AUGUST 2018 £3.50 sportsSPORTS OUTDOOR CYCLING RUNNINGinsight FITNESS TRADE sports-insight.co.uk OUTDOOR INTERVIEW RETAIL LIVING LIFE A BROKEN NECK FACE TO FACE WITH ON THE EDGE P.36 CAN’T STOP TIM P.45 A DIGITAL FUTURE P.30 EUROPE’S NO.1 SPORTS WHOLESALER NEW B2B Website, now LIVE… reydonsports.comsee page 17… OUR LATEST DEVELOPMENT... THE PERFORMANCE SUPERLIGHT As it says on the package these are superlight... weighing in at 52 grams (based on size Medium). Specially designed for all race/extreme sporting activities to training hard at the Gym, the Performance Super Light range sports quick drying mesh fabrics with strong breathability and wicking capabilities. Incorporating the PackageFront™, designed for ultimate comfort by reducing heat transfer and restricting package movement without compromising support. Extremely curved panels combined with innovative use of elastic fabric seams lift the user experience to a new level. All products incorporate flat-lock seams and super soft oeko-tex certified fabrics for superior comfort and breathability. We are also pleased to announce that a women’s range is now available to buy in the UK, 3 style are currently available Superlight, Performance and Wood. For more information on comfyballs and how you can get your hands on a pair please contact official UK distributor Solo Sports Brands Ltd. Tel: 015396 22322 Email: [email protected] Web: www.comfyballs.co.uk Think Soccer, BUY ® SAMBA All our new products are now in stock and available for you to buy. • 24 hour delivery • £100 Minimum Carriage Paid Order • Dedicated Field and Telesales Team For more information contact Samba on 01282 860077, [email protected] or contact your local sales representative. Sales Manager – Jeff Tipler – [email protected] 01282860077 Sales Office – Sarah Bell – [email protected] – 01282860077 Sales North West/North East/Scotland – John Hornsby – [email protected] - 07831 351802 Sales Midlands/South of England – David Peel – [email protected] – 07716 169433 Sales Northern Ireland/ Republic of Ireland – David Sanderson – [email protected] – 07939 583876 4 RFU and Fanatics celebrate extended Editor: MARK HAYHURST WELCOME Tel: 01206 508618 Email: [email protected] to this month's Sports Insight global partnership as new England Advertising Manager: KEITH MARSHALL Rugby store at Twickenham opens Tel: 01206 505947 Fax: 01206 500243. The RFU and Fanatics, the Email: [email protected] global leader in licensed sports Advertising Sales merchandise, have opened 21-23 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Rd, the doors to Twickenham’s Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY new state-of-the-art stadium store as part of an eight-year Group Advertising project to develop the RFU’s Manager: SAM REUBIN What a summer we have had so far. global retail and e-commerce Group Editor: The sun blazing down, the general programme. public enjoying the uncharacteristic FAE GILFILLAN An original ten-year Tel: 01206 508615 British weather and schoolchildren partnership reflecting global enjoying the long holidays. e-commerce rights was extended Publisher: MATTHEW TUDOR But before long it will be time to last year until 2025 with the Art Director: LEE WHITEFORD think about going back to school, addition of all official retail outlets Autumn days and colder temperatures. at Twickenham Stadium and non- Advertisement Art Hopefully, everyone will have had a technical product rights. experience remains at the forefront partnership, we entered into a joint Director: KEVIN DENNIS good summer and is prepared for the The new England Rugby Store of technology and development mission to create an engaging retail Reproduction: new season. It won't be long now! represents a major pillar in the with a commitment to regular experience inside the world’s most In this issue we talk to ACE PRE-PRESS. RFU’s match day and non-match refurbishment and technical iconic rugby union venue. Together Tel: 01206 797541 mountaineering legend that is Chris day fan programme following upgrade during the next eight years with our tried and trusted global Bonington. He talks about his life, some recent investment in the World of the partnership. omni-channel shopping experience, Photography: of his most exciting challenges and how Rugby Museum and Stadium Kate Worlock, RFU Head of we now have a package which befits CLIQQ PHOTOGRAPHY changes in technology have aided the Tour operations. Licensing and Retail, said: “We are the RFU’s global standing and we’re www.cliqq.co.uk modern mountaineer. The original store was taken into delighted to be re-launching our proud to be in a partnership that Twitter: @CliQQphoto We also interview the triathlon star management by Fanatics under new and improved England Rugby focuses on providing the best possible Accounts: SUE CARR. Tim Don following the accident that the terms of the new agreement. Store in partnership with Fanatics retail experience for the fans.” Tel: 01206 505903 left him with a broken neck and his road Today’s re-launch is the result today. Twickenham Stadium is the Store design is by Leeds-based, Published by Maze Media (2000) to recovery and ambition to take an of a year-long research and home of rugby and our new store The Shopper Agency, led by Jamie Limited, 21-23 Phoenix Court, Ironman world championship medal. development exercise which was has been designed to ensure people O’Donnell. The Shopper Agency Hawkins Rd, Colchester, Essex Paul Sherratt takes a closer look at undertaken to create a design which who come to Twickenham, whether is a company which specialises in CO2 8JY own label options, even for the smallest offers a best-in-class experience for on a match day or non-match Behavioural Research, Shopper All contents © Maze Media (2000) independent retailer. casual visitors as well as for match day, have a great experience. We Marketing and Retail Design. Limited. The views expressed in Fiona Bugler examines how forward this magazine are not necessarily day fans during the peak periods pride ourselves on our world class Store refit is by Adept. those of the publisher. Every effort thinking brands are picking up on the around major fixtures. facilities at Twickenham, which The new store – England Rugby is made to ensure the veracity and rising trend for online coaching, and The first international fixture include the newly refurbished World Store, Twickenham Stadium integrity of the companies, persons, products and services mentioned in making education a core value. for the new store will be England’s Rugby Museum opened earlier this (South Stand), Whitton Road, this publication and details given Also, with the rise of the world meeting with South Africa in year and the redesigned East Stand Twickenham, TW2 7RE) is open are believed to be accurate at the wide web, Mike Seaman, Managing time of going to press. However, no the Quilter Internationals on launching in the autumn.” from 9:30am to 5:30pm Monday to responsibility or liability whatsoever Director of Raccoon Events, explains November 3, 2018. Fanatics International Head Saturday, 11am-5pm Sunday (NB can be accepted for any consequence why live events are essential despite or repercussion of responding As part of the Partnership, of Retail and Events, Chris Bailes opening times vary on match days). to any information or advice the online boom. Fanatics will ensure the retail said: “After the extension of the www.englandrugbystore.com given or inferred. No part of this publication may be copied, broadcast, interpreted, or stored, in any form, for any purpose, without the written IN PARTNERSHIP WITH permission of the publisher. The official publication of the Sporting Goods Industry Association Sports Insight has a current ABC certified circulation of 5,352 (audit period July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016). The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) is an independent audit watchdog that verifies magazines’ circulation figures, providing accurate and comparable data for advertisers. ABC Certification demonstrates a media owner’s integrity, in their willingness to be audited and to conform to industry standards. UK/ROW subscription: £25/£42.50 for one year (10 issues). @SportsInsightUK PUREGYM ACQUIRES All the very latest in SOHO the sports industry... GYMS NEWS PureGym has completed the acquisition of Soho Gyms and its ten fitness clubs, all of which are based in prime London locations and are highly complementary to PureGym’s existing estate. PureGym will convert all of the Soho Gyms sites into the PureGym format through a rolling refurbishment programme. Similar to the MARKUS HELBLING, successful integration of the CHRISTOPH FRECHEN LA Fitness business, which it AND ROSMARIE BURKHALTER acquired in 2015, PureGym will invest in refurbishing the Decathlon UK reopens flagship gyms, providing Soho Gyms’ existing members with access A new era for Intersport store after £14m upgrade to first-class facilities and a Intersport have appointed worked in leadership positions Multi-sports retailer Decathlon UK has unveiled a new store format growing nationwide network Christoph Frechen as their new in North America and Emerging for its flagship Surrey Quays store following a £14m makeover. of 214 gyms. This transaction General Manager of Marketing, Markets. At the global headquarter The store has been transformed into a 90,000 sq ft sports complex will bring the number of sites Intersport identified the in Germany he assumed positions where customers can try their hand at more than 70 different sports using in PureGym’s London estate need to transform from the in Business Development, Strategy, Decathlon’s extensive range of products and equipment. to 591. traditional product focused Brand Marketing and Retail. The revamped store has a host of unique features including a rooftop Humphrey Cobbold, Chief approach to a consumer centric Rosmarie Burkhalter, Senior multi-sports playing field, 3D tennis and golf simulators, a mini badminton Executive of PureGym, said: led strategy.