p12,13 Supports:SGBGolf_NEW_template 27/01/2009 11:51 Page 11
Sports - Supports
A supporting role
Manufacturers of sports supports are buoyant was they look at the year ahead,
and probably with good reason. As Robin Barwick
reports, it is not as if the world’s aches and
strains are all about to clear up
T
here’s no denying it, sports supports are not perched at the continuity, rain or shine,
glamorous end of the retail trade. They are unlikely to ever 12 months a year. The other
feature heavily in window displays in general sports retailers in recession-busting factor for
the build-up to Christmas, and some of the fashion-led sports sports supports this year is that
multiples will happily neglect supports. But there is a while consumers might not be
critical difference between the support product and purchasing luxury products such as
something a bit more eye-catching, such as a new cars, five-star vacations and crystal
Premier League football shirt: the latter is a vases, they are still playing sport.
product that many consumers want, but the “People will still go and play a game of
support is what the injured athlete needs. squash, forget about their worries for a
When weekend footballers have a knee while and come out feeling refreshed,”
problem, they won’t even notice the racks of says Aries. “A lot of people find it a release to
brightly coloured shirts in well-lit areas of the play some sport, and we are here if they need a
shop. All they will have eyes for is pain relief and bit of support!
pain prevention. “We have a great, hardcore market base in the UK
“If you have a niggle you are going to buy a support,” because of the amount of sports people tend to play,” he
states Tony Aries, managing director of LP Supports. “If adds. “Apart from winter sports, the UK plays just about
someone thinks spending £10 on a support is going to ease every other sport you can imagine, so there is a strong
their injury then they are going to buy one. People are market for the supports sector. Even winter sports have an
spending a bit less at the moment and the market might dip important role to play too, because if it is a good ski season
a bit, but necessity items won’t dip that much. I think we we will sell a lot more of the sophisticated knee supports.
will keep an even keel in 2009.” People are also tending to keep fit and active at an older age
Paul Sherratt, country manager for McDavid in the UK these days, rather than packing up sports altogether at the age
and Ireland, concurs. “Sports supports won’t tend to be of 40, which has helped our market.”
effected by the slow economy,” Dave Sanderson, national sales manager for Precision Training,
he says. “Supports are a is even predicting growth this year. “2008 was very, very good
‘distress purchase’: if you for us,” he says, “due to the quality of our products and the price.
have a problem, an injury, Retailers know they are getting value for money with products
you need a solution as such as our knee support at £9.99 and elbow support at £7.99,
quickly as possible, so you and the recent run of trade shows has been very positive.
go out and buy a support. “It’s onwards and upwards in 2009. We are introducing some
“Sports supports should new products in April that will be interesting, and so
be one of the key areas to a
retailer: they are not seasonal,
they don’t go out of fashion, so
there’s no need for seasonal
clearance, and the margins are
very good. Retailers that
embrace sports supports do very
well from them. The turnover
might not be massive but
supports should be one of the
most profitable areas of the
store.”
The demand for supports won’t
match the summer release of a
new football kit, but it has
JANUARY 2009 SGB SPORT 11
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