Industry: News On the wing


For more on these stories, see www.sgb-sports.com


Boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and dart brand Target have signed a deal that will see the pair collaborate on a new set of products featuring the boxer’s name.


Sports Traider on course for growth A


ffordable sports kit retailer Sports Traider is targeting massive growth in the coming years in order to maximise the opportunities for young people to participate in sport. Sports Traider takes return, end-of-line, sample and old stock from other retailers and direct from manufacturers and passes it on for free or at a greatly reduced cost to make sports equipment accessible to all. The business currently has three outlets in Bedford, Leicester and Luton, but is aiming for more than 150 stores around the UK. Growth will start with up to six new stores opening by the end of year, with operations in Milton Keynes and Stevenage notable additions.


Precision Training has introduced a new Vortex match ball and Vortex futsal ball to the range after claiming record- breaking sales over the last football season.


Samurai Sportswear has been named as the official kit partner for the UK Corporate Games, taking place at Loughborough University on July 14-17. The Corporate Games is Europe’s largest corporate multi- sport festival, attracting teams from businesses and organisations across Europe to compete across a series of events, and helping to build teamwork, confidence and loyalty.


Running equipment and apparel provider Scott Sports is to start using P2i’s ion-mask water repellence


technology to protect its range of running shoes, as is Mizuno on a new


golf shoe.


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Lance Haggith, the founder of Sports Traider, said some locations will have more than one Sports Traider store depending on the need and demand from the local community, with the company now working to gather support from the industry. “The main focus is to get more sports companies on board with us and supporting us, and to get more from them. “This doesn’t affect current ranges as we want older stock to pass on to those that might not be able to afford it. Those that want and can afford the latest ranges will still buy them; we fill a hole in the market for those that can’t afford them.”


Sports Traider has recently started operating


from a 50,000 sq ft warehouse in Bedford in addition to its current warehousing facility in Leicester, which offers from 20,000 to one million sq ft of storage.


Haggith was also awarded the Unsung Hero award at last year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony, a success which he said has opened a number of doors. “I wasn’t expecting to win, but it has opened up a number of doors and got me into places that I couldn’t have got before. We’re now in a position to grow and we’re ready to expand.”


Cybertill sees sport as ‘strategic sector’


S


ystems supplier Cybertill has described the sports industry as a ‘strategic sector’ that it intends to help grow through the use of e- commerce, stock management and electronic sales technology.


Cybertill has recently been named as a preferred partner to the STAG buying group, a similar position it already fulfils with Intersport. This will see its electronic point of sale (EPoS) systems recommended to STAG members, as they already are to Intersport affiliated retailers. Cybertill sales director Tony Woods said Cybertill likes to sell its services by word of mouth and recommendations, a philosophy that fits well with being a preferred partner to both STAG and Intersport.


“We’ve taken a ‘softly, softly’ approach with the buying groups but now we are talking to all their members. The more we are known the better it is as it helps us grow credibility,” he said.


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“Sports is a sector which we have worked in for many years prior to the buying group link- ups, and is one we will continue to support as a strategic way forward for the company.”


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