Tom Hutton


shrink the price slightly. The downside is that comfort or even performance can be affected if the bits that have been Room 101’d were actually useful.


Weakening – similar in some ways to Technology, the difference here is that newer, lighter materials are used, but they aren’t as strong or tough as the originals so the item is unlikely to last as long or withstand as much abuse. A good example here is lightweight 21/2- layer waterproof fabrics, where a sprayed-on coating is asked to protect the membrane instead of a fabric layer.


We can therefore assume that if something is now lighter than it used to be, it will almost certainly be because of one or more of these


reasons. The trick now is to try and work out which, and then to be able to explain these reasons to the customer.


But this is only half the job. It’s good to know your products, of course, but the really important thing here is to understand what the customer needs. Only then can you successfully identify the right product for them.


So why would a walker, for example, want lighter equipment? It can only really come down to two reasons. The first is that they have to lug whatever they are carrying (and this includes their body weight, sandwiches and smart phone as well as their walking gear) up hill, which uses more energy than lugging something


lighter. And the second is that at


some stage or


another, most of what they take with


them will end up in a pack, and that is carried on the shoulders. And as a rule, the heavier it is, the less comfortable it will be.


So with this in mind, in a perfect world, they would want everything to be lighter – unless they are training for something, or masochistic, why not? But they need to know how those grams have been trimmed before they can really make an informed decision about the price they are prepared to pay for that lighter pack or easier climb. If they go for the top-end technological advances, they’ll possibly benefit all round, but they can expect to take a big hit on the credit card. If they go for the trimming, they’ll have to ask whether they will miss the pocket, or the cavernous hood, or the side


compression straps, or the reinforced back system. And if they go for the weakening, are they ok knowing that


14 SGB OUTDOOR AUGUST 2010


they’ll be back in the shop a lot sooner next time? If the retailer can talk them knowledgably through the options, and of course the pros and cons of each, then it’s up to them to decide how much they are prepared to sacrifice. Just how much is it worth to them to save a few grams. One thing’s for sure, if you help them make an informed decision, there will be no false expectations, and no nasty surprises. And with any luck, this will mean they’ll be back soon for some more helpful advice.


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