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Head to Head

Paul Sherratt is country manager for Uhlsport in the UK, and he spoke to Robin Barwick about how the German brand is building a greater market presence

How is Uhlsport faring in the UK in 2010 so far?

We are now seeing

on sports retailing in the UK.

Another factor is that we changed the business model for Uhlsport in the UK in April 2008, and Autumn-Winter 2009/2010 has been the first season that our new management team and sales force could really influence. We now have a lot more confidence in Uhlsport from retailers, and they realise Uhlsport has some stability in the UK.

How are you marketing Uhlsport in the UK?

The Uhlsport brand is now being placed firmly as a football specialist with proud, independent, German thinking, design and technology. This is being backed up in the professional game with 16 Uhlsport goalkeepers going to the World Cup, of which seven or eight are likely to be first choice for their countries, so 25% of the goalkeepers playing the World Cup are going to be wearing Uhlsport gloves.

And all the Uhlsport ’keepers in South Africa will be wearing the same gloves won’t they?

Yes. The World Cup will provide great brand exposure, and all 16 ‘keepers will be wearing gloves with a black backhand and bright yellow palm, with proceeds from sales supporting AIDS orphans in South Africa. This is a unique programme we have been able to take to the marketplace to boost retail confidence.

Do you see the World Cup living up to expectations in the retail trade?

Our World Cup sell-in has been great, but we won’t know until the event how well the retailers will be able to sell the product to consumers. That’s the million-dollar question. I would like to think the World Cup will have a positive affect

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SGB SPORT MAY 2010

If independent retailers are clever they can present a very credible World Cup offering to compete against the multiple retailers, although it might not be driven by replica kits. Across the sports trade in general, momentum is swinging back towards those specialist, niche brands. Consumers are still hungry for knowledge, information and fit-for-purpose products, and if they are looking to purchase a top-end product they are not going to go to a multiple retailer.



Is the focus for Uhlsport now on goalkeeping in particular?

For the past 10 years Uhlsport in the UK has been primarily associated with goalkeeping, and that is no bad thing, however we are now seeing very aggressive growth in teamwear, shin pads and footballs. In France and Germany Uhlsport is

Business in hand: Uhlsport’s Paul Sherratt

A lot of retailers were light on stock at the end of 2009, so there is a double opportunity for Uhlsport in 2010. Firstly, good retailers have been looking to support pre-World Cup programmes, and also those retailers who ran their stock down last year are now in a position to forward-order with more confidence for Autumn-Winter. For the first quarter of 2010 we were up around 10% year on year, and our pre- orders have doubled what they were this time last year.

very aggressive growth in teamwear, shin pads and footballs

Handling the World Cup



What can we look forward to from Uhlsport for Autumn-Winter?

We will be the only brand with a goalkeeper specific football boot, the Torkralle, and some of our endorsees in the World Cup will be wearing it. It is made with a raised heel to push you forward on your haunches and it comes with an RRP of £100.

Our top-end teamwear range for this year is called Progressiv, which is made from polyester thread from recycled plastic bottles. It takes six bottles to make a shirt and three bottles for a pair of shorts. Uhlsport is pushing quite hard on the issue of eco responsibility. A Progressiv adult shirt has a retail price if £22.99.

S

www.uhlsport.com

already a very prominent brand in those categories and has a long heritage – Inter Milan used to wear Uhlsport product – and we are now pushing Uhlsport from two angles in the UK; firstly as a one-stop goalkeeper brand, and secondly as an all-round football brand, which is helping to give retailers more confidence in the brand, and enabling them to stock Uhlsport in a bit more depth. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44
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