methods between each use helps to decrease potential bacterial contamination. The majority of bladders on the market are made from soft collapsible plastic, i.e. the polyurethane walls stick together when there’s a few droplets inside which creates a perfect opportunity for bacteria to grow.

• To reduce drying time, a customer can hand dry the inside of the bladder with a paper towel or clean rag before allow To p65

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

p66 :: Outdoor

Hydration pack care cont from p66 ing it to air dry.

• Some cleaning kits have a collapsible hanger that fits into the cap opening of the bladder and expands to keep the sides apart.

• Advise customers to blow any residual water from the hose back into the reservoir and then drain accordingly. The water has a far better opportunity to evaporate in the reservoir.

• Another suggestion is to put a few paper towels in the bladder, close the cap and inflate by blowing the bite valve. The paper towel can then be shaken around to soak up most of the water inside.

• Some bladders have a sturdy handle that, when held upright, forces the bladder to remain open so that the air can circulate inside.

After many uses/Once a year Stronger cleaning methods can be utilized once the bladder has been used several times or starts to discolour.

• If mould or discolouration starts to develop hot water and a cleaning tablet (or two tablespoons of baking soda or bleach) would do the trick. Many people advise adding lemon juice to the mixture, which will cause the bladder to inflate, due to a chemical reaction. Pressure can be relieved by opening the cap.

• Once the solution is mixed inside the reservoir, elevate the reservoir above the tube and bite valve. Pinch the bite valve, allowing the solution to flow into the drink tube and fill the bite valve. Let the reservoir and cleaning solution sit in the reservoir and drink tube for about 30 minutes.

• Wash the reservoir with hot water and mild soap. Be sure to completely rinse away the cleaning solution in the reservoir and drink tube before using again. You can also use brushes from a cleaning kit to scrub the reservoir and drink tube.

This should get rid of any stains from use and also any residual tastes that have developed in the bladder (especially if something other than water is put into it).

Cleaning kits • Most cleaning kits contain handy sized bottle brushes (to clean out the main reservoir), tube brushes (a long handled brush to clean the inside of the drinking tube) and cleaning solutions (chemical cleaning tablets) and a special rack to prop open the bladder for drying.

• Even though homemade solutions and alternatives can be used, point out to your customers that kits are especially useful due to their brushes and drying racks.

• Water left in the hose can be a breeding ground for bacteria and long flexible brushes can help clean the drinking tube.

• It is useful to look for food grade plastics and stainless steel brushes and also note that the brushes and drying racks are often

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

rated per volume (1.5L or 2L etc) to indicate the size the cleaning utensils can accommodate.

Sanitizing/disinfecting instructions Hydration bladders can easily form into a microbiological testing ground for bacteria, mould and other nasty’s. Once any of this is detected it’s time for some heavy duty scrubbing.

• It would be a good idea to stock denture tablets or chlorine dioxide (as found in many hydration bladder cleaning tablets) that can be dropped into the reservoir after it has been filled with water and kept for 15minutes.

• Chlorine-free, non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning tablets are also available on the market and they don't leave any odour behind. Instead, they clean and leave your water vessel odour-free and sanitized.

• If the cleaning methods above don’t work you can resort to bleach. Fill the bladder almost full with water and add about a teaspoon with household bleach. Attach the lid and let it sit for a minimum of one hour to overnight. Empty the contents and rinse at least three times before the next use. Following that with baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar, helps remove the bleach flavour.

And if that doesn't get rid of all of it, advise the customer to throw the bladder away and buy the next generation hydration system.

Storing instructions One of the best ways to avoid build-up in a hydration bladder is to store it in a refrigerator or freezer (save space by storing the bladder empty).

• Fortunately, bacteria don’t grow well in cool temperatures. The frigid temperature kills any bacteria and prevents odour from forming. This strategy is said to reduce the need for cleaning and disinfecting the reservoir on a regular basis.

Hydration pack materials • Most bladders are manufactured to be BPA-free (bisphenol A, an industrial chemical found in many plastics) and have some sort of anti-microbial treatment added to the plastic.

• Hydration systems that are PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) free are also available on the market, this plastic contaminates the environment as well as humans during its production, use and disposal phase.

• Phthalates are mainly used as plasticisers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity). They are used primarily to soften PVC, and the use is restricted for products sold in the US. There are bladders on the market which are phthalate free.

• Some bladders are dishwasher safe, which means that the reservoir can be popped in the

machine with the regular dishes after use.

Drink tubes and openings • Bladders that have a slide seal on the top of the pack rather than a screw cap allows for a very large opening for easy cleaning (and allows for it to be turned inside out for cleaning and drying).

• A hydration pack with high quality, quickrelease valves for the drinking tube allow the tube it to be removed easily from the reservoir for easy cleaning, refreshing and refilling.

• Some bladders offer a bite valve that is easy to drink from when in motion and also features an on and off mechanism to remain leak-free. Others have spray nozzles to enable sharing between friends and reduce bacterial growth.

• A pressurized hose system allows water to be squirted out of the hose to enable it to be even more versatile, allowing one system to be used for cleaning and hydrating purposes.

Construction • Horizontal bladders allow the hydration system to be balanced on the outdoorsman’s hips with the use of a hip-pack. It keeps the centre of gravity round the waist, which has benefits for runners or outdoor enthusiasts who prefer not to have the weight of the water on their shoulders.

• Horizontal bladders can be segmented on each side, meaning there’s a small plastic divider between different regions. This design is intended to facilitate load distribution but it also makes cleaning somewhat difficult.

• There are disposable hydration bladder alternatives on the market. This makes it more easy and safe to prevent bacteria growth from old water and sport drinks.

Clean water • Virtually all surface waters are contaminated with at least one of the three types of potentially disease-causing microorganisms: protozoa, bacteria, and viruses, having a filter on the hydration system can help filter out these potentially unsafe microorganisms.

• Some hydration systems sport inline filtration systems at the base of the drinking tube. Any multi-day outdoorsman could require a filtration system on their bladder which would help purify water when drinking from streams etc.

• A filter actually removes matter and microbes from the water while a purifier can employ a variety of methods to disinfect the water. A purifier must meet the EPA Guide Standard for Testing Microbiological Purifiers in the US, which requires inactivation of all three classes of microbes: protozoa, bacteria and viruses. One example of this is the hand-held device that destroys all microbes with UV light.

• Some filters alone can qualify as a purifier, but since they are filtering to such a small pore size, they tend to clog quickly.

Outdoor news Baladéo’s new knifes

BALADÉO, locally distributed by Ram Mountaineering, has three knives that they believe will fly off the shelves.

They claim that with their Alcane pocket knife “the future is today” and it is aimed at those who expect the most from a pocket knife.

The Alcane pocket knife features modern and stylish lines, is strong because of the stainless steel construction and has a new G10 alloy handle and belt clip — the G10 fibers originate from the aerospace industry and was developed to have next to no deterioration, even under high temperatures. The pocket knife is heavy in the hand, allows for one handed opening and closing, features a locking system and is ideal for precision adjustments.

Their famous lightweight (27g) Gseries pocket knife features an eye catching translucent polycarbonate handle slab (available in red, pink, black and zebra wood finishes). The knife has a matt finish, 8cm blade with a liner lock locking

system, a belt clip, and it comes delivered in a gift box.

The 12cm Laguiole folding knife — that comes from the past and will appeal to not only nostalgic buyers, but also connoisseurs — has a XC100 carbon blade that gets darker and darker as time passes.

The reason for the darkening is that carbon oxydises quicker than stainless steel, but offers an outstanding cutting edge. The Laguiole knife is handcrafted and the spring is fully forged — the spring and bee are forged with one steel part, where the bee is welded on the spring in other laguiole knifes — that gives the knife an additional point of strength. The two forged bolsters add to the strength on the handle and the spiral corkscrew on the handle is made of stainless steel.

A laguiole knife is a high quality traditional pocket knife that was originally produced in the town of Laguiole, France. The knife traditionally has a slim silhouette, is about 10cm when closed, has a narrow, tapered blade, and steel backspring.

Outdoor :: p67

Geigerrig’s praises sung SINCE Geigerrig’s hydration pack (locally distributed by Awesome Tools) was launched it has been reaping awards and praises.

Among others, the brand won the ispo Brandnew Award when it was first launched in 2011 and it was a finalist at the 2012 ispo Brandnew Award in the Summer Hard Goods Category.

The press have been singing the hydration pack’s praises and it has been featured in countless articles published in Popular Science, Outside, on CNN, Forbes and Discovery’s websites, Gearjunkie. com and GoGumption.com named the hydration pack in their Best in Show reviews after the Outdoor Re-

tailer Winter show and the Before It’s News website (beforeitsnews. com) named it one of the Best of the Best.

The reason for all this global attention is their new system that allows the user to spray water into their mouth instead of sucking.

“This is the first real improvement in hydration packs since the category's debut 15 years ago,” writes Roy Wallack in the Los Angeles Times article A look at new camping and hiking gear. All the user has to do is bite on the valve and water sprays into their mouth, because an air chamber, which is filled with air through a pump on the shoulder strap, applies pressure to the water bladder.

Leatherman Z-Rex for emergencies LEATHERMAN, locally distributed

by Awesome Tools, have launched a new addition to their range, the Z-Rex tool, which is aimed at emergency personnel, but it is ideal for anyone worried about being in a sticky situation.

The Z-Rex is the first tool to take elements from the various glass breaker and strap cutters on the market and package them together in one lightweight and comfort-

able to use tool.

The V-notch cutters are replaceable — when on the go simply flip around for a fresh edge, or replace it completely when in suitable conditions — and indexible.

The two wrenches — oxygen and hex — are built into the body of the tool and the glass breaker is made of tungsten carbide, which requires only one strike to break the glass.

New products revealed at

p68 :: ispo report

Ispo is traditionally a good hunting ground for the latest trends and developments in the market. This year’s trade show did not disappoint, reports CARIN HARDISTY

I

spo Munich, with its 16 halls filled with companies from all kinds, is a trade show promising various forms of business opportunities.

With the snow falling outside during the European winter, you might think that the show would be dominated by snow sport companies, but there is a whole host of other types of suppliers showing their products to retailers and potential new distributors. These include companies focusing on sport performance, sportstyle, outdoor, the athlete’s health, ski, manufacturers, textile companies, etc. In fact, the fitness and sportstyle exhibitor categories are among the biggest growers (see p70).

Health is becoming a bigger factor for consumers and the Health Forum, which was run during ispo 2013, addressed how members of the sport industry can help get people more active and therefore healthier. Speakers at the forum gave feedback on several key areas that is affected by inactive (and therefore unhealthy) people: areas such as the economy (government has to increase health budget to accommodate more unhealthy people), their work (more sick leave), their social lives, a decrease in life expectancy, etc. This year also saw the first Health Style exhibition area. We report back on the Health Forum in our April/ May issue.

Another key point about ispo is that the show attracts all sizes of companies, large and small. One part of the success of the show is

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

that they attract market leaders.

However, the show also welcomes brand new companies. One of the ways that ispo actively encourages new businesses is through their annual ispo BrandNew Awards. The competition places a focus on innovative new products and their brands and the main goal is to offer a platform for companies that have been operating for four years or less, and that have never exhibited at ispo Munich before, to showcase their products and to gain the best support to get them on their way into the international market.

The focus of the awards is on the product, the degree of innovation, design, brand features, market potential and marketing — all elements taken into consideration by the jury panel of international experts. The winners in the BrandNew categories are rewarded with a booth in the BrandNew Village at that year’s ispo and ispo creating awareness of their product and brand through the media (both online and offline) and on a special BrandNew stand at the show itself.

The ispo trade show also awards those who are established in the sporting goods industry through their annual ispo Awards. This year there were a few changes to the categories with two new categories added — the Marketing Division for creative communication services, and the Asian Product Division for upand-coming sporting goods brands located in Asia — and the Eco Responsibility section no longer a separate category, but instead used

as criteria when judging every category.

The state of the economy and the rise and fall of sales is always at the forefront of traders’ minds. Trade show organisers Messe München organised a conference just before the start of the 2013 ispo trade show to discuss the state of the industry market.

“Sales varied strongly from one region to the other across the continent in 2012,” said Werner Haizman, president of Fedas, the European retailer’s federation.

While Germany is doing well and the Eastern European countries are starting to recover from the economic crisis, the Southern European countries are still having a rough time. Russia and Poland are also recovering, with retail sales increasing by 3% and 2.5% respectively.

The European sporting goods market decreased by about 6% at retail level, estimates Fedas. While Haizman is cautiously optimistic about the sector recovering this year, SGI (Sporting Goods Intelligence) Europe reports, warning that the macroeconomic factors (unemployment, reduced government spending, low to zero wage increases, etc.) will continue to influence sales.

Suppliers in Europe seem to be having a better time than retailers. Frank Dassler — president of Fesi, the federation of European sporting goods manufacturers — said that the European suppliers saw a 4.5% rise in sales.

The German sporting goods federation, BSI, did a survey among their members and found that 91% of them are satisfied with the current

ispo report :: p69

1 state of their business while 51% said it’s good to very good, reports SGI Europe. Roughly half of the respondents experienced an increase in their annual sales for 2012 and 14% expect an increase in 2013. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents expect sales to remain stable.

Ispo ran a survey among visitors to find out how they felt and viewed the show. Overall there was a positive feeling from visitors with about 74% rating ispo Munich 2013 excellent to very good and 24% rating the show as good.

The positive sports retail results in 2012 played a particular role in creating a positive outlook. One reason for this is that sport has gained a big relevance in the health market.

Almost half (45%) of visitors stated that ispo Munich will continue to gain importance over the next 12 months and half of visitors indicated that the trade show will continue to maintain its high level of importance.

Ispo’s new services did not go unnoticed. Especially the ispo Connect service was enjoyed and used by visitors with 89% giving the service a very good to good rating, and 93% of those polled rated the ispo Award as very good to good. The ispo Academy received a very good to good rating from 86% of visitors.

Wearable technologies for the present The Wearable Technologies conference was one of the events held during this year’s ispo trade show.

It is tempting to think about the products developed under the category wearable technologies as products of the future, but take a look around. Today we have products such as the Fabrican spray-on clothes — short fibres and binding polymers in a liquid solvent spray that bind when dried; it can even be washed and reworn — and PSS cut resistant fabric made

from an ultra-high molecular polyurethane combined with high density knitting, it can withstand slashes from knives, razor blades and glass without tearing. We even have items that have become relatively everyday to some people, but which fall in the wearable technologies category: products that monitor your heart rate, calories burned, distance travelled, etc.

These are already on the market.

In fact, wearable wireless gadgets is a multimillion dollar industry. In the year 2016, 170-m wearable devices will be shipped, reports IMS Research. By 2017, mobile wearable devices and smart glasses will reach almost $70-m (just under $10-m in 2010), reports Juniper Research.

There is a demand from consumers who want to track their own stats (heart rate, steps taken, etc.) through wearable products. This demand is one of the key drivers behind development in the wearable technologies market.

Most of these devices need to sync the user’s data to an app … and they tend to use Bluetooth for this purpose. The key item driving this growth, said Christian Stammel (CEO of Wearable Technologies), is the development of smart watches.

With people continuously on the move, it is predicted that soon mobile devices will pass computers as a means to access the web. This move has been helped along by cloud services that enable you to access your data from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection.

Soon your sunglasses will be able to display information about the angle of the trail, the humidity and other climate details, your heart rate, how fast you are running, etc. when you are out trail running.

Think this is all wishful thinking and only pos-

5

2 1: Eager visitors wanting to see all the stands filled the passages; 2: Columbia, locally distributed by Wild Elements Sport; 3: The Inov-8 Trailroc 150 shoe, locally distributed by Rebel Elite Fitness, won the ispo Award in the Performance Trail Running category; 4: Zamberlan, locally distributed by Traverse Outdoor Gear; 5: Fila is locally distributed by Footwear Trading.

sible in futuristic movies?

Recon Instruments and Oakley partnered to create a ski goggle, which won the 2013 Wearable Technologies Innovation World Cup, that features Recon’s heads up display technology.

This specific goggle is built for skiers, but the information in future models will be able to be customised by users for eyewear used in their To p69 specific sport needs.

3

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

4

1

2

Helping your business 365 days a year This year’s ispo was the biggest ever, with both visitor and exhibitor numbers on the rise

W

hile national shows around the globe are suffering due to the economic downturn, the ispo show keeps growing every year. The recent growth can be attributed to the trend that in tough times people start to re-evaluate their business and look to focus on different brands that might do better for them, suggests Tobias Gröber, business unit leader for the show organisers, Messe München International.

The 2013 ispo Munich show, which ran 3-6 February, saw more than 81 000 visitors attending from 109 countries — a four percent growth from 2012.

While the show was hosted in Munich, Germany, 66% of the visitors came from outside of the country — the majority from Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France and Great Britain, and Spain this year rejoined the top ten countries list. It is significant that there were quite a lot of French visitors, which is unusual says Gröber. “They don’t usually travel outside of their country to attend shows.”

He attributes the increase in French visitors

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

to ispo’s network of people working in various countries. They set up an info centre network, consisting of people with a history of working in each country’s industry — people who understand the challenges and how the industry operates, as each country is often unique in how they tackle problems.

Of all the visitors, around 35% came from the host country Germany.

There was also an increase in exhibitor numbers. This year visitors could visit 2 481 exhibitors from 52 countries, while in 2012 there were 2 344 from 51 countries. With the increase in exhibitors, the exhibition space also increased by 430m2 to 103 220m2.

Out of interest, in 1970, at the first ever ispo show, there were 816 exhibitors from 25 countries covering 45 000m2 of exhibition space.

It attracted 10 777 visitors from 34 countries.

The majority of this year’s exhibitor growth came from the outdoor, fitness, performance and sportstyle categories.

While sourcing companies are an essential component of the industry, they are purposefully limited to two halls. This year the other 14 halls were taken up by action sports (three halls), outdoor (three halls), sportstyle (two halls), ski (two halls), and performance, ispo Vision, health/fitness and textrends/Brand-

9

Tobias Gröber

New (one hall each).

Internet no obstacle to trade show Ispo has grown in popularity despite the easy communication offered by the internet.

In the past, before the widespread availability of information on the internet, companies had very little choice but to exhibit at trade shows in order to show other companies their products or new technologies that they have developed. Today, with a press of a button businesses from all over the world can To p70

8

ispo report :: p71

3

New products cont from p71 The user can see real-time data — performance information (speed, jump airtime, altitude, etc.), navigation, buddy tracking (see where your friends are by accessing social devices), and smartphone connectivity, transmitting SMS, caller ID and music playlists — via a micro LCD screen mounted inside the goggles frame.

“Wearable computing will overtake smartphones within 10 years,” predicted Tom Fowler, chief marketing officer of Recon Instruments.

Measure it to improve on it Physicist Lord Kelvin has a famous saying: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it”.

Wearable technologies enable us to measure our own data easier than before … which means we can improve our time easily, up the heart rate, train more effectively, etc.

There seems to be no end to what these devices can measure — weight, BMI, air quality and one can even organise your life by planning your meals for you!

The traditional way of measuring psychological and biomechanical data, for example by having the athlete run on a treadmill that records their data, is time consuming and obtrusive. Mobile wearable computing systems are more convenient to use as they are integrated in the clothing, unobtrusive and provide immediate, real-time, feedback.

They are typically made of two parts: sensors, embedded into equipment, are used to record psychological and biomechanical data and embedded microprocessors are used to analyse the data collected by the sensors.

These systems offer real-time feedback to the individual athlete and/or coach, which

is valuable to people of all levels, said Bjoern Eskoffer, assistant professor for Computer Science in Sports (endowed professorship of adidas AG) and head of the Digital Sports Group at the Pattern Recognition Lab of the Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU).

Know your customer Often a person’s first reaction is to resist something new. However, people are less likely to resist if the item is easy and straightforward to use. Provide information in an easy to understand manner and you reduce the opportunity to say no to it.

Not everyone wants to flash the fact that they are using a fitness device. Fitbit therefore offers users the option of using a small clip that can be easily hidden on a belt or in a pocket.

There will soon be a training shirt that will have these sensors embedded into it so that the athletes don’t have to wear extra pieces of equipment on them.

4 1: Nike; 2: Buff, locally distributed by Adventure Inc; 3: Skins, locally distributed by Super-Brands; 4: Converse, locally distributed by Skye Distribution; 5: LED Lenser and Leatherman, both locally distributed

by Awesome Tools; 6: The testing area for Vibram shoes, locally distributed by Branded Footwear and Clothing; 7: Salomon; 8: Unicorn, locally distributed

by Opal Sports, took a stand as part of the Great Britain community group of stands; 9: Hi-Tec

factor for death. The Imec Holst Centre have developed a patch that they are To p71

Crossover between sport and health There are various sensor systems that cross the boundaries between helping sports people perform better and helping them keep an eye on their health. These sensor devices can help screen the wearer to detect signs of injuries or movement impairments, for example.

There are even brain activity monitors available, integrated into headgear, that you can use at home. These allow the individual to measure the electrical activity of the brain in day-to-day situations.

Globally, inactivity is the fourth highest risk

7

5

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

6

1

ispo helps business cont from p72

2

Alternatively, a company can make use of the online ispo Connect to make new contacts. Both exhibitors and visitors to the ispo show benefit from ispo Connect — before, during and after the show.

The recently launched ispo Jobs has proven to be popular. The platform allows companies to post jobs and individuals to search for positions.

They also help promote new companies through the BrandNew Awards. In addition to the coverage that they receive while at the ispo show, the winners are also supported post-show by ispo through the marketing material that ispo makes available for the companies and retailers to use.

The ispo Munich 2014 trade show will be held 26-29 January. For more information, visit www.ispo.com/munich.

connect with each other through email and the internet.

The internet lacks one vital component that makes for a good business relationship: personal face-to-face relationships. This is quite probably one of the reasons why the stands with the after-show drinks are often so popular.

It is also sometimes difficult to filter out the information online — to get to the pieces of information that you are looking for, that is sometimes hidden in between other that is less relevant. By talking to a person at a trade show, you can have a live demonstration and feel of the product, which is not as easy in an online relationship, he explains.

that invest and sponsor sport events, etc.

People are kept connected and informed both online and offline - through various channels, for example, through ispo’s newsletter and magazine.

They also offer a networking service, through which companies can make use of ispo’s extensive database to make connections. For example, if a brand wants to find a distributor in a new country, they can book a tailor-made service where ispo will make a customised search on their database for the type of company that they would want to do business with, based on a profile specified by the brand.

Networking

New products cont from p72

Messe München International decided a few years ago to rethink what they offer through ispo. The result is that ispo has changed from a four day trade show, to a 365 days a year networking service — a network of services designed to assist businesses. “We are no longer a BTB service,” says Gröber. “We are a BTBto-C service, assisting businesses to reach not only each other, but also the consumer.”

The services are not only for select members of the trade. They are there to connect every person who earns money in one form or another through sport, for example coaches, resorts that offer sport, event organisers, companies

currently using for research that can measure the user’s energy expenditure with 90% accuracy. There is even a wrist device that can measure stress levels.

Employ your senses It is easy to forget the important role that smell plays in our day-to-day lives.

“Smell is our most evocative and direct sense,” says Jenny Tillotson, senior research fellow at the Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design’s Textiles Futures Research Centre at the University of the Arts in London.

“It is the only sense we cannot switch off.” It can trigger memories, and enhance your mood and wellbeing, for example. Soothing scents can even lower stress levels.

Using scentsory design (the combination of the art of perfumery with emerging technologies), Tillotson and The North Face have designed a backpack for sports endurance runners. They combined a smell dispenser into the bag. Smells have different qualities attached to them and peppermint, the smell that came with the backpack, is said to improve sports performance.

1: Black Diamond, locally distributed by Ram Mountaineering; 2: GoPro, locally distributed by Omnico; 3: adidas; 4: Petzl, locally distributed by Eiger Equipment

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March

4

3

Trade show news

Trade shows :: IBC

OutDoor Europe sets records

ispo Beijing strong

OUTDOOR Europe, the longest running international outdoor trade show, has already registered more than 620 exhibitors from 39 countries for the 2013 show, which will run 11-14 July in Friedrichshafen, Germany. This already equals the previous record.

VISITORS to this year’s ispo Beijing, which ran 27 February-2 March, were able to visit more than 600 brands’ stands as well as informative conferences that took place during the show. Exhibitors covered more than 40 000m2 of exhibition space.

The China Sports Fashion Trend Forum looked at the latest trends in the sportswear industry, in-

Apart from several new exhibitors and the trademark conferences, the 20th show will also feature a “living history of trade shows for the outdoor industry”, says project leader Stefan Reisinger.

See www.outdoor-show.com.

1 200 exhibitors at footwear shows VISITORS to this year’s GDS show — which takes place 1315 March in Düsseldorf, Germany — are able to view over 800 exhibitors and attend several seminars, lectures, fashion shows as well as the redesigned children’s segment.

Global Shoes, which is held in conjunction with the GDS show,

offers 300 exhibitors from 15 countries.

Information on the 1 200 exhibitors at the event can be accessed via their website, www.gds-online.com. There is also a GDS trade fair app with visitor information and other features, including GoogleMaps and an interactive hall plan.

New African trade show

Outdoor Retailer feature fly fishing THE Outdoor Retailer Summer Market and Open Air Demo 2013, held 31 July-3 August in Salt Lake City, will feature a variety of new Fly Fishing market-focused exhibit areas, venues and programs.

For more information, visit www. outdoorretailer.com.

SOURCE Africa, the African textile, apparel and footwear trade show (9-12 April 2013 at the CTICC Cape Town) will have more than 150 African exhibitors. Apart from the numerous country exhibits, there will be individual participation from South Africa, Coté d’Voire,

cluding the latest functionality standards for technical outdoor apparel.

The 8th Asia Pacific Snow Conference (APSC) was also held during the show and the ispo Sports Industry Forums focused on the success of the Chinese outdoor and fashion-sports retail markets and the latest trends.

See www.ispo.com/beijing.

22nd Eurobike THE 22nd Eurobike — which takes place this year 28-30 August for the trade and 31 August for the public in Friedrichshafen, Germany — will again show visitors the latest products and trends from over 1 200 exhibitors. Around 40 000 trade visitors are expected to attend.

The Demo Day takes place 27

August and trade visitors can get a sneak preview of the latest innovations in the bicycle industry one day before the start of the show. More than 100 international exhibitors will be on hand at the seventh Demo Day to show off their latest products to trade visitors and offer test rides.

See www.eurobike-show.com.

Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya etc.

Informative seminars will be led by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) — covering the topics of customs, logistics and transportation, know your factory, and successful market entry - and there will be power breakfasts led by the African

Cotton & Textile Federation (ACTIF). It will be an event that attracts business leaders across Africa, providing a platform for networking with African manufacturers and suppliers.

Pre-registration is now open and there is no entrance fee.

For more information visit www.sourceafrica.co.za.

Luxilon Lyle & Scott Mikasa Mr Lacy Native Sport New Balance Opal Sports Orbit sport Pat Wiltshire Sport Ram Mountaineering Rebel Elite Rocky Russell Athletic SBR Agencies Sea to Summit

Skechers Skye Distribution Starter Summit Super-Brands Traverse Outdoor Gear Umbro Unit Vibram Fivefingers Vivobarefoot Warrior WET Sport Wingki Chan Yes Man Zamberlan

Advertisers index — a list of advertisers in this issue adidas Adventure Inc Asics Awesome Tools Baladéo Bertuzzi Blanks Boreal Branded Footwear & Clothing Company Brooks Civvio Co-Lab Industries Crown Footwear DMQ Trading

35 67 11 64 63 3 5 10 OBC 37 15 1, 41 7 15

Dunlop Flexfit Footwear Trading Forty Seven Geigerrig Golf Racket, The Happy Socks Hi-Tec Inov-8 Iron Fist Jordan & Co Kartal Distribution Land Rover Leatherman Levi's

56 5 8, 19 5 64 59 5 21 31 41 13 5 17 64 8

59 9 55 5 32 27 53 51 55 63 31 7 3 37 67

19 9 5 53 56 10 45 5 OBC 32 OFC 47 11 16 10

2013 February/March :: Sports Trader

p74 :: Industry

Sports Trader :: 2013 February/March