Titles published by Rocklands Communications:
Previous issues: 2009Issue 39Cape Union Mart opens adventure store in GautengCape Union Mart has launched its first experiential Adventure Centre in Gauteng – a 1 000m2 mega store at Eastgate Shopping Centre – with a state-of-the-art GPS navigation station, a temperature controlled cold chamber, and a challenging three metre climbing wall, it offers customers an indoors outdoor experience. (Read more)Sister power!Sisters Casey and Chelsea van Rooyen recently opened a trendy new store at The Old Bakery in Lakeside, Cape Town, named Xpression Street Wear. Guided by their dad’s experience in the clothing industry – Gary van Rooyen is GM of New Balance SA – they will offer a different shopping experience, featuring many popular home grown SA brands. (Read more)PUMA celebrates Ntini’s 100th testPUMA have produced a pair of embroidered “100th Test” boots for Makhaya Ntini to wear in the test currently being played against England. Ntini became only the fifth South African, after Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock and Gary Kirsten, to play in 100 test matches. To show their support for the achievement, PUMA also produced limited edition 100th Test t-shirts which they supplied to Ntini’s fans to wear at the ground. (Read more)Dunlop tennis expands…Dunlop will be the Official Ball Supplier for three of Europe’s leading tennis ATP tournaments from 2010: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, Internazionali BNL d’Italia Rome and the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open. In addition, Dunlop balls will be used at Roland-Garros and for ATP tournaments in Barcelona, Estoril, Nice, Munich and Dusseldorf. (Read more)…and Dunlop squash winnersDunlop brand ambassador Greg Gaultier became the world’s #1squash player after winning the Tournament of Champions, defeating previous world No.1 Karim Darwish in the semi-final. Gaultier, a former European junior squash champion, currently uses the Aerogel 4D™ ELITE which is an ideal racket for both advanced and intermediate players who require impeccable control. (Read more)Senqu range with radiation managementSenqu’s Solartex range for summer has undergone a unique radiation management treatment to offer increased protection against the sun’s UVA and UVB rays for wear in the harshest conditions. The leisurewear range also features moisture management to keep the wearer dry.Short news» Kreature.co.za has sold the agency for Swiss made Traser self-illuminating watches to wholesaler Formalito. Traser watches are extremely tough watches, very popular with the military and outdoor adventurers. All trade enquiries can in future be forwarded to Formalito on 012 664 8874. For more details see www.traser.co.za.» John Dearden of BFA Specialists provides a service to farmers, municipalities and riparian owners to promote a sustainable and economically viable use of dams, lakes and waterways. Services of the Leisure Lakes organisation include on-site inspections to analyse the water, and evaluation of topographical and regional aspects and based on this, Leisure Lakes can either manage the water or advise and assist the owners as consultants. Other services include the removal and stocking of fish, supply of feed, fishery design, construction, water rehabilitation and security. They also run trips to educate and inform anglers and non-anglers on best angling practices and environmental concerns associated with the sport, as well as a number of clinics, from entry level to advanced, for those wishing to learn more about Specimen Carp fishing. Trade shows» "Green” will be in the spotlight at the upcoming ispo trade show (February 7-10 2010). It will not only be the primary topic of workshops, but sustainable products and companies will be showcased in an Eco-Village and Eco Responsibility Awards will be launched. For the first time the ispo BrandNew Awards will have a special category for Eco /Fair Trade. In addition, ispo endorses a number of projects and organizations in form of partnerships. They have a close cooperation with the Association for Conservation, which supports projects protecting areas where flora and fauna are endangered, and a new research project by TU Munich on “Sustainability of Sports Technologies”. The goal of this project is to develop evaluation methods to determine sustainability of sporting goods.Issue 38Oh, what a night!“Oh, what a night!” exclaimed Charlize Theron as she strided onto the CTICC stage to charm the 3 000-strong audience in Cape Town and an estimated 200-m TV viewers in 200 countries with ad lib-comments that gave life to the prepared script and showed that she understood the implications of Bafana Bafana being drawn into the same group as France, Mexico and Uruguay in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. (Read more for the article, match dates and images)Columbia sponsors fishing and celebsIGFA (International Game Fish Association) has accepted the SADSAA Columbia Billfish Classic, a full release Billfish only tournament held in February 2010, as the only South African qualifying event for the IGFA Offshore World Championships. All entrants will receive an official Columbia PFG competition shirt and Columbia will be sponsoring R30 000 worth of apparel prizes. (Read more)New Sevens Kit from CanterburyThe Springbok Seven’s team kit worn in the opening leg of the new Sevens in Dubai featured the first Springbok jerseys to be 100% ‘Made in South Africa”. The jersey, which will be seen in action at the George leg of the tournament this coming weekend, is made of a very light, quick-drying fabric, to minimize sweating and enable the team to perform at their best and fastest. Replicas of the shirts worn in the Seven’s tournaments that end in Scotland at the end of May, are available from Canterbury. (Click here for a bigger photo)Zander de Bruyn plays with LodhisZander de Bruyn, back from the Champions League in India and a very successful season with Somerset in the UK, will use the Lodhis sports brand while playing for the Highveld Lions in Gauteng. On the soccer side, Lodhis sports also got the “go ahead” to be the SA supplier of the Samba range of (FIFA approved) soccer balls.FAIN signs Border CricketFAIN, the PE-based sportswear clothing label, has signed a partnership and sponsorship agreement with Border Cricket. “FAIN provides excellent service in the area of supplying sportswear for all our cricket teams,” says Border Cricket CEO Themba Lupuwana. FAIN provides clothing for teams from U11 through to Rural Cricket and is the sponsor of the Border Senior Provincial Team’s clothing. Shadley Ajam (left) FAIN sales and marketing manager with Themba Lupuwana, CEO Border Cricket.Sports Trader writers in the newswo of Sports Trader’s writers, Clayton Truscott and Phumlani Dube, have been making headlines recently. Truscott was co-organiser of the Summer Classic Surf Jam in Port Elizabeth, held in aid of the “Save a Pet” charity (with prizes donated by Rip Curl, Billabong, Twin Care, Mrs Palmers); while Dube launched his new Nix Mapha clothing brand by arm-wrestling Mike Sutcliffe – dubbed the most powerful man in Durban as city manager – and with a tour of churches. The Nix Mapha range includes t-shirts and vests. It also features other products such as camp chairs, glass tumblers etc. A kiddies’ range is planned for the New Year.Salomon Skyrun another successIt takes a special kind of athlete to run 1 00km at an average 6.7km per hour across mountains through the alpine wasteland of the Southern Drakensberg, carrying your own gear – but that is what Bruce Arnett (Hi-Tec) and Iain Don-Wauchope achieved to finish ahead of the 39 other athletes in the grueling Salomon Skyrun, hosted in association with Thule. (Read more)Landmarks confirms shoe trendsPre-race entries for the Landmarks half marathon and fun run shows that the average runner is switching from the top end technical brands to more affordable technical running footwear brands. Voted as one of the top four races by Runner’s World in 2008, this event offers a challenging, yet scenic route past heritage sites and sporting facilities. See the shoe count based on pre-race entries.
Adrenalin sponsors Protea LadiesFishing tackle suppliers to the retail trade, Adrenalin Import & Distributors of Cape Town, are the sponsors of the Protea Ladies Shore Angling national team. They supply brands like Omoto, Xalin and Adrenalin.Puma launches v1.10 Kehinde WileyPuma players Samuel Eto’o, John Mensah and Emmanuel Eboué will all wear the new limited edition v1.10 Kehinde Wiley soccer boot in their matches during the Champions League, starting December 9th. Only 302 pairs of Puma’s Limited Edition v1.10 Kehinde Wiley Boot will be manufactured and each will be individually numbered. (Read more)Wilson end at #1Wilson ends the year as #1 in both the men’s ATP World Tour and the women’s Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Roger Federer (playing with the [K] Six.One racket) held on to the #1 spot by winning the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London and Serena Williams ([K] Blade Team) won the season-ending championship for the second time in her career. (Read more)HEAD again partners ATPHEAD has extended their partnership with the ATP, which began in 1994, until the end of 2012. Under the agreement, HEAD will continue to be the official tennis racket, tennis ball, and tennis bag of the ATP and will be the official ball of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London until 2012. According to Johan Eliasch, CEO of HEAD, the brand is currently the number one racket brand among the ATP Top 100 players.Short news» Goolam Hoosen "Bill" Asmal, 83, owner of Bill's Fishing Tackle in South Coast Road, Clairwood, was fatally shot when he pursued armed robbers who held up his son, Cassim, customers and staff in their Durban store.» The Competition Commission announced an investigation into the conduct of large retailers, where the issue of rentals charged by shopping centres to national anchor tenants will be put under the spotlight. Following a Franchise Think Tank event hosted by FNB Commercial earlier this year, a white paper was published highlighting the problems faced by smaller retailers wanting to enter shopping centres. A joint venture between FNB Commercial Banking and Franchising Plus, called X2in5, has been lobbying for more equitable rents for smaller retailers. » Could youngsters like the talented striker Bernard Parker, who recently transferred to FC Twente in the Netherlands for R11-m after Serbian club Red Star Belgrade failed to pay his salary; young Maccabi Haifa defender Tsepo Masilela, who played for the national team before he signed his first professional contract; or former Golden Arrows captain and now Fulham midfielder Kagisho Dikgaci, provide the magic to take Bafana Bafana to the next round during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Global sports management agency, Prosport International, who manages them, believes so. Prosport also manages Fourie Du Preez, who was named SA’s rugby player of the year, for the second consecutive season. Trade shows» Online registration for the WSA footwear show held February 2-4 2010 in Las Vegas is now open at www.wsashow.com/attendee_information/registration. Seminars held during the show will cover topics like business growth strategies, running a successful shoe store, fashion and colour trends, understanding consumers, improving cash flow and margins, marketing your store etc. The dates of the WSA Summer Show has been changed to August 9-11 2010. » You can save 35% on the price of a ticket for ispo Winter if you order your tickets online by December 10th 2009. The annual international sporting goods show will be held 7-10 February next year in Munich, Germany. » After 11 years, the US FlyFishing Retailer Show has been canceled following months of discussion whether the fly fishing industry can sustain a stand-alone event in the current marketplace. The Outdoor Retailer Summer Market will now accommodate fly fishing exhibitors as part of the show held August 3-6 2010 in Salt Lake City. Issue 37FIFA World Cup team jerseysWith all 32 teams qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, there are a few surprises in the team jersey sponsors – notably after Algeria (Le Coq Sportif) defeated Egypt to book the final African spot. Brooks (Chile), Erke (North Korea) and Joma (Honduras) are other less well-known soccer jersey suppliers. Following France’s controversial double-handed defeat of Ireland, adidas will be supplying the jerseys for 12 of the teams; Nike for 9 of the teams and Puma 6. Umbro will supply the England jersey. (See chart).Longer chance to list in Teamsport Directory for schoolsThe deadline for listing in the Team Sport Directory for schools, universities, development agencies etc. launched by Sports Trader early next year has been extended. Retailers, agents and other interested parties must please let us know what listing option they want by 27 November, with final material needed by December 11th. Please note that anyone booking a ½ column enhanced listing, or advert, can choose to be listed under as many product categories as they please, free of charge. For information or forms the be listed, please contact Trudi du Toit on trudi@sportstrader.co.za, Tel: 021 461 2544 or Fax: 021 461 2549.New runner’s handbook from SA scientistsThe recently published “The Runner’s Body” by SA sport scientists Ross Tucker and Jonathan Dugas, promises to become the “handbook” for runners worldwide – those starting out to the most experienced. It will especially be helpful to coaches at all levels. Tucker and Dugas explain and discuss all aspects of training, running style, diet, preparation etc. from a scientific point of view, but in an easy-to-read style accessible to the layman. For information contact Nina Gabriel at the publisher, Pan Macmillan, on Tel: 011 731 3440 or Email: nina@panmacmillan.co.za.Walking in the steps of mankindThanks to an English translation sponsored by Hi-Tec, viewers can share the experiences of French adventurers Alex and Sonia Poussin on their epic 14 000km trip from Cape Town to the Sea of Galilee as captured in their award winning documentary of the trip. (Read more)New Balance wins continueThe New Balance 910 trail running shoe was voted the “Best for Rugged Terrain” in the November 2009 issue of Shape magazine – this is the 6th award won by New Balance outdoor footwear this year, and the New Balance’s 13th award for 2009.Amr Shabana makes historyDunlop brand ambassador and Egyptian star, Amr Shabana, is the fourth player in the history of squash to win four World Open titles. He won his fourth World Open title by defeating compatriot and defending champion Ramy Ashour in just 50 minutes in the final played in Kuwait.Mikasa president entertainsDuring a recent visit to the global headquarters of the Mikasa Corporation in Hiroshima, Japan, their local distributor Pat (right) and Nicholas (left) Wiltshire of Pat Wilsthire Sports in Johannesburg, were entertained by Mr. T. Saeki, President of the Mikasa Corporation.Unique new factory mallSportswear, fashion and lifestyle brands are invited to participate in a pre-Christmas Total Clear-Out sale from December 11th (49% discount on goods) to December 24th (90% discount on remaining goods), with gradually increasing discounts on set days in-between, in order to clear all stock before Christmas. All big fashion lifestyle brands are invited to make use of the opportunity to clear-out their inventory from tables in a general warehouse area in the new Brandsave big brand factory mall, due to be launched next year. (Read more)International brands still struggleThe latest results from international brands do not yet reflect the economic upturn some American economists predicted – giving rise to hope that the next quarterly results would show more gains than losses. (Read more)Help to make a differencePeter Hawley of cue sport distributor United Pool has issued a challenge to all sports, outdoor and angling equipment distributors, sports people and anglers to make a difference by helping him to clear the Wilge River outside the Free State town of Vredefort and Frankfort. (Read more)Pro Shops counts feetRetailers instinctively know that the more feet through the door, the more likely you are to make sales ... but that is not always the case. The Pro Shop can now monitor and record exactly how many people walk through their stores every day, and how many visits result in sales. This helps them to assess the impact of marketing promotions like annual sales in drawing customers – and whether this actually results in higher sales volumes. They can also track market growth at individual stores, see what times of the day most customers visit and isolate problems at stores that are not performing. This is made possible by wireless machine-to-machine communication terminals installed at store entrance.Short news» R.M. Williams Country Clothing cc. has moved to Shop G3.3, Cedar Square, Cedar Road, Fourways in Johannesburg. Tel: 011 465 5236 and Email: Rmw.4ways@aussiegear.co.za.» Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) has announced that Gilbert has been awarded the contract to supply balls to Rugby World Cup 2011 and Rugby World Cup 2015. » The Asics Gel-Kayano 15 earned the International Editor’s Choice award from Runner’s World magazine, while the Brooks Ghost 2 received the Runner’s World International Best Update award. » Footwear brand Kustom is offering $50 000 cash to the surfer who lands the best and most innovative “Airstrike” between 1 January 2010 and 31 August 2010, providing entrants worldwide with the opportunity to cash in on surfing’s richest single-manoeuvre event. » Capestorm is holding a fundraiser evening for the non-profit Amarider African Mountainbike Association at their Wynberg store on 25 November. This will also be the SA premiere of the movie Kranked Revolve (www.radical-films.com). For more information about the organisation that campaigns for mountainbike trails and promotes the sport, visit www.amarider.co.za. To attend the evening, contact Capestorm on info@capestorm.co.za.
Trade shows» Next year ispo will be celebrating their 40th anniversary year with the 70th ispo sports equipment show held from 7 to 10 February 2010 (originally ispo was held twice a year). The first show was held at the old exhibition centre in Munich, on 45 000 square meters of exhibition space, with 11 000 trade buyers from 34 countries. For next year’s show, 2 000 exhibitors have already booked to show their products on 175 000 m2 of space at the new exhibition centre in Munich. An exhibit, showcasing highlights from the past 40 years, will be part of next year’s show. For information and ticket bookings visit www.ispo.com or contact Morgana Fischer of the SA German Chamber of Commerce on Tel: 011 486 2775 or send an email to mfischer@germanchamber.co.za.» Small and medium Chinese companies exhibiting at the China Sport Show (20-23 May 2010) in Beijing will receive government subsidies. The show attracts about 5 000 exhibitors who show equipment for racket sports, ball sports, outdoor, stadium facilities, etc. on 100 000 m2 exhibition space. See more at www.sportshow.com.cn/en. Issue 36Directory for schoolsIn response to numerous requests from schools, Sports Trader is launching a new Team Sport Directory to be mailed to more than 7 000 schools, universities, technikons (including hostels), government and development agencies and sports federations. Suppliers of all the sport products and services (like coaching and sportsground maintenance) used by these institutions will be listed. We would therefore like to encourage all sports retailers selling to schools, agents for schools and suppliers of team sporting goods not sold through retail, to list in this directory, which will be published in a similar format to the Sports Trader Directory for retailers. A form with all the listing categories and advertising options was inserted in the Sports Trader October/November issue mailed last week. If you did not receive a copy, please contact Trudi du Toit at trudi@sportstrader.co.za or call 021 461 2544. Please note that listing all retailers free of charge would result in a directory as thick as the Gauteng telephone directory, and we therefore charge a small fee to list non-advertisers. New Suunto distributorBushnell Performance Optics SA have acquired the Southern Africa exclusive distribution rights to the Suunto brand from Manex & Power Marine. The move puts Suunto into an environment focused on the outdoors and allows Manex & Power Marine to expand and focus on the boating, marine and diving channels.Hi-Tec goodwill at Fish RiverThe Hi-Tec sponsored Hansa Powerade Fish River Canoe Marathon, which took place at the beginning of October in Cradock, this year subsidised entries for development paddlers, enabling a strong squad from the Martin Dreyer Change-A-Life Academy in KwaZulu-Natal to enter. Dreyer won the Mixed K2 - Cradock Round Table Shield with Jeannie Bomford (all of them sponsored by Hi-Tec). Instead of selling footwear at the event themselves, Hi-Tec gave a local Cradock retailer the opportunity to sell their footwear. Click here to view images from the event.Armstrong to boost interest in cyclingLance Armstrong will be making his first visit to Cape Town from 9-11 March 2010 to support the JAG Sports and Education Foundation, a charitable organization that uses sport-related programmes and positive role models to inspire affected youth in troubled communities to dream beyond their surroundings. The interest sparked by his visit just before the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour and rumours that he might be participating in the Cape Epic, is sure to be a big boost for SA cycling interest.Retailer directoryIf you supply sport, outdoor and lifestyle/leisure equipment, clothingand footwear to retailers, please remember to let us know asap underwhich product categories we must list you in the popular Sports Trader Directory for retailers. An email was sent by trudi@sportstrader.co.za explaining the different listing options, and asking you to confirm your company name, contact telephone and most importantly the product categories you supply. Remember: your opposition, and not you, will be contacted by retailers sourcing products if you do not let us know where to list you. If you didn’t receive an email requesting this information, please contact Trudi du Toit on Tel: 021 461 2544 or Email: trudi@sportstrader.co.za.SARS clampdownSARS Customs recently concluded three days of enforcement operations during which they detained an estimated 300 tons or products valued at R45-m, of which four tons consisted of counterfeit branded sportswear valued at R600 000. The City of Cape Town is now negotiating with SARS to donate the clothing to the poor. The operation, which took place with the help of the South African Police Service and the Immigration division of Home Affairs, targeted China City in Ottery, Inyanga Junction in Mannenberg, lower Durban Street in Bellville and warehouses in Lansdowne. One warehouse in Landsdowne, which supplies clothing to some of South Africa’s leading retailers, was detained for several infringements including labelling, misclassification and undervaluation. Five tons of clothing and textile estimated at R1,9-m was also detained from a leading retailers distribution centre for infringements against the Merchandise Marks Act and Customs and Excise Act. Customs is further investigating previous transactions between the retailer and warehouse (in Lansdowne) and its qualification for the use of Duty Credit Certificates (DCC’s). SARS Customs will continue applying additional attention to the proportion of clothing and textile imports that are cleared using Duty Credit Certificates (DCC’s) as abuse of these certificates contributes in promoting unfair trade practices.Short news» Chantelle Els is leaving National Flag & Branding as marketing coordinator. The new contact person will be Nicola Spencer who can be reached on Tel: 011 887 0143 or Email: nicolas@nationalflag.co.za.» Seemingly unbeatable tennis double brothers Bob and Mike Bryan, who both play with Prince rackets, Luxilon strings and Tournagrip grips, have won their sixth title of the season by beating Mark Knowles and Andy Roddick in the final of the China Open in Beijing. » Skechers USA Inc have reported a rise in net sales for Q3 ended 30 September ($405.4-m) compared to Q3 2008 ($403.2-m) and a rise in net operating income ($32.4-m) compared to Q3 2008 ($24.7-m). » Amer Sports have reported a 5.2% drop in net sales for Q3 from €433.2-m to €410.6-m with currency neutral sales dropping by 6% for the same period. The Wilson ball sales group saw a drop of 11.3% in US dollar terms (-9% in currency neutral terms), racket sport sales declined 11.7% in US dollar terms, golf sales dropped 11.7% in US dollar terms and team sports dropped by 10.6% in US dollar terms. » Members of the Laureus Friends and Ambassadors - Natalie du Toit, John Moeti, Deshun Deysel and Cynthia Tshaka and Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Trust Chairman Morne du Plessis - will be in Cape Town to help raise funds for the various charities within the Big Walk Trust by participating in SA’s oldest mass participation sporting event, the Discovery Cape Times Big Walk, which takes place on 8 November. The event aims to attract a record field of 30 000 walkers and raise over R1-m for Cape Town charities. Youth and coaches from the Cape-based Laureus project, Future Champs, will also be joining the day’s activities. » The Department of Sport & Recreation SA has put out a tender for the appointment of a company to supply and deliver sport training systems (community gym equipment). Tender number 1/8/5/2 (010/09). Documents can be collected from their office at 66 Queen Street, Pretoria. Closing date of the tender is 20th November 2009.
Trade shows» The SA-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry is hosting an export and trade fair training workshop, “Making the most of your trade fair participation”. The workshop will address how a company should present itself and its products, what strategy they should develop, how the right people can be attracted in order to gain valuable contacts, what is necessary to enter the international market and how to follow up with potential clients after an exhibition in order and land those contracts. It will be presented by Linda Holtes of Platinum Mile Consultants on 18 November at the SAGCC boardroom located on 47 Oxford Road, Forest Town in Johannesburg. Click here for the programme and registration form. Respond to Shaan Padayachy at SAGCC: Fax: 011 486 3346 or Email spadayachy@germanchamber.co.za before November 13th. » Potential exhibitors at the Asia Outdoor trade show in Nanjing, China (July 28-31, 2010) can register online (click here) and a limited number of exhibitor forms can also be obtained from Sports Trader (Email trudi@sportstrader.co.za). The Asia Outdoor show is co-organised by Messe Friedrichshafen, organisers of the popular annual OutDoor Europe show. » This year The Golf Show takes place 27-29 November at the Vodacom World of Golf in Woodmead, Johannesburg. The show expects 15 000-20 000 visitors – making this an ideal opportunity to exhibit your products to the public. To find out more information about exhibiting contact Karen Poole of SAIL on Tel: 082 851 5918 or Email: karenp@sail.co.za. Issue 35Speedo SA GM to leaveGael Wise, who has been with Speedo SA for just short of ten years – initially in marketing and the last few years heading the team as general manager – will be leaving the company at the end of the month. Wise, who previously worked for Fairlady magazine, will be sharing her knowledge gained over many years in marketing, sales and catalogue production as a freelancer. At the time of going to press it was not yet known who’ll replace her.New management for Snooker & Pool WarehouseJörgen Noordemeer recently left Snooker and Pool Warehouse to pursue his own business interests. His partner Mike Slabolepszy, and the owner of the factory that have been supplying Snooker and Pool Warehouse, Neels Düring, decided that it was a good opportunity for vertical integration and merged the two businesses. Simultaneously they decided that they would like to more aggressively market their products and appointed a sales agent, Michael Bredenkamp, who will cover the whole region for them.De Wet Sport enter cycling marketDe Wet Sport has entered the cycling market with a bang: they will be distributing the Free Agent range of BMX bikes used by Olympic Gold medalist and world champion Maris Strombergs, as well as the KHS mountain and road bikes used by many top international cyclists. “We’ll be marketing to cycling specialists as the pricing will be very competitive compared to other international brands. KHS offers fantastic value-for-money in a competitive market,” says Kevin de Wet. Michael Steynberg, with 14 years’ experience in the cycling industry, will be running the cycling division. They will also be supplying a range of kiddies’ cycles under the Surge brand name.Hi-Tec SA presents StormThe Southern Storm Duathlon, presented by Hi-Tec, was won by Hi-Tec sponsored couple, Iain (men’s race) and Sue (ladies race) Don Wauchope, Approximately 180 athletes participated in this multi-day event, consisting of trail running and mountain biking that takes place along the Garden Route in the Western Cape. (Read more)4 Peaks ChallengeHi-Tec sponsored Bruce Arnett won this year’s Thule 4 Peaks Mountain Challenge in just over three hours, beating nearly 150 trail runners and mountain enthusiasts who participated in this year’s 24km trail run. The Challenge, sponsored by Thule and Salomon, is set in the Witteberg Mountains in the eastern Free State and took place 26-27 September. Starting and finishing on the flats of Moolmanshoek Nature Reserve, the route does a full circle, encompassing a 1 300m ascent over four major Witteberg peaks - Pyramid (2 167m high), Jacobsberg (2 258m high), the Visierskerf cliffs and Sikonyelle’s Hat (2 312m high).SA darts boosted by international competitionLes Francis has won this year’s Emperors Palace PDC South African Open and earned himself a place in the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, which takes place in December at Alexandra Palace in London. Last year, Gauteng-based Francis (53) lost in the semi-finals of the PDC SA Open. (Read more)Slazenger helps give kids a Sporting ChanceSlazenger is sponsoring Sporting Chance, an organisation that has been coaching children and promoting sport for the past 19 years, headed by Greg Bing (one of the Bing’s of retailer AP Jones fame). They provide sporting opportunities (cricket, netball, soccer, rugby, squash, softball, water polo, swimming, volleyball, basketball, tennis, hockey and physical education) for as many children as possible by offering professional coaching at approximately 40 schools and sports clubs in the Western Cape with up to 60 coaches involved each week. There is an enormous need in these communities for coaching expertise and structures and this past season Sporting Chance hosted cricket coaching clinics in Nyanga, Gugulethu, Ocean View, Mitchells Plain and Elsies River and a hockey clinic in Langa. As part of their sponsorship, Slazenger also presented children with cricketing products at a recent clinic.Gray-Nicolls score 9 097 in 2008/09During the 2008/9 season 32% of the world’s test match players used Gray-Nicolls to score 9 097 runs – on both counts leading the other bat brands. The only two South Africans among the top 5 run makers in any form of cricket during 2008/9 are JP Duminy (Gray-Nicolls) third with 276 and Jacques Kallis (Slazenger) with 242 fifth in T20.Overall Top Run Scorers 2008/9
New Balance sues Louis VuittonNew Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. has filed a lawsuit against LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, alleging that the Minstrel sneaker in the luxury firm's winter 2009 collection, copied the best-selling New Balance 574 casual sneaker that was first introduced in the mid-90’s. The lawsuit claims that the Mistrel mimics the 574’s shape and construction, the LV initials are located in the same place as the N on New Balance sneakers, and the suede Mistrel comes in a grey/grey colour way, which is the top-selling colour for the 574. Speedo extends partnership with PhelpsSpeedo international has announced the extension of its long-time partnership with Michael Phelps to 2013. Phelps has been a Team Speedo star since 2001 and his relationship with Speedo goes beyond a traditional endorsement contract. Phelps used his $1-m bonus earned from Speedo for his record medal haul in Beijing to start the Michael Phelps Foundation – a charity organisation that is committed to growing swimming. As part of the new Speedo deal, Speedo will donate $10 000 to the foundation for each world record set by Phelps - and Phelps has committed to match each donation. He continues to serve as part of an athlete advisory group to the Speedo Aqualab.Short news» The Pretoria High Court has ruled in FIFA’s favour against Metcash Trading Africa (Pty) Ltd. who had been selling a lollipop product under the name 2010 POPS, featuring images of footballs combined with the SA flag. FIFA claimed that the images, taken together with the name of the product, took advantage of the publicity surrounding the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and constituted ambush marketing. “FIFA is as keen as anybody else to see local businesses doing well out of the FIFA World Cup, as long as companies understand the special rules surrounding the competition and respect the exclusivity of the commercial rights granted to FIFA Partners,” explains Jörg Vollmüller, Head of FIFA’s Commercial Legal Department. Information about these rules and an explanation of the “do’s and don’ts” can be found on FIFA’s website.» The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the first ever FIFA World Cup to feature a kick-off concert a day before the event starts. The inaugural three-hour long concert will take place on 10 June at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto and will feature overseas and local artists as well as special appearances by past and present soccer legends. It will be televised worldwide. All net proceeds will benefit “20 Centres for 2010”, the Official Campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, with the aim of building 20 new football centers in African countries. » One of FIFA and the LOC’s major objectives is to ensure the 2010 FIFA World Cup leaves behind a social legacy on the African continent. The 1Goal campaign was launched in Johannesburg last week, which aims to use the impetus of the World Cup to ensure 75-m kids around the world have access to an education. Governments worldwide and the world’s leading football players pledged their support to the initiative. » Nike Inc has reported a 12% drop in revenues (2008: $5.4-bn, 2009: $4.8-bn) for Q1 ended 31 August. Excluding changes in currency exchange rates, net revenue dropped 7% when compared to the same period last year. Q1 net income was flat and diluted earnings per share increased 1% to $1.04. » The sale of Diadora SpA to Geox SpA’s founder and chairman, Mario Moretti Polegato, has been put on hold until next month by an Italian bankruptcy court. Trade shows» EFTTA(European Fishing Tackle Trade Association) and the organisers of China Fish are coming down on manufacturers of illegally copied products by exposing these companies publicly on the China Fish website and making it much harder for unproven Chinese factories to exhibit at shows that are run by China Fish. “In future Chinese factories can exhibit at China Fish only once they have proved a level of good practice over a longer period of time. This brings China Fish in line with the same rules that govern EFTTEX,” said EFTTA CEO Jean-Claude Bel. Any company on the black list on the China Fish website will be banned from future participation at any exhibitions organised by EFTTA or China Fish.» Bookings to exhibit at EFTTEX 2010 in Valencia, Spain, will open mid-October. Exhibitors at the 2009 show were given the opportunity to pre-book. As a result, there are already 145 exhibiting companies, and over 5 000m2 exhibiting space, booked for the 2010 show. The new venue, the Feria Valencia exhibition centre, has a modern feel and is within walking distance of several forms of public transport. If you would like to book a stand for Valencia in 2010 or would like further details, please contact Neena Tailor of EFTTA at neenatailor@eftta.com. » The Outdoor Retailer Summer Market has been moved from its traditional date of the third week of July to 3-6 August for 2010’s show, with the Open Air Demo taking place the 2nd of August. The 2010 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market takes place 21-24 January. Both shows will be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, USA. In addition to the change of dates, the Board of Directors has endorsed several changes for the Summer Market: a new portfolio of trade show benefits for the paddlesports community and the inclusion of the Fly Fishing Retailer trade show, subject to acceptance by the American Fly Fishing Trade Show (AFFTA). For more information visit www.outdoorretailer.com. » Due to the Outdoor Retailer Show changing its dates (see above), Asia Outdoor has had to move their show a few days earlier in order to avoid a conflict. The dates were going to be 29 July – 1 August, taking place at the Nanjing International Exhibition Center, but the new show dates will be announced at the end of October. For more information on the show visit www.asian-outdoor.com/english. » This year’s Outdoor Trade Show, which ran 28-30 September, saw a 16% rise in visitor numbers compared to last year’s show. This year 105 companies exhibiting over 300 brands received 1 269 visitors. For more information visit www.outdoortradeshow.com. Issue 34Trading during World Cup allowedFIFA has dispelled fears created by recent press reports about trade and advertising limits during the 2010 FIFA World Cup from 11 June to 11 July next year. The protocol routes - the main transport routes to the stadium - are unaffected by advertising rights agreements, says FIFA media relations manager Delia Fischer. (Read more)Endurance challenge for children’s charitiesMarc Smith, CEO of Texas Peak (distributor of Brooks, GU and Helly Hansen) and a friend, Deon Rossouw will be putting their bodies on the line in aid of a fundraising iniative to raise funds for children’s charities. Smith and Rossouw will be running a Comrades marathon plus half marathon a day for the next seven days – 110km a day – to cover the 770km between Cape Town and the Augrabies Falls. But that is only a prelude to participating in the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon. (Read more)Lowrance SA reap rewardsLowrance SA recently received several awards. They were awarded international Marketeers of the Year at the annual Navico conference held in Finland. Navico is the world’s largest marine electronics company and their range of products includes Lowrance, Eagle, Simrad, Northstar and B&G. Locally, Lowrance walked away with two awards for their stand at the National Boat Show in Johannesburg (Most Innovative and second place for Best Stand on Show Overall).Dunlop sponsors T20 of tennisTennis in SA is set to undergo the same kind of a transformation that happened in T20 cricket with the introduction of World Team Tennis (WTT). Fast, shortened games, featuring entertainment and music where cheering and continuous crowd support is encouraged, makes this a vibrant form of tennis. Dunlop recently sponsored a WTT tournament, organised by the Atlantic Tennis Academy in Cape Town. (Read more)Records fly in Table Mountain ChallengeSalomon’s men and ladies’ teams took part in the Table Mountain Challenge and walked away with gold. The men’s team completed in a record time of 3h25m54s (17 mins shorter than the previous record) and the ladies in 04h13m49 (16 minutes ahead of the second placed team). Salomon and Capestorm were in charge of the main check point and water station at the end of the second leg.Kloppers sponsors Cheetahs and EaglesKloppers recently signed a sponsorship agreement with the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs, which will help the union keep their talented players and not lose them to the richer unions. As part of the deal, Gate 6 of Vodacom Park is being renamed to the Kloppers/Expert Gate. Kloppers has also signed a sponsorship agreement with Eagles cricket. The Eagles will be playing in the Indian Champions League competition.PUMA signs ElephantsPUMA has signed a partnership agreement with the Eastern Province Rugby Union (EPRU) that will see them being the team’s official technical supplier from January 2010 until the end of 2012. The union, which was founded in 1888, has traditionally had the strongest support from black players, who learnt their skills in hundreds of clubs across the region. Pictured here are EPRU president Cheeky Watson (left) with PUMA representative Martin Nefdt and PUMA MD Ronald Rink.Under Armour signs Supersport UnitedUnder Armour, distributed locally by The New Just Fun Group, has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with Supersport United F.C. that will see them supplying all technical apparel and baselayers for both on and off field performance. Additionally, Under Armour has also signed a three-year technical, baselayer and boot sponsorship deal with the Tottenham Hotspur/ Supersport United Academy.Development team in Top 10Hi-Tec sponsored Martin Dreyer’s development team, Computershare 'Change a Life', recently showed they are a force to be reckoned with when they participated in the New Balance-sponsored Msinsi Multisport race, rated among athletes as the top KwaZulu Natal multisport series. Three of the members of the development team finished among the top ten winners.Fluid Kayaks shows innovationsFluid Kayaks exhibited at the recent paddling trade show, Kanumesse, in Nurnberg, Germany, where they showed several innovations to their range – including their new Mod3 outfitting system for their whitewater kayaks, “which is setting a new standard for comfort, ease of adjustability, durability and hull support,” says Celliers Kruger.UCT/MRC Research Unit receives IOC fundingThe Clinical Sports Medicine Research group of the UCT/MRC Research Unit of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine (ESSM) has been identified as one of four top research centers in the world to receive International Olympic Committee (IOC) funding for the next four years. The aim of this research – will be to increase knowledge in the field of injury prevention and the protection of athletes' health. (Read more)Short news» Mohammed Abdullah, former general manager of Diadora in SA, is now running a new retail lifestyle footwear chain, Side Step, which will be stocking middle to upper market shoes and accessories.» Alan Cunningham has sold Purglas, manufacturer of fishing rod blanks and distributor of fishing tackle, to Johann Venter, a chemical engineer from Vanderbijlpark (Tel: 013 692 70612). Cunningham will help with the transfer of technology and smooth transfer of the business. » BER’s Manufacturing Survey, conducted between early August and early September 2009, reveals a notable, even if it is still at low levels, improvement in manufacturing business confidence. The business confidence rose to 22 (previously 11 points) on a long-term minimum level. While domestic sales volume indicators remained in negative territory, the rate of decline is less steep. » Massmart announced total sales growth of 10,7% to R 43,1-bn for the 52 weeks ended 28 June 2009. Comparable-store sales increased by 8,2%. With sales inflation at 11,4% it means that the group achieved negative real growth. Gross profit remained steady at 18% compared to the previous year’s 18,4% while headline earnings per share declined by 4,6%. Despite this the total cash dividend was kept steady at 386 cents per share. » US retail sales rose 0.7% in August compared to July, but dropped 4.3% when compared to August last year. This is the first rise in six months. » JJB Sports Plc and Sports Direct International Plc are being investigated by the UK Serious Fraud Office in conjunction with the Office of Fair Trade for allegations of fraud and anti-competitive activities in the sports retail market. Trade shows» The deadline for product entries for the 2010 ispo Brand-New Awards close on October 20th, 2009. So far, entries from 11 countries have been received by the judges, who choose the most innovative products or ideas in several categories, submitted by companies founded after 2004. The finalists and winners receive free exhibition space at ispo 2010 (7-10 February), as well as several other marketing boosts. For more information visit http://www.ispo-brandnew.com.» The fourth Sports Goods & Physical Fitness Equipment Exhibition, which was scheduled to run 3-6 October, has been cancelled. » Golf Europe will take place 27-29 September at M,O,C, Munich Order Center in Munich, Germany. For more information visit www.golf-europe.com. » Sports Source Asia will take place 28-30 October at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong. For more information visit http://sportssource-asia.hktdc.com. Issue 33Postal strikeWe apologise for the delay in mailing the August/September Sports Trader and the 2009 Tackle Trader Directory due to the postal strikes, which forced our mailhouse to hold back delivery of all mail to avoid damage to goods. The new Tackle Trader Directory – for all retailers stocking fishing tackle, diving and canoes – was mailed with the Sports Trader. If you are a retailer that stocks fishing tackle, but did not receive a copy, please contact Carin Hardisty on carin@sportstrader.co.za or Tel: 021 461 2544. Football Friday launchedFootball Friday was officially launched on Friday 4 September – it is an initiative to build support and enthusiasm by encouraging South Africans to wear the jersey or any sign of support for Bafana Bafana, every Friday until Friday 11 June 2010, the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The campaign was launched by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), International Marketing Council (IMC), the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee SA (OC), SA Tourism (SAT), and the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), under the banner of the ‘Fly the Flag Campaign’. Independent retailers unable to obtain stock of official Bafana Bafana shirts can offer their customers the official Bafana supporter badges (see 2010 Teams replica suppliersAlthough the names of all the teams to travel to SA for the 2010 FIFA World Cup will only be known by mid-November after the UEFA Cup, the following teams have already qualified and will be playing in shirts from suppliers below:
New brand ambassador for BronxMr May on Cosmopolitan’s “Sexiest SA Men 2009” calendar, Vincent Ntunja, is Bronx’s new brand ambassador. Ntunja is a fulltime model and TV presenter, but is also studying towards his Master Degree in Sports Tourism Management at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). 28 year old Ntunja is an avid basketball player, selected to the SA Basketball team at 16 years old and playing for them ever since. He also raises funds for Hoops 4 Hope, an international NGO, and regularly hosts basketball clinics in his community of Gugulethu, where a basketball facility was erected in his name. Melanie Oudin the new star?Ranked #70 in the world, 17-year old American Melanie Oudin used her Wilson [K]Blade Tour racket to beat former world #1 Maria Sharapova, world #4 Elena Dementieva and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to reach the quarter finals of the US Open, losing to world #9 Caroline Wozniacki in the final. 19-year old Petra Kvitova (also Wilson) defeated WTA Tour world #1 Dinara Safina to reach the 4th round. New Balance…
New Balance is sponsoring the Ibhubesi Challenge, which is run over 10km and promises to challenge participants both mentally and physically by testing all their fears. For more information visit www.ibhubesichallenge.co.za.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of companies visited | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2009 | |
| First time visitor | 59 | 52 |
| Fish specialist retailer | 92 | 91 |
| Outdoor retailer | 59 | 79 |
| Sport & outdoor retailer | 38 | 45 |
| Suppliers & agents | 10 | 17 |
| Other | 6 | 13 |
| Media | 5 | 5 |
| Total | 210 | 250 |
Bolt breaks records in YAAM
Usain ‘Lightning’ Bolt recently win both the 100m (9.58seconds) and 200m (19.19seconds) at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin wearing the Theseus Pro sprint spike – now dubbed the PUMA YAAM, after Bolt’s favourite food – that was specially created to suit his stride and foot form. With these times he broke two world records, both set by him at last year’s Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Short news
» Super-Brands has signed an agreement with JD Sports, new owners of the Canterbury brand, to distribute Canterbury in SA until 2012 (see News Trader #31).» Rassie Pieterse, Protea hockey player and former brand manager of TK hockey as part of the Gilbert stable, will now distribute the brand as an independent. Gilbert SA will concentrate on the Gilbert rugby brand.
» Nike is the top sportswear brand in SA, followed by adidas and then Puma, according to the Top Brands survey conducted on behalf of The Sunday Times by TNS Surveys. Levi’s is the top fashion clothing brand, followed by Daniel Hechter and Lacoste.
» Forty-five SA clothing and textile companies are under investigation (or being prosecuted) for customs fraud, Minister of Economic Planning, Ebrahim Patel, told Parliament in a report on the country's response to the global economic crisis. One of the 12 agreed programmes to defend the economy includes increasing prosecutions for customs fraud and of anti-competitive behaviour. Four clothing and textile companies are to be prosecuted for smuggling; 15 for round tripping; 14 are being investigated for the abuse of export incentives; four face criminal prosecution for fraud involving import quotas and eight companies are likely to be charged for making false declarations.
» Nike has appointed Jim Allaker, VP general manager of Nike UK & Ireland since 2006, as the new CEO of Umbro. Allaker replaces Matthew Cook, who left the company to pursue other opportunities. During his 21 years with Nike, Allaker has also served as VP of Finance, Planning and Operations for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. He is succeeded by Marc Van Pappelendam.
» The adidas group’s operating profit has dropped by 66% to €72-m (2008: €208-m). The group’s net income attributable to shareholders for Q2 dropped by 93% to €9-m (Q2 2008: €116-m) and diluted earnings per share for Q2 dropped by 90% to €0.06.
» Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be playing with the Wilson [K]obra Tour in the US Open that starts at the end of the month. After reaching a career high #6 on the ATP Tour with the [K]Blade Tour racket, Tsonga was still searching for a racket that would give something extra on his shots. “Players are very particular about their rackets,” says Ron Rocchi, Wilson Global Tour Equipment Manager. “As their games continue to evolve, so does their equipment. The [K]obra Tour seems to be the right choice for Jo-Wilfried and we are excited to see him reach new heights.”
» Gilbert is the official ball for the historic Bledisloe Cup Match that will be played between New Zealand and Australia, which will be played for the first time in Tokyo on 31 October – last year it was played in Hong Kong.
Trade shows
» The fourth Asia Outdoor, which ran 30 July-2 August, received over 14 000 trade visitors – an increase of over 50% in trade visitor numbers over last year. Additionally, the number of exhibiting brands increased from to 288 (245 in 2008).» The spring/summer 2010 GDS will take place 11-13 September in the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre. To date, 765 exhibitors from 31 countries have confirmed and will be exhibiting 1 800 collections.
» Golf Europe will take place 27-29 September at the Munich Order Center M,O,C with four halls and 135 separate show rooms offering a total of 30 000m2 exhibition space. For more information, including information on how to buy tickets online, visit www.golf-europe.com.
Issue 31
SAFTAD beats the weather
Braving sleet and the bitter Johannesburg cold, SAFTAD reports that representatives from 262 retail stores visited this year’s SAFTAD Show (SA fishing tackle trade show) – 131 on Saturday, with an additional 131 stores registering on Sunday. Despite the economic downturn, 32% more retail stores sent representatives to the show than last year. To place this in perspective: the 2009 European Fishing Tackle Trade Show (EFTTEX) drew 338 retail visitors (not companies) from across Europe – this was 23% of their total number of visitors (4619). There were 49 exhibitors at SAFTAD this year, compared to 54 last year. (Click here for more images from the show)
Diadora gets new owner
“It's business as usual for Diadora in SA,” is the response from the local distributors following the announcement that Diadora S.p.A. had been liquidated and the brand bought by investment company LIR, which is owned by Geox’s founder and chairman Mario Moretti Polegato (picture) and his son Enrico. The Italian entrepreneur founded Geox in 1995 to manufacture shoes that “breathe”, with soles that allow sweat out of a patented membrane while stopping water and dirt from coming in. He expanded the concept to a clothing range, opened retail stores and last year entered the sport footwear market. Diadora was founded in 1948 by Marcello Danielli and the brand has been associated with many sporting greats, including Sebastion Coe, Bjorn Borg etc. It had reportedly been EUR120-m in debt when liquidated. Polegato is reportedly renegotiating international distributorships and about 180 of the company’s 263 staff at head office had already been laid off.
K-Swiss SA gets new owner
Pinetown-based Cheval Shoes acquired the K-Swiss brand for Southern Africa from Brand Five, with effect 1 July 2009.The company will introduce a very young exciting apparel range as well as a large range of sandals to complement existing imported footwear for 4th quarter delivery. The marketing, which remains with Jeremy Nel, will focus on the heritage and performance of the brand, which will be seen in store and across the country on specific outdoor campaigns.
Will bodysuit ban stop swim records?
Speedo has called the decision by FINA to ban full body swimsuits from January next year “a retrograde step that could be detrimental to the future of swimming”. FINA voted 168 to 6 that in future swimsuits may only be manufactured from textile and male suits may only run from the navel to the knees (known as jammers) and female suits can't go past the shoulders or below the knees. The ban is the result of an 18-month controversy following the introduction of the Speedo LZR racer with polyurethane panels – which the other swimsuit manufacturers believed to be illegal, but was approved by FINA.
After an amazing number of records were broken pre- and at the Beijing Olympics, swimmers clamoured for the Speedo suit and many broke sponsorship agreements. Sport scientists claimed the 158 records broken during the past year could be attributed to technology rather than the swimmers. When other swimsuit manufacturers re-vamped their suits to incorporate the new technology, FINA heeded calls by critics and introduced new regulations, which resulted in a ban on the TYR suit (which they are challenging).
At the recent Rome world championship SA’s Cameron van der Burgh, wearing the Arena X-glide suit, set a new 50m breaststroke world record, while Paul Biedermann beat Michael Phelps in the 400m freestyle, improving his Beijing time by 4 seconds (a new world record) in the Arena suit.
The Speedo statement further reads: “We recognise the catastrophic effect and controversy that the introduction of fully non-permeable wetsuits by certain manufacturers has had on the sport of swimming in recent months. Speedo has always believed that there is no place in the sport for buoyancy aids. We were and remain highly supportive of FINA’s Dubai Charter which recommended the banning of these suits from January 2010, whilst allowing some elements of non-permeable materials.”
Hi-Tec on the Otter
Hi-Tec will be the main sponsor of the Southern Storm, a new multi-stage 6-day duathlon (cycling and running) on the hard-to-get-into Otter Trail along the Garden Route from September 19-24. On the first day the 200 contestants will run the Otter Hiking Trail (45km) and the trail will be closed to other hikers. They will then cycle through the Tsitsikamma Park. Although it is the launch of the event (which Hi-Tec marketing manager Shayne Vervoort predicts will become an icon race), they have already been promised air time on SuperSport.
Hi-Tec also sponsored all the trail guides from SANParks Otter Trail with boots – having previously sponsored the Kruger and Hoerikwagga guides with boots. They are also the sponsors of the Puffer Adventure Race on August 22.
Getting fit while walking
Skechers has launched a shoe that tones your calf, thigh and stomach muscles while you work around the office or mall. The Shape-Up’s unique design mimicks the effect that walking barefoot in soft sand would have on your leg, buttock and abdominal muscles. The soft wedge in the heel not only requires that you use more muscle groups, but also improves posture. They even come with a warning: start using in moderation.
Shoes for netballers
The netball team of Ntshuxeko High School, from a poor community in Benfarm Village, Limpopo, were able to represent their province at the National Netball League Championships in Boksburg, thanks to help from Phalaborwa retailer Pieter Mulder of Julian Thoms Outfitters and Hi-Tec. Mulder responded to the school’s appeal for help by offering each of the team members a new pair of Hi-Tec netball shoes, whereupon Hi-Tec offered to carry half of the sponsorship cost.
Luring with electronics
Lowrance SA has introduced an electronic lure – the ESCA - which mimics natural lure lights in the sea to attract fish and trigger their hunting and feeding instincts. Tests have shown amazingly increased catches, says local distributor Liz Plotz. On contact with salt water, the ESCA mimic the light wavelengths, intensity and frequencies of different types of fish and plankton. They can be used as add-ons to any lures, on their own, or in combination with ESCA accessories to maximize your fishing experience.
Growing cricket in Gauteng
Cricket great Michael Vaughan (right with young cricketers) and fellow Laureus Foundation SA friends and ambassadors Baby Jake Matlala, Deshun Deysel, Lucas Radebe and John Robbie attended the launch of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation’s new project, Johannesburg Cubs, on 25 July. It is a joint project with the Gauteng Cricket Board Development Programme, and will be a multi-racial and cross-cultural cricket-training programme for school children to encourage self-discipline among participants in a supportive environment free from any form of discrimination; and to motivate and commit them to excellence and integrity.
Top products at International tackle show
The best new products at the recent ICAST and EFTTEX fishing tackle trade shows indicated the difference in the US and European markets, as none of the category winners were the same.- although the Sébile Spin Shad (hard lure winner at ICAST) was the metal lure runner-up at EFTTEX. Two other Sébile lures were also runners-up in the soft and hard bait categories at EFTTEX.
| Category | ICAST | EFFTEX |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Best of Show | Hobie Cat for the Hobie Mirage Pro Angler | Visitor choice: Picado Wood Milano fly tying handmade box. |
| Apparel | Cablz, Inc for the Cablz eyewear retention system | |
| Electronics | Lowrance-Navico for the Lowrance HDS-10 | |
| Eyewear | Costa Del Mar Zane | |
| Fishing Accessory | Durasafe Codeable Locks | DAM Medusa Landing Net |
| Giftware | Master Vision for the Mini Lantern | |
| Kids Tackle | Ross Reels USA/Ross Worldwide Outdoors Journey Youth Fly Fishing Outfit | |
| Line | Pure Fishing for the Berkley Trilene TransOptic | Fly: Hardy & Greys Mach 55 Salmon Float Monofilament: Berkley Trilene Transoptic Braided: Western Filament TUF Line |
| Lures | Soft: Sebile Magic Swimmer Soft Pro Hard: Sebile Spin Shad |
Soft: Gulp! Alive Hard: Rapala VMC Max Rap Metal: Devon Real Bait |
| Marine Gear | Hobie Cat Mirage Pro Angler | |
| Reels | Freshwater: Shimano Stradic CI4 Saltwater: Daiwa Saltist Lever Drag |
Fly: Wychwood Truefly Spinning: Shimano Stella SW Multiplier: Abu Garcia Morrum |
| Rods | Freshwater: USA Custom Rods for the Camo Stix Saltwater: G. Loomis Pro Green 882S |
Overall: Penn Otech |
| Tackle Management | Plano Molding Company's Liqua-Bait Locker System | |
| Terminal Tackle | Better Bait Circle Hook Rig | |
| Bivvy/shelter | Greys Torsion bivvy |
Unique way to locate Thule dealers
Thule South Africa launched its new Dealer Locator page on the www.thule.co.za website. This new and interactive locator incorporates maps from Google Earth making locating a dealer that much easier. The dealers are now in control of the information given to the public: they all have their own login and password, and can fill in telephone numbers, emails, websites and opening times as well as pin point the building that they are situated in on Google Earth. The consumer can find all the information – including new stores - in one place. Dealers can log into www.thule.co.za to register their details.
Breaking news
The global brand rights to Canterbury has been bought by UK sportswear retail chain JD Sports Fashion Plc after the former owners, Bahrain-based Kuwait Finance House (KFH), placed the European business in administration. According to Canterbury’s UK spokesman “Canterbury South Africa will continue to trade as normal”. JD Sports bought the Canterbury brand, goodwill and certain fixed assets for 6.5-m pounds in a deal brokered by KPMG Corporate Finance. They also bought the trade assets of the European division for an undisclosed sum, but it is not yet clear if they will renew all Canterbury’s European sponsorships. In New Zealand and Australia Canterbury will be licensed back to the current license holders, while JD Sports will operate the brand in the rest of the world. Last month JD Sports bought Kooga Rugby.Short news
» Sunnyshore Trade and Investment (formerly D.I. International) is still the licensed SA distributor of all Cressi-Sub scuba diving gear, but they have reached an agreement with AJF Agencies in Durban that they would distribute the Cressi-sub snorkelling and swimming ranges in Southern Africa.» Nike has announced new leather sourcing guidelines following a Greenpeace report that cattle are contributing to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. Nike said that none of their leather comes from the Amazon basin. They now require suppliers of Brazilian leather “to create an ongoing, traceable and transparent system to provide credible assurances that leather used for Nike products is from cattle raised outside of the Amazon Biome. On a quarterly basis Nike will review suppliers’ progress in establishing an ongoing, traceable and transparent system.” Greenpeace UK is now pushing for other shoe manufacturers, including Reebok, Adidas, Timberland and Clarks, to follow suit. The Greenpeace report “Slaughtering the Amazon,” claims that Brazil’s cattle industry is reponsible for 80% of the deforestation.
» PUMA has launched African-themed fashion collections featuring apparel made from sustainable cotton from sub-Saharan countries, thereby supporting the Aid by Trade Foundation’s “Cotton Made in Africa” initiative that helps improve the living conditions of African cotton farmers and their families. It also makes a solid contribution to the protection of the environment. The supporter’s jersey for their African World Cup teams will be made from this cotton.
» Capestorm, New Balance and the Sport Science Institute will be holding a workshop for trail runners at the Capestorm premisesin Wynberg on September 2. Prior to that, New Balance will be busily involved as sponsor with the Spar Ladies race on 22 August in Pretoria and on Women’s day, the Totalsports Ladies race in Stellenbosch.
Trade shows
» The annual Akals trade shows – showing their new fishing, cycling and camping products - will be held during August at the following times and venues: 8-9 August in Gauteng at the Bytes Business Park in Midrand; 16 August in Durban at the University of KZN Howard College Campus; 24 August in Port Elizabeth (no cycles on show) at the Protea Marine Hotel; and 30 August in Cape Town at the Grand West Casino. For an invitation, contact Debbie Soogreem on 031 533 5388 or debbie.soogreem@midas.co.za.» Boot Düsseldorf, the world’s largest internationally recognised indoor maritime trade fair, will take place 23-31 January 2010. The show covers everything from powerboats to sport fishing. If you are interested in exhibiting, application forms are available here. Alternatively, please click here to download a pdf version of the application form.
» GDS and Global Shoes 2009 will take place 11-13 September in Düsseldorf, Germany. For more information visit www.gds-online.com and www.globalshoes-online.com.
» The Ram Mountaineering & Adventure Inc show runs 3-7 August at the Delta Park Environmental Center in Johannesburg. Doors open at 09:00 and close at 16:00. For more information Tel: 021 532 0549 or email info@adventureinc.co.za or info@rammountain.co.za.
» OutDoor Europe 2009 in Friedrichshafen saw a 2% rise in trade visitors with 19 300 visitors from 90 countries (18 900 trade visitors in 2008) attending. The 2009 show presented 810 exhibitors from 38 countries over 85 000 mm2 of exhibition space. The OutDoor Industry Awards received 242 entries from 18 different countries. Petzl walked away with a win in the Helmets category for their Elia women’s helmet for sports climbing. Black Diamond won the Mountain-climbing equipment category with their Contact crampons, Vaude won the Camping Equipment category for their Scutum Ultralight tent (weighing in at 1 050g) and also won the category for “Products with high ecological and sustainable value” for their Vaude Blue Beach eco sleeping bag, which is produced using only sustainable materials (50% of the filling is Tencel, which is won from wood; 50% is recycled polyester microfibre)
» The 2009 EFTTEX tackle trade show held in Hungary attracted 233 exhibitors and co-exhibitors from 32 countries and was visited by 1505 visitors - 1505 visitors to this year’s show including Press
» BIKE EXPO, the new cycling sports show by Messe München in July was attended by more than than 5,000 trade show visitors from 42 countries and on the weekend by more than 20,000 consumers. Under the motto “Cycling Trends for City and Nature” 211 exhibitors from 25 countries presented their new products. A special spotlight at BIKE EXPO was on E-Bikes and Pedelecs, which are the latest trend, and were included in the ranges of most of the large manufacturers. Another trend was single-speed bikes or Fixies, bicycles reduced to only the most basic features, with only one gear and a fixed hub. The theme of the show was “Urban Mobility” and efforts to ease the ever-increasing traffic congestion in metropolitan cities by encouraging cycling.
» GOLF EUROPE, Europe's largest golf industry trade fair, takes place 27-29 September at the Munich Order Center M,O,C. To book your tickets contact the South African - German Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tel: 011 486 2775 or email: apringle@germanchamber.co.za.
Issue 30
We’re not retailing
Please note that the website “sporttrader.co.za” selling second hand kayaks and canoes, has nothing to do with Sports Trader magazine – even though they call themselves Sports Trader on their homepage. We are definitely NOT competing with our readers and have requested the website owners to choose another name, since Sports Trader is registered to us and has been in use for thirty years. For the record: our website is www.sportstrader.co.za (with an “s” and not a double “t”).
Sport performing despite recession
While footwear and clothing brands are shedding Euros and dollars internationally, SA sports equipment is proving to be fairly resilient in the present economic situation. Stores are still being opened (see below) and the sports division of our biggest sporting goods chain is outperforming apparel. Not only has the imports of sporting goods been growing, but the value of exports from SA has also been growing. First quarter exports of sporting equipment have grown from R11-m in 2000 to R21-m in 2007 and 2008. This is, however, still way below the import value of R73-m in 2000 and R142-m and R200-m in the first quarters of 2007 and 2008. The import and export value of SA sporting goods in the first quarter have grown from R24-m in 1992, to R84-m in 2000, R221-m in 2007 and R239-m in 2008. During 2007 (the last available statistics for a full year) sports equipment to the value of R1.1-bn was imported. These figures do not include fishing or outdoor. Source: www.thedti.gov.za/econdb/raportt/rap49dig.html#Chapter95
Good second half for Foschini Group
During the past financial year the Foschini Sports Division (Due South, Total Sports, sportscene) was one of the best performing divisions in the Foschini Group, growing annual turnover by 12.6% to R8-bn. Same store turnover growth in the Sports Division was up by 5.3% and the number of stores increased by 43 to 264.
Foschini Group financial results for the year ending March 2009 showed an average annual growth in turnover of 5.5% growth to R8-bn. During the first half, growth was 3%, but it accelerated to 8% during the second half. Operating profit increased by 6.3% to R2-bn. Group CEO Doug Murray expects a similar year for 2009: not expecting much improvement in trading until the second half of this year.
Mr Price apparel increases, sport battle
Mr Price Group’s apparel chains (Mr Price Sport, Mr Price, Miladys,) grew annual sales by 22.7% to R5.9-bn, with a 4% retail selling price inflation. But Mr Price Sport, with comparable store sales down 4.2% and retail sales per m2 down 11.7%, is finding trading conditions tough. During the past year, Mr Price Sport opened 8 new stores, increasing their number of stores by 34.8% to 31. Revenue grew 53.4% to R368.6-m and unit sales increased 59%.
The apparel chains, which constitute 69% of Mr Price Group sales, increased comparable sales by 16.2%. Operating profits increased by 23.7% to R828.6-m and operating margin from 13.8% to 14%. Mr Price’s sales increased by 24% to R4.5-bn. Comparable sales increased by 20.3%. Unit sales increased by 15.7%. Miladys’ sales grew by 10.2% to R1.0-bn. The comparable sales grew by 4.0%. The division experienced a 1.1% retail selling price inflation and a 7.0% growth in the number of units sold.
| Mr Price Sport | 2009 | 2008 | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue (R-m) | 368.6 | 240.3 | 53.4% |
| Comparable sales | -4.2% | ||
| Unit sales | 59.1% | ||
| Retail Selling price Inflation deflation | 4.0% | ||
| Retail sales per m2 | 9 449 | 10 699 | -11.7% |
| Number of stores | 31 | 23 | 34.8% |
PUMA signs past and present greats
Expanding their list of sponsored athletes, PUMA has signed Proteas all-rounder Albie Morkel and retired Olympic medal winner and six time world record holder Elana Meyer, now CEO of the JAG Foundation.
PUMA has signed a long-term full technical contract with Morkel, who will wear PUMA’s footwear and full protection gear and use a PUMA bat on-field and the PUMA sports lifestyle ranges off the pitch. PUMA signed a similar deal with his brother, Morne Morkel in December 2008. (Click here to read more and view more images)
Breaking the cycle of violence… in Britain
In order to highlight the growing problems of youth crime, and in particular gang violence in the UK, Daley Thompson, Olympic decathlon legend, recently cycled from Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground to London. South African sport personalities like Gary Player and Butch James and international sport stars like Sebastian Coe, Sean Fitzpatrick and Hugo Porta, as well as entertainment stars, joined him for stages on his week-long ride. Thompson delivered a report, “Laureus - Breaking the Cycle of Violence”, to the British government. Commissioned by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, it shows how sports initiatives can meet the challenge of urban youth violence. Thompson’s ride was backed by Richard Taylor, the British government’s official envoy for youth violence and knife crime, whose teenage daughter, Damilola, was murdered. (Click here for more photos from the ride)
Two Oceans Marathon correction
No, the 2009 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon did not have a sudden change of name sponsor – we merely had a blonde/grey moment when we named it the Pick n Pay marathon (after the cycle race) in the last Sports Trader – it is still sponsored by Old Mutual. We apologise for the confusion – also for the incorrect shoe count numbers for the 21 km for Reebok and “Other” as well as Brooks and Puma. The correct 21 km shoe count would be:
| 21km | Pairs | % |
|---|---|---|
| Asics | 5 101 |
38,66 |
| Nike | 2 772 |
21,02 |
| New Balance | 2 218 |
16,81 |
| adidas | 1 611 |
12,21 |
| Other | 399 |
3,02 |
| Saucony | 334 |
2,53 |
| Reebok | 255 |
1,93 |
| Brooks | 248 |
1,88 |
| Puma | 125 |
0,95 |
| Mizuno | 58 |
0,44 |
| Hi-Tec | 52 |
0,39 |
| Etonic | 21 |
0,16 |
Short news
» Retailcorp SA have closed their Lillywhites store in the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and will in future only trade under the Sports Direct name. They recently opened a stand-alone pod at Canal Walk and have another Sports Direct store in the Westwood Mall, which opened towards the end of last year. Retailcorp has an agreement with the UK Sports Direct group to open and operate stores in other countries.» Fishing industry suppliers, please remember to confirm your correct telephone number, products and brands to be published in the annual Tackle Trader Directory before July 24th. You should have received an email about three weeks ago, asking you to correct/confirm your products, brands and telephone number. Please contact Trudi du Toit on trudi@sportstrader.co.za or Tel: 021 461 2544 if we did not send your details to you for confirmation.
» Both the Argentinian Rugby Union (the Pumas) and Irish Rugby Football Union have renewed their contracts with Gilbert to be their official and exclusive ball supplier. Gilbert is also the official and exclusive equipment supplier for the Argentinian Rugby Union.
» According to a statement released by TYR, the company has instructed its legal council to file a complaint against FINA with the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Strasbourg, France "in the interest of fairness, and out of responsibility to our athletes". The statement continues to state that FINA has admitted to no testing protocol and that the governing body has not yet provided the test results TYR asked for at the end of June. TYR is asking the court to nominate an independent legal expert to determine why some suits, that are nearly identical to TYR’s, were approved by FINA and not TYR’s.
Trade shows
» Time is running out for pre-registration for the annual SAFTAD show, held Saturday 1st August (9am to 8pm) and Sunday 2nd August (9am to 6pm) in the Unisa Training Centre, Ormonde, Johannesburg. Pre-registrations close on Friday the 17th – fax the forms you received with Sports Trader to Mary-Ann Hodgskin on 011 943 4859 or Email to maryannh@mweb.co.za.» Rapala VMC and Cressi Sub will be giving away prizes at the National Boat Show featuring Dive Expo, which takes place 14 – 16 August at the Coca-Cola dome.
Rapala VMC will present their Rapala Fishing for the Future workshops at the show, which will cover rock and surf fishing, deep sea fishing, bank angling and bass fishing. Attendees will receive free bait and the opportunity to win spot prizes as well as a top of the range Humminbird fish finder valued at R30 000.
Cressi Sub is sponsoring two full sets of soft gear (including wetsuits, fins, masks and snorkels) as part of the Win a Scuba Diving Lifestyle competition that is valued at over R40 000.
Upcoming trade shows:
» Bike Expo: 23-26 July. New Munich Trade Fair Center. Munich, Germany. www.bike-expo.com.
» WSA Show: 31 July-2 August. Las Vegas Convention Center. Las Vegas, USA. www.wsashow.com.
» SAFTAD tackle trade show: 1-2 August. Unisa training centre. Johannesburg. Email:
maryannh@mweb.co.za
Issue 29
Adventure store does us proud
On the night 72nd ranked Bafana Bafana came so close to causing the biggest upset in the Confederations Cup by knocking out 5th ranked Brazil, Cape Union Mart opened their new Adventure Centre in Canal Walk. It is a store South Africans can be proud of. European visitors will see that it compares well with the Globetrotter outdoor stores in Germany that has become the benchmark for European outdoor retail. (Read more)
Canterbury locker room
Canterbury SA had opened their new Canal Walk store a few days before the Confederations Cup opening – another classy outfit that will show the 2010 visitors that SA retail can match, or better, anything they might offer. The locker room theme would make even the most hardened rugby guy feel comfortable to shop for off-field clothing – with their girlfriends in tow. Former Springbok coach Jake White, who now coaches school coaches (with Canterbury support) opened the store, with ref Jonathan Kaplan and several past and present ‘Boks present. (click here for more photographs from the launch)
Reebok world class
While Reebok worldwide receives the financial backing of the strong adidas organization, Reebok in SA is an independent distributor backed by local resources – yet, the revamped store recently re-opened in Canal Walk is on par with any Reebok store you might see any other place in the world. The store was opened shortly before the T20 Cricket World Cup, where Reebok was official sponsor, apart from kitting out several teams, including SA’s Proteas. Prior to that the local Reebok office were kept busy catering to the whims and needs of the four teams they sponsored when the IPL T20 Tournament moved to SA at short notice, establishing Reebok as a cricket clothing supplier of note. (click here for more photographs from the launch)
Irish Lions shop at Puma
While the British and Irish Lions team is sponsored by adidas, the Irish members of the team clearly support their rugby union’s sponsor. The Irish Lions went shopping at the Puma store in the V & A Waterfront when they played in Cape Town, creating great excitement amongst staff and customers. (click here for more photographs)
Giving back to society
A pair of shoes for each kilometer…
Grattan Rippon, the sales manager for New Balance, participated in the ultra-tough 254km desert marathon, the Marathon des Sables, where the participants need to carry all the gear they might need for the extreme weather conditions while they race. New Balance donated a pair of running shoes for every kilometer that Rippon completed to learners at an underprivileged school. The lucky school was the Silverstream Primary school in Manenberg.
… and a technical scarf for R20
New Balance also encouraged visitors and participants in the Knysna marathon to donate R20 to CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation of SA) – by offering them a free New Balance head and neck warmer. (By the way, any suggestions for a proper name for these scarves/head covers made popular by Buff – we’ve been using technical scarves, but we’re sure someone will have a truly creative name).
Soccer boost at grassroots
Tekkie Town is supporting grassroots soccer development in the Eastern Cape with their support of the George United Football Club where white, black and coloured boys and girls learn the skills of the game in all age groups.
Healing youths in the outdoors
Cape Union Mart gave a R10 000 donation to Educo, an NGO that takes youths from vulnerable communities into the outdoors, where they teach them lifeskills, like coping with challenges, leadership, and expose them to alternatives to street crime and drugs. Here programme director Trevor Johnston accepts the donation.
Rugby and soccer unite
The Rugby World Champions (our own Springboks), Football World Champions (Italy), the eLan South African Rugby Legends, the British and the Lions Legends teams recently came together to conduct coaching clinics for children from the surrounding communities at the opening of the Sowetan Blue Label Legacy Park. The SA Rugby Legends Association run several community programmes, including the ‘Leaving a Legacy’ programme; ‘Street Kids Against Crime Prevention’ programme; the ‘Adopt-A-School’ programme and the ‘Iqhawe’ programme.
The Legacy Parks – one in Cato Manor in Kwa-Zulu Natal and the second is in Protea Glen, Soweto – are multi-purpose synthetic turf sports grounds with club house, floodlights and mobile police station. The municipalities donated the land and sponsors will keep them functioning.
Short news
» The SA Gunowners Association has posted the police directive on their website issued after Judge Bill Prinsloo granted the SA Hunters & Game Conservation Association interim relief that makes all current gun licenses legal until further notice. Read it on the SA Gunowners Association's website.
» PUMA’s yacht, “il mostro” finished their maiden Volvo Ocean Race in second place on 27 June 2009 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Volvo Ocean Race is a 37,000 nautical mile (68,524 km) round the world adventure and is one of the world’s toughest sporting events.
» Linebreak technical under garments are now also worn by Glamorgan Cricket and Welsh Hockey in a sponsorship deal.
» Diadora international has been sold to Geox SpA’s founder and chairperson, Mario Moretti Polegato, through his investment arm, Lir.
» The Chinese Olympic team received the Laureus World Team of the Year Award at a special presentation ceremony in Beijing for the 51 gold, 21 silver and 28 bronze medals they won in the Beijing Olympics last year. Nike not only developed their teamwear, but also developed specialized footwear for some sporting codes.
Trade shows
» There will be several new exhibitors at this years’ SAFTAD tackle trade show at the Unisa training centre in Vinton Rd, Ormonde, Johannesburg (1-2 August, morning of Monday 3rd). Contact Mary-Ann Hodgskin on Tel: 011 943 4921 or Fax: 011 943 4859 or Email: maryannh@mweb.co.za for more information.
» BIKE EXPO, a new trade show that runs 23-26 July at the New Munich Trade Fair Center in Munich, Germany, has announced free entrance to their two public days (25-26 July) to visitors who pre-register online at www.bike-expo.com. One of the new features at the show will be the “Innovations + Trends Village”, where exhibitors with new, innovative ideas can showcase their inventions at an affordable rate.
About us | Contact us
Sports Trader | Tackle Trader | Directory | Promotional publications
Sports Trader is published bi-monthly by Rocklands Communications
If you have comments or suggestions regarding this website please contact the webmaster