Team Intelligence - July, 2008
Get Tough
10 Things Team Dealers Can Do When Business Is Tough
There is no getting around it in 2008 — America’s team dealers are struggling with the grim outlook of the economy for the foreseeable future. While some argue that this “recession” is not going to stay for long (six months at most) and it’s not goin...
Get Smart
13 More Things Team Dealers Can Do When Business Is Tough
The dreaded “R” word may leave you tossing and turning every night and then wringing your hands during the day worrying about keeping the lights on, making payroll and paying your suppliers. Call it a recession, call it an economic downturn, call it ...
Back to the Future
Here’s a great way for team dealers looking to get tough — Hire retired athletic directors to round out your sales force.
Team dealers looking for novel and effective ways to jumpstart their businesses in tough times need look no further than their own backyards … or their own customer lists. That’s because one of the best opportunities for dealers to increase contact...
Every Season Is Hoops Season
Basketball is now a year-round sport for many team dealers — and they’re enjoying the boost in business.
There was a time in the not-so-distant past when team dealers got a break from the basketball business. Todd Tovey, outside team sales manager for Academy Sports in Utah, remembers those days well. “The spring used to be the slow time,” he says. ...
Baseball/Softball Power Game
Technology and specialization are driving the baseball and softball markets as dealers and vendors tally up the 2008 score and gear up for 2009.
Economic pressures aside, not to mention flat participation numbers, suppliers report steady to strong sales in the baseball/softball business. The outlook certainly varies by size and product categories – training and safety aids, as well as wood ...
Hat Tech
Two From Outdoor Cap • The PRO1825X Moisture Wicking Cap with Contrasting Inserts (top) is a six-panel, polyester wicking fabric with a structured, Pro Style mid-profile. • The DKV-100 Moisture Wicking Visor features a two-inch crown in a Q3 tech...
Bags: Carrying the Load
The Team Intelligence Vendor Roundtable
There are dozens of reasons team dealers should bag it, not the least of which is the opportunity to make money not just on the basic product but also on decorating, customization and other add-ons. The trend towards sport-specific bags makes this a ...
The New Ol’ Ball Game
New technologies and niche markets are key in the inflatables market for both team and retail.
Glass half empty or glass half full? It depends on who you’re asking. When it comes to inflatables, a category that can be pretty hard to get margins on, some see opportunity, where others see the “same old story.” Vendors and dealers alike will t...
Embrace the Possibilities
Decorating is one of the biggest challenges in the sports apparel business, but one that every team dealer needs to embrace. Part art and part science, decorating is huge business in the team market. From uniforms to bags and hats, it is also a power...
Spinning Fabric Into Gold
Moisture management is so prevalent in team apparel that it isn’t even a sales advantage any longer. Major fabric suppliers have gone way beyond the traditional definition of ‘performance’ to a world that includes body mapping, sustainability and s...
This Is One Tough Issue
Forget about higher gas prices. The major impact on my lifestyle this summer is that my local pizza shop has increased the cost of a slice another 25 cents. They claim it has something to do with skyrocketing costs of flour and transportation, but al...
The Numbers Do the talking: Americans Are Walking
Americans are tying to get fit, but are they doing it by joining gyms or by playing team sports? According to the recent Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association’s (SGMA) Sports & Fitness Participation Report (2008 edition), it seems more the former ...
Weight, There’s Something New
High school and college wrestlers are among the athletes who are most meticulous about monitoring their weight as they focus on key weight classes for competition. To serve that market, Tanita has designed the TBF-300WA Wrestling Body Composition Ana...
Letters to the Editor
AD Survey Is Excellent I have just finished reading the article “America’s Athletic Directors Speak Out” in your May issue. It is an excellent source of insight into the world of team sales. I am wondering if I could have permission to use all or pa...
New apparel Update
New Zealand Firm Creates ‘Recovery’ Apparel First there was the plain old cotton T-shirt for working out, and then Under Armour created an entirely new category of “performance apparel.” Now comes a company called Canterbury of New Zealand, with a...
The End Zone
Ron Kruse Enters The Hall Ron Kruse, one of the most well-respected team dealers in America and head of Hayden Sports in Montgomery, IL, entered the hallowed halls of the National Sporting Goods Hall of Fame during the NSGA Management Conference in ...
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