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"Trade Talk..."
HE could not understand why we wanted him to go to the Chelsea Show. “Flowers and sport” he said, “where is the tie up?” But it was to the ninth Sports Merchandise Exhibition at Chelsea Football Club rather than the Flower Show at the grounds of Chelsea Hospital that he was invited and here he gives his impressions and wonders if you should have been there too. And, as ever, he does not mince his words where he sees room for improvement
NOW IN ITS NINTH YEAR, the Sports Merchandise Exhibition, to quote from the Listing and Product Details catalogue, (which was free as was admission to the exhibition itself) has ‘exhibitors from across the world’ and features ‘one of the biggest ranges of promotional merchandise specifically focussed on the sports industries’. So, was this a show that would appeal to the retailer of sports goods? Was there a difference between merchandise and goods? My answer, at first glance, was probably not but by the time I had fully explored the stands and properly digested what it was all about, a very definite ‘yes’. The news letter describes the show as the specialist event for the Sports Merchandise Industry.As someone especially interested in words, I find it well nigh impossible to differentiate between ‘goods’ and ‘merchandise’. This was certainly not the place to come to see hockey sticks, cricket bats, racquets, table tennis bats, or snooker cues.Neither were there football boots or indeed any sports footwear.Many of the exhibitors were after business directly with the clubs. Some seemed to regard their few hours of being there as an opportunity to talk among themselves and to interrupt them seemed an intrusion. Others had dumped their goods, or merchandise, as the case may be, rather than display their wares, making, for example, a bag look as though it has been trampled on,when even a few crumpled up newspapers stuffed within would have given it life and appeal.
BUT ALL WAS NOT GLOOM and having got that gripe out of my system and maybe even spurred some with a conscience to look at their own displays and windows, (‘How much is that fly in the corner, the upside down one without a price?’), there was much to see and, most important of all, surely,much from which to profit. For that word should be uppermost in our minds when we decide what to stock and when we can justify taking on new lines either to supplement or sometimes replace items that are not justified in terms of space and investment. Perhaps the opportunity to offer chocolates dressed up as team footballs does not appeal, or temporary tattoos to bared arms may not complement the ethos of one’s trade, but if hairdressers can give away lollipops for good behaviour, a little goodwill at Christmas time to some younger customers may not come amiss, though the temptation to test the product throughout the day may prove too strong to resist.With close on two hundred products on display, a goodly number of which, on careful consideration, might find a place on the sports retailer’s shelves and adding to his coffers, and not having the entire SGBUK issue to fill, hopefully the pickings here will be of interest and possibly entice you to see for yourself at next year’s show scheduled for March 8th to which, incidentally,more than half of this year’s exhibitors have already committed.
TALK TO PEOPLE, I always find, and there’s an interesting story, often inspirational, and I was not to be disappointed when I came across Ben Betson who was over from The Hague to show a very green form of transport.Admittedly his buses and cars won’t take you anywhere except, hopefully, to the land of profit and they have certainly given him a remarkable journey from being, as he explained to me,‘down in the doldrums and completely broke’ to what would seem to be a new land of opportunity and potential wealth. Only four years ago, when he really was at a low ebb, he had a dream which led him to pick himself up and seize the opportunity to find his way into the big world of souvenirs. Scarves, hats, footballs, mascots, key rings, flags, watches, badges, trophies, rugs, bedding, calendars, t-shirts, (and yes, these and more were at the show) but BB’s mind was set on miniature buses and cars which appropriately coloured and carefully embossed with team logo,would, he thought, quickly become a must-have for the enthusiastic collector and team supporter.Not too surprisingly, Man.United coaches (the ones on wheels) were top of the best sellers with Scotland’s Rangers high on the list. Currently most of the sales are through club outlets but negotiations that may by now have been finalized, to sell through the retailer were progressing. The product is a great ‘add-on’ sale, and even relatively small quantities can be custom made, creating interesting opportunities for imaginative retailers.
PERHAPS MAKING MORE HEADLINES, (pardon the pun.) sport wise, is a new product which the manufacturer/distributor is promoting as ‘The new revolution in football technology.’ I certainly was none the worse for wearing it at the show as I successfully headed a football and SGB UK’s Roger Bourne, likewise was reassured by the protection offered by the knitted Lycra and polyester coated Heading Band with its silicone coating. The momentary grip on contact with the ball not only affording a degree of protection, but also allowing extra accuracy. Both Roger and I found the Medium size fitted us well, but, as with the Bootband, there are three sizes.GOALBAND™ claims that the Bootband will not only provide young players with a better ‘first touch’ but also the ability to bend the ball from free kicks. Once again, the retailer with initiative, could have its own brand incorporated on the band, and I would certainly suggest that this particular bandwagon is one to join.
GOLFERS GENERALLY look further afield for their clubs and footwear, although golf balls and accessories often tend to be sellers at Christmas time and some shops still have a space for certain items throughout the year. I have a sneaking feeling too, that many readers will have a personal interest in ‘CleanStrike’which was on show along side a product that should certainly appeal to every bona fide sports shop. Cleanstrike.Described as the first new golf consumable since the golf ball and golf tee, and attractively packaged, the golfer is able to cleanly wipe his clubs from grip all the way down to the club head, including the grooves. Like so many new ideas this one is simple and looks set to be a ‘must have’ to those who understand that cleanliness, be it next to godliness or not, is indeed essential to ensure that a club is playable to its maximum advantage. The actual wipes are not unlike baby wipes, is ISO 9002 approved, and gives one less reason for a faulty shot.And for football and rugby players, there is no longer any excuse for dirty boots. CleanStrike sports products have a handy tub of the wipes for the boots too which can be applied successfully to any colour leather.
AS WAS TO BE EXPECTED there were several stands displaying trophies but one did stand out. The catalogue could have benefited with some professional editing but the product was both original and tasteful. This was the ‘Art Ball’, which consisted of a football made as though it was a wooden inlaid football. This could be mounted, trophy style,with an engraving on the base, or be incorporated into a lamp or clock. Or maybe both, or there again, all three. Chris Jones explained that this unique piece of wooded engineering is made of twenty wooden hexagon and twelve pentagon, each of 21mm thickness with no less than 180 sides and 180 corners which are fitted together precisely without so much as 0.1mm error. Precisely! And talking of trophies, prize for the most innovative booklet must surely go to the producers of ‘Never Ever’ who include in their blurb their very own ten commandments, the first being to provide excellent service and the last to source their garments ethically.And before getting round to illustrating and describing what appears to be some very saleable clothing, state that their Church is their showroom where you are welcome to sit and view their glory as they assure you that their congregation is growing by the day and that they would love you to join. Steve Mason, who presumably could be referred to as the Pastor-in-Chief, had some interesting slants on hockey and other clothing and was ready to discuss ‘specials’with anyone so inclined.
ACTION MAN and THE RUBIC CUBE, the latter making a comeback in a new look,were other items on show. Clive Pollard with his team had a busy and buzzing stand showing off both familiar and new goodies on their Home Win stand. Their product range is worthy of a full page, and their latest plush toys are quite irresistible, as were the J-Straps from Trendwerk, which incorporate a souvenir of a footballer with a functional flashing light to signal an incoming phone call.And as I made the journey home, realising that time had been too short with so much to see, I constantly heard the announcement over the loudspeakers to ‘Mind The Gap’. Thank you, London Transport. They were just the words that I had been looking for with which to end Trade Talk for this issue.Yes, there is a gap between sports goods and sports merchandise.And very often we would do well to mind it, and make sure that we build a bridge between them.Minding the gap need not mean that we do not sometimes cross over from one to the other.And never more so than when it comes to the add-ons, of which there are so many at this show.Next year, think about a day at Chelsea. There’s more there than an expensive football team.
Details of all the items mentioned in ‘TRADE TALK’ are available from the Editor. The Sports Merchandise Exhibition is organised by ‘Thirty FortyNine’ www.thirtyfortynine.com.
You can contact Jack Lynes at writeawayjack@aol.com
