Selling: Sports Bras
Sportjock’s simple support structure
Sportjock’s simple support structur
Sports bra brand Sportjock offers retailers a reduced number of SKUs to reduce stock pressures and maximise sales opportunities. David Pittman reports
S
portjock sports bras were initially developed in the US in conjunction with athletes to offer women a supportive and comfortable range of sports bras.
The range is based on two core styles, Action and Super. Fiona Bashforth, business development manager at SD Marketing, the company that handles Sportjock in the UK, says these offer women an easy-to-wear crop-top style sports bra that combines performance fabrics with the simplicity and ease of a pull-on sports bra.
Both the Action and Super sports bras are manufactured using a combination of wicking fabrics including Coolmax, Supplex and nylon along with a high lycra content that enables the bras to mould and stretch to fit the wearer. Bashforth says: “The beautifully soft materials and seams, together with the wicking ability of fabrics including Coolmax and Supplex, ensure that there is no friction and discomfort when being worn, even when worn for periods of time making the bras ideal for all sports from cycling to distance running.” The Action sports bra works as a compression bra offering support to women with A to C cup sizes. The Super sports bra features an inner-moulded cup that offers
encapsulation as well as compression making it suitable for women with C to F cup sizes.
Bashforth says this
highlights the way Sportjock differs from other sports bra brands on the market as it offers a limited number of SKUs so retailers have fewer
30
www.sgb-sports.com stock issues to handle.
“Uniquely the range of sports bras have been developed with minimum SKUs, making it brilliantly simple for retailers to stock,” she says. “The Action sports bra comes in three sizes: small (28-32in), medium (32-36in) and (large 36-40in) with the Super sports bra additionally coming in an extra small (24-28in) and extra large (40-44in).
“Essentially eight sizes will accommodate the majority of women. Unlike clothing sizes in small to extra large, the Sportjock sizes are actually related to a bra size and actually work for those sizes. This has been achieved using a patented design system.”
This design system includes Powerband, which has seven layers of fabric and elastic to offer support to the bust
whilst being flexible enough to cater for three sizes.
This autumn will see the introduction of an extra small (24- 28in) size in the Action sports bra
style, described
as ideal for a first time sports bra, answering the recent call for school girls to be wearing sports bras in sport.
This call was made by researchers at the University
of Portsmouth (see SGB Sports
September), who have put years of study into breast
movement and want to see sports bras made
compulsory in schools as other
equipment. Dr Joanna Scurr, a world expert in breast movement who has led the research, said: “Many young women don’t
understand the implications of making the wrong choice when it comes to breast support.
“Our research demonstrates that the correct bra reduces breast movement and associated pain and may reduce the risk of long term breast sag. Giving girls the right information at an early age can improve their body image and even encourage greater take-up of sport at school. “Mouthguards are a compulsory part of PE kit for schoolchildren when playing hockey and rugby and I want to see sports bras for girls become the same.” Of the ability for Sportjock to fulfil a wide variety of needs from a small number of SKUs, Bashforth says: “Retailers should be able to provide a sports bra for the majority of women by stocking just eight sizes rather than the 50+ sizes that these two Sportjock bras cater for.”
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