Selling: The Shop Floor Trading Intelligence
Shop name: Pete Bland Sports Location: Kendal, Cumbria Owner: Pete, Anne and Matt Bland Website:
www.peteblandsports.co.uk Date opened: November 1981 Buying group affiliation: None Number of staff: 3 directors, 5 full-time, 2 part-time, 2 Saturday staff Specialties sold: Running
1. Not a lot of people know … About our mobile shop, which is very unique for the UK running industry. We attend between 50 and 60 events per year and travel as far north as Fort William, Scotland and as far south as
Llanberis, mid-Wales. The main van is now permanently stocked with over 25 models of shoes, plus a vast range of clothing and accessories.
2. How is the business finding current trading conditions?
Our business has grown year in, year out over the last 12 years, so this year was always going to be a struggle. The shop has done extremely well since we opened the new store in April, however mail order has been a struggle. We find ourselves working twice as hard to maintain our current turnover levels.
3. What has been the greatest success/highlight for the business over the last 12 months? That would have to be the opening of the new store in April. The entire project knocking together both properties started in October 2010 and finished in April 2011, so it was a big job. It’s been a tough year getting back on our feet after major upheaval, but we think it’s been worth it.
4. What recent supplier initiative has been successful for your business?
Nothing of note so far this year, but we are working with a number of suppliers for our 30th anniversary in November.
5. What will be your biggest challenge in the next 12 months?
Maintaining and increasing our current market share. As previously mentioned, this is becoming tougher online as suppliers appear willing to open accounts with Joe Bloggs trading from his garage as a way of increasing their business. This is a slap in the face for those accounts who invest in bricks and mortar as well as knowledgeable and experienced staff. The store however benefits from the latter and that is currently increasing its market share as anticipated. We have some good plans for 2012 to make Pete Bland Sports not just a retailer, but a running community.
26
www.sgb-sports.com Specialist Sport
Company: Asics Founded: 1949 Sport: Wrestling, alongside a core running line and apparel for other sports, such as cricket, rugby, tennis, netball, volleyball, handball and field hockey Key equipment: Performance footwear Website:
asics.co.uk
1. What essential information do retailers need to know about your sport and its equipment? Wrestling is a sport as old as mankind itself. Since the dawn of time men have been pitted against each other in physical hand-to-hand combat, making this almost certainly the most ancient of Olympic sports. Two men or women wrestle until one is declared the winner. Over the years, wrestling techniques have become more sophisticated and generally speaking the winner of any wrestling bout is the person who has the better technique, strength and overall fitness. Wrestling is split into Greco-Roman and freestyle disciplines. In freestyle wrestling, the competitors have a much greater freedom. They can use not only their arms and bodies, but also their legs and can take a hold of their opponent anywhere that allows them to overpower and gain total control of them. WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment, as its name suggests, bears no resemblance to wrestling as a sport. The last British Olympic medal winner was Noel Loban at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, but GB wrestlers are getting back into world contention and are looking forward to being part of the London 2012 Games. Asics footwear is considered to be state-of-the-art in the sport of wrestling. Top wrestlers around the globe use the Asics wrestling collection.
2. What wrestling products does your company offer?
A range of four different wrestling shoes with the Aggressor as our key product. It is built on the specific Asics wrestling shoe last and with soft form- fitting and durable Ecsaine upper. The DuoSole outsole reduces weight and enhances flexibility while maintaining traction and durability.
3.Why is wrestling worth considering for retailers? Wrestling is a niche sport with true sport impact. It is one of the ancient Olympic sports and still on the current Olympic programme.
4. What demographic does wrestling appeal to? Globally wrestling is mainly a popular sport in the Caucasus area, Eastern Europe, Japan and the US. In Britain wrestling is a relatively small sport. All information about wrestling in Great Britain can be found on
www.britishwrestling.org
5. What other services does your company offer? In terms of awareness in sport, and in wrestling in particular, Asics sponsors some major wrestling countries like Russia, Japan, Mongolia, Canada, Switzerland and Hungary. Asics has a long tradition in the US where wrestling is popular as a high-school sport. Asics is also sponsor of the International Federation of Associated Wrestling.
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