APRIL 2012 CONTENTS First Words
industry features 4-6 News
Twitter Trade Talk 8 Intersport
Intersport primed to Pole-Volt
10 SMMEX Exhibition Merchandising- the best
signing you will ever make? 12 Water-to-Go
“The most advanced water bottle in the world?”
22 MARKET MOVER INOV-8
24 COVER STORY SPALDING Q & A
38 REVIEWS The latest sporting goods released onto the market
40 CHECKOUT FINISH Barry McGuigan 41 ARKWRIGHT The Independent Voice
selling buying 28 Shop Floor Shop Spotlight with Kent Cricket
14 Trade Table Toppers!
SGB’s table tennis picks for 2012
16 Exercise Apparel Special 3 page
showcase special
Retail and Specialist Sport profi le on Soſt ball 30 In Fashion Cricket Special
32 A breath of fresh ayr for the cricket trade? Ayrtek cricket helmets
34 Made in England Alex Fordham visits a cricketing manufacturer who is continuing to maintain old traditions
36 Cricket trade to experience mass boom? BoomBoom cricket
This month has been one of the most signifi cant for the sports trade in many years with the impending news of American retailer
Dick’s Sporting Goods £20 million investment into JJB Sports, which is part of an overall £30 million package.
After years of investment and fi nancial uncertainty, this does really strike as the last chance saloon for the chain that has made a series of cost-saving procedures including the closure of 95 stores in the UK. What makes this bailout most signifi cant is Adidas, an already major backer of JJB, has made a loan of £15 million to support the chain. This could possibly see some brand exclusivity to ensure their loan is a success and exemplifi es how Adidas see the need for a strong alternative to Sports Direct to ensure that the UK sports trade will not be monopolised by one brand.
The timing of the loan from Dick’s Sporting Goods is particularly signifi cant and we can only speculate, but the London Olympics is likely to be a huge part of the attraction. The next few months will be very revealing but just shows how important the world’s premier sporting event will be to the overall health of the UK sports trade.
For some it could well be cash or bust depending on whether the wider public takes the games to heart.
George Osborne’s budget was also a signifi cant one for business and retail in general. Aside from the usual cigarette and fuel rises and party political gesturing (although Osborne’s Wallace and Gromit jibe was very good!), there were positive measures to hopefully increase consumer spending including the reduction in corporation tax and an increase to the baseline tax threshold.
These measures aren’t guaranteed to get consumers fl ocking to the shops but do fi nally show the government are taking positive measures to stimulate growth.
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April sees the return of SGB legend Arkwright. Regular readers will remember his entertaining independent voice of sports retail. We are delighted to welcome him back.
Be Lucky.
Alex Fordham, EDITOR
Competition P.26
Tennis collection from Purelime worth
£300
SGB-SPORTS.COM | 03
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