Industry: Andy Loeber
“I’m leaving brasher at an exciting time”
Footwear brand brasher’s managing director Andy Loeber is retiring from the company in a few weeks. He tells David Pittman about what he has learnt during his four years at brasher, and what he sees in store for it and the industry.
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ootwear brand brasher’s managing director Andy Loeber said he is leaving the company at an exciting time when it is starting to reap the rewards of modernising its presence in the market. Loeber is retiring from brasher in the spring, and said he will spend his time doing things he wants to do such as travel and play golf. Lacoste’s Marco Ellerker is coming on board in early March to takeover from Loeber.
Loeber has been with brasher for four years, and said that time has seen the company ‘gradually modernise’. This has resulted in three consecutive record years of sales, as well as a wave of new products and some old favourites being given a new lease of life, such as the Hillmaster range.
Loeber said: “It’s starting to pay off now and helping us to grow. After three years of record sales our order book for 2011 is strong which is very rewarding in this environment.
“And our portfolio is strong enough now for us to look at entering other markets. We’re currently only in the UK, but we’re in a position now where we can consider extending into international markets.”
However, he warned that the outdoor footwear industry still needs to be weary of the ongoing impact of the recession on consumer spending.
“For instance, the first three months and last three months of 2010 were great for business, but the middle part of the year was terrible, which made last year tough. It’s not going to get any easier either.
“The industry has kept the recession at an arm’s length to an extent because of people holidaying at home and having to change their lifestyles. But as there is increasingly less money to spend, the outdoor footwear industry will feel the pinch more and more.”
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www.sgboutdoor.co.uk
The industry will also face stiff competition from national sport retailers and supermarkets too, said Loeber. “The bottom end of the market is growing, and to some extent so is the number of people being exposed to the outdoor industry. “However, it’s not growing as fast as distribution into the market, and if big chains can see a market that they can exploit, then they will.”
Outdoor brands will have an ace up their sleeve though in being able to offer a level of service and expertise national outfits can’t. This, he said, is as the outdoor market will remain driven by technical innovations that independents are better suited to handle.
Prior to working with brasher, Loeber spent 15 years working with Reebok and New Balance, so is in a position to draw useful comparisons between the two markets.
“Sports business is more and more driven by fashion and lifestyles trends. This isn’t the case in outdoor as products need to be technical and perform as they are designed to,” he said.
“Outdoor clothing is starting to get swept up in trends as the high street starts to encroach on the market, but for footwear the focus remains on the technical specification.
“True outdoor brands will make sure their products are first and foremost fit for purpose. If they pick up elements of fashion trends along the way, that’s great.”
There are some similarities with sports that Loeber notes though, which could make worrying reading for retailers.
“The sports industry used to be full of enthusiasts and athletes who got into sports retail as a means of marrying up their hobby and their work life. Over the years that changed and sports retail become much more of a hard-nosed business environment.
“The same situation is occurring in the outdoor space, where enthusiasts who enjoy walking, climbing and the like have set-up a business to match their hobby. But in the current climate they need to become more professional to ensure they keep customers coming into their shop, promote their unique selling points and keep their heads above water.
“Sport businesses have also suffered in the same way as those involved in outdoor will as national business start to enter the market, so outdoor retailers need to look at what they’re doing and make sure they’re in a position to compete.”
Those that don’t make themselves known as a specialist independent and are unable to compete with national retailers on price will be squeezed the hardest, he said.
Loeber said independents remain the “lifeblood” of the outdoor retail space though, adding: “There are many good independents still in the market, and brasher works hard with them through its Premier Stockist programme to support them.”
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