SportsSERVING THE SPORTS TRADE IN THE UK AND ROI www.sports-insight.co.uk £3.50 JUNE 2010 Insight THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF SPORTS AND PLAY ASSOCIATIONS Scale New Heights www.sportech.ie INSIDE THIS ISSUE SEE PAGE 38 RAGING BULL SATISFIED CUSTOMERS ECOMMERCE IN SEASON PHIL VICKERY MAKES THE SECRETS OF GENERATING HOW WEBSITE BLUNDERS FOCUS ON SCHOOL SPORTS, HEADWAY ON THE HIGH STREET REPEAT BUSINESS DAMAGE ONLINE SALES SWIMMING AND RUNNING NEED SPORTS RETAIL LOGISTICS? IT’S GAME ON WITH PIC & PAC! Looking for a logistics specialist to handle high volume order processing, pre-retail, UK Import Services leads the way in sports and European distribution? Here in Southampton close to the container port, PIC & PAC retail distribution. Please contact: are on-hand, night and day to pick what you need, scan it and pack for despatch. 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INTER MILAN & BRAZIL) SERIE A WINNER 2010 COPPA ITALIA WINNER 2010 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNER 2010 CONTACT: SALES OFFICE - 0161 439 4383 www.reusch.com SCOTLAND - GEORGE BEARDSALL 07753 251271 NORTHERN ENGLAND & NORTH WALES - GEORGE BEARDSALL 07753 251271 MIDLANDS - CONTACT SALES OFFICE NORTH LONDON, HOME COUNTIES & EAST ANGLIA - GRAHAM RIX 07770 954421 SOUTH LONDON & SOUTH EAST - PETER RAGGETT 07850 721466 SOUTH WEST & WALES - TONY HOWELL 07836 550888 NORTHERN IRELAND - STANLEY WALKER 02892 619682 IN THIS ISSUE Contents 06.10 E-CATALOGUES & BROCHURES To view the latest trade e-catalogues ABC Certification SportsInsight and brochures, working with visit www.sports- Sports Insight has a current ABC insight.co.uk. certified circulation of 5,929 (audit period July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009). The Audit Bureau of ONLINE COMPETITIONS Circulations (ABC) is an independent audit watchdog For more details on the latest Sports Insight that verifies magazines’ circulation figures, providing online competition, visit www.sports- accurate and comparable data for advertisers. insight.co.uk and click on the competition tab ABC Certification demonstrates a media owner’s for your chance to win. integrity, in their willingness to be audited and to conform to industry standards. WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER COVER STORIES Are you missing out on the latest industry news? Then subscribe to the FREE 32 SATISFIED CUSTOMERS 66 UNDER THE COUNTER Sports Insight newsletter. Go to www.sports- The secrets of generating repeat business A sideways look at the world insight.co.uk and of independent retailing click on the 34 RAGING BULL newsletter tab to subscribe. Phil Vickery makes headway on the high street IN SEASON 36 SCHOOL SPORTS WWW.SPORTS-INSIGHT.CO.UK 62 ECOMMERCE How website blunders damage online sales 40 RUNNING 44 SWIMMING REGULARS 52 FOOTCARE 8 NEWS Latest headlines, key dates and events FEATURES 14 KIT STOP 6 POLISHED PERFORMER The running sector remains relatively Essential stock for your shop strong, says The NPD Group 20 FOCUS ON… 30 ARE YOU BOVVERED? Tarkett Sports surface solutions Times have changed and standing out as a retailer means new thinking 23 MEET THE BUYER to successfully engage customers David Conitzer, buying director at King’s Road Sporting Club 56 AT YOUR SERVICE Mike Thomas, client services 24 MOVERS & SHAKERS director at Import Services, Simon Shalloe, brand manager at Sensport explains how you can benefit from using this 27 TALKING SHOP specialist logistics Louise Neville runs the shop supplier Runnersworld in Colchester 28 FSPA FOCUS The latest news from the Federation of Sports and Play Associations Editor: Jeff James. Tel: 01273 748675 Group Editor: Ted Rowe All contents © Maze Media (2000) Limited. The views expressed in this Email: [email protected] Publisher: Matthew Tudor magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort is made to Assistant Editor: Catherine Eade Art Director: Jim Philp ensure the veracity and integrity of the companies, persons, products and services mentioned in this publication and details given are believed to be Sub Editor: John Bensalhia Tel: 01206 508601 accurate at the time of going to press. However, no responsibility or liability Advertising Manager: Keith Marshall Email: [email protected] whatsoever can be accepted for any consequence or repercussion of Tel: 01206 505947 Designer: Chris Ashworth responding to any information or advice given or inferred. No part of this Email: [email protected] Advertisement Art Director: Lee Beecroft publication may be copied, broadcast, interpreted, or stored, in any form, for Fax: 01206 500243. Reproduction: Ace Pre-Press. Tel: 01206 797541 any purpose, without the written permission of the publisher. Advertising Sales Accounts: 01206 505907 ABC certified circulation: 5,929 21-23 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Rd, Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY Published by Maze Media (2000) Ltd, 21-23 Phoenix Court, (audit period July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009) Group Advertising Manager: Sam Reubin Hawkins Rd, Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY UK SUBSCRIPTION: £25 for one year (10 issues) 04 SPORTS INSIGHT WHAT ARE WE UP TO? SEE THE BUYERS GUIDE TO FIND OUT. KitDeals.com® is undergoing the single largest change since it’s creation... KitDeals.com - Proves itself yet again, as 2 of its new retailers both make more than 10 x their membership fees. In 1 case in just 7 days and the other within 14 days. >> See our amazing testimonials. www.kitdeals.com/testimonials RUNNING Polished performer Despite tough economic conditions, the running sector remains relatively strong, says The NPD Group Over the past 18 months the running growth in running apparel used for sport. could be a by-product of the lower prices category has remained one of the jewels In fact, we see a higher number of charged in the female sector. The average in the sports footwear market’s crown. runners wearing non-running specific price for female core running apparel has While many categories have seen sales apparel. This tells us that people see a been on a gentle quarterly decline since decline over this period, sales of running shoe as essential to the sport, but March 2008, whereas males prices have running footwear used for sport have not so with apparel, which obviously been creeping up. Value sales to males continued to grow. reduces the cost of participation. No have always been higher than females, The NPD Group reported that volume costly gym memberships are needed, or but this gap has closed consistently since sales grew three per cent during 2009 specialist clothing, just a pair of running prices have declined. when compared to 2008, while total shoes and the open road. It was during Q3 in 2009 that the footwear sales declined by three per cent Throughout 2009 value sales to level of volume turned round - females during the same period. Average selling females grew faster than to males. This began to purchase more products and prices were slightly down on the previous year, but performed better than many other categories. This is a particularly strong performance when you factor in the state of the economy and rising unemployment. So what drove this trend? Mature buyer Running differs to other categories in that it has a noticeably older average age - nearly 50 per cent of purchases are made by people over 30. This more mature buyer may be one of the reasons the category has held up so well, since youth unemployment has risen faster than for those over 25. Interestingly, we have not seen sales 06 SPORTS INSIGHT pricing was at its most effective. During this period males were spending almost £4 more on running apparel than females - and then a change occurred. During the 12 months to December 2009 sales of male apparel started to dip on a like-for-like basis for the first time since March 2008. Volumes were declining quarter on quarter, however we have seen a full circle swing with male prices falling and females increasing. It appears there is a price needed to reinvigorate the market, but also a maximum price that the consumer will tolerate. Similar to footwear, the larger proportion of sales in core running apparel are generated by people aged 30 and over. This is at a more prevalent level in the male sector, as around 70 per cent of purchases are made by men over 30. In the female sector there is close to a 50/50 split, with the younger age groups in this category spending more. This could be because of the widely held belief that younger males take a greater interest in team sports, whereas females often prefer to train alone. Influencing purchases When we look at the factors that most influenced the purchase of core running apparel, the answers given by males and females are very different. Males are swayed by technical function and quality while, as you would expect, the fit of the product was the most popular answer, but not by much. With females, how well apparel fits is the number one reason for purchase; however, cost is also an important factor, and one that is becoming increasingly important. For both genders price is an important consideration, but the scale of reductions in female apparel leads us to believe that they they may be upscaling. Certainly this appears to be true when you look at the growth of the top running brands.