Sports Trader March 2014

Southern Africa’s business-to-business magazine for the sport, outdoor and leisure industries • Vol 35 No 1 • March 2014

State of the South African cricket market Running products for low light conditions What do retailers say about holiday sales?

Vol 35 Nr 1 March 2014 www.sportstrader.co.za

Industry

On the cover New Balance’s Fresh Foam 980 features a lightweight and breathable construction with a simple plush upper that keeps the wearer’s feet feeling comfortable and protected.

The midsole offers cushioning properties and stability in a more minimal package. It is engineered to bring natural underfoot geometries alongside a cushioned ride with a blend of soft, responsive foam. Its blown rubber outsole is durable, flexible and has a 4mm natural drop last that provides a light and stable ride. This shoe has a unique spray paint finish with a fresh eye-catching design.

Contact New Balance on Tel: 021 705 6224.

Publisher: Nicol du Toit Editor: Carin Hardisty Managing editor: Trudi du Toit Proofreader: Liz Milburn Features: Johann du Toit, Nicol du Toit, Rhianah Fredericks, Trudi du Toit, Yamkela Mkebe Design: Carin Hardisty, Photography: Nicol du Toit Advertising: Nicol du Toit Subscriptions: Carin Hardisty Printing: ABC Press Distribution: Tunleys Sports Trader is published bi-monthly

by Rocklands Communications cc.

Reg. No: 1997/057165/23.

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

Contact details:

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

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Super-Brands

Highlights:

Brand ID has bought Super-Brands’ sports brands.

Holiday sales

What is the state of the South African cricket market?

Retail trends

Sponsors should be responsible for those they sponsor.

How did retailers find the holiday season?

Consumers prefer brick-and-mortar stores to buying online.

We provide more information on the insides of sleeping systems.

Cape Union Mart

How the chain became so successful.

Skins

Chairman Jamie Fuller explains how the brand grew to be so popular.

Puma

The transition from Ronald Rink to Luke BarrettSmith as Puma SA MD was seamless.

New Balance

The new management team is one of many changes at New Balance.

Responsible sponsorship

Sponsors should use their financial power to ensure better governance and accountability.

Company results

Companies’ trading results.

Sport

44 50 57 60 68

Sport development

What are the sport federations doing to keep the grass roots numbers high?

Team sport news

News from team sport brands.

Product knowledge: Inflatable ball outers The ball outer affects more than the look of the ball.

Cricket

The state of the South African cricket market.

Cricket range information

What’s new from cricket brands’ ranges?

Outdoor

Sponsors should take responsibility for the ethics of the companies they sponsor p42

Clothing & footwear

34 40

Running

70 72 73 75

Fishing

There are various problems that SACRAA can help with.

Outdoor news

News from outdoor brands.

Product knowledge: Sleeping systems The insides explained.

Outdoor range information What’s new from outdoor brands?

Trade shows

77

Trade show news

News from local and international trade shows.

What to recommend to runners who run in low light conditions.

Running range information

What’s new in running brands’ ranges?

Regulars

2 6 14 18

People on the move

News about people in the industry.

Brands on the move

News about brand activity in the industry.

Companies on the move

News about companies in the industry.

Shop Talk

Jackson Sports

New Balance has experienced many changes recently p32

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Appearing in Daily Sun & Soccer Laduma in April

People on the move

p2 :: Industry

Jirka Vymetal has succeeded retired Paul Theron as executive director of the SA Footwear and Leather Industries Association (SAFLIA).

Vymetal returned to South Africa in January 2014 after three years as Jordan & Co’s Technical & QA Manager in China. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the footwear industry — 25 of them with Jordan & Co. He joined the industry in 1982 through Eddels Footwear, which was part of the Calan Group, before it became Conshu. During this period he was trained to understand each facet of footwear manufacturing, and apart from studying related courses, he also spent time to learn suppliers’ businesses.

Conshu bought Sportshoe and Jordan in 1988/9, and the latter two companies merged to become Jordan & Co. Vymetal had specialized in buying raw materials for Eddels and he continued to do this for the new merged company.

During his career, Vymetal has been

Dean Gee, CEO of SNT Sports, started his career in the industry at D.G. Sports Agency in the early 90’s importing Talon hockey sticks, Paax golf clubs and a range of cricket and other sporting equipment. After he sold the brands and licenses to Totalsports, Gee spent time at a Johannesburg clothing manufacturing business and thereafter he gained experience in the wholesale and retail business through dealings with the Massmart group, before joining SNT Sports.

purchasing manager, QA manager (implementation of the then SABS 0157 QA system, now ISO 9001-2000), production manager and sales admin manager.

He had also been managing several brands for Jordan & Co since 2000.

Before his promotion to China, he had been brand manager for the Jordan, Fleetwood and the company’s international brands division.

Hi-Tec SA appointed Mike Farrer as national sales manager. Farrer, (above with father Buster and wife Janet) grew up in the sports industry in the Eastern Cape and had been involved in all aspects of selling and promoting sports brands and products — from retailing, to representing brands like Patrick, New Balance, Canterbury, etc. as sales agent. His family has been involved in the sports industry for more than 50 years.

Farrer is a son of the legendary multi-sport Springbok Buster Farrer, and he and his brother Colin (of LGB Distributors) worked in his father’s King William’s Town store during holidays while still at school. He still remembers his father selling the first Hi-Tec models in his store 40 years ago, when he was just a 10-year old youngster.

After completing his university education in Cape Town, Farrer joined the family business full-time.

When Morné du Plessis wanted an agent to represent the Patrick footwear brand, he decided to join the supply side of the industry. Mike Farrer Agencies subsequently represented various other companies and brands in the Eastern Cape — like Maxmore, Power, WET Sports, Canterbury and New Balance. He was a regular winner of the Agent of the Year trophy for the latter brand and has been New Balance key accounts area manager in the Eastern Cape for the past 13 years.

The Farrers will be relocating to Cape Town, where both their children are at university. Farrer replaces Sean van Wyk, who joined adidas as national sales manager after Roddy van Breda was promoted to GM.

Brian Kerby will become the GM of the Asics subsidiary that will be opened in South Africa some time during 2014, confirmed Stefan Heinrich, Head of Emerging Markets for Asics Europe.

Asics and their current distributor, Jordan & Co, are still in discussion about the exact timing. Kerby has extensive experience in the industry with many top brands.

Morne Strydom has joined Adventure Inc where his focus is on marketing, with a role in sales.

He has extensive experience as a marketing and sales manager in the Southern African outdoor industry, most recently as Group Marketing Manager of Jarden SA. Strydom joined Beyond Fishing in 2010, which became Jarden SA in late 2011. He also held previous marketing and sales management positions with First Ascent from 20072010, as well as with Capestorm from 1998-2007.

The Kartal Distribution has appointed Kyle Hartman of In2Africa Agencies to represent all their brands (including Flexfit, Mr Lacy, Blanks, etc.) throughout Africa. Hartman has four years’ experience of introducing sports brands into the African market.“If done right, the African market is the next avenue for growth for International and local brands,” he says. Hartman was appointed African business manager for New Balance in 2010. He had joined the brand in 2005 in their outlet stores and “quickly worked my way up to apparel agent and then footwear and apparel agent.” He had joined the sports industry from a commercial diving background “so it was a very different industry coming into.”

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

After 9½ years with Jordan & Co, Wayne Stanford, previously Bronx brand manager, will be taking up a new position as sales agent for the company, representing Bronx, Bronx ladies, Jordan and Bronx Safety shoe sales in the Eastern Cape and Namibia.

Until a new Bronx brand manager is appointed, Jordan & Co MD Brian Pollock will be responsible for the Bronx men’s and ladies’ ranges.

The sales as well as design teams will report to him. Before he became Jordan & Co MD in 2007, Pollock was brand manager for Bronx and Olympic.

Ian Wheelwright is the new Hi-Tec sales agent in Limpopo. He has 10 years’ experience as a sales representative in the FMCG industry. He graduated from Capricorn High School in Polokwane in 1999 and has been working as a sales representative in Gauteng and Limpopo for Combined Marketing Services.

“The Limpopo region has won area of the year for the last four consecutive years,” he says.

People on the move

p4 :: Industry

THERE HAVE been staff changes at Sports Trader with Nelle du Toit joining Iziko Museums to further her online publishing career and Yamkela Mkebe joining as our newest journalist. Du Toit (above right) was responsible for Sports Trader’s online publications for the past two years.

Mkebe (above left) holds a journalism diploma from Cape Peninsula University of Technology and has work experience as a journalist for a community newspaper and as a researcher for a film and television production company.

Rhianah Fredericks (below right) has taken over the responsibilities for our online publications and she is supervised by Carin Hardisty (below left), who is being groomed to manage all Sports Trader publications.

Hardisty has been “in training”

Inov-8, locally distributed by Rebel Elite Fiteness, has signed two of the world’s fittest athletes: Anna Tunnicliffe (Olympic gold medalist in the laser radial class and two-time World Sailor of the Year) and Dan Bailey (a former track and field star at Ohio University).

Tunnicliffe (left) made her debut at the CrossFit Games last July and reached ninth position, while Bailey placed eighth.

They will wear shoes from inov-8’s F-Lite and Fastlift ranges in 2014.

at Sports Trader since high school, when she assisted with the publication of the Retail Directory during vacations. She obtained a B.A. Drama (technical and management) degree from the University of Stellenbosch, after which she joined Sports Trader as a writer and designer nine years ago. Since then, she has become responsible for the design of the magazine and many of the adverts we’ve published, as well as writing in-depth articles.

Fredericks has an honours degree in English from UWC and taught in rural Limpopo before joining Sports Trader as an intern in the beginning of last year. She has become a valuable staff member, responsible for most of the online newsletter copy and several interesting in-depth articles.

New Balance SA has signed Protea Cricket player, David Miller, who will be using their bats and other items on the pitch.

Miller made his debut in 2010, when he replaced Jacques Kallis in a game against the West Indies and scored tops in the T20 (his first).

By the 2011/2012 season, Miller averaged 68 with the bat and was contracted to the Kings XI Punjab. He also plays for Yorkshire England in their C domestic league.

In the 2013 IPL, Miller hit 101 offM 38 balls in a game against Bangalore, the third fastest ever recorded in theY history of the IPL. CM

Reebok has signed champion obstacle racer Claude Eksteen who will be wearing their technical apparel and performance shoes in all future obstacle races.

Before starting obstacle racing in 2013, Eksteen competed on the international triathlon circuit, achieving various international and local victories. He later switched to trail running, where he reached elite ranks and became one of the best trail runners in the country.

World record holder and adidas running ambassador, Wilson Kipsang, will be coming to Cape Town in April to support this year's Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon participants.

Kipsang competed in and won every race in which he ran last year in adizero adios Boost — including the NYC Half Marathon (1:01:02) and the Berlin Marathon (WR 2:03:23).

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

Dunlop’s Dominika Cibulkova (#13 in women’s tennis at time of going to print) created an upset in the Australian Open by beating some of the world’s best players to reach the final, where she was beaten by China’s Li Na. Cibulkova is the first Slovakian woman tennis player to reach the final of a Grand Slam.

She plays with a Dunlop Biomimetic M4.0 racket.

Wilson players, Grigor Dimitrov and Simona Halep are up-and coming tennis stars, who are improving their rankings in the ATP and WTA singles.

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Dimitrov has won his first career ATP World Tour title (in Stockholm) and has reached a new career high of #19 on the ATP singles rankings.

Halep has beaten former US Open Champion, Samantha Stosur in Moscow to claim her fifth WTA title of the year. She is now ranked #10 on the WTA singles table.

Skechers, locally distributed by Footwear Trading, has renewed their sponsorship of Olympic Silver medallist long distance runner, Meb Keflezighi.

The athlete will remain the official brand ambassador of the GOrun line till the end of 2016 and will also continue working with the Skechers Performance Division, testing and developing new products. Skechers is also launching a GO MEB running shoe line in his honour.

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With a variety of styles and colours, we have a T-Shirt that’s perfect for your print and decoration needs.

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Authorised Distributor

Brands on the move

p6 :: Industry

New Balance Klum collaboration

Lite Optec distributes True Utility LITE OPTEC is the new local distributor of True Utility, a comprehensive range of practical, high quality pocket tools.

The minimalist products, which include windproof lighters, LED Torches, multi-tools, knives, pocket tools, key ring accessories, etc. have been available in the UK since the brand was founded in Bournemouth in 2000.

It has grown into one of the

NEW BALANCE’S latest collaboration is with Heidi Klum, who has designed a footwear and apparel range called Heidi Klum for New Balance.

The footwear consists of both lifestyle and performance styles and is designed with floral prints and open mesh fabric.

The apparel line features items from hoodies to capri pants.

The range aims to capture Klum’s appearance, which is a mixture of sport performance and elegance. “I live an active lifestyle and love running around whether it’s outside on the streets of New York City or in the canyons with my dogs,” says Klum.

Gear up Get out with K-Way and VOB

Reebok partners with Les Mills

UKs biggest pocket tool suppliers and is currently available in more than 3 000 UK stores and more than 20 other countries.

All products in the True Utility range come with a one year guarantee.

“We are extremely proud and excited to announce that as of January 2014 we have added True Utility to our portfolio of quality brands,” says Aiden Romanis, sales director of Lite Optec.

Fittest competition Photo: JH de Beer

REEBOK HAS partnered with world renowned group fitness programmer, Les Mills, to strengthen their Studio Fitness Category with a younger, more contemporary feel and approach.

Since its creation by New Zealand-born Les Mills in 1968, studio fitness has become popular in the global fitness industry, with millions of people (globally) participating in Les Mills classes weekly.

Reebok and Les Mills products will soon be available through selected retailers.

THE FITTEST in Cape Town event, sponsored

by Reebok and hosted by Cape CrossFit, took place at the beginning of February and saw 300 people participating. For the first time, the event was a two-part competition with a qualification round for the main event.

New TomTom app Photo: Pierre de Villiers

CAPE UNION Mart’s K-Way and VOB Running Club — the largest running club in the Western Cape — have signed a partnership.

VOB hosts 20 weekly events, including morning and evening runs, time trials, track sessions, trail runs and social events and members and non-members alike are welcome.

They also have a talented development squad of committed development runners.

“The spirit behind the K-Way brand is for customers to Gear up. Get out and that’s why we decided to extend our athletic relationships to include VOB Running Club. Runners and walkers can Gear up with K-Way and Get out with VOB,” says Nick Bennett, marketing manager.

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

TOMTOM HAS introduced their MySports app that allows users to automatically upload performance information — such as distance, time and calories, etc. — from their TomTom Runner or Multi-Sport GPS watch via bluetooth technology. Users can also download the latest QuickGPSFix satellite data to these watches. Activity and training histories, as well as TomTom MySports, Runkeeper and MapMyFitness are instantly uploaded to community platforms — allowing runners, cyclists and swimmers to keep track of their fitness goals.

The app is free to download and available to iPhone and iPad users with iOS 6 and above.

An Android version will also become available at a later date.

TomTom’s local service — operated by Regenersis — offers customers a local repair centre, pick up and drop off services to anywhere in the country, 48 hours of turnaround time (excluding transportation) as well as a two year warranty on repairs has been improved. It now includes a walk-in service where customers can have products serviced while they wait. If the item takes longer than expected, they will courier it back to the customer’s address within 48 hours. The local service centre is situated in Midrand, Gauteng.

MUST-HAVE SNEAKERS Levi’s ® Dunk and Pitch Mono Canvas Sneakers are available from Footwear Trading 011 630 400

Brands on the move

p8 :: Industry

Reebok distributes New Era

Black Diamond clothing BLACK DIAMOND Equipment, locally distributed by Ram Mountaineering, is well known for their quality climbing, skiing and mountain sports equipment. Now they have launched an apparel range, which will live up to the expectation people have of Black Diamond products.

The apparel line is built around three primary focus areas: • Fit: the shape is slim and athletic and cut to ensure a close, but comfortable, fit.

• Form: the lines are clean and simplistic.

• Function: the materials and features are decided based on the benefits that they add.

The range launched with a winter range in the northern hemisphere in August. Now in 2014, the range has almost doubled in size, with a focus on summer alpinism and modern cragwear. A small tight range will launch in South Africa in the first half of the year, featuring climber-inspired casual shirts and pants, and some market leading soft shell gar-

ments created in Schoeller textiles with Nanosphere technology.

More apparel will be launched during the year, and retailers can look forward to an expanded range for men and women, which feature Polartec, Primaloft, Gore-Tex and Gore WindStopper.

REEBOK HAS obtained the rights to distribute the New Era headwear brand in South Africa.

New Era has its heritage rooted in sport, as the official on-field cap of Major League Baseball, but the brand also has a strong fashion following.

The brand was founded in 1920 and produces more than 35-m caps each year.

New Balance launches Runnovation

Adidas sues Under Armour US ADIDAS IS suing Under Armour, claiming they violated at least ten of their patents related to their miCoach fitness concept and related electronic devices after acquiring Map My Fitness last year.

Adidas says the UA Armour39 products violate their patents and Under Amour gained knowledge of their products after hiring a former adidas product manager.

The Simpsons Chuck Taylor All Star collection

CONVERSE HAS announced a new collaboration with The Simpsons, the longest running scripted show in television history. Converse is locally distributed by Skye Distribution.

The Simpsons Chuck Taylor All Star collection features custom graphics of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie that were specially chosen for the collection.

The men’s Homer sneaker has a blue and black background with a print of Homer exclaiming D’oh! on one side and Woo Hoo! on the other side of the shoe. The Bart sneaker is available in children and adult sizes and features Bart writing I will not waste chalk on a black background, which resembles the notorious Springfield Elementary School chalkboard. The Family sneaker features all the members of The Simpsons’ household.

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

Kappa’s slim fit team wear KAPPA WILL be delivering their new range of slim fit fleece tracksuit pants and hoodies to retailers in March.

The brushed fleece range is made of 60% cotton and 40% polyester and features an embroidered Omni logo.

Andrew Kallis, head of product and marketing TaylorMade Golf, hands Altus Kapp from Scratch Golf the first prize of R10 000 and a chance to play in the 2014 Mauritius Open he won in the TaylorMade Staff Invitationals — a series of golf tournaments across the country to reward loyal customers and thank oncourse professionals. They also raised R100 000 for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital and donated R25 000 to various other charities.

NEW BALANCE has launched a global brand campaign — Runnovation — which documents New Balance athletes and ordinary people pushing their limits in search of excellence.

Runnovation is a new word that describes the act of running and how it has evolved.

It has become more social, interesting and unpredictable.

The campaign will follow three story lines: how running is evolving into a more social and participatory sport (through focus on grassroots training group), how athletes are challenging the limits of sport (through New Balance athlete Anton Krupricka) and looking at the latest innovative technologies that continue revolutionizing running from a product and design standpoint (through the innovation studio at New Balance Lawrence, MA office).

The Runnovation campaign will also highlight fall 2014 New Balance footwear and apparel products such as the Tri-Viz collection that highlights athletes in low light conditions, as well as an update to their 880V3, neutral cushioning shoe.

p10 :: Industry

Brands on the move

Shaun Pollock designs a sports hat WITH A light skin and a love for sport that keeps him in the sun for long hours, Shaun Pollock knows how crucial it is for a sportsman to have a hat that keeps him protected, but does not interfere with his sport.

Now that the former Proteas cricket captain has retired as fast bowler and batsman, Pollock spends hours on the golf course.

“The serious side to this is that your skin takes a hammering in the sun without the right protective gear,” he says. “I had to find a more stylish alternative to the

practical, but bulky ,cricket floppy and the peak cap, which offers no protection to the ears and neck.”

He therefore designed a peak type hat with a narrow rim that does not cause any obstruction while playing sport, yet offers maximum protection, including anti-UV, is light, and also looks good.

“It allows your head to move without feeling restricted, allows maximum sight and has a waterproof element,” he says.

The Polly hat is distributed by Co-Lab Industries.

New Hi-Tec launches HI-TEC’S LAUNCHED several new products for the outdoor fan.

The Altitude Vi (right)men’s and ladies’ hiking boot is an update of the original Altitude, which was created almost a decade ago. The updates include improved durability and performance, and a new patented i-shield technology, which renders the boot hydrophobic, yet breathable. A new addition to the Altitude series is the Sport i, which also features the i-shield waterproofing technology.

For the ladies, Hi-Tec has launched the Satomi 3L softshell and Pour Off shell.

The Satomi 3L ladies softshell features a flattering, feminine cut in peach, docker or black. The 100% polyester, 4-way stretch 3-layer fabric has waterproof breathable lamination.

The Pour Off is a multi-purpose lightweight shell, available in blush, with a 100% polyester Dri-

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

Tec ripstop shell, and a wicking polyester and taffeta lining.

The 3-in-1 Storm Parka jacket is available in a men’s and ladies’ style. It has a 100% polyester DriTec ripstop shell, and a polyester mesh and nylon taffeta lining.

The 3-in-1 has fully taped seams and a three-way adjustable attached hood, with an integrated stand-up collar.

The jacket features pit zip venting, a zip out fleece lining and a single hand draw cord adjustable hem.

The Calipso baselayer, for men and women, is 75% nylon and 25% polyester and is available in black.

The Herman baselayer is made from Coolmax fabric (70% polyester, 22% nylon and 8% elastin). It has been specially constructed for improved comfort and better moisture management.

p12 :: Industry

Brand ID buys Super-Brands

Cuan Chelin

Some of South Africa’s most iconic sports brands have found a new home and owner, but will keep the same management teams. Story & photo: Nicol du Toit

I

n a mere six years, Super-Brands had established themselves as a major distributor of sporting goods in South Africa, supplying leading brands in most sporting codes. From April 1 this year, this division will become part of the Seardel Investment Corporation.

Just before we went to press, Cuan Chelin, CEO of Super-Brands, confirmed that an agreement was reached to sell their sports distribution business to Seardel Investment Corporation. He explained that they had been in discussions with the Seardel Group for some months, because they targeted Speedo as a brand that they would have liked to distribute in Southern Africa. They identified Speedo as a perfect fit with their other sports brands.

Same strategy It transpired that both companies had embarked on the same strategy and they considered other options, but eventually Seardel made them an offer to take over their sports brands. Both parties agreed that this is the best deal as far as doing justice to the brands is concerned.

The Super-Brands brands will be housed within Brand ID Ignite, which is a full subsidiary of Seardel. Du Toit Botes and Steve Gallienne, who head the two Super-Brands sports divisions, will report directly to Wayne Bebb, CEO of Brand ID Ignite. The brand management teams will move to the Brand ID offices in Wembley Square and the logistics and supply chain team will be housed in their operational centre in Epping, Cape Town.

The Handicap Network Africa, SportingBet and Toy Kingdom divisions will remain with Super-Brands. Chelin said that they will continue to seek other acquisitions in the retail, online, interactive and technical industries.

Super-Brands bought Dunslaz in 2008, ob-

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

There is a huge opportunity to leverage each other’s strengths tained the Canterbury distribution rights in 2009 and subsequently also acquired global sports brands Skins, Mizuno and Nathan and Everlast in 2013.

Same management teams Gallienne will remain responsible for the Dunslaz division, which includes brands like Slazenger and Dunlop (tennis, squash and cricket), Karrimor (outdoor), Opro (mouthguards) Ashaway (strings), Karakal (racket accessories) and Swingball (garden toys).

Botes will continue to manage the division that consists of brands Canterbury (rugby and teamwear) Skins (compression), Mizuno (footwear), Nathan (running accessories) and Everlast (boxing lifestyle).

Business will continue as usual for all orders placed with Super-Brands for after 1 April, says Chelin. Orders will be transferred, along with any reserved stock, but invoiced by Brand ID, who’ll be contacting all Super-Brands customers who don’t have an account with them to open one.

Brand ID will, however not, be acquiring the Super-Brands outstanding debtors book and these amounts should continue to be paid into the same accounts as usual, says Chelin.

“It’s definitely been an emotional week for me,” he says. “I am saddened to be moving away from an exceptionally talented team, mixed with fond memories of the industry and relationships I have formed, and yet feel great excitement about the Super-Brands Group with additional capital resources to grow and acquire new businesses.

“Disposing of this part of our business was no easy decision, but we think now is the right time to join forces with Brand ID, because there is a huge opportunity to leverage each other’s strengths and move even faster towards what was my long term vision for the brands,” he says.

“Wayne (Bebb) assures me that they plan to continue to run the businesses the way we always have — continuing to do what is best for the brands, our culture and our customers.”

New Xtri sponsors CANTERBURY, MIZUNO, Nathan and Skins — locally distributed by Super-Brands — are new technical and sportswear sponsors of Xtri-Series South Africa, which took place in November.

“Xtri is perfectly aligned with regards to the high end technical performance our brands have to offer, from the novice to the off road warrior athlete!” says Paul Copson, brand manager.

Mizuno and Skins have signed SA Womans Hockey player Quanita Bobbs, a student at the University of Stellenbosch. She was awarded provincial colours (WP) when she was U14 and has been a regular in national and provincial youth teams since then. .

Photo: Terry February Photography .

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Companies on the move p14 :: Industry

Lyle & Scott celebrates 140 with heritage range

THIS YEAR Lyle & Scott, locally distributed by Skye Distribution, celebrates their 140th trading year.

The brand’s heritage dates back to 1874 when William Lyle and Walter Scott founded a knitwear company in Hawick, a small town hidden in the Scottish Borders.

In 2003 Lyle & Scott sharpened up its fit and expanded the horizons of the brand, attracting a new generation of young, talented music, TV and film stars. The Golden Eagle proved particularly popular amongst the noughties indie pop scene and could be regularly spotted on bands like Arctic Monkeys and Bloc Party.

Deeply entrenched within the trendy global market — including a collaboration with Christian Dior — Lyle & Scott grew to dominate the fashion forward individuals’ wardrobe.

Nevertheless, locally, there was still a demand for the bygone classic argyle knits.

It is because of this demand that this year Skye Distribution decided to design a range catering to the requests of local customers and retailers.

All products were produced using 100% lambswool, and manufactured in Madagascar and Mauritius.

Adidas World Cup kit

ADIDAS HAVE launched the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil kits of seven of the teams that will be wearing the three stripes: Argentina (pictured right), Colombia, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Russia and Spain (pictured left).These eyecatching kits are the lightest adidas has ever created. Adizero technology produces lighter kits and an improved fit, enabling players to be faster and more comfortable on the pitch.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup federation kits are more than 40% lighter than equivalent 2012 kits. Weight has been removed from the main jersey, collars and sleeve cuffs, as well as the national federation crests — even from the adidas three stripes. The shorts are now also made with a new woven lightweight fabric for increased breathability and a lighter waistband. These innovations will give the players extra freedom of movement and comfort, while retaining resilience and durability.

The design of the kits are based on feedback from the next generation fans in each country, after adidas asked young people to explain what made them proud of their country. This was translated into the kit designs for each country.

For the Russians it was the inspirational feats of Russian cosmonauts in the 1960s, and for the Argentinians, independence. The Argentinian kit takes its inspiration from the

flag created by general Manuel Belgrano, one of the main liberators of Argentina and a great hero in South America. The Colombian kit reflects the traditional hat sombrero, vueltiao. "#unidosporunpais", meaning “united for our country”, is written on the back of the colourful shirt.

The new German kit is inspired by the value placed in quality and hard work, personified by the leading industrial architecture.

An engine graphic theme represents the power of the Japanese team and is inspired by a turbine with 11 lines, representing the 11 players on the pitch.

The Mexican kit is inspired by Mexican artistry, wrestling icons and the give it all attitude of the Mexican country. The new kit is bold, creative and features a disruptive superhero style design.

The red colour of the home jersey unites Spain, while the gold flashes symbolise the current golden era of Spanish football.

Centenary year for Brooks BROOKS WILL be celebrating their centenary this year by moving into two new headquarters: in the US they are moving into a new green building on the Burke-Gilman Trail in Seattle, while the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) headquarters are moving to Amsterdam, which is centrally situated and within easy reach of Europe’s biggest running markets.

They will this year be targeting sales growth in the EMEA region, where Brooks’ sales grew 27% in 2013. David Bohan, current Brooks COO and president, will become president of Brooks EMEA. In South Africa — part of the EMEA region — Brooks is distributed by Clive and Michelle Chowles of SBR Agencies.

“We have been very pleased with the growth shown in Brooks since we were appointed the South African distributor in late 2011 (product in-store from July 2012),” says Michelle Chowles. “Our focus and success in Speciality Running Stores (SRAs) is aligned to the international strategies and we continue to grow our distribution points in South Africa, making the brand more accessible to all runners.”

Despite tough economic conditions, the brand grew their global sales by 17% in 2013 — since it became a standalone company in Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Group

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

in 2011, Brooks reported sales growth of 34% in 2012 and 34% in 2011. Brooks’ results were formerly reported in the annual Berkshire Hathaway report as part of Fruit of the Loom, which includes Russell Athletic, the Brooks owner since 2004. Brooks became part of Warren Buffett’s assets when Fruit of the Loom bought Russell Athletic in 2006.

Brooks has been focusing mainly on specialist running products since Jim Weber became CEO in 2001 and has become a market leader in specialty running stores (SRAs) in the US. According to market research company Leisure Trends they consolidated their position as the brand with the biggest market share in US specialty running stores (SRAs) with a 29% dollar share.

According to their 2013 annual report, Brooks’ neutral running shoes account for 46% of all running shoes sold at SRAs. Sales of their more cushioned running shoes Ravenna, Glycerin, and Ghost, grew 72%, 53%, and 52% compared to last year. Apparel sales grew 16%.

“In South Africa Glycerin, Ghost, Adrenaline and Cascadia remain the key footwear styles,” says Chowles. Brooks received several awards during the past year: • Ghost 6: Editor’s Choice award from Runner’s World for the fourth year in a row and

Clive and Michelle Chowles of SBR Agencies

2013 Shoe of the Year award from the Independent Running Retailers Association; • Cascadia 8: Editor’s Choice award from Runner’s World and Best Trail Shoe award from Women’s Health; • PureConnect 2: Best Buy award from Runner’s World; • 2013 Vendor of the Year award from the Independent Running Retailers Association (IRRA) for the third year in a row.

Companies on the move p16 :: Industry

Specialized stores

Makro energy-wise MAKRO SA has received an award from Eskom for excellence in its energy efficiency initiatives. Makro aimed to save energy in their stores in terms of lighting, refrigeration, air conditioning, building envelope and domestic heating. They also implemented a switch the lights off campaign and installed various energy management systems and technologies that allowed them to decrease demand by 36% and save 219 000kWh’s of energy.

SPECIALIZED RECENTLY joined forces with three stores in the Gauteng area. The West Rand Cycles and Concept Cyclery Cedar Square stores act as concept stores, while the Complete Cyclist Bryanston has opened a Specialized elite store (store within a store). The stores feature a dedicated Body Geometry Fit studio for their customers.

At the opening of the Complete Cyclist Bryanston concept store: Peet le Roux (retail services manager of Specialized Bicycles Africa), Mike Hewan (partner and manager of Complete Cyclist Bryanston), Cherise Stander and Scott McKenzie (founder of Complete Cyclist). Photo: Cherie Vale/Newsport Media

W.E.T. Sports’ 30th year sees new faces THIS YEAR W.E.T. Sports celebrates being on the SA sports map since 1984. They have recently also added a few new faces.

The latest addition to the team is Lorraine van Heerden (right).

Van Heerden is the friendly face and voice customers first get to see and hear. Along with running the front desk, Van Heerden also

looks after the debtors and creditors functions.

“On reaching our 30 year milestone, I want to thank all W.E.T Sports customers for their support over the years and acknowledge the vital role our agents have played in growing the business,” says Patrick Franck, marketing and sales manager.

Leon Lotter has been looking after the Free State area for 20 years, Jeff Harman Kwazulu Natal for the last seven years, Darren Wentzel the Western Cape and Namibia for seven years, Colin Muir the Eastern Cape for the last six years and Darryl Dickerson came on board last year for the Northern Provinces.

W.E.T. Sports Importers

Celebrating 30 Years For a wider range of products shown, please consult the latest W.E.T. Sports catalogue. Available NOW

839 Arm Sling

Cool mesh supports the arm while distributing the weight across shoulder and back. Sizes S, M, L, XL.

754 Shoulder Support

Provides compression and support to the shoulder and elbow joint. Ideal for rugby.

Sizes S, M, L, XL.

709 Knee Stabiliser

Provides even compression to injured or recovering knee with ligament and patella support. Sizes S, M, L, XL.

528 Ankle Support with Plastic Stay

Re-inforced criss-cross support ideal for netball, soccer and rugby. Sizes S, M, L, XL.

321 Silicone Innersole Medical grade silicone for cushioning and stability.

Sizes A, B, C, D.

330 Cushion Cups

Advanced shock absorption for heel and achilles.

Sizes S, M, L.

725 Wrist Splint

Splint in left and right for carpal tunnel syndrome and wrist injuries. Sizes S, M, L, XL.

829 Cold Spray

Magic spray in a can that cools skin fast and relieves pain quickly. 8oz (225g).

Tel: 021-948 8150 • Fax: 021-948 8084 • sales@wetsports.co.za • www.wetsports.co.za

BletchleyPark/5281/ST

jordanshoes.co.za Contact : +27 21 590 7005

APPEARING IN DAILY SUN IN MARCH

Sh

op

Ta l

k

p18

Left: Peter Jackson retired after 47 years in sports retail and sold his iconic store to Poobie Naidoo, whose impressive Pietermaritzburg store (above) is as large as 2½ rugby fields.

Poobie Naidoo, right with his son Gavin, is a former shoemaker and top class runner who has become one of South Africa’s most successful retailers.

New era for landmark store

O

ne of the stalwarts of the sports industry, Peter Jackson of Pietermaritzburg, has retired after 47 years in the trade. Jackson Sports, Pietermaritzburg’s oldest sport retailer, closed its doors in February after 81 years and the business has been incorporated into Poobie Naidoo’s impressive Sports Wholesalers in Boshoff Street.

The Jacksons have for many years been leading figures in Pietermaritzburg sporting circles and Peter is planning on using his free time to catch up on golf.

He played league hockey, tennis, squash and golf, as well as cricket for Old Collegians under Jackie McGlew. His wife, Pat, played hockey for Natal, went overseas with the Proteas hockey tour and played tennis for Natal University. Their three children all excelled at hockey, representing their provinces and country at either tertiary or international level.

Know their sport His father Tim, who founded the first sport store M.T. Jackson, in 1933, was president of the SA Golf Union, represented Natal in golf and badminton, played first class cricket and was chairperson of the Pietermaritzburg country club. The AB Jackson hockey field near Maritzburg College is named after his brother.

Throughout the years, KwaZulu Natal’s sports people have come to rely on the advice, quality merchandise and sporty chats provided by the people at Jackson Sports who played the sports and knew the equipment — for example, cricketers Jackie and Robin McGlew, SA hockey player Greg Nichol and more recently, Springbok rugby’s Butch James. Bob Foss (who played SA Country Districts Cricket) also worked for Jackson Sports and he became a well recognised figure at polo fields around the country.

Tim Jackson’s business partner, Dare Osborne, was a longstanding secretary of the

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

One of the stalwarts of the industry, Peter jackson Sport, is now part of Poobie Naidoo’s top store Maritzburg and District Football Association (MDFA). He ran the store while Jackson went to North Africa to fight in the Second World War in 1939 and again after his death in 1964.

Peter Jackson, who joined the business when he was 20 in 1967, took over the store after Osborne retired in 1975. He was joined by his brother Tony and Bruce Baxter, and they changed the store’s name to Jackson Sports.

Five years later, Tony opened a branch in Durban, followed by another outlet in Westville. In the beginning of the 1990’s, they consolidated the businesses, with the Durban branches trading as Tony Jackson Sports and Peter running Jackson Sports in Pietermaritzburg. In 1996 Bruce Baxter opened another Jackson Sport branch in Victoria Road, and due to changing shopping patterns, they moved the Church Street store to these premises.

Later years In 2011 Jackson moved the store to revamped premises in Victoria Road, which was closer to the CBD. His son, Dave’s, Brand X clothing and promotional gift business moved with him.

Like many other independent retailers Jackson Sport found trading conditions very tough over the past few years. They battled with the economic downturn, rising trading costs, electricity and other price hikes, and growing competition from mass discounters and big chains. Therefore, with both their sons following their own careers, when Jackson and his wife reached retirement age, they decided to sell to Naidoo, who owns one of the biggest independent sport stores in the world.

All the Jackson Sport staff members will be

incorporated into the Poobie Naidoo business – with certain sections, like cricket, tennis and hockey, still branded as Jackson Sports. The knowledge, dedication to service, and good relationships with many schools in the area of the Jackson staff will enhance his business, Naidoo believes. Over the years Jackson Sports had formed strong relationships with schools in the area and they stocked several shops at schools like Michaelhouse, Treverton, Hilton, Greys, etc.

The Jackson Sport staff will also continue to offer a racket stringing and repair service, which includes ball and tennis net repairs.

Naidoo is one of the most successful independent retailers in the country - his impressive 6 000m2 sport store in Pietermatritzburg is the size of a large hypermarket. Apart from athletic footwear, clothing and sports equipment from just about every brand, the state of the art store has a 50m athletic track for runners to test shoes, and a High Performance Assessment centre houses a number of specialists to assist runners with problems.

Biggest independent The Naidoo’s are also a sporting family: Poobie is a top class runner who has completed more than 25 Comrades marathons and is therefore sought out by other athletes for advice when selecting new shoes or clothing. His eldest son, Gavin, who is being groomed to take over the business, has Natal colours for javelin and is a good swimmer and athlete. Sharuven, responsible for their online business, is a swimmer and his other son, Huban, a cricketer.

They also employ top performers in many other sporting codes, who know exactly what equipment or footwear an athlete needs — for example, a former professional soccer player, and top rugby, hockey, cricket, etc. players.

Poobie Naidoo is also involved with the development of community soccer through sponsorship of the Poobie Naidoo High School’s Cup for soccer.

p20 :: Industry

Holiday sales better than expected Retail sales during the past holiday season were slightly better than last year, although the weakening currency and worrying economy are cause for concern. JOHANN DU TOIT reports on the results of the annual Sports Trader survey of holiday sales in the sport, outdoor and lifestyle retail industry

D

espite a very tough year, 2013 holiday sales in most sport, outdoor and lifestyle retailers were better than expected, responses to the annual Sports Trader Holiday Sales survey* showed. Sales were largely as expected, with no nasty shocks in terms of sales. While sales haven’t grown exceptionally, they haven’t been exceedingly bad either, and have increased slightly since the 2012 holiday season.

The worsening currency value and poor economic forecasts, however, affected consumers negatively, which prevented strong holiday sales figures.

December sales figures The average response to our survey shows that December 2013 sales where slightly better than last year’s, with 50% of respondents reporting better sales, and 15% saying that sales were about the same. Slightly more (15% compared to 10%) respondents claimed much higher sales, with 20% or more growth.

However, the number of respondents reporting drastically lower sales (decreasing 20% or more) than last year has increased by 3.3%.

This would suggest that the gap between retailers having a good year and retailers having a bad year, is increasing.

The average responses to our survey over the last four years concerning pre-Christmas sales indicate that the growth of sales between 2010 and 2011 was followed by a sharp decrease in sales growth in 2012 (See Fig 1).

2013 was a better year, with a slight recovery from last years’ recession.

Retail respondents are not overly positive or negative about their December sales.

About a third (30%) of respondents had bet-

December sales growth 2010-2013

ter pre-Christmas sales than expected, while 30% reported lower sales than expected. The majority (40%) of respondents say that the pre-Christmas sales were about the same as expected. Taking an average of theses results, it seems that retailers had a fairly predictable pre-Christmas period.

Taking into account that retailers considered 2012 a particularly bad year, this could mean that retailers have come to expect the worst for the holiday season. This is excusable when looking at the holiday sales expectations of retailers over the past four years (See Fig 2).

After 2011 largely exceeded respondents’ expectations, 2012 was exceedingly worse than expected. It seems as if retailers could predict

Most South Africans expect their spending power to increase in the next year how sales would be in 2013.

Although sales were as expected, several retailers and suppliers within the industry have told Sports Trader that this year was an especially tough year, some even stating that it was their worst year on record. Most respondents (45%) had fewer customers than expected, 25% had more customers than expected and 30% the same number.

International expectations According to a Deloite survey** of consumers in 18 European countries, as well as South Africa, consumers in many countries are optimistic about the current state of the economy for the first time since 2008. Consumers in most other countries are more optimistic about the

Expectations of December sales 0.6

0.61 0.6

0.55

0.59 0.58

0.5

0.57 0.45

0.56 0.55

0.4

0.54 0.53

0.35

0.52 0.51 2010

2011

2012

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

2013

0.3 2010

2011

2012

2013

current economy than last year, South Africans, however, are more pessimistic with an overall negative outlook of the economy.

After years of considerable growth, retailers in the European Union (EU) have probably reached a plateau, according to a report published by IFH, the Cologne-based institute for retail research. This could mean that in 2014, European consumers might be less optimistic, which could influence South African markets.

Spending trends In our survey, 75% of retailers stated that items sold at the middle range of prices were popular during the holiday season. Functional, yet expensive, items were also very popular, with 45% of respondents stating that these products sold well. This is likely due to formally employed consumers being less affected by economical woes and having more cash in their pockets. According to the latest BankservAfrica Disposable Salary Index (BDSI) disposable income increased by 7.6% throughout the year, up to September 2013.

Lower priced products did not sell very well, with only 20% of respondents saying that it sold well in their stores. This could either mean that South Africans are starting to spend more on their gift purchases — or that low income consumers simply didn’t have the money to buy sport, outdoor and lifestyle items.

The Deloite survey determined that the average budget per gift for South Africans in 2013 was R310. It should be noted that the Deloite survey was an online survey, so most of the respondents would be representative of the upper and middle class customers. The relatively high average budget per gift means that functional sport and outdoor products, such as clothing and footwear, were within Fig 1 (far left): The December sales growth reported by respondents to the Sports Trader survey improved in 2013, after a sharp dip in 2012.

Fig 2 (left): In 2013 retailers responding to the Sports Trader survey expected that preChristmas sales would improve.

Fig 3 (right): The import value of sporting goods in the 3rd quarter, when most Christmas and January goods will be imported, have been rising steadily since 2011.

Industry :: p21

Most products bought December 13%

10%

Main retailer challenges 10%

luxury

15% 29%

func onal yet expensive mid-price

48%

40%

30%

5%

10%

a lot higher (>20%) a li le higher (<20%) about the same

21% 16%

a lot lower (>20%) ali le lower (<20%)

32%

the gift budget of the average South African.

This seems to be in line with international trends. UK-based OCC outdoor conducted a survey among 30 UK outdoor retailers and found that the highest selling products, by far, were outdoor clothing.

The Deloite survey also evaluated which marketing strategies convinced customers to buy certain products. On a scale of 0-3 on how influential loyalty/reward programs are in purchasing decisions (0 = not at all, 3 = very influential), South Africans averaged a score of 2, which is higher than the 1.7 average of the 19 countries surveyed. Most South Africans prefer immediate discounts on purchases, instead of earning points offering gifts.

Online shopping is becoming a popular tool for South African consumers. According to the Deloite survey, South Africans spent 21% of their gift budget online in 2013. This is substantially higher than last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 13%, but still lower than the European average of 28%.

Even though online shopping has grown, South Africans still prefer to compare prices by visiting stores, rather than online on websites. When buying gifts in store, South Africans prefer to buy in specialty stores, instead of supermarkets and shopping malls, which is good news for independent retailers.

Of the 19 countries surveyed by Deloite, South Africa has the second highest (after Ireland) number of users of smartphones and tablets with which to buy products, with 38% of surveyed smartphone and tablet users claiming to have purchased a product in the past.

Q3 Sporting goods imports Millions

distributors selling top brands refusing to supply

January 2014 vs 2013 sales

450 400 350 300 250

Top left: Most respondents in the Sports Trader survey report that they mainly sold mid-priced items, while functional, yet expensive, items also sold well.

Top right: The economy is the biggest challenge for most retailer respondents, followed by competition from other retailers.

Bottom left: About a third of retail respondents report January 2014 sales were about the same as in 2013.

This figure is expected to grow, as 59% of South Africans surveyed expect to use smartphones and tablets to buy products in the future.

Most South Africans rated their holiday spending power as slightly lower this year than the last, however it is still rated much higher than in 2009 and 2010.The good news is that most South Africans expect their spending power to increase in the following year, and in the Deloite survey of 19 countries, South Africans were the most optimistic about their spending power increasing.

Even though online shopping has grown, South Africans still prefer to compare prices by visiting stores Sport retail sales have been steadily increasing the past couple of years. This is evident when looking at the rise in imports of sports products (See Fig 3). According to Statistics SA, the value of sporting goods imports in the 3rd quarter of the year (when most holiday stock would be imported) have been increasing since 2011.

Total retail sales have also been increasing, according to Statistics SA . After a fall in sales between 2007 and 2009, retail sales began increasing steadily since 2010. Statstistics SA figures on monthly retail sales also expose spending trends of consumers: sales generally increase between September and December each year, with sharp increases during December, of up to 25%. After the holiday, sales decrease sharply into the new year.

The biggest challenge that respondents to the Sports Trader survey faced during the holiday season was the economy, with 40% of

respondents saying that this caused customers to buy less. The second biggest challenge was competition among retailers, with 30% of respondents claiming this as their biggest problem.

Cost increases The survey was done before the latest weakening of the Rand and hike in interest rates. In December 2012, the Rand to dollar exchange rate was around R8.90, while in December 2013 it increased to R10.18. At the time of writing, the Rand to dollar exchange rate is R11.01. If the rand does not recover, it will undoubtedly have an effect on consumer spending power, especially after the recent interest rake hike of 0.5%.

South African Chamber of Commerce and Industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (SAcci) chief executive Neren Rau has said that businesses are specifically under pressure from increasing costs. The weakening Rand will not only increase cost of imported goods, but it will also have an inflationary effect. A SAcci survey conducted among 64 small to medium sized businesses show that their main concerns were the increasing cost of doing business. Factors such as electricity prices, municipal levies and the cost of complying with regulations, all have an effect on the cost of doing business.

Economists believe that retailers and manufacturers have been absorbing the rising costs due to a number of factors, such as containing consumer inflation and poor household spending. This increase in cost will eventually have to be passed on to consumers if businesses want to survive, regardless of the weak outlook on consumer spending.

Regional trends Results of the Sparks Cash Index (SCI), which determines the average value of cash withdrawals at Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) throughout South Africa, showed a definite increase in cash withdrawals of 6.59% in October 2013, compared to October 2012. An Increase in withdrawals tend to correlate with an increase in retail trade sales and consumer spending power, according to SCI. The Western and Northern Cape experienced the largest growth, with 10.32% and 11.84% respectively. An increase in tourism in the Western Cape could account for the growth in withdrawals. According to the City of Cape Town, Cape Town International had an increase in arrivals of 2.07% in December 2013, compared to December 2012. The Northern Cape has traditionally had higher withdrawals than other provinces due to its low urban population density and large population in rural areas.

Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga had the lowest growth of average cash withdrawals, between only 2%-3% increases.

* The Sports Trader Holiday Survey is an online survey of retailers in the sport, outdoor and lifestyle industries:

200

36.4% of respondents are footwear and apparel specialists, 13.6% sport retailers, 22.7% outdoor retailers, 13.6% are tackle retailers and 13.6% sports and outdoor retailers. Of the respondents,36.4% are from cities, 9.1% from coastal towns, 54.6% from rural areas.85% are independent retailers and 15% from chains.

150 100 50 0 2010

growth of online trading more compe on

lower priced

21%

the economy

2011

2012

2013

** Deloite year-end spending survey November 2013

2014 March :: Sports Trader

p22 :: Industry

Retail trends for 2014

R

etailing is constantly changing — but, luckily, not as much as the annual trend forecasters would like us to believe … although it’s always good to know what the distant future has in store.

Several international studies, however, give a better indication of the direction retailing is moving in. These surveys look at expectations, or what happened in the past.

But, because our consumers usually take a few years to adopt the latest international retail trends, we have the benefit of learning from these reports.

The good news is that brick and mortar retailing is still very much alive — and is likely to be for many years to come. Even in America, where consumers have been buying online for many, many years, consumers still prefer buying from an actual salesperson in a store, especially when buying footwear and clothing, or specialised sports or outdoor equipment.

Customers prefer store to online The majority of American retail customers still prefer to make purchases at a physical store instead of online, respondents to a 2013 US holiday shopping survey told research company accenture (www. accenture.com).

When shopping at specialty retailers, like footwear and clothing stores, 81% of customers expect to make the majority of their purchases at a store instead of online.

The number of consumers exclusively purchasing items online has decreased by 6% since 2012. An online presence is still important for retail stores, as 65% of shoppers are likely to view products online and go to a store to view and purchase a product.

The major advantages that stores have over online purchasing are that customers don’t

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

like to pay for shipping costs and they like to physically see and feel a product before purchasing.

Most US customers prefer to make their holiday purchases at discount retailers (Walmart, Target), with 76% of customers surveyed stating that they will be doing their holiday shopping in these stores. Customers doing holiday shopping in specialty retailers seem to be increasing, from 32% in 2012 to 35% in 2012.

But, while shoppers don’t mind going to a store, they don’t want to waste time once inside the store, a ten-year multi-country study on shopper behavior in retail outlets, showed.

An online presence is still important for retail stores, as 65% of shoppers are likely to view products online and go to a store to view and purchase a product.

Quick in and out The study, conducted by dr. Carl Driesener from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science at the University of South Australia, found that shoppers are busy people who want to spend as little time as possible in store, buy very few items per trip and are not particularly swayed by in-store promotions.

This study of consumers shopping in 42 stores in the US, UK, Australia and China between 2003-2013 showed that: • Customers visiting supermarkets, usually buy one item at a time, usually cigarettes, a phone card or newspaper, while 50% of visits result in the purchase of five or less

products.

• The average basket size is 11 products and 75% of customers purchase less than 15 products at any given time.

• Generally, approximately 50% of shoppers visiting supermarkets spend around 18 minutes shopping. Half of the shoppers visiting hypermarkets spend approximately 36 minutes in store, despite the larger store size.

Shoppers visiting specialty stores spend less than four minutes in store.

• On average, customers only cover 25% of the floot area of the store they visit. The larger the store, the smaller percentage of it will be visited by customers.

• 68% of customers surveyed did not notice any promotions or in-store advertising. Even though customers buy products on promotion, they do not necessarily return to make the same purchase.

• Consumers buy items they are familiar with, and although in-store promotions can significantly influence sales, they are not a substitute for mass media.

But, if one wants to look into the future, what will retailing look like in a few years’ time? According to trend spotters, retailing is going to become much more interactive and reliant on digital technologies.

Future developments While some of these hi-tech developments are already possible, there have been few earlyadopters, even internationally. But, it is interesting to see what the future could look like.

• Consumers will be able to see on a screen what they will look like in a specific clothing item, and try on accessories to create a look, without having to seek a change room to try on the items. Once this technology becomes commonly available, it could be

Industry :: p23

Despite predictions that online shopping will kill stores, consumers still prefer to shop where they can see and feel the merchandise and ask a live person for advice — but they are impatient and want to spend as little time as possible in a store, some of the international surveys on consumer behaviour show

a way to lure customers back from online shopping as the in-store shopping experience will become more fun, personalised and interactive.

• Consumers seeking an unique shopping experience would be engaged in fun activities and invited to play games in a store, for example by searching for promotional items.

• Store windows will become touch screens where customers can play around and email themselves items from product catalogues, even when the store is closed at night. This was already introduced at the adidas Neo store in Nuremberg, Germany.

• A few of the big brands already offer consumers the opportunity to personalise or design their own shoes in their own colourways or styling. With 3D-scanning and printing expected to become more prevalent after the 3-D printer patent expires this year, this could become a future service offered at retail.

• It is predicted that show-rooming will in crease, where consumers will search for goods online, but just go and try on the items — especially shoes and clothing — in a retail store, before buying online. The store thus becomes a showroom. Although the US shopper survey shows that this is not as big a threat to stores as predicted.

For the time being, crime is sadly much more of a reality for South African retailers than interactive windows and digital showrooms.

Retail armed robberies increase Over the past year armed robberies reported

by Consumer Goods Council (CGCSA) members increased 37% to 209, but burglaries decreased slightly from 243 to 241, report the Consumer Goods Risk Initiative (CGRI) business unit of the CGCSA. There was also a substantial increase in reported financial losses due to armed robberies from R8.2-m to R13.7-m, but financial losses due to burglaries dropped from R8.9-m to R8.4-m. Armed robberies in shopping centres, which include retailers that are not CGCSA members, showed a similar trend.

Interventions the CGCSA use to help retailers to reduce armed robberies include providing advice on CCTV camera minimum standards and best practice, sending out monthly alerts on crime trends and syndicates, and a new initiative to combat shoplifting.

The CGRI is a business unit within the CGCSA and specialises in retail crime prevention.

Protecting customer information The POPI act will this year have an impact on how companies treat information gained from their customers ONCE THE Protection of Personal Information (POPI) bill becomes law, retailers have to be aware that there are legal limitations on what customer information they may gather, store, and how they may use it, says Jana van Zyl of Dommisse Attorneys. As a rule of thumb, any business should only collect what is necessary for them to achieve a specific purpose — which should be communicated to customers or potential customers.

And you may only use that information for that purpose.

The provisions of the act can be summarised as follows: Consent: Organisations may only collect, use and disclose personal information with the knowledge and consent of the individual.

Limited use: The collection of personal information is limited to what is necessary for the identified purposes and must be collected by fair and lawful means.

Accountability: Retailers are accountable for protecting the personal information under their control and must ensure that adequate safeguards are in place.

Access: An individual has the right to access his/her personal information in your possession, subject to legislated exceptions, and has the right to seek correction of information or the withdrawal of permission.

Purpose: The purposes for the collection of personal information must be identified prior to or during the collection.

In practical terms, a retailer would be affected in the following ways: • Making a copy of a customer’s ID document: “The retailer has to justify why he should be entitled to collect the information. Do they really need a copy of a customer’s ID document or is it sufficient for that customer to merely display the document?” says Van Zyl. “If they don’t need a copy, why keep it?”

• Even if you can justify why you need a copy of the document, you may only use it for that purpose you collected it for, namely to verify identity. “Should they wish to use the information for any other purpose, retailers will need to notify the customer.”

• For example, if you have a lucky draw box where customers could place their till slip with a phone number, you will only be able to use the information for entry into the draw. Any other purpose will need to be specified explicitly, and permission obtained.

• If a customer has signed up for a loyalty program, the retailer is entitled to track their purchases and use it to promote products in the future based on buying behaviour — provided that they received consent to do so when the customer signed up or notified the customer that the information would be used for that purpose, says Van Zyl. • If the company wishes to collect data via their Facebook page, they would still have to limit their use, disclosure and retention of that information in line with the purpose for which they collected it, she says.

Retailers and their staff will also become responsible for safeguarding sensitive customer information, for example, credit card slips. “Retailers would need to review their current processes and educate their staff about the importance of safeguarding personal information. They would need to ensure their staff understand that items such as credit card details can’t be left in full view of anyone, but should be locked away,” says Van Zyl. “Most retailers understand that the misuse of customer information will have serious reputational consequences. And it is necessary to create awareness around staff members to focus on how they use personal information. The majority of retailers are eager to safeguard their customers’ information and upgrade their security measures and policies accordingly.”

2014 March :: Sports Trader

p24 :: Industry

How a mom & pop store became a major chain Cape Union Mart chairman Philip Krawitz and CEO Andre Labuschagne explain why they are optimistic about trading through the recession.

F

ifty years ago, when asked to identify a typical mom and pop store, Capetonians would most likely have pointed to the Cape Union Mart store, nestled between the huge OK Bazaars and Woolworths headquarters. Here, customers would feel right at home, rummaging through the clothing and gear, from anchors to toothpicks, stacked on rustic shelves, because they were assured of personal service.

Nowadays, when asked to identify a worldclass, cutting-edge, South African retail chain, consumers will most likely name Cape Union Mart. The stores, and spin-offs Poetry and Old Khaki, are now found in most shopping malls ... but still aim to create that at-home, personalised shopping experience.

How did this mom and pop store become a leading retail chain, carrying the top brands, over an 80-year period, when many other independents closed their doors?

Current chairman Philip Krawitz, the founder’s grandson and namesake, is a raconteur who explains business and personal philosophies with parables that provide fascinating answers to the question: how did they bridge the gap between a single army and navy type store to a 140-plus store empire, which employs 2,000 people, and achieves double-digit growth every year?

For the first 50 years, the Krawitz family owned one store. By 1990 it had grown to eight, and at the turn of the century they had 18 stores. Then the floodgates opened. In the

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past two years they’ve opened something like 20 new stores across the three brands — in the last quarter of 2013 they opened ten new stores, and another ten opened in the first quarter of 2014. And there’s more to come.

In 2011 Krawitz appointed Andre Labuschagne, a CA with extensive retail experience, as CEO, while he became chairman. “I wanted to bring in some fresh thinking, without losing the company’s sense of family. We needed an entrepreneurially-minded person who had a very strong track record in retail, who was passionate about a family-like business culture, and who was equally committed to the notion of leaving a legacy of doing good business.”

While they previously mainly opened stores in shopping centres in cities, Labuschagne saw new opportunities in smaller towns — and was proved right by the success of their new Cape Union Mart stores in Brits and Upington.

While he believes this expansion into smaller towns works well for a general outdoor store like Cape Union Mart, the population of smaller towns does not always warrant the expansion of specialist stores like Poetry and Old Khaki.

Poetry, which they aim to make the favourite store of the sophisticated lady, and the Old Khaki brand stores, were the brainchild of creative director Ken Lazarus “He is our ideas guy, delightfully nutty, a creative genius,” says Krawitz.

Launched in 1999, the Old Khaki leisure brand became so popular that it now has more than 40 stand-alone stores. The first Poetry

store, launched in 2008, has grown to 20.

The beauty of the Old Khaki and Poetry stores are that they are small, and therefore in high demand by shopping centre landlords who often need to fill the space vacated by small stores that closed down, says Labuschagne.

Opening new stores in close proximity to existing ones don’t affect foot traffic, he found — but, not having a presence in a new shopping centre, will affect sales. “Retailers always overestimate the effect of cannibalisation, but underestimate the effect of a new shopping centre opening,” he says. “The shopping centre is the destination — if you’re not there, you can’t draw the shoppers.”

For a single store to become a destination requires something extraordinary, says Labuschagne … like the huge Canal Walk Adventure Centre, which became a destinational store because it offers a truly unique shopping experience, as well as family entertainment.

Trading in recession While most South African retailers look back on 2013 as a very tough year, they are optimistic about trading conditions, especially since South Africa has a growing population whose salaries are increasing, creating a better educated middle class, with aspirational values.

Trading in a recession actually has several benefits, says Krawitz, citing their Triple-S strategy. In a recession they: • find the very best staff because in boom times you have to compete very hard to find decent staff;

Industry :: p25

The current Cape Union Mart chairman and CEO explain why the retailer, founded 80 years ago as a single store, became such a successful retail chain and local manufacturer If you treat people like they ought to be, they become what they ought to be. If you treat them like they are, they stay as they are.

• look at stores — where a store is closing down, open a new store and negotiate good rentals; • put the right structures in place — this is the time to fix and upgrade your systems “So, a recession is actually a very positive time for us, because we open a lot of stores, employ some absolutely brilliant people — we have better people now than I recall having in any other time in any category — and we’ve got better systems in place than ever before.”

That is why they outperform their competitive peers, he says: even though they are a private company, they can compare their performance to the listed companies and see that they are ahead in turnover and profit growth.

“In a recession people never stop buying, but they want value,” says Krawitz. “The heart of Cape Union Mart, Poetry and Old Khaki, is Value with a capital V. The garment you buy today must look good over the next five years. Our garments are not going to self-destruct, will not lose waterproof ability, will not curl up, and the seams will not come adrift. “

Optimism in diversity “South Africans talk ourselves into a depression,” he adds. “This country is too good to fail, no matter what government we have in power. One of the greatest strengths of South Africa is our diversity.”

The same applies to the company, where a diverse group of people are employed. “That diversity has enabled us to handle tough times pretty well by having some damn good arguments,” says Krawitz, who has a sign that proclaims: If two people around the table agree, one of them is unnecessary. He encourages constructive disagreements because the dialogues lead to better conclusions.

He cites the PAEI Method, developed by prof Ichak Adizes of California, as an example of the four archetypal types of characters needed for a business to function at its best: P = the producer, the guy that gets things done on time. “He’s the engine driver, but like the driver of a train you’ve got to point him in the

Family business with a difference PhiliP Krawitz’ founded Cape Union Mart in 1933 and was succeeded by his son, arthur, in the late 1940’s. when he died of a heart attack in 1970, his son Philip had no choice but to leave university to run the family business. today, Cape Union Mart is still a true family business — but, with a twist. they follow the recommendations of a harvard Business School Programme for family businesses they attended: no family member may be appointed unless they first gained work experience elsewhere, and have the skills advertised – and they may only apply once. therefore, when the Krawitz daughters became involved in the business, they brought the necessary experience, qualifications and skills to add value to the business. the eldest, Martine Vogelman, has a B.Bus.Sci degree from the University of Cape town and managed portfolios at investec Private Bank, before joining the family business to help with strategic planning. She is also involved with range selection. “we gave her the family portfolio to administer and she got pretty good returns,” says Krawitz. lauren Gez, the middle daughter, studied at the Fashion institute of technology in New York and then went to work for top end brands like Kenneth Cole and J-Crew. after returning to South africa she told her father “it’s a disgrace that you don’t have any clothes for women and you have three daughters”— and proceeded to style ladies garments for Cape Union Mart. the youngest, amanda herson, is a high achiever: at school she was head girl, the first white junior mayor of Cape town after democracy, got seven distinctions in matric and graduated cum laude as best student of her year in B. Sci Econ at the wharton School, an ivy league college in Pennsylvania. after working for the Boston Consulting Group and Victoria Secret, she completed her MBa at harvard and joined highland Capital Partners in the US before being invited by her father to visit Cape town during the 2010 FiFa world Cup tournament. the hersons — her husband Marc, who she met at harvard, is a fellow South african — predictably became homesick and when the person who ran the new business division at Cape Union Mart left, she applied and got the job. after the birth of her two sons she took on a new challenge, and now heads up their online business. the next generation — the grandchildren — inspired the kids’ range, which has been tremendously successful, says Krawitz. right direction to get him to the right station.”

A = the accountant, who wants everything done precisely and correctly.

E = the entrepreneur. “He is your dreamer, full of ideas, who lights fires all over the place.”

I = the integrator, or a human resources type of person “who’ll wait for everybody else to put up their hands before they vote.”

Unless you can get those four types of people into a similar space and create conflict, your company will be dead, says Krawitz. The leader’s role is to build a team.

“After 43 years I learnt something very important: the smartest thing in business is to realise you are not the smartest guy in the realm. Rather employ people who are much smarter than you and ensure that they play nicely together.”

At Cape Union Mart it is Labuschagne’s job is to make sure that “the brilliant people we employ play nicely together”.

Local manufacturing Another strength is that they are one of the few retailers who started manufacturing locally by opening their own factory. And despite the job losses suffered by many other local manufacturers, they are proud that they never needed to retrench an employee.

“Our factory has grown enormously and we turned out close to 450 000 garments in this financial year — high value, highly technical

garments,” says Krawitz. “We are producing better garments than what you will find in any other factory in the world.”

The greater flexibility and speed to market offered by their factory gives them a competitive edge. But, raw materials are a challenge, he admits and says “it is absolutely ridiculous that at this stage South Africa still has high import tax on textiles that are not available here.“ It’s essential that any fabric not produced locally should be imported duty free.

“We have the ability to create quite a viable manufacturing market here,” adds To p26

p26 :: Industry

Cape Union Mart cont from p25

Labuschagne — provided we get the supplies.

While the K-Way factory has already doubled in size, it is not impossible that it will double again in five years’ time, they predict. Over the years they received a number of awards — most recently,for their commitment to best practice in world-class manufacturing as part of the government’s Clothing and Textile Competitiveness Improvement Programme.

Future is online While he strongly believes that the South African online shopping experience still makes it much more attractive for shoppers to rather visit a mall, Krawitz also believes that the shopping behaviour of South African consumers will change in the uture.

For example, they will make decisions about what to purchase, and who to purchase it from, before entering a store. “They will go online and decide what they need, and where they will get the best price, without the need for a half-trained shop assistant to tell them what they should buy.”

They have already anticipated and addressed some of the other digital age challenges.

No store in a chain will ever have every style, every colour and every size in stock — but, some store in the chain is bound to have the exact item a customer is looking for. By going online, a shop assistant can find the item in another store and have it delivered.

Shopping experience A successful retailer must create a pleasant shopping experience. “We want to have the most beautiful stores, and therefore we revamp existing stores before they are no longer the most beautiful. We want to create unequalled shopping experiences in all our stores,” says Krawitz.

They aim to have the most knowledgeable and friendly staff, who offer exceptional service. Labuschagne introduced a mystery shopper programme to ensure that the shopping experience in all their stores is as good as they expect. The stores are scored with, and without, the taped video evidence — which is also shown at the annual conference to demonstrate good and bad practices. “They must be on their toes all the time,” he says.

“Our test of exceptional service is when a customer turns around to the sales person and say: gee, you didn’t have to do that. We’ve got guys who’ve driven 100km to deliver a GPS to a customer,’ says Krawitz.

Training new employees to reach that level, is a challenge, admits Labuschagne.

“We are verskrik about training,” adds Krawitz, who still loves to serve customers. Or, as he says, engages in MBWA: Management By Walking About.

“Nothing tells you more than serving customers, because while a computer can tell you

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CEO Andre Labuschagne brought fresh thinking.

what you sold and for how much, it can’t tell you why the customer bought. “

Inspiring staff “Andre has brought inspirational leadership to the company, he has brought an absolute passion,” enthuses Krawitz.

A bugle to announce when sales targets have been made (or exceeded), a company song sang with gusto, and quizzes on product knowledge, are just some of the examples of this passion he introduced. He also introduced a staff incentive programme and “you have to be at the annual function when we give the best sales person an award of R50 000,” says Krawitz.

Another incentive is a monthly draw into which the names of all the stores that make their targets are entered. All staff members in the lucky winner store receives R1 000.

“If you really care for your staff, you’ll give

Trading in a recession has several benefits when following a Triple-S strategy them guidance, but come up with a strap line that tells them what you want them to do,” says Labuschagne. The strap line Dare to Lead with Team IQ Tip therefore became part of the company song.

He explains it as follows: DARE = Delivery of an Awesome Retail Experience; LEAD = staff should Learn, Earn, Add value and Develop; TEAM = Team, Empower, Accountable, Measure; IQ = Incentivise and Quality. “We not only want to be the best employer, we also want people to queue to join us,” says Labuschagne.

TIP = their value system: namely, Trust, Innovation and Passion.

“I believe that strapline says it all, so that every staff member understands what is required,” says Labuschagne.

The store managers are also empowered to make decisions, without having to doublecheck with head office every time. “Our staff

members are so aware that service is everything, that they can make the right decisions on their own.”

He believes that when you place trust in people, they would do much more. “If you treat people like they ought to be, they become what they ought to be. If you treat them like they are, they stay as they are. “ That is why the manager of a Johannesburg store without a rain chamber, who demonstrated the waterproofness of a jacket by pouring a bucket of water over a customer, won a trip to Kilimanjaro. He felt empowered to use his own initiative to do what it took to show the customer what the product could do.

“Our people really live the outdoor lifestyle,” says Labuschagne. “Every week we have a staff member going off on a trail bike ride, climbing Kilimanjaro — we encourage them to live the outdoor lifestyle and to use our products while doing that.”

About 80 staff members have climbed Kilimanjaro, and several had been to Mount Everest Base Camp, all equipped with K-Way products.

Guarantee excellence No matter how happy the staff members are — the test of a successful retailer is how happy they make their customers by providing a good shopping experience and quality products.

“Our products offer exceptional quality and extra features that you won’t get elsewhere,” says Krawitz. “We never take anything out of a product to make it cheaper — if you want to make it cheaper, find better suppliers and better ways of manufacturing. We can make better products than anybody else anywhere in the world.”

This belief is under-written by their 5-way guarantee. “This is the best guarantee any South African store can offer,” says Krawitz, who summarises it as follows: 1. We guarantee the best price on any product currently available in a brick and mortar store; 2. We guarantee every product to give fair wear and tear. You’ll never hear we’ll ask the manufacturer and hear what he says.

We sold it and we take responsibility. The store manager is empowered to decide whether to repair, replace or refund on the spot; 3. Any product you buy from us you have the option to return it within 12 months and get a refund, provided you have a sales slip and the goods are still in good condition; 4. We guarantee a foreign exchange rate that is the same as FNB — we take no commission, even though we pay the bank commission; 5. If anything you buy from us goes on sale within 30 days, we’ll guarantee you the difference between the sale price and the price you paid for it.

They offer this because they want to be trusted by their customers, staff and suppliers, and they know they can deliver on promises, he concludes.

Meet Skins the naughty schoolboy

p28 :: Industry

Skins chairman Jaimie Fuller explains how marketing campaigns that gave it a unique identity grew the compression brand from an Australian therapeutic product for elite athletes to a global brand popular with all athletes across most sporting codes Words: Trudi du Toit. Photo: Nicol du Toit

A

good brand is a living thing and has a personality, says Skins chairman Jaimie Fuller. Skins would be the naughty schoolboy: funny, interesting, intelligent, not afraid to challenge the teacher, but with an understanding of traditions and values ... as personified by the outspoken, witty and straighttalking chairman known for his crusades against doping and bad governance in sport (see article: Responsible Sponsorship on p42).

Fuller was in Cape Town at the end of last year as a speaker at the I Play Fair Sports Law Conference. He took time off to talk about how Skins grew from a single therapeutic product sold through physios and doctors to elite athletes, into an international brand with mass appeal and more than 100 products across most sporting codes.

When Fuller bought the Australian brand in 2002, Skins was making one compression tight in three versions with different coloured stitches. “My involvement came as a fluke,” he recounts. Skins needed an investor to help them expand into the US market. Fuller, who was in the printing industry, reluctantly attended a meeting on request of a friend of a friend who used to manage the Australian soccer team. While listening to the presentation, he paged through a file with about 100 testimonials praising the benefits of the compression tights worn by elite athletes since 1998.

“These were not just testimonials from athletes, most of them came from people like the doctor of the Australian cricket team, doctors of other top teams, coaches of top teams.

They were all serious guys,” he says.

While realising that it was pretty obvious that the brand owners had problems with running the business, it was also clear from the testimonials that the product they developed worked and had huge potential. Fuller therefore decided to invest in the whole company (he bought 49%) instead of just buying the US rights. He didn’t want to run the company, but knew he could make a business contribution.

But, he soon realised that guys who are

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When we sit down with retailers, we want them to say we got to have Skins .

When they only have room for three brands, Skins must be one of the three creatively brilliant, are not necessarily good at running a business. After it became obvious that he would have to continue to invest money, Fuller bought all the remaining shares.

In 2003 he embarked on the eventful journey from the printing industry, where everybody just sold on price, to brand building. They expanded the product range and registered some technological patents.

They pay us The first couple of years their main customers were elite athletes in Australia and the UK. “None of the hard-core group in management came from the sports industry and none of us knew that you didn’t sell products to top athletes and elite teams (instead of sponsoring them — ed). We just gave them 10% off the retail price,” he says.

“These athletes were saying that when they trained hard and wore Skins after training, they felt great. The coach would say, we’ve got to have this for the whole team. We’d give products to teams to try and within a day we’d get calls: ‘I need 100-150 units’.”

At one stage 15 of the 16 teams in Australian Rules were playing in Skins. Cricketers Steve Waugh and Brett Lee were early adopters.

“In the 2005-6 Super 12 series there was a strong relationship between Skins and South African rugby players who bought our products,” says Fuller. Cricket players like Sean Pollock, Morné Morkel, Mark Boucher and others bought Skins during Australian tours.

Word of mouth about the benefits of compression spread the demand for Skins from the elite, to serious amateurs, and eventually the

mass market.

Building the brand

By September 2004 the brand was in 120 outlets in Australia and Fuller promised his sales manager a AUS$1-m advertising campaign if he could show him a client list of 300. In June-July 2005 they aired their They pay us TV campaign.

The cheeky ads set an irreverent tone with lines like: To all those baby-faced, multimillionaire sports stars that get paid too much, live in huge houses, have ridiculous haircuts ... We ain't gonna pay you a penny to wear our product, you can carry on paying us.

This was followed by a print campaign featuring a grumpy-looking guy with an upside down Nike swoosh where his mouth would have been, above the tag line: We don't pay sports stars to wear our product. They pay us."

Nike was unhappy, but the Australian advertising authorities didn’t share their concerns.

These and subsequent marketing campaigns set the tone for the Skins image they wished to portray: humorous, edgy, challenging beliefs, but delivering on performance promises.

Sales skyrocketed. In Australia Skins currently has 70% of the compression market share. A major Australian retail chain, Rebel, sells up to 13 000 units of Skins per week. “We created that market in Australia, because we were the first to produce compression with a therapeutic aspect to it. “ The high visibility of the brand also turned the spotlight on them in other ways — which resulted in valuable lessons for the marketing team, Fuller admits.

During the Tour de France in 2006 Skins was offered an opportunity for cheap TV airtime and they decided to rerun the They pay us ads.

But, in the interim, about ten of their 100odd relationships with elite athletes and teams had been converted into sponsorships. Skins had given them some products in exchange for equal-value marketing rights, although the athletes and teams still bought product from them. The Australian advertising authorities,

Industry :: p29

however, considered this to be false advertising, and fined them.

“The ad campaign was right — what we did wrong was to run it in the second year when the situation had changed,” says Fuller.

In another incident a sales agent asked a retail customer to remove the 20% discount sign from Skins garments. Because they were selling so fast, it was not necessary to offer customers any enticement to buy. A competitor reported Skins to the Australian Advertising Authorities for price fixing.

“A lesson I learnt was that I was accountable, no matter who did wrong. Legally, we did make the statement, but it was a question of intent. If I had said sorry, I’ll put a programme in place for our sales staff to prevent this happening in future, and offered to pay the difference in sales price, I would have been fined something like Aus$25 000 instead of $1-m.”

World brand He wildly over-invested in the Australian media campaign, Fuller freely admits. But, he needed to build a brand and considered the Australian market as a testing ground. “I thought that if I’m investing in the Aussie market, I’m actually investing in the world. If the model worked there, I could take it anywhere.”

The campaign did set a solid platform for launching a global brand. Skins’ international headquarters moved to Switzerland, which not only has a government that is inviting to and understanding of international business, but has a cosmopolitan culture and some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, says Fuller. Which makes it a pleasant place to live.

They also have offices in Australia, the UK, US, France, Germany and China as well as 14 distributorships in other countries.

In 2010 they expanded East and partnered with Li-Ning in China with a range of co-branded products. “They had over 7 000 stores in China, and it looked like a good opportunity, but it became clear that the relationship was never going to work because we represented such a small percentage of their sales,” he

explains.

After a false start in South Africa — a bad fit with the first distributor and a challenge to their trademark registration, which the court overturned with a ruling in Skins’ favour after a 5-year delay — the brand has been distributed locally by Super-Brands since 2012.

“I feel very comfortable with what they are doing. These are great guys, they are really good,” says Fuller. “I haven’t done a formal analysis of numbers yet, but I believe we are going to see really big growth for 2013 (in South African sales).”

When selecting international distributors, he believes it is very important to partner with the right guys, who share their vision and not only have an understanding of their own market, but also understand the Skins brand identity — “especially the humour and wit”. They will also have to deliver on sales.

“My job is now to ensure that we maintain a professional standard across the world. When we sit down with retailers, we want them to say we got to have Skins. When they only have room for three brands, Skins must be one of the three,” he says.

Sponsorships The majority of UK Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, etc. had been playing in Skins for years, without marketing contracts, but in 2006 they launched the brand into the UK retail market, which required bigger market exposure. Especially when they moved into the US the following year.

Subsequent sponsorship partnerships with the Australian Rugby Union, Australian soccer, Cycling Australia, USA Cycling, PGA UK, Rory McIlroy, cycling’s Team Europcar, the International Triathlon Union, NSW Athletics, Netball NSW, etcetera, etcetera introduced the brand to athletes and their supporters in just about every sporting code.

But, while he enjoys straight-talking, Fuller is also uncompromising about straight-dealing.

Shortly after they signed a contract with the

#1 Rugby League team in Australia, it became known that they had been involved in cap cheating. Skins immediately ended the relationship.

“It was such a good relationship to be in — they were the top team with a massive following — and I wondered if this was the right thing to do,” says Fuller. “But then I thought, no, these are our values, this is what we stand for, no matter how good the opportunity, we can’t continue the relationship.”

The same applied when players who said they loved the product so much that they would endorse it for nothing, but whose values didn’t fit, approached them. “We told them where to go.”

New structures Their global expansion in 2007 created the need for private equity investment, and this briefly changed the brand, says Fuller. The board demanded a much safer approach, especially in advertising, which convinced him to raise money to buy back the brand in 2012.

“We wanted to focus on building consumer demand, not change the culture of what and how we do it. We want investors who can buy into it.”

Had he not bought back the brand, he wouldn’t have been able to embark on his new role, travelling the world and blogging to advocate responsibility in sport governance through campaigns like the Skins-sponsored Pure Sport movement. He also wouldn’t have had the freedom to play a role in toppling the former world cycling regime (See p42).

Never happy with the nitty-gritty of the dayto-day running of the business, Fuller began looking for someone with strong operational abilities to take over his role as CEO in 2010 — and eventually found the right person in Nic Versloot in April 2012.

While still involved with some operational functions and using his experience and high profile to contribute towards brand building, he says he’s now doing what he loves: bringing accountability to sport.

2014 March :: Sports Trader

p30 :: Industry

After preparing for three years, the transition from Ronald Rink to Luke Barrett-Smith as Puma SA MD was seamless Words: Trudi du Toit Photos: Carin Hardisty

T

he leadership change at Puma SA is probably the smoothest the industry has seen. They have, after all, been preparing for it for the past three years. Luke BarrettSmith started the new year with the title MD — but he has been MD Designate since July last year and has been learning the ropes from retired MD Ronald Rink since March 2011.

That was when Rink knew that he would be stepping down at the end of 2013 from running the Puma subsidiary in South Africa, which he started in 2001.

“For the past six months Luke has been running the company and making all decisions,” Rink said at the end of last year.

If anything, says Rink, Barrett-Smith will now have an easier time: for the past six months he also had the responsibility of being national sales director, a work burden new sales director, Derick Freemantle, will take over.

There will, therefore, be no surprise changes in direction or policy.

Sustainability “We don’t compromise on ethics and we don’t compromise on sustainability,” says Rink.

“Sustainability is not a lofty ideal, we live it in this company. Sustainability and ethics are not just key issues for Puma, it’s key to life and how we live our lives.”

They run as close as possible to a paperless office and have reduced their paper use by more than 60% over the past two years — while growing the company by more than 30%. They haven’t used paper invoices or statements for more than a year. ID access to track the usage of printers and scanners not only counts the

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In South Africa, Puma had always been about performance first paper use of employees, it also ensures less wastage from double or overprints. Even the storage of files have gone virtual.

South African focus Following a tough 2013, Barrett-Smith is looking forward to building on their strengths in 2014. “The past year we’ve faced some of the most challenging times in the thirteen years that Ron and I had been working together. I think it’s the unpredictability ... you never know if there will be a strike tomorrow.”

They do, however, have a strong base.

“We’ve had huge growth,” says Rink, who believes one of their strengths is that all the original management team members are still with the company.

“We have one of the strongest teams in the country, our balance sheet must be one of the strongest in the country.”

With the World Cup in June, soccer will be a main priority for 2014. Puma’s signing of English PSL league-toppers Arsenal, will also generate welcome replica shirt sales.

Eight of the 32 World Cup teams will be playing in Puma — four of the five African teams.

Although their focus for the first half of 2014 will be soccer, and running will remain strong, they are very happy with their position in rugby from a sponsorship perspective and are in the process of consolidating rugby into

a central hub.

“The Bulls are, without question, one of the strongest rugby franchises in the world, outside national franchises. We have a wonderful relationship with them, as with the Cheetahs and the Southern Kings. “ Motor racing, a focus area for the brand since 1978, is still a significant part of their business. The sale of Ferrari, BMW, Mini, etc. lifestyle product is doing well, says BarrettSmith, with South Africans considering the branded items as very fashionable, whether they drive the vehicle, or not.

They are also involved with extreme sports like skateboarding, rallying and the X-games.

The Social Club they ran in Johannesburg was such a success that they extended it six months beyond the original timeline. There was a disappointed fan base when they eventually closed, says Barrett-Smith, but they will be replacing it with something new. “It gave us the opportunity to interact with our consumers, and to understand them.”

At the club, close to their store in the trendy Braamfontein, young people got the chance to join in all kinds of unusual activities — like playing table tennis with their phones.

Performance year for Puma Worldwide, 2014 will be a big year for Puma as new CEO Björn Gulden will introduce a manifesto in July, which will indicate a new direction for the brand.

When he was appointed in July 2013, Gulden said his priority would be to improve the company’s performance by focusing on their roots in football and athletics, rather than concentrating on fashion-led sports lifestyle.

Industry :: p31

Puma’s new MD upbeat for 2014 A former pro footballer, the Norwegian businessman has nearly 20 years’ experience in the European sporting goods and footwear distribution and retail industries, with previous management experience at, among others, Helly Hansen and adidas. He was appointed after a 70% drop in profits resulted in a reshuffle of Puma’s top management.

Although Puma still has one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry, the shareholders expect Gulden to revitalise the brand and a strong focus on performance can therefore be expected, says Rink.

“Gulden believes that lifestyle comes from performance,” adds Barrett-Smith. He mentions the shoes that athletes like Boris Becker wore while delivering top performances, which would today be considered to be fashion lifestyle shoes. “The brand’s credibility comes from there. We’ll keep our focus on performance, without jeapardizing lifestyle.”

The fact that certain performance styles became so popular amongst a large number of lifestyle buyers, didn’t detract from their performance heritage, they argue.

“In 1999 we brought out styles, like the Mostro, which revolutionised the image of a sports brand,” says Barrett-Smith.

In South Africa, Puma had always been about performance first, although consumers might have considered them a lifestyle brand. In the World Cup the teams who’ll be playing in Puma will be seen by 4.8-bn viewers, he predicts. “This exposure will show we are definitely a serious performance brand.”

But, with a shareholder like Kering, owner of top fashion brands like Gucci, Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney, etc., Puma will be exposed

Ronald Rink and Puma come a long way

Ronald Rink’s history with Puma dates back 34 years to the early 1980’s, when he was GM of Jag sports, owned by Roy Eckstein, that was selling Puma in south africa. after a disagreement with Eckstein, he moved to Canada, where he started a Hi-Tec distributorship, which he sold to the company after ten years. after a short stint at Hi-Tec international head-office, he returned to Puma’s international division, which was essentially the EMEa region.

When the south african Puma distributor, Buccaneer, went into liquidation in 1998, he had to find a new distributor, who was Eckstein, who subsequently also bought the south african rights for Reebok.

Rink opened the Puma subsidiary in south africa in 2001, which he had been running for the past thirteen years. He sold his shares in the company a few years ago and after renewing his contract several times, Puma eventually said that his contract would be renewed for a final time until the end of 2013.

“Ron has been my mentor,” says Barrett-smith. “With Ron you know you are in the presence of an ethical individual who doesn’t compromise on what he stands for. in business, those are the things you look up to. “over the years we’ve become friends ... how would you summarise something that is so big (his influence) in a few words? i don’t think i could.”

Born in Bulawayo, Rink was schooled at durban High, matriculated at Westerford High in Cape Town and thereafter graduated from the University of Cape Town. He’s an avid tennis player and top surfer. “i’ll surf, go to the bush, spend time in Zimbabwe on the Zambezi ... i’ll get involved in something, but i will not be working nine to six,” are his future plans.

While he hopes that he’ll still be invited to the Puma rugby box and the odd party Rink says he will not be coming back to the office. “The last thing luke’ll need is me looking over his shoulder and telling him what i would do. When i’m gone, i’m gone.”

But, he will miss the Puma family. “it’s a life. it’s a family.”

to many more fashion lifestyle co-labs — and it would only be natural to make the most of this benefit.

Winning awards Over the past thirteen years, Puma SA has won many awards — one of the most cherished the Puma Subsidiary of the Year award they won when they were only three years old ... an unprecedented achievement. “It was for market penetration, profitability, market share, etc.” says Rink. “We win awards all the time,” he adds nonchalantly.

Their most famous award was the Mickey Mouse hat they won for beating the Puma Holland team in an impromptu swimming race in a fountain during their sales conference at Disney World.

With an Olympic swimmer and a navy seal on their team, the Dutch were confident that they would win the challenge — and that the South Africans would end up paying the forfeit of 400 liters of beer for everybody still awake at that time of the morning.

The South African team of Rink, Brett Bellinger and Alex Hulley (who was pulled out of bed) were about half a length ahead when Barrett-Smith, a champion lifesaver, had to swim the last length against the Dutch Olympic swimmer. He decided to give her a sporting chance and waited until she was 5 seconds ahead ... and still beat her by half a length.

After a memorable party, they were awarded the Mickey Mouse hat the next morning ... and Barrett-Smith promptly thanked Puma Denmark for swimming against them.

No wonder Rink says: “We’ve had a helluva lot of fun along the way.”

A natural choice lUkE BaRRETT-sMiTH, who started his working career in hotel management in Johannesburg, joined the sports industry when he wanted to return to Cape Town. His father, Mr speedo Paul Barrett-smith, first employed him in the factory “to understand the brand from grassroots, and then i had the opportunity to join the agency as agent.”

He also got the Puma agency in 1999, and in 2002 Ronald Rink offered him the position of Puma sales director. He became part of a small management team of eight – all of them still with the company.

Barrett-smith was a natural choice as his successor, says Rink. “He has the background, he understands the entire business, he’s got the passion, he’s got the knowledge, he’s got customer relationships and he’s got the relationship with our operational side.”

He had been in the succession plan as early as 2005 – but was only made aware of it in 2011, says Rink.

Barrett-smith has WP colours for lifesaving and in 1996 he came 6th in the World Championships held in durban.

2014 March :: Sports Trader

p32 :: Industry

It’s all new for New Balance New campaigns, new sponsorships, new product and a new management team with a new structure ... New Balance SA is looking forward to an exciting 2014

2

014 is going to be an exciting and interesting year for New Balance SA. They will be working flat-out to maximise the benefits of being the new Comrades Marathon technical sponsor — starting with the launch of a special Comrades shoe to offer visual bragging rights to the athletes who’ll run the 2014 marathon.

The NB Comrades 890 running shoe, available in men’s and lady’s, is designed for high mileage training, race day running and will be available as a limited edition from March 2014.

Then there is the change in top management, giving practical meaning to the phrase the world’s a village. Ricky Knight is overseeing New Balance in South Africa from his base in Australia, where he has been managing the Australia, New Zealand, and lately the Pacific Islands region, for more than ten years.

In line with their policy to act local, think global, they appointed former New Balance SA sales manager Craig Bowen as a country manager, after former GM Gary van Rooyen left to owner-run the global surf brand Coreban.

But, as they explain, with the advances in communication, distances shrink to the size of a computer screen. Knight and Bowen keep contact with regular Skype sessions — and probably see as much of each other as other general managers working in the same city.

They will also be working hard to achieve New Balance’s international goal of becoming a top three global athletic brand.

New Balance is currently the fastest growing sporting brand worldwide — and they have the figures to prove it, says Darren Tucker, appointed New Balance vice-president Asia Pacific in November 2012. Even though they are a privately-owned unlisted company whose sales figures are not in the public domain, they can compare their growth with that published for competing big brands.

Knight and Tucker visited South Africa at the

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

The inclusion of South Africa in the Pacific region was prompted by New Balance’s policy of looking at similar customer profiles end of last year to attend the sales conference and introduce Knight to the local staff.

They became New Balance colleagues twenty years ago when Knight joined the Australian team headed by Tucker. Before that Knight got to know the other side of the industry from a retail and sales agent perspective. He followed in Tucker’s footsteps as general manager Australia — and later Pacific — after the latter became general manager of the brand’s Asia Pacific region in 2001.

Despite his laid-back demeanour, Knight has done a lot to grow the New Balance business in Australia and New Zealand, says Tucker.

The inclusion of South Africa in the Pacific region was prompted by New Balance’s policy of looking at similar customer profiles when grouping areas together, Knight explains.

South Africans, Aussies and New Zealanders share an interest in popular sporting codes like cricket and rugby, our retail market is fairly similar and our seasons correspond — our consumer markets therefore have much more in common than with the American or European markets with their different seasons.

Together these markets are big enough to warrant the development of unique products best suited to our market needs in the Singapore R&D centre. And importantly, to develop the ranges at an appropriate time.

When Bowen was appointed national sales manager in the middle of 2013, the intention was that he would have about three years to learn from MD Gary van Rooyen, before becoming head of the regional office. When Van

Rooyen left New Balance to run the Coreban brand globally, Bowen was “propelled into the hot seat only three months after joining the company,” says Tucker.

Bowen gained insights into the South African athletic footwear industry as head of sports footwear market research at GfK South Africa. He was responsible for setting up the GfK Sports Panel after a major sports brand approached the global research company in 2008 to monitor the sports footwear market in South Africa.

Bowen had joined GfK six years before as a product specialist for consumer durable goods and therefore had ample experience of convincing brands to sign up to receive reports and retailers to give them access to sales information. It helped that many of the big retailers had already signed up for GfK’s other consumer product panels. By the time retailers started selling soccer boots before the 2010 FIFA World Cup period, they were in place to track the effect of the tournament on local boot sales.

Bowen gained further insights into the local retail market when writing his MBA thesis on The effect of mass retail buying practices on competitiveness in the retail value chain, which he completed at the end of 2012. He explored what the main retail competitiveness and sustainable drivers are and how certain factors and strategies can affect everybody in the retail value chain.

His work at GfK mainly centred around market and trend analysis, forecasting and strategic merchandising, which was valuable when he joined New Balance. But, being on the inside is very different from dispassionately analysing a brand’s performance from the outside, Bowen admits with a rueful smile.

Now, he is responsible for the performance of the New Balance SA sales and marketing teams, whilst support structures (e.g. finance

Industry :: p33

GM Ricky Knight, country manager Craig Bowen and VP in charge of the region Darren Tucker talking policy.

and HR) report directly to global structures.

Their partnership with the Comrades marathon is going to be a major marketing focus this year, with several events planned for their Road to Comrades campaign leading up to race day on June 1. For example, New Balance will support the Unogwaja Challenge — a 10day cycle trip from Cape Town to Pietermaritzburg, followed by the Comrades Marathon run on the 11th day — as apparel sponsors. This event raises funds for charities and hopes to raise R1-m next year.

Running innovation The New Balance’s global Runnovation campaign will further reaffirm them as a running brand. They define this as a noun describing running as follows: from Boston to the Canary Islands, from the science lab to the city streets, running is becoming more social, interesting and more unpredictable. Runnovation seeks to inspire people to think about the sport in exciting new ways.

The campaign, launched in December 2013, features New Balance athletes, as well as real everyday people in three storylines: how running is evolving into a more social and participatory sport through focusing on a grassroots training group; how athletes are challenging the limits of the sport through focusing on New Balance athlete Anton Krupricka, two time winner of the Leadville 100 race; looking at the latest in innovative running product technologies produced at the innovation Studio at New Balance Lawrence, Massachusetts, office.

Key innovative Fall 2014 New Balance footwear and apparel products will be featured in the campaign, including the new Tri-Viz collection, which helps highlight athletes during all types of low light conditions. An important update to the popular 880V3, a go-to neutral

cushioning shoe, offered exclusively at speciality running shops, will also be featured.

While running remains at the core of New Balance, the brand is flexing muscles and growing their footprint across sporting codes like tennis, baseball, cricket and through subsidiary brand Warrior, soccer, rugby and lacrosse. This is a two-pronged advance, driven by innovative product as well as high-profile endorsements.

Athlete endorsements from the brand that ran an Endorsed by no-one marketing campaign in the 1990’s?

With a difference, explains Tucker. It is true that New Balance always steered clear from high profile athletes who could harm the brand by becoming embroiled in unethical practices, but, in line with New Balance co-owner Anne Davis’ motto whatever you do, do good, they require all sponsored athletes to give back to their community through involvement in some kind of charitable work.

They are therefore very careful about the athletes they sign, while recognising that when fans admire certain qualities in an athlete, they transfer this admiration to the brand they represent.

Young role models Therefore, young, energetic, achievers like hard-hitting cricket pro David Miller or world #1 bowler Dale Steyn, world #11 Canadian tennis star Milos Ranic, and 2013 MVP Award winner Miguel Cabrera, introduce young consumers, who might not be familiar with the brand, to New Balance in a positive way.

“We do not necessarily believe that the fact that David Miller uses a New Balance bat will sell more products, but it shows cricketers that New Balance is seriously involved in cricket,” says Tucker.

Likewise, when Heidi Klum appears in New Balance Classic adverts — especially when dressed in her signature HKNB range — young trendsetters take note. This inspires young fashionistas to run in cool New Balance shoes.

While the region has the freedom to develop products for all relevant sporting codes, New Balance will not compete with Warrior to produce soccer and rugby product. High profile club signings like Liverpool and Seville FC created a replica market in the European leagues, while players like Belgian and Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany or Argentine’s Jonas Guttierez, show off their colourful Skreamer boots on-field.

In South Africa, Warrior also made in-roads in rugby, with EP Kings’ Jacques Engelbrecht and four 7’s Springboks wearing the Skreamer boot.

Warrior, bought by New Balance in 2004, has an edgier image and strap lines like We Come not to Play or Play with Fire set a different tone to New Balance’s inspirational Make Excellent Happen or Light just got Lighter campaigns.

Despite being a global brand, at heart New Balance is a family-owned brand promoting solid family values. The New Balance Foundation, established by owners Jim and Anne Davis in 1981, bears low-profile testimony to this philosophy. It supports a wide range of worthwhile initiatives, especially programmes aimed at preventing childhood obesity.

The company also promote an environmental-friendly policy, aiming for more sustainable product design, choice of materials and manufacturing processes, and the elimination of all dangerous substances and minimising waste.

They also aim to be more sustainable in all their facilities and operations.

2014 March :: Sports Trader

p34 :: Apparel & Footwear

Running in lowlight conditions Runners training at dusk, dawn or in the dark are only seen by motorists in their headlights when it is too late to stop — unless they wear clothing with reflective or lights that will be visible from a greater distance. RHIANAH FREDERICKS asked running product suppliers which products they would recommend to help make runners more visible in lowlight conditions

A

s the days become shorter, more and more runners will be training in increasingly lowlight conditions, where it is as important to be seen, as it is to be able to see.

Running in lowlight conditions means that runners need to take extra precautions to ensure their safety.

Runners can make themselves more visible through simple changes, such as buying reflective running gear, or wearing items that have lights incorporated. Reflective materials need a light source in order for it to glow (or reflect light back) and make the wearer visible.

Motorists need at least a distance of 26m to stop safely when travelling slow, but runners without any reflective clothing are only visible within 5m of a motorists headlights. To ensure there is a safe distance between them and a moving vehicle, runners should wear reflective clothing, which will allow them to be visible from at least 152m’s away.

Although the importance of reflective has not always been understood, it has been gaining ground in recent years. Most running brands nowadays incorporate reflective in their gear.

Adidas has a Smarter range of jackets that incorporates woven reflective “to create visibility without looking like you’re directing

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

traffic,” says Gugu Ntuli from adidas SA. The brand also uses reflective trims and patterns on their clothing.

Many brands use this method in their products as a means of improving runner visibility, say suppliers of running products. There are a variety of other reflective applications on running clothing, shoes and accessories.

Brooks’ Nightlife collection offers high visibility for runners in lowlight conditions, all year round. “The Nightlife collection features bright colour contrast and 3M reflective de-

Lighting products suitable for running usually have minimal designs and long lifespans to ensure that runners get long use out of their product. tails. Perfect solutions for runs in the dark,” says Michelle Chowles from local distributor SBR Agencies.

The Rev LS II long sleeve t-shirt from Brooks features 3M Scotchlite reflectors that provide 360 degrees visibility says Chowles. On their Essential Run Jacket II, the 3M Scotchlite re-

flectors are placed on the front and back.

Their LSD Lite Jackets III outlines a runner’s figure in the dark. Other products in the range, such as the Infiniti Beanie and Equilibrium LS II, also feature 3M Scotchlite reflectors.

Hi-Tec’s men’s R156 and ladies R157 shoes have been designed with a reflective trim to keep runners safe in lowlight conditions, says Joanne Esterhuizen from Hi-Tec SA. Inov-8’s outer layers, such as their Raceshell and Mistlite jackets, feature reflective trims and zippers in the front. Their Windglove outer also has reflective writing and details.

This is also applied to their hydration packs, like the Race Elite 15. Training shoes like the Road-X 255, which are often used in lowlight conditions, also incorporate reflective.

“Inov-8 incorporates reflective detail and piping in strategic areas to aid visibility, without making the product unappealing or gaudy,” says Inov-8 brand manager Donovan van Gelder from Rebel Elite Fitness.

Nathan offers race vests that work in a simple way, explains Paul Copson from local distributor Super-Brands. These vests make users visible from 100m away and have 360º reflectivity, ensuring they are seen from all sides.

The Nathan reflective hydration bottle also helps improve runner visibility as To p36

p36 :: Apparel & Footwear

How reflective keeps runners safe For most runners, their daily programmes and job obligations force them to jog early morning or late afternoon.

Both periods of the day unfortunately pose the challenge of being visible to other road users. In more than 80% of accidents involving runners in lowlight conditions, the driver expressed shock that he or she only became aware of the runner on impact — when it was already too late to do anything about it.

Almost everybody wants to look good in their running clothes and dark clothing is generally more flattering … which explains why many runners do not seem to realise the importance of hi-visibility clothing. The dressing behaviour of runners do, however, change after a near accident or the loss of a buddy in an accident in lowlight conditions.

Fortunately, the major athletic brands have incorporated reflective in their gear, which made runners more aware of reflective. It has also made the concept more acceptable.

Reflective piping, strips in various formats, heat transfers, sew-on embossed badges — all can be applied in such a way so that it can be a true lifesaving feature. A manufacturer incorporating reflective should use products with high candela counts, suitable for multiple washing cycles, which are light and durable.

Any reflective is better than no reflective. The application of reflective has, however, unfortunately not always been done effectively. High visibility items need a certain amount of reflective per square meter on apparel to make the wearer fully visible. High visibility colours like the well-known lime-yellow and orange are only day glow and add no value to visibility at night. Tops or shorts need good standard silver reflective to be visible in darker periods i.e. after dusk and before dawn.

A little reflective is better than nothing, but the larger the reflective strips, or areas covered with reflective, the better. The ideal is for the runner to be 360° visible — so that it does not matter from which angle the vehicle approaches him or her. That means that the reflective ideally needs to be applied 360°around the garment. This will ensure that the runner is seen from all sides and as far away as a kilometer in the light of a car.

Nowadays, there are various attractive options to make runners visible in lowlight and dark conditions — and at the same time still enable them to

By JoHLEttE DE JAGEr*

express individuality through their running gear.

• The starting point is to incorporate the reflective on those items the runner cannot go without — for instance, running tops or shorts, or shoes. This is a classic example of “passive prevention”. The runner will be visible, without having to add anything special to their gear, such as a running belt, wristband, headgear or gloves.

• Hi-viz or neon bright tops or T-shirts and shorts ensure the wearer can easily be seen before daybreak/ dawn and dusk — those in-between periods of night and day when the effectiveness of reflective materials and car headlamps start to wane — when the brightness of the neon colour garments become vital.

In the dark, these colours will, however, only be visible when combined with reflective.

• Bright coloured socks add visibility — although very few sock manufacturers add reflective as a trim.

• Running shoes have reflective piping incorporated in the shoe designs, or added as a functional item, such as a pull-on strap in reflective. Other reflective items can be done in logos, laces, or heat-applied designs.

• Reflective armbands are a great way to add more visibility to running outfits and the movement of the arms attract attention while running.

• Reflective running belts are excellent as they ensure 360° visibility in the light of a car.

• Hi-visibility neon or day-glow yellow or orange caps or hats with reflective detail all around the brim, or sides of a cap, can incorporate 360° reflective — which can be a very economical way to add reflective.

• Reflective running gloves — the up and down movement of the hands makes it very easy for a driver to spot movement • Headlamps and torches enable motorists to see an approaching runner, but often not from the back. LED flashing lights that clip on are better for walking the dog, than running as too much bumping around may cause them to go off from time to time.

Nowadays, hi-visibility day-glow colours, reflective trims and materials, as well as glow-in-the-dark, are used together as mountain bikers doing night rides in unlit areas need the glow-in-the-dark trims as safety feature too.

*Johlette de Jager became concerned about the number of pedestrian deaths in low-visibility conditions when working at the Medical Research Council. Research showed that in Europe the use of reflective reduced the danger. She then became co-founder of Glow Gear, a South African manufacturer of reflective products.

Running products cont from p34

the entire bottle glows when light shines on it.

New Balance also uses graphic details in order to increase visibility. “Most of our technical running apparel has reflective piping, trims and or graphic detail on them, which is suitable for any runner, but would definitely benefit the road runner in lowlight conditions,” says Katharine Tromp from New Balance SA. Their WRP4105 Boylston Capri (for women) has large reflective graphic at the knee while the MRJ4100 (for men) and WRJ4100 (for women) has large reflective graphic on the sleeve.

The WRP3315 Impact Tight (for women) has a reflective material strip running down the side as well as reflective details on the back whereas the MRP3315 Impact Tight (for men) has reflective detail at the zips and graphics on the back.

All their Nbx running styles also usually feature 3M reflective trimmings on the back or front of the shoe, to help increase runner visibility in lowlight conditions.

“We also carry a reflective belt, which is adjustable and fits most sizes, as well as a strobe

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

light which can be attached to a belt or waist band and can be set to flash,” says Tromp.

Puma’s reflective running gear is called Nightcat, consisting of jackets, shorts and t-shirts made with visiCELL highly reflective material.

“This is is designed to enhance others’ awareness of runners in dim light situations” says Collin Allin from Puma SA. All Puma shoes also feature reflective stripes.

Reebok running apparel have reflective and fluorescent prints to give runners maximum visibility during lowlight running, says Tezanne Shunmoogum from Reebok SA. Their colour and overall design all incorporate bright, bold graphics and colours, which aids maximum visibility.

Salomon offers shoes with reflective branding that makes runners visible in lowlight.

Many clothing manufacturers combine reflective with bright colours in order to offer visibility in both light or lowlight conditions.

“Our technical lightweight running apparel is suited to any type of runner in lowlight conditions as we have a variety of light colour gar-

ments which all have reflective branding on the front and back,” says Jackie Moore from Salomon SA. For road or trail runners, she would recommend their Exo S-Lab TwinSkin short, which although dark in colour, has sufficient reflective branding all around to offer greater visibility.

Skechers has introduced Photoluminescant technology to make their runner gear more visible in lowlight condition. Skechers’ Nite Owl range of running shoes only need exposure to a light charge in order to remain glowing in lowlight or no light conditions.

“These shoes are ideal as they use photoluminescant technology that produces a glow effect in darkness or lowlight conditions,” says Derick Koen from Footwear Trading, local distributors of Skechers. Short exposure to a light source causes the shoe to glow in the dark and the more it is exposed to a light source, the longer it will glow, he says.

Light in the dark Some running garments incorporate blinking or steady LED lights in their designs to make the wearer more visible to passing to p38

p38 :: Apparel & Footwear

Inov-8 win at ISPO

THE INOV-8 Race Ultra vest, which won the Best Performance Equipment category at 2014 ISPO Munich, “may well be the next key moment in pack design,” ultra-distance and skyrunning journalist Ian Corless wrote in Talk Ultra.

Two other Inov-8 Race products won Best product categories at the ISPO show. The Ultra 290 won the Performance Footwear category and the Race Elite 315 Softshell Pro won the Performance Apparel (outer layers) category.

Made completely of fully-breathable 3D Airmesh and stretch mesh, the Race Ultra Vest fits body-tight, yet super-comfortable, says Donovan van Gelder of local distributor Rebel Elite Fitness.

Due to the pocket positioning, a pair of 500ml bottles can fit flatter and more stable to the side of an athlete’s body. Weighing only 195g stripped, the vest can carry up to 4l of kit. It has seven stretch mesh pockets and six adjustment straps, ensuring one size fits all.

A removable insulated sleeve houses a 2l shape-shift reservoir and outer bungee compression allows extra storage space.

Running products cont from p36 motorists. There are many lighting accessories that can assist in making runners more visible in lowlight conditions, and they are sometimes used in combination with reflective.

Lighting products suitable for running usually have minimal designs and long lifespans to ensure that runners get long use out of their product. They are therefore comfortable to use while running.

Many accessories incorporate LED lights because they are compact, don’t emit heat, use a fraction of energy other types of lights do and their plastic design allows them to be flexible. Lights enable runners to be seen, and flash or blinking modes on various lights allow even faster recognition.

Nathan’s Strobe and Clip Lights easily attach to a runner’s belt, shoes or clothing, and offer high visibility blinking and steady light modes.

This ensures that runners are seen from a safe distance.

They also offer the light spur that clips onto the heel of a running shoe and has a light that can be set to strobe or constant mode.

Nite Ize products use LED technology in clothing and accessories to help ensure runner visibility in lowlight conditions. Their LED Sport Vest features 3M Scotchlite reflective materials, as well as two illuminated flexible polymer strips (in the front and back) that can be set to

steady or flashing LED light mode.Their LED Sport Belt can be set to flashing mode or on a steady glow and has a webbed reflective pattern for increased visibility and added safety.

Other items, such as Nite Ize’s LED Marker Band (for the arm) and Clip-On Marker (that clips on anywhere) have reflective patterns for extra visibility. They can also be set to a constant glow or continuous flash for increased visibility.

The SlapLit LED wraps around the arm, ankle or leg. “Turn it on, slap it on your wrist, upper arm, or ankle (or any tubular-shaped object, for that matter), and you’ve got instant nighttime visibility,” says Georgina Connock of Awesome Tools. Other accessories in their range include the Nite Ize ClipLit and ShoeLit.

See better in the dark It is not only important for runners to be seen in the dark — they also need to see branches, curbs, potholes and other obstacles that could endanger their safety while running. There are several headlamps that have been specially designed to meet the needs of runners.

Black Diamond makes a number of lights suitable for various forms of running. The Black Diamond Sprinter headlamp is rechargeable and specifically built for runners who need light on regular training runs.

Apparel & Footwear :: p39

It is not only important for runners to be seen in the dark – they also need to see branches, curbs, potholes and other obstacles “It has a wide throw (beam) for optimal visibility when running and a red strobe on the back that flashes to ensure that the runner is visible at all times (even from the back),” says Simon Larsen from local distributors, Ram Mountaineering.

The Sprinter charges via a USB port and takes only five hours to charge fully. Its dimming function remembers the last setting, it is waterproof so you can rinse it under a tap after each run. It also has a burn time of 42 hours.

Their Icon model has a 200 Lumen output with a 100m (maximum) throw and it burns up to 175 hours on four AA batteries. It is also waterproof and features rugged aluminium housing. The batteries are housed in the back of the head and allows a good balance that will not disturb runner’s comfort.

The new Spot model features Power Tap technology, allowing it to adjust from a low to a full setting in just one tap. It can be set to economy mode to conserve battery life, but if more light is needed, just one tap on the housing will make its beam bounce to 100% output while another tap will return the light

to its previous setting. This model has a 135 lumen output and will burn for 200 hours on the economy setting.

LED Lenser headlamps and lights, such as the LED Lenser SEO 5, is especially great for performance oriented outdoor enthusiasts, says Connock. This headlamp features a 180-lumen output that covers approximately 120m and its dim memory is able to automatically recall the last dimming setting before switching off.

Silva has a range of headlamps that are specifically designed for running in lowlight or no light conditions, says Kim Romanis from local distributor Lite Optec.

They offer the Silva Jogger, which has a very high powered LED that is ideal for complimenting low street lighting, she says.

“The Silva Trail Runner, with a light output of over 100 Lumens, is the ideal lightweight choice for night time running in anything from dim light to total darkness.”

The Trail Runner uses the Silva Intelligent Light distribution technology, which offers a unique combination of a long distance spot light and close range flood light at the same time.

Silva also offers a range of safety lighting. All runners who run in lowlight conditions should be wearing safety lights to make them visible, says Romanis. She recommends the Tyto Red and White Lamps that easily attach to headbands, jackets, bikes, etc. The Tyto Red also comes with two safety modes — constant on and blinking.

New CityTrail running concept A nEw running concept, CityTrail, is being introduced with a three race series in Johannesburg (22 March), Cape Town (17 May) and Durban (14 June). It is sponsored

by Salomon and Suunto and organised by Wildrunner.

This concept is for runners who want to experience the enjoyment of a road or trail running in their everyday environment with its many networks of paths, trails, stairs and shortcuts that can be used for running. CityTrail is about using these networks and turning the concrete jungle into regular workout — with variety.

It’s about exploring new routes and venturing off the beaten path to see what are not seen every day. Surfaces and terrain on these runs will vary from pavement to dirt or wood, but the mountain running approach will remain constant.

Running range information p40 :: Apparel & Footwear

There are new minimalist and triathlon shoes, as well as new technologies in the latest running shoe ranges Asics

Asics, locally distributed by Jordan & Co, has introduced the Gel-Lyte 33 3 for elite runners preferring a natural, minimalist shoe, or neutral runners seeking an alternative shoe for training. With no heel counter support, and a fluid axis to twist and bend, it follows the natural foot motion.

Its asymmetrical multi-density forefoot improves midsole deformation and efficient toe-off, while a guidance line further promotes a natural foot motion. It features a light, seamless upper.

The Gel-Super J33 is suitable for the natural runner seeking more stability, or for overpronators looking for an alternative training shoe.

A high density EVA medial side gives stability, while its fluidaxis allows a central run. The fluidaxis is a line under the shoe where the most pressure is exerted during the gait cycle, which helps the runner to follow the same gait cycle with every step, reducing injury risk.

Brooks The new Brooks running range, locally distributed by SBR Agencies, feature several technologies like Brooks’ DNA cushioning, a full-length segmented crash pad that offers support and cushioning, Omega flex grooves that enhance forefoot flexibility and allow easy heel-to-toe movement, and 3D Fit Print technology to give a no-stitch fit.

In addition, the Glycerin 11 has concave forefoot pods to prevent unnecessary side movement, while the Adrenaline GTS 14’s has a Progressive Diagonal Rollbar (PDRB) to give stability. The lightweight Pureflow 3 features adaptable BioMogo DNA cushioning, and a rounded heel. Its sculpted medial arch is intergrated with the upper for a closer fit.

The Cascadia 9 trail shoe features adaptable BioMogo DNA cushioning and a Ballistic Rock Shield under the forefoot to protect against rugged terrain. A 4-point Pivot posting system guides the foot into neutral transition on bumpy trails. It has a no-sew upper and flat laces that offer more security.

The Puregrit 2 has a 4mm heel-to-toe drop with a curved heel that encourages a more forward foot strike. Its concave outsole has a multi-directional lug pattern that ensures grip, while its simple and secure upper hugs the wearer’s foot.

Hi-Tec Hi-Tec offers racing and off-road shoes. New to their range is the Haraka (for men and ladies), a lightweight racer with a breathable

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

upper and on trend design.

Their Shadow Trail, with its broad Vibram outsole, is ideal for running on uneven surfaces when doing off-road running.

Their R156 (men’s) and R157 (ladies) running shoes feature moisture wicking anti-bacterial linings that keep the foot dry and odourless, while their lightweight EVA midsoles offer cushioning and stability.

The Wave Sayonara features a U4iC midsole that provides a good cushioning to weight ratio. It also has a G3 durable outsole that gives good grip and traction.

The wave Ascend 8 is a dynamic shoe that gives protection on fast runs. Its X-lug outsole allows multi-directional grip, without adding unnecessary weight, and the upper offers a more secure fit, while maintaining flexibility for natural movement.

New Balance

Inov-8 Inov-8, locally distributed by Rebel Elite Fitness, now offers a road and triathlon footwear range. The Tri-X-Treme range (above) is their first shoe specifically for triathlon runners. It consists of the well cushioned 275 for men and 245 for women, which have an 8mm heel-totoe drop. The more stripped down 225 is a unisex model for shorter events, or for runners and triathletes who perform at higher speeds.

All Tri-X-Treme models come with a seamless inner for running without socks and drainage channels in the midsole allow water to flow out of the shoe with ease. They come standard with bungee style laces and an innovative lace locking system and loops on heel and tongue for easy pulling on and off.

Strategically placed ‘sticky rubber’ pads in only the necessary areas of the outsole reduces the shoe’s weight, but also provides the runner with a plush, comfortable ride.

Although aimed at the triathlon market, “the shoe will also appeal to road runners looking for a high performance racer or trainer for medium to long distances, says Inov-8 SA brand manager, Donovan van Gelder, himself a triathlete.

Mizuno Mizuno, the official sponsor of the Cape Peninsula Marathon and 21km race, have introduced four new Wave models. The Wave Rider 17 and Wave Inspire 10 both feature the new U4iC midsole and radius outsole that give a smoother ride for mid/forefoot strikers, and also new sockliners and blown rubber forefoot. They are also made of lighter materials.

The Wave Rider 17 is an everyday trainer, whereas the Wave Inspire 10 offers runners good support and features a lower wave midsole geometry and a wider gauge that improves stability.

New Balance’s Fresh Foam 980 combines ultra-plush cushioning and a reduced drop from heel to forefoot while offering a soft and bouncy ride that protects runners without sacrificing speed.

Its midsole offers cushioning properties and stability in a more minimal package.

The shoe has been engineered to bring natural underfoot geometries alongside a cushioned ride with a blend of soft, responsive foam. Its blown rubber outsole is durable, flexible and has a 4mm natural drop last that provides a light and stable ride.

A lightweight, breathable construction with a simple plush upper that keeps the wearer’s feet comfortable and protected. This show has a unique spray paint finish with a fresh, eye-catching design.

Olympic The Orion (Ladies) and Targa (mens) from Olympic, locally distributed by Jordan & CO., use colour fast PVC and PU synthetic leather in the upper and their overlays are backed by woven polyester for strength and durability. Tongues and collars are padded with soft, closed cell.

Insock’s made of non-woven material offer directional stability, durability and comfort.

The vamp linings of these shoes are made with polyester and their quarter linings use industrial quality woven material. Their eyelet supports and loops are made of PVC and evenly spaced for better tension control.

Durable rubber blend compounds in the outsole, reduce wear and pressure to increase comfortability. The soles are flexible and deep tread patterns make them slip resistant on any surface.

CLEVER THINGS FOR KEY RINGS Clip TelePen 3 x Clip TelePen and black ink refills.

KeyTool 8 tools taking up no extra room in your pocket — simply wraps around your key on your keyring giving you 8 essential tools.

KeyRing System Simply a better way to carry your keys and accessories around with you than a common split ring.

MultiMate Mini This high grade stainless steel mini multi-tool will handle most of those daily tasks without wadding out your pocket.

FireStash This unbelievably small waterproof keyring canister houses a fully working lighter that is ready to ignite at your command.

EyeGlass A keyring magnifying glass — perfect for when you are on the go, have forgotten your reading glasses or just need that extra bit of assistance in seeing the small things that matter.

Useful packaging

CashStash As small as your key and waterproof. Makes a perfect gift, especially if you put cash in it!

The weatherproof packaging not only displays the product in an attractive and clear manner — the HardCase is strong, durable, weatherproof and most importantly, reusable. Perfect for outdoor pursuits and keeping valuables safe when traveling.

Distributed by Lite Optec. For more info contact sales@liteoptec.co.za 011 462-6986 www.liteoptec.co.za

p42 :: Industry

Sponsors of SA sport federations South AfricA’S biggest sport federations have unequal success in attracting sponsors. Some have been punished by withdrawal of sponsorships, while others, that attract high TV viewership, get new sponsors despite concerns about issues of governance.

Athletics SA: The federation was recently unsuspended by SASCOC so that athletes can participate in the Commonwealth Games in July, but it is still unclear which of the boards may legally run ASA. The federation’s website is not functioning and no news about sponsors — if any — are available. cricket SA: adidas, Castle Lager, Blue Label, Sunfoil, KFC, TM Lewin, Ram, Powerade, Budget, Coca Cola, Momentum Health, Cell C and SuperSport.

Golf Association of SA: Technical sponsor Titleist, other sponsors: Indwe, Sanlam, Tempest and Volvo.

Netball SA: Name sponsor Spar. Other: Tsogo Sun. Technical sponsors Asics and Mitre.

SA football Association: ABSA and Puma withdrew sponsorship last year around the time when SAFA administrators suspended after match-fixing allegations were re-appointed. Nike recently became sponsor and supplier. Other: Castle Lager (Bafana Bafana), Sasol (Banyana Banyana), and Sasol, Nedbank and SAB are league sponsors. EY, Energade and Tsogo Sun are suppliers.

SA hockey Association: Sponsors: Investec and Mugg & Bean. Suppliers: adidas and Mr Price Sports. Other: BDO, BSN Medical, Tsogo Sun, Virgin Active.

SA rugby union: Asics, ABSA, BMW and SAA are Tier 1 Springbok sponsors.

Vodacom, Energade, Shield, Tsogo Sun and Castle Lager are Tier 2 Associate sponsors. Additional 11 other sponsors, including Gilbert as a supplier.

Swimming South Africa: Without a main corporate sponsor after Telkom did not renew their R11-m sponsorship.

Arena is the technical sponsor. Lack of funds resulted in swimmers and water polo players asked to fund international participation — water polo team members asked to pay R270 000 to participate in Commonwealth championship in April. tennis SA: Sponsored by Keyhealth.

Technical sponsors: Babolat, Dunlop, Prince, Slazenger and Wilson.

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

Responsible sponsorship South African companies spent about R4.5-bn on sponsorships in 2012, which gives them considerable financial clout when dealing with sport federations, athletes and other beneficiaries. Sponsors should use their financial power to ensure better governance, accountability and fair competition from the athletes and federations they fund, is becoming a mantra heard at conferences across the world.

Trudi du Toit explains why

L

ie with the dogs and stand up with the fleas, the Romans said. Translated into sport terms it means: associate with an unethical sports body, team or athlete, and everybody will assume you’re just as crooked.

Sponsors know that they should distance themselves from athletes and teams caught doing wrong. But, in ever louder voices, they are being urged to demand accountability from administrators and athletes and play a pro-active role to keep sport fair and drug-free.

Taking it a step further: monetary rewards from sponsors contribute to the win-at-all -cost attitude of some administrators, athletes and coaches, which could lead to unethical practices like cheating and doping. Sponsors should therefore take responsibility for what is done with the monetary rewards they offer.

This was a recurring theme touched on by several speakers at the I Play Fair Sports Law Conference held in Cape Town in November last year. For example: • “Commercialisation of sport can lead to a conflict with ethics,” said prof James Nafziger, Director of International Law at the Willamette University in Oregon. The role of corporate power in sport is ever increasing — as demonstrated by the millions in sponsorship dollars that motivated athletes like Lance Armstrong to do anything it takes to win, and this can become problematic when sponsors put pressure on athletes to win, or turn a blind eye to ethical violations, he cautioned.

• The resources spent to develop innovative products and initiatives from corporations are some of the factors that can influence professional athletes to abuse substances that will keep their sporting success dreams alive — and help them to do the jobs for which they are paid, said prof Cora Burnett, research professor at the University of Johannesburg. The pressure to perform at all times and not letting the team down can

contribute to substance abuse.

• “The financial incentives alone make it easy for us to see how elite athletes and management are sometimes tempted to break the rules,” said lawyer and former CEO of the International Netball Federation, Urvasi Naidoo. “But, if a sport cannot guarantee integrity at elite level, commercial sponsors, as well as the fans and media, will eventually abandon the sport.

• Sponsors who keep on supporting an athlete or governing body that is corrupt, is “guilty by association,” Skins chairman Jaimie Fuller said. “What is the point of Skins selling products to enhance performance and recovery to people who compete at any level, if they believe the top-level sport we’re supporting is rotten to the core? It’s guilt by association and it makes no sense at all.”

Changing Cycling Fuller became a global champion for good governance and anti-doping in sport when he demonstrated that even a relatively small sponsor can change the well-entrenched leadership of a powerful federation, like the International Cycling Union (UCI).

In the wake of the Lance Armstrong indictment by the US anti-doping association, USADA, Fuller drew the ire of former UCI presidents Pat McQuaid and Hein Verbruggen when he cheekily sued them for $2-m for bringing the sport into disrepute. This devalued Skins’ sponsorship of a major cycling team, he argued.

This got their attention, all right, and in a vicious blog, McQuaid vs Cookson, the integrity of Fuller and Brian Cookson (who successfully challenged McQuaid for the presidency) were repeatedly attacked.

Ironically, Fuller had originally believed in Armstrong’s innocence. But, he became aggrieved as a commercial partner by the attacks by the UCI, and especially McQuaid, on USADA and its CEO Travis Tygart, instead of investigating the accusations against Armstrong.

Industry :: p43

Skins chairman Jaimie Fuller was one of the speakers at the I Play Fair Sports Law Conference in Cape Town, where he explained how the Pure Sport #ChooseTheRightTrack campaign was promoting better governance in sport.

Travis Tygart, USADA CEO, told the Sports Law Conference what steps they took to verify the evidence against Lance Armstorng and the extent of the UCI campaign against them.

Especially, after he read the evidence.

“I was waiting for the proper sponsors to step in and do something.” When none spoke up, Fuller realised that it was up to him to do something. “I had this naive perspective that people in responsible roles are primarily there to administer a sport.”

In response, Fuller and other concerned people founded Change Cycling Now (CCN) in December 2012, which played an active role in the bruising election campaign that resulted in McQuaid and friends being ousted from running the UCI in September 2013.

CCN, for example, helped fund court cases — inter alia of Irish journalist Pat Krimmage, who was sued for libel by McQuaid — and started a magazine, Abnormal, to present an alternative view to the attacks from the McQuaidcamp. Skins’ marketing budget contributed, although Fuller tried to keep the brand’s involvement at a minimum.

“When we were forming CCN, there was no Skins visible, because I was very sensitive to keeping the brand out,” says Fuller. “There were whispers that it was just a publicity stunt to sell Skins, but this (the campaign) was so important that I didn’t want to devalue it by accusations of commercialisation.”

It created tension between him and the Skins management team who were not so convinced that this corporate responsibility initiative (CSI) justified the use of marketing funds, Fuller admits.

Despite continuously being told that “you’ll never get anything done. The system is too big” McQuaid was denied a third term as president by a mere three votes.

“There is no question that the UCI will change. The reality of what the new guys are trying to put in place is enormous,” says Fuller.

“This is a chance to take the sport with the worst reputation and change it over a period.”

He believes cycling can become an example for other sport.

He demonstrated that even a relatively small sponsor can change the well-entrenched leadership of a powerful federation, like the UCI

In a follow-up newsletter he wrote: I believe sponsors can no longer pay for the exposure a sponsorship package will give them and then calmly sit back and simply wait for the association to benefit their business. There’s no point in operating commercially if you’re not prepared to stand up for every athlete and sports fan who wants to watch, or take part, in a fair contest.

Responsibility brands

Pure Sport

Since then, Fuller became a regular speaker at international conferences on sport governance — for example, before coming to Cape Town last year he spoke at the 8th Play the Game Conference in Aarhus, Denmark, on Why corporate sponsors should engage in sports governance.

There was growing concern from sponsors at this conference about being aligned to international federations who are just grabbing more power, says Fuller. He believes there are ways that sponsors can work together to exert their financial clout in order to keep federations on the right track, and is working on a plan to set this in motion.

Sport brands are especially vulnerable when they associate themselves with unethical federations, he believes. While the reputations of big brands like Sony or Coca-Cola would not really be affected if the reputation of the federation they are associated is tarnished, the damage to a sports brand could be enormous.

Sponsor dollars are being reduced all over the world — it is becoming harder for all federations to get sponsorships — and therefore sponsors should demand to see how the federation is conducting its business and spend their money, he argues.

Brands aligning themselves to a sport federation should consider this a CSI initiative, rather than marketing exercise, and therefore play an active role to ensure that they are associated with a clean and wholesome product, Fuller told delegates at the Sports Law Conference.

After leaving Cape Town, Fuller and Ben Johnson — the Canadian 100m world champion who was stripped of his titles when he tested positive in the Seoul Olympics in 1988 — spoke at a Sport versus Crime conference in Dubai.

There, more than 50 participants from 25 countries discussed how to create sport without crime, and how sport can combat crime.

This was part of the Skins Pure Sport campaign, aimed at improving sport governance and empowering athletes to stay clean and honest. This time, Skins is fully on board.

Because Johnson’s disgrace was such a memorable occurrence, Fuller last year chose him to accompany him on a tour to the UK, Canada, US, Australia and Japan to promote anti-doping, ending in Seoul on the 25th anniversary of the historical event.

Apart from the fact that he knew that Johnson would have much more impact than some clean-cut kid preaching anti-doping, they also wanted to get the message across that after 25 years, nothing much had changed to help athletes overcome the temptation of doping to enhance their performance. If anything, it is worse than before, Johnson said.

Dubbed the #ChooseTheRightTrack initiative, Johnson participated because he was part of the problem, and therefore wanted to be part of the solution.

“I spent five weeks with Johnson and I’m very proud of that campaign,” says Fuller. “I hope in ten years’ time he will look back and say I made a change for good.”

2014 March :: Sports Trader

p44 :: Sport

Developing team sport and sales Soccer, rugby and netball are the biggest participation sports in South Africa — and therefore generate good retail sales. What are the sport federations doing to keep the grass roots numbers high and create new customers? YAMKELA MKEBE reports

A

t grassroots level, soccer, netball and rugby are the most popular participation sports in South Africa. Of these, by far most active South Africans play soccer, while netball tops the charts for women.

In a survey conducted for Sport and Recreation SA (SRSA) in 2005 titled Participation Patterns in Sport and Recreation Activities in South Africa, 11% of the respondents said that they played soccer — compared to the 3% who play netball, 2% who play rugby and 1% or less, who participate in cricket and all other sports In addition, 29% of the non-participants said they wanted to play soccer — 17% only socially.

In comparison, 9% non-participants said they wanted to play netball (5% socially) and 5% rugby (3% socially).

The kit, balls and footwear sold for these sports constitute an important part of a sport retailer’s stock. Retailers therefore have a vested interest to know that new players are constantly being recruited, that the necessary facilities and training are in place, and that they are kept interested in participating through sufficient leagues and competitions.

In other words, that enough is being done to grow these sports at grassroots level.

Soccer development plans In the trying times experienced by South African soccer on international level, plans to improve the standard of the game from grassroots level, have been tabled. The South African Football Association (SAFA) announced their development plans to strengthen soccer after a three-day SAFA lekgotla in February.

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

There are currently 341 LFA’s registered with SAFA, each LFA representing from 30 to over 200 clubs This comes not long after new SAFA president Danny Jordaan said that “big changes are underway at SAFA, not just at the national team level, but at grassroots. If we want to build a winning team for the future, we have to have efficient structures in place right from school level.”

These remarks were made in January, just after Bafana Bafana was knocked out in the early stages of the African Nations Championship (Chan). Jordaan promised a new name, new technical staff and a new technical sponsor for the national team.

In the beginning of last year, after SAFA failed to act against officials identified by FIFA in a pre-2010 match fixing scandal, Puma and ABSA withdrew as sponsors, but Nike stepped in as sponsor at the beginning of this year.

Shortly after he was elected to head a revamped SAFA board at the end of last year, Jordaan spelled out a development plan for the next ten years.

One of the objectives of SAFA’s Master Technical Plan, also known as Vision 2022, is to have all the national football teams ranked in the top three in Africa and in the top twenty in the world. They hope to achieve this in the next ten years.

History shows that this aim is not beyond reach, as Bafana Bafana was ranked #19 in

1996, when they also occupied the #1 spot in Africa, and won the African Cup of Nations trophy. It will, however, be an uphill battle as according to FIFA’s latest rankings, Bafana Bafana is #64 in the world and #12 in Africa, and the women’s team, Banyana Banyana, at #50 in the world and #4 in Africa.The men’s team have been unable to do sufficiently well in Africa to qualify for the last few World Cups on merit.

But, to regain the ground that was lost over the past twenty years, soccer will have to be improved from the bottom up.

When Bafana Bafana won the CAF trophy in 2000, Clive Barker had a pool of at least 200 South Africans in the 20 teams in the domestic leagues to choose from. Now, the 16 domestic teams only need to have six local players, giving Gordon Igesund effectively 96 players to choose from, SAFA reported to the Parliamentary Committe on Sport.

Grassroots development Apart from the current hundred private development centres and sport school academies registered with SAFA, they will now establish a number of academies in all provinces.

“Ideally, each of the academies should house 15 players at each age level from U14 upwards,” says SAFA Development Agency (SDA) CEO, Dr Robin Petersen. “They will be launched province by province as we identify suitable partners and places,” he adds.

The SDA, headed by the former SAFA CEO, was established a year ago with the aim of improving soccer below national level. But, their scope was limited by funds, having raised only

Sport :: p45

Free State played against Gauteng in the SAB U21 National Championship tournament at Idas Valley in July last year.

Photo: Roger Sedres

R30-40-m for development, SAFA told the Parliamentary Committee on Sport in February.

Sasol last year became the first corporate sponsor of SAFA’s Development Agency (SDA).

The petrochemicals company has been involved in development for over 20 years, supporting the U23 men’s national team, Amaglug-glug, and the women’s national team Banyana Banyana, and have now strengthened their ties with SAFA through grassroots development. For the next coming three years Sasol will contribute R3-m towards the agency.

Sasol’s sponsorship will be used for developing grassroots structures in the Fezile Dabi region in the Free State, which includes the town Sasolburg, and the neighbouring Gert Sibande region in Mpumalanga.

Last year, SAFA established the U13 and U15 leagues for boys and girls, which is a first step in the journey of enhancing the standard of soccer in the country, says Petersen.

This should also increase interest in soccer amongst school age players.

For retailers, each new league means that they can sell new team kit to the competing teams, as well as match balls for the extra matches.

In a further step to improve grassroots play and encourage new players to enter, the SDA last year announced plans to grow the number of licenced coaches at Local Football Associations (LFA’s) to 15 000. They aim to do this by increasing the number of coaching educators from 30 to 150. Level 3 and level 2 coaches would be trained to become coaching educators, who would, in turn, train aspirant coaches in two LFA’s each.

The

ClubWise course, the first of its kind for rugby club in administration, covers every aspect of club administration

Soccer player numbers There are currently 341 LFA’s registered with SAFA countrywide, with each LFA representing many clubs. “The number of clubs and teams in each LFA varies widely, from 30 to over 200 clubs in some of the larger LFAs,” say Petersen. There are therefore between 10 000 to 68 000 grassroots soccer clubs in the country. If each club only manages to attract a minimum squad of 15 players, there are 150 000 to 1-m registered soccer players involved in league play at club level — not counting schools.

KwaZulu Natal is topping the number of LFA’s (70), followed by the Eastern Cape (57) and the Western Cape (55) with the third most local football associations. Most of the LFA’s are clustered around the big cities.

At school level, soccer is managed by SAFA’s associate, The SA School Football Association (SASFA). A research project is currently underway to establish how many school leagues are functioning and how many school players participate, says Petersen.

Big plans from Netball SA For Netball South Africa the launch of the much anticipated Netball Premier League (NPL) will be one of the priorities they hope

to achieve this year. The league was supposed to be launched last year, but it failed to get off the ground.

A professional league will of- To p46

Local Football Associations KwaZulu Natal Eastern Cape Western Cape Gauteng Northern Cape Limpopo Free State North West Mpumalanga Total

70 57 55 48 27 25 22 19 18 341

Most LFA’s are in regions aound big cities and sparsely populated areas therefore have fewer football clubs.

South African rugby players — November 2006 Pre-teen male players 169 980 Pre-teen female players 2 248 Total junior players 172 228 Teen male players 129 191 Teen female players 7 595 Total youth players 136 786 Senior male players 147 650 Senior female players 7 813 Total senior players 155 463 Total male players 446 821 Total female players 17 656 Total players 464 477 Estimated teams 30 965 Registered referees 2 056 Source: www.irb.com

2014 March :: Sports Trader

p46 :: Sport

Grassroots development cont from p45

Thuli Qegu shoots at goal during the Spar Proteas squad camp held in Potchefstroom to prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.

Photo: Mario van de Wall.

fer the thousands of girls who play netball at school a goal — and possible career option — after they no longer play in the school leagues.

There were approximately 1.95-m adult and junior netball players in South Africa in 2012, according to research company Accelerate’s Gary Grant.

By far most netball players are black, reports Grant: 1.5-m black women, or 77% of the total, and 222 200 white women play netball.

But netball is the #1 participation sport among women of all races, according to statistics from a 2007 BMI survey quoted in the SRSA’s A Case for Sport and Recreation publication.

Netball is the third most popular sport among all school children — following soccer and athletics — and above rugby and cricket.

In order to improve the level of play, Netball SA last year held workshops for grassroots coaches in every province and staged national tournaments to identify potential future Protea players.

In order to develop the sport, it is a priority for the association to attract more partners who would invest in netball, says Netball SA president Mimi Mthethwa. “A lot of companies are beginning to show interest in netball,” she says. “This brings hope that we would soon have adequate partners.”

In addition to Spar as named sponsor, Asics

was announced as the new apparel sponsor of the SPAR Proteas and the U21 side in March this year. Last year ball supplier Mitre announced a R2.5-m sponsorship of Netball SA for the next seven years.

Attracting sponsors SA Schools Netball (SASN) is sponsored by Mitre, Xco Sport and NuPay. Their objective is to encourage mass participation in netball at school level by assisting with coaching and participation in leagues at school, district, regional, provincial and national levels.

Since last year, regular live broadcasts of the matches played by the national side, Spar Proteas, have generated more interest in the sport, especially since the national team have been performing well.

The Proteas last year won the Africa Championships in Malawi, beat world #3 England to win the Tri-Nations in Port Elizabeth, and the SPAR Baby Proteas came 5th at the World Youth Netball Championships in Glasgow. They are therefore confident that they could win a medal at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

According to Mthethwa the top four countries in the world have shown increased interest in playing against the Proteas as they realize that the country is an To p48

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p48 :: Sport

Grassroots development cont from p46 emerging force.

Rugby development There are several development initiatives under way to grow rugby participation, which was just under half a million registered players, according to the last figures available (www.irb.com). More than 300 000 players are still at school, and nearly 18 000 are women.

This will be done through initiatives to help improve club administration and performance of rugby players.

“Club rugby is the lifeblood of the sport and its administration plays a vital role in developing rugby at grassroots level,” said Mervin Green, South African Rugby Union (SARU) GM Development, when the Clubwise programme was launched in January this year.

He also said that if all clubs get to function well, it would contribute hugely to successful rugby development.

The ClubWise course, the first of its kind for rugby club in administration, covers every aspect of club administration — from goals and governance to player and member welfare by way of fund-raising, financials and marketing and match-day activities.

The development of player performance at According to figures from the IRB, there were more than 300 000 rugby players at school level at the end of 2006. Photo: Nicol du Toit.

all levels — even as young as U13 — will be assisted with a new Footprint computer programme, designed to capture each player’s performance, so that it can be monitored over the years. The tool was introduced at a recent symposium held in Stellenbosch where coaches from junior, provincial to national team level could share ideas. This is a followup to SARU’s HP Mobi-Unit introduced in 2013.

A new rugby academy has been launched to develop young rugby players in the Boland.

It is expected that this academy will ensure that a number of black young players are exposed to top flight rugby.

The growth and development of the game is not limited to South Africa. A conference was recently held in Cape Town where development and growing the game was top of the agenda. The conference, which was part of the IRB Development Strategy aimed at growing rugby around the world, was attended by rugby administrators from several African countries, including Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

A further development is bound to grow rugby interest on the soccer-mad continent: Kenya’s Tusker Simba XV will replace the Argentinian Pampas in the Vodacom Cup. This could create a new option for selling replica shirts among expats.

Team sport news

p50 :: Sport

Canterbury forms partnerships

CANTERBURY IS supplying the official match ball for all the Varsity Cup and Shield matches. Players in the 2014 tournament will be using the Transtech Speed match ball.

The high quality ball has a durable 3-ply construction and is weather resistant. An in-seam valve ensures true balance and consistent flight, while a standard grain outer ensures good handling.

Canterbury is also the official kit sponsor for Titans Cricket.

Internationally, the brand signed a six-year sponsorship deal with the Irish rugby union. Ireland will wear their Canterbury kit for the first time when they play against the Springboks in November. The brand worked with players to develop match, training and bench wear for all the national teams.

Ruan Fourie(IIRASA), Andrew Borgen(Gilbert KZN) and Dick Muir(IIRASA)

Gilbert supports rugby academy GILBERT, LOCALLY distributed by Leisure Holdings, has renewed their sponsorship of the Investec International Rugby Academy of South Africa (IIRASA). This means that Gilbert will remain the exclusive ball and equipment supplier for IIRASA on all their courses and clinics.

"As a specialist rugby coaching business we believe in delivering the best possible coaching available with the best possible knowledge, gear and rugby equipment,” says IIRASA Director, Ruan Fourie.

“IIRASA engages with only the best coaches and players to bring their combined knowledge to both players and coaches of all levels and we are proud to be associated with such an outstanding programme,” says Damien Rudham, Gilbert Brand Manager.

Super-Brands (Pty) Ltd | 021 6376 | www.super-brands.co.za Sports Trader :: 380 2014 March

Duane Vermeulen, the big and strong Springbok and Stormers flanker, will feature in Skins campaigns across South Africa. The compression brand is locally distributed by Super-Brands.

Springbok and Stormers full-back and centre Jaco Taute (above left) recently signed a three-year contract with Mizuno, CCC (Canterbury) and Skins, locally distributed by Super-Brands. He will be playing in the new Mizuno Morelia Neo Mix boot and their Ignitus Blade boot.

Team sport news

p52 :: Sport

Most popular rugby boots

Umbro mbro African boot

ADIDAS HAS been the rugby boot brand of choice for 43% of 258 UK rugby players in the Aviva Premiership 2013/14. But, interestingly, Mizuno (19%) surpassed Nike (17%), Asics (9%), Puma (5%), etc. as the second most popular brand worn by rugby players in the Premiership. It is the fifth season that adidas has been the most popular boot brand and its popularity has grown from 34% last year to 43%. Until last season, Nike, followed by Puma, were the second and third most popular boot brands. They have now been overtaken by Mizuno, whose popularity has grown from 16% to 19% of players. Asics, previously in #5, is now the fourth most popular brand, worn by 9% of players.

This season adidas is especially popular amongst backs (49% of players, compared to the 36% last year) and is also the most popular brand amongst forwards (39%). Mizuno is worn by the second most forwards (25%), followed by Nike (14%). Nike is, however, the second most popular brand amongst backs, followed by Mizuno (12%).

White, worn by 38% of all the players, and black (35%), are the preferred boot colours, followed by blue (9%), orange (7%) and red (5%). Black remains the most popular boot colour amongst forwards, followed by white. The back row players, however, prefer white. This season more forwards also chose to wear blue rather than black boots.

UMBRO DESIGNED their new GeoFlare Afriq boot specifically for the African market, where it will be worn by by local Umbro players such as William Twala, Roger Da Costa and Vuyo Mere (Platinum Stars captain). The Afriq boot has a competitive price point and is based on their new GeoFlare boot silo, which is worn by Umbro’s international players. The lightweight boot is designed for the game-changing attacking player, with features like an enhanced re-ground rubber print on the toe and an embossed medial pass pad to enhance ball control, especially in wet weather.

Mizuno’s new Morelia boot for all grounds

Nike new SAFA sponsor

MIZUNO’S NEW Morelia Neo Mix rugby boot features fine Kangaroo leather that provides a quilted and luxurious feel. The upper stitching offers a secure fit and greater sense of touch, while its graded Pebax sole plate offers more flexibility and durability with exceptional weight benefits. A mixed hard and soft ground stud configuration holds the foot securely and comfortable in any weather conditions. It also features a short padded Morelia tongue.

NIKE WILL be the SAFA technical sponsor for the next 5 years. They will launch a limited edition kit for Bafana Bafana’s friendly match against Brazil in March, but the 2015-2016 kit will be launched in November, to be available at retail from January 2015. Nike will supply kits and match balls to all nine of SAFA’s men and women’s national football teams.

W.E.T. Sports Importers

Celebrating 30 Years For a wider range of products shown, please consult the latest W.E.T. Sports catalogue. Available NOW

Matrix Soccer Ball Size 5

Tournament Netball Size 5

Padded Knee Pads

Blue, Red or Black. Sizes S, M, L.

Squash Balls

Wristbands

Double Action Ball Pump Headbands

7038 Standard Cue Case Magnetic Chalk Holder

Standard Innersole

9mm Stick-on Tips

Affordable padded vinyl

Double Yellow Dot Metal Finger Grip Whistle

Fibreglass Snooker/Pool Cue

9mm Tip 2-piece cue with web design finish

Tel: 021-948 8150 • Fax: 021-948 8084 • sales@wetsports.co.za • www.wetsports.co.za

p54 :: Sport

Magic for numbers TOUCH OF Magic is a specialist company that imports and distributes a wide range of heat transferable vinyl used for numbering and branding sportswear kit. They also supply heat presses for shirts and caps with which to apply their range of vinyl.

The introduction of heat transferable vinyl for numbering, etc. has changed branding of team kits worldwide. Previously, numbers had to be stitched or screen printed onto shirts. This is slower, more costly, labour intensive and in most cases cannot be performed by retailers or wholesalers themselves.

Touch of Magic supplies OS Flex, which enables the client to cut numbers into any design, size or colour they require at just the click of a mouse. It is a simple, clean and quick process where a full set of rugby jerseys can be numbered within 15 minutes, in-house.

OS Flex retains its colour throughout the life of the garment and does not crack or peel off. It is used by many teams such as the Springboks and Sharks, as well as by schools and sports clubs. OS Flex is also compatible with sweat management fabrics — such as Lycra, Nylon, etc. — that are used in the sportswear apparel industry.

Touch of Magic has 20 years’ experience in the industry. See their advert below.

Team sport news Acelli Football, entering the big leagues ACELLI, KEVRO Sport’s technical on-field soccer brand, has just formed an alliance with Platinum Stars, the Northwest Premier Soccer League (PSL) team, owned by the Royal Bafokeng Nation. This alliance will mean that Acelli Footbal will be the official technical kit sponsor of Platinum Stars for the next 3 years. Kevro Sport and Cliff Ramoroa (here with Kevro Sport MD Martin Ferreira), the Executive Director of Platinum Stars, are well underway with setting the plan in motion. Platinum Stars, also known as Dikwena (Crocodiles), was founded as an amateur club 77 years ago and has been playing in the PSL for the past ten years.

Sport Industry Awards for adidas THIS YEAR, adidas walked away with two of the 15 Discovery Sport Industry Awards.The sports brand won Best Sponsorship of a Sports Team or Individual — for their Black is Back campaign that was created for Orlando Pirates Football Club — and Best Sponsorship of a Sports Event or Competition — for their involvement in the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon. We are elated to have won these two accolades. It is a great tribute to the hard work that the whole marketing team and the organisation as a whole has put in to drive our partnerships and sponsorships with formidable African football giant, Orlando Pirates FC, as well as the Two Oceans Marathon alike”, said Brad Stern, adidas’ senior brand marketing manager.

BISMARK

2

Advertorial :: p55

presents

brazuca and Samba

T

he World Cup is theirs for the dominating, says adidas … and they’re out to prove it with their striking World Cup ball and boot launches.

End of 2013, adidas unveiled the official 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ match ball, brazuca. The ball was revealed with a spectacular 3D light projection launch event held at the iconic Parque Lage in Rio de Janeiro. brazuca, named after a public vote in Brazil involving 1-m football fans, is an informal local term, which means Brazilian, or to describe the Brazilian way of life. In addition to reflecting the vibrancy and fun associated with football in Brazil, the colours and ribbon design of the ball panels symbolise the traditional multicoloured wish bracelets worn in the country (fita do Senhor do Bonfim da Bahia). brazuca went through a thorough testing process over a two and a half year period involving more than 600 of the world’s top players and 30 teams in 10 countries across three continents — making it the most tested ball ever by adidas and ensuring that it is suited to all conditions. Clubs involved in testing included AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Palmeiras and Fluminese and players included Leo Messi, Iker Casillas, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Zinedine Zidane. The ball has already been tested in competitive international matches at the FIFA U20 World Cup™ (different print design) and in a friendly match between Sweden and Argentina in February 2013.

The technology incorporated into the bladder and carcass of brazuca is identical to the Tango 12 (UEFA Euro 2012™), Cafusa (FIFA Confederations Cup 2013) and the UEFA Champions League™ official match ball. However, a new structural innovation with a unique symmetry of six identical panels alongside a different surface structure will provide improved grip, touch, stability and aerodynamics on the pitch. adidas has made every FIFA World Cup™ ball since 1970, and recently extended the partnership with FIFA until 2030, including the supply of the official match ball.

Samba!

Their new Brazilian-themed Samba footwear collection is aimed at celebrating the vibrancy and exuberance of the World Cup host nation.

For the first time ever, adidas has released a new boot from each of its four boot ranges.

The electric skye blue adizero™ f50 (worn

by Leo Messi, Lucas Moura and Gareth Bale) is for the fastest players. Their SPEEDTRAXION (an all-new, high speed stud alignment allowing maximum acceleration and pinpoint changes of direction) and SPEEDFOIL (combines lightweight, softness and durability for a comfortable, yet locked down heel fit) technologies ensure that the boot enhances the wearer’s speed.

The vibrant pink predator® Lethal Zones (worn by Oscar, Mesut Ozil and Fernando Torres) is designed with five zones that deliver outstanding ball control, touch, accuracy and power.

The lime green nitrocharge™ (worn by Dani Alves and Ezequiel Lavezzi), designed for The Engine player, is all about energy with the elastic ENERGYSLING™ around the forefoot (supports sidecut and precision turn movements to sharpen reactions on the pitch) and ENERGYPULSE™ spring technology (provides high energy push-offs and long lasting energy return when sprinting).

For trade enquiries, contact adidas SA on Tel: 021 442 6200.

57

What’s in a ball outer?

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

W

ith a variety of balls on the market for rugby, soccer and netball, your customers may select one based on what it looks like — the colours used or even the patterns on the ball. You will want to point out that they should also consider the many factors — such as materials, seals, linings, etc. — that affect how a ball performs during play.

In flight, the air close to the surface of the ball is affected by any unevenness — like seams, pimples or panels — that cause an asymmetric flow of air around the ball, dr Rabi Mehta, an aerospace engineer at NASA Ames, demonstrated by testing balls in wind tunnels. The air around the ball is ‘broken’ by the seams of the ball, which causes the ball to swerve (or ‘knuckle’) and move unpredictably.

• When a ball is kicked, the air around it forms a laminar (smooth) or turbulent (disrupted) boundary layer. During flight the pressure in the front half of the ball decreases, while the pressure in the back half will separate from the surface and equalise, resulting in a drag force that reduces the ball’s speed.

• When a ball is kicked with little force (at low speed) the boundary layer will be laminar and air layers flowing around the ball will be smooth and parallel to one another.

When a ball is kicked with great force (at high speed) the boundary layer will be turbulent creating chaotic air flow that withstands the adverse pressure for longer and causes the turbulent boundary layer to separate later than with the laminar layer. This later separation creates less drag on the ball and allows it to stay in flight longer.

• Air flowing smoothly around a ball and separating early, leaves a large drag in its wake.

When the air around the ball is turbulent (e.g. as a result of panels and stitching), air clings to the ball for longer, separating later and leaves less drag in its wake. ‘Tripping’ the laminar boundary layer into action (using panels) makes ball flight more predictable and longer.

• In soccer, when a ball (spherical in shape) is kicked with great force, the air around the ball is turbulent, causing little drag. o The ball spins toward the side that has the least opposing force (following its nose) — this is known as the Magnus effect — and as it continues on its flight path, its

Our cut-out-and-keep series to assist retailers with product knowledge Words: Rhianah Fredericks. Compiled with the help of Du Toit Botes of SuperBrands, Nick Wiltshire of Pat Wiltshire Sports, Robyn Frick of Puma SA, and websites: www.soccerballworld.com, iweb.tms.org, buet.ac.bd, www.telegraph.co.uk, www.nasa.gov, illumin. usc.edu, www.nutsaboutsport.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org, www.tenfactsabout. co.uk and netball.com.au

large smooth surfaces, it will be more unpredictable in flight and will not travel as far as a ball with many seams. o When a smooth ball is kicked, the air around the ball is ‘unbroken’ by the ball’s surface and therefore the ball will slow down quicker as a result of the pressure of the air around it. o When a rough surfaced ball (with many panels and seams) that is able to ‘break’ the air around the ball is kicked, the ball will travel further because the pressure of the air around the ball has been ‘broken’ and allows it to travel further.

• A rougher surfaced ball becomes turbulent much faster than a smoother one and allows the ball to curve more. o Typical soccer balls have 32 panels that each have seams, ensuring a rougher surface than a smoother ball without seams. o The hexagon shape of panels on a soccer ball also causes turbulence to set in much faster, enabling the ball to travel further and maintain predictable flight.

The number of panels

travelling speed will drop - causing the air around the ball to become laminar and its drag to increase. o As the ball slows down, it will move in the direction with the least opposing force — or look like it is curving. o Panels or seams on the ball’s side, may cause a curve to become even more pronounced. This is how many soccer players are able to curve a ball toward the end of its flight and ‘change’ its trajectory.

The role of panels Panels make up the outer covering of the ball and the number of panels (sections) can have an impact on the flight of the ball, as the seams “disturb” air during flight. The design of the panels can also affect the predictability of the flight.

• If a ball has fewer panels, which results in

• There are various panel designs used in soccer balls — 32, 18, 16 — panel constructions, etc. — but the most common design is 32-panels. This design, known as the Buckminster, features twenty hexagon (six-sided) and twelve pentagon (five-sided) pieces that cover the ball and give it a sphere shape once it is inflated. The shape of the ball allows it to roll and spin evenly and smoothly.

This is also the most popular panel design for professional match balls.

• Rugby balls are constructed with four-panel designs that give them an oval shape. They are oval shaped (rather than round like soccer balls), because it is easier to catch, hold and run with the ball than it would be to do with a rounder ball. The shape of the ball also does not allow it to roll as far as a soccer ball, which is ideal for throws and passes that occur in the game.

• Netball balls, much like soccer balls, can have various panel constructions: 32, 18, etc.

Pimples and performance Pimples (also known as dimples) can be described as little bumps or protrusions on the surface of a ball.

• These add roughness to the surface and, like panels, they can affect the To p58

2014 March :: Sports Trader

p58 :: Sport

Ball outers cont from p57 •

•

•

•

flight as well as the distance the ball may travel.

The pimples create grooves that ‘break’ the air around the ball that allows it to remain buoyant for longer and therefore travel further. A smooth surfaced ball will drop faster, because the ball will once again have ‘unbroken’ air pressure forcing it to fall quicker than a ball that has a rough surface (see above).

Smaller pimples improve the distance a ball travels, retain less water in wet conditions, but offer less grip for the player. In dry conditions, however, small pimples will offer the grip needed by players.

In wet conditions larger pimples offer better grip as they would protrude above any film of water that develops and still offer the necessary grip.

Pimples ensure better grip of a ball, but may increase drag on the ball — the larger the size of pimples (in diameter), the more drag it will cause. Many rugby ball manufacturers place pimples of different sizes (sometimes grouped in various shapes) in strategic places so they do not disrupt the flight of the ball and still offer the grip needed by players.

Materials There are a number of materials that can be used to make ball outers, but those most commonly used are synthetic leather, polyurethane (PU) and Poly Vinyl Carbonate (PVC).

• PU offers a harder feel than synthetic leather, but is softer and more responsive than PVC. It usually requires a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) water resistant coating that prevents wear on the material. This material also scuffs and wears down faster than PVC. • PVC can be considered the most durable, because it does not scuff or wear as easily as the others. It is however harder and offers

less control than the other materials. These material covers are also usually coated in TPU to improve water resistant capabilities and prevent wear on the ball.

• Rubber balls do not absorb water, offer good grip and enable balls to bounce on hard surfaces.

• Synthetic leather covers offer a soft feel, is responsive and give players increased control over the ball. This material is usually more expensive than the others, but does not offer the same strength or durability and may absorb water as time passes.

Stitching and construction Balls can be constructed by gluing, handstitching, machine stitching or thermally moulded. The tighter and more securely a ball is stitched, the longer it will last.

• Glue is usually used to bond lower-end or practice balls. The panels are glued to the ball’s lining and creates a harder feel than that caused by other methods of bonding.

• Balls are usually stitched with difference strengths of polyester thread, which is durable and does not absorb water. 5-Ply polyester is the strongest and offers the best quality. Stitching can be reinforced with Kevlar to improve durability.

• Hand sewn balls offer stronger and tighter seams that improve the durability of the ball, but cost more than machine stitched balls. Machine stitching is often used for lower end balls that are less durable.

• Thermally bonded balls’ panels are fused together to create tight seams that offer higher resistance to water absorption and greater durability. These balls are more expensive than other types of balls and are normally used in professional matches.

Valve placement Where the valve is placed in a ball can affect its balance and therefore its flight.

• Valve placement in rugby balls has a direct effect on the balance, because the area where the valve is placed is heavier. If a ball is unbalanced, it can affect the predictability of the flight of the ball. Many manufacturers place valves in the seam of the ball so that it does not affect its balance.

• The placement of the valve allows the ball to self-correct by 10-15% if it is off target, thus improving accuracy when scoring goals.

This placement of the valve also allows the player to align the valve to the target and use the weight of it to keep the ball in line.

• It is vital to use the lightest (possible) valve in a rugby ball bladder, as it will help maintain the balance of the ball. To ensure the most accurate balance is achieved, manufacturers should put a counter weight (the exact same weight as the valve) on the opposite side of the valve.

Linings Linings are the layers placed between the bladder (that holds that air) and outer cover of the ball.

• These are usually made of cotton or polyester materials that assist in maintaining the shape, bounce and strength of the ball.

Cotton linings offer softness while polyester makes balls more durable and responsive.

• Balls can have different numbers of layers, depending on the type of ball or purpose. Lower end or practice balls are usually constructed with two or more layers of polyester. These linings are durable, but harder and less responsive than cotton.

• Higher quality, professional soccer balls are usually lined with four layers of lining, made of cotton and polyester, which helps the ball retain its shape and bounce throughout its lifespan.

• Some balls may even have an added foam layer that offers more cushioning and control.

Gilbert renew ball contracts with unions GILBERT, locally distributed by Leisure Holdings, has renewed supplier contracts with several rugby unions.

They signed a new three year deal with the Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU), as well as the Toyota Free State Cheetahs and the Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU).

Internationally, Gilbert has also renewed their contract with SANZAR to be the exclusive Super Rugby ball supplier. The brand also has agreements with SA Rugby, Rugby World Cup 2015 and various other unions to be the official ball supplier.

The new agreements mean that Gilbert will stay on as the official supplier of balls and technical equipment to

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

the different GLRU divisions, as well as the Free State Cheetahs.

They will also be the exclusive ball and equipment supplier of the WP rugby union, the WP Rugby Institute and the WP School of Excellence.

SANZAR has also extended their long-standing relationship with Gilbert. The company will remain the exclusive Super Rugby ball supplier. In recognition of the renewed partnership (that started in 1996), Gilbert has introduced a new range of Super Rugby match ball designs for the 2014 season.

“We wanted to produce a design that better reflected the speed and excitement of Super Rugby while also highlighting the fierce rivalries within each conference. Although we have retained our traditional trademark ellipse, it now includes a series of stripes that accentuate the rotation of the ball in flight and the addition of lime green increases visibility for players,” says Jon Clarke, Gilbert Australia’s Brand Manager.

They have also designed a ball that features a gold (Australia), silver (New Zealand) or green (South Africa) trim for local derby matches.

From left the Lions, Cheetahs and WP balls (right).

p60 :: Sport

I

Is it still cricket?

n future, children will have to be taught a different meaning to the idiom That’s not cricket! Based on the recent developments at cricket’s ruling body, cricket can no longer be a synonoum for fair play and doing the right thing.

For example, the new boss of world cricket, Narayanaswami Srinivasan, has been implicated in allegations of bribery, conflict of interest and passing information to bookies in two separate court cases in India (see Meet the new ICC boss). He already survived a court order to stand down as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and it is therefore highly unlikely that his current legal problems will prohibit him from becoming chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in July this year.

In contrast, Cricket SA (CSA) CEO Haroon Lorgat is suspended from taking part in ICC affairs pending the outcome of an investigation — preventing him from having any influence during the negotiations about ICC changes.

His crime?

He is accused of collaborating in an ESPNCricinfo article in which the former ICC head of legal affairs, David Becker, said it was "improper" to allow a board member to "blatantly disregard an ICC resolution" when the BCCI announced that they were deviating from the agreed ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) by cutting short their tour of South Africa. Lorgat denies involvement with the article.

Becker also gave journalists a statement, saying that he resigned from the ICC in 2012 because of governance issues, in particular,

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

Our structures at school level are very strong, and that drives the game dominance by Srinivasan. "Perhaps the most concerning example is the recent attempt by Srinivasan to manipulate the FTP schedule for his own benefit," Becker said.

Lorgat also ran foul of Srinivasan while he was head of the ICC. The report he commissioned from retired English judge Harry Woolf, recommending greater independence for the board to prevent dominance by one country, was shelved. Just like Lorgat.

ICC proposals It is therefore not surprising that the demise of the FTP is one of the proposals the BCCI, with support from Australia and England, pushed through in February this year (see Proposals accepted by ICC p64).

It is also no coincidence that these radical changes to world cricket were tabled at the Finance and Commercial Affairs committee of the ICC. Because, as Michael Goldman, professor of sport management at the University of San Francisco, explained to the The World at Six radio programme: this is all about the money, or more precisely, negotiating and securing future lucrative sponsorship deals for test cricket, which lags far behind the millions generated through the IPL and the ODI Champions Trophy. Apart from the big three (India,

England and Australia) other test playing nations do not make money from this form of cricket. The shortened Indian tour, for example, reportedly cost CSA R200-m.

Despite protests from across the world, the proposals to change the face of test cricket were adopted by eight of the ten full members of the ICC — including South Africa, whose Chris Nenzani accepted it is a flawed, but liveable situation, after initial opposition.

Even though the Proteas are the ICC #1 ranked test cricket team, our AB de Villiers tops the current test and ODI batsman rankings and Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn are the world’s top test bowlers, South Africa was relegated to the reserve benches during these negotiations.

The BCCI knew that their threats to withdraw from future ICC events (ODI and T20 World Cups) if their proposals were not approved, gave them the upper hand. With more than a billion TV viewers, the money generated by cricket in India is vital for the future existence of the ICC. According to news reports, they contribute 80% to ICC funds.

No impact on cricket in SA But, even before CSA capitulated and entered into a plea bargain agreement with the big three, people involved in local cricket doubted that the proposed changes at international level would affect the game in South Africa.

As long as our cricket heroes go on performing and the facilities exist for kids to play cricket, the game would remain popular, they agree. Everybody we spoke to say that the

Sport :: p61

Meet the new ICC boss

The scheming in international cricket may leave a bad taste, but it should not have an impact on the local popularity of the game ... as long as we keep on producing local heroes and go on maintaining facilities to grow the game at grassroots. Some local experts talked to Trudi du Toit about the state of the South African cricket market.

Photos: Johann du Toit

winning performances by the Proteas against Pakistan and India helped to keep the cricket-loving public interested and glued to their TV screens, justifying the R1.5-bn India’s Taj TV allegedly paid for the long-term broadcast rights for five cricket boards — South Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The injection of TV funds is, however, a two-edged sword, as TV keeps spectators at home, especially with the high cost of tickets. Thus reducing CSA revenue. It might be an idea to look at the Australian example where they don’t allow TV broadcasts until a certain percentage of the tickets for a game had been sold, former Proteas player and Dolphins coach Pat Symcox told Cape Talk radio.

While the man in the street will be irritated by the shenanigans on the world stage, the average cricket fan is oblivious to the political in-fighting — as long as our cricket heroes are playing, they’ll attend matches, says Wayne Schonegevel of OBO SA, supplier of Aero cricket. “People love to see heroes in action, heroes help to keep the game alive. People will always want to see AB de Villiers play.”

South Africa is one of the top ranked sides and fans worldwide want to see the best playing the best, agrees Derrin Bassage of Puma SA. “Youngsters will continue to dream of one day becoming like one of their heroes.”

Selling bats AB de Villiers’ heroic performance certainly sells bats, says Nicola Ludlow of JRT Crampton, local distributor of Kookaburra.

Grattan Rippon, supplier of New Balance cricket equipment, recounts how a father called him because he wanted “everything David Miller plays with” for his son.

And after an emotional century-scoring departure from test cricket, Slazenger’s Jacques Kallis has been practicing hard to show the world he’s #1 in the shorter version of the game, inspiring a new group of young fans.

It still remains to be seen how well Faf du Plessis’ name will sell the new iXu brand.

There are many indications that cricket is as popular as ever.

The number of youngsters coming into the game through Baker’s Cricket is increasing, which is a promising sign, says Ludlow.

“Our structures at school level are very strong, and that drives the game,” adds Schonegevel. “We have wonderful coaches at schools.” Good facilities is another factor that encourages youngsters to take up the game, and in South Africa we have them, he believes.

The nets at any cricket ground are full of young players being coached in the nets — many of them getting individual coaching, says Rippon. There are numerous cricket academies across South Africa, all attracting youngsters who want to improve their game.

There are lots of possibilities for talented cricketers these days, he continues. If you are good enough to be contracted by CSA you can earn a good salary. The top guys earn millions playing in the IPL. “Over the next five years cricket is going to grow globally,” he predicts.

“There is a lot to play for.”

Bassage is, however, not convinced that there is much scope for growing the local player market. “The cricket market in South Africa has become a mature market with no substantial growth in player numbers. There are many factors involved and cricket needs to keep up with the times to attract newcomers to the sport,” says Bassage.

Challenge of economy One of the main challenges faced by cricket retailers, is the economic downturn and weak exchange rate.

While some suppliers say they experienced positive growth during the past year, others say that the economy had a negative impact on sales — and even when their products sold well, retailers battled to pay To p64

February 2014 was a busy month for Narayanaswami Srinivasan, president of the board of Control for Cricket in India (bCCI), MD of India Cements, owner of IPL franchise Chenai Super Kings, president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket association ... and from 8 February, the future chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

On February 12 Srinivasan appeared before a Central bureau of Investigation court in Hyderabad in the bribery trial of Jaganmohan reddy, accused of selling favours on behalf of his politician father. India Cements is accused of investing in his businesses in return for government benefits.

On February 10 a 170-page report submitted to the Supreme Court by former Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal indicted Srinivasan’s son-in-law and Chenai Kings CeO, Gurunath Meiyappan, of illegal betting and passing on information to bookies during the 2013 IPL. according to the report Srinivasan's India Cements is liable for Meiyappan's actions and the Chennai Super Kings could lose their franchise for being in violation of the franchise agreement.

One of the people who gave evidence to the judge was the lawyer of former IPL chief Lalit Modi, banned for life from all bCCI activities following charges of financial irregularities in the IPL and rigging of the auctions of two new teams. He claimed that Srinivasan ensured that specific umpires were appointed when the Chennai Super Kings were playing and that he rigged the IPL bidding for andrew Flintoff in 2009.

This report is independent of the Mumbai police investigation following the arrest of Meiyappan in May last year, on the same charges.

Following Meiyappan’s arrest last year Srinivasan was pressurised into stepping down as bCCI president in June. The Indian Supreme Court ruled in September that he should be barred from being bCCI president until further orders, but this ruling was set aside in October 2013 when the bCCI unanimously re-elected Srinivasan president.

Few people therefore believe that he will heed calls for him to step down as bCCI boss following the publication of the latest report.

He has, after all, weathered many other storms: for example, a 5-year court battle with former bCCI boss aC Muthiah after Srinivasan amended the bCCI constitution to allow him to buy the Chenai Super Kings while he was the bCCI treasurer in 2008. The conflict of interest charges continued when his son-in-law became Chennai Super Kings CeO and team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni became a vice-president of India Cements. Kris Srikkanth, bCCI chief selector, became the team’s ambassador. but, as Cricket Sa (CSa) chairman Chris Nenzani says: he must be assumed innocent until proven guilty. and so, Srinivasan will control world cricket from July this year.

2014 March :: Sports Trader

Greater all-round power Substantial F4.5 edges Iconic design High swell position Super concave profile Flatter face profile Surprisingly light pick-up

Ideal for all-round stroke play Substantial F4.5 contoured edges Elongated swell height Powerarc bow Concaved back profile Reduced toe and shoulders Made in England from prime English Willow

Specially shaped resilient shield fitted to the toe of the bat reduces toe damage and feathering.

Wipe-clean PU facing for comfort and durability; Lean back top hat feature and superb wrap around the thigh; Traditional knee roll gives superb wrap around and comfort; One-piece interior bolster prevents movement; Triple vertical and knee internal bolsters give great protection and flexibility; Strong internal knee locator and internal knee bolster shape help to position the knee for maximum protection; Extended wing, knee and top hat gives additional ankle, calf and thigh protection; Real leather instep for supreme comfort and durability

Pittard leather palm for superb feel, grip, comfort and durability; Horizontal bolsters give greater flexibility of the 3rd and 4th fingers; Breathable fingers for added comfort; Foam underlay to the back of the hand for added all day comfort

The multifunction shoe features three levels of support and control: • Internal moulded TPR heel cradle protects the heel area and locates the foot securely, maintaining the shoe’s heel shape; • Injection moulded TPU external midfoot shank maintains rigidity through the foot arch, reducing injury from foot torsion, whilst also reducing foot fatigue; • Injection moulded TPU outsole for lateral support and durability, with strategically located spikes and flex zones on the forefoot to allow the foot to roll naturally;

Moulded casing protection to the 1st two bottom hand fingers; Strong inserts in each finger section; Breathable fingers and foam underlay to the back of the hand for added comfort; One-piece side bar protection to top hand

Horizontal and vertical access allows better use of space in small rooms Bat Cave bottom section holds two full sized cricket bats The top section can be used for equipment or wet gear 153L capacity; 96x38x42cm Integrated Wheelie System Stand Alone System Zipped Side Pockets Moulded Rubber Handle

Supple sheepskin luxury leather for all day comfort; GM cotton palm filling for superb feel and flexibility; High grip durable Neoprene palm facing; Embossed finger tabs for abrasion resistance and durability; Strong square caned cuffs for greater protection to wrist area

p64 :: Sport

Transitional proposals until 2016 accepted by the ICC committee • Future Tours Programme: approved as a legally binding regulation by the ICC in 2004, future tours between the ten ICC member countries were allocated on a rotating basis over an eight-year period. This allowed each board to plan their international programmes and make deals with commercial partners. This has now been replaced by bilateral agreements between nations to cover test series between 2015 and 2023. The fear is that lower ranked countries like Bangladesh or Zimbabwe could be sidelined as the big three will no longer be compelled to play against them ... in the more than 20 years that Zimbabwe had been playing tests, Australia played only three tests against them.

• Two-tier format for test cricket: the bottom two teams in the ICC rankings (at this stage Bangladesh and Zimbabwe) will be relegated from next year and will have to fight for promotion back to the top division in a four-day Inter-

continental Cup and then a playoff. If a relegated country doesn't win back its place in the top tier on the first attempt, it would lose money from the ICC. Associate members Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands and Scotland, who currently only have ODI and T20 status, will be able play tests through promotion.

• The Executive Committee and Financial and Commercial Affairs Committee, consisting of the big three as permanent members, plus two other rotating members, one of them nominated by the small seven, will make decisions. The committees will only be chaired by one of the big three until 2016.

• Leadership: a proposal reads that there is “the need for strong leadership of the ICC, involving leading members, which will involve BCCI taking a central leadership responsibility”.

• Income distribution: the contributions of full members to ICC events, like the World Cup, will be recognised through contribution costs. India, who

Cricket market cont from p61 accounts.

Interestingly, entry level products were more affected by the economic downturn than the higher end goods. “Our mid-level and upper ranges did very well,” says a local distributor of a quality cricket brand.

January is usually a good month for cricket sales, especially higher end bats, says Nigel Prout of Opal Sports, local distributors of Gunn & Moore. “The new senior teams are picked in the beginning of the year and players at school are often rewarded with a new bat for being elected to the first team.”

Bassage, however, believes “there seems to be a shift where customers are either purchasing entry level or top-end. The current market conditions are challenging and quality cricket equipment is a fair investment.”

The fact that more and more customers are bringing in bats to be repaired, shows that money is tight, says Brett Burnill of Leisure Holdings, local distributor of Gray-Nicolls.

“People are not replacing bats so easily.”

With the weakening Rand, top end products will be placed under more pressure as consumers will no longer be able to afford them, he says.

They therefore focus on specialised cricket retailers with exceptional product knowlege for top end products, says Bassage. “There are not many big players in the cricket retail space in South Africa. This puts pressure on increasing shelf space and store presence to grow market share.”

The customers who buy from a cricket specialist store, like Sports Horizons, still buy top end products, confirms Dale Hermanson. But, due to the exchange rate, many of them will buy one model down from what they might have bought in the past.

With the exchange rate hiking the price of top bats from R5 500 to R7 500 and increasing the price of a good, mid-level bat to R4 500, cricket becomes an expensive sport.

Worldwide condemnation of ICC proposals • Paul Marsh, head of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations, representing associations of seven ICC members, said the proposals will broaden disparities between cricket’s “rich and poor.”

• Former ICC president Ehsan Mani wrote a letter of protest to the ICC which was undersigned by Malcolm Speed and Malcolm Gray, former senior administrators with the ICC and CA, Clive Lloyd, former West Indies captain and former ICC cricket committee chairman, Shaharyar Khan and Lt Gen. Tauqir Zia, former Pakistan Cricket Board presidents.

• South Africa’s Ali Bacher wrote to the ICC: “ ... it would lead to division and strife in world cricket as never seen before. ICC member countries should never forget the animosity that existed particularly in the Sub-continent and the Caribbean when England and Australia had veto rights prior to 1993.”

• Malcolm Speed, a former ICC chief executive, wrote:. “I cannot see any reason whatsoever why India should receive extra funding from ICC events at the expense of struggling countries such as Scotland, Ireland, Uganda, Kenya and the other 100 Associate and Affiliate members where every dollar counts.”

• Former England captain Michael Atherton was scathing in his condemnation of the proposals.

• Transparency International issued a statement saying the “intention to entrench a privileged position for the big three appears to be an abuse of entrusted power for private gain.”

• The New Zealand Players' Association has described the draft proposal as scheming.

• Imran Khan called the proposals "colonial" and Lord Harry Woolf, author of a report into the ICC's governance, says they were "entirely motivated by money".

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

apparently contributes 80% of the ICC funding, will now get by far the most. ICC income will be distributed as follows: 65% shared on an equal basis by all full members and an extra 35% shared on a sliding scale between the big three.

This replaces the old system whereby the ten full members receive an equal share of funds from ICC events and associate members (e.g.

Netherlands, Ireland, Kenya and Bermuda) also got a percentage.

• Test Cricket Fund: The other seven full members (except the big three) will be paid equally on an annual basis from a test fund. CSA will now receive $10-m per year after we were originally left off the beneficiary list.

• ICC Events: there will be three major ICC events in each four-year cycle, with the Champions Trophy remaining for 2017 and 2021, and the proposed World Test Championship, involving the top four test teams, falling away.

Outfitting a player with good quality cricket gear — including softs and a bag — could cost R8 000-R9 000.

When the economy is bad, the trusted, wellknown brands offering better products do better, says Schonegevel, “because people trust the quality and know the brand.”

New brands Another challenge in the cricket market is the proliferation of new brands — some that don’t survive for long. There are currently more than 25 cricket brands available in South Africa, some new names not heard before.

If retailers make the mistake of stocking products from brands that don’t sell, they don’t have the funds to pay their other suppliers, is a complaint from a supplier wishing to remain anonymous.

To p66

p66 :: Sport

Dukes balls now available in South Africa THE DUKES ball, which many South African cricketers encounter when they play County cricket in England, is now available in South Africa from Opal Sports. It is also the ball that the Proteas play with in test matches in England and the West-Indies.

What’s more, a special ball that will be ideal for the harsh playing conditions in many parts of South Africa, is currently being developed and tested … and the South African ball will be made right here, as a joint venture production with Dukes.

Having perfected the art of cricket ball making for more than 250 years in Kent, England, Dukes have the skills to adapt the traditional process to create new products for specific playing conditions and to meet the demands of the modern game.

Therefore, while they know that the original hand-stitched cricket ball is still the ideal, they also “invested a lot of time and resources to develop a su-

perior range of machine-stitched balls for countries with very harsh playing conditions, like Australia and South Africa,” say Dukes.

They have already produced balls with long lasting covers that will withstand the hard slogging of ODI cricket and developed an exclusive process to ensure very good shape retention in balls whilst keeping the right “feel” on the bat.

Founded in Kent, in 1760, Dukes have joint venture production facilities in Australia and Pakistan, in order to meet their objective of producing the right product, in the right place, at the right price.

Dukes’ Special County "A" cricket ball is used exclusively for test matches in the UK, as well as all first class county cricket matches, while the Dukes County International "A" is used in most ECB accredited Premier League matches. Dukes, however, have a big range of cricket balls for all levels and type of play – including junior and training balls.

Cricket market cont from p64 Even if these brands are sold from car boots and don’t occupy retail shelf space, every sale is one that affects the rest of the market and retailers’ profits.

Another supplier questions whether all these new brands are accredited by the ICC, which they have to be if the equipment is used in matches. It can take a long time to get this accreditation, he says, because the ICC is very strict that all equipment must comply with all their regulations. The brand also has to be affiliated to the ICC to ensure that it is a proper cricket manufacturer, not just a cool drink brand using the bat for marketing purposes.

The traditional cricket brands further face a challenge from the big international athletic brands who have a lot of money to buy top class players to lend credibility to the brand. For example, the signing of players like David Miller and Justin Kemp, as well as the sponsorship of four of the six franchises, got New Balance retail space because it established that the brand was a serious player in the cricket market.

Signing a top international player could, however, cost £80 000–90 000 (roughly R1.5-m), which is beyond the scope of local brands.

Local policies Ironically, local cricket politics present some of the challenges to the growth of the South African market. CSA has some strong development programmes in place ... but, these programmes can only continue to produce new local heroes as long as the money is available, say an administrator who wishes to remain

It would make a vast difference if we can get 130 000 black children playing cricket anonymous.

Currently, 23% of CSA’s funding goes into development. Most of the funding, however, comes from sponsorship, and there is no attraction for sponsors in grassroots development, where there is no glitz and glamour or TV coverage, CSA told the Parliamentary Committee on Sport.

This point was sadly demonstrated by the collapse of cricket development in the Border and Griqua regions: after the six big franchises were formed about seven years ago, these areas were left out in the cold. With no more big matches to draw spectators, no more sponsorship fees, money to maintain facilities and keep development programmes going, dried up. These regions used to be the cradle of black cricket development, but now the development programmes have petered out.

This could have been the spectre awaiting South African cricket had the ICC proposal gone through without us in its original format: with no test matches or funding from the ICC to finance cricket development, the game might have started losing its appeal in a decade or two. Which, could still be achieved by CSA policies, another commentator fears.

The quota rule that at least two black play-

New cricket clothing range

with

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

BRT Teamwear, Kevro Sports’ off-field sporting solutions brand is getting ready to launch a new competitively-priced cricket clothing range at the end of April. This range will consist of shirts, trousers, and pull-overs; all developed in conjunction specific technical features. These features include moisture management (a special technology which makes the microfiber soft and helps drain moisture from the body) and mesh inserts (inserts that help improve airflow assisting with the control of body temperature). This exciting new in-stock sporting solution will be available to all resellers at the beginning of May 2014.

ers (not coloured or Indian) must be selected for franchise teams, and three per team in amateur matches, could have a long-term affect, he says. This means that 17% of each franchise team must be ethnic black ... but there are only two franchises who have more than 17% black players in their squads: the Highveld Lions with 30% and the Warriors in the Eastern Cape with 20% black players.

This means that the other four other franchises have to select the available black players, whether they are injured and irrespective if there is another better player to fill the spot. In future, any of the 120 positions that become available at franchises will have to be offered to black players, in order to meet the player quotas.

He is therefore concerned that this could discourage future cricket heroes from considering domestic cricket as a career option — and encourage them to go overseas for opportunities.

The South African cricket market is small — outside school structures there are only about 150 000 registered cricketers playing for 900 clubs, he continues. If we can get cricket established in the black communities, the size of the market could double. It would make a vast difference if we can get 130 000 black children playing cricket ... but we need funding for that.

The Sunfoil trust currently provide school bursaries for black children to attend good sport schools, but at present the structures don’t exist to support black players outside the school system.

Creating a cricket culture takes time. Top coloured and Indian players like Hashim Amla, Vernon Philander, Alviro Peterson, etc. are the products of communities with long-standing, strong, cricket traditions.

He is also concerned that too many new, unknown players, in a team might affect attendances at matches. Fans like to watch well-known players in winning teams — as demonstrated by the full grounds when national team players join their domestic teams.

But, tomorrow is another day, to paraphrase Scarlett O’Hara. Today, there is still lots to be optimistic about.

p68 :: Sport

Aero protection Aero’s Stripper is regarded as the world's most advanced cricket thigh and lower body protection system, providing protection to the front and back thigh and (in the P1 model) buttocks, says Wayne Schonegevel of local distributor OBO SA. The new model features improved 3D moulding so that it always stays in place, an intergrated design and improved strapping system. Two waistband fitting options allow natural movement and mobility. It is easy to use and washable.

The SwitcheR model is a new addition for the coming season. “ This ambidextrous design will give you adult sized lower body protection at junior prices,” says Schonegevel. It incorporates the features of the existing Stripper models, but also has an unique ambidextrous design.

The new model Aero P3 junior legguard with 3D moulded comfort, is ideal for primary school players. Speed rated to 110kph, they are 65% lighter than old style youth pads.

Their Fielding Hand Protectors allows longer training times and

ABC of new cricket catching at faster ball speeds due to the strategically placed gel pads. Silicone and amara leather palms provide added protection and comfort, with the lycra rear providing a snug fit.

The Groin Protector Shorts with compression properties, are designed to integrate with the strippers with extra long leg lengths to cover the lower quadricep muscles for added comfort and performance. A contoured pouch will snug fit all box types, but the Aero Groin Cup is recommended for best fit and protection.

BAS new range In South Africa BAS cricket — short for Beat All Sports — is known as the choice of batting supremo Hashim Amla, which he recently reconfirmed by signing with the brand for another term. He is now joined by Alviro Petersen and the Morkel brothers, Albie and Morne.

These players, including internationals like Virat Kohli play with

the international quality Bow 20/20 A-grade English Willow bats and protective range, available in South Africa from Sedgars Sport.

Despite their massive edges and big spines that appeal to big-hitters, the BAS bats have a light pick-up. The 9-piece cane short handle provides good shock absorption for a jerk-free performance.

The 2014 range features attractive cosmetic changes across all levels of bats — from top end hand crafted English willow to Kashmir willow entry level bats — protective gear (international, pro to club level) and accessories.

They also offer a wide variety of kit bags (above), catering to the specific needs of ODI or test players, from international to club players.

Gunn & Moore quality After 125 years of designing top level cricket equipment, Gunn & Moore (GM) still introduce new technologies to improve their cricket ranges. Their 2014 bat range, for example, have a specially shaped resilient shield fitted to the toe to reduce damage and feathering. All GM English Willow bats are made in their own factory in Nottingham, England.

In the 2014 range, the Icon F4.5 DXM has a surprisingly light pick up, despite its substantial edges, which offers greater all-round power. The face has a 4.5mm bow to it, and the back has a high swell and super concave profile.

The Six F4.5 DXM, on the other hand (right), is ideal for all-round stroke players. It features the substantial F4.5 contoured edges, but has a reduced toe and shoulders. It has an elongated swell height, Powerarc bow and a concaved back profile.

Their Octane multi-functional shoe has been made 10% lighter, yet offers good support and control. An internal moulded TPR

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

heel cradle protects the heel and securely holds the foot, while an injection moulded TPU external midfoot shank maintains rigidity through the foot arch. The injection moulded TPU outsole offers lateral support and durability, with strategically located spikes and flex zones on the forefoot to allow the foot to roll naturally.

Air mesh on the upper and tongue provides excellent temperature control and ventilation.

The new ultra-light Original batting pads wrap around the thigh, knee and shin to offer international standard protection. The extended wing, knee and top hat give extra ankle, calf and thigh protection. Triple vertical and knee internal bolsters offer great protection and flexibility. Further protection is offered by an interior bolster, an internal knee locator and internal knee bolster shape.

The PU facing can be wiped clean, while the abrasion-resistant real leather instep is durable.

GM also introduced new batting gloves for 2014 with breathable fingers and a foam underlay on the back of the hand to improve comfort. The super soft pittards leather Original Limited Edition offers international quality protection, with horizontal bolsters giving greater flexibility. The Original batting gloves offer international protection, with a moulded casing protecting the first two bottom hand fingers.

The supple sheepskin leather GM Original Limited Edition wicket keeper gloves are classified for international use, with a cotton palm filling providing good feel and flexibility. Other features are a high grip durable neoprene palm facing, durable abrasion resistance, while strong caned cuffs offer greater protection to the wrist area.

The Original duplex wheelie bag can be accessed from above as well as the sides. Two full sized cricket bats can be fitted in the bottom, while small compartments in the top section offer more compact space for equipment and wet gear.

ranges Kookaburra The 2014 Kookaburra range features new decals and cosmetic changes, while the performance technologies their bats have become known for, have been retained. For example, the Powerdrive 12-piece cane handle that offers strength and flexibility, while providing control and power. The Xtreme grip uses an unique angular construction for the top hand and a flexible grip on the bottom.

The popular Kahuna (above) will again be seen in the hands of AB de Villiers, who makes full use of the bigger sweet spot, developed to increase the effective hitting area. In addition, the Power Plus technology that allows the unique flat face of the Kahuna to provide more contact with the ball, contributes to his hitting power. A chunkier toe offers even better response. From entry level (600) to the top end, the big Kahuna offers good value.

The Ricochet and Menace are new additions to the Kookaburra Rage. Ricochet boasts a carefully balanced profile and is a light weight bat, with maximum spine and edges. It is perfect for the enterprising shot maker!

Sport :: p69 The Menace Bat is for the player that wants to dominate the shorter formats of the game. Built with an imposing power profile, the Menace is designed for those players who like to clear the ropes but prefer slightly less weight.

The long-awaited Bubble 11 is back with a new profile, featuring maximum toe and edges, a good pick-up and balance. This powerful bat will appeal to the all round stroke maker.

Local distributor JRT Crampton also offer the Xenon in their 2014 range.

Puma’s new designs Puma’s cricket ranges will be aligned with the rest of their team sport business and the EvoSpeed and EvoPower ranges will have distinct new designs.

“The design story for the 2014 range is to be minimal, adaptive, structured and light,” says Derrin Bassage of Puma SA. “In both categories products are available from beginner to the professional player.”

In footwear they will launch the new Evospeed and Platinum convertible spike.

“The EvoSpeed has been a great success with top international players,” he says.

Slazenger technology “The new Slazenger 2014 cricket collection captures 18 months of research, development and product innovation to, yet again, launch a range which pushes the boundaries of market

leading product with the creation of genuine game changing equipment,” says Roscoe de Vries of local distributor, Dunslaz.

By developing the XRlite range, Slazenger has lifted the standard of cricket equipment to a new level, he adds.

They worked in conjunction with PORON XRD, who created an extreme impact protection technology to create a lightweight, thin and breathable material that’s engineered for repeated impact and shock absorption. This is used across all sporting codes in equipment providing protection. Slazenger incorporated this technology in the XRLite range, creating an ultraslim 12mm thick glove and a new ergonomic two strap pad (see above).

“This year we see the evolution and cosmetic update of the Slazenger V Series bats with the progression of our two leading bat technologies,” says De Vries.

TAS — Torsioned And Sprung — inserts increase off-centre shot ability in the V100 range. HEX handles improve stability, control and comfort while reducing shock on ball impact. A taper toe improves stance.

“This year, history has combined with technology with the launch of the stunning New V6 Five star range.”

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Reeling in on SA’s fishing problems

p70 :: Outdoor

Suppliers and retailers serving the recreational fishing market is facing many challenges ... can SACRAA offer the solution that is needed to safeguard this sport and industry sector?

A

highly qualified and peer-respected scientist from Gleneagles Environmental Consultants acted as consultant to the SA Consolidated Recreational Angling Association (SACRAA) for a three month period ending February, reported SAFTAD chairman John Pledger.

Gleneagles guided SACRAA about the best way to interact with government and environmental agencies about various issues, including NEMBA (National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act) legislation, said Pledger. They are doing a review in March to determine if they’ll continue with the consultation.

A former academic with impeccable marine science and environmental credentials, the scientist has “the knowledge and clout to talk to government and environmental scientists on an equal footing.” He is also a keen fisherman.

While SAFTAD (the SA Fishing Tackle Agents and Distributors) only represents the fishing tackle trade, SACRAA represents everybody with an interest in recreational fishing, explains Pledger. This includes anglers, clubs, retailers, venues and anybody else who benefit in any way from recreational angling.

SACRAA is also planning to commission a job creation survey, which will show the value that recreational fishing adds to the economy “We want to get it across to the people in government that when they think recreational fishing, they must think SACRAA,” he says.

Among others, they also took into consideration the example of international angling organisations — like the European association EFTTA — in the way they interact with governments and play a role in formulating angling policies. EFTTA, for example, has a permanent lobbyist at the European Parliament in Brussels, who regularly makes representations on behalf of European recreational angling.

SACRAA is also planning to commission a job creation survey by a reputable academic institution, which will show the value that recreational fishing adds to the economy. A similar study in the US showed that the 50-m anglers generated 880 000 jobs, which means that our

2.5-m anglers could create about 40 000 jobs.

But, the outcome of the survey must be beyond question and stand up to peer reviews and government scrutiny, says Pledger.

NEMBA, the biodiversity act, has been gazetted, but not promulgated, and recreational fishing is represented on the various fish species forums debating the legislation by Bernard Venter, the SA Sport Anglers and Casting Confederation (SASACC) freshwater conservation officer.

“We have been assured that it is really not aimed at harming recreational angling, but we are still negotiating certain issues,” says Pledger. “The aim is to stop the spreading of foreign species.”

Recreational anglers will be able to get permits to fish for the species listed (including bass and trout), but they will have to be killed when caught — one can no longer catch and release.

Pledger urges all retailers selling recreational fishing gear (clothing, tackle, boats, etc.) and anglers to join SACRAA in order to create a strong lobby group that would compel government to negotiate with when introducing recreational fishing policies. The organisation is still administered and funded by SAFTAD.

Lobster campaigns RECREATIONAL FISHING Services (RFS) is a lobby organisation campaigning on behalf of retailers, equipment suppliers, and other businesses involved with the West Coast lobster industry. They have been petitioning the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) on an annual basis to increase the bag limits for recreational fishermen to catch rock lobsters, as well as to increase the limited recreational west coast Rock Lobster season.

Their latest endeavour is to try and obtain a copy of a study that allegedly supports the cause of the recreational fisherman regarding a lengthened recreational west coast Rock Lobster season.

“This document has been requested from Fisheries (DAFF) through normal channels,”

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

says Cary Steele-Boe, RFS chairperson. “It has since been refused for public view by fisheries. An appeal has been sent. I hold no hope for the appeal.”

The company that did the study is Mthente consulting, owned by Mills Soko, says SteeleBoe. “This year is going to be vitally important for recreational fishing,” he says.

RFS has sent a letter to all major tackle retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers, requesting support to open a dedicated office in the Western Cape.

“There is possible legislation coming which will vastly hinder your ability to fish, and in turn, will destroy the recreational fishing and diving industry.”

New Shimano and Rapala sponsorship SHIMANO AND Rapala will be the sponsors of the new World Predator Championship that will be held for the first time 20-22 June in Rotterdam.

This international lure-fishing tournament was launched at the EFTTEX show last year.

The Shimano and Rapala sponsorship will be valid for the next three years.

Outdoor :: p71

Unify to tackle fishing challenges In an open letter to SAFTAD a fishing tackle supplier urges the industry members to unite behind SACRAA Andrew Wentzel Jnr of W.E.T. Sports has written the following letter (abbreviated here) to the SA Fishing Tackle Agents and Distributors (SAFTAD) association, who administers and funds SACRAA, the organisation formed to unite everybody with an interest in the recreational fishing PerhaPs with all the bad press the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) Tina Joemat-Pettersson and her department are currently receiving, now would be a good time to move forward with SACRAA and establish the numbers necessary to make a difference in the bigger scheme of things.

If the Department can reduce crayfish limits, introduce bag limits, take away quotas from line fishermen and pursue NEMBA with no consultation with market players, what more are they capable of?

It’s time for the members of SAFTAD to move forward by giving the recreational fisherman a voice to prevent DAFF from becoming a law unto themselves — it’s time to give SACRAA life. Now is the time to maximise the potential membership and try to sign up every recreational fisherman in South Africa as a member of SACRAA, regardless of whether they catch crayfish, carp or couta.

If SACRAA has any chance of succeeding and having a say, it will have to be through the sheer weight of its numbers.

Tackle shops can canvass for members and help to reach every recreational fisherman.

Special committees can be set up and coordinators appointed for each major region and/or fishing discipline to not only spread the work load, but also increase the reach.

Social media is another cheap and effective means of getting the SACRAA message across to many people.

Members’ data could be stored on an electronic device, similar to a bank card, which is swiped to activate services or specials. We could have a membership card through which we would eventually gain access to a database of contact details, fishing preferences, average spend and market-related information of all members. Brands could even offer discounts to incentivised members to buy their products. The possibilities are endless.

If set up properly, not only will the committee be self-sufficient, but conservatively, it will give voice to 1-m members. Imagine petitioning government with the support of 1-m voices … reaching 1-m members to communicate on conservation, legislation or any other matter pertaining to fishing the salt or fresh waters of South Africa.

Let’s not waste this opportunity and act before we are left with no choice — and the e-tolling of the fishing industry.

It’s time for SAFTAD and all its members to stand together and make SACRAA a viable reality. It’s time for SAFTAD and all its members to set aside our different areas of focus/ expertise and establish a voice that will look after the needs of the recreational fisherman in South Africa, who are the lifeblood of all

our businesses.

We need to understand that many of our best retail customers are directly involved. They supply crayfish nets, measures, wetsuits, fins, masks, snorkels, boots, bags, etc. to recreational crayfish fishermen.

It (the reduced bag limits and shortened crayfish harvesting time) directly affects their ability to do business and consequently affects their ability to make profits. If all the tackle shops lose a share of their profits every year, because the Minister does not consult or refuses to consider recreational fishermen, it directly impacts on our ability [as suppliers] to trade with them.

It impacts on their ability to purchase other tackle, and ultimately can affect them keeping their doors open or not.

Heaven forbid the Department changes legislation for catching bass, shad, kob or yellow tail… SACRAA can help not only in the sustainability of fishing resources, but also in the sustainability of the fishing tackle industry.”

After all, something as simple as shortening the crayfish season, has a wide impact. Less time allowed, means those people who might have travelled to the coast for the specific purpose of diving for crayfish might now go somewhere else on holiday, or not go away at all. This potentially impacts on fishing tackle, outdoor and sport stores who might have benefitted from the diver’s visit.

These stores in turn do business with a wide variety of suppliers. The splash in the ocean has rippling effects.

2014 March :: Sports Trader

p72 :: Outdoor

Outdoor news New rope dry treatment standard

European outdoor industry resilient THE LATEST State of Trade report, an annual market study conducted by the European Outdoor Group (EOG) across 22 European countries, reports that their outdoor industry continues to be resilient, despite economic challenges. Based on this report, the EOG made the conservative estimate that the European outdoor industry generated over €10-bn at retail in 2012.

Over 70 companies representing more than 100 brands currently participate in the study

and participation is not restricted to EOG members.

The report calculates that the total sellin market growth value is 1% growth from 2011-2012 and growth in the seven product categories (accessories, apparel, backpacks, climbing, footwear sleeping bags, tents) ranged from +3% to -4%.

Apparel contributed over half (53%) of the market share value in 2012 and footwear just over a quarter (26%).

Product catergory market share – Value % 2012

Data provided by the The State of Trade Survey 2012, European Outdoor Group.

THE UIAA (International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation) has for the first time established a standard for dry treatment of ropes.

It is the benchmark manufacturers can use to rate their ropes’ water repellency. Beal, locally distributed by Ram Mountaineering, is the first manufacturer to produce a rope that matches this standard with their Golden Dry ropes that only absorbs 2% water.

Lowrance number one fish finder

Stephen Thomas (US director of Lowrance), Stefan Klaassen (Germany sales manager for Navico Africa and Middle East), Simon Claxton (UK sales director for Navico EMEA), Mikala Plotz (SA national sales manager of Lowrance South Africa), Leif Ottosson (Sweden president and CEO of Navico), Lisbeth Plotz (SA managing director of Lowrance South Africa) and Marcel Crince (Netherlands COO and CFO of Navico EMEA).

LOWRANCE HAS been recognised as the world’s largest electronics manufacturer in the leisure market, and is the #1 electronics fishing brand, delegates at the annual Navico EMEA Conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia, were told.

Lowrance parent company Navico showed 15% growth for 2013 and now holds a 33% market share, which makes them the largest marine electronics company worldwide, reports Lisbeth Plotz (MD of Lowrance SA) who attended the sales conference with Gauteng dealer liaison and sales manager Mikala Plotz.

Approximately 100 global distributors attended the three-day information workshop sessions on the latest electronic products, mapping, logistics and other topics.

At a training workshop at the Navico Logistics Centre in Holland, Lowrance South Africa’s John Minnie and 15 other technicians from various countries in the EMEA received updates on the latest Lowrance products. Navico’s Technical Sales Engineer, Odin Sletten and HDS product expert, Matthew Thompson, covered various topics such as multifunctional networking, sonars, VHF radios, autopilot, radar, sounders and AIS, among others.

New from Lowrance Lowrance has launched its new SpotlightScan Sonar trolling motor transducer. The device gives the user a new level of surround-scanning underwater views and provides picture-like images of key fishing areas on HDS Gen2 or HDS Gen2 Touch fish-finder or chart-plotter displays.

Its DownScan Imaging (455/800 kHz) technology offers easy to understand images of fish and structure, while the Broadband Sounder (83/200 kHz) technology allows the user to mark fish arches and track lure action.

This device helps anglers save time by pinpointing the most productive fishing spots by covering a maximum surround-scanning range of 150 feet. It has twin scanning beams to allow quick refresh rates and is easily installed by attaching it to a bow-mounted, cable steer, footcontrol trolling motor.

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

F

or many people the comfort of their beds at home is one of their most treasured things. When going on an outdoor trip it is no different: comfortable sleeping is ideal.

The level of quality required for the sleeping items will depend on the environment your customers will be using them in. Those who camp in their caravans, chalets or any other building might not need the warmest of sleeping bags. Hikers will want the lightest option they can afford. While those embarking on an expedition in extreme temperatures will want the best insulation they can find. Canoeist will look at water-resistant options, etc.

How do you advise a customer which sleeping item is ideal?

Our cut-out-and-keep series to assist retailers with product knowledge Words: YAMKELA MKEBE. Compiled with the help of Simon Larsen of Ram Mountaineering, Joanne Esterhuizen of Hi-Tec SA and www.outdoorgearlab.com, www. rei.com, www.seatosummit.com, www. ehow.com and www.thenorthfacejournal.com/the-development-of-our-responsible-down-standard.

Choose insulation The conditions in which the bag will be used, as well as the length of time it will be used, are the deciding factors about the type of filling a customer will choose. You need to understand how the sleeping bag will sustain the duration of the trip before recommending one.

The most important function of a sleeping bag is to keep a sleeper warm — or insulated from the cold, by trapping the heat of the warm air produced by the body. The filling of a bag provides the insulation by keeping the air warm.

The loft — the thickness and fluffiness of the bag’s inner layers — determines how warm the sleeping bag will be. While thicker insulation will be warmer, it will also weigh more per square meter. The warmth and the weight will also be determined by the type of filling chosen — fine feathers, or down, offer more warmth at a lighter weight than synthetic materials.

Ratings for sleeping bags Sleeping bags are rated according to the level of insulation they provide, and the ratings refer to the lowest temperatures in which they can be used.

The sleeping bag rating can be expressed in terms of the season it will be suitable for, or the temperature in which it will be used.

These ratings can differ from person to person as not everybody reacts the same to temperature levels. It also depends on the conditions in which the bag will be used. Your customer can, for example, feel cold and uncomfortable in a bag as a result of the loss of insulation from wind chill.

Temperature ratings are based on a number of factors like gender, age, weight, etc.

Photo: OutDoor Friedrichshafen

• Comfort level offers a grown woman a comfortable night’s sleep.

• Lower limit is the lowest temperature at which an adult man is guaranteed a comfortable night’s sleep in cold or hot conditions.

• Upper limit is the opposite of the lower limit and would indicate the highest temperature in which an adult male will enjoy a comfortable night’s sleep without sweating.

• Extreme temperature indicate that the bags can be used in the coldest conditions without the user freezing in extreme conditions.

Seasonal ratings indicate the level of insulation offered that would make the bag suitable for use in specific weather conditions.

• One season bags are suitable for warm weather (summer), preferably indoors.

• Two season bags are good for use in slightly cooler weather (late spring or early autumn).

• Three season bags keep campers warm in cool and warm weather like spring, summer and autumn — and also our relatively mild winters. These synthetic bags are suitable for people who are more inclined to feel the cold than users of 1-2 season bags.

• Four season bags are good for extreme winter cold and will keep a consumer warm in extreme cold conditions.

• Five season bags are the most expensive and are the ideal choice for a customer embarking on an expedition in extreme conditions.

Synthetic and down are the two basic types of insulation commonly used in sleeping bags.

Synthetics fillings There are various types of synthetic fibres — some are continuous and long, others are short. There are also various types of synthetic fillings that are proprietary to a specific brand.

• Hollow fibre polyester is the most basic synthetic fibre. These polyester fibres have different structures, which result in differing performances. � A single hole in the middle of the fibre to trap warm air offers relatively low heat retention. The 4 hole hollow fibre provide a greater surface to trap warm air. It therefore provides more insulation for less bulk and weight than the one hole. � Quallofil 7 is a hollow fibre with seven holes to ensure a lighter bag, with more body heat trapped. It has a soft feel, but is still fairly bulky. This type of filling is suitable for winter use and in extreme wet conditions.

• Polarguard is a better quality synthetic filling and is made of a number of continuous fibres that offer good insulation. There are different types of Polarguard available. The original Polarguard is a bit bulky, but offers better insulation than hollow fibre. � Polarguard 3D offers as much insulation as the original Polarguard, but is lighter and less bulkier. � Polarguard Delta in turn, is an improvement on 3D, improving the insulation abilities, while also reducing the bulk considerably. Top quality synthetic sleeping bags often have this filling.

Other top end synthetics: • Microloft is made of fine, dense, layers of ultra thin siliconised polyester fibres that trap the heat between them. This offers good insulation, while keeping the weight and bulk down. It is very water-resistant.

• Primaloft is a hi-tech, soft, lightweight and very fine microfibre blend that is also fastdrying and water-resistant. It has a very good weight-to-warmth ratio and compresses well — but it is expensive.

• Litelof is another top end short fibre polyester blend, but it is bulkier, and therefore more affordable, than Primaloft.

Pros of synthetics

Besides being more affordable

To p74

2014 March :: Sports Trader

p74 :: Outdoor

Sleeping system inners cont from p73 than down, there are several other benefits to choosing a synthetic bag.

• One of the main benefits of a synthetic filling is the ability to maintain body warmth even in wet conditions. This does not mean that synthetic insulation doesn’t get affected by wetness, but synthetic fillings handle wet conditions better than down, maintain ing its loft, or thickness, when wet, thus trapping up to 65% more air and warmth than down when wet. Synthetic sleeping bags also dry quicker than down, making them more resistant to mildew and rot.

• Synthetic bags require less care when cleaning and storing. They can be hand- or machine washed without losing quality.

• Customers with allergies will benefit from a synthetic fill, which is less likely to contain allergens than down.

Cons of synthetic • Synthetic fibres are much heavier than down per square meter. For synthetic to provide the same warmth as down, more will have to be used, which will make the bag heavier and bulkier.

• Synthetic fibres lose quality faster than down.

Customers therefore will need to replace their synthetic bags quicker than when using down fill.

• When synthetic is compressed into a stuff bag, the insulation can lose quality, which results in reduced performance.

Down fillings Down is the natural plumage that forms the undercoating of waterfowl and consists of the fine feathers from the breast area of a goose or duck.

Not all sleeping bag filling will consist only of down. For example, when the label states that the filling is 90% goose down, it will consist of 90% down and 10% feathers. The higher percentage of down compared to feathers will result in a lower weight and bulk with better insulation.

A product with a higher down grade will be more expensive.

There are different qualities of down.

Types of down filling • Duck down is considered to be less fine than goose down and it is also less expensive.

Insulation works by the feathers trapping a layer of air, which is then heated by your body heat.

• Goose down is very fine and provides approximately 25% more insulation than the equivalent weight of duck down.

• Hi-Loft down traps more air than any other type of filling. It is made of very fine goose down to provide more insulation. Where bulk and weight are vitally important, this type of filling will be used — for example, in top quality expedition bags.

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

Pros of down • Geese or duck down provide the most comfortable and lightest fillings for sleeping bags. Down is considered to be the warmest filling per weight ratio.

• Down offers more durable, higher quality insulation than synthetic fillings. With proper care a down sleeping bag will last longer than one with a synthetic filling.

• In cold conditions, down provides more warmth, and it is cooler in warm conditions.

This ensures that a down bag will respond well to all weather conditions, meeting a customer’s personal requirements.

• Down insulation doesn’t lose its insulation benefits when compressed. The fine feathers are light enough to respond positively when compressed.

Cons of down • Down bags are much more expensive than synthetic sleeping bags.

• One of the main negatives of a down filling is the poor performance in wet conditions, as down is not water resistant.

• Down takes longer than synthetic fibres to dry in wet conditions — sometimes more than a day. It loses warmth when it is wet and in continuous rain you might have to sleep under very cold and uncomfortable conditions. When stored while damp, the down can mould or rot.

• Compared to synthetic fillings, down bags require more care in cleaning and storing.

The type of chemicals and washing tools used may have an impact on the bag.

Down standards There had been some concerns in the industry about the ethical harvesting of down feathers and implications it may have for animal abuse — for example, when down obtained from ducks or geese used for making foie gras are used. This product, made from the liver of birds that had been force fed until their livers burst, is banned in several countries.

The North Face (TNF) is compiling a Responsible Down Standard (RDS) in collaboration with several animal rights agencies to ensure that all the down used in their products had been sourced responsibly and without any harm to the birds. Following on site audits of the full supply chain, down that meet the standards, will receive certification TNF has now announced that they will hand over ownership of their RDS to the Textile Exchange so that it could be adopted across the industry. The Textile Exchange will have the right to distribute and even update the RDS.

Sleeping bag liners One way to prolong the life of an expensive sleeping bag or provide more insulation and warmth to a cheaper bag, is to add a liner.

There are several benefits to buying a liner with a sleeping bag.

• A liner can be used to keep a sleeping bag clean — the liner can be washed with ease, thereby prolonging the quality of the insula-

tion materials in the sleeping bag.

• A liner adds a layer of insulation and a good liner can make your existing sleeping bag about 15º warmer.

• In warm weather a liner can be used instead of a sleeping bag — providing a cost-effective, ultra-light sleeping option.

• Liners add little bulk and does not take up much space in a pack.

• Some high-end liners have been treated with anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and insect repelling chemicals that keep the bag cleaner, odourless and repel insects.

Cotton liners are the most basic and affordable, but they are heavier than silk.

Fleece liners provide extra warmth, but take up more space than other liners.

Silk liners are the lightest and most compact, but provide less warmth and are also more expensive. Silk has the added benefit that it wicks away sweat and moisture, preventing the sleeping bag from becoming damp.

Synthetic liners are made from various materials, including rip stop, that help keep the liner drier, warmer and more durable.

Liners are available in mummy or rectangular shapes to fit the cut of the sleeping bag.

The better the fit of the liner inside the bag, the better the insulation. Loose material from a liner can also be uncomfortable.

Sleeping mats Cold air seeping from below and hard rocks pressing in your back can drastically reduce the comfort of the best insulated sleeping bag. A sleeping mat provides an insulation layer between the bag and the ground and padding to cover rocks.

The thermal resistance provided by a mat is indicated using an R-Value, which is the ratio that the temperature differs between the top (where you need heat) and bottom of the mat (on the cold ground).

• Closed cell foam create a firm, yet lightweight, sleeping mat. Air pockets in the foam provide some insulation and cushioning, but it is fairly bulky. Self-inflating open-cell foam cavities glued to the top and bottom that fill with air, are nowadays commonly available since the patent expired.

• Inflated sleeping mats are comfortable, lighter and less bulky to pack than foam pads. Manually inflated sleeping mats require a pump, or someone with good lungs, to inflate. � Standard air core mats have a cavity, like an air mattress, that has to be filled with air, which reduces insulation.

They take up little space when deflated. � Insulated air core mats have insulation material attached to the bottom to offer better thermal protection than the standard air core. This can be synthetic material (more affordable), or the cavities can be filled with down, which is more expensive and heavier. � Structural insulation, e.g. internal baffles, offers the best insulation in an air core mat. This advanced technology ensures high performance, but low weight.

Range information

Outdoor :: p75

Black Diamond reaps in the awards

Hot and cold sleeping from Hi-Tec

BLACK DIAMOND Inc. walked away with over a dozen industry and media awards from the recent Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, Ispo Munich and Snowsports Industry America (SIA) trade shows. Ram Mountaineering distributes their Black Diamond brand locally.

Their JetForce technology — the first avalanche airbag system to use electronically controlled jet-fan inflation and that will be available in certain backpacks such as the one pictured — won the Gear of the Show at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market from Outside magazine, Men’s Journal, GearJunkie.com and GearInstitute.com; an Ispo Gold Award in advanced avalanche gear at Ispo Munich and the Hot Gear award from Skiing Magazine during the SIA show.

Black Diamond left Ispo Munich with an Ispo Gold Award for Cohaesive Embedded Components, which are found in their 2014 apparel line.

HI-TEC’S MUMMY-SHAPED range of sleeping bags is available in different temperature ratings.

The Spawn will provide a comfortable night’s sleep if the air temperature does not drop below -11ºC. The Sibut will provide warmth if the air temperature does not drop below 7ºC, says Joanne Esterhuizen of Hi-Tec SA. “This will be the same for the Sybil,” she adds.

The Spawn will therefore be good for use in harsh, colder conditions during a winter trip.

“The Sibut is ideal for every day outdoor activities,” she adds — preferably in summer.

The Sybil is definitely a sleeping bag for summer weather.

All three of these sleeping bags have 100% polycotton linings, which works well to trap heat and keep you warm. They have polyester hollow fibre fillings.

“The junior Sybil is ideal for little campers to enjoy camping activities for school or on a family outing,” says Esterhuizen. “It is lighter in weight and has smaller dimensions to ensure kiddies are as snug as a bug!”

TRAVEL LITE-SLEEP WELL The Insulated Traverse Core is a class leading inflatable mattress. This unit features Primaloft® eco Synthetic patching that provides extra warmth while still remaining light and compact.

Size: 183x51cm Thickness: 8.9cm R-Value: 5.0 Weight: 570g

At 794g the Lite Series Mat’s ergonomic shape fits both your body and your sleeping bag while saving weight. The unit is compact without sacrificing comfort and offers good insulation.

Size: 183x51cm Thickness: 3.8cm

Hi-Tec Spawn

R-Value: 3.8 Weight: 794g

JR Gear has something for everyone JR GEAR, locally distributed by Ram Mountaineering, supply a wide range of sleeping mats.

Their Classic mat range is aimed at the budget conscious, but the solid foam construction offers good support and insulation. It is fully covered in Diamond 75D Ripstop.

The Lite Mat is their most popular item in the range, with a good balance of weight, size, comfort and insulation.

Their mummy-shaped mats come in a Standard (183cm long and 3.8cm thick) that fits the shape of the body and sleeping bag, whilst saving weight. The comfortable pad offers a good insulation R-Value of 2.5.

The ergonomically shaped Short Mummy mat (122cm long and 2cm thick) also saves weight and has a 1.8 R-value.

They also offer a Traverse Core series with inflatable horizontal tubes. “The advantage of these Lilo type mattresses is massive space JR Gear Lite Mat

and weight savings, says Simon Larsen. “This range is ideal for those wanting more comfort (8.9cm thick), and are willing to take a breather for a great night’s sleep.”

The Traverse Core Standard Mummy has an R-Value of 3 and weighs only 490g. “This model is ideal for weight and space conscious customers, and takes significantly less packed space than the Short Mummy,” he says.

The Insulated Traverse Core Standard Mummy has two different grades of Primaloft as a filling to provide extra warmth — resulting in a R-Value of 5.0. It is, however, weighted towards the middle of the unit. “It would be excellent for winter camping and cold hikes, where one wants the space saving of an inflatable, but the warmth of a self-inflating,” says Larsen. It weighs only 570g.

They also offer a dry pump that has a valve that attaches to the Core Series Mattresses for easy inflation. The dry bag then doubles up as a back pack liner.

The Megamat XL regular is ideal for the car camping customer, wanting the convenience of a self-inflating, comfortable mat, says Larsen. It weighs 1.77kg and is 6.3cm thick.

2014 March :: Sports Trader

The Mega Mat is built for a comfortable night sleep. Horizontal channelling foam provides incredible cushioning and support.

Perfect for car camping Size: 198x63cm Thickness: 6.3cm R-Value: 6.0 Weight: 1768g

Distributed by RAM Mountaineering Tel: 021 532 0549 • info@rammountain.co.za www.rammountain.co.za

Company results

p76 :: Industry

SA results show trading is tough THE FINANCIAL results for the first half of the 2013/14 financial year reported by the listed sport and outdoor retail chains reflect what most people in the industry have been saying: it’s been a tough year.

While all the stores reported sales growth — TFG Sport (The Foschini Group) and Mr Price Sport as high as 16% — the growth has been much lower than the previous few years.

• Holdport group retail sales grew 4.9% to R600-m in the first six months of the financial year. The like-for-like growth across their 54 stores was 2.5% with a trading density (R’000s/m2) of 18.4.

The performance of the individual chains in the group was as follows: • Sportsmans Warehouse: sales grew 5.9% to R458.1-m. Like-for-like growth 3.4%. Number of stores 35. Trading density 18.1.

• Outdoor Warehouse: sales grew 1.8% to R141.9-m. Like-for-like growth — 1.4%. Number of stores 19. Trading density 19.4.

• The Performance Brands wholesale division (the First Ascent and Capestorm brands) grew sales 6.1% to R30.9-m.

• Mr Price Sport grew sales 15.7% to R431-m, with like-for-like growth -7.3%. They now operate 56 stores with a trading density of 19.1, which is a growth of 17.2%.

• The Foschini Group (TFG) Sport grew their division’s sales 15.8% to R1 348.4-m in the first half of the year. They have 454 stores in the group.

• Woolworths reports 16% increase in income and a 21.1% boost in profit before tax. for the 26 week period ended 29 December 2013, mainly due to their food business and the Country Road Group in Australia. The group’s Witchery, Mimco, country Road and Trenery —from the Country Road label— performed well in South Africa and Australia. Country Road now contributes 20% of profits.

Mixed results for big brands SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL brands reported double-digit growth for the year ended 31 December 2013.

Inov-8 sales grew by a record 42% to $29-m last year. The US — making up 45% of business — experienced a 25% increase, the UK 41%, Scandanavia 70%, Russia 85% and Germany 39%.

Inov-8, now 11 years old, has maintained an average of 60% growth (annually) for the last five years. 77% of its sales are outside of the UK and the company has been shortlisted for the 2014 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

Year-end sales for the Shimano Group increased 10.2% to $2.89-bn from 2012, due to favourable exchange rates. Growing demand for sports bikes in China balanced the negative sales results for bicycling and fishing gear in Europe, North America and Japan due to a cold and wet spring.

Their sales increase in North America (12.8% to $342-m), Japan (6.7%), Europe (10.3%) and in the rest of the Asia’s (11.5%). The company’s gross profit was 35.6% and dropped 70 basis points from the previous year.

Mizuno Corp also enjoyed a total income increase of $1.31-bn. The company ended their nine month period on December 31 with 9.3% growth compared to the previous financial year.

The operating profit grew 52% to $35.5-m. European sales experienced a fair share of growth, climbing by 42.1% to $98.8-m.

Skechers USA have tripled their earnings to $14.2-m in the fourth quarter — the second highest fourth qaurter sales in their history. Income grew 13.9% to $450.7-m, compared to the same quarter last year. The growth can be attributed to product success in their men’s, women and kids’ categories.

Sports Trader :: 2014 March

The company’s operational earnings more than doubled to $17.1-m and their net earnings were $14.2-m compared to the previous year’s $4.0-m. Net sales grew to $1.846-bn while earnings from operations also increased to $93.6-m.

Profits of Jarden Corp’s Outdoor Solutions segment, however, dropped 21.1% to $617.9m in the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2013. The segment’s earnings were $48.7-m compared to $61.7-m the previous year. They had an operating loss was $1.9-m.

The company spent $10.3-m in reorganisation costs and $25.1-m in acquisition and integration related costs while depreciation and amortization costs dropped $2-m to $15.2-m.

In the first six months of the financial year Asics group revenues grew 21.4% to $1.56-bn .

European sales increased 29% to $404.3m (7.3% on a currency-neutral basis) due to strong running shoe sales and the foreign exchange rates. The region’s operating income grew 18.9% to $44.6-m, but decreased 2.3% on a currency-neutral basis. This drop indicates the effect exchange rates have on purchasing costs, increases in selling, administrative expenses, etc.

Sales in the Americas grew 33.2% to $468.2m (12% on a currency-neutral basis), but in Japan sales dropped by 1.5% to $454-m. Strong sales of walking shoes, Onitsuka Tiger shoes, running shoes and baseball equipment significantly contributed to the 3.9% (to $457.0-m) increase in US sales.

Head sales dropped by 1.0% in the first nine months of 2013, but the racket sports division grew 0.4%, due to higher volumes of tennis ball sales (mainly in North America) and an improved mix in tennis racket sales.

Diving sales also increased — despite cold weather conditions and economic difficulties in the European market — with noticeable growth in North America and Asia.

Winter sports sales, however, dropped 5.1%, while sportswear sales also dropped 1.5%, partially caused by lower bag sales in the UK. The company’s adjusted operating loss grew by €0.3-m as a result of higher selling (racket and sportswear divisions) and marketing costs for more advertising of racket sports and diving.

In the first nine months of 2013 adidas Group sales dropped by 4% to €11-bn, compared to the same period in 2012. The group expects lowsingle-digit rate (on a currency neutral basis) growth in sales in the fourth quarter.

For the third quarter, they reported stable currency-neutral sales, with a 6% drop in Western Europe and 5% drop North America, balanced by strong sales in Latin America (12% up) and Greater China (9% up). The European Emerging Markets reported a 2% sales increase (on a currency neutral basis) with growth in most regions.

The group reported a 7% drop in revenues to €3.9-bn, compared to the third quarter in 2012.

Western European sales were lower than last year as a result of the high sell-in of event-related products before the 2012 London Olympics.

The drop in North American sales is attributed to the challenging golf market experienced by TaylorMade-adidas Golf due to a late seasonal start and fewer rounds played by golfers.

On a currency-neutral basis, the adidas brand sales remained stable, but Reebok experienced a 5% increase in the third quarter. The TaylorMade-adidas Gold segment dropped 16% and Rockport revenues dropped 4%. Sales were negatively affected by currency translation.

Trade shows SAFTAD registrations open REGISTRATIONS TO exhibit at this year’s SAFTAD are open.

Bookings have to close by 4 July, because all documents and floor plans have to be submitted to the City of Johannesburg to get approval for the show to take place.

The show will take place 16-17 August at 2 Vinton Road, Ormonde, Johannesburg.

Shot Show MORE THAN 67 000 visitors attended the 2014 Shot Show, which took place 14-17 January.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation has signed an agreement that the SHOT Show — the fifth largest trade show in Las Vegas and the largest of its kind in the world — will take place at the Sands Expo, Las Vegas, until 2018.

Eurobike THIS YEAR’S Demo Day at Eurobike will be moved from the Allgäu region to the show grounds.

The test day for visitors will take place the day before the show opens (26 August) in the east parking area. Eurobike takes place 2730 August.

The test area routes will cover a total of 20km, spanning across asphalt road, unpaved paths and even an elevated outlook point.

Organisers expect more than 1 200 exhibitors and 40 000 visitors at this year’s Eurobike.

The 2015 Eurobike will take place 26-29 August.

Trade shows :: IBC

Ispo news THE TECHNOGYM Google Glass controlled treadmill was the winner of the ISPO Product of the Year award in the Performance Segment at the 2014 Ispo Munich trade show.

The Oru Kayak, a 3.6-m long kayak that weighs 11kg and folds into a bag that is small enough to fit into any car boot, was the Outdoor category winner.

Houdini Sportswear received the Ispo Eco-Achievement award.

Ispo Beijing Ispo Beijing, which took place 19-22 February at the China National Convention Center, featured more than 600 exhibiting brands (2013: 567) from 23 countries of origin, covering an exhibition area of 42 000m2.

The largest category was the outdoor section.

Ispo China summer Messe München will be hosting the first summer Ispo trade show in China in 2015. At the time of going to print the exact date and venue were still to be announced.

Ispo Munich The 2014 Ispo Munich trade show, which took place 26-29 January, featured 2 565 exhibitors from 51 countries in a record 104 720m2 of exhibition space.

More than 80 000 visitors from 110 countries attended the show.

A special hall was dedicated to health and fitness exhibitors. The area allowed visitors to test footwear, game consoles and products related to occupational health management from a variety of new exhibitors. Over the past two years health and fitness has received special attention at Ispo with a special exhibition area and international conferences. A multi-faceted side event programme with renowned presenters who discussed the latest health topics was also held during the show.

The show also featured the new Padel Tennis (a Latin American sport derived from tennis) Village where apparel, equipment and accessories were exhibited.

This year the European Outdoor

OutDoor show

Group (EOG) partnered with Ispo to launch a new initiative to attract approximately 70 new retailers to Ispo Munich, by offering VIP access free of charge and subsidising retailer accommodation.

EOG members, which include the top 100 outdoor product suppliers, were asked to nominate retailers. To qualify, retailers must have traded successfully for over year, with at least 40% of their profit coming from outdoor sales and they should not have visited Ispo Munich in the past, or at least not in the last three years.

Ispo Open Innovation is a new service at the show that allows companies to integrate experts and consumers into the innovation process by testing products and giving feedback on products.

Next year’s Ispo Munich will take place 5-8 February. The change in week days is due to an extremely busy calendar of events taking place at the Messe München exhibition centre next year.

Euroshop

THE OUTDOOR show will have more weekdays, starting with next year’s show. The 2015 show will take place Wednesday-Saturday (15-18 July).

While visitor numbers have been steadily increasing over the years, the increase has typically been during the week days, which led to the organisers deciding to move the show forward by a day to allow for more week day exhibiting.

Organisers are also considering opening the show to the public on the last day in the future. The public day works well at Eurobike, which led the organisers of OutDoor to consider the idea.

This year’s show will still have the usual Thursday-Sunday dates (10-13 July).

Over 620 exhibitors from 45 countries have already registered to exhibit at the 2014 OutDoor.

EUROSHOP 2014 — which took place 16-20 February in Düsseldorf, Germany — had four themes covering aspects of retailing: EuroConcept, EuroSales, EuroCIS and EuroExpo. The retail trade show is held every three years.

Exhibits included the latest trends and developments in various aspects of retailing, such as shop fitting, product presentation, retail technology, etc.

Fruit of the Loom 5 Gilbert 51 Gunn & Moore 62, 63 Headwear 24 15 Hi-Tec 10 Inov-8 37 Jordan 17 Jordan & Co 1, 13, 17, 39, 48 JR Gear 75 JRT Crampton 67 Kakiebos 3 Kappa 46 Kevro Sport 49 Kookaburra 67 Leisure Holdings 51

Levi's 7 Lite Optec 42 LP 16 Mille 47 Mizuno 38 NcStar 72 New Balance OFC, 35 New Era 9 OBO 68 Olympic 48 Opal Sports 56, 62, 63, 69 Polly 11 R&S Traders 72 Ram Mountaineering 76 Rebel Elite Fitness 37

Reebok Rocky Russell Athletic SASFIN Sedgars Sevenn Skye Distribution Slazenger Summit Super-Brands Touch of Magic True Utility Umbro W.E.T. Sports

Advertisers index Acelli adidas Aero Anton Fabi Asics BAS Bertuzzi Distribution Bronx BRT Brutal Canterbury Co-Lab Industries Crown Footwear Dukes Footwear Trading

49 55 68 1 39 59 5, OBC 13 49 49 50 11, 15 3, 27 69 7

9 27 OBC 19 59 49 47 65 56 38,50,65 54 41 53 16, 52

2014 March :: Sports Trader

Fall/Winter ColleCtion StockiSt required

Russell Athletic South Africa T: 021 552 2948 | F: 021 551 2952 info@russellathletic.co.za | www.russellathletic.co.za Facebook: Russell Athletic South Africa | Twitter: RussellAthl_ZA