p12 Outdoor Clarks:SGBGolf_NEW_template 01/06/2009 10:41 Page 12
Clarks
Clarks
One of the UK's best known brand names – and arguably the
best known overall in terms of footwear – is looking to
the outdoor and outdoor sports markets for future
growth. Adult Sports Director Neil Beeson told SGB
Women's Iola Mid GTX
about the company's plans…
F
ew brands have the name recognition of Clarks, linked forever have connection with, for example, the walking generation. Our consumer
to the British high street and school days with comfortable base is pretty much the walking generation. Then there are assets like, we
shoes… But the brand has moved on since the 80s, forging a provide a comfortable shopping environment for women, which the sports
hard-earned reputation as both a place to go for fashionable industry typically doesn't do. It is more often a youthful or a masculine
women's shoes as well as comfortable, hard-wearing shoes. place. There are a couple of core assets that we can use to get into this
The company now plans to transplant that reputation into the outdoor marketplace as well. Long-term, we recognise that the further we want to
industry, initially selling outdoor lines through their own stores but penetrate this business, the more we are going to need to position ourselves
eventually branching out into specialist outdoor shops, as Neil Beeson in the specialists as well.
explained to SGB…
SGB: What's the price point of the top boot?
SGB: It takes time to bring together a line of footwear – how long have NB: Top of the range is the £99.99 boot. It's not cheap. For autumn winter
you been working on these? 09 we have invested in our own soles and our own rubber compounds. We
Neil Beeson: We started looking at it from a strategic point of view more have been working with one of the suppliers. We weren't able to brand the
than 20 months ago, and this is the introduction of the first collection. It introduction of that new rubber compound in time for the moulds [that SGB
took a while to get the whole piece together and get the product engine up saw], but it is called Rock Grade Rubber, and it is to all intents and purposes
and running and the development in place. you should expect in the outdoor in terms of durability, abrasion resistance,
In our AW09 collection, the outdoor pieces will come in store probably in braking control...it is just a really sticky rubber that has the durable aspects
August, while some of the more lifestyle stuff comes in a bit earlier, end of that you'd find in a recognised Vibram.
June or beginning of July.
SGB: What are the plans for your launch?
SGB: What are the cornerstones of the range? NB: We really want to build from the core of the Clarks brand out, from
NB: The collection has been segmented into core areas. Sport Life is a where we sit in the industry, where we sit in the high street. We are not
collection that is fit for purpose. It has been built for everyday wear, but going all guns blazing into this – 'this is the best thing on the marketplace,
with a sporting capability if our consumer base wishes to use it for that. nobody can match us, this is what you have got to go with'. It is about the
Then we have the Sport Style segment, which is sport-inspired products for culture of the brand. We are going to build from the core out, to learn as
everyday wear, not intended for any performance use. It is about the we go, and we are going to extend beyond the comfort zone of what we
inspiration of the look. Beyond that, we have three categories: Open Air, know at the moment, as we get the success which we believe is out there.
which represents the outdoor segment; Studio Zone, which is basically The key investments we are doing for the season is PR and in-store. We
fitness in and around the studio; and then Freestyle, which is that sports- don't have a huge communication programme lined up, we are going to
inspired collection. That is how it is fundamentally segmented. use our retail footprint to make a statement. It's a powerful tool in its own
right – the shop windows, for example. PR is the other investment we are
SGB: Why choose to enter this [outdoor and sports] sector? making in terms of starting to get the word of mouth out there. We are
NB: We are really trying to roll the brand out with an international going to start to get some product placement, some testing and start to
perspective, and recognise that sport is a part of every person's life today, in build the reputation from the ground up, some grassroots wear trials. We
terms of their footwear, the way they use the footwear. You look at have got to put our product on the line.
markets like the UK, where 52 percent of all men's footwear sales now are The other aspect of that retail investment side is that it is obviously not
in sport, whether that is performance or inspiration. It's a pretty big just the shop window and the in-store communication, it is also the staff in-
marketplace to ignore as a specialist in the footwear industry. There's that, store as well. That is going to be one of the key areas that where we try to
and there's a recognition that we have our core beliefs, which are about work on – building their knowledge level up, so that the consumer gets a
comfort, fit, quality, craftsmanship, we have something to take back to the level of confidence once they start asking questions, that the staff have a
sports industry. level of knowledge about what they are taking about. That is going to be
one of the key things. We feel that in the current economic environment
SGB: Even with your trusted brand name, how are that service is becoming such an important factor, because it is difficult to
you going to do this? How will you get in to the separate a lot of brands at the moment. Where people are buying
relevant outlets? value, they want value on many level and service is very much one of
NB: We are going to build from the centre out, from those values that they want to be buying in to.
our own retail portfolio. If you split the outdoor market into the altitude
One thing the sports industry has been good at grades in terms of the product we supply, we
doing is making themselves relevant for everyday recognise that we are not up there, with
wear. One thing the shoe industry has not been backpacking, mountaineering. We are not in
good at is making themselves relevant for everyday that zone at the moment. We basically see
sports shoe wear. It's about using our skillsets. And we
Men’s Prague Mid GTX
ourselves in the hiking, trekking and urban trail market.
12 SGB OUTDOOR MAY 2009
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