Sports Trader June/July 2012

Southern Africa’s business-to-business magazine for the sport, outdoor and leisure industries • Vol 33 No 3 • June/July 2012

New V-Lite Infinity Flare Inspired by Nick Matthew Current World No.1 World Squash Champion 2010 & 2011

Find out what to stock for MMA Are you being anti-competitive?

Brands compete at the Olympics

Vol 33 Nr 3 June/July 2012 www.sportstrader.co.za

Highlights: The state of the sneaker market How to attract bird watchers to your store On the cover Nick Matthew is the first Englishman to win the British Open a record three times — regaining his World #1 spot for the third time.

Over the span of his career, 32-year old Matthew has won several major titles.

Matthew has played in Hi-Tec for the majority of his career. He recently started playing in the Hi-Tec V-Lite Infinity Flare squash shoe. “I love the lightweight nature of the shoe, which gives me extra speed around the court, but it also feels very durable — a tough combination to master.”

Contact Hi-Tec Sports SA on Tel: 021 555 0707, Fax: 021 555 3599, ian@hi-tec.co.za or visit www.hi-tec.co.za.

Publisher: Nic du Toit Editor: Nelle du Toit Managing editor: Trudi du Toit Proofreader: Liz Milburn Features: Brandon Gregory Carin Hardisty Nelle du Toit Nic du Toit Trudi du Toit Design: Carin Hardisty Photography: Nic du Toit Nelle du Toit Advertising: Nic du Toit Subscriptions: Brandon Gregory 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 Advertising: nicol@sportstrader.co.za Editorial: trudi@sportstrader.co.za Subscribe: info@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.

Industry

15 18 32 34

Mr Price Sport

How do they manage to keep growing?

Competition Act

Are you unknowingly engaging in illegal activity?

Olympics

The debacle around the SA Olympic kit

Olympics

Brands compete with kit designs

What do retailers need to know in order to sell MMA products? p40

Trade shows

62 63

SAFTAD Benefit from joining

Trade show news

News from local and international trade shows

Outdoor

52 57 61 What is going on in the sneaker market? p20

Clothing & footwear

10 20 24 26 28 36

Merrell

SA is an ideal testing ground for their products

Sneakers

What is the state of the market?

Running watches

There have been big developments

Running

Learn how to run naturally

Running

Running event statistics

Bird watching

Why retailers benefit from attracting bird watchers

Product knowledge: LED lights The latest developments

Outdoor news

News from outdoor brands

Regulars

2 5 8 9 30 39

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

Retail news

News about retail activity in the industry

Executives on track

Jeremy Nel, Crown Footwear

Spotlight on agents Martin Nefdt

Outdoor clothing

What technologies are in clothing?

Sport

40 45 48 50

Mixed martial arts

What retailers need to know to stock products

Product knowledge: Cues What does a cue consist of?

Swimming accessories

What to recommend to help grow sales

Sport news

News from sport brands

Brands compete to attract the most attention through Olympic kit p34

p2 :: Industry

When Clive Chowles (pictured left) went to Germany to pitch to become the Southern African distributor of the specialist running shoe brand Brooks, he arrived at the airport dressed in a Brooks shirt, Brooks shoes, with a Brooks bag… enough branding to attract the attention of a Brooks executive in arrivals who asked if he worked for the brand. No, replied Chowles, “but when I leave Germany I intend to be the SA distributor of Brooks.” And so he and his wife Michelle Chowles came to be SA distributors of Brooks. They are pictured here with Clint Nicholl (right), warehouse and logistics manager.

People on

The New Balance SA team won two awards at the recent New Balance global sales meeting in Miami: they won the Marketing Innovation Award for the Year 2011, as well as the International Retail of the Year Award for the year 2011.

Product manager John Andrews, apparel manager Barbara Cole, marketing manager Keaton Oddy, national sales manager Grattan Rippon and MD Gary van Rooyen proudly display the trophies they won during an award ceremony held aboard a yacht.

Ryan Maron’s Cricket School of Excellence (RMSCE) recently held clinics for children aged 4-16. New Balance and Gunn & Moore are some of the RMSCE sponsors.

Pictured are the junior prize winners with the Cobra’s Andrew Puttick who attended the prize giving and handed out the prizes to recipients.

Gilbert Rugby SA has signed several provincial players to wear their 2012 Body Protection range. “We believe that providing these key players with the Gilbert Body Protection range is a positive endorsement that safety being paramount for all players at various levels of play,” says brand manager Gavin Hunter. Bulls Juandré Kruger, Lionel Cronje, Dean Greyling and Rossouw de Klerk; Cheetahs Johan Goosen, Robert Ebersohn, Waltie Vermeulen, WP Nel and Hennie Danillier; Stormers Jean de Villiers, Dimitri Catrakilis, Reynard Elstadt and Brok Harris; Lions Elton Janjies, Bandise Maku, Warren Whitely and Paul Willemse; Sharks Steven Sykes, Wiehan Herbst and Anton Bresler and Puma William Serfontein have all been contracted to be Gilbert’s 2012 Body Protection ambassadors.

Correction: Puma is Blue Bulls apparel sponsor We made a mistake in the article Big Plans for JGSA Team in the April/ May issue of Sports Trader — Gilbert is NOT the apparel sponsor of the Blue Bulls, as we stated. As reported earlier by us, after protracted court battles, Puma was announced the official apparel sponsor of the Blue Bulls. Gilbert sponsors their amateur teams.

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

Roy Eckstein’s death a tragic loss The tragic death of Roy Eckstein — former Puma distributor, Reebok SA owner and prominent sport shoe manufacturer — in a motorcycle accident in Cape Town on 25 April, came as a shock to the many people in the industry who knew him well. “Mr E, you were a great businessman, mentor and a friend. Your legacy lives on in the impact you made on the lives of those who worked with you. Our condolences to Kim, Steve, Ruth, Sivana, and Kiara,” Bruce Joubert and the Reebok and Springfield teams said in a statement.

Following his father into the shoe manufacturing business in the 1970’s, Roy and his brother negotiated the rights to manufacture Puma in SA in their Jaguar factory, which later became the listed Amshoe company. In 1996 Eckstein was asked to repurchase the company that he had sold in 1993, and he renamed it Springfield Footwear.

When Puma opened a subsidiary office in SA in 2001, they took over the distributorship of the brand from Springfield.

The same year Eckstein formed a consortium to buy the SA arm of the Reebok business, with distribution rights for sub-Saharan Africa.

The following year he appointed Bruce Joubert as CEO and retired from active involvement in the sports footwear business to devote more time to his other passion, horses.

Eckstein has played a leading role in KwaZulu Natal and Cape Town horse racing circle as administrator and owner for many years.

Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Annemieke van der Valk (pictured left) has left for the UK and Morne Craucamp will be replacing her as marketing assistant for the Hi-Tec brand. Craucamp, who has been working for Hi-Tec since 2007 in the product and shipping division, attained his diploma in marketing management through UNISA and is now persuaded to work in a marketing direction for the brand.

Cobra Puma Golf pro Rickie Fowler has logged his first PGA Tour win in a quality field in the playoff at the Wells Fargo Championship. He hit a birdie to take the trophy from Rory McIlroy and D.A. Points in the playoff. Fowler wore his signature orange for the final round in a Golf Duo Swing Mesh Polo, 5 PKT Tech Pants, Super Cell Fusion Ice shoes and Monoline 210 Cap. The polo features COOLMAX® All Season to keep him comfortable and has UPF 50+ for ultimate sun protection while the shoes feature PUMA’s newest S2Quill technology for better traction and comfort. He uses Cobra’s AMP golf equipment. See Facebook.com/cobra and facebook.com/pumagolf for details of a consumer competition to celebrate Fowler’s win.

Inov-8’s Champion, Carla van Huyssteen, claimed the bronze medal at the World Cross-Triathlon Championships in the USA on the 20th of May, in her first international event of 2012. Van Huyssteen finished strong after pulling on her Inov-8 F-Lite 195s in the running leg, her strongest discipline.

The Stellenbosch University Sport Performance Institute (SUSPI), which provides world class sports science and facilities to high performance athletes and national teams, has appointed Anastasia Tsichlas (above), Johann Mettler and Dr Zoë Lees as its new directors. Tsichlas brings a wealth of football knowledge honed as the former general manager and owner of Mamelodi Sundowns FC, and as the first woman to serve on the SAFA executive. She is currently vice president of Women’s Football at the Confederation of African Football and serves on FIFA boards. Mettler, an executive director of the SA Local Government Association and the municipal manager of the Drakenstein Municipality, has been appointed chairperson of the SUSPI board. He has a master’s degree in Law from Lund University in Sweden and has been a rugby player and administrator. Lees, who has a PhD in science from the University of KwaZulu Natal, is employed by the World Bank and sits on a variety of Corporate Boards in SA. She is a strategic thinker and innovator, particularly in sustainable business development and investment.

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

2012 Jockey International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Jockey and Jockey Swirl Icon are registered trademarks of Jockey International, Inc.

the move

Industry :: p3

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p4 :: Industry

People on the move: Nick Matthew “Over the moon,” is how squash champion Nick Matthew describes his feelings after becoming the first Englishman to win the British Open a record third time and thereby regaining the top spot in world squash for the third time.

“It’s a massive honour. It was perfect timing at the end of a long season,” he responded via email from the US, where he was taking a break before taking on the world’s best again.

“It takes time to adjust to the pressures (of being #1). Basically everyone suddenly expects you to win every match, but as a player you know it’s not as simple as that. Having said that, I’ve enjoyed my time there (at the top) more than anything,” he says.

Matthew, who has been wearing Hi-Tec squash shoes for most of his playing career, recently began wearing he new Hi-Tec V-Lite Infinity Flare squash shoe. “I love the lightweight nature of the shoe, which gives me extra speed around the court, but it also feels very durable — a tough combination to master,” he says. “I also love the vibrant colours of the new shoes.”

Relationship with brands He always played in Hi-Tec — except for a short period as a junior when he was sponsored by another squash racket brand. “I resigned with Hi-Tec upon going pro at 18 and have been with them ever since.”

Since the Hi-Tec brand was practically founded on UK squash courts, their long relationship with Britain’s champion comes as no surprise. It was in response to requests from fellow squash players that Hi-Tec founder and chairman Frank van Wezel in 1974 commissioned designers to develop a lightweight squash shoe. That led to the birth of this leading athletic brand.

He also signed a long-term contract with UK racket brand Dunlop in 2009 to endorse their range of squash rackets, balls, string, grips and equipment luggage. He plays with the Biomimetic Evolution 130 Dunlop squash racket.

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

Matthew, who’ll be 32 in July this year, displayed the brilliance that would one day make him a multiple world and Commonwealth champion when he was still a junior. The youngster from Sheffield was only 18 when he was a semi-finalist at the World Junior Championships and a member of the England team that won the world junior team title. That was in 1989, the year he turned pro. The following year he won the British Junior Open U19 title.

Since then his career has been marked by many firsts. While they are important entries in the record books, Matthew doesn’t keep track of all the records he broke. “I am sure at the end of my career I will look back proudly, but there is so much more I want to achieve first,” he says.

To name a few: in 2006, seeded sixth, he became the first Brit in 67 years to win the prestigious British Open title; in 2010 he became the first Englishman to win the PSA World Open men's title, an achievement he repeated the following year — the first player in 15 years to successfully defend the title. In May this year he became the first Brit to win the British Open title three times.

Apart from the above-mentioned, he has also been a champion many times over in just about every major tournament.

In 2010 he won five major titles to be ranked the world’s number one player for the first time. In October he defeated compatriot James Willstrop to win gold in the singles of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and with Willstrop, won doubles gold.

He then rounded off a golden year by winning the PSA 2010 World Open, the PSA Masters and becoming the 2010 PSA Player of the Year.

It was therefore no surprise when he was ranked #1 on the Dunlop PSA world men’s list in January 2011. A spot he successfully defended throughout the year.

“The last three or four years have all been great, but 2010 was the year I first got to world

number 1, so it will always be special to me,” says Matthew.

Yet, in 2008, many feared that his career had come to an end when a shoulder injury and operation kept him out of the game for eight months. Matthew credits his family, friends, coach and his team at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield with helping him to get back to (better than) form.

“I had a lot of internal motivation to come back stronger than ever, but without their expertise I would have stood no chance.”

He announced his return in no uncertain terms in 2009 by winning his second British Open title and reaching #4 in the Dunlop PSA rankings.

Olympic campaign In 2011 Matthew withstood serious onslaughts from the 23-year old Egyptian Ramy Ashour, fellow Yorkshireman Willstrop and Frenchman Gregory Gaultier to remain at the top of the rankings, which included winning the PSA World Open a second time.

Injuries, however, hampered his game late in the year and he started 2012 in the number 2 position, but by June he was back on top.

The fact that he will never be able to compete in the Olympics has not deterred Matthew from actively campaigning for squash to be recognised as an Olympic sport in 2020. “I will be too old by then,” he says. “But, I have just come back from the SportAccord Convention in Quebec (a networking meeting of the world’s leading sport personalities), which is basically an Olympic convention. “It was my first experience as an ambassador for squash’s bid in 2020 and myself and the sport have come away with a lot of positive experiences from it.”

In the meantime he has set himself the goal of winning the Hong Kong title that till now has eluded him. “I would love to win another Commonwealth Games gold,” he continues. And in 2012 he also wants to win his third World title.

Industry :: p5

Brands on the move

Help celebrate O’Neill’s 60th Surf brand O’Neill is celebrating its 60th birthday with an eightmonth, global art and innovation tour. The next stop for the exhibition will be in Durban on 5-7 July, following exhibitions in Sydney, Bali, Tokyo and Holland. Six decades of wetsuit innovation, iconic imagery and commissioned artworks are being showcased in a historic time capsule open to the public.

Durban based street children’s rehabilitation centre, Umthombo, which introduces street children to surfing and the ocean, is one of the charities that will benefit from the auction of the commissioned artworks. Monster Children Creative has commissioned six artists to create art pieces in the form of iconic founder Jack O’Neill, which will be auctioned in November at the conclusion of the O’Neill Cold Water Classic in California.

Local artists will be encouraged to submit their own artworks representing Jack O’Neill at every venue of the tour, with a selection of 6 of these to be included at the exhibition in the respective territories. SA artists who would like to submit artwork for the show can send a photograph to oneillart@monsterchildren.com by Friday, 22 June 2012 with their name, age, location, website/blog and the artwork medium.

Puma announces RCD Espanyol partnership Puma announced a new multiple year partnership with Spanish La Liga club RCD Espanyol effective from 1 July 2012. The technical and licensing partnership will see Puma provide official playing kits for all associated RCD Espanyol teams. This includes the Espanyol B Reserve team and all youth teams, as well as becoming the club’s official partner in relation to replica kits, fanwear and other merchandise. The new RCD Espanyol home and away kits will launch in July 2012 alongside a full range of replica kits, fanwear and merchandise. Through the contractual term, Puma will also hold the global license for all RCD Espanyol branded merchandise in the categories of footwear, apparel and accessories.

Nike gives young footballers The Chance

Casoli at SA fashion week Casoli Footwear made its runway debut at the SA fashion week 2012 when footwear from their latest collection featured in local fashion house, Naked Ape’s 2012 summer collection show. The models Tarvisio and Venetio, used in the show, are designed with the contemporary man in mind. Distributed by Footwear Trading, the Casoli shoes complimented Naked Ape’s use of soft fabric and mild neutrals. Photos by Simon Deiner/ SDR Photo

Nike SA has launched The Chance SA Trials 2012 at the Nike Football Training Centre in Soweto, with legendary coach Johan Neeskens (pictured above left) and football pro Benni McCarthy (above right) as the official local scouts. Starting in June, more than 5 000 young footballers in five major cities will compete to be chosen as the top three players to represent SA in the global event in Barcelona in August.

Players from 55 countries around the world will take part in The Chance trials in 2012. The best 100 players from these trials, watched by top Nike coaches, will then travel to a global final in Spain, to be held at FC Barcelona’s famed youth academy. They will be evaluated by a world-class team of coaches and scouts.

The best 16 footballers from the global finals will be chosen to experience the ultimate training tour and face some of the most renowned academy teams in world football, including Manchester United, Juventus FC and a US Youth National Team during an once-in-a-lifetime four week tour. From this group of 16 players, four players will be selected to train and play with the Nike Academy in the UK. One player will join the Nike Academy 2012/13 full time for two months and play with the team.

SA goalkeeper, Reyaad Pieterse, who won a one-in-eight spot in The Chance 2011 and joined the Nike Academy in the UK, recently signed a professional contract with Ireland-based Shamrock Rovers FC.

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p6 :: Industry

Brands on the move

The van, on a sunny day, with the portable store

Adidas adiVan launched

Phillip Venter, Bradley Stern, Graeme Smith and Gavin Cowley on the adiVan

The Cape Town winter weather decided to test adidas’ new adiVan by throwing cold and rain at it and seeing how it held out. True to form, adidas’ van and portable store, showcasing their technical running range, proved more than a match and attracted sponsored athletes, adidas staff and guests to its launch.

The adiVan has been taken throughout SA to major events – starting at the Two Oceans Marathon Expo where they won a gold award for the medium to large category stands at the expo. adiVan features the adidas footscan, miCoach on site trial and a digital integration with the adidas club newsletter, 3Stripes. adiVan has a full year schedule already, making appearances at running and other major sports events (Two Oceans Marathon, Comrades Marathon, adi-active runs, soccer matches, rugby matches, cricket matches, etc.), major shopping malls and retail partners, and at partner activations with Orlando Pirates Football Club, Stormers Rugby, Cricket South From left to right: LJ van Zyl (SA Olympic athlete – 400m hurdles), Jean de Villiers Africa, Ajax Cape Town Football Club, Discovery Health, Virgin Active (Stormers captain), Winand Krawinkel (adidas SA managing director), Gavin Cowley (adidas SA marketing director), Graeme Smith (Proteas captain) and Irvette van Gyms and various other adidas partners.

Blerk (SA Olympic athlete – long distance running).

Adidas also opened a concept store at the Blue Route Mall on Saturday 7th of April where Stormers players Demetri Catrakilis, Berton Klaasen, Danie Poolman, Marcel Brache and Nic Groom, were on hand to sign autographs for the rugby fans. “We opened for trade on Thursday, 29 March 2012 and we were visited by our brand ambassadors Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher on Saturday, 31 March 2012. The Proteas players signed autographs and took pictures with their fans,” says Zobuzwe Ngobese, PR manager at adidas South Africa. The 204 m2 store will provide a mix of sports performance and adidas originals apparel and footwear for men, women and kids.

Puma breaks ground with “speedy” all-sport range Puma is breaking new ground with the launch of evoSPEED, a performance collection for all sport categories. Inspired by Usain Bolt — the World’s Fastest Man — the collection incorporates performance technology and innovations that will enhance speed in footwear and apparel for running, football, motorsport, golf, cricket and indoor sports. All evoSPEED footwear features lightweight materials, increased flexibility and an optimised fit that enables a greater freedom of movement to enhance speed, without compromising support.

The classic Puma Formstripe has been changed for the first time to a new lightening version, a signature graphic that emphasizes speed and is associated with Usain Bolt.

The evoSPEED styles will be worn by Puma’s key athletes in running (e.g. Usain Bolt), rugby (e.g. Schalk Burger), football (e.g. Sergio Aguero and Steven Pienaar), cricket (e.g. Yuvraj Singh and AB de Villiers), and golf (e.g. Rickie Fowler and Warren Abery).

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

Industry :: p7

Brands on the move Columbia’s Peakfreak best for trails

Adidas reveals Predator Lethal Zones The next instalment of the adidas Predator football boot, Lethal Zones, have five deadly zones for controlling the ball, one zone for high-speed dribbling, another for perfect first touch, a sweet spot to generate pace while striking at goal, a driver to open up the game with long distance passing and a fifth zone for precision passing. The concept was developed by providing athletes with white boots and coloured markers and asking them to highlight and name the different part of the boot where they kick the ball. After visiting numerous clubs and youth academies, adidas identified five “Lethal Zones”. The Predator Lethal Zones is the first miCoach enabled Predator boot which allows players to track, compare and share their performance data.

Outside Magazine named Columbia’s Peakfreak shoe as their Best For: Trails shoe in their May 2012 issue. They wrote: “Though designed on a trailrunning chassis, it had just enough guts (midfoot shank, forefoot rock guard) to protect feet on mixed terrain (snow, ice, dirt, gravel) during wet, all-day hiking in the Tenmile Range. The other cool thing about this shoe is how well it fends off moisture: because its OutDry waterproof breathable membrane is adhered to the outermost layer of the shoe, water can’t penetrate.”

New Hi-Tec footwear Hi-Tec recently launched a new trail (men’s Sierra Trek WP), hiking (men’s Sierra Trek Lite) and a new multi-sport and casual footwear range (Sierra). The Trek WP has an i-shell and waterproof full grain leather upper, a waterproof bootie construction and a lightweight V-Lite design. The Trek Lite features ionmask hydrophobic water management technology, waterproof Nubuck leather and the lightweight V-Lite design. The multi-sport and casual range has a soft, durable leather upper and moisture-wicking lining.

Inov-8 Trailroc range to hit SA market The new Trailroc range from Inov8, arriving in South Africa in Spring, is designed to handle loose, rugged and eroded trails and will be just as adept on hardpacked single track and district roads. Although not designed specifically with South African conditions in mind, they might as well have been.

Like all Inov-8 shoes, the Trailroc range is superbly flexible and gives the runner an unsurpassed feel for the underfoot conditions, essential on the trail where, rocks, corners and obstacles are all part of the experience.

In South Africa there will be two models available: Trailroc 255, which has a 2-arrow Shoc-Zone and therefore a 6mm differential between forefoot and heel and the Trailroc 245, which is a 1-arrow shoe with a 3mm differential.

SA cricketers sport latest Puma cricket spikes South African cricketers AB de Villiers, Rilee Roussouw, Faf du Plessis, Herschelle Gibbs, Albie and Morné Morkel and JP Duminy are sporting Puma’s latest cricket spike, the Pulse Convertible Spike, at the IPL tournament in India.

This top of the line cricket spike allows the flexibility of interchangeable steel and TPU (Thermal Plastic Unit) spikes to allow the user the flexibility and freedom in their outsole set-up. The Pulse Convertible cricket spike is available at Poobie Naidoo, Bradman’s Cricket and other selected Puma retail stores.

REASONS TO PICK FRUIT One of the world’s largest clothing companies.

Fruit of the Loom is one of the world’s most recognised clothing brands.

A brand people all over the world know, love and trust.

A brand with over 160 years’ experience and a long history of manufacturing quality textiles.

Over 30 years ago we were one of the first major brands to enter the European imprint sector and today we still enjoy a longstanding reputation as a leader in quality promotional, workwear and leisurewear garments.

More recently we have extended our brand into other markets and Fruit of the Loom is now available in South Africa. All stock is kept in Cape Town with agents operating in Johannesburg and Durban.

Bertuzzi | Tel: 021 552 2948 | Fax: 021 551 2952 | info@bertuzzi.co.za | www.bertuzzi.co.za

p8 :: Industry

Companies on the move Lyle & Scott now available from Skye

Jordan & Co Asics distributor of Year Jordan & Co, SA distributor of Asics, was the winner of the Asics Distributor of the Year award for 2011. Asics international awarded them because their sales grew by 51% in 2011 compared to 2010 because they exceeded their target by 30%, achieved a good spread over different categories, which is expanding, sold across all price points in the ranges and is a “clear running leader in their market”.

Lifestyle fashion and golf brand Lyle & Scott is now distributed in SA by Skye Footwear & Clothing. The Scottish brand, founded in 1874, has high profile connections like a Royal Warrant appointment to HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, a cashmere collection designed with Christian Dior, golf ranges designed for Ryder and Hennessey Cup teams and top players like Greg Norman, Lee Westwood and Ian Baker-Finch.

The golden eagle logo is, however, also recognised as a fashion label worn by celebrities and crowned the 2009 Drapers Young Fashion Brand of the Year.

Inov-8 gets investment boost

Mr Price Sport sponsor men’s hockey Mr Price Sport is elated at the nail-biting win over Japan by the SA National Men’s hockey team which qualifies them for the Olympics, says MD Clint Larsson. As the new team kit sponsor, the retail group will be looking forward to their performance at the Olympics. In an exciting, fast-paced match TK distributor Rassie Erasmus made some spectacular saves, while goals from Thornton McDade (Gryphon) and Lloyd Norris-Jones (adidas) ensured a 2-1 win.

Minimalist sport shoe brand Inov-8 will be expanding into new markets and step up new product development after an equity investment from ISIS Equity Partners in the UK. ISIS will have minority shares and two of its principals will join Inov-8’s board. “(We) are delighted to welcome our ISIS partners to the board,” said Inov-8 Founder Wayne Edy. “Their expertise in working with dynamic, rapidly growing young businesses will be invaluable to the management team as we scale up our operations to meet growing international consumer demand.”

According to ISIS partner Mark Advani, “Inov-8 has an incredibly inspiring story so far. Wayne and Robert deserve immense credit for building the business from a singular racing product to a global brand of choice for committed athletes around the world.”

Barefoot running on trial in the US American lawyers are putting the studies on the benefit of barefoot running on trial in a civil suit, alleging that the health benefits claims associated with more natural running are false. Five Massachusetts law firms have filed a class-action suit against the company closest associated with barefoot running, Vibram FiveFingers. They allege that statements about the health benefits of barefoot running are deceptive and because Vibram FiveFingers’ advertising and marketing equates them with barefoot running, they are implicated in the “false statements”.

According to the lawsuit FiveFingers’ sales grew on average 300% a year for the last five years and came close to $70-m (R490-m) in 2011. In 2007 Time Magazine named Vibram FiveFingers one of the best inventions in the health category.

The case will be closely followed by the footwear industry, as the evidence presented and outcome will influence the public’s perception of the benefits of minimalist running shoes vs. the traditional cushioned shoes. This would result in either huge growth, or the decline, of the footwear category.

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

Brands pay to diffuse toning claims Skechers agreed to pay $50m as a one-time settlement of a US class-action lawsuit against advertising claims made about their toning shoes. Like Reebok, who last year paid $25m, Skechers said it agreed to the settlement to avoid the cost and distraction of months of protracted legal battles, but they deny that they made false allegations in the advertising.

They paid the US Federal Trade Commission $45m in customer refunds plus $5m in attorneys’ fees. Skechers will continue to make toning shoes and said that they are “permitted under the settlement to continue to advertise that wearing rocker-bottom shoes like Shape-ups can lead to increased leg muscle activation, increased calorie burn, improved posture and reduced back pain.”

Retail news Super-Brands have become the majority shareholder of Peggity’s Toys, which has six retail stores under the Toy Kingdom, Past Times and Peggity’s Toys names. The stores will be merged into one brand under Toy Kingdom and they aim to roll out additional stores over time, nationwide.

Industry :: p9

The Puma Canal Walk store reopened after being remodelled to conform with Puma International’s new Retail 2.0 store design, aimed at offering consumers a more efficient and enjoyable shopping experience. After launching in early 2011 in Berlin, the new system has rolled out in all major global markets, The Puma Canal Walk store is the first in Africa to undergo this latest facelift.

Massmart-Walmart to aid suppliers and schools Massmart-Walmart appointed Prof. Michael Morris of PRISM (Policy Research in International Services and Manufacturing) at the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town, as a member of the panel that will conduct a study to identify how local suppliers can be assisted to benefit from the merger. This follows the Competition Appeal Court ruling that they must “canvas the best means by which South African small and medium sized suppliers can participate in Walmart’s global value chain training programmes…”

The Walmart Foundation has also donated 100 mobile kitchens to the 94+ Schools Project for Madiba. This partnership between the Department of Basic Education and the Nelson Mandela Foundation to celebrate Madiba’s 94th birthday, aims to improve infrastructure

in at least 94 SA schools. Over 8m SA learners are fed daily and approximately 15 435 Nutrition Centres need to be developed at schools to support the National Schools Nutritional Programme. The container kitchens donated by the Walmart Foundation will be installed at schools that currently participate in the schools Nutritional Programme. Although a minimum of 94 schools will benefit, Walmart aims to deliver at least 100 mobile kitchens.

The donation will supplement Game’s AmaLunchbox campaign, an initiative to convert containers into fully equipped and operational kitchens that are installed at participating schools. The mobile container kitchen programme, operating in the most under-resourced schools, was started in early 2008.

p10 :: Apparel & Footwear

Our beautiful scenery and passion for the outdoor life have made SA the ideal testing ground for Merrell’s outdoor inspired products

South African

consumers set trends for Merrell

O

ver the past six or seven years, Merrell has become a household name amongst South Africans living an outdoor inspired lifestyle. In keeping with its outdoor heritage — we are the outsiders — Merrell is visible where many active outdoor adventurers gather: whether at the multi-sport Merrell Eden Duo, the Merrell Hobbit or Norm-Hudlin trail runs, where brothers Greg and Ryan Louw are paddling, or at other events where participants wear the brand.

And, of course, when people gather to congratulate the inimitable Merrell Adventure Addicts (MAA) on winning yet another endurance race in seemingly impossible conditions.

Known originally as a casual outdoor and hiking brand, Merrell has also become one of the pioneers of the barefoot or minimalist running trend. In SA, this is still firmly anchored in the outdoors, as Merrell only supplies trail running shoes to the local market.

In SA, outdoor performance is very much a lifestyle for young, active, people willing to test their limits. A brand associated with this lifestyle therefore appeals to the younger consumer.

“We all live the outdoor lifestyle inspired by the brand,” proclaims brand manager Gutav Nefdt with passion.

“In SA we are the forerunners with developments for mountain biking and trail running — we have a customer base who love the new outdoor products developed for these sports.”

He enthusiastically explains how the SA mountain biking and trail running markets are pushing trends because the sports are so popular here, due to our beautiful scenery and long months of sunshine. He believes another reason why trail running has grown so much in popularity is because it is considered to be safer than road running.

SA’s Team Merrell (Adventure Addicts) fur-

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

As one of the earliest adopters of the barefoot running trend, Merrell has benefited from the growing demand for light, fast, minimalist running footwear ther enhances the image of SA as the place for adventurers with their excellent finishes — 7th last year — in the World Adventure Series, even though the overseas terrains and icy weather conditions are so foreign to them. They recently qualified to compete in the 2012 World Adventure Racing Series in France later this year by winning the second edition of the gruelling Expedition Africa in 65 hours — ten hours ahead of the second team (see p12).

Technical clothing range It was Team Merrell that inspired the latest exciting product innovation from Merrell — a technical clothing range made of state of the art fabric that provides every performance benefit an adventure athlete can dream of.

This locally developed clothing range will be-

come part of Merrell’s global range.

“SA is the forerunner in this respect,” says Nefdt proudly. “We will be leading the way in testing the new clothing range.” The range was not only developed from SA, but will also be launched into retail here first.

Because Merrell provides the MAA with technical race clothing, they have often received enquiries from members of the public who wanted to buy similar gear. The seed was planted. It was germinated by a family friend of the Nefdt’s, a top international designer, who has developed clothing ranges for some of the world’s most prestigious brands and events.

He and Nefdt followed suggestions and recommendations from the Adventure Addicts and developed a world class range suitable for all outdoor activities like paddling, trail running, mountain biking, climbing or hiking.

“It has everything an adventurer may need,” Nefdt enthuses about the range that will be launched in retail in October. “The high quality of the advanced fabric will make it easier for adventure athletes to perform. It is exceptionally packable, anti-chafe, waterproof and very lightweight — some items weigh as little as 70gm. It almost feels like bare skin.”

It will include a full compression range — tights and arm warmers — a triathlon suit, gear for mountain biking, among others.

Local distributor Merrell is locally distributed by Medicus Shoes. All their current brands are from Wolverine Worldwide, which began as the manufacturer of an American workboot in 1883, and have since grown into a multi-branded multi-billion dollar footwear company.

They recently grew even bigger by buying Collective Brands’ Performance and Lifestyle Group and their To p12

p12 :: Apparel & Footwear

New from Merrell cont from p10

brands Saucony, Sperry Top-Sider, Stride Rite and Keds (see p61).

Nefdt joined Medicus nearly five years ago when they asked him to become brand coordinator for all their brands. He has been working in the athletic footwear industry for all of his working life. After obtaining a national diploma in marketing management from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in 2001, he joined his father, Martin Nefdt, the legendary agent (see p39), who was representing Puma in the Eastern Cape. Apart from a brief spell at Puma SA’s headquarters in Cape Town to relieve a staff member on maternity leave, Gustav had been mentored and schooled by his father in the art of selling and marketing footwear. The offer from Medicus Footwear, however, offered the kind of challenges and opportunities that don’t come by a second time and he left his father’s agency to manage their five international brands.

The brands have since grown so much that they had to be split in two divisions. Nefdt is responsible for Merrell, acquired by Wolverine in 1997, Patagonia, a surfing brand from the US, and Sebago, a yachting footwear brand.

Their other two brands, Caterpillar and Harley-Davidson, are managed by Tracy-Lee

Scholtz, a keen biker who lives the lifestyle at the Buffalo and other rallies.

Merrell barefoot As one of the earliest adopters of the barefoot running trend, Merrell has benefited from the growing demand for light, fast, minimalist running footwear — their Barefoot range sold more than a million pairs in its first year and was credited with their 20% sales growth.

“You have to train your legs to run in minimalist shoes,” Nefdt emphasises. “When you run normally in running shoes, you tend to heel strike, while the more natural way of running when barefoot is on the forefoot.

A runner has to train his body to adapt the right running style. You have to strengthen the Achilles heel, calves, etc.”

Nefdt lives his brands by testing the products while trail running and mountain biking and in the case of Sebago, by sailing.

He lines up some of their latest footwear models and enthusiastically explains the special features.

There is the Seismic, a trail running or light hiking shoe that will keep your feet cool and comfortable with an anti-microbial solution to keep shoes fresh.

The CTR Cruise is a trail running shoe that weighs as little as 380gm — its ideal for the Iron Man or Half Iron Man, or hiking or other forms of trail running, because it performs well on uneven or rocky terrain, explains Ne-

The inspiring Merrell Adventure Addicts team crossed beaches and rivers to win the Expedition Africa with ten hours to spare.

Photos: Kelvin Trautman

Team Merrell wins again

After 65 hours of racing through a 500km route using mountain bikes, kayaks, their legs and arms; Team Merrell recently successfully defended their Expedition Africa title, just over ten hours ahead of their nearest rivals.

This year, Expedition Africa started in Bathurst and crossed some of the most scenic routes, populated by wildlife, to end in Port Alfred where the Merrell Adventure Addicts crossed the finishing line late on May 9.

The Merrell team dominated on the water during the kayaking race, after gaining a 20-minute lead on Team Red Ants when they decided to take a hidden hiking path. “We wanted to get out of sight of our competitors and thus out of mind,” explained new member, Craig Carter-

Brown. After 12 hours, they had already completed four of the 13 legs.

Although much of the way during the night was illuminated by the full moon, Black Diamond headlamps, sponsored by local distributor Ram Mountaineering, shed some light on the trail ahead.

The tireless efforts of Team Merrell — Ram Mountaineering marketing manager Tatum Prins, captain Graham Tweet Bird, Donovan Tiny Sims and Carter-Brown — proved fruitful as their victory will be seeing them to France where they will be partaking in the Adventure Racing World Championships later this year. This will give them the opportunity to improve on last year’s seventh place.

fdt. It features the Merrell G3 and Gait Phase cushioning that disperses pressure evenly over a wider area.

From there you can make the transition to Merrell’s Barefoot range, he continues.

The traditional cushioned running shoe will have as much as a 8-12mm drop between heel and forefoot, while a minimalist “barefoot” shoe has no drop between heel and forefoot.

“The Mix Master makes the transition easier,” he says.

This lightweight trail running shoe has a 4mm drop from heel to forefoot — the sole is 18mm thick in the sole, compared to 14mm in the forefoot. The sole is well-cushioned, yet flexible, with flat oval lugs, which makes it also suitable for wear on the road.

As an outdoor brand they collaborated with Vibram to develop their exclusive minimalist trail shoe outsoles to allow more natural movement of the foot, aid stride efficiency and also to withstand the rigours of off-road running. Running brands make shoes for the road, while Merrell specialises in trail running features, says Nefdt.

More than trail running But, Merrell is not only about trail running — the brand was, after all, originally known for its hiking footwear and still caters for all kinds of outdoor enthusiasts.

The new Perimeter Gore-Tex boot is, for example, aimed at the backpacking market.

Gore-Tex gaskets keep water completely out, while silicone-moulded upper sidewalls protect ankles and provide support during long hikes. An air-cushioned midsole and anti-microbial footbed provides comfort and a fresh smell, while the Vibram sole ensures good traction.

They have the Merrell Rapid Glove for paddlers, fishermen and other watersport enthusiasts. Made with quick-drying, water-friendly materials, an adjustable instep strap holds it snug around the foot while wading in water, providing better control. The shoe provides a barefoot experience, but drains water, protects the foot and prevents slipping on wet surfaces with Vibram traction.

For the people who enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, they offer multi-sport models like the Axis 2 or Covert. The low-cut Axis 2, with a breathable leather upper and a mesh liner, moulds around your foot to ensure that your shoes support any fast changes in activity or terrain. The cycle tread technology on the Covert offers rigid midfoot support for pedalling, but also the flexibility in the forefoot needed for hiking. Air cushioning in the heel and Vibram Sticky Rubber further improve comfort and ensures good traction.

For next year, Merrell is preparing for the large-scale launch of a much expanded barefoot range across all categories — from watershoes for paddling, hiking boots, shoes suitable for mountain biking and, of course, more trail running models, all with minimalist soles. The 2013 M-Connect Series has already caused a stir in international markets and will be awaited here with much anticipation.

One year listed and happy with results

H

oldsport has completed their first year as a listed company with pleasing results. “We are relatively happy with our results, and the two months into the new financial year have gone well,” says CEO Kevin Hodgson.

Their maiden year as a listed company has made no dramatic difference to their strategies or the way they do business. “During the first half of last year we were under additional pressure to prepare for the listing, but now it is business as usual — except that we now have public shareholders instead of private equity owners. This offers a greater sense of certainty.”

Despite the current tough economic climate, group sales grew 9.8% to R1.24-bn. Retail sales — Sportsmans Warehouse and Outdoor Warehouse — grew 8.7% to R1.21-bn. Sportsmans Warehouse increased sales 9.2% to R896-m (7,5% like-for-like) and Outdoor Warehouse’s sales grew 7.3% to R299-m (3.7% like-for-like), despite low retail price inflation of 0.6%.

Holdsport grew headline earnings 22.5% to R167.2-m. Gross margin was maintained at 48.6% and operating profit increased by 15.7% to R226-m.

The outdoor market especially came off a high base in 2010 when many people bought camping gear for the long June-July World Cup holiday — adding a third holiday sales period to the usual two, Hodgson explains. This resulted in fewer people buying outdoor holiday gear in 2011. “We also saw that bigger, more expensive items came under pressure as consumers spent less.”

The high demand for replica jerseys in the lead up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup also created a high base for sport stores.

During the period trading densities increased 5.9% to R17 400 per m2. Sportsmans Warehouse opened one new store in Pietermaritzburg and relocated two stores in Pretoria and Johannesburg. They now have 33 stores. Outdoor Warehouse opened one new store in Vanderbijlpark to bring their total to 18 and relocated a store in Somerset West.

By the end of the next financial year they would’ve added 7% more space and will be trading out of 74 000m2 with the addition of

two new stores in Rustenburg (Sportsmans and Outdoor Warehouse) and another Outdoor Warehouse in Bloemfontein. The Fourways Sportsmans Warehouse store will be expanded to over 3 000m2.

Strong wholesale growth The wholesale division, Performance Brands, grew an exceptional 45.9% to R47.6-m.

“Performance Brands has been repositioned and renamed from First Ascent SA. The strategy is that it will become a multi-branded wholesale business,” explains Hodgson. The division currently consists of the SA brands First Ascent and Capestorm, as well as Nathan hydration packs from the US.

“During the first half of last year we were under additional pressure to prepare for the listing, but now it is business as usual” “The majority of these sales were to the independent trade — the percentage of sales of these brands into Sportsmans Warehouse and Outdoor Warehouse were less than half of the rest of the retail trade,” he says.

They took delivery of the Capestorm stock on March 1 this year and are still in the process of planning the future of the brand — where it will be positioned and what new ranges will be developed. “We are putting a good offering together for the trade. We like the brand, and are excited about its potential in the outdoor technical market."

Future challenges “The 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2011 Rugby World Cup in the last two years created a high base from which to grow,” Holdsport stated in their final results announcement. “Furthermore, low selling price inflation, creeping cost inflation, increased competition and the risk of overtrading in the sporting goods sector are likely to present challenges in the year ahead.”

There is no doubt that certain sectors, like athletic footwear, are overtraded, says Hodg-

Industry :: p13

Holdsport CEO Kevin Hodgson blowing the traditional horn at their listing in 2011

son. Every major brand has several concept stores. More stores outside the traditional sport store market are stocking athletic footwear. More and more stores are opened by retail chains that stock athletic footwear. “I don’t believe that the amount of retail space allocated to the retailing of athletic footwear can be sustained by the market. Compare that to the amount of space allocated ten years ago — the market demand hasn’t grown that much.”

Equipment, on the other hand, is more in sync with what the market can sustain. “Big categories like golf or cycling are dominated by the independents,” he observes.

Competition is increasing from several sectors: for example, brands opening factory stores with low overheads, selling on price. He mentions certain malls where virtually every brand has a concept store, some right at the entrance to their stores.

But, with their unique and differentiated product offering, they will meet this challenge head on. “Anybody can open a store — the challenge is to survive in the long run. You need to have a unique proposition to stand out. More equipment is the answer, because an authentic sport store must cater to the end user.”

He believes Sportsmans Warehouse and Outdoor Warehouse’s strength lie in their wide range of categories and the wide range of suppliers that offer extended ranges of branded equipment. “We offer brands the opportunity to grow.”

As any other trader, he is also apprehensive of the impact of broader economic forces — nobody can predict for sure what the effect will be on consumer behaviour.

“In smaller towns the performance of the store is quite closely linked to the economic activity of the town. For example, in a town that is dependent on mining, the local economy will be impacted if there is a lay-off at the mines, which will also impact on the store.

Alternatively, if the mine employs people, it will have a positive ripple effect on the store.”

They are therefore observing the industry and economy with interest. “But, the key is to be suitably differentiated to cushion you against market trends.”

And that they achieved.

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p14 :: Industry

Company results The excellent sales growth reported by some of the biggest retailers could indeed prompt a response like: Financial crisis? What financial crisis?

The 21.8% sales growth the Foschini Group (TFG) Sports division reported for 2011 is even more of an achievement as the 2010 FIFA World Cup created a high sales base in the previous financial year.

According to the latest financial results for the year ending March 31 2012, TFG Sports, trading as Totalsports, Sportscene and DueSouth, had a turnover of R2.1-bn.

Same store sales grew 10.8%. If the inflated base of the 2010 FIFA World Cup period is excluded, same store growth was 12.2%. Clothing turnover grew 13.7%.

Towards the end of last year this division also introduced cell phones.

Totalsports turnover grew 20.2% (9.6% same

store) to R1.3-bn, Sportscene grew 24% (11.6% same store) to R701-m, and DueSouth 24.8% (16.5% same store) grew sales to R164-m.

During the past financial year they opened 53 new stores to grow the total to 377. At the end of the 2011 financial year Totalsports had 169 stores, Sportscene 124 stores and Due South had 31 stores, a total of 324.

According to the Foschini Group CEO Doug Murray all Foschini divisions had grown more than 20% in a relatively low price inflation of 6%, in some divisions lower than 6%.

The growth was predominantly driven by volume, he told the radio show Moneyweb.

“Margins have remained static to keep the best price to get more customers and increase market share.”

(TFG Sports Division published their results as we were going to print and there was no time for an interview with the sports division)

Summary of first quarter results of international brands Company

Q1 Sales % Change

adidas Group

$5-bn

17%

adidas brand

16%

adidas Group-Reebok

-7%

adidas Group-TaylorMade adidas Golf

32%

Amer Sports Group

Comments

$642-m

9%

Amer Apparel (Salomon/Arc’Teryx)

$67-m

31%

Amer Footwear (Salomon)

$136-m

14%

Amer-Mavic cycling

$48-m

6%

Strong growth in China and Japan and strong showing of TaylorMade adidas Golf

Strong Salomon trail & outdoor sales

Amer-racquet & golf

$128-m

11%

Amer-Wilson ball sport

$228-m

9%

Amer-Suunto

$28-m

-5%

Black Diamond

$46.4-m

19%

Due to innovative new products

Callaway Golf

$285-m

-0%

Sale of Top-Flite and Ben Hogan assets

Columbia Sportswear

$333-m Columbia brand

$293-m

2%

Columbia-Sorel

$6-m

-38%

Columbia-Mountain Hardwear

$31-m

-3%

Crocs Inc

$272-m

20%

Jarden Outdoor (Penn, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Rawlings, etc.)

$670-m

-1%

Puma

$1.08-bn

6%

Shimano

$756.3-m

23%

Shimano Bicycle

$602.6-m

22%

Shimano Fishing

$152.5-m

26%

Warm winter and economic weakness in Europe affected sales

Strong demand in Asia and Americas

Strong Q1 previous year. Slowdown in Europe US economy and emerging markets recovering; good weather in Europe

Skechers

$351-m

-26%

Strong sales a year ago & clearing of excess toning footwear

Under Armour

$14.7-m

21%

Growing direct to consumer business and new styles doing well

VF Corp (Timberland, The North Face, etc.)

$2.53-bn

30%

Acquired brands like Timberland

VF Corp-North Face

14%

VF Corp-Vans

25%

Wolverine World Wide (Merrell, Sebago, etc.)

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

$322.8-m

-2%

Strong Q1 previous year. Slowdown in Europe

Industry :: p15

Mr Price Sport speak with their results In just over five years Mr Price Sport has opened 48 stores and posted annual sales growth of over 20% per year to take their place as one of SA’s leading sports chains. TRUDI DU TOIT asked MD Clint Larsson how they achieved this during one of the toughest retail trading periods of the past few decades

M

r Price Sport didn’t have an easy start.

Yet, within just over five years it had become a major player in the SA sports industry with nearly 50 stores and annual sales growth of over 20%. And that during one of the toughest trading periods most of us can remember.

When it became known that the Mr Price Group was planning to enter the SA sports retail industry with two test stores at the end of 2006, the industry was abuzz with rumours and speculation: would they follow the successful Mr Price strategy of own-brands sold at lowprices, or would they stock recognised brands?

Should brands supply Mr Price? What will other retail customers say if they do supply them? were some of the questions asked whenever two members of the industry got together.

The new design stores are more compact, with a contemporary look in harmony with international retail trends.

Some of the negative speculations unfortunately became urban legends that still haunt the sports chain.

Everybody was a bit sceptical about newcomers, especially after the 200 Lillywhite and Sports Direct stores Retailcorp promised to open in SA from 2007 onwards soon scaled down to one.

To add to Mr Price Sport’s woes, retailers across the world were hit by the worst eco-

nomic recession in living memory a year after they opened their first eight stores.

Results tell the story Despite all this, the media-shy Mr Price Sport spoke with their results.

During the worst years of global economic uncertainty, they posted double-digit sales growth: their half-year interim results in 2009 showed 17% growth; in 2010 it was 26%. In May 2011 they reported that sales grew by 27% and turnover exceeded R500-m for the previous year.

Their latest figures for the past year (released May 24th) show 26.5% growth in sales turnover to R686-m.

They now operate 48 stores across the country (at the time of going to press) and will be keeping up the momentum of sev- To p16

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p16 :: Industry

The Mr Price Sport store in Sandton Centre was the first of the contemporary, more compact and consumer-friendly new generation stores designed with the help of UK design firm Dalziel and Pow.

The clear signage and branding and modern product displays enhances the shopping experience in the new generation Mr Price Sport stores.

Mr Price speak with results cont from p15 eral new store openings per year in line with their 7-year roll-out plan.

“We’ll be selective about where we go — while Mr Price can open fashion stores fairly close to one another, sport stores have a much wider trading circle.” It wouldn’t make sense for Mr Price Sport to open stores where people don't participate in sport.

While their original stores were bigger — between 1 000-2 000m2 — with a more warehouse-type look, the latest, more upmarket new design stores are more compact, with a modern look in harmony with international retail trends. The contemporary look of the Mr Price Group’s new generation stores and new brand identity was created by UK design company Dalziel and Pow. “We’ve had very positive feedback,” says Larsson.

Sandton (900m2) was the first new look store, with Gateway (1 100m2), Blue Route (850m2) and most recently, Tygervalley, following. The latter is again slightly larger (1 400 m2) because it was opened between Sportsmans Warehouse and Virgin Active on the former premises of Mr Price Home, which moved into the Tygervalley Centre when the new section was opened. But it has the new fresh, modern, look.

Puzzled by brands Having achieved all this against such considerable odds, one would expect Clint Larsson

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

Sport is a branded industry. We would like to welcome all recognised brands into our business — Clint Larsson to be the happiest retail MD in the Southern African sports industry.

Yet, his elation is tempered by puzzlement.

He cannot understand why some influential brands still refuse to supply them.

Consumers show that they like what the chain offers because they are spending more and more money in their (soon to be) 50 stores. The brands who do supply them are happy with the results they achieve and the treatment they receive. They mention high volume orders, rapid payment for goods delivered, regular top-up orders and accommodating merchandise staff.

Yet, some leading sports brands don’t even want to meet with Mr Price Sport buyers.

Part of this reluctance might date back to some false rumours, dating from when the sports chain was launched, that they didn’t need to stock brands.

“The fact that we have stocked well-recognised brands from the outset should speak for

itself. Sport is a branded industry. We would like to welcome all recognised brands into our business.”

The fact that they do stock many market leading brands proves his point. Among them are Asics (51% sales growth in 2011 and Asics International Distributor of the Year), New Balance SA (international Innovative Marketer of the year), Gunn & Moore (voted the most aspirational brand by school boy cricketers in the Sports Trader survey), Gryphon (a hockey best seller for most independents), Wilson (with high volume sales driven by the popular Roger Federer), Dunlop (a leading squash brand) and rugby leaders Canterbury and Gilbert, to name but a few.

It is their medium-term objective to grow their branded product offering even more.

Another rumour was that Mr Price Sport gives preference to their own brands to the detriment of other recognised brands.

This is a bit of a Catch 22 situation, explains Larsson: in certain categories where brands refused to supply them, they had no choice but to stock a wide assortment of their own Maxed and Trail brands. They would have preferred to coexist with recognised brands in all categories.

Urban legends Another unfounded rumour is that Mr Price is a discount store, which would devalue a brand.

"In the 5 ½ years that we've traded we have never discounted a brand, because we gave

Industry :: p17

Over the past five years MD Clint Larsson has grown Mr Price sport into a major player in the SA sport retail market.

our word that we won’t discount brands," says Larsson.

It is true that many customers are drawn to Mr Price stores because they associate the brand with more affordable merchandise, concedes Larsson — but cheap prices do not imply inferior quality. “Over the years we have improved our sourcing across the board, which enables us to buy goods at the best possible prices. We can pass on this saving to the consumer.”

Once inside the store, customers have shown that they are willing to pay the branded prices.

Another rumour is that “Mr Price Sport copies product” — which Larsson vehemently denies.

Copying and counterfeit are topics we’ve often covered in Sports Trader (and will again cover soon), because it is a global phenomenon that affects brands and retailers across the world. Most big SA sport or outdoor retailers have at one time or the other been accused by brands of copying product — but deliberate copying is a fairly complex issue that has become more difficult to prove with the globalisation of sourcing.

Retailers and suppliers attend the same international trade and sourcing fairs, where manufacturers show the next season’s styles.

“Every season we monitor international trends regarding colour, fabric and silhouette and design our ranges accordingly,” explains Larsson.

Reasons for success With all these obstacles, why had Mr Price Sport been trading so successfully?

Larsson attributes this to the passion of the people and the unique culture of a genuine open door policy they maintain. Everybody seems to engage with each other and healthy debate ensures well considered decisions are made.

“Our store associates are well-informed, are passionate and connect with our customers.

They have traded well through the recession because they “strive to put the right product on the table at the right price.” They also get rid of what doesn’t work.

“We challenge ourselves to continue upping

Humorous touches like store dummies trying on product are interesting features in the modern new Tygervalley store.

our game,” says Larsson, and this attracted feet through the stores.

Sponsorship creates authenticity and exposure for the brand, because customers feel that ‘if it's good enough for the professionals it’s good enough for me’.

While they keep an eye on what is happening in the market, they primarily focus on their own business and what they can do to make it more successful. Despite the economic downturn, he believes there is enough room for everybody to trade and that there is still plenty of room for expansion.

Another factor that helped to attract customers to Mr Price Sport is the long-term involvement of Mr Price in sport sponsorships.

“Sponsorship creates authenticity and exposure for the brand, because customers feel that ‘if it's good enough for the professionals it’s good enough for me’.”

Their latest signing was the Maxed apparel sponsorship of the national men’s hockey team, which they wore when they qualified for the Olympics in the recent nail-biting final.

“Hockey is currently enjoying a lot of support in SA,” says Larsson.

“Our sponsorship of the Sharks has given us fantastic exposure,” he adds. Mr Price is title sponsor to the Sharks and their brand Maxed (as well as Reebok) are official kit suppliers. They also sponsor a lot of up and coming teams at rugby schools, as well as promising young rugby players.

“We are also branching into other sports.”

They were due to announce another major team signing after we had gone to print at the end of June.

Influence of Larsson Another reason for Mr Price Sport’s success — which the self-effacing Larsson would never

mention — is the role he played to motivate staff, interact with brands and plan and implement strategy. We have yet to come across someone in the industry who is critical of him.

The overwhelming verdict is “he’s such a nice guy”.

Aged 44, Larsson has spent more than a third of his life working for Mr Price. He joined the company seventeen years ago — before the Home and Sport divisions were founded. Before he started Mr Price Sport in 2007, he also gained experience at Mr Price Home and in Mr Price apparel.

He was a Freshmark operational manager in the mid-1990’s, wholesaling produce to Shoprite/Checkers, when the Mr Price executives met him and made him an offer.

Prior to that he worked with a friend who owned a retail business selling exotic wooden furniture.

“I studied for a long time and also travelled overseas before that.” He did B.Social Sciences in Durban and then a teaching diploma — specialising in physical education — in Johannesburg. “I wanted to specialise in sport psychology.”

It was probably predestined that he would play a big role in the SA sports industry because as a youngster he excelled in sport.

At Durban High School he played first team cricket and represented the DHS Old Boys first team. While at teaching college, he played 1st team rugby for Krugersdorp.

“Now I have an arthritic knee (he laughs) and am only a weekend golfer,” he says.

He also has three young children — aged 13, 10 and 2 ½ — to keep him active.

For the immediate future, his plans are to grow their brand offering and to make sure their product mix is well-balanced. And, of course, keep the profits and expansion plans on target.

In the long term they would like to tackle the challenge of trading outside the borders, where Mr Price’s fashion stores have already introduced the name. But, they would approach this with caution and would have to think carefully about the assortment they will be offering and where they open stores.

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

Who do you supply?

p18 :: Industry

A question that could land you in trouble We all know that price fixing is illegal. But, how many members of the industry are aware that they could be engaging in illegal activity when a retailer and supplier agree to withhold stock from a competitor? Or that a retailer could be skating on thin ice by asking a supplier ‘what is your distribution policy’? We asked the Competition Commission to explain how and when the relationship between a retailer and supplier becomes anti-competitive

I

n an ideal world, retailers would stock their shelves full of goods offered by local manufacturers and distributors of imported goods, which they would sell to consumers at a profit that keeps everybody satisfied.

In the real world, limited shelf space or stock on offer can result in a tug-of-war between brands keen to get their goods into limited retail space, or alternatively, retailers wanting their share of a scarce, desirable, stock item.

And those are just the market forces at play.

Sometimes, other issues cloud the relationship between retailer and supplier.

Retail-supplier relationships also need to comply with the Competition Act of 1999. The aim of the act is to ensure free and fair competition in the economy so that the consumer gets the best deal. The more competition between retailers and brands, the more consumers benefit. And when such a business practice lessens competition and therefore disadvantages consumers, the Competition Commission takes notice.

For example, when a brand withholds a desirable product from a retailer or a retailer refuses to stock a brand — for other than sound business reasons — consumers are adversely affected. They would, for instance, not be able to buy the goods they want in the store where they normally shop, nor can they shop around for the best price or deal, and they might not be able to obtain the goods without extra travelling or delivery costs.

Policing restrictive practices The Competition Commission is the police force that investigates anti-competitive behaviour brought to their attention by a member of the public, or an affected party — or which they themselves become aware of. A complainant doesn’t have to present them with an open and shut case, since the Commis-

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

It is illegal for a retailer to ask a supplier to withhold goods from a competitor, and likewise for a supplier to ask a retailer not to buy stock from a competitor … finish en klaar sion would conduct their own investigation.

But, of course, the more information supplied, the easier their investigation.

“When someone who is directly affected lays a complaint, they will be able to provide more detailed information, which will aid our investigation, but you don’t have to be directly affected to report anti-competitive behaviour to us,” explains advocacy and stakeholder relations manager Trudi Makhaya. “If you have a credible complaint that competition has been lessened substantially, based on facts not feelings, which you can present in a coherent way, we’ll investigate.”

Once the Competition Commission had concluded their investigation, they will refer their findings and recommendations to the Competition Tribunal. The Tribunal will then conduct a hearing and decide on sanctions, which could include a fine — or not.

Just like in any court, an affected party has the right to appeal.

The Competition Commission is probably best known for its role in deciding whether mergers are in the interest of consumers (notably the recent Walmart-Makro-merger), and also for their vigilance around price fixing (as in the fines imposed against bread suppliers).

There is, however, another very relevant section in the Competition Act that people in our industry might not be that familiar with.

It is Section 5: “Restrictive vertical practices prohibited”. Which reads “An agreement

between parties in a vertical relationship is prohibited if it has the effect of substantially preventing or lessening competition in a market, unless a party to the agreement can prove that any technological, efficiency or other procompetitive gain resulting from that agreement outweighs that effect.”

Don’t supply Retailer Ralph…

In practice this means that if Retailer Rick and Supplier Suzy come to an agreement that Suzy will not sell goods to Rick’s competitor Retailer Ralph, they are engaging in a restrictive vertical practice because they are conspiring to lessen competition.

Or, if Suzy asks Rick not to stock goods from her competitor Supplier Sally, she is inviting him to engage in a restrictive business practice that will lessen competition.

To put it bluntly: they could all be engaging in illegal activity.

The act makes provision for exceptions — when there is a proven technological advantage to the relationship, or if they can prove that the agreement will benefit consumers by improving efficiency or competition, says Makhaya.

An example of technological advantage in a relationship could be if Retailer Rick helped Supplier Suzy to develop a technology in a new product by investing in the R&D, or if they worked together on developing a house brand for Rick.

It would, however, be more difficult to prove that an agreement not to supply goods to Retailer Ralph or buy stock from Supplier Sally will benefit consumers by improving efficiency or competition in the market.

“There would have to be compelling reasons to show how consumers will benefit,” says Makhaya.

If a brand or product is otherwise freely available on the open market, it is illegal for

Whoever agrees to withhold goods from a competitor is as guilty of breaking the law as the one asking – or coercing – him not to supply a competitor

a retailer to ask a supplier to withhold goods from a competitor, and likewise for a supplier to ask a retailer not to buy stock from a competitor… finish en klaar.

This applies to all retailers and suppliers, big and small.

For example, a small independent retailer may not ask his suppliers not to sell certain products to a major retailer that opened a store close to him, even if he poses no threat to the bigger chain and he may lose customers if they now buy these items from a chain.

Alternatively, even a small distributor may not refuse to supply a large retailer simply because they discount, or it would upset his relationship with his retailer friend up the road.

The test questions should always be: will my action lessen competition? Will my action benefit the consumer?

The wrong question to ask would be: how much will it harm my business if I don’t restrict supply?

Partners in crime The law refers to “an agreement between parties”, which means that whoever agrees to withhold goods from a competitor is as guilty of breaking the law as the one asking — or coercing — him not to supply a competitor.

One would expect that a supplier would want to supply as many retailers as possible, because it is good business to distribute your product widely to bring it to the attention of as many consumers as possible, explains Makhaya. This in turn benefits the consumer, because he can then shop around and compare where he will get the best service or price.

Once a distributor limits the supply to a retailer, one has to question why.

Could it be that he is concerned that his top customer will stop ordering from him if he supplies a competitor?

This fear might be very real, as he could be aware that Retailer Rick had thrown out distributors supplying Retailer Ralph in the past.

If his business with Rick constitutes 50-70% of his turnover, he faces the possibility that he could lose his business should the same happen to him.

The same would apply when a leading brand threatens to stop supplying a retailer if they stock a competing brand – knowing full well that without their brand, the retailer may as well close down.

“We will obviously take it into account when a serious threat had been made,” says Makhaya.

Say, for example — in an extreme case — a family member had been abducted to coerce a supplier to withhold goods, the Commission would view that differently from a case where

the supplier is receiving a kickback to do so. But, the exclusionary act will have to stop.

Each case will have to be examined on merit, she says.

It would be difficult for a supplier withholding goods from a retailer to plead complete innocence, says Makhaya, because he would in some way benefit from the arrangement.

A subtle request could be accompanied by the implied promise of a reward.

For example, Rick could imply that he would stock a wider range of products from Suzy than before if she withholds goods from Ralph. Once Suzy succumbs to the lure of such a promise, she is conspiring with Ralph to lessen competition and they would therefore be equally guilty of breaking the law.

‘What is your distribution policy?’

In fact, a supplier and retailer should not even be talking about where else the goods or brand is being sold — although each case would be considered on merit to determine if there are valid reasons for asking, says Makhaya.

What the Commission would want to know is “what is the reason for asking about the supplier’s distribution policy,” she explains. The question also arises about what use they want to make of the information.

“What is your distribution policy?” could be a valid question if asked to obtain market intelligence. For example, a retailer might want to know how widely a new product is accepted in the market and whether they will be taking a risk by being the first to stock an untested product.

But, even then it would be better if the retailer does independent market research by visiting other retailers to see if the product is stocked by them, and at what prices, instead of asking the information from suppliers in a situation where the supplier might perceive it as a veiled threat, or where it could be used to gather information about a competitor, cautions Makhaya.

Also, be wary of questions that will give the retailer unwarranted insight into a competitor’s business, such as the competitor’s future pricing strategies.

On the other hand, if it becomes apparent that Retailer Rick asks the question to maintain an arrangement or agreement with a distributor not to supply a product to Retailer Ralph, the parties would be engaging in cartel behaviour; a very serious competition law offence.

Abuse of dominance The Competition Act not only says it’s illegal for retailers and suppliers to agree to withhold goods — the act also prohibits a leading brand or retailer from abusing their power by trying to coerce others to withhold goods from a competitor.

This is covered in Section 8: Abuse of dominance prohibited, which says it’s illegal for a dominant firm to engage in an exclusionary act, which are further defined as: (i) requiring or inducing a supplier or customer to not deal with a competitor; (ii) selling goods or services on condition that the buyer purchases separate goods or services unrelated to the object of a contract, or forcing a buyer to accept a condition unrelated to the object of a contract.”

This means that encouraging, or inducing, a supplier to withhold product from a competitor, a leading brand or retailer would be breaking another section of the law.

Therefore, when a dominant To p22

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p20 :: Apparel & Footwear

The Graeme Watkins Project, Espresso presenters and Jack Parow are all sneaker fans

Sneakers have stood the test of time

… will they last 100 years more?

How healthy is the state of the SA sneaker market? Is the market and the profile of the sneaker retailers changing? What are the main challenges?

Some of the major suppliers answer these questions

S

ince the 1950’s when James Dean and other Rebels Without a Cause in sneakers and jeans turned their backs on black leather shoe authoritarians, rubberized canvas shoes have been the style of choice of those willing to challenge beliefs.

Elvis made his blue suede shoes an anthem for the rock generation. After him, just about every music culture has been associated with sneakers: from teeny-bopping to hip-hop, rapping or kwaito. It became the uniform of Streetsmart urban kids, as well as the academically smart college kids. It is the battle shoe of protesters and the comfort shoe of embattled executives.

Surfers, skaters and singers wear sneakers.

So do trendy teens and their grandparents.

The generations may outgrow a phase or subculture — but they don’t outgrow their sneakers. The sulky teens of the 1950’s are still wearing sneakers into their retirement. The carefree surfers who became bank managers still wear sneakers on their days off. The hip hoppers now wear their sneakers to jazz concerts.

While it’s true that everybody from two-year old toddlers to grandfathers in their sixties wear sneakers, the main market is still the 16-30-year olds, say distributors of some of the main sneaker brands available in SA. “But, lately we’ve seen the 12-16 year old sector becoming stronger,” says Michael Joseph, local distributor of Superga.

Sneakers know no class, income, or race barriers. That is what makes them such desirable

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

Sneakers know no class, income, or race barriers. That is what makes them such desirable stock items — everybody wears sneakers

stock items — everybody wears sneakers. They are bought in mall stores, sport stores, trendy boutiques, high street outfitters and small shops at taxi ranks.

But, how robust is the sneaker market in SA and which retailers benefit from the trend?

Market strength While just about every athletic footwear brand nowadays supply sneaker styles, and there are several newcomer brands (e.g. Feiyue, Creative Inclinations, Supra, Zipz, etc.), the SA market is dominated by dedicated sneaker brands Converse, Levi’s, Superga and Vans.

We asked these big players for their views on the market.

The SA distributors of Converse say it is company policy not to divulge any information about the brand or provide information for media articles. It is therefore problematic to try and ascertain the size of the market.

We have, however, been given an estimated figure of 6-8 million pairs sold per year. Suppliers of the other major brands estimate that Converse would have about 40-50% of the market share, with the remaining three big brands sharing about 40-50% and the others (athletic

and smaller brands) supplying about 10% of the sneakers sold.

Founded in 1908, Converse is the world’s oldest sneaker brand and has a strong heritage in basketball. The names of basketball heroes Chick Taylor and Jack Purcell from the 1920’s and 1930’s are today only known by youngsters as Converse models. Their most famous shoe, the Chuck Taylor All Star, is considered to be the best-selling sneaker of the past fifty years and the look hasn’t changed much from the original. The first coloured styles were produced in the 1960’s, but the All Stars are still associated with the original black and white styles.

Levi’s jeans, founded in 1853, have evolved from the working man’s uniform to the trendy casual wear of rich and poor. Since 2005, Levi’s sneakers and footwear have also been available in SA, where it soon gained favour with the jeans wearers and others that liked their trendy styles. The Levi’s lifestyle footwear collection consists of licenced product, as well as product from the global line.

Made under license, local distributor Footwear Trading can adapt and change the ranges to keep up with market trends. For example: “The female buyer is moving away from the vulcanised canvas market toward other fashion products,” says Laurence Slotsky. “The sports look is becoming stronger in the US and Eastern markets, but SA is more Eurocentric.”

Superga, the people’s shoe of Italy, is a hundred years old, but still a style trend setter.

The one basic style, developed in 1925, is till considered to be the “Rolls Royce of canvas

Apparel & Footwear :: p21 ever, still a lot of surplus product available in our market, which is completely overtraded.

Store profiles

James Dean

shoes,” says Joseph. After all, why mess with something if it works? They have, however, introduced colours to their latest ranges. The newest arrival, the unisex 2118 low cut, is available in navy, denim blue and taupe, apart from the classic white.

Van’s surf, skateboarding and extreme sport heritage dates from the 1960’s in California, when the ultimate teen dream was to conquer the waves and “California Girls” were immortalised by the Beach Boys. But, the brand is not only “Off the Wall” — the ten style categories available in SA ensure that they can deliver product that will appeal to a wide market segment. Their strength is their diversification of product and ability to differentiate styles and spread them across different kinds of stores, explains Nigel Chapman of local distributor Chappers Sports Direct.

“Our classics, surf, skate, Off the Wall and California models come in a wide range of colours and styles. Vault is the exclusive top of the range collection available in 50 stores worldwide. The brand is competitively priced and is especially strong in the youth market, because of the wide selection of styles and colours available.”

Impact of recession Although the world sneaker market was less affected by the global recession than other footwear categories, even loyal sneakerheads spent less on their favourite shoes once money became scarcer. According to the main distributors, the SA market was more stable post2008 than overseas, and has been picking up over the past year or two.

“The basic product is still selling well, but the products with lots of bells and whistles are falling out of favour,” says Slotsky. “Consumers are opting to purchase only the core mono style that made a brand famous. Many brands are represented as a single product brand, and not a lifestyle brand, which can sell assorted categories of footwear.”

Clean looking products are in line with trends for summer says Slotsky. There is, how-

Single brand, or concept stores, is already a major trend internationally, but is slow to take off in SA, says Joseph. But, he believes that even here the malls are becoming more interested in getting single brand stores than multiple brand ones.

Superga have successful concept stores in Sandton City and Rosebank and will be opening in the Cape soon.

The Vans concept store in Canal Walk, Cape Town, where they are showing a broader range of footwear as well as apparel, is doing well, says Chapman.

Levi’s, known as the world’s leading jeans brand, have been operating single brand stores in SA for many years and it was a natural progression that the footwear would also sell through the single brand stores. Footwear Trading has over twenty single brand Levi’s stores in SA, showcasing premium Levi’s footwear product.

The sneaker market has traditionally been the domain of the single family-owned high street outfitters. In recent years, chain stores have become the leading outlets. The main chains selling sneakers are Sport Scene, Markhams, Tekkie Town and Studio 88, which is expanding rapidly and recently also acquired the Side Step and Skipper Bar stores.

There is a difference of opinion between the distributors whether the traditional single street outfitter can survive against the dominance of these chains and the growth of other mall stores. There are also questions about the definition of a chain store.

Can independents survive?

“How do you determine a chain?” asks Chapman. “The family in Port Elizabeth and East London that have 20 stores — is that a chain?

What is the number of stores needed to be classified as a chain?”

He does not believe that the single street outfitter is under threat and points out that these single store traders do not necessarily have small volume turnovers. Some of these smaller outfitters are doing very well and are very strong in their markets. “In every industry there are winners and losers,” he says.

Joseph, however, believes that these single outfitters are slowly disappearing. “It is not necessarily the shops situated in the malls that are taking their business, but also the large independent chains, such as Studio 88, which now have 160 stores. Another factor that plays a role is that the single trader's children are following other careers and not taking the businesses over anymore. So it is literally a dying sector of the market.”

“The independent retailer has become unfocused and is not innovative enough,” adds Slotsky. “He tries to trade as he did many years ago, has no succession in his business and tends to focus mainly on price positioning, selling a hodge podge of labels and lookalike products, all competing at the To p22

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p22 :: Apparel & Footwear

Left to right: Laurence Slotsky (Footwear Trading), Nigel Chapman (Chappers Sports Direct) and Michael Joseph (Superga)

Sneakers have stood the test of time cont from p21 bottom end of the commodity driven market, with no clear brand and product focus for the consumer. The shops all look alike in terms of window dressing and pop, with relatively little investment, and the products become more commodity driven, trying to be everything to everyone, and not missing out on a sale. Unfortunately and sadly, they are scared of change and cannot change their way of thinking. Within time, this will be the demise of the independent retailer,” says Slotsky.

“Many consumers, in spite of tough economic conditions, are moving to more fashionable, original single branded or brand-driven stores that represent a lifestyle for the new generation of consumers,” he adds. “Some of the top large independent chains have invested in new look and feel stores and are focused on original authentic brands. Their stores are fresh and have an updated look, compared to the

According to the main distributors, the SA market was more stable post2008 than overseas, and has been picking up over the past year or two old generation independent retailer.

Other challenges Many traders from China have also moved into this space primarily in rural areas, and have become serious competitors in this price sensitive sector, adds Slotsky. “These stores stock many copies of brands — even to the extent that the copiers are now being copied at even cheaper retail prices in this bottom end of the

Who do you supply? cont from p19 distributor tells a retailer that he’ll only supply him his top selling soccer boot if he also orders the mountaineering footwear that nobody wants, he could be breaking this section of the law; Likewise, a leading retailer asking suppliers not to supply a competitor, could be abusing his dominance; Or a market leading brand telling retail customers how unhappy he’ll be if they stock goods from a competing brand, will be acting illegally.

Sometimes Section 5 (conspiring to engage in restrictive practices) and Section 8 (abusing a dominant position) could be applied together, says Makhaya.

The Act describes a dominant firm as one that has at least 45% of that market; or at least 35% if it has market power.

Statistics and information about market share is sadly lacking in the Southern African sport and outdoor industry. However, the competition authorities have the legal powers to

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

A supplier and retailer should not even be talking about where else the goods or brand is being sold summon the information needed to establish market power.

Also, when Brand A is the ONLY licensed supplier of a desirable item like a sponsored ball (that must be used in competitions) or a popular team replica jersey, a case could be made that they have market power in that category.

Alternatively, if most brands supplying a certain category of goods (say cricket bats) sell 50-75% of their stock to Retailer Rick, it could be argued that Rick has power in that market category.

If these assumptions about dominance are correct, any attempts by Brand A or Retailer

market. They have low overheads and in many cases lower rentals to pay.

“The market has become flooded with lookalikes and cheap copies,” says Slotsky. “The consumer will always aspire to wearing original authentic global brands, but as less and less money is available people are tempted to purchase cheaper copies of well-known brands and styles within those brands. The market is oversaturated with labels.”

The brands, in the meantime, have to budget for the rising price of rubber, the higher manufacturing costs in China and the current lower Rand exchange rate and do not have the luxury of keeping prices at 2005 levels as some retailers would like to keep sneaker prices.

But, a footwear trend that has grown globally for over a century will surely meet these challenges head on, and find a way around them.

Rick to influence a customer to withhold goods are illegal.

Complicity The question arises whether the supplier or retailer who goes along with the exclusionary act required by the dominant firm could also be charged as an accessory to contravening this section of the act?

As with all other trading practices covered by the Competition Act, the test for the legitimacy of any business decision is “how will consumers benefit?”

The simple answer is: If it limits competition, it is not in consumers’ interest, and if you are a party to the practice, you could find yourself answering very embarrassing questions in front of the Competition Tribunal — and may have to pay a hefty fine.

Reluctance to jeopardise your good relationship with your top customer or fear of retaliation from a powerful brand or retailer are unfortunately no justification for breaking the law.

Besides, wouldn’t one expect any good citizen to report a crime once they become aware of it?

FOOTWEAR

COMING SOON

CONTACT FOOTWEAR TRADING 011 630 4000 For Fila footwear orders contact Footwear Trading on 011 630 4000

p24 :: Apparel & Footwear

The telephone has come a long way from a big and bulky box with a horn shaped ear piece to the sleek, portable and multifunctional mobile phone we keep in our pockets ... and the same is true for the rapid developments in running watches, BRANDON GREGORY found

A personal coach around your wrist

S

port watches today are much more than just timepieces ticking away every second of the day. Our trusty timekeeping companions are now fitted with everything from liquid crystal displays to electroluminescent backlights and are able to measure your training progress just as well as a personal coach.

So whether your customer is preparing himor herself for a marathon, or simply training along the road or on the beach, the right watch will help him to train more efficiently and smartly.

A running watch can measure your heart rate and tell you whether you are reaching your optimal heat rate, or not, record the number of laps or split times, measure your speed and warn you when you are running too fast or too slowly, and even how often you should hydrate.

These functions include an alarm — and some of the watches are equipped with a three channel alarm, which can be set to ring at three different times during your training programme — water resistance and a battery life of two to three years, if used in normal conditions.

The sports and fitness enthusiast’s watch utilizes nonvolatile memory, which is also used in computer memory.

Nonvolatile

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

memory retains stored information without the need for a power supply.

Nonvolatile memory is typically used for secondary storage or long-term persistent memory, which allows the watch to store the recorded data of speed, laps, distance and calorie consumption.

Our trusty timekeeping companions are now able to measure your training progress just as well as a personal coach The runner can also make use of numerals, alphabets and even symbols to attach information to the stored data, such as an event name or a date.

In addition to the watches being an all in one digital personal trainer, many of the watch designs come with a built in GPS, which would be very useful in plotting training routes and calculating the speed as well as determining the terrain.

It is very important that your customer buys the ideal watch for his purposes. If your customer is a beginner runner, or someone who has just started physical training, then it is imperative to suggest a more basic watch. They usually come with a more affordable price tag.

Different levels Even the basic watches are equipped with enough features for the beginner to benefit from the product. The Garmin Forerunner 101 or the Timex Navman 2 are examples of entry level runner watches.

If the customer is an intermediate to advanced runner or sportsperson, then a watch

with more functionality and advanced features would be ideal. The Solus Professional 100 and the Asics AR02 Super, both from Wingki Chan, are examples that are suitable for the more experienced runner.

These models allow routes to be programmed into the watch and long distance runners to expand their routes safely. The more advanced models provide all of the heart rate sensors as well as distance and speed calculators. They have the ability to review the progress history on both a daily and weekly basis for anywhere from a year to two years. The runner will be able to accurately track his progress, which is of utmost importance for those who need to keep track of their fitness preparation.

The advanced watches are perfect for those running or exercising in order to recover from surgery or illness. The difficulties of recovery can be alleviated by having the ability to set reasonable goals and keep records of progress.

There are four essential attributes of a runner’s watch that the advanced runner would be on the lookout for and they are: 1. The ability to record laps or splits segments in their runs; 2. The ability to store progress or session history; 3. A readable LCD display that is clear and bright; 4. A variable-length, sequential interval countdown timer.

Athletic brands Multi-sport athletes, ultra-runners and trail runners can now also choose a running watch brand to complement their favourite footwear or clothing brand.

The latest trend is for watch brands to team up with sporting brands to deliver a total package. There is now a sport watch available for just about every major athTo p26

We have arrived!

p26 :: Apparel & Footwear

THE MOST PROPRIOCEPTIVE SOLES IN THE WORLD!

Off-Road Maximum grip Off Road Hi and Mid Waterproof approach and hiking

Neo Trail

Trail, fell and off road running

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Mutli Terrain Proprioception with traction Evo and Evo II Multi terrain and light trails

Neo

Multi terrain and light trails

On Road

Lightest sole with maximum proprioception Aqua Lite and Lucy Lite

Gym, studio and on road

Amphibious Ideal for land and water Ultra

Amphibious, coastal and light trail

Dale Turrell presented the Vivobarefoot clinic.

Learn to run naturally

M

ore and more brands, sports therapists and advocates of barefoot running are recognising the importance of correct training in the technique of barefoot running.

Although barefoot or minimalist shoes have been developed to enhance a more natural gait, forefoot striking and the correct running posture don’t come naturally to all people.

Most runners say that they have to relearn to run without the cushioning they had become accustomed to.

This is something that retailers selling minimalist footwear will have to take into account — and ideally, advise their customers how to get used to running in minimalist footwear. A retailer giving relevant and appropriate advice, will win a satisfied customer — while a customer, who was left to his own devices, injures himself, he’ll tell all and sundry to stay away from minimalist shoes.

Good form matters to all runners and barefoot runners are no exception.

Barefoot or natural footwear should allow the foot to behave exactly as it would if bare, whilst also providing maximum protection for the environment.

Natural shoes should allow for sensory feedback, the weight of the shoe should not unbalance the foot’s natural position, it should not restrict the foot, should allow for the natural

Running watches cont from p24 letic brand: adidas, Asics, Everlast, Fila, Nike, Puma, to name just a few of the watch brands that will enhance your customers’ running experience.

For the outdoors Achilles

Amphibious, coastal and light trail

South African distributors: Native Sport (PTY) LTD Dale Turrell (Certified coach) T: +27 82 929 9996 Stuart Hutcheson (Sales and distribution) T: +27 82 851 3065 E: info@vivobarefoot.co.za

flex and toe spread of the foot and should protect the foot from the environment.

Vivobarefoot recently teamed up with barefoot accredited coach Dale Turrell, who has been trained by international running coach Lee Saxby and Harvard Professor Dan Lieberman, to conduct a series of workshops around SA to introduce the technique of barefoot running to enthusiasts.

“The feedback we have received is tremendous with many parties interested in utilizing the knowledge of a barefoot running coach,” says Turrell.

The Vivobarefoot brand is currently in the process of being launched into retailers across SA and the workshops are great opportunities to introduce the range to the public.

Barefoot running brand Newton, distributed

by SA running legend Zola Budd, also held coaching clinics in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town in June this year.

According to Newton, natural running education has been around since 1996. Since the brand was launched in 2007, they are rapidly closing in on the top three brands in specialty running in the US. Some brands have online websites dedicated to barefoot running education, providing videos and advice from experts to the public (some include www.trainingclinic.vivobarefoot.com and www.vibramfivefingers.com/education/ barefoot_running_schedule.htm).

The latest sports watch arrival in SA is the eagerly-awaited Suunto Ambit — known as the outdoor athlete’s watch or GPS for explorers.

The 48 features can fill a book and meet the needs of any outdoor enthusiast, but it is userfriendly and relatively easy to use and understand, explained Ryan Sandes, who had been training with the watch for two months.

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

He liked the fact that you can customise it for your needs, that the battery lasts long enough to use in a 10hr race, regularly picks up satellites and therefore gives accurate readings in remote locations, and that you can have three readings simultaneously on the screen without having to adjust, and six readings with the press of a button (he found the distance and elevation readings especially handy for trail running).

Your progress can be downloaded to the movecounts.com website, where all data can be downloaded, viewed, analysed and even compared and shared with friends or a coach.

Scores of South African athletes will be running happier from August this year when Brooks’ performance footwear will be back on local shelves. Brooks is returning to South Africa, this time for the long run.

The trailblazing running shoe and apparel producer has been notching up awards in Europe and the US: in SELF magazine’s first annual Sneaker Awards the Brooks’ Trance 11 came out tops in the run/distance category, and the Brooks PureProject PureGrit triumphed as the Best Buy in Runner’s World’s Spring Trail Shoe Review. The shoes had been put through their paces by editors and wear testers for several months.

Back for the long run

T

here are good reasons why SBR Agencies, owned by entrepreneur and top triathlete Clive Chowles, is the obvious choice as the brand’s Southern African distributor. First of all, he understands the needs of runners. Brooks’ new PureProject range, which promotes more natural running, appealed to Chowles as an athlete. He was the 1999 duathlon 25-29 age group world champion and current holder of the half ironman record in the 35-39 age group — few people are more cognisant of the absolute necessity of a good shoe.

Secondly, Chowles believes in the product.

mentally friendly outsole compound with premium wet-dry traction.

Brooks never loses sight of the reasons why people run, which is why its reputation for producing the perfect fit for every foot type and every running style is well earned. Chowles has represented the brand in the past, and was so determined to acquire the local licence that he arrived for his pitching session in Germany wearing a Brooks shirt, Brooks shoes and carrying a Brooks bag. In a chance encounter, a Brooks executive in the airport arrivals hall asked him if he worked for the company. “No,” Chowles said, “but when I leave Germany I intend to be the SA distributor of Brooks.”

Chowles understands the market

Brooks is a leading running company Brooks’ commitment to runners means that the company develops technology that serves needs, not trends. They have engaged top researchers at universities around the globe to help engineer state-of-the art sport footwear that fulfils all the possible physical requirements of runners, in order to enhance comfort, help sustain energy and reduce running-injury risks. Brooks’ breakthrough advancements in running shoes include the revolutionary Brooks DNA — a smart, customising cushioning system that instantaneously adapts to a runner’s unique biomechanics, weight, pace, gait, and running surface; the Brooks BioMoGo — the world’s first biodegradable shoe midsole that biodegrades 50 times faster than conventional athletic shoe midsoles; the Progressive Diagonal Rollbar — a dream come true for overpronators; and HPR Green — a durable, long-wearing and environ-

It was, however, more than Chowles’ enthusiasm for the brand and intimacy with the universe of serious runners that gave him the edge against strong competition from other contenders for the SA distribution rights. Chowles not only knows how to put a running shoe to good use; he knows how to sell them, and how to sell them in South Africa. In the US, Brooks increased its market share in 2011 in spite of waning retail running footwear sales. In November, the brand gained 360 basis points to reach 26.4% of the footwear market share and the number one spot. Where general apparel sales dropped 5% in the same month, Brooks’ grew by 9%, increasing its market share to 16.3% and putting it in a strong second place behind Nike. Brooks is now a top-selling brand in specialist running stores in both Europe and the US and is represented in over 40 countries worldwide.

The brand’s success elsewhere set the bar high, but Chowles’ experience so far bodes well for local sales. As a 15-year veteran of selling running footwear brands like New Balance and Inov8, he could give the Brooks executives a realistic presentation of what to expect from the SA market.

Clive Chowles

offers Brooks as their local agent. He is part of a strong team. His wife, Michelle is also his business partner. As a former banking executive, she brings fifteen years’ business and marketing experience to their partnership, and is the ideal consultant for their agency. She is certain that the Brooks brand will succeed in SA. Firstly, there is now a dedicated distributor who’ll be looking after the brand and who is determined to make it work. “Secondly,” she says, “Clive has strong relationships in the industry with running retailers and independents.

It is a technical performance brand and he has a good track record in the industry.” And lastly, she underlines the fact that “Clive knows how to sell, he knows the market and how to grow it, he knows the brand and has a passion for it.”

Brooks and Chowles are an exceptional alliance in the South African running and multisport market. The brand is authentic, spirited, and creative. It pledges to be “true to the run”, and its ground-breaking innovations in the technology of running footwear serve a community that it actively tries to serve, support and engage with. In South Africa, it found a distributor that both understands that market and lives it.

Glycerin 10

A strong team As a former Brooks sales agent, he knew the brand’s strengths and weaknesses. Chowles knows the capacity of the SA market, and where sales can improve; he has consulted top local running specialist retailers who he knew that he could rely on for support.

Chowles’ profound understanding of the product, the user and the market is not all he

For trade enquiries contact SBR Importers & Distributors cc clive@sbragencies.co.za | 082 322 5620

Two Oceans running shoe trends p28 :: Apparel & Footwear

The Two Oceans marathon, held over Easter weekend in Cape Town, is a good indicator of shoe preferences 56km Ultra Marathon

Asics Nike New Balance adidas Other Reebok Saucony Brooks Puma Mizuno Hi-Tec Salomon Montrail TOTAL

2011 4188 1617 960 558 372 337 261 143 129 45 18 7 3 8638

2011 % 48% 19% 11% 6% 4% 4% 3% 2% 1% 1% 0% 0% 0%

Asics Nike New Balance adidas Other Saucony Puma Brooks Reebok Salomon Hi-Tec Mizuno Montrail TOTAL

2011 5315 2770 2639 1529 607 365 226 219 188 91 74 66 8 14097

2011 % 38% 20% 19% 11% 4% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 0% 0%

Asics Nike New Balance adidas Other Reebok Saucony Brooks Puma Salomon Mizuno Hi-Tec Montrail TOTAL

2011 9503 4387 3599 2087 979 525 626 362 355 98 111 92 11 22735

2011 % 42% 19% 16% 9% 4% 2% 3% 2% 2% 0% 0% 40% 5%

2012 4407 1719 952 658 401 307 304 122 171 68 29 23 24 9185

2012 % 48% 19% 10% 7% 4% 3% 3% 1% 2% 1% 0% 0% 0%

2012 6272 3120 3115 1802 619 494 275 152 201 118 74 63 9 16314

2012 % 38% 19% 19% 11% 4% 3% 2% 1% 1% 1% 0% 0% 0%

2012 10679 4839 4067 2460 1020 508 798 274 446 141 131 103 33 25499

2012 % 42% 19% 16% 10% 4% 2% 3% 1% 2% 1% 1% 40% 13%

21km Half Marathon

Road running combined

Change -1% -0% -1% 1% 0% -1% 0% -0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Change 1% -1% 0% 0% -1% 0% 0% -1% -0% 0% -0% -0% -0%

Change 0% -0% 0% 0% -0% -0% 0% -1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

The Two Oceans marathon road runners seem to remain faithful to their running shoe brands as there was hardly any change in the percentage of runners that wore a specific running shoe brand between 2011 and 2012.

Asics remains King of the long distance Road with nearly half (48%) of the field running in the brand. Asics is also the most popular shoe brand of the half marathon runners, but the percentage people running in the brand (38%) is considerably less than in the full marathon.

The percentage of runners wearing Nike remains constant in the full and half marathons (19%), but a considerably higher percentage choose New Balance in the 21km (19%) than in the full marathon (10%). Adidas is also more popular among 21km runners (11%) than full marathon runners (7%).

As in 2011, more than two-thirds of the entrants ran the 21km — a trend that is growing. In 2011 62% ran 21km, but this year 64% of the entrants ran the half marathon. This means that the shoes chosen by runners in the 21km should be of more interest to retailers than the percentage of runners choosing a brand in the full marathon, as the numbers will be higher.

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

Short trail run

Asics New Balance Nike adidas Salomon Other Hi-Tec Montrail Brooks Puma Saucony Mizuno Reebok TOTAL

2011 137 102 67 65 48 22 16 14 13 7 5 3 2 501

2011% 27% 20% 13% 13% 10% 4% 3% 3% 3% 1% 1% 1% 0%

Asics Salomon New Balance adidas Nike Montrail Other Hi-Tec Brooks Puma Saucony Reebok Mizuno TOTAL

2011 151 92 76 66 44 27 17 10 8 5 4 3 2 505

2011% 30% 18% 15% 13% 9% 5% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 0%

Asics Salomon New Balance adidas Nike Other Saucony Hi-Tec Puma Brooks Montrail Mizuno Reebok TOTAL

2011 288 140 178 131 111 39 9 26 12 21 41 5 5 1006

2012 134 87 58 71 60 23 7 5 5 4 12 2 4 472

2012% Change 28% 1% 18% -2% 12% -1% 15% 2% 13% 3% 5% 0% 1% -2% 1% -2% 1% -2% 1% -1% 3% 2% 0% -0% 1% 0%

2012 154 126 80 40 41 4 46 6 6 8 14 0 2 527

2012% Change 29% -1% 24% 6% 15% 0% 8% -5% 8% -1% 1% -5% 9% 5% 1% -1% 1% -0% 2% 1% 3% 2% 0% -1% 0% -0%

2012 288 186 167 111 99 69 26 13 12 11 9 4 4 999

2012% 29% 19% 17% 11% 10% 7% 3% 1% 1% 1% 1% 0% 0%

Long trail run

Trail run combined 2011% 29% 14% 18% 13% 11% 4% 1% 3% 1% 2% 4% 0% 0%

Change 0% 5% -1% -2% -1% 3% 2% -1% 0% -1% -3% -0% -0%

Trail running, which was added as an option to the Two Oceans calendar in 2010, limits the number of entrants allowed and the participation numbers are therefore much lower than for the road marathon. While Asics is still the most popular brand (28% and 29% of trail runners), there is a smaller gap between Asics and the second most popular choice than in road running: in the short trail run New Balance was worn by 18% of the field; in the long trail run Salomon was worn by 24% of the runners.

The percentage of runners choosing Salomon in 2012 has grown significantly (6% in the long and 3% in the short trail run) from 2011.

Adidas has grown 2% among the short distance trail runners, but dropped 5% in the longer distance.

In a reverse from the road running trend, more trail runners ran the long distance in 2012 than in 2011. This year 53% of the trail runners opted to do the longer distance, compared to 50% who chose the longer distance in 2011.

p30 :: Apparel & Footwear

Featuring Jeremy Nel of Crown Footwear In this series Sports Trader keeps track of the sporting feats of executives in the industry, and what they do to keep fit

E

arlier this year Jeremy Nel and eight others cycled across the Lesotho mountains. During the gruelling 4-day trip, navigating on goat tracks, sleeping in remote kraals, they often had to carry their mountain bikes for hours up peaks as high as 3000 meters. This Trans Lesotho Mountain Bike Trail is not for sissies, nor whiners. It is a test of grit, guts and determination. Attributes that Nel had tested eleven times in the Dusi canoe marathon and five times in the 250km Sani2C challenge.

It is therefore fitting that he manages K-Swiss, the brand so closely associated with the Ironman as partner of the 70.3 in SA and global sponsor of 42 Ironman events and many champion athletes.

“This association has given the brand credibility and acceptance among runners and triathletes,” says Nel. “The brand is technically sound and we have very good designers, for example, an ex-Nike pioneer.”

K-Swiss is a specialist running brand, designed to withstand the challenges of endurance races, but it has been accepted by a wider market and is doing well in a good selection of stores.

Now in his early forties, Nel has always excelled at sport. He played provincial cricket

and rugby when he was at school in Durban at Kearsney College. After school, he continued his provincial cricket career as batsman for KwaZulu-Natal in the early 1990’s and also played for Durban Collegians as a flanker. But, around the turn of the century, he stopped playing cricket and rugby and took up paddling and mountain biking.

Having completed his compulsory two-year national service stint in the air force, Nel joined his future father-in-law, Chris Beswetherick, in his agency. They sold the clothing brand LA Gear until 1994, when Reebok asked him to represent them as their Natal sales agent.

Top salesman Nel’s sales expertise was subsequently rewarded with a full-time position at Reebok, where he was appointed national sales manager and eventually general manager. This necessitated a move to Johannesburg from Durban.

But, shortly after the turn of the century when the late Roy Eckstein became the brand’s SA owner, Nel decided it was time to branch out on his own.

He opened a distributorship, MJ Distributors, through which he imported knitwear. A former colleague from Reebok, however, convinced him to become involved with the Southern African distributorship of K-Swiss. The athletic footwear brand was developed by two Swiss world champion skier brothers, who had moved to California (hence the name K(alifornia)-Swiss) and Nel liked the clean styles and heritage.

Since then, he has been growing the brand’s market share and acceptance amongst athletes.

When Crown footwear bought the SA distribution rights to K-Swiss in 2009, Nel joined them as brand manager. He has since been appointed manager of their branded footwear division, which includes Ellesse and Rocky.

The Nels are a family

of beachgoers who enjoy relaxing in the outdoors, and he therefore had an immediate affinity for the Rocky brand.

The first Rocky webbed fishing sandals were the forerunners of a trend that became popular with all outdoor enthusiasts, whether they were hikers, anglers, paddlers, or just wanted comfortable summer footwear. The brand has stood the test of time, while others floundered.

Appealing brands “Rocky especially appeals to the SA consumer because of its good fit, comfortable width, high quality at a good price,” explains Nel. The brand was also able to evolve. As consumer tastes changed, it introduced leather styles, synthetic uppers, and closed uppers for hiking and leisure footwear, until it came full circle and fishing sandals again became popular.

Another reason for the resilience of the Rocky brand is because it has branched out into most outdoor categories, including tents, camping chairs, outdoor equipment, etc. Because the brand name was known and trusted among outdoor enthusiasts, there was immediate acceptance of the new product categories in the market.

“We also have very good agents that sell our high quality, respected products at the right price,” he adds.

Ellesse is an Italian lifestyle brand with a strong tennis heritage (they dress the court officials at the Madrid Open) that can be seen in the signature rubberised toe box of many styles. Crown Footwear has a license to manufacture Ellesse footwear that feature the Italian flag that appeals to many local consumers.

Selling clearly runs in the Nel/Breswick family and Jeremy’s wife has her own agency, selling travel accessories.

Sport is also in the genes as their 13-year old daughter is a provincial hockey player and their 11-year old son also loves sport.

Nel (right) and his friend of 22 years, Dennis Harel, celebrate a Dusi finish.

p32 :: Industry

SASCOC, Erke,

the Olympics &

The missing invitations SASCOC say SA clothing companies didn’t want to come to the Olympic team sponsorship party — but it appears that they forgot to send all the invites.

Sports Trader found several brands keen to sponsor the SA Olympic teams, even with locally made kit.

But, they were never invited by SASCOC

S

ASCOC CEO Tubby Reddy told the media after the launch of the SA Olympic team kit that they had no choice but to sign a 5-year R31.5-m ($4-m) clothing sponsorship deal for the Olympic and Paralympic teams with Chinese brand Erke because no SA clothing company was interested. He told a radio station that they had been looking for a sponsor for 2½–3 years, without success.

After contacting all the major brands we could think of, we could only find one that had been talking to SASCOC about the possibility of sponsoring our Olympic athletes.

“Nike had met with SASCOC to discuss the opportunity to partner with SASCOC as a technical sponsor. SASCOC received a better sponsorship deal,” says Nike SA PR Seruscka Naidoo.

The SA office of adidas, sponsor of the International Olympic Committee and 2012 London Olympics, was however not approached. “We are not aware of any formal approach having been made to adidas SA,” says marketing director Gavin Cowley.

Nor were Super-Brands, who provides the sponsored kit for the Springboks as the local distributors of Canterbury, approached to sponsor the team.

Made in SA COSATU and Proudly SA have slammed the choice of a Chinese clothing brand as sponsor of the SA team because it flies in the face of the local procurement accord signed last year to create jobs in key local industries like clothing and textile manufacturing.

In a strongly-worded statement COSATU’s Patrick Craven wrote: The Olympic Games ought to be a platform to exhibit the very

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

best of each country’s products.

At the launch of the kit SASCOC Chief Executive Officer, Tubby Reddy, was quoted as saying: “The mere pride and feel-good factor of the wearing of the national kit should serve to up their performance by a few levels.” Yet, thanks to his committee, our teams will now be promoting the best of Chinese clothing!

COSATU fully agrees with Proudly South African CEO, Adv. Leslie Sedibe, that “the manufacturing of South Africa’s national team kit in China is a mockery and an insult to efforts by local constituencies to promote local goods and services”.

SASCOC will not exactly be destitute if they had to make do with slightly less than the R31.5-m sponsorship from Erke.

It now transpires that had SASCOC approached more than one major brand, they could have had the team’s kit made in SA factories. Several major sportswear companies say that had they been approached by SASCOC to sponsor the Olympic team, they would have made at least some of the kit in SA. For example: New Balance SA last year made enquiries about the possibility of sponsoring the Olympic teams, but were told that Erke had already been awarded the sponsorship. “We would have manufactured the kit in one of our approved SA factories,” says MD Gary van Rooyen.

Puma, who sponsored the 2008 Paralympic Team and provide kit for Bafana Bafana, say they were not approached by SASCOC, but

would have been interested in sponsoring the Olympic team.

“At least those items which Puma could have made locally would have come from local sources,” says MD Ronald Rink. The brand recently launched their international Wilderness range with 94% of the clothing and footwear made locally.

James Gilbert SA (JGSA) manufactures kit for the SA teams they sponsor in their factory in Babalegi, which “has the technology to manufacture the kit, but without understanding the volumes required, it is difficult to answer that question (if they would have manufactured the kit locally),” says CEO Wayne Dannheisser.

“I am not sure of how many sporting codes require kit, how many officials (require) and exactly what is being supplied by Erke.” They were also not approached for sponsorship.

High price paid “Every sponsorship request made to adidas SA is evaluated on the basis of return on investment against the overall objectives of the brand,” says Cowley. “Elements such as the rights package, global impact and opportunities, duration of contract, category support and so on are crucial factors in the evaluation mix.”

Local brands are surprised by the high price Erke was prepared to pay, namely ($4-m or R31.5-m).

“I think it is an outrageous amount and can only think that there must be some other agenda,” says Van Rooyen. “It is all about the television exposure and sponsoring the US team, for example, would be far more beneficial as their athletes would be in more semi- and final events and stand on the podium more often.”

Remember, at the last Olympics the TV cam-

Industry :: p33 sponsors their kit) and in 2008 they sponsored the Qatar Open table tennis tournament.

In the 2012 Olympics they will also sponsor Iran and Uzbekistan, as well as many prominent Chinese Olympic athletes.

Other sponsorships

SASCOC CEO Tubby Reddy

eras only briefly focused on one SA athlete on the podium. SASCOC did promise us 12 medals this time round, but it would not quite match up to the hundreds of times TV cameras will zoom in on athletes from the US, UK, China and Australia on the podium.

The value of the deal depends on the period of the sponsorship, points out Ian Little of Hi-Tec SA (also not approached by SASCOC).

“R31.5-m for 5 years is very different to the same amount over 20 years.”

Erke’s agreement with SASCOC is from 2012 to the next Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Other factors that would determine the value of the sponsorship are how many items they supply and what rights are being afforded to Erke for their investment, says Dannheisser. “What buy-back is SASCOC committed to spending with Erke for this investment? What investment/commitment has SARS invested in this with duty rebates, if any?”

A big factor in sponsorship is to grow market share for the brand. But, as far as we can ascertain, Erke has no local distributor in SA.

Who is Erke?

The brand was founded in 2000 in Quanzhou, China, and specializes in sports apparel and footwear. In 2008 they were included in the Forbes list of the 200 Top Asian Companies with a turnover of less than $1-bn, and they are also on the list of Top Ten Chinese companies.

Since 2007 they have been embarking on an international brand building campaign through sponsorships.

They have been concentrating on making inroads in the tennis market and are the current sponsors of the WTA Brussels Open (20112013), Shanghai Masters (2009-2013), Salzburg Indoors (2009-2012) and they also sponsored the Madrid Open in 2010. Among the many tennis players they sponsor is current #3 Tommy Robredo.

They were the kit sponsor of Korea DPR during the 2010 FIFA World Cup (but Legea now

Apart from the sponsorship Erke, SASCOC received a sponsorship worth an undisclosed amount from consumer product company Procter & Gamble, and SAA will fly the athletes and officials to London free of charge.

On 23 March this year Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula announced a R34-m grant for the preparation of our Olympic athletes.

The National Lottery Sports and Recreation Distribution Agency (headed by SASCOC president Gideon Sam and vice-president Hajera Kajee) also said that they were finalising a R73-m grant for the Olympic team.

This is apart from the money the lottery’s Sports and Recreation Disbursement Agency (RSDA) had already given for preparation of the Olympic team, as reported to the Port-

folio Committee on Sport and Recreation on 6 March 2012: for 2008/9: R12-m; 2009/10: R14-m; 2010/11: R17-m and 2011/12: R10-m.

A total of R53-m.

SRDA had also allocated the following for the Paralympic Games: 2008/9: R4-m; 2009/10: R5.5-m; 2010/11: R6.5-m; 2011/12: R7.5-m. A total of R23.5-m.

In addition, the SRDA had allocated R30-m in 2011/12 towards the Operation Excellence Programme (OPEX) for 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Athletes.

This is in addition to the 3-year allocation of R139.7-m the SRDA made to SASCOC in 2010 for administration (R14.6-m); Elite Athlete Development (59-m); Commonwealth Games (R12.2m); All Africa Games (R10.3-m); Hosting of IOC Congress (R15-m) and 2009 World Student Games (R8.7-m).

This is also apart from the annual grants SRSA gives SASCOC for the preparation of athletes.

SASCOC will therefore not be destitute if they had to make do with slightly less than the R31.5-m sponsorship from Erke.

Response from SASCOC

We approached SASCOC for comment shortly after CEO Tubby Reddy said in April that no SA company was prepared to sponsor the SA Olympic and Paralympic Teams.

About a month later (following several enquiries from our side), we received the following response: • What period does the Erke sponsorship cover? From which year up to 2016, I presume?

2012 UP TO AND INCLUDING DECEMBER 2016 • Some of the major international clothing brands operating in SA told us that they were not approached by SASCOC regarding sponsorship – could you please tell us which companies were approached, but turned you down? AS STATED PREVIOUSLY, IT IS NOT ETHICAL TO DIVULGE COMPANIES APPROACHED • Did Erke approach you with an offer of sponsorship – or did you approach them?

YES • We believe that Erke is not currently available in SA and they would therefore not derive any benefits from clothing sales, as is normal with any clothing sponsorship. What benefits would Erke receive in return for the sponsorship?

THEY HAVE BROKEN INTO THE OLYMPIC MARKET IN RELATION TO THE OLYMPIC RINGS, THEIR INTENTION IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF OLYMPIC COMMITTEES THAT THEY ARE SPONSORING. AT THIS STAGE, THEY SPONSOR SOUTH AFRICA, UZBEKISTAN, IRAN • Do you know if Erke is planning on distributing the brand in SA in the near future?

THERE IS ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY TO GROW THE BRAND, TO FIND MERCHANDISE OUTLETS AND ONE DAY EVEN HAVE A PRODUCTION COMPANY IN SOUTH AFRICA, LEADING TO JOB CREATION. • During the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games the SA team had problems with the delivery, sizes, etc. of the kit supplied by Mizuno because the sponsorship was arranged directly with Japan, not via the SA Mizuno distributor. Are you not concerned that the same problems will occur with Erke, who has no local representative to manage the supply of the team wear?

NO, WE ARE NOT, AS WE HAVE DONE THE NECESSARY HOMEWORK IN THIS REGARD • During the briefing of the Parliamentary Committee on Sport on 27 February 2012 Mr Gideon Sam said that the team would “wear pyjamas again at the opening ceremony” unless more funds are made available. Will Erke not provide clothes for the opening ceremony?

NO • Mr Gideon Sam told the same committee meeting that R50-m more would be required for Olympic preparations. How much is still needed in the light of: o The Procter & Gamble sponsorship o The SAA sponsorship of tickets for the teams o The R34-m allocated by Minister Fikile Mbalula in March 2012 for Olympic preparation o The R73-m grant that the National Lottery Sport Distribution Agency was finalising for the Olympic team in March 2012?

IT IS OBVIOUS THAT YOU ASSUME THAT THE 107 MILLION RANDS IS ONLY FOR THE OLYMPIC TEAM. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. A PART OF THIS MONEY IS TARGETED TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES WHILE THE BALANCE IS FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT WE APPLIED FOR IN THE SCOPE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AT SASCOC.

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

Designers compete at the Olympics p34 :: Industry

While the athletes complete on the track, top athletic brands will be vying for public attention by supplying the latest, cutting-edge clothing, footwear and equipment. As official sponsor adidas has a distinct advantage, but other brands are doing their best to ensure that they will be remembered Left to right: Cedella Marley does the Bolt, Hope Solo demonstrates Nike+ and the US team in their Ralph Lauren kit

D

esigner Stella McCartney designed the UK team kit for adidas. Bob Marley’s fashion designer daughter Cedella Marley is dressing the Jamaican team for Puma. The American team will be wearing designs by Ralph Lauren in the opening and closing ceremonies. The SA team will, or course, be wearing Erke.

The 2012 Olympic Games in London will again be the field where not only the performance of the world’s best athletes, but also the world’s best equipment, will be tested. The competition between the brands starts in the opening and closing ceremonies where it will be the design, rather than the performance, of the outfits that will be judged.

The sportswear and equipment contest is, however, handicapped in favour of the official sponsors. Adidas reportedly paid 100-m pound (R1.3-bn) for the rights to be the official clothing sponsor of the Games. They will be dressing all officials and the 70 000 odd volunteers and according to Euromonitor International (www.euromomonitor.com) the kit sponsorship of Team Great Britain (GB) is also part of this deal. They will also have the sole rights to sell Olympic-themed and –branded clothes.

The athletic apparel and leisure wear ranges for Team GB Team had been designed for adidas by Stella McCartney. Her Olympic range had been available in UK stores since May. McCartney, who is also creative director for the adidas Team GB project, created the range consisting of competition kit, training wear, presentation suits, footwear and accessories, over a two year period. She used a reconstructed repre-

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

sentation of the Union Jack as a unifying theme throughout the range, which includes high-end technologies like TECHFITTM PowerWEB and Climacool.

Apart from the 900 British athletes across 26 Olympic and 20 Paralympic sports who’ll be competing in their adidas designerwear in front of home crowds, the adidas logo is the only sportswear branding that will be seen around stadiums — or may be associated with the Olympic Games.

The IOC goes out of its way to protect the rights of the sponsors that fund the Games.

Not only is no other brand advertising allowed, but the use of competing sponsored athletes in advertising is also prohibited. The contentious Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter states: “Except as permitted by the IOC Executive Board, no competitor, coach, trainer or official who participates in the Olympic Games may allow his person, name, picture or sports performances to be used for advertising purposes during the Olympic Games.”

The IOC even went so far as to ask athletes and accredited officials not to use Facebook, Twitter, smart phones and any other media that can be used to post photos or videos for commercial purposes from the London Olympics.

Which should give any official sponsor a clear advantage, right?

Not exactly.

Earlier this year Global Language Monitor, a UK company that measures brand awareness, found that more than half of the top 50 companies that the public associate with the Olympics are not official sponsors.

Research by BrandWatch — which tracks internet conversations mentioning a brand — showed that Nike was dominating conversations around the Olympics between December last year and February this year (when the research was done). During that period 7.7% of the conversations about the Olympics mentioned Nike, while adidas was only mentioned in 0.49% of the conversations.

Nike exposure That was the period when Nike’s Make it Count campaign, featuring their sponsored UK athletes like Mark Cavendish, was launched.

Although the campaign doesn’t mention the Olympics — and doesn’t break Rule 40 in the campaign — the public made the connection with the Olympics.

In addition, Nike launched their Nike+ digital campaign at the end of the year. “There was certainly a build-up in interest in Nike in December, and a fair amount of it can be attributed to the Nike+ digital campaign,” says Nike SA PR Seruscka Naidoo. “Nike has certainly dominated the social networks with the launch of the Nike+ FuelBand in January, and then we launched the Nike products for London 2012 in February.”

South African athletes who will be wearing Nike footwear at the games include Caster Semenya, women’s hockey captain Marsha Marescia, Ruben Ramolefi and Oscar Pistorius.

Since it was first launched in 2006 for runners, the Nike+ users have grown into a community of more than 6-m digitally connected athletes… who would be internet and social

Industry :: p35

The Australian and Great Britain teams are dressed by adidas.

media users.

The Nike+ technology connects their digitally enabled footwear with interactive mobile applications to measure jump height, quickness, movement, etc. of athletes. A Nike+ Pressure Sensor built into each shoe collects information about the user’s movement and then wirelessly transmits data to their phone, where they can get a detailed breakdown of their workout or performance during a game.

The latest applications are the Nike+ Basketball, measuring the movements of basketball players, and Nike+ Training, a program with a series of short workouts that helps the user to get fitter and faster. The Nike+ FuelBand tracks everyday activity or workouts.

Several technological innovations were incorporated in the Nike Olympic ranges shown by a glittering array of Nike athletes at the launch event in New York in February.

“The Nike Flyknit upper redefines the idea of running footwear: lightweight and virtually seamless, it acts like a second skin for the foot and is precision engineered in one piece and one layer to minimize waste, dramatically changing how footwear is designed and manufactured,” said Nike CEO Mark Parker.

The Flyknit Racer’s upper and tongue weigh just 34gm and the whole shoe weighs a mere 160gm. The Nike Flyknit Trainer+, an everyday running shoe, weighing 220gm, will give runners of all levels the weight and fit benefits of Nike Flyknit.

The Nike Pro TurboSpeed suit is the lightest, fastest track uniform Nike has ever built.

“Based on wind tunnel data, it is up to .023

The competition between the brands starts in the opening and closing ceremonies where it will be the design, rather than the performance, of the outfits that will be judged. seconds faster over 100m than our previous track uniform,” says Parker. The suit is made of about 82% recycled polyester fabric, using an average of 13 recycled plastic bottles.

Athletes from the US, Russia, Germany, and China will be wearing these technologies in international team competitions and Nikesponsored athletes have been using them in individual competitions since April.

Bolting for Puma While Nike is supplying the performance wear, fashion designer Ralph Lauren has created the white uniforms that the US team will be wearing in the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies. In addition, Ralph Lauren will design a collection of village wear apparel and accessories inspired by the 1948 Olympic Games in London, with vintage motifs mixed with modern styling in the US colours red, white and navy.

At the time of going to press, Nike and adidas were still in negotiation — according to reports not exactly friendly — over the right of individually sponsored athletes accepting medals in the official team footwear, or if they will be allowed to wear their sponsored footwear.

With several Nike medal-hopefuls in the adidassponsored UK team and many adidas athletes likely to appear on the podium in the Nikesponsored US team, it could make a big difference to brand exposure.

There is no such conflict of interest for Puma’s star attraction, Usain Bolt, since the whole Jamaican team is sponsored by Puma.

They have been sponsoring the Jamaican Olympic Association and Amateur Athletics Association since 2002.

Puma commissioned reggae legend Bob Marley’s daughter, Cedella, to design the teams’ ceremonial and podium clothing and footwear fully aware that Bolt will most likely be in the TV spotlight. “I can’t think of a better person to design our Olympic outfits than Cedella,” says Bolt. “PUMA got that right… hooking up with a legendary Jamaican. She’s a great designer, but also carries on the spirit of our nation through the legacy of the Marley family.”

Puma’s Olympic wear will be accompanied by a lifestyle collection of apparel, footwear and accessories.

They have found a novel way of getting around Rule 40, which would have prevented them from using their star attraction in advertising. They developed their EvoSpeed range of footwear for all sports — rugby, cricket, motor racing, soccer, you name it — and changed the logo to a lightning bolt. With all their sponsored non-Olympic athletes like Schalk Burger, Steven Pienaar, AB de Villiers and Fernando Alonso doing the Bolt stance at every opportunity, who needs an image of the Big Bolt to be reminded of what he’ll be doing in the Olympics?

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

Clever technologies in outdoor clothing

p36 :: Apparel & Footwear

Performance outdoor clothing nowadays have so many technologies to benefit the wearer that it is difficult to keep up with what the different brands offer. How do you as a retailer make sense of all that’s out there in order to be able to fully inform your customer? CARIN HARDISTY asked brands about what their garments offer

T

he performance outdoor clothing brands now seldom launch a range without a new technology that will benefit the wearer. They vary from temperature regulating properties, moisture wicking, water proofing, fabric breathability, to wind protection and can remove nasty smells and stains.

It can become very confusing to remember which brand offers what benefit with which new technology… and what it’s called! We give an alphabetical breakdown of what some of the major outdoor brands available in SA have to offer.

Heating up It’s no fun being cold while doing any activity. Brands have therefore developed various technologies to heat the wearer so that they can continue their activity at a comfortable temperature level.

Columbia, distributed by Wild Elements Apparel, has three Omni-Heat technologies that help maintain warmth and prevent heat loss, keeping the wearer comfortable in cold weather: Thermal Insulation utilizes a proprietary insulation that employs 50% recycled materials; Thermal Reflection regulates body temperature by use of reflective materials; Thermal Electric utilizes battery powered heated elements located strategically throughout the garment First Ascent, locally distributed by Performance Brands, also make use of warming technology in their fleeces. They have developed two new fleece fabrics, Dura Shield and Panther Fleece, to keep wearers warm. Dura Shield is designed for extra abrasion resistance and durability with excellent warmth properties. Panther Fleece has excellent warmth to weight properties.

Icebreaker’s 100% New Zealand merino wool uses moisture absorbed from the environment to generate heat (a process called heat of sorption) in cold weather. Its crimped/wavy fibres also contain millions of air pockets that lock in body heat to keep the wearer warm.

Merino wool is completely natural, sustainable and renewable. Icebreaker is locally distributed by Adventure Inc. Mountain Equipment, also distributed by Ad-

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

Retailers have an important role in educating consumers about the products and the benefits that these extra technologies, which push up the price, provide to the wearer. venture Inc, use Polartec Power Stretch and Polartec Thermal Pro fleeces for heat in their garments.

• The breathable Polartec Power Stretch fabric has a four-way stretch, keeps you dry when you sweat and provides warmth without weight. The durable, smooth outer layer is wind- and abrasion-resistant, while the soft inner layer pulls moisture away from the skin keeping the wearer dry, warm and comfortable.

• Polartec Thermal Pro is a 100% polyester, velour, pebbled or shearling surface that creates air pockets that trap air and retain body heat, providing outstanding warmth without weight. The fabric has great breathability and dries quickly.

New Balance’s Megaheat is a multifunctional, intelligent, heat creating fabric. “The super light thermal textile heats the wearer up by 3oC by converting sweat to thermal energy,” says Pippa Stack, apparel production and purchasing manager.

Cool down Similarly, it is not ideal to be too warm while doing physical activities, especially in hotter climates such as SA. Columbia offers their Omni-Freeze Ice technology, which is activated by sweat, to cool the wearer down. The fabric temperature is lowered the moment that moisture hits the fabric surface, which means an immediate cooling sensation.

First Ascent’s bCool fabric is designed to keep you feeling cool when it gets hot. The unique blend of nylon and polyester feels cool to the touch and conducts heat away from the body whilst wicking moisture to keep you dry.

Hi-Tec’s new base layers make use of a spe-

cial fabric and yarn structure incorporating a mix of polyester, nylon, elastan and coolmax.

Coolmax wicks moisture away, keeping the body cool.

Icebreaker’s merino absorbs and releases moisture from the skin before it turns into sweat, keeping you cool and dry. Both the fibre and the fabric breathe to prevent the wearer from overheating. Unlike cotton and synthetics, Icebreaker merino naturally absorbs the sun’s harmful rays and all garments are rated UPF 50+.

New Balance’s Ice-Fil is a rapid moisturetransfer fabric with NAC (Nano Aqua Chem) treatment for blocking the sun's rays. It has a xylitol application to react with perspiration, which cools the body's surface temperature.

The fabric is fast drying, provides two-way air circulation and is anti-bacterial.

Wind protection Wind blowing through the clothing is an avoidable hassle — one that can cause great discomfort if the clothing cannot block the wind efficiently.

Columbia is introducing a new technology into their garments: Omni-Wind Block, which protects the wearer from the chilly wind by allowing no air penetration inside the garment. For the most active pursuits, select Omni-Wind Block styles feature a technically-advanced membrane that provides ultra-breathable wind protection — the wind chill is kept out, but the perspiration is allowed to escape, keeping you warm, dry and protected.

Hi-Tec features a tricot lining in the arms and chest area of their technical fleeces that offers more wind protection than the basic fleece would. They have also introduced two new garments: the men’s Boreas wind shell and the ladies’ Windy Point shell. Both are made from a lightweight 20d nylon rip and they have added a DWR (durable water repellent) coating to protect in light rain.

Waterproofing and breathability Waterproof fabrics stop water from entering, but airflow helps the wearer stay comfortable and to stop them from feeling clammy – and for this, material needs to be breathable.

Columbia’s Omni-Dry and Omni-Tech technologies waterproof their garments.“The mem-

Apparel & Footwear :: p37

brane’s micro-porous construction leaves 50% of the membrane open for air passage, which allows 100cc (cubic centimetre) of airflow per minute to pass through the material vs. 0cc with Gore-Tex,” says Jackie Gouverneur of local distributor Wild Elements Apparel.

Omni-Tech is a waterproof and breathable fabric system that consists of a face fabric, a superior waterproof breathable and air permeable Omni-Tech membrane, and a moisture transporting lining material.

First Ascent’s eVent fabrics are “the most breathable waterproof fabric in the world, with a MVTR (Moisture Vapour Transmission rate) of 23 000g/m2/24hrs, and a water column of 20 000mm,” says Ryan O’Mahoney. eVent is a lightweight fabric that is very durable as a three-ply fabric.

Hi-Tec use a specially engineered coating on their more technical garments — a polyurethane micro porous membrane with extra strength and durability — to add breathability.

The micro pores are big enough for body vapour to pass through, but too small for a raindrop to pass through.

Mountain Equipment make use of Gore-Tex Active Shell in their garments, which offers a three-layer waterproof product. The GoreTex membrane is integrated into the backer textile, allowing for extreme breathability and excellent next-to-skin comfort … and enabling Mountain Equipment to produce waterproof breathable jackets for under 300g.

Membranes and coatings: Pros and cons Some manufacturers make use of waterproofing membranes while others opt for coatings.

Which is best to recommend? What are their pros and cons?

For a start, there’s a cost implication: the membrane application costs more than the coating. However, the membrane also lasts longer, says Stack. “A coating does not last as long, but it is a cheaper alternative.”

In the end, you get what you pay for regard-

ing lifespan vs cost.

Another plus to using a membrane instead of a coated garment is that it handles better, has a better feel and is more breathable.

The negative, though, is that the membrane has a limited water resistance (1 5002 000millH2O). With a coated garment, it is possible to get water resistance of up to 20 000millH20, says Hi-Tec product manager Jan van Rooyen, but the feel is harder, stiffer and the moisture permeability becomes limited.

Staying clean and fresh Outdoor clothing is often used in situations where the wearer is likely to get dirty and muddy. But, it is not always possible to clean or wash the garment when on a hiking trip, during an adventure race, or even travelling. Having a technology to help keep the garment clean or repel dirt is very useful in these situations.

Buff products, locally distributed by Adventure Inc. are treated with Polygiene anti-microbial to prevent odour build up.

To p38

Market in SA for cutting edge tech?

Is there a market in SA for even more cutting edge technology? The brands have varying viewpoints on this “As a leading sports brand we are always developing and looking for new technology that will provide benefits for the wearer,” says Barbara Cole, apparel product line manager of New Balance. “I think this is key in our specific industry, although these technologies sometimes come at a price. I do think that the South African consumer is becoming more aware of the technology and benefits in technical apparel and is chosing to buy these items even though they are more pricey, but this is still a small market. In saying this, aesthetics of a garment will sell it first and then the benefits of the technology, so both need to add value to the consumers purchase.”

Leo Rust, sales manager for Adventure Inc, says that there is always room for cutting edge technology. “I think that certain sectors of the market are as sophisticated as overseas.” However, he points out that this segment of the market is smaller when compared to other markets.

The market is still very specialised for real cutting edge technology, says Hi-Tec’s Jan Van Rooyen, but he adds that the market is growing.

“Many consumers do not yet understand the need for these technologies — particularly with the higher price tag attached — but once they have experienced a jacket that actually keeps you dry for hours in the rain, or really warm in cold conditions they would probably be willing to spend the money on proper products for life,” Jackie Gouverneur of Columbia distributor Wild Elements Apparel points out.

Retailers have an important role in educating consumers about the products and the benefits that these extra technologies, which push up the price, provide to the wearer.

Keep in mind that consumers might not solely want to use the garment in local conditions where they might need different, more advanced, technology in the clothing.

“We believe that there is definitely a market for cutting edge technologies in SA,” says First Ascent’s Ryan O’Mahoney. “Whilst our climate is fairly mild when compared to Europe or the Americas, South Africans are travelling to all parts of the globe, and are looking for products that will work in these extreme conditions.”

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p38 :: Apparel & Footwear

Clothing technology cont from p37 Columbia’s Omni Shield allows textiles to be water and stain repellent by resisting water and stains far longer than untreated fabric, but not indefinitely. Omni Shield is not waterproof — when higher levels of pressure are applied, liquids will penetrate through the fabric.

Hi-Tec’s garments have a DWR coating to help repel mud.

Icebreaker merino fibres absorb odour molecules and release them when washed. The merino also reduces sweat levels by absorbing and reducing moisture before it becomes sweat.

New Balance uses Polygiene and X-Static to provide anti-odour benefits to their garments.

The X-Static fibre has a layer of pure silver permanently bonded to the surface of the textile fibre, which is anti-odour, anti-microbial,

thermodynamic and anti-static. Polygiene is an active odour control technology for the treatment of high performance fibres and fabrics. It is guaranteed to last for the life of the garment, is safer next to the skin and is environmentally friendly.

UVA protection South Africans are especially aware of how dangerous the sun can be and as certain companies have built in a UPF protection into their garments.

Columbia’s Omni-Shade utilises textiles that provide sunburn protection and a very high level of protection from other harmful rays such as UVA. Each Omni-Shade product indicates the level of UVA protection as a UPF level, for example, UPF 50 means a minimum of 98% of UVA rays are blocked — in other words,

Advising customers:

How to care for technical wear

You don’t want customers returning their expensive outdoor jackets because the technology no longer works. What garment care should you as a retailer recommend to your customers when they buy technical garments?

Special materials require special care. Always tell the customer to refer to the care label for specific wash care instructions.

The majority of technical outdoor garments have a DWR applied to their outer surface.

The objective of DWR is two fold: • To prevent water from penetrating the outer surface of the garment (referred to as wetting-out) thereby creating a layer through which vaporised water from the inside of the jacket cannot permeate. This then enhances the plastic packet effect where the user gets wet due to serious condensation on the inside of the jacket; • To protect the microscopic pores in the jacket from dirt build up.

Even a relatively new jacket will stop performing as it should unless the DWR on a jacket is well maintained. Unfortunately DWR is susceptible to damage by abrasion — more importantly by washing in the incorrect manner. Normal detergents are designed to break down oils and dirt and are equally good at destroying DWR. Nikwax, locally distributed by Ram Mountaineering, has shown that a single wash of a new garment in detergent can remove up to 30% of DWR coatings in a single wash. Multiple washes could create exponential damage.

Once DWR on a garment has been damaged all is not lost. It can be replenished by the application of a waterproofer, but such treatments are never as durable as the factory applied coating. It is therefore advisable to maintain the original DWR for as long as possible.

To this end Nikwax has a two pronged approach: they produce suitable cleaners (green

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

No matter what product you use to waterproof, always clean the garment first before applying the waterproofing. lids), such as Tech Wash, which serve to wash garments without damaging the DWR and then they produce reproofers (purple lids) to replace/reinforce damaged DWR. Each fabric type requires a different reproofer formulation to maximise the adherence of the reproofer to the garment — so Nikwax produces TX Direct for waterproof breathables, Down Proof to down products, SoftShell proof for soft shells, etc.

Hi-Tec recommends washing their garments regularly to help maintain the fabric’s protective functions. “If a garment is washed according to the care instructions, there should be no serious damage to the waterproof/breathable fabrics for the first 50 washes. Washing the garment frequently may help to ensure that the garment lasts longer and wears and performs better,” says Jan van Rooyen. He then recommends applying a product like Scotch Guard, or its equivalent, to extend the water repellency.

Spray-on and wash-in cleaners will clean and protect the garment, extending its life as well as the technology in it. Waterproofing products maintain the breathable performance of gear and prevent moisture build-up on the inside gear while repelling water from the outer surface.

No matter what product you use to water-

only 1/50th of UVA rays penetrate the fabric.

Icebreaker’s garments have a minimum of UPF 50, making them very protective.

Connecting to the outside world People just love gimmicks and brands are responding to this by incorporating other technologies into their clothing.

Columbia’s Thermal Electric heated garments are charged via USB — by plugging into a computer or wall socket — and therefore the batteries used to heat the garments can also be used to recharge other USB compatible items, such as phones and iPods. The garments have very thin circuit wires that connect to small battery packs (the size of a cell’s battery).

Icebreaker GT and Ronhill have garments that feature ports for headphones and the Ronhill high viz collection of windbreakers have an attachment at the back of the jacket where you can mount a LED for added visibility. proof, always clean the garment first before applying the waterproofing. This removes any dirt, etc. that would encourage wetting-out — where water isn’t repelled from the fabric, but instead absorbed into the fibers.

“Dirt, dust, oils and harsh detergents can all decrease the protective function of a garment. All of these agents are humidity-friendly and therefore they may impair the garment's water repellency and waterproofness,” says Van Rooyen.

“Machine washing a garment is preferable to dry cleaning — for the garment as well as the environment. A garment's colour, especially if it is polyester, may blur if dry cleaned,” he adds. “Make sure that any garment that is washed has been thoroughly rinsed of all detergents and dry in the shade.”

Columbia warns that dry cleaning will most likely permanently destroy the Omni Shield finish in their garments. Fabrics with DWR polymer should be washed at low or medium temperature (consult the care label) with powdered detergents. “It is best to avoid liquid detergents and especially fabric softeners as they increase the surface tension of the fibers and can greatly reduce performance,” Gouverneur adds.

“Fabric softener interferes with the fiber’s ability to wick moisture, thus compromising performance,” adds Leo Rust of Adventure Inc. “Do not tumble dry any Icebreaker garments.”

To further prolong the life of the garment, wash it inside out.

Even the way the garment is stored could affect the lifespan of the technologies. Pippa Stack of New Balance recommends storing the garment away from high temperatures, humidity and direct sunlight.

But, cautions Van Rooyen, if the coating or lamination of the garment is made of polyurethane, it will naturally lose some of its effectiveness over time. The chemical breakdown begins gradually. If a garment is laminated, it is important to take extra care to prevent delamination from abrasion or undue stress to the fabric.

Industry :: p39

Spotlight on sales agents

A sales agent is the public face of a brand or distributor. He is the link to their customer, the retailer. In this series we ask some successful agents for tips on what makes a good sales agent

10

Martin Nefdt

W

hen the legendary figures in the SA sports industry are discussed, the name Martin Nefdt is sure to pop up. And not only because he is one of the Legends of the Pedal, the elite group of SA cyclists that still gather to honour the greats of the sport. He earned his place as a multiple SA track champion and record holder for 29 years whose Olympic hopes were shattered by SA’s ban.

Friends will mention Nefdt’s hospitality and generosity, his ability to instantly convert acquaintances into friends and his passion for embracing new people and things. His network of contacts earned him the nickname mayor of the Eastern Cape. He has a lust for life and new experiences. When he turned sixty he conquered the big five: in that year he cycled in the Pick n Pay Argus and the Herald VW Cycling Tours; swam the 1 000-m Ocean Series in Port Elizabeth, as well as in the Redhouse River Mile; and rode his Cruiser in the Buffalo Rally.

People in the industry regard Nefdt as an inspirational example for sales agents. He was consistently the top agent for adidas, says former adidas SA MD Tony O’Hagan.

For the past ten years, Nefdt has been representing Puma in the Eastern Cape.

Joining Puma When Ronald Rink, newly appointed MD of the first Puma SA subsidiary, initially approached him, Nefdt was a bit apprehensive. He had just retired from adidas after an 18-year stint, where he had more market leading products than he could dream of showing to retailers. The newly opened Puma subsidiary relied on the Jomo Sono boot to excite customers.

“Puma was nowhere. But, I could see something coming, Ron is a good guy and he explained to me how he planned to grow the brand,” says Nefdt. He liked what he heard, he liked Rink and decided that he would enjoy this challenge.

Rink’s vision was spot-on and “the brand has just galloped along… the past ten years have been so exciting,” Nefdt enthuses.

Now, the selling of the world-class Puma styles and varied ranges is made even easier by the brand’s close association with the likes of Usain Bolt, Ferrari, the Blue Bulls, Bafana Bafana and in his own backyard, the Southern Kings.

As a sports lover, Nefdt enjoys the sports industry. Apart from his obvious interest in cycling — he has done The Argus nine times, but as a track cyclist he actually prefers to take to the road on a motorbike — Nefdt also enjoyed playing soccer, cricket and golf.

He has a soft spot for rugby. He worked tirelessly to save the Crusaders Rugby Club when it was running into trouble in 2008. He was subsequently elected president and since then the

Martin Nefdt (left) and Donavon Shehab doing the “Bolt” in front of their office building.

club has been thriving and is celebrating their 125th birthday this year. He is proud of the fact that Donavon Shehab — the pellet to his bullet in the agency — plays rugby for Crusaders.

For Nefdt bullets are the heavyweights with the experience to steer a steady course, while the pellets are younger, more nimble, and can run around and look after the passengers. An agency needs bullets and pellets, he believes.

“Donavon is at the coalface, he is doing a very good job,” says Nefdt. When his son Gustav was headhunted by Medicus shoes to become their brand coordinator (see p10), Shehab, who joined more than five years ago, became his right-hand man.

Nefdt became a sporting goods agent 28 years ago when he started selling the adidas brand.

As SA’s champion cyclist he became friends with another local sporting hero, Marcello Fiasconaro, world record holding 800m track star and long-time adidas agent. Through Fiasconaro he got to know adidas, which he later distributed through the sports agency he founded with Simon Bezuidenhout and Gavin Cowley.

That was after he returned from Johannesburg to his hometown, Port Elizabeth, when his father became ill. Even though he was a Springbok cyclist, Nefdt worked for the Valvoline Oil Company in Johannesburg after he left school, because there was no such thing as professional sportsmen. He was passionate about the job and especially enjoyed meeting heroes like the Formula 1 driver Mario Andretti, etc.

Nefdt eventually became the sole adidas Eastern Cape agent, while Cowley joined adidas full-time, where he is now marketing director.

Nefdt loved working for adidas. “I was schooled by people like Tony O’Hagan, Alain Ronc and Tex van Beuge, who all became great friends.”

He remembers wonderful experiences — like spending a week with world #1 golfer Ernie Els for an international photoshoot shortly after he became an adidas ambassador. Or interacting with Jonty Rhodes and Hansie Cronje in their prime. Or using his contacts and good relations

with the police to bring the precious 1995 World Cup to retail showrooms in the Eastern Cape, where crowds queued around the block to see it. “I had a great ride with adidas.”

But, around the turn of the century “I realised the world was changing around me and I thought it was time for me to move on.”

While on holiday in the Caribbean with Tekkie Town CEO Braam van Huyssteen, he got a call from Ronald Rink, who convinced him that Puma needed his experience and expertise.

About five years ago the agency and Puma acquired the building they are now operating from. The tenants recently moved out and they are busy remodelling. Soon, the noise and rubble will make way for a showroom where exstock as well as futures models will be displayed in style, plus a pub where they will entertain customers. There is also a large area to serve as depot, which will have enough room to accommodate overflow stock from other areas.

This will enhance their current strategy of entertaining retailers from outlying areas at their offices. They would pay for them to overnight in a hotel so that they have sufficient time to look at the new ranges without interruptions, and also to catch up on news. They can also show a much wider Puma product selection than what a travelling agent would be able to fit in his car.

The industry has changed a lot, they agree.

With brands now relying more on futures orders, range planning and accurate budget forecasts, an agent has more administrative work, with less time to make customer calls.

“The Eastern Cape is also becoming poorer.

The big players are getting bigger, but the smaller guys have taken a punch,” says Nefdt.

“But the good independents will survive, who stay focused are doing OK.” Because he knows just about everybody in the area from Umtata, Aliwal North down to Swellendam, Nefdt can accurately judge who’ll stay afloat.

Nefdt’s recipe for success: • Wide interests creates a wide network of contacts who trust your brand because they trust your judgement; • Enjoy meeting people and make them feel special; • Combine the experience of a bullet with the energy of a pellet; • Adapt your business in changing times, but still keep your customer’s best interests at heart; • Know your customers well to spot trends.

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p40 :: Sport

Tap into MMA, the fast growing sport Arguably one of the fastest growing sports in SA, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has enjoyed a massive upsurge in not only participation numbers but also in spectator interest over the past few years. What would you as a retailer need to know to tap into this emerging sport?

NELLE DU TOIT found out PHOTOS courtesy of EFC Africa

“W

ithin the last 2 years there has been an absolute growth in MMA as a result of EFC Africa and the international UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). I believe it is the fastest growing sport at the moment and that it will become much bigger in future,” says Rico The White Lion Hattingh of the MMA SA academy, who has an unbeaten SA record of 11 wins and two losses.

Why this upsurge in the sport? Have more people become fighters, or are more fighters just choosing MMA over other fighting disciplines?

“These days a fighter would much rather choose MMA over boxing because of the widespread television and international exposure the sport is enjoying. This can be seen by the declining number of boxing and karate participants against the rising number of MMA fighters,” Hattingh adds.

“MMA and fighting will always have a following as sparring and grappling is quite natural amongst young men. Young boys fight amongst

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

each other to prove that they can defend themselves and that they can beat an opponent in a physical fight. It is an ego thing,” he says.

MMA is a very niche market and you really have to be a genuine seller to stock MMA/boxing equipment Television exposure plays a big role as much of the success of the sport is driven by its spectators. “Starting less than 6 months ago, through its partnership with e.tv, EFC Africa has clocked a cumulative audience of over 4.7 million people on the channel,” says Cairo Howarth of EFC Africa, “and pulls 25.9% of the total available South African TV audience”.

That’s a larger audience share than any other sport in SA except soccer.

The live events are even more in demand as EFC Africa sells out to arenas with over 5 000

seats every 6 weeks, with tickets ranging from R 225 – R 1 290. The last live TV event before going to print, EFC Africa 13, drew a larger TV audience than the Tri Nations, Super 15 and ABSA Currie Cup on SuperSport.

“We estimate that there are over 200 MMA gyms countrywide, each gym having between 10-400 members,” says Howarth. “EFC Africa currently has over 80 South African professional MMA athletes contracted. There are amateur and small MMA events taking place on a weekly basis around SA, with massive growth in the amateur circuit from a participation perspective,” he adds.

The sport is clearly enjoying a growth spurt and it looks like it’ll be absorbing much of the limelight for some time to come. How do you as retailer tap into this lucrative market?

“MMA is a very niche market and you really have to be a genuine seller to stock MMA/boxing equipment as it’s not like soccer where you have a much larger pool to supply your goods to,” says Yusuf Badat of IG Hoosen & Co. “Lately Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) has been funding a lot of gyms and

Sport :: p41

schools promoting boxing in the disadvantaged areas as they have done with other sports.

Correspondingly, we have seen an increase in the demand for MMA and fitness equipment over the past few years,” he adds.

Howarth recommends that retailers wishing to stock MMA equipment should look into stocking the following: • MMA clothing • MMA event DVDs • MMA gloves (training, practice and competition) • boxing gloves • hand wraps • shin guards • groin protectors • headgear (sparing and competition) • mouth guards • equipment bags • grappling vests • knee and elbow pads • training shorts • ankle support guards • pads (focus mitts, Thai pads, kick pads and belly pads)

• bags (boxing, speed and heavy bags) • grappling dummies • kettle bells and lifting weights • accessories such as water bottles, skipping ropes, supplements and timers

Gloves/wraps Manufacturers recommend that retailers serious about MMA equipment look at stocking protective hand wear like sparring boxing gloves (ideal for bag work), heavy bag gloves (as an alternative to boxing gloves – quick slip on and go), leather boxing gloves (used for kick boxing, Mua Thai etc), professional style grappling gloves (usually very lightweight) and striking gloves (used in amateur fights with more protection than the pro style grappling gloves).

Hand wraps help protect the knuckles and keeps the wrists stiff underneath the glove, some brands manufacture a thin material glove-like hand wrap that can be worn underneath the glove.

“Hand wraps are used to protect the wrist and knuckles and they need to be long and stretchable as they are used with every train-

ing session,” says Jannie Smal of JGSA, distributors of Everlast MMA gear.

Professional Mixed Martial Arts (PROMMA) Africa rules state that the wrist and hands may be taped but not the knuckles. PROMMA is registered with SASCOC through its martial arts body MA & GCSA and is represented in at least 8 provinces within SA. Its main objective is to ensure that MMA is safely managed and developed on all levels throughout SA. It may be worthwhile to train staff members to correctly wrap hands in order to sell more hand wraps as add-ons for gloves.

According to the PROMMA website the binding of the hand wrap may not be applied less than 2,5cm from the knuckles of the contender’s hands. The tape may run between the fingers but not over the knuckles.

Before making the sale, make sure the glove fits the hand snugly with hand wraps on.

“Amateur and training gloves are usually around 8oz (230g), sparring 16oz (450g), bag gloves 12oz (340g), fighting around 10oz (280g) and professional MMA gloves 4oz (115g),” says To p42 Hattingh.

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p42 :: Sport

MMA gear from p41

“The reason why professional gloves are so much lighter than bag and training gloves is to enable fighters to move their hands much quicker. The smaller and lighter glove allows for better manoeuvrability and hand agility and allows the fighter to grapple their opponent much better,” says Hattingh. The function of the glove is basically to protect the fist and should be lightweight to enable more efficient hand movement.

The bigger gloves are softer and absorb more impact and are therefore better for beginners and amateur fights, but the more professional MMA fighters have lightweight gloves. The theory is that by training with bigger gloves the fighter will get more accustomed to the weight and their hands will be faster when they do use smaller gloves during competition.

Sparring gloves need extra padding to not only protect the hands of the fighter but also to make sure their opponent is not hurt. Training gloves are usually smaller than sparring gloves, but still very protective.

MMA gloves need to have open palms that help to get a better grip on your opponent when grappling. The open palm ensures that the opponent doesn’t slip out of your hands as the palms are in direct contact with your opponent and not the leather.

Protective wear “When it comes to protective wear such as head wear, shin guards etc professional fighters go without,” says Hattingh.

Amateur fighters, however, do fight with headgear, shin and foot protectors. “Protective equipment should be used in all training facilities and many youth programmes require protective gear at all times,” says Alden Halpern, CEO of MMA Elite, locally distributed by

Images courtesy of Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) Africa, GrandWest Casino, 13th of April

Flamingo Sales & Export Co. Full face headgear provides complete protection for the entire face and open face headgear can be used in competitions. Certain head wear have anti-microbial linings to prevent bad odours.

Grappling shorts should be made from stretchable heavy duty material that will take strain as well as allow for leg and body movement Shin/instep guards provide protection when striking the bag or whilst sparring. Some manufacturers have double layer high density foam padding on their shin pads.

Whether for training or competition, all MMA fighters should wear groin or chest protectors.

Even though groin attacks are considered fouls according to PROMMA rules, the athlete’s opponent could land an accidental low blow, either whilst sparring or grappling, and it is best to be protected.

Mouthpieces need to sit flush, contoured to the athlete’s teeth. Mouth guards are usually optional for grappling, but they are mandatory for striking. Even whilst training for an upcoming competition, recommend that your customer always has their mouthpiece in as it will condition them to function with hindered breathing just as during competition.

Fighting apparel “I would say the shorts are the most important piece of equipment for MMA,” says Mika’eel Sewpersad, MMA training camp member. “They are very specialised as they should allow for movement of the legs whilst doing grappling work on the ground and should not have any zips or buttons that could hurt your opponent.

Shorts made from durable fabric To p44

www.everlastsa.co.za

UFC gloves

Leather. Padding: Lahori & EVA

UFC gloves

Leather. Padding: EVA

Focus mit

Leather. Padding: EVA

Grappling gloves

Leather. Padding: EVA & under lay

Weight lifting gloves Spandex

Opal Sports Tel: 011 613 7474 Fax: 011 613 5241 anne@opalsport.com

MMA gear from p42

with lycra or stretch fabric at the inner thighs, or have long slits in the sides, work well for MMA.” Apparel that helps the fighter stay cool and dry and has builtin anti-microbial properties that repel bacteria could only benefit the fighter. Some manufacturers recommend moisture wicking rash vests. Long sleeve rash guards leave less skin area exposed and some claim that it can reduce chances of contracting skin to skin conditions like ringworm, herpes or staph infections.

“Grappling shorts should be made from stretchable heavy duty material that will take strain as well as allow for leg and body movement,” says Smal. “Rash vests are designed to keep the body drier longer and in some cases stronger. The Everlast short sleeve rash guard features Compress-X which fits firmly to lessen vibrations and reduce muscle fatigue by stimulating blood flow and curbing lactic acid build-up,” he adds.

“Footwear is not worn during MMA training or competition. It is not allowed in competition (professional and amateur) and adds no value in training, and damages the mats. The only time that footwear is worn is during cross fitness training and running,” says Howarth.

Without doctors permission a fighter is not even allowed to wear tape on their knees or feet.

Some fighters do, however, use full ankle guards with open toes and heels on their feet.

Lifestyle apparel MMA is not only a sport, it is a lifestyle and many nonfighting fans buy into this lifestyle. Thanks to the widespread television coverage or simply the nature of the sport, spectators and fans are constantly exposed to the brands, leisure wear and fighting legends that encompass this lifestyle.

Brands like Everlast (that won best technical gear award for 2 consecutive years at the World MMA Awards), TapouT (official sponsor of EFC), MMA Elite (official sponsor of UFC), BadBoy, Ecko Unlimited, Jaco clothing and EFC

Africa clothing (available through Musgrave Agencies) all supply MMA inspired clothing fit to fight any lifestyle.

“TapouT launched just 18 months ago and is already a multimillion Rand business in SA,” says Howarth.

“MMA ELITE is a strong supporter of our worldwide retailers. The reality is that we work extremely hard to satisfy the consumer and I believe that the retailer is a beneficiary of our connection to the consumer/fan,” says Halpern.

All-time favourite MMA fighters such as Anderson The Spider Silva (sponsored by Nike), Dan Hendo Henderson (sponsored by Clinch Gear), Jon Bones Jones (sponsored by Everlast) and Diego The Dream/Nightmare Sanchez (sponsored by BadBoy Mowers) create international idols of heroic proportions. South African fighters such as Demarte The Wolf Pena (sponsored by Sprawl and Everlast), Adam The Prodigy Speechly (sponsored by Sprawl), Garreth Soldier Boy McLellan (sponsored

by TapouT), Wentzel The Animal Nel and Ruan Fangs Potts inspire young South Africans to follow their footsteps and silver screen legends such as Randy Couture (sponsored by Everlast) and Chuck Liddell keeps the fighting dream alive in films like The Scorpion King, The Expendables and Cradle to the Grave.

EFC and UFC fights are not just screened once off on television during live events, many of the fights are uploaded onto internet sites where fans can relive and download their favourite fights to watch time and time again.

“People aspire to wear what their heroes wear and many buy the brand purely because it is seen on EFC or UFC,” says Hattingh.

MMA leisure clothing is not just seen in televised fights worn by sponsored athletes, it is seen in shopping malls, around town and in training gyms worn by lifestyle fans, spectators of the sport and people wearing it as a pure fashion statement.

“MMA has fans that have a real passion for the sport. They understand the respect and discipline that goes into making a great MMA fighter and the clothing gives all of us an opportunity to be a part of the lifestyle,” says Halpern.

45

Visit Sports Trader’s website for more product knowledge: www.sportstrader.co.za

What retailers need to know when selling cues

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hat goes into a cue and what are the different parts of a cue? What is the difference between one cue and another? What makes a good cue?

These are all questions a retailer needs to be able to answer.

Typically, there are three types of cue construction: • One piece cues are typically stocked in pool halls for communal use. They have a uniform taper. These are used by less serious players.

• Two-piece cues have a joint in the middle of the shaft for ease of transport. A two piece pool cue usually consists mainly of hard rock maple, has a fibreglass or phenolic resin ferrule and steel joint collars and pin.

• Three quarter two-piece cues have a joint three quarters down the shaft and are used primarily by snooker players. A ¾ split in the cue brings the joint closer to the lower end of the butt, meaning it is further out of the eye line of the shot. The longer half also requires an extra-long cue case.

Our cut-out-and-keep series to assist retailers with product knowledge Words: Carin Hardisty. Compiled with the help of Richard Lowy of Unicorn Group, Sheila Boucher of Line Up, www.ibsf.info, www.wpa-pool.com and www.lineup.co.za.

What does a cue consist of?

A cue stick, no matter the type of cue sport it is used, consists of different sections. The different parts of a cue are: Bumper: protects the cue from impact that might crack the butt over time. The additional weight affects the cue’s balance.

Butt: holds the bulk of the weight. It comes in various constructions, from a three-piece to a one-piece, which all create different feels because of the distribution of weight and balance point.

Usually players want the cue’s balance point near the top end of the wrap (the material around the butt where the cue is gripped).

Different types of wraps provide different levels of grip and moisture absorption. Lowpriced cues typically have a nylon wrap (not as good a feel as Irish Linen) while fibreglass and graphite cues tend to have a veltex grip that is made of fibreglass/graphite, but is smoother and not glossy. Pool cues use a wrap — not snooker cues.

The butt is often inlaid with exotic woods

and other materials such as ebony and ivory and usually parts of the butt are sectioned off with decorative rings.

Ferrule: holds the tip in place and protects the shaft wood. The World Pool-Billiard Association rules state that if the ferrule is of a metal material, it may not be longer than 1inch (2.54cm).

Joint: attaches the cue butt and shaft and is made of various materials. The male to female connections are made of brass or steel, because they respond less to temperature changes, which means they expand or contract less, which in turn adds to the life of the cue. Tra-

ditional designs have a threaded connection, while newer designs use a half-threaded quickpin-release connection that allows for faster disassembling. Further joint developments, such as quick release joints, offer ease of use for the player.

“It is vital that the joint aligns the grain and maintains the straightness of the cue,” says Richard Lowy of Unicorn Group. As the force of the shot is transferred from where the cue is gripped, down to the tip, it is important that this force is transferred equally and accurately.

Shaft: The two most common shafts are the pro taper and the European taper. The shaft begins to widen 30-35cm from the tip with a pro taper and widens from the ferrule to the joint with an European taper. Thicker tapers can mean stronger and heavier cues, but can lead to less feel of the cue in play.

Tip: The World Pool-Billiard Association rules states that “the cue tip may not be of a material that can scratch or damage the addressed ball. The cue tip on any stick must be composed of a piece of specially processed leather or other fibrous or pliable material that extends the natural line of the shaft end of the cue and contacts the cue ball when the shot is executed”.

There are different types of construction.

The one piece tip is softer and tends to mushroom more easily. Layered tips are typically made of layered leather, sometimes laminated. These generally cost more, but hold their shape better. Popular opinion is that layered tips give greater feel whereas single piece tips achieve greater shot power.

The standard curvature for pool cue tips are dime- or nickel radius — where the tip is shaped to have the same curvature of a dime or a nickel.

The rounder and smaller the radius of the tip, the better it imparts spin to the ball.

Tips vary in hardness. The softer tips hold chalk better, but can degrade faster. Harder tips are the opposite: they keep their shape longer, but do not hold chalk as well as soft tips.

To p46 A leather tip compresses and

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p46 :: Sport

Selling cues cont from p45

hardens with subsequent shots and the surface can develop an undesired smoothness/ glossiness. Chalk helps achieve the desired friction between tip and ball and to minimise the chance of a miscue.

Difference between snooker and pool cues While both pool and snooker cues consist of the same type of parts, there are differences in the materials and construction.

The World Pool-Billiard Association’s rules state that a cue stick used at their competitions has to be 1.016m long, weigh 708.75gm, have a 14mm cue tip and, if the ferrule is of a metal material, it may not be longer than 2.54cm.

The International Billiards & Snooker Federation rules only state that a cue used in their competitions may not be shorter than 914mm.

Pool • Tip: 12-13mm • Shaft: maple or hardwood • Length: The average length is about 147cm, but the right length depends on the height of the person using it.

• Joint: ½ way toward the butt • Ferrule: ivory, carbon fibre or a durable, high-impact plastic such as melamine resin, aegis or phenolic resin • Bumper: rubber

The one piece tip is softer and tends to mushroom more easily. Layered tips are typically made of layered leather, sometimes laminated. These generally cost more, but hold their shape better.

Typically, snooker cues are lighter, have a smaller tip and are a bit shorter than pool cues — but you can get butt extensions that can extend the cue.

• Tip: 9-11mm • Shaft: ash. Well grained ash shafts, when aligned correctly across the joint, allow snooker players to line up the angle of the shot. This is less pertinent in pool, where a stronger shaft allows for firmer shots and harder breaks.

• Butt: Usually flat on one side so that cue may be laid flay on the table and slid along the baize under a cushion to strike the cushion-ward side of the cue ball when it is frozen to the cushion • Joint: 2/3 or ¾ of the way toward the butt.

Some are jointed in two places.

• Ferrule: Brass • Bumper: Leather

What effect do materials used have?

The materials used in the construction of a

cue affect the feel of a cue. The harder the materials, the less resonance, which means the player has difficulty feeling if the shot was shot as intended.

“The purist will usually prefer a cue made from natural materials,” says Lowy. “However the advent of fibreglass allows for more consistent production, reducing the variation that comes with natural materials. Fibreglass can also offer a more fashionable appearance.”

Caring for the cue The cue must be stored, maintained and used correctly in order to minimise its deterioration over time. Recommend the following to your customers.

• Cues must ideally be stored horizontally rather than leaning against a wall, as this can lead to the cue bending over time.

• Avoid exposing the cue to extreme temperatures and it should not be left in direct sunlight, near a fire or against a radiator. The cue should also be kept away from damp.

• Recommend to your customer to not tap or drop the cue on the butt end — it might cause the butt to split or loosen the weight.

Likewise, they should not lean on the cue while waiting to take a shot.

• Do not tighten the joint release too far.

• Clean the cue with a damp cloth and dry immediately. Frequent cleaning will prevent a film build-up. Do not apply oils (e.g. silicone or lanolin wax) to the shaft — it will soften the wood and make it too flexible.

Assistance for SA manufacturers The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will be injecting R5.75-bn into the manufacturing sector from June 1 in order to make South African factories more competitive. The object of the grants will be to enable local manufacturers to compete on world markets during the second wave of the recession that followed the global financial crisis of 2008.

Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said the sector had been struggling with increasing input costs as well as the monetary policies of advanced countries that hampered exports.

The SA manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP has decreased compared to 1977, while the contribution of the manufacturing sector has grown in the fast-growing Asian countries.

The programme includes six incentive grants to help improve com-

petitiveness in capital investment, green technology and resource efficiency improvement, enterprise-level competitiveness improvement, cluster competitiveness improvement and funding for feasibility studies.

The applicants for the grant will be able to draw on grant funding, using these credits.

Firms that are at Level 4 on the BEE scorecard or have a credible plan to reach these levels will be given preference. Grant recipients will be required to give an undertaking not to reduce employment while participating in the programme The programme also encourages smaller firms to become more competitive by grouping together to carry out joint marketing or joint buying.

BRICS countries offer international opportunities The numerous challenges and opportunities presented by emerging markets were earlier this year discussed at Empreintes, a convention on brand-building held every two years in Bordeaux, and at the World Footwear Forum, held in Rio de Janeiro, reports SGI Europe. Some of the findings were: • The 3-bn people living in the BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — represent half of the world’s population of around 7-bn people and 25% of the global GNP. Together, they are expected to account for 75% of the likely continued annual 5% growth in the global GNP over the next 15 years.

• The world’s population should grow by 1-bn people over the same period. Most of the growth will take place in the BRICS. • Ten percent of the Chinese population can already afford to buy high-end local or imported shoes. Together the middle class in China and India, which are the most populous countries in the world, will be bigger than the middle class in Europe.

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

US sport industry worth $77-bn US sporting goods wholesale sales grew 4.2% to $77.31-bn in 2011, According to SGMA’s (Sporting Goods Manufacturers and Agents) 2012 Manufacturers Sales by Category Report. The biggest equipment categories are firearms/hunting ($2.9-bn); golf ($2.5-bn); fishing ($2-bn); camping ($1.8bn); and optical goods ($1.3-bn). The categories that registered sales gains of more than 5% are bowling, waterski, martial arts, golf, lacrosse and firearms. Treadmills account for 25% of the fitness sales.

Black butt and shaft, 8 ball on fire decals, rubberised wrap.

Fire Ball II

Black shaft, Samurai decal and rubberised wrap on the butt.

Slickstick

Four point butt design painted black, hardwood butt and natural hardwood shaft.

Original

Matt metallic blue butt with silver metallic splice decal.

Cosmic

Composite effect fibreglass cue. Resistant to atmospheric conditions, protects the cue against dents, the elements and warping.

Power

Hardwood butt.

Chequered flag design on blue background with black/blue linen wrap.

Mizano

Rosewood machine spliced butt. Olivewood, red and cream decal.

Duellist

Grain Ash shaft.

Four point butt design. Thuya Burr and blue decal.

Aero

Black butt and shaft, 8 ball on fire decals, rubberised wrap.

Fire Ball

Enhanced grain Ash shaft, with decorative red, orange and yellow decal design.

Dynamite

Brown painted butt, black and brown linen wrap.

Rogue

Four point butt design painted silver, hardwood butt and black painted hardwood shaft.

Target

Hardwood butt and shaft painted red with a white sporting style stripe decal running the length of the butt.

Vibe

Machine spliced Rosewood butt with Rosewood front splice and maple inlay.

Senator

Enhanced grain ash shaft, with 4 point butt design, with red and white elliptical decals.

Air Strike

White fibreglass cue. Resistant to atmospheric conditions and protects the cue against dents, the elements and warping.

Cirrus

DistributeD by Opal spOrts. tel: 011 613 7474. Fax: 011 613 5241. anne@OpalspOrt.cOm

p48 :: Sport

Any swimmer whether professional, triathlete, recreational or learn to swim pool splasher goes into a swimming section of a store for one reason — they want to better their swimming style and they are looking for the right tools to do just that.

Swimming accessories to grow sales

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hether it is as small as a nose clip or as technologically advanced as an open water GPS tracker, the right accessory could make a tremendous impact on the comfort and technique of the swimmer.

Finding out when to recommend the right products and knowing what they are capable of are critical to make the sale. The most important question when selling swimming accessories will therefore be: “What type of swimming do you do?”

Goggles The role of a goggle in swimming is of a protective nature and thus can be seen as more of an essential piece of equipment, rather than an accessory. But because it is still possible to go swimming without goggles it is often seen as an ad-on accessory, although this does not mean it is not highly specialised and technologically advanced. Quite often, to the contrary.

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

Swimmers who are looking for goggles for races should be encouraged to get hydrodynamic, lowprofile frames with UVprotection and a type of fog resistant treatment on the lenses.

Most goggles can be classified into categories, determined by the needs of the swimmer. Goggles designed for racing, which are made with the high-performance competitive athlete in mind, are a far cry from the more affordable goggles available for recreational swimmers. There are hybrid models that combine the technologies found in racing eyewear with more affordable materials, as well as protective eyewear for youth. The growing numbers of triathletes, water sports enthu-

siasts and other open water swimmers have pushed many manufacturers to design goggles specifically aimed at protecting the eyes of the open water swimmer.

A good tip is to display goggles in their respective categories, e.g. for competitive swimming, fitness training or open water etc.

“The most important consideration in a goggle sale should always be that it fits snugly and sits flush to the face while maintaining comfort,” says Donovan van Gelder of Rebel Elite Fitness distributors of Sailfish swimming accessories. See Sports Trader’s June/July 2011 article on How to sell goggles.

“Sales staff need to be educated on the fit of the goggles in order to advise the consumer,” adds Tanya Weiner of Speedo South Africa.

Open water/triathlon When recommending a goggle that would be used for open water swimming or triathlons, features to recommend include: • curved lens designs that help reduce

Sport :: p49

distortion in the peripheral view plane, • lenses that cut out harmful UV rays and reduce eye strain, • a secure seal and a leak-proof fit whilst still providing a hydrodynamic shape to allow for speed in the water.

“The wide curved lens design reduces distortion for optimal peripheral viewing,” says Joe Schoeman of Swimming International, distributors of FINIS accessories.

Brands like Head, Arena, FINIS, SwimFit and Cressi have a range of open water swimming goggles with plastic seals on the face (much like that of a diving mask) instead of the eye sockets. “This means that the goggles are a lot more comfortable over long distances as the goggles do not put any pressure on the eye sockets,” says Jurgen van Niekerk of Aqua Divers International, distributors of Head and Mares swimming accessories.

Having the extra layer of plastic around the goggle also means that the goggle fits many faces. A diving mask shape establishes a natural connection between face and lenses and the hydrodynamics grant safety through rough waters.

“Goggles with soft silicone on the face, which ensures perfect adaptability to a wide range of facial profiles, are ideal for open water swimming, triathlons and water sports,” says Jonathan King of AJF Agencies, distributors of Cressi swimming accessories. “A good face seal, great comfort, shatterproof lenses with UV protection, scratch-resistant external treatment and internal anti-fog treatment and an extra strong interchangeable strap are all important features to look out for in an open water goggle,” he adds.

Mirrored lenses provide protection against harmful UV rays. “Basically, what mirrored lenses do is to reflect glare so swimmers looking up whilst turning their heads don’t hurt their eyes,” says van Niekerk. Mirrored lenses are best used in open water or areas that are highly lit, as it does darken the lenses.

Polarized goggles provide optimum clarity and reduced eye strain.

Racing Swimmers who are looking for goggles for races should be encouraged to get hydrodynamic, low-profile frames with UV-protection and a type of fog resistant treatment on the lenses.

Racing goggles usually have separate eyepieces, with an elastic element in the structure that allows for perfect adaptability to a large number of facial profiles. Lenses are slightly curved on the outer profile, offering maximum visibility.

“Shatterproof lenses with scratchproof

treatment and UV protection, as well as internal anti-fogging treatment, are great features to have,” says King.

“It helps having 180 Degree peripheral vision which will help you to keep an eye on opponents and allow the visual perception of when to tumble turn, etc,” says van Niekerk.

As soon as a swimmer becomes a representative for his/her country and participates in FINA races, they will need to wear goggles that are FINA approved, he adds. But for the recreational swimmer who would now and then compete (not in a FINA race) a training goggle with similar technologies to the competitive ranges would suffice.

The length of the blade and the materials used determine muscle training and should ideally not cause any cramps. Some fins feature a soft elastomer on the side of the blade to prevent possible damage to other swimmers Lens colouring will have a direct effect on how the swimmer will be able to see in the water. Adidas offers a breakdown of how the lens colour would protect the eyes and affect what is seen through the goggles.

• Grey: Good protection from light glare, ideal for outdoor use.

• Mirror: Helps to reduce light glare and minimizes eye strain, ideal for outdoor.

• Blue: Improves contrasts and eliminates yellow light providing a more comfortable view.

• Pink: Enhances contrasts and improves the sight on long distances.

• Orange: Good for all-purpose usage. Reduces disturbing brightness with low colour distortion.

“We recommend that the retailer always has an offering of blue lenses, clear lenses and some for sun protection,” says Grant Mackenzie of Turbo SA.

Goggles and swim caps for kids “It is important to recommend goggles with a watertight seal and leakproof frame that provides comfort for young sensitive faces,” says Schoeman.

Brands like adidas, Arena, SwimFit and FINIS have goggle ranges that offer kids and moms a non-hair pulling strap with an easy snap-on and -off clip. It is important to have frames made from soft materials around the eye gasket for sensitive faces.

Moms possibly wanting to instil a positive connotation in the minds of their little ones through smell can now choose from fruit scented (grape, sour apple and cherry) and candy scented (bubble gum, tutti-frutti and sour apple) goggles from certain manufacturers.

“Also in the kids range are our Animal Head swim caps — everywhere we take them, they

fly off the shelves,” says Schoeman.

Swimming caps In many gyms and indoor swimming pools swimming caps, whether fabric or silicone, are mandatory. Fabric swimming caps have the advantage of being more comfortable to use as they do not tear hair whilst putting them on or taking them off. They also have a looser fit and leave less marks whilst wearing. In some regions fabric caps are standard for the pool.

It helps having an anti-chlorine finish on the material.

Softer silicone could help avoid pulling hair and wrinkle free, compression type of silicon caps work well.

Some brands have a fabric based cap with a water repellent PU coating which protects hair from chlorine bleach and from becoming wet.

Snorkels Swimming specific snorkels are designed to help the swimmer breathe easier and focus on their technique while they swim. Some manufacturers claim that swimming snorkels improve technique as the swimmer can focus on their stroke and it allows them to swim with perfect balance.

Features to look out for would be lightweight and a snug fit that doesn’t twist around too much. You would need a sturdy headpiece for when you do tumble turns off the wall as the snorkel tends to move around. Some snorkels come with a one-way purge valve and manufacturers claim that snorkels could increase the swimmers aerobic lung capacity.

“A good quality centred snorkel can be cross merchandised with nose clips,” suggests Wiener.

Nose clips The advantages of nose clips would be that it prohibits water and chemicals such as chlorine from entering the nose whether swimming freestyle, backstroke, butterfly or tumble turning.

It also helps swimmers concentrate on their stroke as it forces them to breathe from their mouth.

However, one would rarely see advanced swimmers using nose clips, except for specific exercises, or in the case of an allergy.

Swimming fins Swimming fins allow swimmers to become accustomed to a proper kick technique, which provides less drag and allows the swimmer to travel further whilst exerting less To p50

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p50 :: Sport

Swim accessories

sion), encourage a higher elbow, a full forearm utilization, or correct palm positioning.

Some brands offer combo packs for training aids to give the swimmer the package they need. effort. As they can’t be used in most races, Kicker boards are ideal as a lower body trainthey are seen as training aids, which helps de- ing aid and should be designed for easy grip velop certain muscle with good flotation. groups.

Ear plugs, pace clocks, Whether a waterproof “Areas of considexercise mats, flotation eration when buybelts, stretch cords, music player, metronome, ing swim fins are a swim belts, paddles, pull GPS tracker, watch, traincomfortable fit from buoys, kick boards and ing aids or even the latest a soft foot pocket, swim fins are all ad-on pair of goggles the swimthey should be easy accessories that can help mer entering your store to put on and reboost sales. move, while still Other add-ons that could only benefit from holding firm around could help drive sales are utilizing the latest ad-on the foot. The fin electronic devices. accessory designed to should be light and Electronics improve their swimming have a short enough practice.

• With an array of wablade to be agile terproof watches and through the water, timing devices on the while still being long market today the swimmer without a budgenough and firm enough to give you adequate et has a lot to choose from. From watches performance,” says King. that records laps, strokes and distances to Fins made from lightweight buoyant matewatches that can even identify a swimmer’s rial helps float legs to the surface to allow for stroke style (whether breast stroke, back proper body positioning, which could aid prostroke, fly or freestyle) the wallet is the only pulsion through the water. Shorter blades prolimit to the technology available. mote faster kicks. Some fins catch the water “A lap counter; stroke rate counter; pace per on the up-kick, targeting and strengthening lap as well as the usual stop watch functions hamstrings and glutes.

“The use of fins whilst training promotes a are ideal functions to have in a stop-watch,” higher body position, eliminating uphill swim- says van Gelder. ming, the major downfall of average to poor • For open water swimmers wanting to record and measure their distance and route in swimmers. Elite swimmers use them to gain dams, seas or lakes a waterproof GPS trackthe feeling of faster swimming with an imer is their ultimate companion. proved body position,” says Schoeman.

Short training fins help improve technique • Other electrical swimming accessories include metronomes that allow the swimand strengthens legs. The length of the blade mer to find their optimum combination of and the materials used determine muscle distance-per-stroke and stroke rate. For training and should ideally not cause any the competitive swimmer the distance per cramps. Some fins feature a soft elastomer on stroke and stroke rate equals performance. the side of the blade to prevent possible damThe swimmer concentrates on the audible age to other swimmers. beep to maintain consistency of stroke.

Training aids • Though competitive swimmers might apTraining aids are preciate the repetitive sound from the metabsolutely geared ronome, the active swimmer will most likely towards shaping appreciate something a little more melodic. and developing a More swimming specific brands are realizswimmer’s stroke ing that there is a bigger market for waand kick technique. terproof music players as more and Hand paddles work to more athletes are taking to the develop the stroke techwater and not wanting nique as any flaws become to leave their famore obvious whilst using them. vourite workThey also add an extra load to the out playlist workout, which can improve body behind. conditioning. But, customers should Whether a be warned that an injury can also be waterproof mumore easily sustained as each stroke sic player, metroshould be performed with good technome, GPS tracker, watch, nique. Hand paddles are designed to either training aids or even the latimprove arm reach (when swimming freeest pair of goggles the swimmer style), increase speed and strength through entering your store could only benefit from resistance, improve the sculling technique utilizing the latest ad-on accessory designed (back and forth movement for forward propul- to improve their swimming practice.

cont from p49

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

Sport

School sport and club developTHE SPORT & Recreation SA (SRSA) budget allocation of R848.4-m for 2012/13 is an increase of R45.7-m from the previous financial year, said Minister of Sport and Recreation SA, Fikile Mbalula, in his 2012 Budget Speech. The bulk (R525-m) will be allocated to the Mass Participation Programme (MPP), mainly for the MPP conditional social grants (R470-m), with the focus on school sport (R211-m), club development and community hubs (R106-m each).

School Sport has been identified as a priority area for delivery in 2012-2013. The School Sport budget increased from R27.3R42.6-m to deliver sport programmes for the 16 priority sporting codes and train educators in coaching, technical officiating, team management and sport administration. The aim is to ensure that all learners have access to organized sport that offers opportunity for mass participation, talent support and high performance. The School Sport Programme is underpinned by Physical Education, Top School Leagues and Youth Olympics, says the Minister. So far 11 000 of 27 000 schools have registered for participation in the 2012 School Sport Leagues and competitions, which will culminate in the national Top Schools final championship in December 2012.

On 13 February 2012, SRSA launched a National Sports Volunteer Corp in order to recognise and utilise the experience and expertise of Sport Legends as coaches, talent identifiers, technical officials, sport administrators and sport and recreation facility managers.

The Sport Support Services Programme received R187.3-m to support sport federations (NF) in development projects. Funding will be divided into two tiers: “Guaranteed” and “Conditional” — which will be outcome based, measured by the Transformation Score-Card, good corporate governance and value for money delivery. NFs must submit bids for programmes and projects

News

ment score in sport budget that address schools and tertiary participation, as well as demonstrate effectiveness and sustainability. The programmes must demonstrate how the federation intends to progress in terms of their ranking in Africa and the world.

The following sporting codes are expected to grow in the coming year: Netball: The professionalisation of netball will be finalised this year and a full professional netball league will be launched in April 2013. The aim will be to cultivate approximately 220 full time professional and elite players from the more than 2-m active participants. SA currently ranks #5 in the world. Netball SA will host an annual quad nation netball tournament, the Netball Diamond Challenge, which will include SA, Botswana, Uganda and Malawi, in August this year and is bidding to host the Netball World Cup in 2019.

Basketball: SRSA will be hosting the 10th Anniversary of the Basketball without Borders NBA programme in Africa on the 30th August 2012. This will be the first NBA tournament to be held on African Soil. The SABC will broadcast all the major games of the NBA on SABC during the course of 2012/13 to promote the sport and its development on the grassroots level. “We are in partnership with Basketball SA and University Sport in SA to develop an all-round strategy for the promotion and sustenance of basketball in schools and universities,” Mbalula said.

Boxing: SRSA has met with the SA National Amateur Boxing Organization (SANABO) and Boxing SA (BSA) to devise a turn around plan for boxing in SA, Mbalula reported. Issues they are dealing with include strengthening BSA financially and through deployment of personnel, strengthening the financial capacity and human capital at SANABO, promoting female boxers and ensuring broadcast coverage for boxing. This resulted in a promising financial positioning of BSA and progress made towards strengthening SANABO.

Sport :: p51 The final day of the Billabong SA Champs on 27th of May saw some great surfing taking place. In the team awards Western Province continued their undefeated series of victories on home soil. In the U20 girls division Heidi Palmboom from KwaZulu Natal is the new champion.

The U20 Boys was decided by an air-off between Mikey February (WP) and Dylan Lightfoot (EP), with local boy February getting the nod and beating Lightfoot into second place.

Nikita Robb from Border was the eventual winner in the Open Women’s division, retaining her title in the process. The 2012 Open Men’s Champion is Casey Grant (SKZN).

The inaugural World University Netball Championships (WUNC) will be played in Cape Town in July.

SPAR Protea player Vanes-Mari du Toit, who’ll be a member of the SA university squad that will be competing, said that university netball was the foundation of top-level netball in South Africa. “As students, we have the opportunity to train and to experience internal competition among the universities.”

The SPAR Protea ladies team were preparing for a three-match series they played in Jamaica in June at the time of going to press. Jamaica is ranked fourth in the world.

In August Netball SA will host a tournament with Botswana, Uganda and Malawi.

Problems with equipment supplied for school sport ONE OF the challenges in the implementation of the school sport programme is the shortage of most sporting equipment in disadvantaged schools, DG of Sport & Recreation SA (SRSA), Alec Moemi, told the parliamentary committee on sport and recreation. He complained that some clubs got equipment of inferior quality, despite exorbitant prices charged.

“After a meeting with National Treasury it was agreed that SRSA would request companies to submit quotations, and SRSA would then determine who met the specifications of reasonable price, quality, number of stitches and weight,” he said, as reported in the minutes of the committee meeting. “There was a general inability to afford most sporting consumables (those items that have to be replenished over and over, such as balls).”

A tender has gone out for the supply of sports kits and equipment for school sport that is biased to local manufacturers, products and BBEE suppliers, according to the DG’s executive summary. Since 7 December 2011 SRSA focused on monitoring locally manufactured goods. BEE service providers are supported with the purchasing of sports equipment and attire — in 2010/11 SRSA spent R3 396 797 on gym equipment and R750 299 on sport attire. In 2011/12 they plan on spending R3 700 500 on equipment and R900 000 on clothing.

SRSA is also involved in the establishment of a government schools sports league, the Top School League Programme. School teams compete at five levels — intra-school, interschool, district, provincial and national.

Current tournaments and leagues will be expanded as part of the Top School League, e.g. the U13 Milo soccer league would be scaled up from 640 to 4800 schools. The Craven Rugby Week would be scaled up from 27 schools to 50, with additional schools coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Khaya Majola cricket tournament will be scaled up from 16-40 schools, with additional entries from historically challenged schools. More than 600 schools already participate in the Cricket SA Schools T20 Challenge, currently the only nationally coordinated schools cricket programme in SA. The schools of participants who won at the district level would also benefit from professional support, kits and relevant facilities.

SRSA had adopted the coaching framework in November last year and teachers are already registering for training.

There is an absence of sport facilities in most rural schools and schools with no land for sport facilities are encouraged to participate in a chess league. They will receive chess equipment and tutoring from top chess players.

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p52 :: Outdoor

How to

attract the birders to

your store

T

here are many anecdotes about how fanatical some of the birding twitchers can be. One of the most recent incidents look place in Clovelly in Cape Town when a little crake was identified by a local enthusiast. It was the first time that it had been seen south of the equator.

The positive identification was made at about 17h00 on Thursday the 24th of March 2012. Word got out and spread like proverbial wildfire. That same day at least 50 birders visited the site. At least 600 people visited the site over the next 12 days, until the bird disappeared again — a high percentage of them visiting more than once.

Trevor Hardaker, a local ornithologist (see

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

www.zestforbirds.co.za), did a small survey on what effect this incident had on the local economy. He estimate that at least 100 people travelled more than 500km each to see the bird. He concluded that they spent at least R400 000 on travel and accommodation and that the people used optical equipment to the value of more than R3-m.

A market survey of the size and importance of the birding market in Southern Africa has, as far as we can establish, never been done.

There are therefore no easy obtainable information about the size of this market to facilitate making a decision to enter this market, or not.

Most people you talk to, however, will give you a gut feel response saying that the mar-

ket is definitely large enough for outdoor and sport retailers to start considering it as a niche segment for which they can offer an additional and distinct product line.

Mark Anderson, CEO of Birdlife SA, the organisation that represents people belonging to bird clubs in South Africa, estimates that they have between 6 000 and 7 000 members, but that is only the tip of the iceberg as far as the total number of birders are concerned.

He acknowledges that no detailed studies have been conducted, but says that they estimate that there are about 30 000 active birders in SA. The tourism side of birding is too important to ignore. According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) it is estimated that

Outdoor :: p53

Between 21 000–40 000 birding tourists visit SA annually, 60% of whom are domestic tourists. The total spend by these birding tourists was estimated to be between R927-m to R1.73-bn per year

Bird watchers can be almost fanatical about their hobby. That means that they spend money on new equipment and stay up to date with the latest tools that will make them better twitchers. Why not attract these affluent and passionate consumers to your store? NIC DU TOIT explains why sport and outdoor retailers will benefit from attracting bird watchers

Southern red bishop photographed by Nic du Toit

an estimated 3-m trips are undertaken internationally specifically for birding purposes each year.

The DTI released a report on South African avitourism (birding tourism) at the end of 2010 in which it was estimated that SA’s avitourism market comprised between 21 000 and 40 000 avitourists annually, 60% of whom are domestic tourists.

The total spend by these avitourists was estimated to be between R927-m–R1.73-bn per year. It is estimated that avitourism’s potential contribution to GDP is between R1.21-bn to R2.24-bn annually.

Most of the destinations of these travellers lie outside the urban areas, resulting in a large proportion of the tourism spend to fall in the

rural areas.

Birdlife SA has recognised this and promote a number of birding routes in different parts of the country. They have also trained a number of community based guides and promote birder friendly accommodation establishments and tour operators.

The popularity of birding can also be judged by the number of citizen scientists active in some research projects. Professor Len Underhill, director of the Animal Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town (see http:// adu.org.za), says that more than a thousand people have contributed observations to their SABAP2 (South African Bird Atlassing Project no 2) project. Over the last five years more than 3.7-m records, covering more than 60%

of the total area of SA, have been submitted to their database.

This is only one of about twenty full time projects they are currently running. Prof. Underhill also stresses that retailers should look wider than bird enthusiast as their target.

Other animals and insects are rapidly becoming more important, judging by the projects they are running. Butterflies and reptiles are two examples, but perhaps the biggest number of people will be interested in animals in general.

Birder profile They recently started the MamalMap project which aims to update the distribution records of all animal species in Africa. They are following the same model as before and will be relying heavily on citizen scientists to supply information and photographs for their research.

According to the 2010/11 annual report of the South African National Parks 4.5-m people visited the parks during that year. This gives another indication of the popularity of animal, bird and insect watching — and the size of the market that caters for those enthusiasts.

Birders are normally older people who have the time and money to devote to their hobby.

According to a 2011 research report by SS Simango of the University of the Witwatersrand the average age of birders in SA is between 30 and 65, with the 51 to 60 years group being the largest.

Birders are wealthy, with 31% earning R50 000 or more per month. They are highly educated, with more than 80% of them being graduates of a university. They are predominantly male (62%) and 38% female.

More than 70% of them classify themselves as enthusiastic, or committed birders, attending on average more than 30 birding events (club meetings, courses, trips and promotional events) per year.

Marketing ideas Because birders are mostly older people who are not necessarily active participants in sport or other outdoor activities, they will probably not be your regular customer. But, since they are wealthy and not shy to spend on gear, they are exactly the kind of customers you would want to attract to your store.

It could therefore be to your advantage to apply some thought on how to make your store attractive to these affluent and passionate consumers.

Because birders are committed to To p54

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p54 :: Outdoor

Attract the birdwatchers cont from p53 their hobby, they will look favourably on anybody who seems to share their interest.

• Dress an area in your store with products that will appeal to bird watchers. You might find that you already stock most of the products, but by arranging them together, perhaps with a few bird posters, you can create a birding corner that could attract the customers that would not normally visit your store.

• Create an area where people can relax and page through magazines and books on birds, insects, or animals while having a cup of coffee.

• Get involved with your local bird or outdoor clubs, bird routes, important bird areas, etc. to promote your shop and services.

• Promote bird- and animal-related activities in your shop by advertising local birding outings, displaying the dates of bird club meetings, or by organising a photographic competition for customers, etc.

• Join research organisations such as the Ani mal Demographic Unit and help report sightings of birds and animals.

Products to supply There are a wide variety of products that retailers could stock to attract bird- and other animal watchers.

Birders are wealthy and not shy to spend on gear, they are the kind of customers you would want to attract to your store.

• Binoculars and spotting scopes. Birders would prefer fast focusing and close focusing binoculars with a very good depth of field and good field of view. In addition, they should offer good water resistance and be portable.

• Still digital cameras with built in, or separate long lenses.

• Video cameras • Camera traps that you can set up and leave for an animal or bird to trigger to take a photo.

• Tripods for spotting scopes, still and video cameras.

• Recording and playback devices and their microphones and speakers to broadcast bird calls to attract them to a particular spot.

• Field guides and reference books — there are a wide variety of books, from comprehensive guides featuring all Southern African birds, to books on birds that are common to an area or habitat, or specific kinds of birds

(like raptors or waterbirds, etc.).

• General books, DVD’s and magazines on birding.

• Birdwatching computer programmes to help identify birds or bird calls.

• Bird feeders, nest boxes, nest logs and bird seed that bird lovers use to attract birds to their gardens.

• Bags, hard cases and drybags for carrying equipment and guide books.

Drybags will especially be handy for protecting valuable binoculars or cameras when watching coastal or waterbirds close to the water, or in the rain.

• Outdoor eating utensils, picnic baskets and coffee flasks that birders can take on a day trip or when spending time in a bird hide.

• Batteries and chargers for cameras and recording devices.

• Spotlights and torches for night-time birding • Outdoor shoes and clothing — multi-pocket ed vests are quite popular for carrying birding books, sunglasses, water bottles, etc.

• Sunglasses — preferably polarized as most bird watchers will watch waterbirds at some stage.

Keep in mind that you are catering for a wealthy and discerning market and you need to give them a wide choice, both as far as different products and price is concerned.

Viper and Razor spotting scopes come with a case and rotating tripod mount

• 20-60x eyepiece included • 65 or 80mm objective lens • HD extra-low dispersion glass • XR, fully, multi-coated lenses • ArmorTek exterior coating for extra protection from scratches, dirt and oil • Argon purging and o-ring seals to fog and waterproof the scope • Rubber armouring • Dual focus for coarse and fine focus adjustments • Sunshade reduces glare and shields objective lens

• 20-60x eyepiece • 30x eyepiece available with or without reticle (MOA or MRAD) • 85mm objective lens • HD lenses for the ultimate resolution and colour fidelity • ArmorTek exterior lens coating for extra protection against dirt, oil and scratches • XR, fully, multi-coated lenses for increased light transmission • Argon purging and o-ring seals for fog and waterproof performance • Compact die-cast magnesium alloy body • Dual focus for coarse and fine adjustments • Built-in sunshade reduces glare

All Vortex binoculars are supplied with bags and carry straps

• Available in 8x42 and 10x42 • Sleek open hinge, ergonomic design • High Definition lenses provide impressive resolution, and colour fidelity • Fully multicoated XR lenses provide clear, bright images and colour-accurate images • ArmorTek protects the exterior lenses from scratches, dirt and oil • Phase corrected prisms for sharp images and perfect contrast • Argon gas purging and o-ring seals for fog and waterproof performance • Tough rubber armour for a secure grip and protection

• Phase corrected prisms • Wide field of view for scanning • Rugged rubber armour for protection and a secure grip • 8x42 and 10x42 • Fully multi-coated lenses • Fog and waterproof

• Available in 8x42 and 10x42 • HD (High Definition) lenses for impressive colour fidelity and resolution • Fully multi-coated XR lenses for increased light transmission and clear, bright images • ArmorTek coating protects exterior lenses from scratches, oil and dirt • Phase corrected prisms • Rugged rubber armour for protection and secure grip • Argon gas purging and o-ring seals for waterproof and fog proof performance

• 8x42 and 10x42 • Fully multi-coated lenses • Rugged rubber armour outer for a secure grip • Fog proof and waterproof

For trade enquiries contact Whylo Tel: 031 584 8088 andrew@whylo.co.za

Scops 35W HID Kit 35W HID Lamp - 3500 Lumens - Beam Distance: 1500m Waterproof: IP64 - Aluminium lightweight body 3m Long 12V Straight Cord Locking Switch Mechanism Protective rubber face cap and storage handle Supplied with: Hard Carry Case Red Filter with Rubber face cap 12V 7Ah Battery pack Soft carry case for 12V Battery 12V DC Charger for Battery 220V AC Charger for Battery

Suggested Retail Price: 35W HID Spotlight ONLY with protective string bag: R 899.00 Complete Scops 35W HID Kit: R 1,999.00

Spotlights

www.gameprosa.co.za Distributed by: LiteOptec (Pty) Ltd www.liteoptec.co.za

MegaScops 55W HID 55W HID Lamp 4500 Lumens Beam Distance: 1500m Reflector size: 240mm Lightweight Polycarbonate housing 3.2m Long 12V Straight Cord On/Off switch

MS4521 - MegaScops HID Unit Suggested Retail Price: R 2,599.00 incl. Vat GamePro Spotlight Warranty: 3 Year guarantee against manufacturing fault excluding globes and spotlight with batteries. (consumable items)

Visit www.gameprosa.co.za to view the full range of GamePro Spotlights (HID and Halogen), Red Lenses and battery packs.

57

The latest in LED lights Visit Sports Trader’s website for more product knowledge: www.sportstrader.co.za

L

EDs used in outdoor lighting products are not new on the block — in fact, today you’ll be hard pressed to find an outdoor light that does not consist of LEDs. Brands are, however, continually coming up with new and more efficient ways of make use of these energy efficient light emitting diodes.

“LEDs may well now rank among the devices that have had the most impact on human history of late,” says Rupert Merl of LiteOptec, local distributors of Maglite.

Specialised for activities Headlamps are becoming more specialized. The brightest light shining the furthest might not be the best light for the specific activity that your customer wants to buy it for. Asking your customer to tell you exactly what they need from the light, or what they will be using it for, is essential in selling them the correct product.

• Users who want to use their light for running at night, for example, would want a light that can withstand high imapct, is correctly weighted (very little weight in front) so that it doesn’t bounce against the runner’s head, has regulated light — the constant bright light aids visual clarity, essential for maintaining speed, and prevents eye strain when fatigue sets in —, offers high visibility with a caution light at the back of the head, is waterproof — so that the headlamp can be washed to get rid of sweat and odour — and has a more disparate light that casts a wider, diffused light (rather than a far flung focused beam).

• While the user who wants to go for a jog in the evening and the person who is doing an all-night adventure race have similar requirements in terms of weight, fit, etc. of a headlamp, the battery life will make a huge difference for the different users.

• Mountaineers, trail runners, and mountain bikers need to see a long distance ahead of them. As the light’s battery burns down, the beam distance will get shorter, which will impact on the user’s ability to plan ahead on their route and could impact on their safety.

Battery indicators are therefore useful — particularly for users who need consistent performance, but on an infrequent basis.

• Some lights are designed to be lightweight, which is helpful for hikers or backpackers who count every gram that they have to carry with.

• Also, keep in mind that for any user who

Our cut-out-and-keep series to assist retailers with product knowledge Words: Carin Hardisty. Compiled with the help of Rupert Merl of LiteOptec, local distributors of Maglite, Bruce Woodroffe of Awesome Tools, local distributor of LED Lenser, Simon Larsen of Ram Mountaineering, distributor of Black Diamond and Princeton Tec, Jacques Botes of Eiger Equipment, distributor of Petzl, Matt Tibenham of Drifters Adventure Centre and Paul Frier of Cape Union Mart

• Devices that can plug into the cigarette holder of a car, or into the USB port on a computer; • Solar chargers, which are now available in portable format, are becoming increasingly popular, although they do tend to take a long time to charge. If recharging time will be a factor, tell your customers to take charged batteries along as backup. Some solar chargers can plug into the wall socket or car to give a quicker charge; • LED Lenser’s Floating Charge System makes use of a wear-free magnetic charge socket.

The system is compatible with other connection possibilities, for example car charger or USB connections.

Output vs battery life

foresees the possibility of getting wet, a light that has a water resistance or waterproof rating is essential. Keep in mind that there are different levels of weatherproof ratings — from being able to withstand a few splashes to being able to withstand being submerged.

It all comes down to knowing exactly what your customer will need the light for.

Power options There have been great advances in power options since the first LEDs were used in products such as headlamps.

Originally you could expect an average battery life of around 18 hours from a 4.8V battery.

Today you’re looking closer to about 200 hours of usable light from three 1.5V AA batteries.

The alkaline battery is traditionally the standard option when it comes to powering outdoor lights. However, disposable alkaline batteries are not environmentally friendly and manufacturers are starting to pay more attention to rechargeable options.

Rechargeable: There are some convenient options to use to recharge batteries:

Generally, LED technology develops faster than battery technology, which means that while outdoor lighting products might be getting smaller and lighter and be emitting stronger beams further, the batteries are still lagging behind.

A very bright light that can only shine for an hour when the user is going to be participating in a through-the-night race, is pointless.

It is important to recommend the right light for the right activity — where the balance of output and battery life is ideal for the activity.

To help communicate information to consumers, some brands have developed a method to indicate burn times as beam distance: • T0 (fresh batteries), • T0.30hr (after half an hour of burning) • T10hr (after 10hours of burning).

Heat sink While more light is very useful to the user, it also means more heat, which is not very useful to the LED itself. LED performance is affected by the temperature in which it is operating.

Manufacturers therefore have to incorporate heat sinks, which makes the lighting product bulkier. A heat sink cools a device down by dispersing heat into the surrounding air.

The other benefit to having a heat sink is that while it cools the LED down, the resulting warmer air around the unit is useful in cold weather to make the batteries warmer.

Regulated vs nonregulated lights Lights, especially headlamps, tend to either emit regulated or nonregulated brightness.

The difference between the two is in the way the light intensity lessens as batteries drain: regulated lights maintain a con To p58

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p58 :: Outdoor

LED lighting developments cont from p57 stant light intensity and then abruptly drops off when batteries are drained; with nonregulated lights the light intensity gradually declines as the batteries get less.

While it is great having the constant light, the negative for regulated lights is that the light can go out abruptly, which might leave the user unprepared and scrambling around in the dark.

Some manufactures develop the regulated technology further by incorporating a chip which allows the output to drop down in steps (constant, drop, constant, drop, etc.) It is therefore often helpful to look at the burn curve for a particular model to better understand a light’s performance.

Adopting standards Consumers want to know how their light will perform before they buy it. It is difficult to make an informed decision on light performance based on traditional packaging information — lumens, battery life, etc. — because these are usually based on usage in optimal conditions.

For example, the amount of lumens is usually a measurement of the raw LED powered at a specific voltage and current — and frequently this does not take into account what happens when the light shines through a lens or, for example, when battery life is low.

“We believe one of the greatest developments in LED manufacturing has been the adoption by almost all reputable flashlight manufacturers of a common standard, called the ANSI-NEMA FL-1,” says Merl. “LED performance has been, and is, greatly overstated or exaggerated by many torch manufacturers.”

Without a common standard a manufacturer can make claims about performance based on completely different measurements than what other manufacturers use. This makes it almost impossible for the consumer to evaluate similar products with wildly different claimed specifications.

The adoption of the ANSI FL-1 standard has levelled the playing field. The standards that the products adhere to are printed as icons on the packaging of brands that adopted this standard.

The ANSI FL-1 standard This standard measures of six criteria: • Beam distance: the distance that a normal person with average eyesight can see at night in a dark field. □ The value is calculated by taking the peak beam intensity, dividing by 0.25

lux, and taking the square root of the result • Light output: The total lumens of output are measured in an integrating sphere after the light has been on for 30-120 seconds.

Most LEDs attain maximum lumen output at the moment of switch-on, then subside slowly to a reduced level and stabilise shortly after.

The ANSI standard therefore requires lumens to be measured at 30 seconds after switch on, once stabilized.

LEDs from the same batch may have slightly different outputs and ANSI therefore allows an averaged rating from a random selection of the same light.

The ANSI FL-1 standard allows the consumer to make informed decisions when purchasing an outdoor light • Run time: The run time is measured from 30 seconds after switch on, until the torch drops to 10% of the initial output. It is indicated in hours and minutes on the packaging.

• Peak beam intensity: The light intensity is measured in candela (the same luminous intensity as a common candle and abbreviated to cd) at the brightest part of the beam. □ A lux reading (light reading) in the brightest portion of the beam is taken at some distance (2m, 10m or 30m) with the light on its brightest mode and tightest focus 30–120 seconds after turning the light on. □ The lux reading is multiplied by the square of the distance in meters to get candela. The distance doesn’t matter — the candela value should be the same.

• Water resistance: There are three ratings. □ IPX4: water resistant. The light can be splashed without water getting inside.

“If your customer wants to use a headlamp with an IPX4 rating while mountaineering and they walk for a night in the rain, recommend that they open the battery up and dry it out properly when they get to shelter,” says Simon Larsen of Ram Mountaineering, distributors of brands such as Black Diamond and Princeton Tec. □ IPX7: water proof. The light can be submerged in 1m water for 30 minutes and

water can leak into the light without areas with electronics or batteries. The light must still operate when it is tested again 30 minutes after it is removed from the water. This would, for example, be suitable for paddlers or adventure racers. □ IPX8: submersible. The light can be submerged for four hours to a depth deeper than 1m. The depth is specified on the product.

• Impact resistance: This indicates the height (in meter) from which the light can be dropped in its off position onto concrete without being damaged and still function.

For ratings over 1m, each sample light is dropped six times with different faces towards the ground.

The ANSI FL-1 standard allows the consumer to make informed decisions when purchasing an outdoor light and therefore represents a massive step forward in giving the consumer valid proven and reliable specifications.

Beam strength LEDs are available in various sizes, from 1mm and up — the bigger, the brighter.

In the past, you could determine the quality of the LED by its brand, as there used to be only a handful of companies who made LEDs. There are, however, far more options nowadays, and a consumer needs more guidance to determine the quality and suitability of the LED light they require.

• Wide beams are usually close-range light that is useful for stationary activities or those that require slower movement.

• A focused beam can be precisely aimed and concentrates the light to shine long distances.

A manufacturer like Black Diamond, have grouped their LEDs into four categories, based on the lumens-per-watt that they are capable of producing: • SinglePower: 1-40 lumens. Good for proximity light for peripheral vision, or camp activities such as reading or cooking. It uses very little power.

• DoublePower: 41-80 lumens. Good for a backup light and trail illumination. These are paired with an electric circuit that controls power to the LED. • TriplePower: 81-150 lumens. Good for longdistance viewing. Higher-power models include a heat sink and electronic regulation.

• QuadPower: over 150 lumens. These multichip LEDs emit the highest lumen density p/ mm2. Used in lanterns to broadly illuminate large campsites or as focused, high-intensity headlamp search beams.

Demonstrating the ANSI FL-1 Standard Rupert Merl uses this chart to illustrate the use of the FL-1 standard to compare flashlights.

Flashlight

Beam distance

Light output

Peak beam intensity

Water resistance

Run time

Impact resistance

Minimag Pro+ LED

150m

Maglite 3D Ultra

364m

245 lumen

5 600cd

Y

27h-2h15m

1m

131 lumen

33 028cd

Y

79h

1m

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

If, for example, the user needs a compact E.D.C. (everyday carry) torch, selecting the Minimag Pro+ LED with 245 lumen and an intelligent switch may be ideal. However, if the flashlight was going to be used for security purposes, the Maglite 3D Ultra with beam distance of 364M and 79 hour run time would be a better option. If the consumer makes a choice based only on lumens he would probably select the wrong torch for his use.

Advertorial:: p59

A WORK OF ART THAT WORKS AG-LED flashlights are made of a rugged, machined aluminium construction with knurled design, are anodised inside and out for improved corrosion resistance, and are water and shock resistant.

M

USA-made Maglite® LEDs — with their durability, reliability and performance — have become synonymous with the brand over the past 57 years.

Maglite 3D Ultra

Minimag Pro+ LED

A combination of advanced technology, engineering and craftsmanship, LED D Cell Maglite flashlights are ideal for professional or personal use. This durable flashlight is built tough enough to last a lifetime.

The Maglite® flashlight provides you with a super bright light while optimising battery performance.

The patented durable switch is self-cleaning, fighting the build-up of performance-degrading deposits on the contacts.

The 3D LED Maglite® flashlight uses their Intelligent Energy Management technology where the flashlight utilizes the batteries to save energy, which allows the batteries to last approximately three times longer.

The flashlight has balanced optics. It produces a brilliant white beam through the combination of the super brilliant LED and a highly refined reflector.

The cam focus action allows focusing from spot to flood with a twist of the head. Easy to use, a twist of the head will focus the beam from a spot to flood.

The Mini Maglite® Pro+™ LED flashlight features the same iconic beauty that has made Mini Maglite the world’s most recognisable lighting instrument for a quarter-century. And it has the same renowned, high-precision optics that the Maglite brand has always stood for.

But there’s a plus (two actually): 1. The Pro+ offers new, powerful electronics, driving the state-of-the-art LED light engine to an impressive lumen output at the high setting; 2. The Pro+ lets the user choose between two output levels — one for maximum brightness and the other to conserve power The classic spot-to-flood focus allows the user to just twist the head to change focus.

The unique switching system lets you select high for dazzling brightness or low to save batteries.

The flashlight is available in a gift box or blister pack.

Specs: Lifetime warranty • Length: 313mm • Barrel diameter: 39.67mm • Head diameter: 57mm • Battery required: 3 x D Cells Each flashlight has individual serial number

USA-made

Specs: Lifetime warranty • Length: 167.8mm • Barrel diameter: 18mm • Head diameter: 25.4mm • Battery required: 2 x AA Cells • Weight with batteries: 117.75g Each flashlight has individual serial number

Mini Pro+ LED

3D LED

FULL ANSI SPECS Lite Optec Tel: 011 462 6986 Email: sales@liteoptec.co.za Visit www.liteoptec.co.za for more product information.

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p60 :: Outdoor

More from LED manufacturers Advanced focusing LED Lenser’s X-Lens Technology takes their Advanced Focus System and improves on it, optimising lenses with the help of complex computer calculations to receive a cluster of perfectly synchronized beams.

Petzl’s reactive lighting technology means that the integrated light sensor is orientated in the same direction as the eyes. The sensor measures and analyses reflected light in order to instantly and automatically adjust the headlamp’s beam pattern to wide or focused and light output to the user’s needs.

For example, if the user is looking at an object at close range (reading a map, tying a knot, etc.) the beam is very wide and less powerful, while if the user is walking or running for, the beam is wide with medium strength and if the user raises their head to see into the distance, the light output increases and becomes more focused.

Research showed that many consumers are annoyed by multi-mode products where you have to scroll through several modes to get back to the one you actually require Switching on and off Switches on any light can be troublesome at times. Especially the power switch, which can, for example, be turned on by mistake inside a backpack, draining the power without the user’s knowledge. Several of the brands have developed different types of locks on the power switch to prevent this.

• Black Diamond has an electric locking mechanism on some of their products, which prevents the product from accidentally switching on and wasting the battery. A small blue light indicates lock mode, which is activated or unlocked by holding the power switch down for six seconds and then releasing.

The headlamp will revert to lock mode if the switch is not released, for example if something presses on the switch while the headlamp is stowed in the backpack.

They have also made it easier for the user to cycle through the various headlamp stages with the modes fading into each other, which is kinder to the eyes.

• Maglite’s Mini-Mag AA Pro+ has an automatic intuitive switch mechanism that allows the user to choose the right setting by simply pointing the light in a specific way: rotate the head to switch it on, point the flashlight horizontally for maximum brightness (245 lumens) or point the flashlight down for dim mode (60 lumen). No fiddling around in the dark for switches.

“Research showed that many consumers are annoyed by multi-mode products where you have to scroll through several modes to get back to the one you actually require,” says Merl.

• LED Lenser’s Speed Focus mechanism allows the user to change the light from focused to defocused, and vice versa, by sliding the mechanism along the side of the light. This is very useful in situations where you only have one hand free.

Solar power from Goal Zero Goal Zero, distributed by Eiger Equipment, have several portable solar power system options that power a variety of USB, AC and DC devices.

They offer full solar energy systems: the solar panels, power packs as well as accessories. And while many devices use Amp Hours as a measurement, Goal Zero use Watts — the same as the bulbs — that makes calculating the charging time a lot easier.

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

Outdoor :: p61

Outdoor news Buff and Icebreaker awarded on gearjunkie.com

Icebreaker was chosen by gearjunkie.com as the Best Gear of the last 10 Years for their merino wool products, while Buff technical scarves was chosen as the second best product of the past ten years. Both brands are distributed locally by Adventure Inc. The writer credited Icebreaker’s natural feel, breathability, anti-bacterial, warmth and temperature regulating properties.

GoBandit partners with top events The GoBandit camera, locally distributed by Super-Brands, has become the official action camera of the Sani2C mountain biking events, held between 15-19 May this year. Over 6 000 cyclists participated in the three different races for trail, adventure and race. Japie Fourie and Farmer Glen, owner of the event, pictured here in a photograph by Jon Ivans. GoBandit has also become an official partner for the ProNutro AfricanX Trailrun presented by New Balance, the Totalsports Xterra presented by Rehidrat Sport, the ProNutro Magalies Monster MTB Classic and the Contego Wines2Whales MTB Adventure and Race powered by Maserati.

200 LUMENS

ICON BEYOND BRIGHT INTRODUCING THE ICON, OUR MOST POWERFUL HEADLAMP EVER

Columbia to measure carbon footprint Columbia Sportswear has committed to measuring energy and water consumption, along with waste produced at the approximately 200 global facilities that they own or lease in 26 countries. Data captured in 2010 will be compared to data from 2011, as it becomes available. “We expect consistent collection of our global energy, water and waste data to provide insight into areas of greatest environmental and financial impact, enabling us to focus our efforts, set targets for future reduction, and regularly measure our progress,” says chief financial officer Tom Cusick. This is in line with Columbia’s new international communications theme, Smart Business is Good Business, aimed at highlighting individuals and teams inside Columbia that have found innovative ways to reduce costs, save time, improve performance, and benefit the environment.

8 SETTINGS Merrell parent company buys Saucony owner Wolverine World Wide INC (WWW) has bought Collective Brands’ Performance and Lifestyle Group (PLG) (Saucony, Sperry Top-Sider, Stride Rite and Keds) for $1.23-bn. Wolverine is the parent company of brands like Merrell, Wolverine, Hush Puppies, Caterpillar, etc. Collective Brands’ Payless ShoeSource chain of 4 300 stores and Collective Licensing International have been bought by investment firms Golden Gate Capital Corp and Blum Capital, who’ll operate it as a stand-alone unit. According to Bloomberg News (www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-30/ collective-brands-said-to-select-wolverine-over-e-land.html) the Payless stores comprise about 78% of the Collective Brands’ business, which began losing sales after they started introducing more expensive lines. Following a profit of $112.8-m for 2010, the company reported a $164.5-m loss for the financial year ended January 2012. The Performance and Lifestyle Group had revenue of more than $1-bn at the end of the financial year.

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

INCL. RED NIGHTVISION CONTINUOUS DIMMING

www.blackdiamondequipment.com distributed by Ram Mountaineering TM

p62 :: Trade shows

2012 SA Fishing Tackle Agents and Distributors (SAFTAD) trade show.

All retailers selling fishing products welcome to visit (free) Date: 25-26 August, 2012 Venue: UNISA Conference Centre, 2 Vinton Rd Ormonde, Ext 1, JHB Pre-register: Obtain and return forms to Mary-Ann Hodgskin on mary-annh@ mweb.co.za. Tel: 011 943 4921; Fax: 011 943 4859; Cell: 083 795 5588.

Benefit from

joining SAFTAD

V

isitors to this year’s SAFTAD Show in Johannesburg (25-26 August), will have the opportunity to make history. They will be able to join the first organisation to lobby on behalf of every South African involved in fishing — whether as suppliers of products, retailers selling products, anglers using products, organised fishing organisations competing with the products, the media writing about them, or benefit from fishing in any other way.

Based on the principle unity makes strength, the object of the South African Consolidated Recreational Anglers Association (SACRAA) is to have as wide a representative base as possible. The bigger the mandate given by the recreational anglers it represents; the bigger the voice and bargaining power when it represents angling interests.

Through various negotiations with government departments, conservation organisations, marine scientists, etc. it became evident that when you sit down around the negotiating table, you are judged by the actual number of registered members you represent, not by the number of people who enjoy your sport.

All invited to join SAFTAD The idea of such a representative body was mooted at last year’s SAFTAD show by John Pledger, who represents the fishing tackle industry as SAFTAD president; and organised recreational angling as chairman of the South African Sport Anglers and Casting Confederation (SASACC), the umbrella body for all angling associations.

The initiative is driven by the tackle industry body SAFTAD, which is also funding the initial stages of the development.

All tackle industry members — retailers as well as distributors, manufacturers, and

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

agents — who join SAFTAD, will automatically become SACRAA members. SAFTAD is encouraging as many companies active in the fishing tackle industry to join — the organisation will therefore no longer just represent suppliers.

“In order to achieve our objectives, we will require significant funding,” says Pledger, “but until we can prove ourselves to people with a vested interest in recreational angling, we will do our best to curtail the cost of becoming a member of SACRAA.” It will therefore cost a wholesaler (manufacturer, distributor) R2 400 per year, a retailer R1 200 per year and an individual angler R20.

Progress so far “We are in the throes of getting the (SACRAA) website up and running and will also be placing an order for the membership forms — both individual and for companies — to be imported from overseas,” says Pledger.

“We have been accepted on the advisory committee to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) — we had to submit our bona fides to be accepted.

“We have also had a very positive meeting with the professors at the Department of Ichthyology in Grahamstown. We are also considering getting one or two of them up for the show to see what we are doing on the SAFTAD side, as well as the SACRAA side,” says Pledger.

All associations representing angling or marine interests will be invited to join SACRAA. Associations that have already expressed interest are the SA Shore Anglers Association (SASAA) and the Marine Industry Association (MIASA), representing the boating industry (the angling industry will reciprocate).

Benefits of joining Issues that have affected the fishing industry in recent years that could have been ad-

dressed by a representative body like SACRAA are: the ban on vehicles on beaches; the proposal that fishing licenses be increased by as much as 300%; the ban on vertical jigging in Sodwana and Cape Vidal, etc.

The tackle trade will also benefit in many other ways by joining SAFTAD, and thus becoming members of SACRAA. • It will present a forum for retailers and suppliers in the tackle industry to interact.

• It will be the first regulating body for the tackle industry (retail and wholesale) that will be able to stamp out unethical practices • SAFTAD will keep their members updated on international trends and practices, and also keep them informed on issues affecting the industry.

• As a member of SACRAA, SAFTAD will be able to work with organised angling bodies to help promote fishing as a sport to the public, and thereby grow the tackle customer base.

• SACRAA aim to fund research on the tackle market and the impact on the economy and job creation of recreational angling in SA. “With proper statistics we can prove to the authorities that recreational angling is four times larger than commercial angling and that we have a larger GDP than cricket and rugby combined,” says Pledger.

• It will educate the general public on sustainable fisheries and fishing techniques, which will make them better anglers and help preserve fish stocks so that your future customers can fish for many years to come.

• SACRAA will help fund scientific research to ensure a more sustainable future for fishing, and assist in the collection of correct catch statistics, stock evaluations, etc., which will help forge a better relationship with the relevant authorities.

To join SAFTAD contact Mary-Ann Hodgskin on Tel: 011 943 4921 Fax: 011 943 4859 Cell: 083 795 5588 mary-annh@ mweb.co.za.

SAFTAD president John Pledger.

Trade show news

Trade shows :: p63

Much to see and do at the OutDoor Show

T

he European Outdoor Group, representing most of the world’s top outdoor brands, have renewed their contract with Messe Friedrichshafen to exhibit at the OutDoor trade show on the shores of Lake Constance until after 2013. A total of 900 exhibitors from 40 countries will this year come together in the small German town of Friedrichshafen to present over 1 000 brands (80% international) at the 2012 OutDoor Europe trade show from July 12-15.

The nineteenth edition of OutDoor Europe shows growth since the exhibitors have increased from 890 in 2011 to 900 this year.

The major players in the industry will all be exhibiting.

Everything from clothing, footwear and other apparel to tents, sleeping bags, backpacks as well as camping, climbing equipment, and much more will be on show in the 85 000 m2 exhibition space across 12 halls and open exhibition space.

“Around the world, interest in open-air sport and relaxation is growing. The interest of industry and business in the great outdoors is stronger than ever,” says Frank Gauß

of Messe Friedrichshafen.

He further stated that the OutDoor trade show is growing in importance for the global outdoor industry.

Some of the newcomers that will be attending the outdoor summit are Izumi from Japan, Scott from Switzerland and GoPro from the US. The OutDoor trade show will also host talks, conferences and information OutDoor show director Stefan Reisinger, EOG President David Udberg and exchanges by international Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellmann sign a new contract for Messe experts in cooperation Friedrichshafen to host the OutDoor Show. with the European Outdoor Group. The central themes for this year’s ropes courses are fast becoming one of the OutDoor trade show are corporate social re- most important customer groups for suppliers sponsibility, sustainability, children in moun- of outdoor equipment, with 25-m people last taineering, demographic change and clothing year visiting high ropes courses.

Trail runners will again test themselves on trends of the future.

The European Rope Course Association the GORE Trail running obstacle course to find (ERCA) and the International Adventure Park Europe’s fastest Trail Runner. For more inforAssociation (IAPA) will also be exhibiting at mation on the 2012 OutDoor Show see www. the show for the first time. Operators of high outdoor-show.com.

GDS exhibitor numbers grow slightly THE 860 exhibitors at this year’s GDS shoe fair in March were 1% more than the previous year. The International Event for Shoes & Accessories in Düsseldorf showcased the trends and looks for the 2012/13 Autumn/Winter season by brands and collections from 44 countries. In addition, 345 exhibitors from 13 countries presented their collections at Global Shoes, the footwear and accessories sourcing show. While GDS show the latest trends from footwear brands, Global Shoes attracts international producers.

ispo Bike dates ispo and ispo Bike will be held 1619 August this year in Munich Germany and visitors can now book

their entrance tickets.

The Bike Awards will be presented at ispo Bike.

300 new exhibitors at OR Summer Market THE OUTDOOR Retailer Summer Market trade show (1-5 August) in Salt Lake City will this year showcase new ranges from more than 850 returning and more than 300 new exhibitors, including brands like Asics, Orvis, Pearl Izumi, Puma, Roxy and Scott.

A second New Exhibitor Pavilion will house some of these new exhibitors.

New events will be introduced to the Open Air Demo held on August 1 at the Jordanelle Reservoir, where retailers and the media will get hands-on experience of the latest fishing, GPS, paddlesports, SUP, trail running and other outdoor equipment.

Outdoor events that will be held during the show include an Olympic-style 200m paddleboard

sprint and a Paddle/Pedal Challenge, both presented by H2O Overdrive, the Quiksilver Waterman Collection SUP Challenge, Casting Competition, sponsored

by Redington, Magellan GPS Treasure Hunt and Psycho Joust, presented by O'Neill. The flatwater SUP tank, where buyers can experience stand up paddling, will be reintroduced.

For more information and registrations visit www.outdoorretailer.com.

2012 June/July :: Sports Trader

p64 :: Outdoor

Event news

Customers were encouraged to compete against times set by Bolt in the Puma Faas Speed Test to receive discounts

Sportsmans Warehouse offered runners specials on ap- The Sweat Shop offered specialist advice for runparel, nutritional supplements and more ners visiting their stand

Two Oceans attracts record crowds A record field of close to 26 000 runners participated in this years’ Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, resulting in many more family members, friends and associates passing through the doors of the Two Oceans Expo, held at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town from the 4th-6th of April.

The Expo attracts over 45 000 visitors over the 3 day period each year. Visitors enjoy special deals on running related and commemorative event gear, supplements, sporting tours, etc.

The Puma booth was once again kitted out with the Jamaican theme, inspired by world-renowned sprinters such as Usain Bolt.

Baselayer brand, Skins, and running brand, Mizuno, distributed by Super-Brands, shared a booth

Inov-8 specialists were on hand to answer any running related questions

Otter trail run is conservation effort With the Otter African Trail Run the aim is to leave the trail in a better condition than before the event, explained race director Mark Collins of Magnetic South at the launch of the 2012 Otter at the Two Oceans Aquarium. And it is because of this conservation element that Hi-Tec SA, a Two Oceans partner and sponsor of SAN Parks, was keen to become a presenting sponsor, says marketing manager Ian Little.

Apart from that, the standard 42km marathon Otter is one of the toughest courses he has ever run, says ultra-runner Marc Smith of co-presenting sponsor GU. Buff have signed on as the official headwear sponsor for the African Otter Trail 2012 presented by HiTec and GU. “We are very proud to be associated with what is regarded as one of the best trail events in SA,” says Joanne Syfret of the local distributor Ad-

venture Inc. The event takes place between 12-15 October this year.

The popular hiking trail is usually booked years in advance and the event therefore offers trail runners an unique opportunity to become one of the privileged few to experience an environment closed to most 364 days of the year. It is strictly against the rules to litter and prior to the event the scouts and organisers clear any litter left by hikers to leave the area in a more pristine condition than what they found it.

Hi-Tec has been a presenting sponsor since the inaugural event in September 2009.

GU has been present from the start but their halfway station will this year be run as a co-presenting sponsor for the first time “to put food back in the body to provide the necessary fuel,” says Smith.

K-Swiss Wild Women raise R20 000 “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s just do it!” were the motivational words of Kim van Kets to the Wild Women (on the run) when the group consisted of only four members who dreamed of running the length of the Wild Coast to raise money for charity. This ladies only run — so that they could nurture each other along the way — with more manageable distances (30km a day), is sponsored by K-Swiss. The 18 Wild Women began their run from Mazeppa Bay on April 27 with their new Wild Women K-Swiss shirts and shoes and ended 90km further at Glen Gariff beach on April 30.

They exceeded their goal of raising R20 000 for their chosen charities.

Sports Trader :: 2012 June/July

Industry :: IBC

Advertisers index — a list of advertisers in this issue Adventure Inc

54

Footwear Trading

9, 23

Asics

25

Fruit of the Loom

7

Awesome Tools

60

GamePro

56

Maglite

59

Rebel Elite Fitness

29

Medicus Shoes

11

Rocky

31

Merrell

11

Sea to Summit

54

Thuthukani Sports Equipment

IBC

Tony Miller Promotions

IBC

Mitsuko

43

Black Diamond

61

IG Sports

44

Native Sport

26

Brooks

27

Inov-8

29

New Balance

Casoli

9

James Gilbert SA

42

Ninian & Lester

Jeep

23

Opal Sports

3

Powerglide

Bertuzzi

7

Hi Tec

Chappers Sports Direct

21

Crown Footwear

31

LED Lenser

Everlast

42

Lite Optec

Jockey

OFC

60 56, 59

Puma Ram Mountaineering

OBC

Vans

21

Vivobarefoot

26

47

Vortex

55

1

Whylo

55

Wingki Chan

25

3 43, 47

61

Thuthukani Sports Equipment specialises in the manufacturing of a wide variety of steel-based sports equipment, for example netball posts, basketball posts and backboards, volleyball posts, soccer goal posts, rugby posts, cricket stumps and nets, portable cricket pitch, hockey goals posts, water polo goals, handball posts, hurdles, high jump uprights and gauges, rugby scrumming machines, palisade fencing, indoor sports arenas, and outdoor multisport arenas.

We also manufacture custom-designed equipment to suit individual requirements.

Tel/Fax: 032 947 0250 thuthukanisports@vodamail.co.za

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