Sports Trader January 2017 by Sports Trader

Southern Africa’s business-to-business magazine for the sport, outdoor and leisure industries • Vol 38 No 1 • Q1 2017

Should retailers import and brands retail? Team sport round-up: soccer, hockey, netball All the 2017 trends in retail, fashion & fitness

Vol 38 Nr 1 Q1 2017

www.sportstrader.co.za

Photo: Courtesy Craft

Highlights:

On the cover

Publisher: Editor: Managing editor: Proofreader: Features:

Nicol du Toit Carin Hardisty Trudi du Toit Liz Milburn Carin Hardisty, Chilton Mellem, Linza de Jager, Trudi du Toit Design: Carin Hardisty, Trudi du Toit Photography: Nicol du Toit Advertising: Nicol du Toit Subscriptions: Carin Hardisty Printing: Novus Print Solutions Distribution: InsideData Sports Trader is published quarterly by Rocklands Communications cc. Reg. No: 1997/057165/23. Members: N. J. & G. C. du Toit & C. Hardisty

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: sasportstrader.wordpress.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 quarterly. © Rocklands Communications.

Team sport: round up of netball, soccer and hockey Outdoor cooking systems

Predictions for the latest ﬁtness trends from p47

Regulars News about people in the industry.

Brands on the move

News about brand activity in the industry.

Trade show news

News about trade and industry shows. Seen at the Kloppers suppliers’ party — p21

Industry

6 10 11 12 14 17 18 19

Photo: Nicol du Toit

2 3 57

People on the move

New career for Hi-Tec’s Van Wezel

Frank Van Wezel sold Hi-Tec, but retained the South African distributorship.

Gallienne’s to run Karakal global

Steve Gallienne has been appointed to run the Karakal racket sport brand internationally

Dunlop sports brand sold

Sports Direct has sold the Dunlop sports brand.

Dukes ball owner visits SA

The owner of international cricket ball brand, Dukes, explains why his balls perform.

Blurring roles of retailers/ suppliers Our survey reveal some strong diﬀerences of opinion about who may sell and import.

Is it going to be a good retail year? Two views of the economy and if we could.

Did Black Friday spoil Christmas? Consumers embraced Black Friday, but did retailers in the industry beneﬁt?

Why Kloppers is so successful

Why their independent stores just keep on growing sales, and who attended their supplier function.

Sport

36 38 41 44 47 48

Team sport: netball on a roll TV and sponsorships have changed the sport’s fortunes

Team sport: tips for selling hockey A top salesman gives tips on selling hockey sticks.

Team sport: soccer balls and boots Product Knowledge feature on soft vs hard ground soccer balls and boots.

Sport news New team sport and other sport products.

Wearables top ﬁtness trend Why wearables are leading the ﬁtness market.

Other top ﬁtness trends for 2017 Fitness experts from around the world share their predictions of the top ﬁtness trends for the year.

Outdoor

53 56

Product knowledge: cooking systems The pro’s and cons of diﬀerent cooking systems.

News from the outdoor market New outdoor products and news

Clothing & footwear

24 26 27 34

Athleisure drives brand sales

Photo: Messe Friedrichshafen

The hunting market is booming and the demand for camouﬂage clothing with it. Wildebees, locally distributed by Crown Footwear, is a leading brand in this category. “Wildebees is not here to play it safe — you can’t tame it ... embrace it,” says the developer of this brand. “All men are born equal, but some men are born more wild. Wildebees is not merely a trademark “but a challenge to every man to be true to his creator, to be wild ... without making excuses.” For trade enquiries contact Crown Footwear on 031 700 1601.

Retailers vs suppliers: who may sell and import? What will be trending in 2017?

Brands selling athleisure are winners in the US.

Trends in running shoes

What will the new season shoes look like?

Trends to expect in clothing, footwear and textiles What to expect in 2017

Landﬁlls to become textile sources.

Recycled waste could become textiles in future

Product Knowledge article about selling outdoor cookware. p54

People on the move

p2 :: Industry

Brand ID appoints sales managers

Brand ID has appointed two new sales managers: Eugene Brown is national sales manager for Speedo, and Bennie Botes is sales manager for Columbia. They will both be based in Johannesburg. Left: Eugene Brown has been working for Brand ID as Gauteng area manager since they acquired the Dunslaz brands in 2014 (see p10), but he had been representing the Dunslaz brands – Dunlop, Slazenger, Ashaway, Karakal, Opro, Swingball etc. – in the Gauteng area for close to 30 years. He started working in the Dunlop store in the 1980’s and then joined the Dunlop Slazenger International subsidiary, followed by the independent Dunslaz Distributors, and remained with the brands through their acquisition by Super-Brands at the end of 2008 and most recently Brand ID . Photo: Nicol du Toit. Bennie Botes previously managed Professional Sourcing Procurement, which sourced all sports equipment for the Curro schools. He has more than 20 years’ extensive sales and marketing experience in the local industry as, among others, national sales manager for XCO sport, sales and marketing manager for Gilbert in South Africa, Salomon brand manager, and brand manager for the Amer Sports Group distributor in Dubai.

He is a keen sportsman and played Craven week rugby at school and for Northern Transvaal and the SA Barbarians U21 while studying Movement Studies at the University of Pretoria. At school (Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool in Pretoria) he also played Nuffield cricket and was selected to represent Northern Transvaal in target shooting at Bisley 1991.

New Bolton Footwear sales managers

Photo: Ariel Martini Three time F1 World Driver’s Champion, Lewis Hamilton formed an unusual collaboration with Brazilian artists Los Kueios and Liam Bononi to create a graffiti mural, depicting Hamilton’s experience and attraction to Brazil, at a PUMA event held at the Mirante do Vale in Sao Paulo, Brazil.The mural showcases various urban elements that depict the cultural diversity of Sao Paulo, such as street art, music and dance. Hamilton was in Brazil for the 2016 Brazilian GP in Interlagos, which he won.

German tennis player and world #32 Philipp Kohlschreiber has joined the Mizuno brand ambassadors who perform in the brand’s footwear and apparel. Among the players wearing Mizuno at the Australian Open are Croatian Player Ivo Karlovic (#20), Marcos Baghdatis (#6) from Cyprus as well as Roberto Bautista Agut (#14).

Bolton Footwear have appointed new sales managers for its ladies and mens formal footwear brands. Samantha Pillay has been appointed to head Bolton Footwear’s ladies formal footwear brands Bronx, Young Klinik, Dr Hart, Step on Air, and Franco Gemelli . Samantha Pillay is Bolton Footwear’s new ladies’ formal sales manager. “My experience in retail, fashion retail in particular, will assist me in growing this sector of our business as there is huge growth potential in this category,” she says. Some would say that the number 13 is unlucky, but it is not for Pillay, who has worked in retail at TFG for 13 years. During this time she has gained experience in the various clothing and footwear departments, as well as cosmetics, at Foschini, Sportscene, and Totalsports. Her last held title at TFG was cosmetic brand manager. “I love the industry as it’s very fast paced and is based on the customer,” she says. “I find consumer behaviour very interesting as it’s constantly changing and evolving. I also love interacting with people and this is definitely the industry for that.” She is also world-wise: as a scholar she was given the opportunity to study at

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

one of the United World Colleges, and chose to attend the one in Wales. “At the age of 16, I was selected for an academic scholarship by the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund to complete my A-levels, which is the equivalent to our matric abroad,” Pillay reminisces about her two years studying abroad. After finishing her A-levels, she travelled in Europe for six months before returning to South Africa. When she returned, she started studying BCom Accounting through UNISA while working part time at TFG. However, during her second year of studying, she was offered a management position at the retail group and she put this degree on hold. Instead, she completed the Retail Management Diploma through UNISA. She has also completed “numerous courses and development programmes,” says Pillay. “In October, I completed a SETA Programme at NQF level 6, known as the Retail Management Development Programme. This has sparked me to complete my [BCom] degree, which I hope to do in the next two years.”

Sihle Masuku, the new men’s formal shoes sales manager for Bolton Footwear, has more than 15 years’ experience in the industry. “I’ll be responsible for driving sales in the men’s formal footwear brands, provide support to agents and build strong key accounts,” explains Masuku, who is responsible for Barker and Crockett And Jones. Back in 2000, Masuku, who holds a Diploma in Business Management from South West Gauteng College, started his retail career at Edgars in its men’s department. “I had my first break in 2006 when Edcon introduced a Management Development Programme for inexperienced graduates,” he says. “ I was appointed as a Trainee Manager and the programme was divided into three phases, which were performance driven. We were a group of 23 trainees and I was one of only seven who were deemed competent at the end of the programme.” After the Edcon programme, Masuku joined Jet Stores as sales manager, where he worked in seven different managerial positions at various Edcon stores.

His retail experience also includes store manager at A&D Spitz. He not only has managerial experience, he was also part of an IT project within Edcon where he was one of the representatives responsible for rolling out a new system throughout the country and abroad. In 2012, Masuku received two awards: for best store EBIDTA (Trading Profit) and for Leadership. “My career revolved around retail in various Edgars and discount division stores. What I loved most about my previous jobs was getting every customer to smile, ensuring that they got what they wanted and needed.” Going forward he wants to “build strong relationships with our stakeholders, agents, customers, colleagues and senior management. I’d also like to commence my MBA studies with Regenesys.”

Brand News

Industry :: p3

Adidas boots with wow! factor

Excitement is running high for this year’s Ironman triathlon’s as they offer qualifying opportunities for the World Championships that will be held in South Africa next year. As the new footwear partner, Skechers SA will benefit from the added interest.

The vibrant colours of the Bo-Kaap in Cape Town is celebrated in the adizero CrazyQuick Malice Sevens boot introduced by adidas during the Sevens tournament in December 2016. This is the first in a series of five limited edition boots featuring an eye-catching graphic design inspired by some of the World Sevens circuits’ cities. Next will be the Wellington, New Zealand, boot with further boots in the adizero CrazyQuick series introduced at the tournaments in Las Vegas, London and Paris.

Skechers SA get World Championship Iron Man bonus SkecherS South AfricA, the new Iron Man running partner until 2019, will this year already benefit from the excitement generated by the 2018 Ironman 70.3 World Championship event being awarded to Nelson Mandela Bay. South African athletes have been offered an exclusive chance for early qualification for the world championship at this year’s African Championship triathlon in Nelson Mandela Bay, on 2 April 2017. “The response from South African athletes to the awarding of the 2018 Ironman 70.3 World Championship has been phenomenal,”says Paul Wolff, Operations Director for Ironman in South Africa.

Perfect partnership

AdidAs’ lAtest soccer boot pack, Red Limit, features bright red laceless boots that live up to the brand’s mantra, never follow. “With these boots we want to inspire players to always be ahead of the game whether they are on the pitch or off it,” says Adrian de Souza, head of football at adidas South Africa. “The mantra that says never follows, dictates that we always create the right tools for our customers to be the best and help them reach new limits.” The Ace 17 PureControl features a Primeknit upper, boost plate and new engineered control zones. Featuring a premium leather upper with functional stitching and fold over techfit compression tongue, the Copa 17 also has a moulded heel clip with classic heel blinker design. The X16 Purechaos was designed with the fastest players in mind, “who like to cause chaos,” says adidas. It features a state-of-the-art tech fit skin with a four way stretch sock and a personalised fit experience. The design of the Messi 16 features dynamic compression material as well as a four way stretch sock, which aids the player in gaining maximum acceleration. The Ace 17.1 is worn by players such as Thulani Hlatshwayo, Abbubaker Mobara and Travis Graham among others while Khama Billiat, Thabo Matlaba, Daine Klate and Riyaad Norodien sport the X16.1 Purechaos.

“This is the perfect partnership for us to have secured, seeing how committed we are to sharing our performance range with the active market,” says Yusuf Vadi, brand manager for Skechers South Africa. “We have spent a very long time and an extensive budget on R&D and are very proud of our performance range. We cannot wait for the consumer to experience it and its benefits.” The partnership has been confirmed for 2017, 2018 & 2019. “We are very much looking forward to building a strong relationship with Ironman South Africa and the triathlon community at large,” adds Vadi. Skechers is available in South Africa from dis-

tributor Brandfolio, who says they are thrilled by the “very exciting partnership that will take our performance positioning to another level.” Skechers Performance last year became the official running shoe partner of the 2016 Ironman European Tour. The brand featured at 26 of the 43 Ironman European Tour races, where they had a strong presence at expo villages and in eventrelated marketing elements. In South Africa, Skechers’ presence will be first noticed on January 29th by the tough triathletes who will be testing their skills during the Ironman 70.3 in Buffalo City and their supporters who’ll be visiting the expo village. This will be followed by Ironman Africa in Nelson Mandela Bay on April 2, where 50 qualification slots for the 2018 Ironman 70.3 World Championship, which will also take place in Nelson Mandela Bay, will be available to South Africans only. The four 2017 Standard Bank Ironman African Championship events will offer 75 qualification slots for the 2017 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

Pirates’ anniversary jersey reminds of new beginnings

As part of Orland Pirates’ 80th birthday celebrations, adidas has released a special edition anniversary jersey that brings back memories of the dawning of a new era. This jersey features a solar lime colour – a colour that first made its debut on the Pirates’ jersey in 1994, when the club won its first league championship in the new South Africa. It’s not only the colour that should attract supporters: the jersey features the latest adidas technologies, such as its moisture controlling ClimaCool. “The likes of Thabo Matlaba and Riyaad Norodien, whose positions require a high work rate and put them constantly in the heat of battle, will undoubtedly benefit the most from this technology,” says adidas. “The green of 1994 signalled a rebirth of a country hurting from an oppressive legacy, and we hope with the 2017 green we’ll bring supporters together as they push the team to scale those heights of league victory,” says Tokoloho Moeketsi, Orlando Pirates Brand Activation Manager.

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

p4 :: Industry

Brand News

PUMA reports growth in all its regions With an 11% sales increase (to €990-m) and a growth in every region, PUMA has reported good figures for 2016 Q3. The new product lines and prominent brand ambassadors like Usain Bolt were excellent drivers, says CEO Björn Gulden. Shoes performed the best, earning 16.4% more sales compared the same period last year – and, at €458,8-m, represents almost half of all sales for the brand. Overall, sales have grown 10%, reaching €2.669-bn in the past nine months of the fiscal year. Sales have “developed somewhat better than anticipated, and the gross profit margin also met our expectations and, together with strict cost control, lead to an improvement of our results,” says Gulden. “Sales of our products in retail continuously improved in the third quarter. “New product lines like Fierce, Platform, Ignite Dual, and the Fenty collections have met with great feedback from our consumers, and our brand desirability has continued to climb through our successful marketing with our brand ambassadors like Rihanna, Kylie Jenner, and Cara Delevingne, as well as through the outstanding performances by Usain Bolt.”

The latest boot in the PUMA SPEED family, the evoSPEED 17 SL-S features a bold Gecko Green outsole and graphic pattern fusing into the allover Safety Yellow upper. Atlético Madrid star Griezmann said: “I am excited to step out on pitch in this new evoSPEED SL-S colourway, it is a bold colour combination that I think the young players will love. I am looking forward to playing in the second half of the season as we still have a lot to ﬁght for in the major competitions. We ﬁnished top of our group in the Champions League so I am extremely motivated to train hard in these new boots and perform at the top of my game to bring us closer to victory.

PUMA has unveiled a CAMO version of the upcoming evoPOWER Vigor, to be worn by the likes of Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Marc Bartra (Borussia Dortmund) and Mario Balotelli (Nice).

As a tribute to the Bulls’ heritage, PUMA’s new Vodacom Bulls home and away jerseys return to blue. The home kit is in the traditional light blue and “looks back at designs worn by PUMA performance legends and teams,” says the brand. The away kit is in a darker blue. “By going back to the team’s colour of classic blue, PUMA has highlighted the true expression of what it means to be a Bulls’ fan by staying Forever Blue,” says Brett Bellinger, PUMA South Africa’s Marketing Director. “Together, we have gone full-circle with innovative and ground-breaking designs, from shocking the country with the ﬁrst pink rugby kit to be worn by a South African team to sporting green camouﬂage, and even breaking all boundaries with a striking black and orange away strip last year that once again got the rugby loving public talking,” says Barend van Graan, CEO of the Blue Bulls Company.

New Balance promotes grassroots cricket with donation NEW BALANCE SA provided a full set of cricket equipment and footwear to 119 young cricketers from disadvantaged communities who represented their unions at national age group Youth Week tournaments. The kit was handed over to participants from Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) 58 Hubs and Regional Performance Centres (RPC) before each Youth Week tournament played in a diﬀerent city across the country. Access to proper equipment is one of the elements that will help close the performance gap between disadvantaged youths and privi-

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

leged youngsters from top cricketing schools, said Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) GM, Corrie van Zyl at the Khayelitsha development Hub where some players received their equipment. High quality equipment, like the new kit that have been used by the likes of New Balance brand ambassador Dale Steyn, will assist with the performance of the boys and girls, Van Zyl continued. Above: CSA GM Corrie van Zyl (left) New Balance brand ambassador Dale Steyn and New Balance Africa Country Manager Craig Bowen (right) were photographed with the young cricketers who received equipment. Photo: Ashley Vlotman.

TYR South Africa is the new ofﬁcial swim apparel partner of the four race MiWay Ultra Tri series for 2017, which this year hosts its ﬁrst event in 20 years in Durban. The Durban leg in March will double as the SA Long Distance Triathlon Championships. Photo: Kevin Sawyer

Advertorial :: p5

subsidiary in Africa The heads of the new Implus subsidiary are well-known faces to the trade, and they are excited about the international backing that comes with this agreement

mplus recently announced the opening of a subsidiary company to handle the distribution of all their products in Africa. With its head quarter based in Durham, North Carolina, it is an innovative provider of athletic, fitness and outdoor accessories distributed to 75 000 retailers in North America and in 70 countries worldwide. Their products range from footcare and seasonal accessories to fitness and recovery solutions. Implus acquired the assets of MCN Solutions who used to distribute some of the Implus brands. Marc Smith and Rebecca Laird, who previously were the shareholders in MCN, will remain in management positions in the newly formed subsidiary, Implus Africa. They believe that the magnitude of the Implus business globally will allow them to bring retailers new brands and greater product offerings. Their brands include: Sof Sole began in 1991 and has grown to become a worldwide leader in athletic footwear accessories. The Sof Sole line features performance and technical products such as insoles, socks and shoe care for high impact sports and activities. Balega prides itself on developing, testing and

producing all of their hosiery. Their performance and fit characteristics make them one of the best performance running socks on the market. With features such as a hand linked toe closure to eliminate abrasion and deep heel pockets to ensure fit, they offer real benefits to athletes of all ages and abilities. Apara features discreet comfort for women’s fashion footwear. The line features devices that are tailored to maximize comfort in specific areas where it is needed most, be it the ball-of-foot, heel or arch and is offered in award-winning packaging and designs. Airplus is one of the top national insole brands in the mass footwear accessory industry featuring internationally acclaimed designs created to work with most types of footwear. Sneaker Balls deodorizers are designed to take action in those tiny and undesirable places where average air fresheners will not fit. With the ability to tackle the inside of those smelly sneakers or dirty soccer bags, they are the only air freshener with the ability to get exactly where the ugly stuff grows. They can be placed in shoes, gym bags, lockers or sock drawers and come in a variety of styles and scents. Sof Comfort features a complete line of footwear accessories that offer exceptional quality at great value. All Sof Comfort insoles are engineered to maximize comfort, support, and breathability in every type of shoe, be it casual, work, or athletic. Little Hotties hand and body warmers aim to provide quick warmth and comfort in all cold conditions. The products are perfect for anyone needing a little extra heat, from skiers and snowboarders on the slopes to construction workers and postal workers on blistery cold

mornings. It is the official supplier of the US Ski Team and US Snowboard since 2009. Perfect Fitness was founded by U.S. Navy SEAL veteran Alden Mills, and offers a line of innovative home gym workout equipment designed to enhance your body's performance during exercise. Regardless of your fitness level, Perfect equipment such as the Perfect Pushup, Perfect Multi-Gym, and Perfect Ab Carver Pro focus on your natural movement and body weight to help you maximize your workout. TriggerPoint is a life-enhancing brand concentrating on empowering people with revolutionary methodologies in Myofascial Compression techniques and patented products that maintain, regulate and stimulate the muscular movement of the human body. Harbinger is the brand of choice for weight lifters and competitors worldwide. It leads the strength training category in gloves and belts and has expanded into other accessories, including wraps, straps, and speed ropes. Now 28 years strong, Harbinger encourages people to elevate their strength training. FuelBelt has become the world leader in hydration belts and accessories. Its sponsored athletes have won 10 Ironman world championships. Spenco is a leading producer of high quality insoles, foot care products and shoes and provides the most advanced sports medicine and first aid products available. Implus also offers specialist seasonal brands such as YakTrax, ICETrekkers, MAXXDry and DryGuy. Contact details: Implus Africa Telephone +27 (0)21 552 8691 Facsimile +27 (0)21 551 3801 rlaird@implus-africa.com www.implus.com

p6 :: Industry

A new career for Frank van Wezel at 75

uestion: What do you do after you sell the company you built from nothing into a leading international brand?

Answer: If you are Frank van Wezel of Hi-Tec, you start a new career at 75. “I’m not ready to retire,” he says adamantly. Tanned, fit and brimming with energy and an infectious joy for life, Van Wezel made the transition from corporate chairman to entrepreneur seemingly effortlessly. He sold HiTec Sports International Holdings to Cherokee Global Brands at the end of last year and has already embarked with exuberance on phase three of his career. In phase one he worked for an agriculturalchemical company in Kenya and Zimbabwe, then he founded Hi-Tec in 1974. Now, instead of running a global company that sells 13-m pairs of shoes per year worth $250-m in more than 100 countries, Van Wezel is the proud owner of the Hi-Tec distributor license in Africa. And just to add interest, he will be introducing a new Italian golf chic lifestyle footwear brand, Duca del Cosma, to the local market after a successful European launch in 2016. In between he would like to play a bit more golf and tennis, even perhaps play in a few tournaments.

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

Last year Frank van Wezel sold Hi-Tec, received a Lifetime Achievement award from his almal mater, and turned 75. This year he is taking Hi-Tec SA into Africa as the official licensee, he will be introducing South Africans to a new European lifestyle brand and in between enjoy spending more time in Cape Town. Words: Trudi du Toit Photos: Nicol du Toit

A book on his life, aptly titled Frank — Inspired by Life , will be launched in March He compares obtaining the license to distribute Hi-Tec in Africa to being left with your favourite girlfriend when all your other girlfriends (subsidiaries) go their separate ways. “It is fantastic! The Africa deal keeps me in the country I love, in the house I love, and living in a city where I feel so comfortable,” he enthuses. Van Wezel has always had a close relationship with South Africa, and Cape Town in particular, where he owns a beautiful sea view house, within walking distance from Camps Bay beach. He has been a regular visitor to the country for more than forty years and he has made many close friends locally. He says the first South African Hi-Tec distributor, Brad Lemkus, is his best friend who had done such a good job of establishing the brand here in 1985, that Van Wezel offered him the position of general manager at the international Hi-Tec head office. While South African distributors contribute

about 2% to international brands’ turnover, HiTec get about 10% of their international sales from South Africa. It has almost become a generic name for lightweight outdoor shoes and some South Africans identify so much with the brand that they write in Afrikaans when they respond to the invitation in every shoe box to contact the chairman on his personal email. He will continue to respond to these messages , as always, since Cherokee asked him to stay on as an ambassador for the brand he built.

Respond in Afrikaans Dutch-born Frank and his wife Caroline return the compliment by corresponding with, and talking to, Afrikaners in their native language. Therefore, when it became clear during the negotiations with Cherokee that the Americans were not particularly interested in the African distributorship, Van Wezel promptly made a deal whereby Africa remains with him. This delighted everyone involved: he wanted to spend more time in South Africa and he can continue to talk products with his son, Ed, who’ll remain CEO of Hi-Tec, which becomes a subsidiary of Cherokee. “Our flagship store in Amsterdam is a lovely store, with a coffee shop where young people

Industry :: p7

sit for hours playing on the computers … it is always buzzing, and is more of a lifestyle centre,” he continues. Cherokee was not interested in buying any Hi-Tec stores and happily said yes when he asked if he could keep it. “I thought, if all else fails, at least I’ll have a shop.” While talking to Cherokee, he knew at the back of his mind that he was not ready to stop working. He also knew that the South African subsidiary he now owns is well run and would not require much of his hands-on presence. ‘What else am I going to do?’ he asked himself almost in a panic. So, he bought another brand. About a decade ago Hi-Tec sold quite a lot of golf shoes, which they dropped when the economic downturn almost decimated the golf market. “As I went around to the golf shops, I almost drooled over the shoes of a brand called Duca del Cosma. They were so beautiful! Real Italian beauties. If you love shoes like I do, and you see a really great product … oh, man!” Then, last year he read in the Sporting Goods Intelligence magazine that Duca del Cosma had been liquidated. Without hesitation he contacted the liquidator and the result is that he relaunched the brand in Europe in the last

The Africa deal keeps me in the country I love, in the house I love, and living in a city where I feel so comfortable

Opposite page: ‘Corporate’ Frank van Wezel and his son Edward, CEO of Hi-Tec, in their Amsterdam office. Middle: ‘Entrepreneurial Frank van Wezel with Mickey Mallett, general manager of Hi-Tec SA in the Cape Town office. Top right: With Brad Lemkus, the first Hi-Tec distributor in South Africa and still a close friend. Above right: Celebrating with his wife Caroline (photo: courtesy Hi-Tec).

quarter of 2016 as Italian golf chic on the street. “I am now dealing as a start-up,” he laughs. He rented a new office in Holland, within walking distance of his house, and appointed ten people — among them the former Duca del Cosma designer who is now on board as creative director tasked with producing beautiful shoes. The brand used to be available in a number of countries — on a very modest scale in South Africa as well, but all the distributors are gone. Van Wezel and Hi-Tec SA general manager, Mickey Mallett, therefore agreed that the brand will locally be distributed as a division of Hi-Tec SA. Van Wezel knew if he remains focused on the golf market, the brand will remain small. “I wanted something small, but not THAT small!” He therefore created a lifestyle collection,

which he clearly cherishes, just like others would enjoy their art collections. He enthuses about the sleek designs, the nice fresh colours, but above all, the golf shoe base that provides technology. “This will keep me nicely busy,” he says with a satisfied smile. This range will be aimed at a completely different market to Hi-Tec and he will appoint a new sales force to introduce them to local upmarket lifestyle stores. Worldwide, sport retailers who embrace lifestyle are the most successful, and he is therefore confident that the new brand will do well. Although he is not planning on creating a new Hi-Tec brand, he points out. The reason why Duca del Cosma went bankrupt had nothing to do with their footwear, says Van Wezel. “Apparel killed them.” Due to late deliveries from China To p8

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

p8 :: Industry

Hi-Tec SA belongs to Van Wezel cont. from p7

He enthuses about the sleek designs, the nice fresh colours, but above all, the golf shoe base that provides technology in the Duca del Cosma lifestyle collection they missed a season and battled to sell dated stock with the new stock. In fashion it is impossible to sell anything that is already ‘out of fashion’ and he ran out of money. But, what prompted him to sell the brand he founded in 1974 when he designed a lightweight squash shoe to an American company, which globally distributes brands like Tony Hawk, Sideout, Everyday California, etc. through licensed wholesalers? The short answer is that the right question was asked at the right time. “Last year we cultivated Sports Authority as our number one customer in the US,” he explains. “But, almost overnight they went into bankruptcy and closed all their stores.” In the UK, JD Sports took over Go Outdoors, another top customer, with 150 lovely shops, he adds. “The big boys are just getting bigger and the smaller, or ﬁnancially weaker ones, are falling by the wayside, and it is not going to get any easier.”

Big boys getting bigger His strengths had always been to build individual relationships with customers, especially mom and pop stores. “I had so many friends in the business, but they were all growing old, retiring, and the younger generation didn’t want to take over. These stores were disappearing as nobody wanted to take over and the big guys just got bigger.” Against this background he was receptive when a broker acting on behalf of American clients interested in buying Hi-Tec, asked if he would be willing to talk. He said yes, instead of showing him the door as he did with previous proposals. “I just decided: let’s get some cash in the bank for the family before I am caught unawares by other unforeseen events in the trade.” The family were all in favour. His son Edward, who became Hi-Tec’s CEO ﬁve years ago after being put through a rigorous training programme to learn all aspects of the business, including a stint in the Korean factory, encouraged him to. Selected as one of the 40 under 40 global industry leaders by the American SGB trade publication a few years ago, he made such a favourable impression on the Cherokee executives that they asked him

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

to remain as Hi-Tec CEO, based in the current Amsterdam head-oﬃce. His two sons-in-law will also remain with Hi-Tec, while his wife Caroline, who has a highpowered international PR background, already produced very impressive PR and brand information books to introduce Duca del Cosma to new customers. The many Lifetime Achievement awards (among them Life Vice President of the Squash Rackets Association in the UK), honorary doctorates, and other accolades Van Wezel amassed during his career, would need a book to document them … and a book on his life, aptly titled Frank — Inspired by Life, will indeed be launched in March. But, the way he keeps on making news headlines, another book will soon be required. For example, his alma mater, the business University of Nyenrode, last year gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award on the day they unveiled the new Hi-Tec Hall, where future sports industry leaders will be trained.

Black Mamba success Many sports clubs and worthy enterprises have benefitted from Hi-Tec philanthropy over the years. He is especially proud of their partnership with the anti-poaching Black Mamba project in Balule Nature Reserve — which receives worldwide attention through a rhino anti-poaching disk in every shoe box. “The 40 ladies do a fantastic job on anti-poaching of Rhinos. While rhinos are still killed on a daily basis in the Kruger, Balule claims they lost only one rhino last year — five years ago they lost 40.” Hi-Tec sponsored Landrovers, night vision and satellite communication equipment, and Magnum boots to help them operate more efficiently. The year has barely begun, but the energetic Van Wezel has already been thinking about new opportunities. They want to expand HiTec into Africa, he says. Having lived in Kenya for ten years during the 1960’s and 1970’s,

The Lifetime Achievement award plaque Nyenrode University erected outside the new Hi-Tec Hall that will be the home of their sports department. Left: The new Duca del Cosma lifestyle footwear range for men and women boasts Italian design inspired by its golf heritage. (Photo: courtesy of Duca del Cosma)

Van Wezel is no Africa-novice and he is buoyed by the many opportunities the young sneaker-wearing consumers in neighbouring countries oﬀer a brand willing to make a serious commitment to meeting their needs. They will therefore be investing in “a really good guy to take this company into Africa.” He is also keen to expand the Magnum workboot brand into Africa, where he believes many opportunities beckon. One can make the mistake of believing that he had such an easy journey from changing the squash market with a lightweight shoe in the 1970’s, followed by a revolutionary lightweight hiking shoe, which helped build a successful business empire. Along the way they, however, learnt some harsh business lessons. When Hi-Tec went public in 1988 and ﬂoated on the London Stock Exchange, they were four times oversubscribed. “We thought we had arrived.”

Not believe your own PR They used the money to expand aggressively in Europe, opening offices and subsidiaries in many countries. “In fact, we over-expanded, and that was a hard lesson as we lost a lot of money. Because we were over-subscribed four times we thought we could walk on water. But, as soon as you start believing your own publicity, you’re in trouble. We were sinking.” Once they realised what was happening, they restructured and the company became profitable again. “But it taught me a lesson: don’t go too fast. You have to stay modest and spend your money wisely.” And it is their modesty that makes the lasting impression when meeting Frank, Caroline and Edward van Wezel — apart from their enthusiasm and irrepressible humour. In Amsterdam they eat lunch in the canteen with the other Hi-Tec staff members. Edward personally meets visitors in the foyer. In Cape Town Caroline has a desk in the open-plan PR office. Frank’s office is smaller than the other managers’ offices. Because at 75, he is obviously too busy pursuing new opportunities to be bothered by small status symbols.

LL NE EC W TI O

p10 :: Industry

Gallienne’s to run worldwide Steve and Susan Gallienne in the Dunslaz showroom at Brand ID in Cape Town, before they departed for Bristol to run Karakal.

Steve Gallienne will be the new worldwide head of the Karakal racket sport brand and is soon leaving Brand ID to take up this prestigious global position. He will be the third current member of the South African sports industry to run a global brand

teve Gallienne, one of the most respected members of the South African sports industry, is soon moving to the UK, where he will be heading up the Karakal racket sport brand. After 28 years as distributor of well-known international sports brands — including Karakal — to South African retailers, the softspoken Gallienne and his vivacious wife, Susan, are relocating to Bristol in the UK to run the racket brand founded in Belgium in 1978 by the late Roger Vercambre. As you read this, they are probably packing in Cape Town, or unpacking in Bristol, Gallienne, who has been representing Karakal in South Africa since the early 2000’s, describes this “as a lovely opportunity” to run the family racket business with a footprint in 40 countries and experience a new environment. He is the third current member of the South African sporting goods industry to run an international brand: Rassie Pieterse heads TK hockey and Gary van Rooyen is the global owner of Coreban. Although Karakal was originally owned by

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

the Belgium company SPGS Dendermonde, Karakal has been distributed in the UK since 1981. Karakal UK purchased the rights to the UK and Ireland in 1985, but a new company, Karakal Worldwide, was formed in 1991 to distribute the brand globally. “It is currently the number one grip brand in the world and it s also very strong in squash,” says Gallienne. “It is similar to Dunlop, just smaller.”

World #1 in squash and Karakal Several top European squash players — including former World #1 player Vanessa Atkinson — have played with Karakal rackets and wore their clothing. The brand offers comprehensive racket sport ranges: squash, badminton, tennis, racketball and even table tennis. Apart from rackets and balls, they also offer clothing and footwear ranges, including leisure footwear, and of course, grips. Gallienne has had a good working relationship with the current management team for many years and they have been talking to him

about running the brand for some time. Although it is a highly regarded international brand, the company is very informal, says Gallienne, adding that it is not the kind of place where just about everybody has an impressive sounding title. The title attached to his new position is therefore irrelevant. His wife, Susan, who has been working alongside him in the local industry since 1992, will also join the Karakal staff to oversee international consolidations and internal operations — similar to her current position at Brand ID. But, with the added responsibility of looking after the needs of all the international distributors. Apart from extensive experience selling and promoting international brands since 1989, Gallienne earned respect in the industry for his non-stop dedication to work and straight dealings. In 2003 his Dunslaz Distributorship team were voted as one of the best suppliers by retailers for their excellent service and good backup when selling the Slazenger V1200 bat. They were runners-up in the Best Service sec-

Industry :: p11 tion of the 2003 Sports Trader Product of the Year competition. He will be returning to his country of birth, which he left as a child when the family moved to the West Coast of South Africa. He excelled in sport at school, especially in hockey, cricket and tennis. He was good enough to be invited to the U21 Western Province hockey trails and he also played cricket for Boland B. After moving to Johannesburg he continued playing hockey, but nowadays he just plays golf “with Dunlop Clubs!” he adds. Gallienne started his career working for Makro before joining the Slazenger sales team as an agent in 1989. When the Dunlop and Slazenger brands merged and the local company was restructured, he became a partner in the Sports Trade Specialist agency. Apart from representing the Dunlop Slazenger brands in the old Transvaal, they also represented Energade and Polaroid eyewear. In 1998 the Dunlop Slazenger International subsidiary in Johannesburg offered him the position of national sales manager. In August 2001, after the Dunlop Slazenger tennis and squash ball factory in Durban was closed down, the subsidiary became the independent distributor Dunslaz, with Gallienne and Richard Agar (a former financial executive and tax consultant) as owners.

Karakal is currently the number one grip brand in the world and it s also very strong in squash Most of the Dunlop Slazenger sales and marketing team, joined the new distributorship, which operated from Durban. Susan added her administration skills to the team. Apart from Dunlop and Slazenger tennis, squash and hockey equipment, they also supplied Ashaway strings, Maxfli golf, Swingball and later Karakal grips and Karrimor backpacks. At the end of 2008 Super-Brands — until then mainly active in the electronics and home markets — bought the Dunslaz Distributorship. Gallienne joined as sales manager of the sports brands, and he and Susan, who remained his right hand in the office, moved to Cape Town. While he stayed in charge of the former Dunslaz brands, which now also included Opro mouthguards, Super-Brands over time acquired other brands like then Springbok rugby sponsor Canterbury, running brand Mizuno, and compression brand Skins, etc. This division was headed by Dutoit Botes. In April 2014 the sports brands distributed by Super-Brands were bought by Brand ID, which distributed Speedo, in addition to several clothing brands. Gallienne and Botes and their respective teams moved across to the new company — where they continued to grow and add new brands under the Dunslaz and Performance Sports banners.

Dunlop sport sold to Japanese tyre manufacturer The sale of UK sports brand Dunlop by UK licensed and can be seen on everything from retail tycoon Mike Ashley to a Japanese tyre sneakers, clothing, bags, eyeglasses, watches, company, created a stir at the end of December umbrellas, etc. to table tennis, soccer balls and 2016. His company, Sports Direct International, other sporting goods.. The new holding company for the brand sold the trademark rights and sporting goods licensing business of the Dunlop brand to Sumi- will be called Dunlop International. It is jointly owned by the Japanese companies Sumitomo tomo Rubber for $137.5-m. The 107-year old UK brand is a leader on the Rubber, which manufactures Dunlop tyres — tennis courts and golf courses, where it has also in South Africa — and its sports subsidiary been used by the likes of John McEnroe, Steffi Dunlop Sports. Sumitomo’s tyre business will become the Graff, 2011 British Open winner Darren Clarke, global trademark licensor in 86 countries — and former world #1 Lee Westwood. Dunlop also has nostalgic memories for many except in Europe, North America, India and in the South African sporting goods industry. Australia — but including South Africa, Brazil, Thailand and InThe tennis ball factory donesia, where and sales office in DurThe tennis ball factory and it already has a ban is often referred sales office in Durban is often presence. It will to as the local training ground, because so referred to as the local train- also take over many youngsters who ing ground, because so many Sports Direct’s were taught the bayoungsters who were taught Dunlop sporting goods manufacsics of brand building the basics of brand building turing business. at Dunlop Slazenger, at Dunlop Slazenger, espeThe deal does especially under the tutelage of Alan Ross, cially under the tutelage of not include Jagraduated to run comAlan Ross (below), graduated pan, South Korea and Taiwan panies themselves. to run companies themselves where SumiAmong the Dunlop tomo Rubber algraduates are current ready owns the Hi-Tec SA MD Mickey Dunlop tradeMallett, former Dunmark rights. slaz co-owner and until They and Sports recently the local DunDirect own joint lop distributor, Steve rights in the US. Gallienne (see left), According to and a former SA SportUK media reing Goods Agents ports Sports Diand Manufacturer’s rect sold the UK (SASGAM) chair Colin brand, founded van Jaarsveld. in 1890, in orDunlop Sport took der to become over the Slazenger the Selfridges of tennis ball factory in sports retail. Durban in 1960, and According to after that the two brands became synonymous. In 1967 Alan Ross, the retailer this is part of their strategy to focus who later became the local Hardy and Greys on their core UK business and develop relationtackle distributor, was appointed as head of the ships with third party brands, rather than ownsport division. ing them. Sports Direct still owns a substantial During the ‘70’s and ‘80’s Dunlop Slazenger number of sports brands like Slazenger, Karrigrew into one of the leading brands in South Af- mor, Everlast, Lonsdale, Donnay etc. Ashley bought Dunlop Slazenger in 2004 for rica, especially dominant in tennis and squash. The Durban tennis and squash ball factory was an estimated £40-m from the Royal Bank of closed in 2001, and for many years thereafter Scotland, which had taken over the brand when the new independent Dunslaz Distributorship its private equity backers ran into difficulties. The latest Dunlop transaction is expected to owners (see left) gnashed their teeth as they were forced to pay high import duties intro- be finalised by the end of May and is subject to duced to protect the balls locally produced in approval from competition authorities in Gertheir factory ... which was no longer operating. many and the Philippines. Dunlop is currently distributed by Brand ID in It took a while before sense prevailed and the South Africa and no change is envisaged in the duties were reduced. Nowadays the Dunlop brand name has been near future.

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

p12 :: Sport

Dukes

owner

explains cricket

balls

or Dilip Jajodia a ball is certainly not just a ball — especially not a cricket ball. The owner of the UKbased Dukes cricket ball company talks with passion and authority about the differences in cricket ball manufacturing, the colouring of balls, pricing, and why he does not believe in offering sponsorships. With a 250-year heritage of supplying top level cricket balls Dukes can rightly claim to be an authority on the subject. Their balls are currently used in all the England Cricket Board (ECB) and West Indies Cricket Board matches and from this year, in the Australian Sheffield Shield tournament. In South Africa they are distributed to retailers by Opal Sport. The sprightly owner, who played club cricket until he was 63, combines his knowledge of the game and manufacturing with a refreshing moral business code, which transforms an interview about cricket balls into a fascinating conversation on manufacturing and ethics.

Moral business principles He eloquently addresses topics like the morality of selling goods at rock bottom prices that could not possibly have covered decent labour costs; why Dukes still hand-stitch their balls; his disdain for selfies with sport stars; and his belief that there are only two ways that a manufacturer can afford to pay for sponsorships: over-pricing or under-quality. After more than seventy years Jajodia has a rich font of experience and expertise that helped shape the business principles that en-

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

Those always wanting special deals treat cricket ball suppliers like a vendor at the gate, with an attitude of what are you offering us today ? sured that Dukes stayed a world leader in cricket ball manufacturing, despite refusing to follow the popular trend of paying for the rights to supply an official ball, or handing out free products — whether to unions or top players. For Jajodia the quality of his products speak for themselves. Offering free products to elicit endorsements “has been the ruination of the trade,” he says, because “if you have a reputable company you produce a product at the price it costs you to manufacture it. As brand owner I want to be responsible and manufacture at a reasonable price.”

No selfies with sport stars When you start paying for sponsorships or donating free products, the money has to come from somewhere. “Yet, people believe some joker who tells them he can make the same product at a cheaper price, or the same price, and still offer a lot of sponsorship money.” Yet, some top players like Ian Botham, Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne have offered unsolicited praise. He can count several top cricketers among

his personal friends, but will never make use of these relationships to promote himself or his brands. That is why there are no selfies of him posing with famous sport stars. He bristles at the attitude of customers and unions wanting special deals, who treat cricket ball suppliers “like a vendor at the gate, with an attitude of what are you offering us today?” What he offers is years of expertise and experience as a manufacturer, he stresses, no free products or discounted prices.

The same price for all He has a world-wide price list, which fairly reflects the cost of manufacturing and distributing the balls. That is what everybody pays. Therefore, just as he pays for his own test tickets, he expects the ECB and other unions to pay for the balls they use in matches. This has resulted in a relationship of mutual respect: the ECB, for example, allows him to select the twelve balls used in test matches. While he maintains that every ball they manufacture is top quality, some balls just have a certain feel, which tells you they are special, he explains. These he sets aside for possible selection for test matches. It is a matter of pride to him that even after 80 overs these balls will remain round and the seams intact. This is because he only uses top quality raw materials, and has the four pieces hand stitched by the master-stitchers on the subcontinent, before applying their special formula of polish. It takes about three-and-a-half hours to manufacture a cricket ball, for which

Sport :: p13

Quality materials, experience and understanding of leather and ball manufacturing, paying fair wages and setting reasonable prices — these are among the elements that combined to make Dukes one of the leading cricket ball companies, explains its owner, Dilip Jajodia. Words: Trudi du Toit. Photo: Nicol du Toit

DILIP JAJODIA had been a cricket enthusiast since his schooldays in Bangalore, India, in the 1950’s. He was a good all-rounder and captain whose dreams of a ﬁrst class (or higher) cricket career was cut short by a bad injury during his last year at school. Instead, he went to England at age 17 to study to become a chartered accountant. Due to the low pay he earned as an article clerk, he switched careers to become a chartered insurance practitioner. Jajodia was managing a public company’s pension fund at a very young age and working extremely hard. But, after 3-4 years he decided to branch out and combine his love for sport — especially cricket — and aptitude for business, by buying a shelf company, Morrant, to manufacture and import sporting goods in 1973. Among cricketers the name Morrant became associated with pioneering ultra-lightweight moulded batting pads. His son, Sunil, now runs this company. In 1987 Jajodia bought the prestigious Dukes cricket ball company, and expanded it globally. These are but two of the several businesses he currently owns — but because of his passion for sport, they are close to his heart.

they pay a fair hourly wage, he explains. That is why he reacts with indignation when people want to insist on cheaper prices — or he sees some of the rock bottom prices charged for retail goods. “What wages are they paying? Sorry! That is not acceptable behaviour. If consumers want to buy something as cheap as possible because they are poor, they are still infinitely better off than the people making the product. We need to have some moral behaviour!” His response to people asking him to supply balls at a cheaper price is therefore: What type of wages do you think should be paid? Do you want me to employ child labour? But, if the product is right, people will pay the price, Dukes has proven. Jajodia likens it to the difference in price between a Toyota and Mercedes Benz, for which “people will pay more because it is better.” Instead of talking price, the focus should be on the quality of the product, he says. Besides,

He reacts with indignation when he sees some of the rock bottom prices. What wages are they paying for the labour? Sorry! That is not acceptable behaviour!

using a ball that retains shape for a full 80 overs is more economical than balls that have to be replaced frequently. The Dukes balls, introduced by the Duke of Penshurst in 1760, are still hand-stitched today because that ensures that the seams stay intact, even after 80 overs, Jajodia explains. “In a machine-stitched ball it is the middle seam that holds it together, the rest is for decoration.” Hand stitching avoids destroying the thread, which cause the seam to split in a

machine-stitched ball. “That is why our balls don’t open.” It is simply not true that hand-stitched balls are harder on bats, as is sometimes claimed. Players actually preferred the hand-stitched pink Dukes ball to another brand when the ECB asked them to compare the two balls in a second eleven three-day day-night match, he recounts. Both brands had similar use. He is now keen to have all the hand-stitched Dukes balls — red, white and pink — tested and compared in playing conditions anywhere in the world. He also doesn’t believe in manufacturing cheaper two-piece balls. “They don’t last,” he says, because the cup created by the four pieces stitched together ensures lasting shape retention — while two circles stitched together loses shape. “I say if anybody says they can make a 4-piece ball at the same price as a 2-piece ball, bite their hand oﬀ. A 4-piece is a far better ball.”

Red the only natural ball Cricket balls had originally been brown, he recounts, until somebody suggested that they needed to be brighter, and red was chosen. For some curious reason no other colour except red permeates leather in such a way that it remeains red throughout all stages of play, althought it might become lighter. Other colours, including pink, require a surface to be applied to maintain the colour pigment. “We managed to dye through the leather in pink so that if the ball hits something it is pink underneath, it doesn’t come through white,” explains Jajodia. “You can dye it pink, but you can’t make it natural, so we put a bit of pigment on top and applied polish on top of that. That is why our pink ball lasts.” They still use a polish formula to refurbish cricket balls that was bequeathed to Jajodia by the inventor, an expert in the preservation of leather-bound manuscripts. A friend suggested that they also use polish to refurbish tired looking cricket balls. “I tried the polish and it worked pretty well,” says Jajodia, who subsequently ordered enough to use on all their cricket balls. Although they now make several diﬀerent polishes, they still use the original formula that was “an inspiration and showed me how a ball can be refurbished.” When the inventor died, he bequeathed the formula to Jajodia, who was the ﬁrst manufacturer to believe in it.

Left: An ODI white Dukes ball photographed after 49 overs. Right: A ﬂuorescent orange Dukes day-night ball: their pink ball; the red Dukes ball used in ECB county matches.

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

p14 :: Industry

Should brands open stores? Should retailers import brands? Are the roles between retailers and suppliers in our industry blurring, as in the rest of the world — or should each stick to his own corner? We asked the question at the end of last year ... and were taken aback by the strength of feelings on both sides of the divide, reports TRUDI DU TOIT

n an ideal world retailers get all their stock from importers or local manufacturers, which they then sell to consumers. Their suppliers only interact with customers via the retailer. We all know that the above is a fantasy world that long ago evaporated. Nowadays international brands pressurise their local distributors to open brand stores, and consumers interact directly with brands and local manufacturers via their websites, Facebook pages and twitter accounts. On the other hand, some chain stores import a more impressive international brand offering than many distributorships. Globally, the retail world has changed and there is very little that we in South Africa can do about it. But, it doesn’t mean that we have to LIKE it. At the end of last year Sports Trader asked retailers, suppliers and sales agents in the industry whether they have come to accept and adapted to the changing relationships — in most cases the response was a resounding NO (see the table on the opposite page).

Q1: Retailers importing brands Interestingly, more retailers (63%) than suppliers (58%) responded that only distributors may import brands. But, when taking into account that most of the retail respondents are from independent stores, this is not surprising: they are just as much affected by chains bringing in international brands that are not available to them as local distributors. Sales agents feel the strongest : 89% say that retailers should not import their own brands, which would deprive them of sales. It is, however, not always a cut-and-dried scenario. “Specialised, slow-moving equipment is to a certain degree being shelved by many sole importers and the off-shore manufacturers are now approaching retailers who are able to import directly in order to keep South African market share,” says Duncan Pattenden of specialist outdoor store Orca Industries. “Because some wholesalers have started retailing, some

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

retailers have started importing and selling directly. To a certain degree this is also to combat in-house brands and online shops.” Sometimes, international brands have a different understanding of our market than what we do. “We are distributors and only sell to retailers,” was the bemused response of then Columbia international CEO Gert Boyle when she was asked by Sports Trader years ago why they launched the brand into South Africa through the new DueSouth retail chain. “It’s a free market in which we operate and a retailer is simply looking for a way to improve his margins by cutting out the middle man,” commented one of the more forgiving anonymous suppliers. “It certainly negatively affects distributors, but distributors can counter this by improving their value offering through exclusive distribution agreements of known brands, service delivery and pricing. I see it as just another distributor entering the market. “A retailer will have to rent additional storage space and staff for the administration of importing directly so what is it other than another distributor?” he/she adds. The subject of retailers developing in-house brands, however, elicited a much more emphatic response from suppliers: 84% say nyet, because they consider house-brands as direct competition to their own brands vying for shelf-space. It is acceptable “as long as they are totally original and are not sold as a copy and rated/ punted as from the same factory as an international brand,” commented another supplier who wishes to stay anonymous. “Competition tends to improve performance as you try to stay ahead. An in-house brand can be a positive addition for a retailer and have a negative impact on existing brands IF executed properly — or it can have a negative effect on a retailer and create positive awareness for why consumers should buy existing brands,” continues the forgiving supplier. “Think of what cheap Chinese copies did to many brands — it improved their value offer-

ing once consumers realised that looks do not equal performance.”

Q2: Distributors/brands opening their own stores Call them factory stores, concept stores, or experience stores, any store operated by a supplier makes retailers hot under the collar. Only retailers should operate stores say 84% of retail respondents, 78% of agents and 32% of suppliers. “Is a concept store not just an expensive marketing strategy?” asks a supplier, whom, like most others, wishes to remain anonymous. “I believe global trends will ultimately come to the fore in our local market, so brands with concept stores are a reality of the future, but I don’t believe there is a one approach fits all solution across the board. “Most brands can no longer afford to go to expos (trade shows) to exhibit, due to the costs involved, so they are forced into trying to secure some revenue in return.” Suppliers selling direct to consumer “can live alongside retailers as it expands the offering to consumers offering and allows reach into areas the retailer cannot or will not reach,” adds another supplier. “BUT, they need to sell at retail prices,” says one of the suppliers who believe brand stores are acceptable. Retailers are much less forgiving. Tales of retailers calling distributors who start selling directly to come and fetch their stock because they don’t sell competitors’ products, have become industry lore. Retailers are especially sensitive when suppliers open stores in direct competition to them — as in the same shopping mall or then reduce their product offering to the retailer. “It is unethical for any distributor to sell to the end user,” says an independent retailer. “They have affected many small companies financially, who in fact are in many cases the people who originally were the reason why they were able to start doing business in the first place.”

Industry :: p15

Helderberg Cycle World, one of the ﬁrst retailers to become a Specialized concept store, recently relaunched their enlarged store that now provides an enhanced customer experience. They added 80m2 to the front of the store and updated the layout to open up the space, says Kristy Yeld, retail manager for Specialized Bicycles Africa. Other upgrades to the store include a seated coffee area for customers, a kid’s area and updated Body Geometry equipment to give the rider that premium experience. Photo: Johan Badenhorst.

He/she believes that this eﬀectively amounts to clients being stolen from retailers “as all data had been captured over many years of doing business ethically.”

Q3: When may suppliers sell directly to consumers? Never, say say 68% of the retail respondents. But, what is a distributor to do if retailers dont’t want to stock his products, or only order a few lower-priced items, which does not do justice to the depth of the brand? Would it not be acceptable to sell directly to consumers under these circumstances? No, is the unforgiving response from 79-95% of retailers and 78-56% of sales agents (see table right). Not surprisingly, 63-79% of distributors are in favour of selling directly under special circumstances. Only 26% retailers believe it is acceptable for brands to sell direct to consumers if retailers don’t want to stock their products, or not stock enough (21%). How now? Surely, distributors must have a choice to expand their brand as per their own requirements as “sometimes we don’t get the right exposure in the retail market for our brand as a whole,” responded a supplier of an international brand. “Its simply a modern case of a wholesalers success can not rely on the performance of retail alone,” says another distributor. “When most retailers cannot/will not stock certain items from your range, it limits you as a wholesaler to see the true potential of your product realised. “Yet, through many social media outlets we can see there is a great demand for products that are available ex-warehouse, but are not stocked by retail stores. Because they see them online, people talk about these product and go and enquire in stores about them, which creates a demand.” There are many examples where retailers cherry-pick products from a brand, yet there

are customers who want to buy other products from the range, agrees another distributor. “How does the distributor give the end-user access to these products?” he asks. If retailers are not supporting a distributor at the level he requires, he needs to make a business decision on whether to cut out the retailer and sell directly to consumers, says another distributor. “However, I don’t think it is a good business strategy to supply retailers and sell directly to consumers — unless the products don’t com-

pete with each other (e.g. low end products in retailers and high end products direct from the distributor) or the consumer is in an area where no retailers stock your product, so you help a consumer out at a recommended retail price.” Big brands have the backing of their principals, but it is even worse for someone trying to establish a new brand. “Retailers wont stock unbranded product until they become a brand,” reported an entreprneur. Some retailers (32%) do, however, understand that there may be cerTo p17

Responses show level of division in industry On retailers importing brands Only distributors may import brands

Retailers Suppliers Agents 63

Retailers’ own brands hurt distributors

Retail house brands compete direct with distributors

On distributors/brands opening stores

Retailers Suppliers Agents

Only retailers should have stores

Every brand store competes with retailers

When may distributors sell to consumers?

Retailers Suppliers Agents

Distributors may NEVER sell direct to anybody

Distributors may NOT sell to consumers

Distributors may NOT sell direct to coaches

Distributors may NOT sponsor schools/clubs

Distributors may NOT sell direct at expos/events

Distributors may sell direct if retailers don’t stock their products/brand

Distributors may sell direct if retailers not stock enough

Distributors may sell direct if SKUs ordered not show brand range

Distributors may sell direct if retailers cannot aﬀord top end products

Role of sales agents

Retailers Suppliers Agents

Agents are essential to the trade

Retailes are more inclined to buy from an agent

It is diﬃcult ﬁnd good agents to represent brands

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

p16 :: Industry

Is SA retail in trouble? Two views VIEW 1: compared to the same time next year, the sport, athleisure and outdoor industries have much to look forward to There are several indications that the industry can hope for a bounce-back year in 2017. Although cautious, economists are talking about lifting growth expectations, and the Rand/$ exchange rate is back to the liveable levels of September-October last year. The average for December was R13.76/$ … much better than the R17.22/$ clocked in January 2016. In 2016, the Rand was rated the best performing emerging market currency over the past six months. Even better news is that the Economic Forecast Agency is predicting Rand/$ exchange rates for the first quarter of 2017 hovering between just over and below R13/$ and — even better — settling around an average of R12.5 for the rest of the year! 9 December has come and gone and no political bombs exploded. So hopefully, we will not see a repeat of the depressing start of 2016 when the exchange rate and higher manufacturing costs escalated all prices … which made it difficult to persuade embattled consumers to spend. In the first three-quarters of 2016, 4.9-m fewer units of sporting goods (in selected categories) were imported compared to the first three quarters of 2015 — but the import costs were nearly R500-m more. During the year the average price of each imported unit jumped R30 from R44 in 2015 to R74 in 2016. A year later we can only look upwards — because what goes down must come up again. So let’s raise a toast to out of the box thinking and restored consumer confidence that is (surely!) going to make 2017 the ultimate bounce back year. While the big sport retailers are certainly

This chart from the Reserve Bank shows how the Rand/$ exchange rate skyrocketed in 2016.

feeling the strain of consumers closing their purses, it is not quite as bad as in the fashion industry. The unaudited results for the first half of the 2017 financial year reported by Holdsport, TFG (Fosching Group) and MRP (Mr Price) at the end of last year at least showed some growth — although not as spectacular as in the preceding decade. Holdsport sales grew 6.5% to R807.2-m during the period, while the sports divisions of major retailers like TFG and MRP performed better than the fashion apparel sectors of these retail chains. TFG Sport (Totalsports, DueSouth and Sportscene) reported a turnover of R2.1-bn for the period, which is 21% up from the same period last year, compared to the whole TFG sales growth of 16.9% to R11.4-bn. Sport contributed 18.5% to revenues. Like-for-like growth is not reported for the sport division, which opened 76 new stores since September 2015. It is therefore not possible to gage the effect of the DueSouth decision to reduce equipment and concentrate on

outdoor clothing and footwear. TFG Sport now operates 637 stores — 309 Totalsport, 266 Sportscene and 62 DueSouth. Of these, 48 are across border stores — 23 Totalsports, 20 Sportscene and 5 DueSouth. MRP Sport sales grew 13.3% to R634.5-m, but like-for-like sales only grew 2.1%. Following the exclusion of most other brands, it is not surprising that their own Maxed brand grew comparative sales 13%. Footwear sales grew 24.9%, with Maxed growing 33%, but growth in equipment and outdoor departments dropped, the retailer reports (percentages not included). Retail selling price inflation was 16.9% up and trading density grew 8.1%. Sportsmans Warehouse was the main contributor to Holdsport’s retail sales growth with an increase of 7.3% to R588.9-m. Outdoor Warehouse sales grew 1%. Like-for-like sales in Sportsman’s Warehouse, however, grew 5.4% and decreased 2.9% in Outdoor Warehouse. Price inflation was 8.6%. The Performance Brands wholesale division benefitted from the acquisition of Second Skins in June and grew external sales 31% to R32-m, but internal sales grew 3.8%. They added the outdoor T-shirt brand African Nature in October. Sportsmans Warehouse opened one new store in the Mall of Africa and expanded the Pavillion store during the period — they now operate 38 — and Outdoor Warehouse expanded the Somerset West store and relocated the Nelspruit store. They now have 22 stores. In November Outdoor Warehouse opened a new store in George and a new Sportsmans Warehouse opened in Menlyn Park in December.

VIEW 2: Over the last reporting cycle of 2016 non-food like-for-like retailer volumes contracted by 7.3% across pretty much our entire listed retail sector. That is not good, writes KEITh McLachLan of Smallcaps.co.za. There are a number of reasons why the likefor-like retail volumes dropped at the end of lat year. edgars has been losing market share (in the unlisted space) that the other retailers have been picking up (in the listed space). This bleed appears to be over and Edcon is now recapitalised and likely to chug along just fine protecting its market share. In other words, the listed retailers are no longer having their growth subsidised by Edgars’ woes. Shopping centres: Over the last decade shopping centres have been rolled out at an incredible pace across South Africa. Therefore, periods of soft like-for-like growth by the listed retailers have been obscured by store rollouts and space growth. Consider the

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

fact that the domestic shopping centre boom is pretty much over, and suddenly like-for-like is no longer being subsidised by store rollout. Credit market dynamics: Unsecured lending (inside and outside of the retail stores) is contracting. This is partially due to the National Credit Regulator’s latest affordability criteria (amongst other regulatory issues), but it is also due to unsecured lending out of African Bank, Capitec and the other banks contracting. These capital sources all borrowed from tomorrow to buy fancy shirts for today. Eventually, as consumer balance sheets, spending power and credit quality deteriorate, so will the volumes of new credit being pumped into the market.

Disposable income contracting: Inflation, low growth, limited to dropping employment and the rising administrative costs ('administrative costs' are a euphemism for various State taxes such as income tax, capital gains tax, VAT, electricity, water, municipal, eTolls, etc) have all led to a flat-lining in South African consumers’ disposable incomes (in realterms, excluding inflation). When credit markets tighten, then this dropping in disposable income becomes twice as apparent. OK, to some degree, disposable incomes have been all right, but household debts have been bad and the bloated government payroll (a massive spender at shopping centres) has been capped. In other words, disposable income going forward To next page

Industry :: p17

is actually likely to be worse… So, all in all, a combination of factors are converging to make this a very tough retail environment, yet there is an elephant in the room: retailers themselves have been growing their own debt-levels and gearing has been exploding, while their returns on equity (ROE) have been falling (see chart). Not only have retailers been using more and more debt to ﬁnance themselves, but they've

been doing this at incrementally lower returns. The point is, South African retail is in trouble. This, in a way, is acknowledged by the fact that many of the retail groups are desperately acquiring businesses outside of South Africa. Retail REITs (i.e. listed collections of shopping centres) have a historical beta with the listed retailers that approaches 1.0x. In other words,

if local retailers struggle, rental escalation cannot be passed onto them, rental holidays appear, vacancies eventually materialise and highly-indebted shopping centres get impaired. And, within highly-geared REIT structures, when net asset value drops then loan-to-values are breached, distributors are cut, and… I’m sure you get the picture of a downward spiral. This article was ﬁrst published on www.SmallCaps. co.za.. Republished with permission.

Retailers vs suppliers cont. from p15 tain circumstances when a supplier must sell direct. “Retailers cannot expect wholesalers to remain wholesalers if they compete with said wholesaler, and vice versa,” reasons Jax Snyman of The Sweat Shop. “How else are the importers going to move slow moving stock which retailers do not want?” adds another retailer. The problem comes in when importers lose sight of what is current and slow moving, year-end write off’s or dead stock. One cannot price-fix, but distributors who sell below the recommended retail prices are shooting themselves in the foot (online shops for example).” If retailers don’t want to carry old stock then importers or distributors may be forced to sell direct — at retail prices, hopefully, he adds. “Technically speaking, in the free market, one cannot stop a distributor from retailing directly to the end-user,” says another independent retailer. He has no problem with that, as long as the suppliers does not undercut his retail partners and he advertises prices that are above the recomended retail price. “A distributor selling direct to the end-user at retail pricing is an issue of greed and a means to take maximum profit from a product to the detriment of his retail partner.” But, ideally the distributor should direct sales to a retail partner. “When former trade only suppliers start selling to consumers — some secretly, others openly — it makes it difficult for a retailer to be competitive,” says a retailer.

Q4: What about sponsorships, selling to coaches and at expos? Brands sponsoring clubs or schools or selling to coaches is a big no-no for retailers as well,

with 84% objecting to suppliers selling to coaches and 63% have a problem with brands sponsoring clubs and schools. They are slightly less opposed to suppliers selling at expo’s and events — with only 58% objecting. “Distributors can enter into sponsorship agreements with schools through a local retailer, then it’s a win-win for all,” says a sales agent. “Rather let the retailer give a discount to clubs, schools or coaches,” agrees Mark Kruger of Slingervel. “Now, you stock a certain brand that the distributor sells to clubs at

It’s a free market so you can do what you want, but this is true for the other party as well. the same price — or even less than what they supply it to the retailer.” Sponsorship should mean exactly that, adds Snyman: “the free supply of goods and services, not a subsidised price.”

Q5. Importance of sales agents Retailers will be more inclined to buy stock from a sales agent paying a personal visit, say 68% of the retail respondents — but, interestingly only 33% of the agents and reps who responded believe this. This is especially true for retailers in country areas, responds Johan Roestorﬀ of Atlas Sport in Stilbaai. “Its about building a relationship with your customers,”comments an agent who regularly visits his retail clients. Since one of the big brands he represented replaced him with an in-house rep, the brand has very little presence in independent stores.

“People do business with people,” agrees a supplier. “Visit a retailer and you’ll realise what a good relationship with staff is worth. No app or electronic order system can replace good relationships with staff. A retailer might use a slick, electronic order system to buy from you, but they still need to WANT to buy from you.” Some products need to be seen physically, and not only on a screen, explains a retailer. “The commission-driven agent beats the internal sales person most times from a service perspective,” is the experience of Snyman. “Agents definitely have a role to play with doing business with independents who thrive on face-time,” agrees a supplier. “Sadly, there are very few good independent agents still in the market due to the risks involved with doing business on a commission basis.” Although only a third of the agents believe visiting retailers is important, 78% believe they are essential to the industry, compared to 53% retailers and 42% suppliers. Nearly 60% of suppliers responded that they find it difficult to find good agents to represent their brands. I think the lack of good agents/salesmen has become apparent and the distributors that do have them should look after them, says a supplier. In the end it comes down to compromise, says a supplier: “It’s a free market so you can do what you want, but this is true for the other party as well. As a distributor you need to realise that your store potentially competes with an existing retail customer, who might then decide not to buy from you anymore. You need to decide where your focus lies — retailing or distributing. And if it is both. then you need to carefully consider the pro’s and cons.”

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

p18 :: Industry

Among the many activities Menlyn Park shopping mall offered to attract Christmas shoppers was a play area for kids. Photo: coutesy of Menlyn Park.

Did Black Friday spoil Xmas? Many South African retailers started following the American trend of attracting crowds of endof-year bargain hunters by offering huge discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. But, sevral retailers say this did not help their December sales, a Sports Trader snap survey shows

here can be no doubt that South African shoppers have now also embraced American concepts like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The interest that has slowly been building up over the past three years exploded at the end of last year. In the week before the discount days South African Twitter conversations about #BlackFriday and variations on the theme were 200% higher than the previous year, report the global online media tracking company Meltwater. Before 2014 #BlackFriday was hardly mentioned. Last year consumers came to the party in a big way. But, did this consumer bonanza also bring retail relief after a somewhat depressing year? Clothing and leather sales, for example, only grew 0.1% in Q3 last year, while retail sales over all only grew 0.9% year-on-year in Q3. The majority (62%) of the retailers who responded to the Sports Trader snap survey on the impact of Black Friday were pleasantly surprised by the consumer response, which they describe as better than they expected. A further 38% say the response was about what they expected. Nobody was disappointed by the response. Consumers normally spend about 51% more on clothing, toys, electronics and jewellery in

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

December than during other months, according to the FNB Credit Card division. Credit card spend on the above luxury goods on average increase from R241-m in a normal month to R365-m in December, the bank reports.

Black Friday crucified Xmas shopping , said a sporting goods retailer Traditionally, December and January sales have to provide retailers with a nice cushion for the rest of the year. Sadly, the impact of Black Friday on Christmas sales was not positive for some sport and athleisure retailers. “Black Friday crucified Xmas shopping,” said a sporting goods retailer who wished to remain anonymous. This view was shared by 59% of the respondents, who indicated that Black Friday had a negative impact on December sales because customers did all their Christmas shopping during the discount days. “I am very concerned about this Black Friday trend as I see the high cost of sales not warranting the turn over and greatly affecting (adversely) the Xmas turnover at better margins. Consumers use their credit cards for

Black Friday, which they then settle in December with their annual bonus money.” But, nearly a quarter of the respondents (24%) believe that Black Friday had a positive spin-off as it attracted new customers to their store. A third of the respondents say that the Black Friday/Cyber Monday discounts resulted in loss of income due to a lower than average turnover in December — but less than a fifth (18%) say that it had no noticeable impact on December sales. “People end up buying things they dont really need and buy them just because they think its cheap and that they are saving money,” commented another sports retailer. Yet, interestingly, when the December sales were actually tallied up, retailers were fairly divided about the actual impact of the discount days: their December sales were slightly more (0-10% higher) than the previous year, reported 26% of the respondents. Around the same number (21%) reported slightly lower (0-10%) sales than the previous year. The same number reported a 10-20% drop in December sales. The question remains, of course: would the bargain hunting shoppers who flooded the stores on Black Friday have spent that money on full-priced Christmas gifts, or not?

Industry :: p19

Kloppers still rewriting the retail books In a time when many other stores are closing, Kloppers is expanding into sport. When others are taking strain, they are reporting high double-digit growth. What is the secret of the Klopper family’s retail success? Words: Trudi du Toit. Photos: Nicol du Toit

or nearly fifty years the Klopper family of Bloemfontein have been rewriting the retail handbooks by succeeding where the so-called experts predict failure. Last year, in one of the toughest trading years for sports retailers in recent decades, they again bucked the trend with high double-digit growth in sport sales in their Bloemfontein store, as well as in the Kloppers Sport store in the Cape Gate Mall in Brackenfell they took over a year ago. This Cape sport specialist store, for example, had grown tennis sales 17% during the year and in October their tennis sales were 30% higher than the same month the previous year, says Dirk, the Klopper brother responsible for the sport division. “We’ve also had an excellent hockey season,” he adds. He ascribes these gains in an economic downturn period to the fact that they provide a huge selection of brands and equipment in the major sporting codes to satisfy all tastes and needs. Contributing factors had been that they took over the structures of an existing store (Somerset Sport) and have very good staff members.

Kloppers is a prime destination store for tennis players. During the annual championships in Bloemfontein, players from across the country stock up on tennis gear for the year. Staff expertise Apart from the experienced Somerset Sport staff they retained — including manager Christo Carstens and well-known fishing expert Cary Steele-Boe — LJ Albertyn (see p40) added his hockey and tennis expertise gained through years of playing, including at university, when he transferred from Bloemfontein. Peter Fletcher, a tennis coach at Kenridge club, works for them on a part-time basis “We’ve empowered them and allowed them to plan and order their own stock, and they all bought into that,” says Klopper. Knowledgeable staff members have been at the heart of the Kloppers retail success

in Bloemfontein for years, he explains. Frikkie van Rensburg, who heads the technical department in Bloemfontein, is a renowned tennis coach. “Both Emile and Dean are good hockey players and coaches and are therefore keen sellers of hockey sticks,” says Klopper. “Grant (Steyl), in charge of the sport shoes, is one of the best in South Africa. Christmas is our soccer specialist with all the right connections”, which, no doubt, contribute to their soccer kit sales surpassing R100 000 per year. Some of the success of their tennis sales can also be attributed to the three stringers they employ in Bloemfontein, who are constantly kept busy. “That is what makes tennis such a good sport stock option, because you always have repeat business,” says Klopper. Their staff’s expert knowledge is supported by 50 years’ of retail experience that have made the Klopper family retail legends.

Top retailers The specialist sport store in Brackenfell is the only Kloppers retail outlet where one of the six brothers or their children are not in charge — although Dirk regularly To p20

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

p20 :: Industry Left: A seemingly endless row of hockey products leads to the extensive tennis section at the back.

Right: The stringing department brings in repeat tennis business.

Above: Christmas Dumezwhehi and his soccer team ensure a good turnover. Above middle: The sport section share space with a comprehensive camping and outdoor department. Right: Grant Steyl expertly manages the sport shoe division.

Reasons for Kloppers’ success cont. from p19 visits from Bloemfontein and is only a phone call away should problems arise. He believes that the standalone Cape store, with a wide range of brands in the main product categories, could act as a model for further expansion into the sports market. It is, however, not the first Kloppers-owned standalone sport store. Their father, Willem snr, had opened a separate sport store in 1970, run by then Free State coach Colin Bland. It became a division of the main Kloppers department store in Bloemfontein in 1976, which was situated in one of the prime properties in Bloemfontein’s central business district. In 1984 Christo Wiese of Pepkor bought the property, which included the Kloppers store, signing a restraint of trade with Willem senior. Although all the brothers had qualified for other professions — Willem is a CTA-qualified accountant, Steva an attorney, Leon a social worker, Anton a medical doctor, his twin Wouter has a degree in agriculture and Dirk is a chartered accountant — retailing is at the heart of the family. A year later the three sons who had at that stage been involved in the business with their dad — Willem, Steva and Leon — started a new store, which they called Juniors. They were immediately successful and bought the original Kloppers business back from Pepkor two years later. That was also the start of the famous annual suppliers’ functions, which became annual calendar highlights for the industry.

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

Brands who sell direct to coaches or consumers are told that is not the way we do things in the Free State. Individual sports Another success ingredient is their vast stock offering for major sports: in hockey, tennis, cricket etc. just about every brand sold in local retail stores is represented by a comprehensive range of products. This has made Kloppers in Bloemfontein a prime destination store for tennis players. During the annual junior and senior national championships in Bloemfontein, players from across the country stock up on shoes, rackets and accessories for the year. As a tournament sponsor, the store is prominently linked to top tennis and word of mouth has alerted players from across the country to the fact that you can stock up on all the top end gear you might need for the rest of the year at the Loch Logan Mall store. Some of the players go mad when they first visit the store, says Klopper. Apart from staff members being prominent coaches and a strong relationship with the prestigious tennis academy in Bloemfontein run by former ATP player Gustav Fichardt, Klopper has a vested interest in tennis as his son is an up and coming junior player, current-

ly ranked among the top 1 000 in the world. Hockey has been their premier sport in terms of turnover growth, driven by a surge in hockey interest at school level, as seen by the number of new artificial turfs opening at schools. Looking at the long row upon row of sticks and accessories, one can but agree with Klopper’s comment “we’ve captured the hockey market well.”

Retail philosophy Another reason for the Kloppers success story is that they have an old school retail philosophy that stood the test of time: straightforward, honest dealings with all and a clear distinction between the roles of retailers and their suppliers (see article p12): retailers sell to the public, while distributors sell to retailers. No grey areas in between. Brands who sell direct to coaches or consumers are told “that is not the way we do things in the Free State. If they want to sell direct, they can come and fetch their goods from our store,” says Klopper. He does have sympathy for brands who cannot find a suitable sport specialist outlet in other parts of the country, but in Bloemfontein they do provide an outlet that tries to make room for every product they believe will appeal to Free State customers. On the other hand, they don’t compete with their suppliers with house brands and do not import any competing brands. “We rather sell well-known brands.” Kloppers prices are also below those offered

Industry :: p21

Seen at the Kloppers suppliers’ party The annual party Kloppers hosts for their suppliers is a chance for rivals in the industry to rekindle friendships, lament the state of the industry and share jokes. This year the agents and distributors were entertained by Karen Zoid.

Gordon Stokes and Darius Bloemerus represented Hi-Tec SA. Rival agents Neville Dickerson representing Awesome Tools and Bianca de Beer of Lite Optec.

Top left: Nicol du Toit of Sports Trader with Anton Klopper, a qualified doctor, who runs the outdoor department. Above: Kloppers’ soccer expert Christmas Dumezwhehi with Colin Farrer of Corsport. Left: Justin Schunke and Eugene Brown (far left and right) with Anton Klopper and Shane Schonegevel of OBO SA. Below left: Anton Klopper with Denton Goslett of Omni Sport. Below: Ami Dorrington of De Wet Sport with Bruce Woodroffe of Awesome Tools.

by the chain stores … and yet they manage to make a satisfactory margin. In the sport industry there is not the same stiff discount price competition as in the white and brown goods industries. “Per square meter sporting goods are the most profitable items in the (Bloemfontein) store, especially as they don’t require huge warehouses for storage, nor high transport costs like big items such as fridges or furniture.” As the youngest of the Klopper brothers, Dirk came into the business when Kloppers in Bloemfontein was well established as a furniture and white and brown goods retailer of note. At that stage his brother Anton managed the huge outdoor and sport section, which occupies a whole floor of the multi-storey store. With Dirk’s passion for sport, he was very happy to take on the management of the sport section when he joined. He is keen to open more sport specialist stores. “Selling sporting goods is such a pleasure,” he says. “People come to the store to see what we’ve got and to chat with us. We therefore want our section of the store to be a place where people will feel comfortable browsing — not too fancy, a bit old style, but with people who can assist you when necessary.” And who knows what the future holds? Gauteng is an economic hub begging for specialist sport stores, he would like to establish a bigger footprint in the Cape, sport retailers could benefit from forming a buying group ...

Above: Agents Darryl Dickerson of De Wet Sports, with Alan Smith and Gerhard Wolmarans representing ASICS. Left: Peter Reeves of Leisure Holdings and Nick Wiltshire of Pat Wiltshire Sports.

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

Retail

p22 :: Industry

PUMA offers experiences in stores

Keedo joins Cape Union Mart group The Cape Union Mart group has acquired Keedo — South African manufacturer and designer of quality children’s clothing. This adds Keedo’s 25 stores and a factory to the Cape Union Mart Group’s existing 220 stores and K-Way factory – and means that the group now employes about 3 000 people. Keedo joins the likes of Poetry (clothing, homeware and gifts for the modern woman), Old Khaki (casual wear for young men and women), Tread & Miller (urban footwear) and, of course, the Cape Union Mart chain of outdoor equipment and apparel. Nelia Annandale, who founded Keedo in 1993, will still be at the helm of the chain, although the stores are wholly owned by Cape Union Mart. They will operate independently under her stewardship. “We have so many plans for Keedo and this sets the stage perfectly for our growth,” she says. “This deal makes strategic business sense for both parties and supports the 2020 growth plan of our business,” says André Labuschaigne, Cape Union Mart CEO. “Keedo operates in a niche market that our group is yet to explore, and has the potential to grow, like all our brands and chains have done over the past 83 years. It was an important part of the deal that we retain the vision and creative flair Nelia brings to the table”. Ownership of two factories now gives the group “a competitive edge and provide further job opportunities,” he adds. “We immediately related to Keedo’s values of not only being a successful retailer, but also being a caring employer that seeks to uplift their staff and sustain the communities in which they operate,” says Philip Krawitz, Cape Union Mart Chairman.

The new PUMA store in Umhlanga.

Unique retail concept in ASICS Belgium store aSiCS laUnChed its new global retail concept in Brussels in December 2016, which offers a fully integrated sports experience. The brand store ASICS’ latest sports performance collections, as well as running services, a digital consumer journey linked to the RunKeeper app and a community fitness space. The space balances the highly technical aspects of the brand’s products — a sound body — with natural, warm finishes, features and materials, including hanging plants — a sound mind — reflecting the ASICS philosophy. Store highlights include a digital shopping experience with big screens bringing the collections to life. Digital touchpoints inform the customer about the products. A RunKeeper heatmap inspires customers to try the most popular running routes around Brussels. sports enthusiasts will be able to take part in fitness lessons – from HIIT to Yoga – held in a space that will also be offered to freelance sports instructors for free.

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

PUMA SA’S latest Forever Faster stores in the newly relaunched Menlyn Park shopping centre as well as the Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Umhlanga have a “cool, modern appearance coupled with inspirational elements to radiate a sporty, energetic personality,” says the brand. They have been designed to “optimise product stories while revealing the technologies used in the production of key PUMA performance products, mainly football and running”. The display windows focus both on athletes and products, with simple and direct messaging that highlight the technical benefits of the product. “Featuring our stars in the window displays and associating them with relevant products is key,” says Brett Bellinger, Marketing Director of PUMA South Africa. “These global stars endorse our products because they believe in them, and in us.” “Forever Faster stores feature PUMA’s key performance products — everything from our soccer and rugby boots as worn by our Bulls and Mamelodi Sundowns ambassadors, to running shoes including the IGNITE Dual and the Speed 300 IGNITE worn by the likes of Usain Bolt and SA 100m champion Henricho Bruintjies. Not forgetting our female focused phenomenon, the Fierce training shoe is endorsed by local style icon Nomzamo Mbatha.”

The new PUMA store in the Menlyn Park Centre.

News

Industry :: p23

Design stores for Instagrammers

Online goes offline

We have seen brick-and-mortar stores opening online stores, and thought nothing strange of it — in fact, the market encouraged it — but recently online retailers have started to create brick-and-mortar presences for themselves. While a lot of people thought the brick-and-mortar platform would be affected by competition from online retailers, few would have thought it would be on their own turf. This is exactly what is happening. Amazon has started to open brick-and-mortar stores in the US. In India, ecommerce companies are also starting to open brick-and-mortar stores. Globally, ecommerce accounts for less than 10% of global retail sales. It has therefore become inevitable that they would have to expand further, and into the brick-and-mortar world. “Online firms have found it hard to grow beyond a certain number in terms of customer acquisition, which is making it more and more necessary to have a brick-and-mortar store along with online presence,” explains Suparna Goswami, writing for Forbes. “A physical store

is a great brand building exercise since it has high recall value for a customer.” Additionally, consumers are constantly looking for different ways to interact with their favourite brands and stores. They want different platforms — online and offline. For example, online they can do research, while offline provides a better shopping experience, because they can touch, try on and test products to ensure these products are definitely what they want. “The brand experience that one gets in a store is incomparable as there is a touch and feel element to it,” Ankur Bisen, senior vice president of management consulting firm Technopak, told Goswami. “Also, stores are a good place to bring on board a customer who has never shopped online.” Apparel ecommerce companies are using their brick-and-mortar stores to allow consumers to touch products such as apparel, get a feel for how the size and fit work – and create confidence in buying from the store online in the future.

Consumers’ experience as important as products

A FEW years ago, no one knew about Instagram. Today, retailers are being advised on how best to design their stores in order to feature the best on Instagram, which both attracts Instagrammers keen for ‘that image’ and provides publicity for your store via their images. “Instagram-ready retail is evolving beyond simply aligning merchandising with popular hashtag trends,” reports trend forecasting company WGSN. “Retailers are now designing entire spaces or remodelling their floors with Instagram in mind to capitalise on the unstoppable growth of the photo-sharing app.” “Stores are increasingly incorporating design features created especially to be shareable on social media, whether that’s through striking internal architecture or changingrooms fitted out with infinity mirrors and selfie sticks.” Some other examples include walls featuring customers’ social media messages, and designs that feature on trend colours. The Hi-Tec store in Amsterdam (below) offers customers a unique experience: play areas for kids, relaxing seating for others and a coffee shop buzzing with youngsters catching up on social media on computers. It is almost a lifestyle haven with products displayed, which can be bought, rather than a store.

Consumers Want a deeper connection with brands. This means also focusing on the experience you can bring the end user, and not only on providing the best products that you can, reports Catarina Lambranho for trend forecasting company WGSN. To better provide for consumers, she says brands should take the following into consideration: • Consumers will spend more to get less product if they feel that they gain a meaningful connection. However, attention span is shortening. “In 2015, the average human attention span was 8.25 seconds (a goldfish’s is 9 seconds!) — and is likely to be under five seconds by 2017,” says Lambranho. • Because people are travelling more, products are becoming seasonless. “Just like the cross-pollination of genres, cross-seasonal appeal is becoming increasingly important,” writes Lambranho. • “Gen Z is tolerant and realistic on race, gender and sexuality and they aren’t afraid to get political. Consumers will demand radical honesty from brands and expect it to become be an industry standard, not a marketing ploy.” • Dividing lines are blurring, especially in fashion. There is no longer a clear line between what is for work and personal life, the different age groups, adult and youthful clothing and brands, etc.

Give consumers a reason to buy

Consumers are demanding quality products, especially with the internet helping to create shrewd buyers, offering an easy platform on which consumers can research and compare products. “In the old days, people would buy something just because they liked it, the next bright, shiny object kind of thing,” said Singer. “Nowadays, people will think about it.” Don’t only rely on price warns Katie Smith,

senior fashion and retail analyst at Edited. A third of the US’ apparel market is discounted by 34% on average in an effort to lure consumers into stores or onto websites, Smith told The Year of Uncertainty summit attendees. Instead of squeezing the margins, and teaching consumers that if they can wait a few weeks they’ll get items at a discount, she suggested that retailers should rather look at Zara’s strategy. The retailer trains consumers to buy products at full

price, instead of waiting for sales, and instead focuses on optimising margins in other ways, such as better manufacturing principles and the types of products it stocks. Competition among retailers won’t only be on price, but also on what each retailer can offer its customers. Consumer experience, activities, etc. … engagement with the customer is key, Jing Wang, said senior research associate at Fung Global Retail & Technology.

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

p24 :: Apparel & Footwear

At the Under Armour launch in Cape Town this year a guest looks at the clothing range that helped propell the brand to #2 in America.

Adidas collaborations like Kanye West’s Yeezy line finds favour with millennials.

Trend spotting:

Athleisure drives brands in the US

he growing athleisure trend in sportswear has resulted in ups and downs for sportswear brands like Nike, adidas, Under Armour and Skechers in the huge American market: for example, adidas, with the help of 60% growth in their athleisure Originals category, replaced Under Armour as the #2 sportswear brand in the US at the end of last year, while Skechers is #2 in the women’s athletic market. While remaining #1, Nike stock dropped 10% early last year to become one of the Dow’s worst performers— only three years after the NPD Group* estimated that the brand dominated the US sportswear market with 59% share. Nowadays, the swoosh has to stave off stiff competition from trendy brands worn by style icons favoured by millennials. Brands like adidas, Under Armour and Skechers are vying for the title fastest growing brand in the US. In 2014 Under Armour passed adidas to become the #2 sportswear brand (apparel and footwear) in the US, but since then adidas President of North America Mark King has been working hard on regaining the #2 spot. Adidas opened a new design lab in Nike’s home town

We’re very much in a retro fashion cycle today. Millennials are really flocking to wearing old-school looks Portland, introduced some heritage models like the best-selling Stan Smith tennis shoe and launched trendy partnership-lines like Kanye West's Yeezy line and the upmarket Zne. “We’re very much in a retro fashion cycle today,” says Matt Powell, vice president and sports industry analyst, The NPD Group*. “Millennials are really flocking to wearing oldschool looks.” But, in an interesting twist, a traditional athleisure brand like Skechers is making inroads in the US performance market. Among women, Skechers (#2) and Asics (#3) followed Nike as the top selling athletic footwear brands in 2015, the retail tracking service of the NPD Group indicate. In the first quarter of 2015, Skechers had 5% share of the athletic footwear market in the US — more than adidas (4.6%) and ASICS

Left: Skechers GoWalk styles helped gain the brand more market share than adidas and ASICS.

and New Balance (both 4%), according to the NPD Group. The strong Skechers growth in Performance styles was driven by their GoWalk shoes, which reignited the walking category, according to Powell. But, the brand obviously also benefitted from the consumer preference for athleisure styles, which helped their sales grow 29% in the previous year. American athletic footwear sales grew 8% in 2015 due to a high demand for retro and athleisure styles, which grew 30% to $3.5-bn, report the NPD Group. But, sales in performance categories like running and basketball — which are Nike strengths — grew less than 5%. Until August 2016, performance activewear sales grew 5% in department stores and 3% in national fashion chains, say The NPD Group in their Retail Tracking Service, January-August 2016 report. In the same period sales of the more traditional and technical athletic specialty and sporting goods stores declined — although these still remain the main performance wear sales channels. The fact that a major sporting goods chain like Sports Authority filed for bankruptcy is an indication of the strain under which sport specialists operate. “Less than one-third of dollar sales went toward using activewear for athletic activities — the lowest percentage in four years,” says Powel. “At the same time, market share has grown for activewear spend towards work use and recreational or social weekend activities. In the year until August 2016, activewear purchases for aerobic/fitness-based activities have increased and the growth rate has accelerated over the past two years, says Powell. “Purchases for running use have, however, dipped, tying into the idea that consumers’ activewear spend is becoming tied more to lifestyle than to technical purposes.”

* The NPD Group is a global market research company specialising in retail trends. See more here www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us

Advertorial :: p21

James Harden and adidas

Wake the Game up

with Harden Vol. 1 adidas and James Harden are reimagining the signature shoe game with the debut of Harden Vol. 1.

he collection represents the first chapter of the collaborative partnership that began October 1, 2015, with the goal of co-creating footwear and apparel unlike any signature line in sport. Driven by Harden’s performance needs and embracing his distinctive design insights, Harden Vol. 1 embodies James’ creativity and expressive style on and off the court. adidas continues to reinvent collaboration and Harden Vol. 1 is a bold challenge to the traditional creative process. “This was my first time creating a shoe from the ground up. With adidas, we wanted to stand for something different, be true to who we are and that’s how we separate ourselves,” Harden said. “This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and all the work we put in together is what makes this genuine. We’re open to each other’s opinions and we weren’t going to just put shoes on the shelves and say This is James Harden. It’s built for how I play and you’ll see my style, different moods, the little details and stories that represent who I am.” “We’re proud to introduce our first collection with James and are especially excited to have the collection available in South Africa.” said Adrian De Souza Head of adidas Basketball South Africa. Pioneer — the first edition of Harden Vol. 1 — celebrates the championship game performance of a young, beardless No. 13 who scored 22 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished three assists and recorded two steals on the way to winning his second-straight California state title in high school. The silhouette is designed with a black knit upper, white leather toe shroud and red accents that pay homage to where his journey began. The championship date (March

24, 2007) is featured on the left sock liner with his game stats on the right sock liner.

WITHSTAND THE PRESSURE Full-length BOOST cushioning provides unparalleled energy return, while a premium toe shroud — developed from Harden’s need to guard against defenders stepping on his feet — creates comfort and protection, unstitched design for natural movement and on-court durability.

NEXT LEVEL CONTROL Advanced generative software analysed James’ stress patterns oncourt and built unique data driven sub-structures, creating a traction pattern speciﬁcally tuned for Harden’s disruptive change of pace and stop on a dime gameplay.

FIT TO CREATE Asymmetrical lacing provides adaptive support and removes pressure from the top of the foot for quick cuts and deceptive Eurosteps, while a mix of knit and mesh material executions across various colourways stay true to fine-tuned performance benefits and Harden’s off-court style. Signature details are subtly built into Harden Vol. 1 through coded language that ties back to family, including the birthdates of his grandmother (left shoe) and mother (right shoe) molded onto the heel. James’ own signature is also located on the medial side of both shoes on the toe. Join the conversation at @adidasZA on Twitter and Instagram with #HardenVol1 and stay tuned to @ProjectHarden for the latest product drops, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.

For trade enquiries contact adidas South Africa on Tel: 021 442 6200

p26 :: Apparel & Footwear

2017 Trends in running The new season’s running shoes are going to be softer and lighter than ever.

Gel-Nimbus lighter than ever With its FlyteFoam midsole, ASICS’ latest GELNimbus running shoe is lighter than before, while still offering “optimal support in the areas feet need it most to tackle longer distances like marathons and ultra-marathons,” says the brand. Even with a lighter weight, the FlyteFoam material used in the GEL-Nimbus 19 offers the same cushioning customers have come to appreciate. It is ASICS’ lightest cushioning material to date – “55% lighter than the industry standard (EVA),” it claims. It also retains its shape through the use of reinforced fibres, which allow the material to bounce back after runs.

Softer comfort for the 20th anniversary of Mizuno Wave Rider TO CELEBRATE the 20th anniversary of their iconic Wave running shoe technology, Mizuno has introduced a Cloudwave plate in the new Wave 20, which provides softer cushioning, a smoother transition and more lively wave feel than ever. Compared to the Rider 19, the new Rider 20 has 10% more cushioning for a softer feel and 8% more response for a more lively ride. A high number of consumers (9 out of 10) have indicated in surveys that comfort and fit are the most important features that will determine if they buy a shoe. “Research shows that more cushioning ensures greater comfort,” says Paul Copson of Mizuno local distributor Brand ID. The Wave Rider 20 offers more cushioning and the smoother curve of the Cloudwave plate offers a more responsive ride. “The convex shape offers better deflection and cushioning on impact , enabling a smoother tran-

sition of impact forces into forward momentum for a softer, smoother, ride. The concave shape guides and centres the foot through the footstrike.” A softer collar lining and strobel board further contribute to a better fit. “Engineered mesh is designed to increase breathability and flexibility, while providing more strength and durability than previous mesh,” says Copson. “Mizuno’s Dynamotion Fit features is a breakthrough in triple zone engineered mesh for exceptional breathability, flexibility and hold when it is needed while running.”

Adidas runnings shoe wins Runner’s World award THE ADIZERO adios 3.0 running shoe received the ‘Best Updated’ award from the Runner’s World International magazine. Runner’s World describes the handcrafted shoe, which is a step up from its record-breaking predecessor, the adizero adios 2.0, as a ‘lightweight, fast shoe with a responsive ride’. The adizero adios 3.0 boasts a successful history of winning marathons. Haile Gebrselassie wore the original shoe when he set the world best time at the 2008 Berlin Marathon and Dennis Kimetto ran 2:02:57 while wearing the adizero adidos 2.0 at the 2014 Berlin Marathon. Mary Keitany continued this tradition when she who won her third consecutive New York Marathon wearing the adizero adios Boost 3.0. Crafted by legendary footwear designer, Mr. Omori, the adizero adios Boost 3.0 consolidates five key factors that aid the delivery of speed. It features Boost Technology, which provides a higher energy return than other foam cushioning material. The microfit upper enables natural movement through its breathable and contouring mesh. A high performance rubber outsole grips the ground with better traction and the Continental Rubber outsole provides a powerful push-off. The torsion system gives the wearer optimum transition and stability while the adiwear material contributes to ultimate durability.

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

Softest cushioning for runners NEW BALANCE’s three key styles, which have been updated for launch in January, form part of its Fresh Foam silo that features Data 2 Design technology — New Balance’s softest cushioning. “These three are performance running styles, targeted at the Metropolitan Runner,” says John Andrew of New Balance SA.

“The Fresh Foam 1080 V7 (above) continues to wow with maximum cushioning and plushness,” says New Balance of its neutral running shoe. “A new engineered mesh oﬀers structure and support through the midfoot in this premium neutral oﬀering.” The shoe features a Fresh Foam midsole as well as New Balance’s Data 2 Design cushioning technology in the mid- and outsole. The outsole is made from blown rubber, the design is bootie construction with engineered mesh, and the shoe features an OrthoLite insole.

Zante, another of the brand’s neutral running shoes, is “quick, smooth and slipper-like in ﬁt. The award-winning Fresh Foam Zante V3 takes cues from its predecessors to continue to deliver an amazing ride for the runner wanting a fast, light, ride.” It features reﬂective screenprints, engineered mesh, a molded insole, and a bootie construction.

For the oﬀroad fans, Hierro “is an aggressive trail shoe that oﬀers the ultimate in cushioning. Its rugged Vibram outsole is designed for all terrain, with a Fresh Foam midsole for maximum comfort.” The upper is no-sew, it has a protective toe, and a gusseted tongue.

Future trends

Apparel & Footwear :: p27

predicted

For retailer and supplier alike, it’s important for your business that you stay abreast of the trends that are to come. Your customers, after all, will be, writes CARIN HARDISTY

or winter 2017, men’s footwear are all but conservative, exhibitors at the FFANY (Fashion Footwear Association of New York) exhibition revealed. Sneakers are bold, featuring metallic accessories and trims, gold colourways, molded inserts that create unconventional sculptural looks, and ‘out there’ and fun prints and graphics. Athleisure continues to makes its presence felt in the fashion world, with men’s classic footwear taking inspiration and incorporating elements such as example Vibran outsoles, memore foam insoles, and knit uppers. Locally Levi’s footwear, distributed by Footwear Trading, also taps into this trend. “Levi’s footwear winter 2017 design inspiration is born from its never-ending quest to reinvent their past and add meaningful performance updates to every shoe they make,” says Derik van Wyk of local distributor Footwear Trading. From added comfort in both the in- and outsoles to new materials that add char-

acter, comfort and long-lasting performance, they are meticulously improving every pair of Levi’s shoes. It’s all about lightweight uppers and this coming season Levi’s introduces the same knitting technique used for so many athletic shoes. The knitted uppers used in Noah consist of fused yarn woven together, meaning less waste, labour and a whole new look. These yarn uppers are more ﬂexible to allow the wearer to insert and remove their foot, while the toe, heel and bridge are rigid for support. Noah is available for ladies in light grey and navy, and men’s in navy and black colours. “The ladies’ Turin (left) fashion lace-up sneaker is constructed out of a combination of fabrics and block colours,” says Van Wyk. “Constructed with panels featuring metallic PU’s, mesh and caviar-like textured fabric, these runners make a fashion statement with every step.” New this season in ladies is the Gia in nude and white. “Shining with its earthy aesthetic it comes oﬀ extremely sophisticated.” The low top silhouette has a sneaker feel, but the construction allows to be dressed To p28

Masculine boots ON THE other side of the spectrum, boots are practical, functional, and ‘masculine’, FFANY exhibitors showed. Chelsea boots are inspired by the Wild West, pull-on boots feature luxurious leather uppers, and boots feature details such as square toes and the use of contrasting colours with the brown leather. “Comfort and lightweight is all the hype today and this coming season Jeep footwear has kept this in mind,” says Lynton Picker, Jeep footwear brand manager for local distributor Footwear Trading. “Consumers no longer shop for shoes that are only durable and stylish. They consider lightweight and added comfort to be key attributes when shopping for footwear.” Two new men’s styles that stand out for the brand this coming season are Austin and Ohio. “With their classic work boot silhouettes and traditional lace-up design these boots are great for both work and afterwards.” These boots are lightweight and comfortable as they not only feature the Ultra Comfort Foam Tech insole, which received a positive response the previous season, but also a lightweight EVA outsole. The added features oﬀer extra shock absorption, providing stability and cushioning for all-day comfort. Ohio (right) will be available in Dark Brown Crazy Horse leather and Dark Honey Nubuck. Austin will be available in Brown and Tan Crazy Horse leathers.

p28 :: Apparel & Footwear

Urban, outdoor and athleisure blur together

he lines between fashion and outdoor are becoming more and more blurred by the day. These days outdoor and leisure footwear are no longer exclusive, with outdoor lovers also enjoying wearing their favourite outdoor styles in urban and home environments. Several of Hi-Tec’s urban outdoor boot styles also transcend several age groups, often designed for people in their mid-20’s to mid-60’s. Hi-Tec’s Altitude OX i WP for men is a good example of one such urban/outdoor boot. The boot features a waterproof and durable full grain nubuck upper, a high performance Michelin rubber outsole that delivers multi-surface traction, a gusseted tongue to keep debris out, and a padded collar. The men’s V-Lite Wildlife i’s synthetic and mesh upper provides support, durability and breathability, while the molded heel chassis and the ghillie and hardware lacing system provide a secure fit. The multi-direction traction (MDT) rubber outsole offers an improved grip (up- and downhill), and the lightweight V-Lite design. Both Altitude OX i WP and V-Lite Wildlife i feature the water and dirt repelling i-shield that’s also stain resistant, the Dri-Tec waterproof, breathable membrane, OrthoLite Impressions slow recovery insole, the impact-absorbing XLR8>> misole, a lightweight and durable fork shank for flexibility and stability, as well as a gusseted tongue to keep debris out. The ladies’ Kono Espresso i WP W boot’s suede leather upper is durable

yet comfortable, the removable molded EVA insole and the lightweight, blown EVA midsole provide comfort, and the rubber outsole provides traction and stability. It also features the Dri-Tec and i-shield technologies, as well as a versatile lacing system. Hi-Tec’s Equilibrio Bijou Mid i W boot features the i-shield technology and OrthoLite Impressions insole, as well as an impact-absorbing CMEVA midsole, MDT outsole, a high performance, breathable, durable, and comfortable synthetic upper, padded collar, padded, gusseted tongue, a microfleece moisture wicking lining, and an eyelet and hardware lacing system for a secure fit. The Sierra Tarma boot has i-shield, Dri-Tec, a microfleece lining, OrthoLite Impressions insole, CMEVA midsole, and MDT outsole. The boot is made with a nubuck, suede upper, padded collar and tongue, a molded TPU heel clip (stability, protection and durability), and a durable, rustproof hardwear lacing system.

Athleisure for fashion-conscious Hi-Tec’s athleisure footwear range is geared towards the fashion-forward individual who wants to look good, but also be comfortable. The Speed-Life Breathe Ultra i shoe’s synthetic and mesh upper provides support, durability and breathability, the microfleece moisture wicking lining adds the the breathability and wearer’s comfort, the floating lacing system and stretching tongue provide a comfortable and secure fit, a PU ergo brace frame

and nylon fork shank offer support, a molded impact-absorbing EVA midsole for long lasting cushioning and comfort. It also features i-shield, an OrthoLite Impressions insole, and MDT outsole. Badwater, for men and women, has a breathable, lightweight air mesh upper with supportive PU overlays, a comfortable molded EVA insole, CMEVA midsole, deep lug outsole for off-road traction, flex grooves that enhance the natural motion of the foot, and an eyelet lacing system for a personalised fit. With its comfortable, soft, synthetic, jersey knit-look upper Badwater Cozy is designed for the woman who “loves being comfy, whether she’s in the comfort of her own home or traveling”. The bootie construction and floating lacing system provide a snug and comfortable fit. In addition the shoe also features a molded EVA footbed, CMEVA midsole, deep lug outsole, and flex grooves. The Carrick collection for “stylish urbanites, outdoor lifestylers, city dwellers, and fashion forward men and women” features the men’s Castello shoe, as well as the men’s and ladies’ Granger boots. Granger’s upper is made from a combination of full-grain and suede leather for durability, for comfort it has a molded EVA insole, padded collar and a foam-backed synthetic lining, it has a durable rubber outsole, and for arch support it features a board-lasted construction with steel shank. Castello has a suede leather and canvas upper, padded collar, moisture wicking lining, removable EVA insole, phylon midsole with a built-in heel stabiliser, and a rubber outsole.

Predicted trends

Nothing ordinary about leather

up or down. This season features contemporary and trend-driven styles. “Using modern materials for comfort and tonal colours, Ryder and Codey ensure for a wide range of wearing occasions. With the lightweight outsole, super Comfort Tech insole and athletic silhouettes the Ryder and Codey are casual reinvented for the next generation.” The winter 2017 footwear collection sees a number of classic looks that get the Diesel twist, says Dianri Luttig of local distributor Footwear Trading. Sneakers continue to play a pivotal role with the introduction of new materials, such as woven denim and jacquard, and new treatments. Diesel’s military heritage comes through very strongly, creating hybrid styles which play well in the streetwear and utility scenes. The iconic VIsforDiesel motif creates a focus point for this classic sneaker range. The S-Fleett sneakers are inspired by retro running designs with sporty striped soles and contrast branding. They’re crafted from supple leather, technical mesh and tactile suede. The digital-style jacquard camouflage of S-Furyy injects military cool into these sneakers. The suede and faux-leather keeps the look refined. S-Swifter is an effortlessly cool sneaker, built from breathable mesh and slick faux-leather. “Wear it with all your weekend favourites.”

eather now features new and improved textures and ways to use the material — exhibitors at the Première Vision Leather trade show revealed what leather trends we could see for winter 2017/18. One example is Cuir de Lagny’s Karung leather that has been buffed with and fed fish oil at the end of the production process, creating a suppler and less dry version of what has previously been seen in the leather. Another is Italhide’s ostrich leather, which the company has thinned down to 0.6mm. The leather is also soft and light, through the use of oils and fats, and can be used to manufacture clothing. Chemical processes are changing the way one thinks of leather. By dipping it into chemicals and removing the hair in a certain way, Inducol exhibited a merino lamb shearling that resembles a strange astrakhan (young central Asian karakul lamb’s curly fleece). Transparent is not an adjective traditionally used to describe leather. Yet, Anil Tannery has created a transparent leather by tanning it with natural chemical products and drying it under certain conditions. Leather is also being used to create completely new textiles. Bopell has created a laminated leather, by combing washed, laser perforated sheep leather with a lamé textile (woven or knit fabric with thin metallic fibres). Amaltea by Ingropelli has inserted sequins between goat leather and a film of snakeskin scales, which adds sparkle and shine. For and ultra-light, extra-strong, waterproof material that will work well as a luxury windbreaker, Alric tannery has laminated an ultra-thin dipped lamb leather (treated to be showerproof and water resistant) onto a silk organza. The grain in cow leather can now be made as smooth as that of calf, sheep leather is treated so that it can conduct electricity (to operate smartphones while wearing gloves), and crocodile leather is gilded with sheets of 23 carat gold — leather is no longer run-of-the-mill.

cont from p27

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

Apparel & Footwear :: p29

Creative and rejuvenating

pring/summer 2018 will see an emphasis on creativity and injecting a sense of rejuvenation, predicts organisers of the ISPO trade show. They forecast these three megatrends: • New Horizons embraces the ideal of ‘what can the activewear industry do to take a step forward and revive traditional products and produce enticing products that will appeal to the consumer?’, says ISPO. “We need to look at what we have and readdress the appeal of a product, enhancing the final look through content, finish and touch through to final application. We need to take the familiar and create the unfamiliar, without neglecting traditional aspects but also not avoiding the new generation developments coming through. It is time to play around, mix and match and create topnotch unique aspects that will drive sales.” • Animated channels a force of well-being and upbeat positivity. “Today’s world is a chaotic place, from the doom and gloom of global news to the frenzy of our hyperconnected society. Downtime is precious and we need to make the most of it. Consumers are looking for added value combined with the need to enjoy life.”

Multifunctional fabrics, vibrant and happy colours and prints, and surfaces that add enjoyment to the touch create an enjoyable, guilt free, experience for the end user. • As its name suggests, the Bona Fide megatrend is about “truth, transparency and honour,” with the emphasis on developing a stronger sustainable society. It’s important that the end consumer has a trust and belief in the ‘ingredients’ and ethics used to create the garment. It’s a movement based on morals. “A meeting of minds defines the spring/ summer 2018 trend directions as we look to re-engineering existing ingredients and implementing new discoveries,” says ISPO of the upcoming textiles trends. “There is an overall mood of euphoria, a frisson of excitement from fabrics, trims through to colours and the final exhilaration of the intended activities.” “From updated basics to invigorating next generation products, now is the time to push the boundaries, eliminate a solitary approach and explore and deliver the unique and new qualities that are set to be winners for the season.”

Casual and dressed up

eef Brazil offers a range of footwear options for casual, laid back wear as well as for wearing out. While the brand has a strong surfing heritage, it packs a punch with its own technical innovations and commercial styling that will also appeal to your outdoor and lifestyle customers. The new Beach collection “combines laidback, surf-style silhouettes with a more tailored fit that can be dressed up for a night out, or down for a day at the beach,” explains the brand. Glover’s taller sidewall design is a nod to action sports aesthetics, its modern toe shape (straighter and less pointed) enables the shoe to be dressed up or down, and they have a classic shape, but with modern detailing. The footwear also feature three elements that all combine to provide instant comfort: Reef’s exclusive cushion rubber sponge, which also reduces the shoe’s weight, its cushion EVA insole with built-in arch support, and the refined last and shape. The ball area is wider, there’s more toe volume, and a taller instep. The outsole is made from a high density cushioning rubber and features Swellular traction that offers grip, comfort and

weight reduction. The Mission SE closed shoe — also referred to as Rover’s ‘younger brother’ with a more rugged outdoor lifestyle look and feel — “takes the Rover franchise to a new level of comfort and styling. The Mission and Rover shoes are the pair of the shoes that the adventure seeker and global traveller have been looking for as the ultimate pair of shoes to wear anywhere.” They are smart enough to wear out, and casual enough to wear with shorts. Mission features Swellular Technology, premium suede vamp, heavy gauge canvas quarter, premium leather detailing, has a compression molded triple density construction, offers comfort, support and traction, and has a rugged sawtooth swellular rubber outsole. Reef Brazil’s Machado signature sandal collection features day and night options, with Machado Night a more sophisticated option designed to be worn in the evening. It has a full grain leather strap and footbed, printed jersey liner, leather covered soft compression molded Swellular cushion EVA footbed, and anatomical arch support. Machado Day is a more versatile, water friendly day-time option. It has a synthetic nubuck upper, padded jersey liner, a soft compression molded Swellular cushion EVA footbed, and an anatomical arch support. The Machado sandals are Rob Machado signature products.

Glover from the Beach collection

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

FOOTWEAR

p30 :: Apparel & Footwear

Putting the fun into compression

ot only does sport influence fashion, but fashion also inspires sport. Happy Socks, known for its bold, vibrant, ‘happy’ socks, has an Athletic range of socks specifically designed for your active customers, especially those needing mild compression. The Athletic sock collection (left) is a “more dynamic-friendly product, specifically created with light compression, arch support and cushioned sole — bringing more comfort no matter what.” The compression line was introduced following requests from several key customers, says local distributor The Kartal Distribution. The tagline “happiness everywhere” summarises both the functionality and colourful style of this range.

Lighter. Sleeker. Smarter.

he Flexfit Delta is “a revolutionary cap that is the lighter, sleeker, smarter and more comfortable choice. It couples a seamless, precision finish with a lightweight visor fabrication and a new 3-Layer multifunction sweatband.” In addition it features stain block technology to prevent sweat stains on the cap’s crown, the cap is water and stain resistant, and its Flexfit bond taping is oder repellent, thermal regulating and anti-bacterial. Flexfit is locally distributed by The Kartal Distribution.

Fila Heritage and Lifestyle on trend

century after its humble beginnings, Fila has become synonymous with performance and sophistication, writes Dianri Luttig of local distributor Footwear Trading. Worn not only by internationally recognised athletes, but also the fashion conscious, Fila uses premium fabrics designed to radiate the sophistication of Italian craftsmanship. Winter 2017 sees the launch of two distinct collections of footwear, the Fila Heritage collection and the Fila Lifestyle collection. The Heritage collection consists of 5 men’s styles, all authentic and direct interpretations of silhouettes from the past. This collection enjoys premium positioning and goes back to the 80’s and 90’s with retro detailing. F-13 is available in ‘triple white’ and features a heavily padded ankle collar for a snug and comfortable fit. It boasts a branded Velcro strap across the front for added security and a perforated toe box for ventilation. It is finished off with embroidered Fila branding on the tongue and side, and metal hiking eyelets. The low profile Original Fitness sneaker, available in white/gum and white/navy/red, has a smooth, polished leather upper with perforation on the toe cap and sides. It is accented with seemed overlays and contrasting rubber soles. The inspiration for the MB comes from the “drive to excel in sports, no matter what time of the day it is,” says Luttig. It features an iconic signature design on the contrasting midsoles, Fila nubuck and mesh

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

combination upper and additional detailing such as embossed designs along the eyelets and perforation on the upper and back ankle wall. MB is available in black and navy. “The Grant Hill/Oly 96 was a big factor for Team USA in winning the gold medal in Atlanta and to celebrate, Fila is releasing the Fila 96 Olympic (below right). Known for its classic aesthetic, the Grant Hill is available in one colourway, white/ navy/red.” It features a white base with navy suede on the heels, red accents throughout the branding and a speckled navy outsole. The FX-100 first debuted in 1991 and was one of Fila’s original high top silhouettes, which set the tone for the brand’s 90’s era. It has been released in many colourways, but the most ‘authentic’ is the white/navy/red combination. It features a white leather upper and navy mid- and outsole. The iconic Fila ‘horn’ is visible on the side and the style is finished with a navy Velcro strap for a secure and comfortable fit. The Fila Lifestyle collection consists of four ladies styles and five men’s styles, all in line with the current athleisure trend. This collection also features the Fila Aerotec insole, which is an open cell foam insole that regulates air flow for better circulation. It wicks away moisture and keeps the foot cool. “The soft cushioning effect of the insole ensures maximum comfort,” explains Luttig. The Lifestyle collection also boasts two unisex styles, available in men’s and ladies sizes, which is perfectly aligned with the athleisure and unisex trend. Pacer, available in white mono and black mono, reflects the classic look of the 80’s. It features a Kanebo upper on an EVA rubber sole, which provides lightweight

comfort, durability and traction. The subtle F-box branding completes the look. The Krokom is available in one colourway for ladies (white) and two colourways for men (black and navy). The fly knit upper sits on a phylon sole, for lightweight comfort. It features a no-tie lacing system and functions as a hybrid between a laced shoe and a slip-on. The sporty/runner silhouette is on trend and versatile. The ladies’ slip-on Bona (left) features an elasticated, lace-less upper, EVA sponge mesh sock with Lycra lining and phylon outsole that ensures a snug yet comfortable fit. It is available in two colours: navy and grey. Alva’s soft, dirty pink hue gives it a feminine touch, while the fly knit upper ensures a lightweight, breathable and supportive fit. The men’s Mark-2 features a suede and canvas upper combination that gives this style a classic yet refined feel. “The durable rubber outsole completes this classic silhouette effortlessly.” It is available in two colourways: navy and grey. Celino-2 (below middle) has a perforated Kanebo upper on a durable rubber sole with fabric lining and an EVA sponge mesh sock for comfort and breathability. The Celino-2, available in black mono and navy mono, has a sophisticated yet laid back appearance and can be dressed up or down for many occasions. The he M1 also features a Kanebo upper and rubber sole. The subtle F-box branding on the side gives this style authentic credibility. M1 is available in white and navy.

Apparel & Footwear :: p31

Colours reflect warmer seasons’ optimism

his year’s Pantone colour of the year is Greenery (Pantone 15-0343), described as “a refreshing and revitalizing shade, Greenery is symbolic of new beginnings”. This green is “a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew,” says Pantone. “While Serenity and Rose Quartz [the Pantone colours of the year for 2016] expressed the need for harmony in a chaotic world, Greenery bursts forth in 2017 to provide us with the hope we collectively yearn for amid a complex social and political landscape,” says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. “Satisfying our growing desire to rejuvenate, revitalize and unite, Greenery symbolises the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose.” In fashion, greenery acts as “nature’s neutral. A great harmonizer merging undertones of cool blues with vibrant yellows, the hue is a natural complement to a wide range of palettes,” the company explains. “Like the spectrum of possibilities in colourful petals and blooms paired with lush

green leaves, plants and trees, Greenery provides a pop of colour in accessories and footwear, or acts as a bold accent in a pattern.” The colour can be seen in men’s, ladies’ and children’s wear, in fashion as well as performance wearables and activewear.

Happy 2018 palette Colours for spring/summer 2018 are ‘happy’, with palettes inspired by summer festivals, deserts, energetic colours, and uplifting Art Deco tones, predicts Pantone. • The Festival palette takes bright hues and gives them a misty twist, giving a new direction for pastels that feature powdery colours. The colours can be gained through dyeing textiles, or by blending black yarns with brighter tones for a more grungy look. • Desert Dream radiates a relaxed mood and takes inspiration from colours found in the desert: from cactus green to sunset orange. • Shocktastic features bold and energetic colours, for use on both natural and syn-

thetic materials. The palette is meant to be “seen and approached in a brazen way”, used either as solid colours, or as flashy prints. • The Art Deco Miami Vice palette features soft and soothing colour tones, in matte and metallic. “Nebulous and mysterious tones are highlighted by sun kissed vintage accents that can lead to a more dominant delivery from transparent coatings.”

p32 :: Apparel & Footwear

What will we see next for textiles?

hoosing which textile to use in the manufacturing of clothing, footwear and equipment can be a make-or-break decision. ISPO has identified five textile-specific trends for spring/summer 2018, based on entries for their Textrends award. • Suave takes inspiration from how elements in nature feel to the touch and appeal to the eyes. The trend is especially prevalent in base and second layer fabrics, seamless apparel, and performance socks in the fitness (yoga, pilates, low cardio), ballet, tennis, golf, athleisure, and soft equipment markets. “Forget the pure cotton [fabrics] and look to hybrid blends that mimic the authentic look and touch, but deliver just that little bit more,” says ISPO. Fabrics in this trend are lightweight, yet durable. “One key aspect of this trend is its direction to a more decorative demeanour as we expect to see fancier openwork and solid constructions come through. Solid base layer fabrics are complimented by lively textured fabrics or through optically raised relief detail through yarn combinations.” Sustainability is also important, through the use of eco-friendly finishes and chemicals, and by eliminating waste and reducing the use of water and energy in the textile process. • Accelerate has a “turbocharged feel”, with fabrics and trims delivering enhanced performance, exceptional protection, and premium function. It targets all types of base layer fabrics (from swimwear to running clothing), second layers (including fleeces and wetsuits), lightweight shell outers, backpacks, tents and footwear, and is applicable to the water sport (surfing, kite surfing, kayaking, diving, swimming), running, triathlon, road cycling, and cross training

he 2018/19 fall/winter sportswear fabrics will be stylish, ISPO’s Textrends jury panel predicts, based on the entries for this year’s Textrends award. “There was a notable increase in interesting surfaces and a much stronger sense on the stylistic side from colour and structures that the international jury picked up on,” says independent trend scout and jury member Louisa Smith. “It is very impressive that not only innovative and creative styles were invented, but also a lot of new ideas to implement regenerated fibres, to use new environmentally friendly finishing methods and many more,” says Elisabeth Weisheit, Head of Department at Oeko-Tex. “The combination of style, function and sustainability is possible and it is great to see — and in my opinion very important — that we will have more of it in the future.” “There have been some very exciting things here today, [such as the] use of … texture in

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

markets. The trend features reflective, featherlight trims and fabrics as well as high-tenacity fabrics that use micro-fie steel-strength fibres. In the past, technology purely focused on performance and function, says ISPO, but for spring/summer 2018 aesthetics also play a big role with more detailed surface effects. • Vigor is about vitality, vivacity, vibrancy, and adding an all-round ‘punch’ to sportswear. The trend is cheeky, with fabrics and trims “offering not just function, but an element of surprise”. Colour is key to this trend, and the brighter the better. “Let’s roll with it, get energized and excited from [colours] through to textures, without neglecting the performance aspects. Fabrics and accessories in this sector need a zany makeover. This is about being seen and making a statement and leaving the traditional tones behind.” The trend is prominent in the fitness (cardio, Zumba, aerobics, spinning, gymning), athleisure and soft equipment markets. • Opposites influence the Lucid trend: “dazzling aspects vie against perfectly porous and powdery structures, this trend sees compact versus openwork in nano structure detail”. The trend is seen in compression fabrics, active intimate apparel, micro light outer shells, and performance second layers Fabrics are super lightweight, yet packed full of top performance elements. “From micro spacer fabrics to neoprene-inspired mesh, it is very uniformed and geometric, precise and punctual in all end products.” The fabrics also have visual appeal: flexible, iridescent reflective fabrics with colours that shine light fish scales, synthetic fibres with innovative prismatic tones, etc. Lucid is applicable to track cycling, running, athletics, base layers (volleyball, ten-

nis, soccer), gymnastics, footwear, and soft equipment (tents, backpacks). • Freedom takes inspiration from being in the outdoors and enjoying it, with the added performance. “The concept of this trend is that we are free to enjoy life and make the most of it,” explains ISPO. Overall it has a strong emphasis of ‘enjoyment’, no matter if it’s a walk in the countryside or sitting on a beach. Several elements contribute to the trend: sustainability, relaxed vibe, respect of the environment, and interpreting different traditions. “A strong emphasis is placed on sustainable processes throughout the textile chain, from fibre to finish.” The trend encompasses both natural and synthetic fabrics that are geared towards creating the best experience, and with a more ‘laid back attitude’ towards appearance. Aesthetic elements include dry matte and ‘aged’ surfaces. The athleisure, hiking, beach sports clothing (swimwear, surfing), leisure outdoor activities, and street sports markets will see the Freedom trend. Visitors can see the spring/summer 2018 textile trends at Textrends, which takes place together with ISPO Shanghai on 6-8 July.

Summer insulation Textrends visitors will also be able to see the new developments in insulation, aimed at the summer apparel, footwear and sleeping bag markets — a mixture of natural and synthetic fibres create a summer alternative to feather down. With a stretch quality, the material recovers and can maintain its shape and performance qualities for a longer period. Several companies have created their own mixture of ‘ingredients’ to create new forms of insulation: polyester, wool and PLA mixes, and polyester mixes with silk, etc.

Stylish winter fabric reflectivity,” said Jeremy White, Global Director of Innovation and Permanent Branding at Avery Dennison. “That’s novel and very interesting.” There was even a new reflective yarn that features micro beads of glass on the yarn. Overall, fabrics also handle better. “I think it is due to the increased presence of natural fibres, a little bit of cotton, a little bit of silk, a lot of wool, which helps enormously and that bridges the gap between the pure performance and the more urban oriented styles,” explains Sophie Bramel, Technical Editor of WSA (World Sports Activewear). She points out that this is especially true for base layer fabrics. “It is very interesting - a real hike in terms of comfort and the appeal of the fabric, so we aren’t only talking performance, we are talking how it feels.” There are more and more hybrid synthetics and natural fibre mixtures. “Synthetic fibres have been bashed for the last 40 years,” says

David Shah, publisher of ‘View’ magazine. “What is happening now is a great chance, with this love of technicity and hybridization, for synthetic fibres to give themselves a new image to the public.” “What we are seeing is the end of boundaries and rules,” he adds. “In the past we focused [on] what is suitable for ready-to-wear, what is suitable for couture; now we are seeing the breaking down of rules on fabrication, whether it is male or female. With all this breakdown of boundaries there is much more scope — I think people should understand that and get out of their trench.” Shah also noticed an improvement in membranes and second layers, especially their fashionability, and the use of patterns and colour. The fall/winter winners will be shown at this year’s Textrends, which takes place 5-8 February, in conjunction with ISPO Munich.

Apparel & Footwear :: p33

Brand new BrandNew winners ISPO’s annual competition among start-up sport companies, BrandNew, celebrates innovative and exciting ideas and developments. Winners of the different categories for 2017 are: 1. Accessories: fitness mat YoYo Mats rolls itself up and stays flat while laid out on the floor. Its design is inspired by self-retracting armbands, and addresses the problem with normal fitness mats that won’t stay flat or give trouble when rolling back up. 2. Hardware summer: the flying tent is a hybrid popup tent and hammock — it hangs in the air, which means the user doesn’t need to worry about water running inside. It can also be pitched on the ground, or worn as a poncho. 3. Fitness: through the use of movement sensors and projectors, interactiveSquash combines gaming and fitness. The projected games react to the player’s movements and actions, and the system gives realtime feedback for performance improvement. 4. Athleisure: Breddy’s crossover pants not only look good enough to wear as casual apparel, but are also breathable, water- and dirt-resistant, ergonomic, fast-drying. They are ideal for people who want to be active, but look good at the same time, for example cyclist commuters.

Tel: 011 447 4120 Fax: 011 447 2179

5. Wearables: PIQ Robot is a nanocomputer on a golf

glove, and scans grip, speed, and overall motion sequence of the wearer. It’s not limited to golf, and can be used for several sports to analyse movement data, and give realtime data on a smartphone. 6. Style: Kos’ NoMoreBlack wetsuits feature fullsurface eye-catching prints created by artists around the world, offering watersport enthusiasts more options beyond black. Visitors to ISPO Munich will be able to see the BrandNew winners exhibited from 5-8 February.

Email: info@katzfootwear.co.za www.katzfootwear.co.za

p34 :: Industry

Will landfills be the new textile sources? Discarded plastic bottles, old clothing, used down and other items found on landfills could be the textile sources of the future. This has profound implications: it will not only protect the environment, change manufacturing, but will offer an employment solution for the homeless, reports CARIN HARDISTY

“

Out of sight, out of mind could easily describe the problem facing America’s waterways, marine life — and personal health,” says international apparel and textile trade publication Sourcing Journal. “It’s happening via an unwitting cycle, but one that may be broken by a collective move toward natural fibres.” Landfills might just well be the next regular material sourcing destination for many companies. Recycling plastic such as bottles into material used to make clothing and footwear is already a regular occurence, but what about old and worn clothing? “In the US alone, approximately 12.8-m tons of textiles are discarded and headed for the dump every year,” says Canopy, who works with companies to develop permanent solutions to protecting forests. “In Great Britain, an estimated 350 000 tonnes a year, or about £140-m worth of used clothing, is thrown in the trash.” Canopy partners with top companies and brands such as Stella McCartney, Levi Strauss & Co, H&M, Patagonia, and Marks and Spencer to develop in-store recycling programs in an aim to “divert clothing from the landfill back into the fabric supply chain”. H&M, for example, has a denim range that consists of at least 20% recycled fabric and the retailer plans to increase the number of styles made from these recycled fibres. Marks and Spencer breaks down fabrics so that it can be washed, processed and turned into yarn, textiles and new clothes — over and over again.

Adjust manufacturing processes Entrepeneurs and start-up companies are increasingly developing new techologies that turn old clothing into textiles and fabrics. One example is Evrnu, which has created engineered fibres made from 100% post-consumer cotton garmet waste and is suitable for various products … and the recycling process developed by Re:newcell turns cotton and cellulosic textiles into a product similar to dis-

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

solving pulp, from which viscose and rayon fabrics can be made. The traditional method to recycle clothing fibres can damage and shorten the fibres, which means bad quality piling. France’s Filatures du Parc’s patented manufacturing system, however, makes yarn from post-consumer jeans, which is blended with PET (recycled polyester from plastic bottles). The result is that the fibre length is maintained, which results in good quality yarn with the same or better characteristics of the original fibres. Italian company Tessile Fiorentina collects wool clothing, which is sorted into colours and

Recycling plastic such as bottles into material used to make clothing and footwear is already a regular occurence, but what about old and worn clothing? spun into a recycled wool fibre. Because it’s sorted by colour, the fibre doesn’t need to be dyed, which means the company also saves on water. Traceable down is already a staple in manufacturing. Now companies are asking themselves how about using recycled down?. Through its own washing sterilisation and sorting process, Sofileta is using 100% recycled down from used bedding products, which still offers good and consistent quality in its own products.

Agricultural fibres Another option that Canopy is promoting is to use agricultural residue, left over plant materials after the desired parts are removed, for clothing textiles. With a special enzyme treatment, flax can be made into a fibre that is similar to cotton,

and bamboo is gaining traction as a soft and comfortable fabric. Bamboo can also be planted on degraded land, which makes it a sustainable alternative to viscose and rayon fabrics that are made from forests. “The more educated consumers are on landfills and how much polyester is damaging the environment, the more people will pay more attention to it, for sure,” says Andie Verbance of By Land and Sea, which has brands such as Benjamin Jar and SIR the Label.

Interest in organic on the rise “Organic represents a strong, clearly understood and well-established mark of sustainability, spreading from the food, health and beauty sectors into fibers and textiles, says Textile Exchange in its Organic Cotton Market Report 2016. “Interest in healthy eating connects with a healthy lifestyle and further connects to choices for a healthy planet and healthy people. This trend is emerging in newer growth economies such as India and China.” In China alone, with its domestic demands on the increase, there was a 7% growth in cotton production. A new organic cotton project has also been started in the Hubei province. In 2016, several factors combined to make cotton a scarce commodity — like China’s reserve program, pest problems in Pakistan, India’s artificial shortage, etc. This pushed cotton prices up. “We only get one harvest per year, so that means when we’re in the summer months we’re completely dependent on what’s available, and where, at that time,” Jon Devine, senior economist at Cotton Incorporated told Sourcing Journals’ The Year of Uncertainty summit. The good news is that cotton prices are due to stabilise. Pakistan is expected to produce a good crop, India should produce the same as last year, and the US should see an increase of 25%, Devine said. “Until recently, Organic Fair Trade (OFT)

Industry :: p35 Adidas has launched 7 000 pairs of the UltraBOOST Uncaged Parley running shoes into retail globally. They are made from up-cycled marine plastic waste that’s recovered through Parley for the Oceans interception and clean-up operations in the coastal areas of the Maldives. Uncaged Parley features a knitted upper (95% Ocean Plastic, 5% recycled polyester), and the laces, heel cap base material, heel webbing and lining, and the insole are all made from recycled materials. Even its design is inspired by ocean waves. The next target is to make a million pairs using Parley Ocean Plastic next year, says Eric Liedtke, adidas Group Executive Board member responsible for Global Brands. “Our ultimate ambition is to eliminate virgin plastic from our supply chain.” With this target, at least 11-m plastic bottles will be taken out of coastal areas, and recycled and repurposed.

was the choice of the smaller, ethically-driven company working with smaller cotton volumes — this is all changing. There are signs of growth across the board, with larger companies releasing collections in OFT.” The traceability of organic cotton is also improving, with collaborations between industry bodies and key players to create certification bodies and a centralised database. “What companies have learned from organic cotton is being applied to preferred fibre and materials such as recycled polyester, lyocell, and others,” says Textile Exchange. “The combination of environmental, social, and economic benefits that organic cotton brings provides a foundation.”

Keeping cotton farmers poor is NOT being sustainable THe AppAreL industry — whether knowingly or not — is driving unsustainability, NewForesight CeO Lucas Simons said at last year’s Textile exchange Sustainability Conference. retailers and consumers keep saying they want more organic cotton, but they aren’t willing to pay more, which means that they are actually not willing to pay the farmer more, and in turn means that the farmer loses out. “If you claim sustainability on one side of the vale chain, but the farmers are paid far below the poverty line, that’s not sustainability. In fact, it’s driving economic suicide.” Organic cotton is the second poorest labour sector in the world, he highlighted, adding that there is no real motivation to farm organic cotton. “Farmers are farming anything but organic cotton and I don’t blame them,” Simons said, adding that many of those farmers think: Why go through all this trouble so someone at the end of the value chain can claim he uses organic cotton when we are living in poverty?

Do consumers actually CARE about sustainability? Consumers prefer natural fibres, with almost 75% of respondents in the Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor Survey saying that garments made from these fibres are better quality compared to synthetics. “Consumers do seem to like knowing whether something is made of a natural fiber,” says Andie Verbance of By Land and Sea. “However, if they do look at apparel labels, it’s mostly to determine ease of care, followed by where it’s made and then the fibre content.” The majority (74%) of respondents indicated that they would be more likely to shop at a store that uses fibre logos on clothing hangtags, on clothing shelves (71%), and on the online product pages (67%). Another finding is that consumers are more likely to check the fibre content of a product when shopping online, than if they were in a brick-and-mortar store. A possible explanation is that about a quarter of respondents indicated that they have trouble when trying to read labels. Just over a third (36%) said the font is too small, and 26%

indicated that there is in fact just too much information on the fibre labels.

New sustainable textile index A new index, the Materials Sustainability Index (MSI), allows materials suppliers to submit apparel, footwear, and material data so that the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC)* can expand its data around materials’ sustainability. This information will in turn be used to inform design, develop and sourcing decisions for the SAC’s more than 180 members, ranging from designers and developers to top brands. “Sustainability measurement can only be achieved when the industry is speaking a common language,” says Jason Kibbey, SAC CEO. “With the introduction of the MSI Contributor, we further the depth of that language, providing a baseline for thousands of materials that designers and the rest of the industry can use to make informed product decisions. This is a key milestone in our roadmap to full industry transparency via the Higg Index in 2020.”

This Higg MSI is a public tool that allows users to see and compare scores for common materials in the apparel, footwear, and industries. It scores base materials (cotton, polyester, EVA, etc.) and production specifications (organic vs bio-based fibres, weaving and knitting processes, performance finishes, etc.) to get a more accurate score for a material. “Manufacturers will have a credible and comparable means to show how their responsible production processes reduce impact, allowing them to attract more brands committed to responsible sourcing,” explains SAC. “Soon, manufacturers and their brand and retailer customers will also be able to measure the overall environmental performance of their footwear and apparel with the upcoming launch of the Design & Development Module.” * SAC is an industry-wide group of over 180 apparel, footwear and home textile brands, retailers, suppliers, affiliates (service providers and trade associations), nonprofits/NGOs, and academic institutions working to reduce the environmental and social impacts of products around the world.

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

Netball hots up

p36 :: Sport

The former Cinderella sport of netball has transformed itself. Once considered boring, it is now considered to be sexy. Not surprisingly, there’s been a cash injection from sponsors, and distributors and retailers are benefitting, reports LINZA DE JAGER

Left: Keneiloe Kgasi of Gauteng in action against Kwa-Zulu Natal during the SPAR National Netball Championship in 2015. Photo: Reg Caldecott/Gallo Images

o understand just how sexy netball has suddenly become for sponsors one need only look at the statistics, and compare it to a few years ago, when the sport had some participation numbers, but no money in the bank. • South Africa now has 1.5-m adult netball players and 2 800 000 netball players at school level, according to Netball SA CEO Blanche de la Guerre. This is about 66% more than about ten years ago. • South Africa is ranked #5 in the world and #1 in Africa. • Netball SA has seen a 20% growth in membership over the past 12 months. • Both primary and secondary schools have

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

experienced 100% growth in player numbers over the past 12 months. • At club level, the 2 853 affiliated clubs grew 80% over the past 12 months.

The money trail During the past four years netball has received a healthy financial injection. • In 2012 the Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) allocated R2-m for netball. • In 2016 the Minister of Basic Education signed a memorandum of intent with the Motsepe Foundation for a R117.5-m partnership over ten years. The goal of the partnership is to allow schools’ football and

netball leagues to become part of the sports leagues. • Part of this joint sports programme is The Kay Motsepe Schools Netball Cup, which will receive R2-m a year from 2016 to 2020. Netball SA president Mimi Mthethwa gives kudos to the Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League (BFNPLL) and SuperSport for boosting netball interest. “The BFNPLL provided the opportunity for netball to show that we can run the sport professionally. It has helped raise the profile of netball nationally, regionally and internationally.” Having SuperSport as a broadcast partner has also benefitted the sport. Even though it is a pay-to-view channel, viewer numbers

Sport :: p37 are now much higher than when the SABC was their broadcast partner, says Mthethwa. “We have more airtime with SuperSport and the higher quality of the coverage also had a positive impact on the growth of viewership.” In the past netball players trained hard, but had few oportunities to play at a high level, Fast5 coach Elsje Jordaan told Sports Trader. “BFPNL changed all of this. The 2016 format exposed more South African players to the highest competitive level. Although there might still be a gap between the top six and the rest of the teams, this is the only way to expose more players to top competition and enlarge the pool of players who can feed into the NSA top teams. “Television exposure adds pressure to the players and coaches to perform. They are exposed to opinions as more people watch the games, and they want to better themselves and their performance.”

Sponsors benefit These developments resulted in a facelift for netball that also benefitted the industry. “The smaller affiliated sporting codes were always seen as the Cinderella sports and therefore funding and management were lacking,” says Du Toit Botes of Brand ID, a sponsor of Netball SA and the BFNPL. “Netball now has TV, sponsors, mass participation and proper administration. You now have a winning formula,” Botes says. “The BFNPL, in which teams representing ten regions play against each other, is televised for weeks on end. You have maximum exposure and you can inform and educate the consumer.” They have seen a definite spike in sales over the past three years since Brand ID became a partner of Netball SA. Sales of Canterbury netball clothing have, for example, increased by 35-40%, sales of Skins ladies compression wear have increased by 25%-30% and Mizuno’s first netball footwear range was launched at the Brutal Fruit cup last year — the impact will only be seen this year, reports Botes. “Exposure is crucial for netball in South Africa,” says Martin Ferreira of Exco Sport and Teamwear, who gives praise to television for raising netball’s profile and thereby increasing sales. They recently renewed the contract with SA Schools Netball as the official technical supplier. “Television is an obvious interest generator. We believe that the increase in our 2016 sales is directly linked to this exposure. Television has a very positive outcome and is much more powerful to the spectator, sponsors and participation in general. The online mentions also help grow interest.” XCO had a great season with netball, he says. They had 32% growth in sales. In the previous two years their sales had been flat, with only a 10% increase that was inflation generated. “Growth only materialised over the last financial year.” ASICS, official footwear partner to Netball

SA, experienced “a slight increase” in sales of their Super and Pivot netball shoes, says Wesley Tam. “Every bit of exposure that Netball SA receives via the various media channels will have a benefit for ASICS as a brand. “Online is certainly a start for generating interest. However, further analysis is required to determine the sales correlation.” Other netball suppliers also benefitted from the bigger exposure. In general their netball sales have grown substantially in the last three years, says Grant Stephen of Legacy Sport and Leisure, distributor of Mitre in South Africa. “The vast majority of our balls are sold to consumers for recreational purposes, or to schools.” Any television coverage is good for a sport and will plant a seed for future and current netball players to set their sights on playing to a bigger audience — like their counterparts playing rugby, cricket and soccer, says Patrick Franck of W.E.T. Sports. Growth in the sales of W.E.T. Sports netball products has continued to rise thanks to these initiatives, he believes. “We can honestly say that our Star netball sales in particular have shown excellent growth. Sales to retail outlets throughout Southern African has shown continued growth.” While the sport administrators and distributors strongly believe in the power of TV, not

Netball now has TV, sponsors, mass participation and proper administration. You now have a winning formula all retailers share this view. Retailers’ reports of the impact on netball and related products vary — sometimes dramatically.

Impact on retail

quality netball balls and equipment and not just entry level to mid-range.” Along the Garden Route “sales of specialised shoes like New Balance, ASICS and Mizuno increased by at least 50% during the past two years,” reports Tertius Giliomee of Top Gear Sport in George. “Sales of balls have gone up by 20%-25% during the past two to three years. “I don’t think this has to do with television, nor can I link this to the Brutal Fruit tournament or social media. I think this is thanks to the influence of schools.”

No impact from TV While Kloppers Sports in Bloemfontein had good growth in their netball category over the past three years, Grant Steyl says he finds it hard to determine if the Premier League or television coverage boosted sales. “We see the same sales level — or even higher — before or during leagues, or afterwards. I don’t think that coverage during a league always benefits netball as there are people who don’t have television or don’t have SuperSport. I don’t think that television and media coverage have impacted a lot on our sales. People don’t really watch what is on television, but, they go online to research the best shoes or equipment.” The netball boom has, however, not yet reached areas like Worcester, Upington and Kimberley. “We stock unique netball attire for each school, but sales have stayed basically the same,” says Jody Strydom of De Jagers Uitrusters in Worcester. Ricardo Barries of Top Gear Sport in Upington reports only “a small increase in the sale of netball attire, shoes and netballs.” Netball sales have remained much the same during the past three years in Desnic’s Planet Sport in Kimberley. But, says Keith Mclaren, the tournaments and greater television coverage have NOT grown netball sales.

Their netball sales grew approximately 50% over the last three years, says Gielie Albertyn of Somerset Sport in Stellenbosch. “Sales are predominantly to school children, about 20% of sales are to adults.” In their sister store in Somerset West ball sales growth was fairly modest, but they experienced quite a nice increase in the sale of netball shoes, says Jaap Engelbrecht. Trevor Smith Sport in Benoni also experienced massive (about 30%) sales growth in netball balls, says Mlanda Landman. “We always have balls in stock, but this year we ran out during the season. Our sales of netball attire, however, stayed the same.” Michael Bester of Brian Bands Sports in Port Elizabeth also reports “a positive growth in sales of netball balls and rings for home use, which means the players are keen to practice after school. “School and club sales are growing as the interest and awareness increases. We have noticed a shift in schools purchasing better

Protea Erin Burger in action against Wales during the first 2016 test against Wales. Photo: Reg Caldecott.

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

p38 :: Outdoor

Selli n

m top

Dirk Klopper, who runs the Kloppers sport section, recommended LJ Alg tips f bertyn as a top salesperson. “LJ has a real passion for what he 20 does,” he says. “He has managed to transform his sport and hobby into a very successful sales career. His main areas of expertise are cricket and hockey, and especially since moving down to Cape Town in April 2016, he has taken it upon himself to get better known in the hockey community through playing club and provincial hockey, and coaching individually and at schools. He is always on top of his game with the newest hockey trends, locally and internationally, and makes sure that Kloppers have the latest equipment and shoes in stock. He is also very aware of what our competitors are doing, price and range-wise. LJ offers excellent customer service and often delivers sticks or bats to customers after hours.

les m

Selling more ... hockey sticks

ou have to act like a professional if you want to succeed in sales, says LJ Albertyn, assistant manager at Kloppers Sport in Brackenfell. “I often get the impression from people who work in retail that they don’t perceive themselves to be part of a leading profession. “The first day that I started working in the Kloppers store, I made sure that I wore my best looking pair of shoes and that I looked neat, because first impressions count,” he explains. “It gives a client a warm feeling when he sees a professional –looking person greeting him,

someone who is proud of who he is, and what he is doing.” Similarly, it’s important to be able to communicate with everybody at any level. When talking to a customer, Albertyn tries to form a relationship that will grow a one-time experience into something so much more. “It’s a relationship that you are basically trying to build for a lifetime. You have to remember that it’s not only a once-off thing.” The relationships you create with customers should be of such a nature that they would want to shake your hand when they see you again and want to get to know you on a first

More about LJ Albertyn LesLie John (LJ) Albertyn, the assistant manager at Kloppers Sport in Brackenfell, is an avid hockey player with a long-standing affiliation with the Kloppers stores (see p17). As a student he bought all the equipment for the sports he played at the Bloemfontein store. Kloppers Sport was his first work experience: with the help of family connections (his mother knows Steva Klopper, one of the directors) Albertyn started working for the retailer in Bloemfontein two weeks after finishing his degree. He found being employed in Kloppers’ sport department was the ideal work environment for him, as there was room for improvement to push out more sales, especially in the hockey department. “There wasn’t anybody else who played hockey and wanted to promote the sport, someone who was amped to see the new

Sports Trader :: Q1 2017

name basis, he adds. When a customer walks into the store, Albertyn greets them and makes his presence known without being too overpowering. He lets the customer know that he is available at their service, before leaving them to their own devices until they are ready to be assisted. “When a customer walks in to buy something specific, you would know that instantly as they would immediately look for assistance,” he says. It is very important to have played a sport To p39 in order to give people good

products come in, or was keen to find out about the new technologies that go into the hockey sticks,” he says. After a year, an opportunity arose for him to move to Cape Town when Kloppers took over the Somerset Sport store in the Cape Gate Mall. This resonated with Albertyn, as it was always his desire to live in Cape Town. He has been an avid hockey player for the past 11 years. He started playing hockey at the age of 14, and through the years he has played for his school’s first team, and later for the first teams at the University of the Free State and Central University of Technology. Since moving to Cape Town, he has joined a hockey club and earlier this year Albertyn also represented Western Province 10s in the country district rugby tournament. He also plays cricket and even helped launch a Kloppers staff cricket team, because he believes it is important for staff members to have experience of playing a sport when selling the equipment.

Outdoor :: p39

Tips for selling hockey sticks Matching the right stick to a hockey player is of the utmost importance, says LJ Albertyn, assistant manager at Kloppers Sport in Brackenfell. To best assist your customer with making the choice, the salesperson needs to know the age of the player, the level of hockey he plays — or want to play — and the position he plays. These factors will influence the shape and size of the stick he’ll recommend.

Finding the right stick length There are various guidelines from manufacturers about the correct stick length, but when assisting a young player, Albertyn prefers to measure the stick to the level of his navel. A big mistake novice players sometimes make is to buy a big stick with the thought of using it for years, he says. This is a misconception and he advises that the stick should be the size that the player is most comfortable with at the time. As a general guideline, the most popular stick length for senior and high school players is 36.5”, but the 37.5” is becoming more popular, especially when defenders become accustomed to the benefits of the longer reach when tackling. In offense, a shorter stick improves a player’s stick handling skills. The player will also need to handle the stick to determine if he is comfortable with the weight. • Forwards generally prefer a lightweight stick that allows more rapid stick work. • A mid-weight stick is aimed at midfielders as it benefits defensive as well as offensive manoeuvres. • Heavier sticks appeal to backs as the greater power is good for clearing the ball.

Material used The material the hockey stick is made of is, however, more important than the size of the stick, Albertyn believes. Different combinations and levels of composite materials influence the performance, weight, power, and stiffness of a stick, as well as its price. • Carbon provides stiffness and rigidity, resulting in more power. High carbon content sticks require greater skill to manoeuvre and are therefore recommended for advanced

and elite-level players. • Fibreglass adds durability, power, and feel to a stick. It is similar, but less expensive, than carbon. Because it is less rigid than carbon it is better suited to beginners. • Aramid is added to composite sticks to dampen and absorb vibrations. • Wooden sticks are still preferred by some players who appreciate their natural feel and good control, which makes it ideal for beginners. Most are wrapped in fibreglass for extra strength and power.

Stick shapes There are different shapes in hockey sticks: the low and extra low bow, mid bow and high bow, are identified by the position of the bow in relation to the end of the stick. The size of the bow (arch), combined with its position on the stick, determines how a stick will play. The bow size is measured as the distance between the surface and the upper edge of the stick when placed on a flat surface. • Low and extra low bow: the extreme part of the arch is positioned in the lower end of the stick (e.g. about 200-225mm from the toe). The curve at the lower point generates more power, especially when combined with a high arch, and is preferred by elite players who like to drag and flick the ball, although it is more difficult to hit sweep shots. A light stick with a low bow plays extra fast. • Mid to low bow: the arch is at its highest in the middle of the stick, roughly at 225275mm, and is preferred by more generalist players. It is good for developing drag flicking skills and enhances dribbling and control. • High bow: positioned 275-300mm or further from the head this shape is preferred by players who like dribbling and more control because the stick is more manoeuvrable than a straighter stick. It is often popular with experienced players. The 300mm bow is often chosen by experienced junior players.

Head shapes Many brands have introduced unique head shapes, but most of them will have some variation of the following: • The Maxi is the most popular head shape amongst players at all levels. It provides

good control during reverse side playing and has an improved sweet spot for more powerful shots. The more open curve that can trap a ball, led to the development of dragging skills. • The Shorti has a small sweet spot and a limited area on the reverse side for ball control. Demand has dwindled for this size, except among elite players who believe it enhances their dribbling skills and among indoor hockey players. • The Hook was developed for players with a more upright playing style and wanted a greater surface area on the reverse side. It has lost appeal as more players have adopted a lower playing style.

Testing sticks Based on the information given to him by a customer, Albertyn will recommend a selection of hockey sticks and direct him to the instore net to hit a few balls. The Kloppers store in Brackenfell has a hockey net set up so customers can try out a stick and get the feel of it before buying. “In the nets I will see how the customer responds to the different shapes,” he says. Albertyn believes allowing your customer to try out a hockey stick before buying is very important as it allows him the opportunity to familiarise himself with the product.

Recommending brands The more experienced players usually stick to the brands and products they know. When they come into the store, they already know what they are looking for, says Albertyn. “Even though you recommend the best stick, with the best technology, a customer might sometimes feel that it’s not the best because it is not the right brand,” he says. “It obviously has nothing to do with the technology in the stick, but some people feel more confident when they have a certain brand in their hand.” Instead of recommending one brand over another, he will rather explain the different options to the customer so that he can make an informed decision. “I always give every brand a fair chance with each client, unless a customer comes into the store looking for a specific brand.”

Top salesman cont from p38 advice, he believes. “I’ve tried out every single hockey stick in our shop: from a junior stick to a senior stick, from the cheapest, to the most expensive. You have to have played with the equipment

to know what you’re talking about.” When it comes to gaining product knowledge, Albertyn mainly relies on testing the equipment first-hand in matches, or during training.

Spending time with suppliers makes a huge difference as well, he says. Their presentations of new products can be an informative experience. “They know exactly what is new in a product and what has been improved.”

Q1 2017 :: Sports Trader

As of early 2017, retailers have the opportunity to offer their school and club customers the option of a full Mitre sports package: boots, balls AND team kit.

Now also available as

teamwear

The globally-recognised Mitre brand has expanded its range and now supplies teamwear. The locally-manufactured clothing range is available in diﬀerent tiers, each at an appropriate price point.

Premium range

Mid range

A ball for every surface

Standard range

Goalkeepers

Hard and soft

Mitre’s balls are ideal for use on any surface, be it hard or soft — perfect for Southern Africa’s soccer pitches, which tend to be on the rougher side.

Soccer boots and balls for diﬀerent terrains Visit Sports Trader’s website for more product knowledge: www.sportstrader.co.za

n certain areas of the country, and during periods of drought, soccer players are more likely to play on hard ground or artificial pitches, than on a pitch with good grass cover, which they may encounter during away games. Your customers will need advice when it comes to buying the right boots and balls to play on these different pitches. To understand the products you need to also understand the different pitch types.

Hard ground The turf consists of very dry grass (or none at all), dirt, gravel … a pitch that won’t allow traditional studs to penetrate its surface. Boots for use on hard ground oﬀer enhanced traction and comfort on the unforgiving terrain. • Lower proﬁle keeps the player closer to the ground. • Sole plate usually made from a harder TPU, for enhanced durability. • Studs are short and evenly distributed across the entire outsole to distribute pressure.

Our cut-out-and-keep series to assist retailers with product knowledge Words: Carin Hardisty. Compiled with the help of Mike Augoustides (Mikes Sports), Nick Wiltshire (Pat Wiltshire Sports) and www.5-a-side.com, www.footballbible.com, www.greenﬁelds.eu, blog. kitbag.com, mikasasports.co.jp/e, www. prodirectsoccer.com, www.soccer.com, www.sportsandsafetysurfaces.co.uk, www.sportsmanswarehouse.co.za, and www.thefootballnation.co.uk

Soft ground A soft, natural playing surface that can be wet or muddy. Studs are usually longer to allow the foot to dig into the surface and stop it from slipping. Simultaneously, the extra length will stop the boot from being bogged down in the mud. • Traditionally soft ground boots have four big metal studs in the forefoot, and two big studs on the heel. • Some boots combine the traditional conﬁguration above with additional plastic studs or blades for more traction. • These are not recommended for use on ﬁrm ground, even if the metal studs are replaced with plastic, because each screw-in area is a pressure point, that will be uncomfortable on the harder terrain. • Studs are often replaceable.

Firm ground A natural grass ﬁeld that provides good traction. Boots should have shallow conical studs or blades that don’t dig too deep into the surface. If they dig too deep, the foot can get stuck in the terrain and lead to injuries.

Artiﬁcial/all-weather turf A carpet made from synthetic ﬁbres that cre-

ate a surface resembling firm ground. Often referred to as AstroTurf, AstroTurf is actually a trademark registered by Monsanto Company, which first invented the product. It was first used by a soccer club in 1981, but has been in production since the early ‘60s and first installed in 1965 for use during baseball games. Originally the artificial turf adversely affected how the ball performed (bounce and roll), but now turf has sand, water, and/or rubber infill that keeps the grass fibres upright, and offers ball movement more closely resembling that on natural grass. Today it plays evenly and has the added benefits that it doesn’t become muddy and is relatively maintenance free. These grass blades tend to be abrasive, but there are those that are coated in silicone that are less abrasive. There are different types of artificial turf,

each rated with a number followed by a G indicating the generation of technology, for example 3G means third generation. The idea is that higher the number, the more technology the carpet is meant to contain, and the closer it should resemble real grass. However, technology beyond 3G isn’t yet ofﬁcially recognised by soccer bodies. • 2G: sand-based with a very short carpet pile. More commonly used for hockey; not ideal for soccer due to the lack of grip and hard surface. • 3G: a sand or rubber granule-ﬁlled carpet with a longer pile that resemble blades of grass. It typically has an underlying drainage system and a shock-absorbing underlay.

Artificial turf boots provide players with the extra grip and cushioning needed on this turf. They are designed to handle the abrasive turf, help with traction, and can’t be used on other soccer field types. • Typically lighter than firm ground boots. • Durable, rubber outsole. • Studs: hollowed out, which keeps them lightweight and helps to absorb the impact from the harder terrain. ◦ More densely concentrated, compared to those on normal soccer boots. ◦ Small rubber studs of blades for improved traction. Alternatively, the outsole might be patterned to give grip. These shouldn’t be used on short pile turf, and firm or soft ground boots shouldn’t be worn when playing on artificial surfaces. If your customer insists that he wants to wear firm ground boots on artificial turf, recommend he doesn’t wear blades or full studs, which can damage the playing surface. Turf trainers: designed for 5-a-side games on artificial turf, these shoes don’t offer as much grip as their boot counterparts. • Low profile soles keep the feet close to the ground to reduce slipping. • Extra cushioning in the heel, compared to boots. • Outsole features multiple dimple-style studs.

Street soccer Six-a-side street soccer is a trend that has been gaining momentum and is played on tarmac, paved areas, or other urban surfaces. Shoes should have the following features: • Enhanced traction, cushioning and comfort. • A durable, hard-wearing, rubber outsole. • Multi-lug or –stud conﬁguration for To p42

2016 November :: Sports Trader

Winter with

p42 :: Sport

Soccer boots and balls cont. from p41

W.E.T.

Sports Importers Quality Products & Ser vice Since 1984

STARter Hockey Kit 26" and 28"

extra grip.

Studs and blades Studs are used to help keep the player balanced: the more studs there are, and the bigger the playing surface they cover, the better the grip. Where they are placed and the number of studs on each outsole impact on how the boot performs and what terrain it’s appropriate for. Number of studs: • 6-8 studs: for running positions, where the player wants less grip. • More: good for use on dry, hard ﬁelds; don’t give traction in wet, muddy conditions. Where the studs are placed on the outsole: • Forefoot: better traction. • Midfoot: while running these don’t dig into the ground, but at the start of the player’s run the studs on the side will dig in and provide better traction, which allows for faster acceleration. • Backfoot: for balance, keeping the foot stable on the ground, and to support the heel. Blades are designed for speed (penetrate and exit the surface quicker than round studs), grip and improved turning capability.

Choosing the right ball

Vector 4 Ply Soccer Balls Size 3, 4 & 5

Provincial Netball Size 5

Club Netball Size 4 & 5

Tricolour Mouthguards Junior & Senior

Winner Rugby Ball Size 3, 4 & 5

Standard Kicking Tee

Exciting new LION Black Mist Range

For a full Winter Catalogue please contact W.E.T. Sports on Tel: 021-948 8150 Fax: 021-948 8084 Email: sales@wetsports.co.za Website: www.wetsports.co.za

Balls used in official matches have to be FIFA-certified match balls. To receive the FIFA Quality (previosly Inspected) or Quality Pro (previously Approved) rating, balls have to undergo stringent tests. The following brands supply balls to the local market that have achieved the FIFA certification: adidas, Diadora, Joma, Mikasa, Mitre, Molten, New Balance, Nike, PUMA, Sondico, Umbro, Uhlsport, Under Armour and Wilson. Adidas has been supplying the official African Cup of Nations and FIFA Club World Cup balls (among most other official balls) for many years. Clubs and schools will, however, be inclined to purchase more affordable non-certified balls for training purposes. Your customers who buy balls for home will most likely also not aim for the top end certified balls, but will probably aim for something more durable. The construction will impact what the ball is used for. • Outer: ◦ The outer is made from synthetic leather, with a PVC or PU coating. ▪ PVC: more affordable and durable than PU, and used for street soccer balls. Scuff-resistant PVC is often used with training balls. ▪ PU: softer and more responsive than PVC balls. Used for higher end match balls. ◦ The number of panels affect how the ball moves through the air. The fewer there are, the more aerodynamic and faster the ball. ◦ On a premium match ball, panels can be stitched with polyester, which is durable and non-absorbent. For enhanced durability and water-resistance, kevlar thread can also be used.

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

◦ The more expensive type of soccer ball is thermal bonded to retain its shape and for a low water uptake. ◦ The less panels a ball has, the fewer seams there typically are, which can create a rounder shape and less water uptake. ◦ A glossy coating will help reduce water uptake, as well as scuffing on softer PU balls. • The inner lining material determines how responsive the ball is. ◦ Premium match balls will have several layers (often four) of polyester and cotton: polyester for durability and responsiveness, and cotton for softness. ◦ Cheap soccer balls will only have about two layers of polyester, making them harder to control. • Bladders are usually butyl or latex. ◦ Latex bladders: soft and responsive. ▪ Used for premium balls. ▪ Do not retain air and shape as good as butyl bladders, and require more frequent inflation. ◦ Butyl bladders are durable and offer very good air retention. ▪ Can become deformed easily, and less responsive. Street soccer is often played barefoot, so the ball should have a soft outer casing, but also be made to withstand rough playing conditions. • Stitched seams are stronger and tighter. These can be hand or machine stitched, but the latter is more reliable and consistent. • Rubber materials give a stronger grip. Hard or artificial ground balls should be durable and molded or laminated — not stitched. This construction lends itself better to hard ground as it is more durable and seams can come apart on the rough surface.

Looking after the ball Post-game, your customer should take the following steps to properly care for the ball: • Remove dirt from the stitching with a brush, or similar tool, or wipe the surface with a soft cloth. ◦ If he can’t remove the dirt, he can wipe the ball with a moist cloth and then dry the ball after. ◦ If this doesn’t work, he can use a mild detergent that has been diluted with water. It’s important to remove any detergent from the ball surface afterwards, as it can cause the ball to discolour. • The ball should be dried out of direct sunlight, in an area that is well ventilated. • Do not clean or wipe the ball with solvents, for example benzene, which can damage the cover. When not in use: • Deﬂate the ball. It can expand or distort if the air pressure remains the same after use; • Store the ball in a well ventilated area; • Dry it regularly. • Do not leave the ball where it will be exposed to direct sunlight, or store it in hot or humid conditions.

Trade enquiries: Opal Sports Tel: 011 695 9640 | nigel@opalsports.com

p44 :: Sport

NEW for your

Exciting designs in Summit team sport balls

As its name implies, the Summit Mero Match soccer ball (right) is designed to be used at match level. Double fused, its panels are bonded as well as stitched with ultra-thin stitches for strength combined with a lighter touch. “Perfect weight and control makes this the standout football for any team,” says Richard Tinker, Head of Product Development and Design at Summit. It also has a layered cross ply PU+ foam underlay, and a thread-wound butyl bladder. The Summit ADV2 rugby ball offers a new level in a training ball, says Tinker, who describes it as “aspiration meets technology. A Power Ply cross weave lining is sandwiched between an Evolution Grip outer and high retention bladder to make this a ball that works at any level.” The intensive 3-ply training ball has been hand-stitched for superior quality. It has a synthetic Evo grip outer, Power Ply lining and a superlight Mass Merge valve. It comes in different colours for each age category. The Summit Advance netball has been made for endurance and feel, says Tinker. “It can give full grip feel and extended wear rates for extended training periods.Using the same technology as the Summit Rugby ball, the superior hand stitching and Evolution outer offer the perfect balance between match quality and longevity.” The 3-ply synthetic outer Evo grip has a Power Ply lining, and a superlight Mass Merge Valve.

New racket technology and baseball from Wilson Wilson has introduced a new space-programme technology, Countervail, in their latest Blade and Burn series of rackets. “Countervail maximizes a players energy, reduces muscle fatigue and shortens recovery time,” says Brad Summers of local distributor The Golf Racket. Countervail directs the ball’s energy within the frame, instead of onto the player’s body, resulting in less strain on the arm. “Countervail is so revolutionary that it is already been used by NASA on space flights,” he adds. “It definitely aimed at the more serious player looking for the ultimate in a racket.” Among them are tour players such as Milos Raonic, Gael Monfils, Kei Nishikori and Serena Williams. The Golf Racket has also for the first time introduced baseball to their product offering. “We will be running the legendary Wilson 1030 baseball and various Wilson, DeMarini and Louisville Slugger baseball equipment,” says Summers. All these brands now fall under the Wilson/Amer Sports umbrella.

Left : The DeMarini Pro Maple baseball bat and Wilson baseball ball and glove. Right: The new Wilson Blade racket.

Olympic’s Blast has the right features for netball The new Blast netball shoes from Olympic is designed for comfort and support in all the right places to reduce pressure on the Knees and ankles, says Fahiem Frizlar, marketing manager at Jordan & Co. “They are perfect for any rising netball star. They’re sturdy, supportive and provide vital support when changing direction and moving horizontally.” The white Blast netball shoe has breathable mesh and synthetic overlays to ensure a comfortable, lightweight shoe. A lightweight phy-

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

lon midsole, a durable TPU outsole for added grip and comfort, and a comfortable, removable insole are further features that enhance player comfort. “These shoes will give you the extra conﬁdence to stand out in the crowd,” says Frizlar. “We’re having it tested by some of the country’s top high school netball teams to see how it can be improved. We always endeavour to give you the best product as the best price!”

sport shelves

Lots of new products and updates from W.E. T. Sports W.E.T. SPORTS is introducing several new products and updates in their product offering for the winter sport market. They are, for example, excited about adding the Vector to their Star range of soccer balls. It’s a colourful 4-ply match ball, available in sizes 3, 4 and 5. “The demand for good value in size 3 and 4 match balls has increased with some junior leagues adding more age groups, says Patrick Franck. They again have stock of the Datadart UK 100 micron G-Force Flight, which proved popular when it was launched in 2015. “The 100 Micron flights are stronger than your standard 75 Micron flights so will hold their shape longer and provide more use, but are still affordable,” says Franck. LP Supports has launched a range of performance compression wear “to keep your customer playing at his best, regardless of the conditions. Keep an eye out for the innovative air compression design and products in March,” he adds. “The LP Performance compression wear will appeal to the more discerning athlete who competes at the highest level, especially ultra-distance runners, cyclists and triathletes.” The Lion table tennis range has been extended to include the

Sport :: p45 edgier Black Mist range of ITTF approved table tennis bats. The Inverse, Premium and De Luxe models are attractive additions to the popular range. “While the inexpensive Lion table tennis bats are sold on a price point basis, the better bats are very popular with league and provincial players,” says Franck. “The Black Mist range compliments our options for the better table tennis players.” Their Star hockey stick range features “exciting new lumo colour designs in 2017, to appeal to all the younger players (see right),” he says. Thery now also oﬀer a new Star starter kit that contains a hockey stick, shin guard and a ball. “When it comes to hockey, W.E.T. Sports concentrates eﬀorts on the entry level market and has a range of sticks, shinpads, balls and bags ideal for the hockey Stars of tomorrow,” says Franck.

New Harrows darts to set the pulses racing THE NAMES of the new 90% tungsten steeltip darts Harrows introduced at the end of last year tell their own story: they are Sonic, Cobalt and Elite ... with titanium nitrate coatings and complex machining techniques, they will indeed electrify and give your customers a high. They are locally available from CorSport. The Sonic range is the pinnacle of their 2016/17 new product launch. Harrows describes it as “a complex combination of precise milling, tough blue titanium nitride coating and unique re-machining, results in a stunning barrel with innovative, modular protrusions for powerful grip.” The elegant Cobalt went through a 6-stage manufacturing process to produce a precise, all-over grip. Harrows celebrated the new year with the introduction of the new Ace rubber grip darts that offer non-slip performance. The unique vulcanised rubber grips offer improved control. The new Max 180 90% tungsten darts, also available from January this year, are the signature darts of the young, charismatic Josh Maximum Payne, a rising star on the PDC circuit. His victory in the Players Championship has qualified him for the PDC World Championships. His signature tungsten darts are coated with a tough gold titanium nitride finish. This year Harrows also added a new Z100 tough and compact wallet to their range, designed to hold a fully assembled set of darts. The Z2000 is the top of the range and can hold and protect four sets of fully assembled darts.

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

p46 :: Sport

Athletics news ASICS is new IAAF sponsor

PUMA SA’s Brett Bellinger hands School of Speed vice-principal Henricho Bruintjies the baton to develop young talent.

PUMA School of Speed to nurture future Olympians PUMA’s newly launched School of Speed wants to develop South African youth athletic talent, and to find the fastest young speedsters. The school is headed by Usain Bolt, as principal, and Henricho Bruintjies (SA 100m champ), who was handpicked by Bolt as his vice-principal, who will be at all the South African events. Through a series of events, PUMA and Bruintjies will look for the Faster Stars in the U16, U18 and U20 age groups in 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and relay. Schools may enter the events, or individuals can enter on their own — anyone may enter, provided they are between the ages of 14 and 19. The top five athletes per event will each earn a PUMA product contract to the value of R10 000. The top five will be determined by the Athletics SA points system. The meets are also endorsed by the athletics federations, which means that times count towards official qualification for provincial and national championships. Finalists in each category will also receive PUMA t-shirts, and the fastest boy and girl in each category will each receive a pair of PUMA running shoes and a 45% discount on PUMA product in order to assist with their performance goals.The top young speedsters will also form part of PUMA’s elite running ambassador programme, which includes the likes of Bruintjies, Jerry Motsau, Rantso Mokopane and the Phalula sisters. During this sponsorship, the youngsters will be able to benefit from advice and encouragement from the rest of the ambassadors, and will receive free entry to PUMA running events like the FNB Joburg 10k, FNB Cape Town 12k and the FNB Durban events. “We were motivated to launch the School of Speed after having witnessed the unbelievable energy unleashed by South African sprinters at the Rio Olympics. We don’t want to lose that momentum,” says PUMA SA marketing director Brett Bellinger. PUMA has already signed endorsement deals with teenagers Malesela Senona and Gezelle Magermans. Magermans (right) won the 400m gold at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in China and has been the SA Junior Championships’ 400m hurdles title holder since 2015. Senona is our national boys U18 champion sprinter. “Gezelle has handled the early stage of her career on the world stage with admirable calm and enthusiasm,” says Bellinger. “She also has great appeal on and off the track and to women specifically, making her a wonderful addition to PUMA’s growing list of female athletes.” One of her off-the-track highlights was being named Glamour magazine’s Woman of the Year’at the age of only 18. “Having Malesela as part of our team at PUMA is great news,” adds Bellinger. “We aim to nurture his high levels of performance, so that he can show the way forward for the development of young track sprinters. He exhibits everything a quality athlete needs to succeed and we couldn’t be happier to run alongside him on this journey.”

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

The IAAF has a new apparel and footwear sponsor: ASICS. The brand, now an Official IAAF Partner, will kit out officials and volunteers with footwear and apparel. IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Series tournaments, where ASICS will be involved with, include the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London (August 2017) and the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha. “We at Asics hope to both develop excellent products and contribute to the growth of the sporting world as a whole by supporting athletics around the globe as an Official Partner of the IAAF,” says ASICS President and CEO Motoi Oyama. Adidas, the previous Official IAAF Partner, terminated their sponsorship agreement four years early in January last year. “The termination was said to be prompted by the association’s ongoing doping and corruption scandal. Adidas has said that it would maintain a presence in athletics through a greater focus on individual athletes,” reports SGB (SportingGoodsBusiness). “Global athletics starts a new chapter today based upon solid foundations of modern governance and a renewed determination to protect and promote clean athletes,” says IAAF President Sebastian Coe. “We are delighted to have attracted ASICS, a world-class sportswear designer and manufacturer, as our latest Official IAAF Partner to share this new journey with us.”

Flash Sprint out of the starting blocks!

Olympic International’s lightweight Flash Sprint athletic shoe is “perfect for any young, aspiring athlete, and is designed to put you on your toes and provide as much traction as possible,” says Fahiem Frizlar of distributor Jordan & Co. Available in a bold colourway, the Flash Sprint features a flexible, aerodynamic sole, a breathable mesh upper with a synthetic honeycomb design overlay, a padded collar, and a memory foam insole. By including a second set of spikes, the brand also allows Flash Sprint to be used on different surfaces. Sprinting is all about going short distances in the fastest time possible, says Frizlar. “We understand this and know that athletes need all the help they can get from their shoes to perform at their best.” will enable them to find the best fit.”

Gezelle Magermans is a role model on and off the track. Photo: KC Photography

Wearables #1 trend in fitness

Sport :: p47

Wearable technology that helps with activity tracking has been the top fitness trend for the past two yeares. These devices that provide entertainment or watch all your moves can nowadays be worn any place: in your ears, clothing, shoes, eyewear — and, of course, also in a watch on your wrist, reports GERRIE VAN EEDEN. Additional information: Trudi du Toit

he huge market for wearable technology just keeps on getting bigger and bigger. This year, sales are expected to top $6-bn globally. The term wearables includes everything from the normal heart rate monitor, to smart glasses, smart watches and even sports headphones that also act as an activity tracker. Incorporated technology is the main reason why wearables are such a big deal. We live in an age where people want an app to monitor and track everything, so why not exercise as well? Speakers at the last Wearable Technologies (WT) Conference (held in July 2016 in San Francisco) showed what the future of the fitness industry would look like when products like a sweat sensor patch, a dehydration sensor, or gym watch that tracks and implements coaching tips for weightlifting routines, become common. While wrist-worn technology is still a smart and safe bet, the wave of wearable technology is slowly ebbing from wrist-based hardware towards electronics that are seamlessly embedded into the equipment and even clothing we wear, like smart shorts with a sensor that transmits coaching data to wireless headphones. Technology developed for the aerospace industry that can sense human activity and body functions through hats, visors, helmets and wireless headphones will become features of fitness coaching in the future, speakers at the WT conference predicted. Everyday use of these inventions are not too

Technologies developed for the aerospace industry to sense activity and body functions through hats, visors, helmets and wireless headphones will become features of fitness coaching in the future far in the future. A market research company like Juniper Research already estimate that the wearable technology market will this year be worth $6bn with smart glasses sales predicted at $1.5bn and sales of smart fabrics and interactive textiles expected to reach $2.6-bn by 2017. In South Africa, consumers have been sticking largely to wristables with a built in heart rate monitor, according to Chantal Grobler from TomTom SA. These are still their biggest seller. Add to that the ability to play music, an integrated touch screen and linking up with a mobile phone, and you have a winner among local consumers. Do your children get enough exercise? The Swiss wearables brand Garmin is bringing the first fitness tracker for children aged four to ten with vívofit jr. to the market. Using the tracker, parents can assign chores and even hand out virtual rewards, Garmin says. Although not directly sold through retail,

A nanocomputer golf glove

downloadable fitnesss apps owned by athletic brands are creating fitness communities, which can generate loyalty to the brand’s other products in retail. There seems to be no end to the ingenious electronic products regularly coming on to the market — especially at shows like the Consumer Electronics and Consumer Technology trade show and the The Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona. Among the products with Wow! factor that Christian Stammel, CEO of Wearable-Technologies at ISPO saw there, are: • A 3D shoe that changes its cushioning and outsole to adapt to the way you run. • Instead of a smart watch, you can use a smart strap that can be attached to any make of style of watch. The strap provides information about your state of health. • Oakley & Intel’s smart eyewear has a voiceactivated coaching system to generate a personalised training programme. To p50 • A cycling backpack with LEDs

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

p48 :: Sport

What’s trending

Craft, available in South Africa from Brand-ID, has an extensive and impressive range of clothing for all fitness activities, as well as cycling.

in fitness?

Fitness can be as fickle as fashion. What are the current fitness favourites that you should give prominent space to when planning your 2017 fitness stock? GERRIE VAN EEDEN reports. Additional information: Trudi du Toit

itness and training is an everexpanding and changing beast. In the eighties, aerobics in brightcoloured spandex and questionable hairdos were bigger than Madonna’s hair. A few years ago spinning took off with a bang. Zumba and Pilates were on everybody’s lips. What trends are still going strong for 2017 and which ones are petering out like old Arnie? The active consumer is looking for a variety of exercises, says PJ Morilly, brand director of Reebok SA and a fitness expert himself. They don’t want to focus only on one type of exercise four to five times a week, and would rather combine two to three different types of exercise, like CrossFit, MMA and running to provide more variety, he believes. And, of course, consumers who want to get into shape after the holidays will need apparel, footwear and equipment for all these activities. So where do you position the stock on your shelf, to meet the consumer’s needs? Wearable technology came out on top in the

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2016 and 2017, conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM). It is also the second most popular fitness trend in Canada. Read more on p47. The 2017 ACSM annual survey, now in its eleventh year, was completed by more than 1 800 health and fitness professionals worldwide who selected their predictions for top trends from 42 potential choices.

Bodyweight training Resistance training using your own bodyweight is the second biggest trend, the ACSM respondents say. Resistance bands come in different sizes and with varying elasticities. Originally from the US, resistance band training became popular in Europe when FC Bayern’s fitness trainer introduced it to the team. The German national football team now also uses the bands for fitness and coordination training. The advantage of this type of training is that exercises can be done any place in the home

or office. There are several brands that offer resistance bands for exercise. This was also one of the fitness trends demonstrated at ISPO Munich (see p50). This is followed by high-intensity interval training (HIIT), namely a vigorous but short exercise session that appeals to people with little time to spend on lengthy gym sessions. A perennial favourite like weight-training for strength remains a top trend — #5 in 2017 and #4 in 2016. Yoga is again moving up in the ranks — #8 in 2017, up from #10 in 2016.

Obstacle course races In Canada obstacle course racing is now the #1 fitness activity (see p50) according to health professionals, even more popular than wearable technologies. South Africa now has three big obstacle races after the Fisherman’s Friend StrongmanRun made its debut in Paarl on October 1 last year — the first time this Brooks-sponsored race was held outside Europe. The Impi Challenge and Jeep Warrior Race

To p50

p50 :: Sport Fitness has become such a big trend at ISPO that regular live d e m o n st r a tions are held at the show. Photo: Frommel f o to d e s i g n messe@frommel.de

Top 10 Fitness trends for 2017 THE AMERICAN College of Sports Medicine, the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world, publishes an annual list of the hottest ﬁtness trends based on surveys of members across the world. Their top ﬁtness trends for 2017 are:

1 Wearable technology like ﬁtness trackers, pedometers and heart rate monitors. 2 Bodyweight training with resistance bands 3 High-intensity interval training (HIIT) 4 Working with educated and experienced ﬁtness professionals 5 Strength training with weights

Fitness trends cont. from p48

6 Group training

both started small and have grown into events And it’s also not a boys-only club. Imtiaz Dewith multiple versions taking place all over sai, head coach and exercise scientist at the the country. Rebel Elite CrossFit Jozi says that over the While participants get down and dirty, often past six years they have seen a steady growth dressed to entertain, their friends and fami- in female participation at their CrossFit-box, lies enjoy the carnival atmosphere and fun with a 60/40 split of females/males. acivities that accompany CrossFit is a regthe serious business of racistered brand, with Top 5 trends in Canada ing through mud baths and gyms (or boxes) re• Obstacle courses over all kinds of obstacles. quired to pay an af• Wearable technologies filiation fee to use CrossFit down • Body weight exercises the name. HowThe flavour of the month ever, there are nu• High-intensity interval training a few years ago, there are merous functional • Holistic approaches those who now believe fitness gyms that global numbers for Crossdo pretty much the Fit are dwindling, as it has dropped off the Top same thing. Ten fitness ranking chart for 2017. Reebok is the official title sponsor of The But, in South Africa, new boxes are opening CrossFit Games, and also the official apparel all over the country. producer of CrossFit licensed gear, and may What makes CrossFit so popular in South Af- therefore use the name for their products. rica is the fact that it is accessible and scal- But numerous other brands make and sell the able across all levels, says Morilly. “It is a form same type of equipment, clothing and shoes, of exercise that is absolutely growing. We may just labelled as functional fitness. have reached a plateau with the number of Combat sports boxes opening up in the bigger cities, but in smaller towns we are regularly opening up Although not on the official Top Trend lists, combat sport is becoming increasingly popular new ones.”

8 Yoga

Hearables a big hit cont. from p47

and ﬂexible sensors embedded in the fabric mimics traﬃc signals to alert drivers behind the cyclist when he intends to turn or stop. • A super small nanocomputer in a golf glove scans the grip, speed, and overall motion sequence of the player, providing feedback.

Hearables a big hit “The big hit (at the Mobile Congress) were virtual reality headsets,” reports Stammel. “Until now the focus was mostly on wrist-based heart rate monitors, but ear-based biometric headphones have their advantages. The reason why there are nowadays so many hearable devices available for the sports market is because the ear is potentially a better

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

place for retrieving biometrics than the wrist, because there is less movement and the skin is thinner, which makes reading easier. For this reason they are more accurate.

Skullcandy: affordable hearables Ear buds and headphones may be the latest fashion accessories among youngsters, but they also have to provide superb sound, feel comfortable in the ear and provide easy access to your music or training app while you are on the go. Skullcandy, locally distributed by Luks Brands is the designer and manufacturer of headphones, ear buds and head sets that tick all these boxes. Their buds and wireless headphones not only sound good, they also look good.What’s more, they are aﬀordable.

7 Exercise is medicine: people do it for health 9 Personal training is becoming popular as a career choice 10 Exercise and weight loss

Changes from 2016 • Strength training #4 in 2016 • Yoga and Zumba: #10 in 2016 • CrossFit #7 in 2016 in South Africa — not as a competitive blood sport, but as a form of ﬁtness training, where boxing is combined with sparring, bag work (boxing bags and cushions) and grappling (like wrestling). This is also growing among women, especially MMA. There are a number of boxing clubs, MMA, UFC and kickboxing clubs across the country, and almost just as many brands that associate themselves with this form of training. Internationally Reebok have signed up as the partner for UFC (Unlimited Fighting Championship) to be the exclusive outﬁtter and apparel provider. They have also struck a deal to be the brand partner of FightclubSA.

The range of Chops Buds Skullcandy ear buds in sleek designs and eyecatching colours, are sweat resistant and are designed to ﬁt comfortably in or around the ear. A bluetooth wireless connector, which can be worn like a collar around the neck, provides stability during even vigorous activities. They also feature call and track control.

Sport :: p51

Fitness trending at ISPO Munich With a hall dedicated to health and fitness, this product category will again attract a lot of attention at 2017 ISPO Munich Fitness and health were again buzz-words at this year’s ISPO Munich — even before the show begins on February 5. But, judging by the many booths booked by manufacturers of interest-generating products in Hall B4, it was easy to predict that the fitness-dedicated hall will generate at least as much interest as in 2016. An exhibitor will be showing how 3D shoes are printed, yoga guru Young Ho Kim will begiving demonstrations, live fitness classes will be conducted, several experts will talk fitness and in hall B2 all the latest fitness and apparel styles will be seen. Fitness will indeed be trending.

ISPO predicts trends And Jacqueline Eskandar, ISPO project coordinator of the Health and Fitness area obliged by making predictions of what she believes will be the ﬁve most important Health & Fitness trends to watch at the show.

1. Running remains a trend sport. “One focus will be on the

trend sport of running,” says Eskandar. Apart from talks on the latest trends and production tecgniques, a Running Shoe Symposium will be held during ISPO.

2. Health & ﬁtness for women. “There’s enormous potential for retail there,” explains Eskandar, “We want to show what the new ideal of beauty of active, healthy, and well-toned women looks like and what role social media plays in it.”

Above all, it’s a topic that’s interesting not just for athletes: everybody wants to know how many steps they’ve taken how high their pulse is (see p 47).” That is why electronics manufacturers like Samsung and LG will also have booths this year.

5. Yoga — now for and by men. Several gurus of the yoga scene will be doing presentations and

giving talks. In addition, new ﬁtness products will be introduced during demonstrations and talks on manufacturer’s stands. A sport scientist will, for example give tips on how best to train with the elastic resitance bands that are now becoming so popular amongst all athletes doing bodyweight training.

3. Group training remains indemand. Trainers from the Asics Training Squad, the Greenbodycamp, and social media experts will be performing exercises on stage and discuss the latest developments. Other women’s ﬁtness trends, such as the workout boutique ﬁtness spilling over from the US, will also be addressed.

4. Wearables are indispensable. “The topic of wearables deﬁnitely continues to grow enormously, says Eskandar. “Every tenth person these days already uses wearables or ﬁtness apps.

SKINS shows compression fashion Functionable can also be fashionable, Skins will show the local market when their new women’s range arrive in February this year. They dressed the gradient compression features the brand became known for in decidedly fashionable prints and colours. A fitness workout will not only be therapeutic, but your customers will look good while exercising. As the name applies, the Botanica series features flowery prints, that can be worn with light or fuschia pink loosefitting tops, which will look at home in even the trendiest gym. The designs also shout fashion: crop tops with spaghetti straps, box-style tops and jackets, bomber jackets in eye-catching colours that combine with longsleeve t-shirts or cap sleeve t-shirts, shorts worn over compression leggings, and ... and ... and. They also added a wireless cropped hoodie and fleece tapered pants to wear on the way to the gym. A new women’s cycling range will also be introduced with similar colour and design features. Skins is locally available from Brand ID.

Foam rollers and medicine balls are not only useful rehab tools, but are becoming ever more popular amongst athletes who use them to release muscle tightness and assist with recovery.

Roll up! for fitness from De Wet Sport FOAM ROLLERS that help with recovery by rolling out muscle soreness are fast becoming must-have fitness products. Rollers, available in a wide variety of foam densities, sizes and outer designs, are also used during yoga and Pilates workouts to smoothe muscles. De Wet Sports has now intruduced a range of foam rollers to their extensive fitness product offering. They are good for stretching and flexibility to help shape, tone and massage all muscle groups and improve core strength, explains Kevin de Wet. They vary from the very durable closed cell rollers, to ribbed foam rollers with a unique shape to provide a deeper massage that will alleviate muscle pain, he says. “The hollow foam rollers are especially designed to massage and stretch muscle and soft tissue in many directions to improve core strength. They have also introduced firm massage balls to the range to provide another form of deep tissue massage. The spiky outer layer offers a stimulating effect, increasing circulation, and is especially good for relieving heel pain. These are additions to their fitness range that covers just about every conceivable fitness De Wet Sport’s resistactivity: resistance bands, ance bands. skipping ropes, hand grips, exercise wheels, sit up bars, yoga mats, Pilates sets, aerobic equipment, cross training straps, balance domes, gym balls, dumbbells, kettle bells, weights, etc. etc.

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

KEEPS COLD

COLD

With double-walled vacuum insulation and a no-sweat design, Thermo Steel’s stainless steel tumblers and ﬂasks will keep drinks colder for longer — perfect for summer days when your customers just have to have a cold one.

Frosty 590ml Vacuum Tumbler w/Handle

40 18 6

HOURS HOURS HOURS

BUT not only do they keep drinks cold … they do just as good a job to keep liquids warm. This versatility makes selling these ﬂasks and tumblers an easy task throughout the year, and the perfect addition in just about any situation: camping, travelling, picnicking, supporting the kids next to the ﬁeld, in the car, at the desk, etc.

Big Daddy 890ml Vacuum Tumbler w/Handle

50 24 8

HOURS HOURS HOURS

For more information, contact Lite Optec: Tel: 011 462 6986 or sales@liteoptec.co.za.

KEEPS WARM LICENCE TO

WARM CHILL

Wide Mouth 1 900ml Vacuum Flask w/Handle

50 34 10

HOURS HOURS HOURS

Wide Mouth 1 060ml Vacuum Flask w/Handle

76 54 18

HOURS HOURS HOURS

Wide Mouth 530ml Vacuum Flask w/Handle

50 30 10

HOURS HOURS HOURS

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

Outdoor eating options

here are several factors you need to consider when recommending cooking equipment, and all that goes with it, to your customer: the number of people they want to cook for, the weight and the activity your customer will be using it for, the type of fuel, the duration of the trip, etc. The equipment your customer can, or wants to use, when he has to transport everything himself (e.g. hiking) vs. when he has another mode of transport (e.g. caravanning) varies signiﬁcantly.

Our cut-out-and-keep series to assist retailers with product knowledge Words: Carin Hardisty. Compiled with the help of www.cadacinternational. com, www.cascadedesigns.com/msr, www.jetboil.com, www.outdoorgearlab. com, thesummitregister.com, and traversegear.co.za. Photo: Anja Koehler. For Messe Friedrichshafen.

Carry everything himself For the customer who will be carrying all his own equipment, weight and space are his top concerns: the lighter and the smaller it packs away the better. Titanium and anodized aluminium are lightweight materials: • Titanium heats fast, but its thin pot walls get extremely hot and can warp. ◦ Titanium pots can be used to boil water or make liquid-based food such as soup, but not to cook food in as it’s too thin. • Anodized aluminum: a layer of hard aluminum oxide is applied to an aluminum surface, which protects food and the surface from wear. ◦ Anodized aluminum pots can be used to cook food in. ◦ Lightweight, yet durable and strong; ◦ Transfers heat well. • With the various freeze-dried food options, consumers often only use a pot for boiling water in. Freeze-dried foods are lightweight and all the user has to do to enjoy a wholesome meal is to add boiling or cold water (consult the individual product’s instructions), stir and seal the pouch — after a few minutes your customer has a meal and the bag can also be used to eat out of, if the user doesn’t want to dirty a plate or bowl. ◦ These freeze-dried foods come in a variety of meals: breakfast, mains, soups, drinks … even desserts.

Reducing space Cooking systems designed to pack away inside the pot will reduce the space required. • Advise your customer to separate the canister and the cup with a layer of material, when storing inside each other, to prevent

these conditions. Non-integrated canister The fuel system is separate from the stove, with a hose to connect them. • Pro: small and lightweight; • Con: no wind resistance or a way to diffuse heat, and therefore less efficient compared to an integrated system. Heat exchange technology Heat exchange fins on the stove increase performance, saves cooking time, and reduces gas consumption. They create a bigger surface area that heats up and transfers more heat into the liquid in the pot — and ultimately increase the heat transfer efficiency. • Insulated heat exchanger pots increases the outside area of the pot to ensure more efficient metal heat conduction. • Can increase heating performance as much as 30% and reduce cooking time. • Metals like gold, copper and aluminum transfer heat best.

Liquid fuel stoves

scratches; • He should not store the canister in the cup while either are still damp. This could cause a rust ring to form. To remove the rust, recommend your customer cleans the cup with a non-scratch sponge and a mixture of baking soda and water.

Types of cooking systems Integrated system With this system the fuel canister forms a base, onto which the pot fits securely. • Pros: The burner is in direct, diffused, contact with the pot (often insulated) and offers efficient water boiling capabilities; ◦ Fast and fuel efficient; ◦ Good for short trips for 1-2 people. • Con: can experience difficulty in high wind and extreme cold temperatures (see ‘Output pressure’), but there are some that have been designed specifically for use under

• Propane provides a higher vapor pressure for better performance in the cold. • Isobutane provides a constant pressure when the fuel level gets low. • Pros: Good for longer trips, where two or more people will need to use it; ◦ Can be completely dismantled to easily clean and troubleshoot while still out in the ﬁeld; ◦ Can use simmer control; ◦ Can be used to cook a variety of foods; ◦ Often has multi-fuel capability, which is good for trips where your customer might not be sure what type of fuel he’ll be able to get at the destination (e.g. when travelling abroad); ◦ Consistent temperature in both cold and warm climates; ◦ Fuel vessels are reusable. • Con: heavy and bulky. • Alcohol stoves can boil small amounts of water. • Pro: It becomes lighter during the trip as the canister loses fuel. • Con: It is less eﬃcient for longer cooking as the fuel burns up quickly. The required amount of fuel your customer will need depends on what your customer expects to be doing with the stove. To p54

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

p54 :: Outdoor

Cooking systems cont. from p53 Mainly boiling water requires less fuel, for example, than cooking and simmering meals, melting snow, or working with very cold water.

Output pressure Fuel pressure determines the stove’s output. Factors that affect the pressure: • Cold temperature: the colder the conditions, the lower the burner’s output will be, because the vapor pressure is also lower. The output pressure is influenced by the temperature of the gas that is inside the canister — the lower the gas temperature, the lower the pressure. ◦ A liquid fuel stove that uses propane will perform the best. ◦ Subzero usage: if your customer expects he’ll need to use the system in subzero conditions, he should: ▪ Keep the fuel canister warm by wrapping it in something when it’s not being used (for example a jacket, sleeping bag, etc.) — your customer should only remove it when he is ready to use it; ▪ Do not place the canister directly on a cold surface. Insulate it from the snow by placing it on a small piece of foam, for example; ▪ Take a spare canister, which should be kept warm while not in use, to swap as needed with one that is too cold for use. • Running the stove repeatedly, for example boiling several pots of water one after the other, will cause pressure to drop. When fuel vaporises it cools down, which in turn cools the canister down. Therefore, when using the same canister, each pot that he heats up will take longer than the one he heated immediately before — because each time the stove has less pressure to feed it. • A pressure regulator controls the fuel pressure that goes into the stove, and maintains this pressure level, no matter the outside conditions. ◦ Without a pressure regulator, the stove’s heat output declines as the fuel pressure drops, and outside forces such as the weather will play a role in how efficient it performs. ◦ With a regulator, a stove performs consistently even when the fuel pressure drops. • Pots for making food in should have a simmer control that will allow the user to regulate how much heat comes through. Canister, white gas and multi-fuel stoves often feature this. To make cooking in the outdoors even more enjoyable, brands offer various accessories that can be used with their cooking systems. ◦ Coffee press: for when your customer just can’t go without his caffeine fix. These presses can be used with selected pots. ◦ Fuel can stabiliser: allows your customer to use the cooking system on uneven terrain. ◦ Pot support: allows the burner to be used with other pots, pans, etc.

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

To ensure your customer gets the most out of his cooking system, he should take note of the following: • Some stoves require priming, which entails lighting a small amount of fuel in the stove and giving it time to warm up. Canister stoves don’t require priming, but some liquid fuel stoves do. • Use non-scratching utensils and low-abrasion cleaning equipment; • Clean the cup with a mixture of 3:1 water and white vinegar with a scratch-free sponge, to work oﬀ residue. Don’t use powder detergent as it could contain lye and possibly damage the surface.

How many mouths to feed? When deciding on how many cooking systems to take with and how big they should be, it’s important to know how many people will need to be fed. In general, you can work on one small stove for every two people, or even a stove per person — the more stoves there are, the less time your customer and his partners will have to wait for the stoves to ﬁnish and for them to eat or drink. If he plans on taking one big stove to feed several people at once, he will want a stove with a wide base, which will handle a bigger pot better.

Heavy duty If your customer will be using some means of motorised transport, for example packing everything into his car and/or caravan, he will be less constrained with regards to space and weight. He won’t be able to take the kitchen stove with, but he does have a selection of gas braai options that will help make him feel right at home — and offer him just about all the same options as home cooking. Benefits of cooking on gas include: • Hot immediately — no waiting around for the fire to be warm enough to cook on; • Certain models have adjustable temperature control; • Easy to ignite. Portable gas braais come in a variety of shapes and sizes. • HP (high pressure) braais work off a gas cartridge and LP (low pressure) braais work with a gas cylinder that is connected via a regulator and hose; • Styles with a concave lid offer the user different cooking options: ◦ Use without the lid to braai; ◦ With the lid on to make meals he might make in an oven; ◦ These also have thermometers that allow roasting and smoking meat. Brands also offer a variety of accessories designed to be used on portable gas braais like BBQ tops, flat grill plates, skottels and a pizza stone, for when the craving sets in.

Outdoor :: p55

What’s News in outdoor Outdoor cooking made easy The Fire-Maple cooking equipment and Travellunch food ranges are geared towards outdoor enthusiasts to enable them to enjoy their cooking and food while away from the ‘finer things in life’. Both are locally distributed by Traverse Outdoor Gear. Fire-Maple’s compact Fire-Force stove is designed with a 3-way wind shield on the burner to help block wind from blowing the stove out once lit, and also reignites itself in cross winds. The 10236 btu (3000w) output stove features a direct burner, which is directed onto the pot’s base for concentrated heat. Its Fire-Feast anodised aluminium pot set consists of two pots (1.5l and 0.9l) and lids, as well as a 0.7l frying pan. The lids have straining holes, the handles are foldable and can lock into place, and there are 250ml measurement indicators. “This set only weighs 706g with a storage bag making hiking or camping effortless,” says Traverse Outdoor Gear. The Fire Fresh 1.5l pot features heat exchanger fins that increase performance, saves up to 30% of cooking time and reduces gas con-

Go travel! with Vango With the Rand on the mend, chances are good that more of your customers will go travelling this year — and this will give you the ideal opportunity to tell them more about the travelling packs available. For example, the latest offerings from Vango, locally distributed by Ram Mountaineering. The Infinite 100 Duffle Bag is ideal for carrying gear and equipment on long journeys to wild and wonderful places. “If you are planning a

sumption, explains Traverse Outdoor Gear. The pot and its lid are constructed of hardened anodised aluminium. The Fire-Maple range also includes a handy 0.8l tea kettle. Fire-Flair is made in aluminium with a hard anodized treatment on the surface, “which is safe and healthy to use. The whole kettle only weighs 182g, which can be put in your backpack freely.” Travellunch features a range of lightweight, freeze-dried travel food pouches that will make your customers’ mouths water. Beef stroganoﬀ, chicken korma curry, a variety of pasta meals, gluten free vegetable risotto … even a selection of desserts such as chocolate mousse and rice pudding! For the easiest meal that your customers have ever made, direct them to your Travellunch display. All your customer has to do is add the required amount of boiling water (each package has diﬀerent requirements) to the packet of food, stir well, and then seal the pouch for the required number of minutes – just about enough time to search where he put his spoon and plate. The pouch also doubles as an eating container, so your customer can even save on washing up.

multi-stop trip, this extremely strong and robust wheeled cargo will accompany you until the end of your journey and beyond,” says local distributor Simon Larsen. The versatile Zest 40 backpack uses tough, durable Eco PVC fabrics. It oﬀers many carry options with a stow away rucksack, a quick access laptop sleeve and a hidden document pocket, which makes it ideal for carry-on luggage. The very strong and durable Vango Cargo 65 is ideal for carrying equipment and other gear

FIVE STAR LIVING IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS

over rough terrain, or just long journeys everywhere. Short journeys too, as a matter of fact. The Vango Inﬁnite 100 Duffel Bag

GO VISIT KAUFMANNOUTDOOR.CO.ZA TO VIEW OUR RANGE For more information on the range, contact the Agrinet team. Samrand: T. +27 12 657 2000, Bellville: +27 21 959 5420 or enquiries@agrinet.co.za, www.agrinet.co.za Exclusively distributed by

2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader

p56 :: Outdoor

Outdoor news cont. from p55 Eiger to distribute Cascade brands

Change a Life Academy head coach Lucas Mthalane have helped train many champions. Photo: Jacques Marais.

The Hi-Tec supportedf Change a Life Academy producing champions

John Fontyn of Eiger Equipment, with the Sports Trader award he won a few years ago as Outdoor Distributor of the Year.

eiger equipment is the new South African distributor of the Cascade Design brands, which include Mountain Safety Research (MSR), Therm-a-Rest, Platypus, SealLine, PackTowl and others. Eiger Equipment will add these to their portfolio of top outdoor brands that include Petzl, Nalgene, Stanley and Coghlans. The Cascade Design brands were previously distributed locally by Outward Ventures. “We are proud to continue to partner with strong and established outdoor specialty distributors such as Eiger Equipment,” says James Cotter, MD for Cascade Designs Europe. “We are confident that their industry experience will be a huge asset to our retailers in the region and that they will represent Cascade Designs’ storied history and its extensive array of outdoor products well.” Eiger Equipment, founded by John Fontyn, is based in Cape Town and is a specialist distributor with almost 20 years industry experience in distributing outdoor leisure brands.

Supported by Hi-Tec, Martin Dreyer has shown over the years that the athletes trained at his Change a Life Academy (CAL) have it in them to become champions. At the recent Umpetha Challenge canoe race CAL ambassador Sbonelo Khwela took race honours while head coach Lucas Mthalane finished third. Mthalane has been involved in the Change a Life Academy since its inception, has climbed the academy’s ranks since 2009 and is now head coach. While teaching the new generation of paddlers the skills to become top athletes, Mthalane is still a fierce competitor. “I have come third so many times at the Umpetha Challenge but I am still happy with the result,” he said. Mthalane and the rest of the impressive Change a Life Academy were gearing up for the next 2017 FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon qualifier – the Ozzie Gladwin Canoe Marathon —as well as the big one itself in January, after we

had gone to print. Mthalane has been in a mentorship and coaching role at the academy for seven years and has coached some of the province’s best up and coming paddlers in his time, including the likes of Banetse Nkhoesa who partnered Khwela to third place at the 2016 Dusi. “It is great for us to see the younger guys doing well at races and doing well often. “Racing against and training with the younger guys that are coming through makes me realise how far we have come as an academy from when we started all those years ago. “We never really had the idea of becoming so competitive when we started the academy and we weren’t too serious but when we started producing results and performing well, we grew in confidence! “It’s great to see about 20 people at our training sessions every day and we want to keep producing guys like Sbonelo (Khwela) and Banetse (Nkhoesa),” he added. Day 1 and the Merrell Adventure Addicts — Tatum Prins, Graham Bird, Hanno Smit, and Donovan Sims — are still among the top 10 teams in the World Championships of Adventure Racing. Photo: Kirsten Oliver.

Merrell Adventure Addicts do us proud, despite losing a gear illuStrating juSt how quickly the tide can turn, South Africa’s top performing Merrell Adventure Addicts adventure racing team went from a position among the top 10 teams in the World Cup of Adventure Racing, to finish in 26th place … all due to a lost gearing system early in the second bike leg that just wouldn’t get fixed, no matter how hard they tried. After an emotional ride — hoping mechanics could fix the problem, hoping to catch local cycling stores on their route, being offered outside assistance that they weren’t allowed to take due to competition rules, towing the injured bicycle (with its cyclist) for 70km — the team decided that just finishing was the important goal for them in the end. They crossed the finish line after 125hours. “We came here to try to win,” says team captain Graham Bird. “That changed due to circumstances beyond our control and so we changed our focus. Life is unpredictable and this sport is a reflection of exactly that. South Africa’s other competing team, Sanlam Painted Wolf, did well by securing fourth position. In the World Championship teams had to navigate along an unmarked

Sports Trader :: 2017 Q1

627km route in Australia, along the coast, through caves, and across the Shoalhaven region. Teams each have a compass, maps, and a GPS tracker that tell supporters where the participants are, but don’t help the teams themselves.Teams have to finish together. Merrell Adventure Addicts is supported by Black Diamond, Ocean Eyewear, and Island Tribe, among others. The Merrell Adventure Addicts has a top ten finish at the World Championship in 2011. Graham ‘Tweet’ Bird (the captain), Tatum ‘The Hobbit’ Prins, Hanno ‘Smelly ‘ Smit and Donovan ‘Tiny” Sims proudly waved the SA flag. Photo: Andreas Strand.

Trade show news

Trade shows :: p57

For a comprehensive list of trade shows for the year, see our Sports Trader calendar included with this issue.

2018 Outdoor Retailer and bike show dates change A trend is emerging among trade show organisers to move their show dates earlier, to accommodate changing product launch times and to be closer to when retailers place orders. From 2018 Outdoor Retailer is making significant changes to its OR Summer and OR Winter show dates to assist different ordering schedules and to coincide with peak consumer shopping periods. The summer trade show will also partner with the Surf Expo, held at the same time. The summer show will move forward to June 11-14, 2018 and the winter show to November 12-15, 2018. These shows will now follow the invitation-only Grassroots Outdoor Alliance’s Connect Events, where 62 of the biggest US retailers engage with suppliers, also in Salt Lake City. In addition, a winter expo in January 2019 will serve market segments with later shopping dates. The Outdoor Retailer organisers rescheduled dates and introduced additional expos following market research and feedback from exhibitors, retailers and representatives, as well as consultation with its partner the Outdoor Industry Association and the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance. The 2017 show dates will remain as follows: Outdoor Retailer Summer Market: July 26-29 and Open Air Demo: July 25. The 2018 dates will be: Outdoor Retailer Winter

will be held October 31 to November 3. Thereafter Messe Friedrichshafen announced that the 2018 Eurobike show would be held 8-10 July instead of the traditional August/September period. The show will also be held over three days instead of four, and will be purely trade focussed.

Interbike thinking of changing

Photo by Carlo Nassise . Courtesy of Outdoor Retailer.

Market: January 9-11; Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Connect: June 6-9; Specialty Retailer Education Day: June 10; Outdoor Retailer Summer Market: June 11-14; Outdoor Retailer Expo @ Surf Expo: September 6-8; Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Connect: November 7-10; Specialty Retailer Education Day: November 11 and Outdoor Retailer Winter Market: November 12-15. This will be followed by the Outdoor Retailer Winter Expo in January 2019.

Cycling shows also reschedule Following a 60% vote in favour in a survey of exhibiters and retail visitors, the organisers of the Taipei Cycle show decided to move the show from March to October. The 2018 show

FeHoVa becoming big Eastern European hunting and fishing show the FeHoVa show in Budapest, Hungary, is growing into one of the biggest hunting and fishing shows in the region. This year 300 exhibitors from 17 countries will be showing their products to an expected 60 000 visitors from February 9-12. Fishing is increasingloy becoming a bigger component of the show and over the past two years the fishing section has grown about 30%. More than 50 fishing tackle mnufacturers from Eastern European countries will be showing products. In addition, major international manufacturers like Fox, Rapala, Shimano, Daiwa, Spro, Okuma, etc. will be showing their latest tackle. The region around Hungary is considered to be one of the biggest growth areas in the recreational fishing sector.

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The major American cycling show, Interbike, is also considering earlier dates. “There has been some strong interest in moving Interbike to a June/July time frame beginning in 2018,” say the organisers. “We have had feedback that exhibitors and attendees would find more value in an earlier product introduction/preview timeframe. “As such, suppliers might be more inclined to debut product at the show to internal and external sales staff and retailers who want to get a full picture of what the entire industry has to offer.” The organisers are still surveying exhibitors and retail visitors to find out if they will be interested in an earlier show starting 2018 (usually it’s held mid-September), and if they would want the show to move from Las Vegas where it show has been held since the mid90s. Alternative host cities are Anaheim in California, and Denver in Salt Lake City.

Paddlesport Retailer new show PaddlesPorts retailer, the latest trade show for the watersport industry, has been launched in reaction to Outdoor Retailer changing its show dates. “After hearing that OR was moving to June, it became clear this meant the end of paddlesports in Salt Lake City. There’s just no way vendors or retailers can leave their factories and shops in peak season,” says co-organiser Darren Bush, who is also involved in organising US’ largest paddle sports expo: Canoecopia. The first Paddlesports Retailer will take place 12-14 September 2017 in Wisconsin, US. 49 1 40 43 OFC OBC 47 5 5 5 5 42

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2017 Q1 :: Sports Trader