summer sports special
Cricket Unlike tennis, where the male/female split remains fairly even, grassroots cricket participation figures for adults and children over the age of 14 from the ECB (English Cricket Board) showed that males represented 93% of the participation base with females representing only 7%. As a result, cricket ranges available specifically for women are limited, and extensively stocking women’s cricket equipment may not be financially viable for retailers. However, they should at least make sure they can advise customers on where they can find women’s kit – Gunn & Moore, for example, has a range designed specifically for women’s smaller hands and slighter frames. In general, there was a 7% decrease in the
total number of players playing cricket in teams from 2013 to 2014. Whilst the UK’s climate limits cricket in a way it does not tennis, which can be played inside as easily as it can outside, it is a British institution and local and county leagues remain active and engaged. Like tennis, retailers could easily set up partnerships with local cricket clubs to offer members exclusive offers and discounts.
Keep it visual
A good shop window can be key in driving footfall. In peak seasons, themed window displays provide a visual reminder for passing customers of necessary purchases they have yet to make. And in quiet sales periods, they can drive help drive impulse purchases by encouraging customers to come in and browse.
School sports The Summer Term is starting for schools across the UK and Ireland, which means that it is the prime time for retailers to target parents looking for summer sports kit for after school clubs, school teams and summer camps.
Retailers could set
up partnerships with local clubs to offer members exclusive offers and discounts
For many parents, summer entails a
Masuri’s Vision Series range is setting new standards right across the cricket helmet market
A need for improvement in player safety has been identified by the International Cricket Council (ICC). In response to this, Masuri has developed the Vision Series. The new market-leading design incorporates innovative safety features that mean that the Masuri Vision Series not only adheres to the new safety standards, but sets new standards in cricket helmet design and manufacturing.
Tel: 01962 715 818 Email:
sales@masuri.com Web:
www.masuri.com
16 |
SGB-SPORTS.COM
potentially costly spend-out on sports kit for their kids. Whilst they can get away with cut- price polo shirts and plimsolls at the superstore for the little ones, once children get old enough to require real sports gear there should be no shortcuts. Protective gear such as helmets, cricket pads, and mouth guards cannot be skimped on. Retailers should ensure they are up to date on the latest equipment regulations for club sports – for example, cricket helmet guidance from the English Cricket Board (ECB) requires that all cricketers under the age of 18 wear a head protector whilst batting or wicket keeping in both matches and practice sessions. Training and knowledge of required
protective kit for both juniors and adults is a customer service point that independent retailers possess over non-specialist bricks- and-mortar stores and e-commerce sporting goods websites. What’s more, they can offer expert guidance when it comes to sizing, which can be baffling if the parents do not play the sport themselves. Specialist sports retailers can offer parents advice and reassurance when purchasing equipment for children and teens, which is invaluable given the potentially serious injuries that can be sustained whilst playing sport.
The aim of a window display is to get shoppers in the store and buying. Although essentially it is a showcase of the product range held by the shop, in recent years, window dressing has evolved to become ‘visual merchandising’, a trade in its own right. The idea is to convey the image, products and services of the store to passing customers. Basing a window display around upcoming sporting events links products with exciting global events – for example, red white and blue for the Rio Olympics 2016, or the new kit for the Lions Tour 2017. For the Spring/Summer season, retailers could draw in passing parents with a ‘back to school for summer’ theme, featuring kids’ cricket, rounders and swimming kit. If you have space, why not create a conceptual cricket batting cage in your window, showcasing pads, gloves, bat, helmet and even wicket whilst invoking thoughts of sunny Saturday afternoons? Although large retail outlets often hire
professional window dressers, with a bit of effort the same result can be achieved by independent retailers. If the store owner has clearly put thought and care into an eye- catching, relevant display, the implication is that the shop goes the extra mile for its customers. It takes pride in its premises and the service it offers. Even if customers do not enter the shop, it will stand out in their memories for future purchases. Whilst summer encourages people to be
more active, it takes more than impuse to convert them into regular customers. As summer progresses, specialist sports retailers should ensure they can provide their customers with a consistently high-quality service to differentiate themselves from non- specialist high street shops.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36