Selling: Sports Bras
Moving
with the times
Leading US sports bra brand Moving Comfort is entering the UK market, with high hopes for 2012. David Pittman reports
U
S sports brand Moving Comfort has been active in the market since the late 1970s.
It was started by two female runners fed up with what they perceived as the lack of female- specific running apparel and now offers products to suit all activities; from running and walking to weight training and rock climbing. “We naturally understand and design clothes for a woman’s body, whatever that body was meant to do,” reads the company’s mission statement. “We encourage women to never feel limited by anything.”
Around three years ago, Moving Comfort was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway, parent company of Brooks Sports. This acquisition resulted in Brooks Europe, which includes Brooks in the UK, taking on the marketing for Moving Comfort. Over the last 18 months, Moving Comfort has been introduced to European markets, with the UK starting to receive the range from summer 2011.
Brooks UK sales manager Martin Exley says: “We have had a soft launch in the UK over the last few months, with some retailers taking the range in time for autumn/winter 2011. This is laying the groundwork for us to approach the market in a more concerted way for 2012. “We are currently visiting potential accounts. We have already secured orders from a number of independent retailers for immediate delivery and some larger stores are pre-ordering the range for next year. We are very happy with the response we’ve had.”
Exley says as a specialist running brand, there is a natural fit between Moving Comfort and Brooks. “Berkshire Hathaway saw the opportunities presented by a specialist running and ladies’ fitness brand like Moving Comfort and
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what could be achieved by bringing it under the wing of Brooks with its existing catalogue of specialist running equipment.”
Synergies will only be brought about behind the scenes, with Brooks and Moving Comfort sharing administration and warehousing functions. From a retailer/customer perspective, the two brands will remain distinct. “We are keeping Moving Comfort separate from the Brooks brand,” says Exley. “It has its own sales rep, with more to be added, and its own marketing budget. It is a brand that needs to stand on its own.”
Moving Comfort offers a range of running apparel beyond sports bras, from tops and shorts to jackets and headbands. These too will be offered to the UK market, although sports bras remain the staple of the business. Exley says: “Moving Comfort is a female- orientated brand that offers something different to the market. It is all being offered to the UK market, but sports bras are the backbone of the business. Sales of those drive the brand.” The Moving Comfort sports bra range is extensive, from the high-impact Juno and Jubralee models to the medium-impact Aurora and Phoebe.
Six different styles are available, including underwire, pullover, front closure and all-day wear, and women can choose either compression or encapsulation support types. Varying cup size/size offerings are available across the range. Correcting bra sizing is an issue that has come to the fore in recent times thanks to researchers at the University of Portsmouth calling for sports
bras to be made
compulsory at school and the scientist leading the
research calling for greater education and understanding amongst young girls and women alike on the importance of buying the right size bra for their needs (see SGB Sports September). Exley adds that women must be aware of the need to replace their bras after a certain amount of time.
“Sports bras are like running shoes and need replacing after a time. They are not designed to last forever. Like running shoes, the fibres and materials they are made from will degrade and lose their performance characteristics. “There is a definite need to educate the market. There has to be the mindset that when you change your running shoes you should look to change your sports bra.”
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