Selling: Retro Retro Revival


With retro trends back in fashion, what implications does this have on the sporting goods industry? SGB finds out more from Surridge Sport.


W


ith retro brands like Fila and Sergio Tacchini reappearing on the high street and bands such as the Stone Roses reforming, the desire for people wanting to relive their youth, and youngsters seeking that vintage look, has never been more evident. For 2012, retailers should look for retro products from suppliers as a viable means of generating extra income. One such supplier is Lancashire based Surridge Sport. Surridge’s


origins lie in the manufacturing of cricket bats which they have done since 1867 when Percy Stuart Surridge started repairing old cricket bats and selling them in his town.


Surridge has come a long way since then and now manufacture a range of cricket, football, rugby and netball products. However, it is cricket that has cemented the brands reputation. Through the 1970s to the 1990s,the SS Jumbo bat became the choice of many professionals and amateur sportsman,


notably Sir Vivian Richards and


Graham Gooch. This iconic bat became the flagship product for


Surridge and is at the very heart


of the new retro range that Surridge has created. “Stuart Surridge is proud of its heritage and history,” says Surridge Director Charles Lord.


32 www.sgb-sports.com


contemporary cricket bat. For any big hitting batsman, today’s Jumbo


“This is a selling point that a lot of brands do not have, which we obviously want to push as strongly as we can.”


“We try to market our brand as a modern brand with modern materials but with historic roots and this is the reason the brand is as strong as ever. Each sports person has an affinity towards their childhood sports brands and can often remember their first football or cricket bat.”


With this in mind, the retro range encompasses the historical roots of the brand alongside modern technological advances. Take the SS Jumbo for instance. The Jumbo retains the original iconic jumbo shape but with the latest top grade willow to rival any


Alongside the Jumbo, Surridge has released a selection of other retro products. These include the Turbo 333 retro bat and two retro footballs, the UFO Ball and the Cobbler Football. The UFO was the uniform ball used by the football league in 1979 and has been recreated for today’s market. Similarly, the Cobbler was used in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden and was the first lace-less, synthetic football to be developed. Surridge are keen to keep pushing their range of retro products and plan to continue to run the ranges as well as introducing new products. 2012 will see the launch of the Surridge Perfect cricket bat as used by Peter May in the 1950s. Speaking about the retro range, Charles Lord said: “The products will be clean without gimmicks and we will design as close to the originals as possible but with modern performance materials and manufacturing techniques so the performance can be as good as any modern looking products.”


With retro certainly ‘in’, Surridge and many others are keen to push their vintage range of


Until 31st


compares well with other bats such as the Newbury Uzi and the Gray- Nicholls Powerbow. With twenty20 cricket proving to be a big hit in this country, the Jumbo may offer retailers a suitable alternative to the usual bats stocked in store.


December 2011, Surridge will be offering 15% discount off trade prices for all SGB readers on the Jumbo bat, the Cobbler and UFO footballs.


When placing any order please quote the promo code ‘retro15’.


products. Whilst this may not be a long-term strategy for profitability, these


products may provide a short-term alternative to help boost the coffers of both supplier and


retailer.


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