FIELDREPORT
half-zip, from £75, is a good example. “Then Storm 3 is a true rainwear item, 100% guaranteed waterproof and windproof, seam sealed, and with a waterproof membrane. The ArmourStorm rain jacket, at £100, fits into this category.” These products come armed with UA technology like ColdGear Infrared, an inner coating that helps you retain body heat, and quick- drying Cocona. But for A/W 2015 they will be joined by a new Gore-Tex rainsuit.
Under Armour’s global HQ happens to be a 45-minute drive from Gore’s, so it was perhaps inevitable the two would work together. Under Armour’s Gore Tip rainsuit focuses on a recurring theme of removing distraction in the garment. The first area they looked at was the inner liner. “Most rainsuits feature two layer Gore,” Palmer-Jones continues. “That’s to say an outer layer with a mesh liner or liner moving within the garment at a different rate, slipping and sliding within it. The golfer doesn’t need or want that. So we built a three layer bonded, one piece of fabric, the membrane between the outer fabric and inner layer. This makes it easier to move moisture from inside to outside and gets rid of additional distraction.
“We also looked at stretch. We’ve always had this in our products, and for any physical activity it is basically a pre-requisite. But when we looked at other garments, all we saw was sections of stretch. Everyone is built differently so we didn‘t see how sections would work. So in this suit, the whole thing stretches. This allows us to create a suit that is more figure-hugging with less fabric flapping about, a neater garment that can function more effectively. “We also spoke to pros about stretch rate, and they said they’d like more. We saw about 8%, so we have upped that 25% to 10%.” Under Armour’s current winterwear collection will be at retail from September, with an in-store launch in October. A 2.4 metre wall display is available to retailers who can commit to stocking at least the 98
garments or so that will fill it, something Palmer-Jones reports as having been very successful. “It’s a professional sell-through tool, easy to present, keep on top of and very flexible,” he insists. “There’s nothing drilled into the walls and it can be taken down in 10 minutes.” Palmer-Jones also states a company policy to resist driving terms
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unhelpful to the retailer. “The market oſten encourages people to buy more than they truly want or need, and once you stuff the pipeline too full you have to cut your price to release it. We avoid over-supplying, allowing people to sell through at a rate dictated by the consumer and uphold the demand.”
Aspects like major scripting, solid margins and the inclusive styling of
the brand should all work to preserve Under Armour’s steep upward curve; and if Jordan Spieth continues with his own inexorable rise to the top of the game, that shouldn’t hurt either.
For more information visit
www.underarmour.co.uk
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