BusinessInsight
Walking the Talk
Anatom distributes high quality brands to the specialist sports sector in the UK and Ireland. It also owns two successful brands itself, which means it is perfectly placed to understand its customers’ market needs. Owner Gordon Fraser gives SGB readers an insight into the current and future plans of his remarkable business…
aunched in March 1994, Anatom, home to Anatom Footwear and sock brand Teko, is based in Edinburgh, next to the Pentand Hills and the Forth Estuary. Anatom had a fantastic 2015, with overall business growth of 42%. “Our brands have been accepted very well indeed,” Gordon commented. And Anatom is showing no sign of slowing down, with a 2016 jam-packed with product launches and sponsorship deals.
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Anatom & Teko: forward facing “Anatom Footwear is based around the concept of Interior Comfort, Exterior Performance and a solid reputation of undisputed fit and quality,” Gordon told SGB. With the launch of the new ‘Country Life Collection’ this year, the brand will continue to build upon these concepts, maintaining the high standards fans of the brand expect. The Country Life Collection encompasses the Rannoch Extreme boot, which is designed for professional use by stalkers and ghyllies, and will launch a new, competitively-priced Glenmore trail shoe of beautiful quality and fit. TEKO Socks, meanwhile, has just won an ISPO
Gold Award on top of the OutDoor award for Sustainable Innovation it received last July. “The brand is on a roll,” said Gordon, “and remains focussed on its three fibre strategy and ensuring it makes the best fitting and performing socks in the most eco-friendly way.” TEKO has specialist socks for run, bike, hike and ski. 2016 will see the brand
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further raise its profile by continuing its sponsorship of the Freeride World Tour free-skiing event, the Glencoe Marathon and the Etape Royale 100 mile bike race. Footbalance 100% Custom Insoles, too, is
becoming a larger part of the company’s business as it completes its below-the-knee offering and builds strong retail partnerships.
Innovating in the right places According to Gordon, a key concern for Anatom is not innovating just for the sake of it. Instead, the company does a lot of ‘under the bonnet’ development, which provides the marginal gains that help move the comfort and performance needle each year. When it comes to footwear and socks, the most important thing is always fit. “We believe our fit is the best on the market,” said Gordon. Anatom has a set of core values that form its guiding principles in business. “If there is ever a tough decision to make, we refer back to them and they help us through the moral maze, so to speak.” Anatom’s core values are based around honesty, respect, integrity, responsibility and commitment, and it is these as much as its high quality product ranges that make the distributor such a great partner for independent retailers. Working directly with them, the company considers them ‘the beating heart of its business.’ A key example is The Anatom Academy, which delivers footwear fitting, biomechanics and
physiology training for the performance, outdoor and sports industries, providing relevant and practical knowledge, advice and techniques. Helping retailers to improve their in-store footwear fitting service and enhance the customer experience is a priority for the company; the Anatom Academy and The Performance Footwear Fitting Academy will continue to deliver industry- leading footwear fitting training throughout 2016. “Anatom walks the talk,” said Gordon. It delivers undisputable quality, fit and a life-time guarantee on its footwear and its socks. And as it moves forward into 2016, Anatom will focus on growing the business and continuing to deliver first class customer service to the sports trade.
For more information on Anatom Footwear, Teko socks and Anatom’s brands visit
www.anatomfootwear.co.uk www.tekoforlife.co.uk and
www.abrands.co.uk
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