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Jack meets...An Englishman in French women's clothing
Born into a sporty family in 1963, Neil's schooldays were possibly more sport than study. He scored well as captain of the football team at Bentley St. Paul's (not ‘the' St. Paul's, this was Bentley, Brentwood).
Aged just eight, he played for the Great Danes, and if this is a name with which you are not familiar, read on, you will find others too. He went on to Ongar School, playing soccer, making his mark as a ‘sweeper' on the field. He also enjoyed rugby and cricket. Subject-wise, he was no mean mathematician, engaged in Geography and Physics, and took a particular interest in Art and Design. While as a ‘gentleman on the road' (those with long memories or avid readers of commercial history may recall the breed) figures are doubtless a worthwhile accomplishment, his appreciation of aspects of design have frequently been useful to him. At Loughton's Art and Design College in Essex he studied Graphic Design, Fine Art and the History of Art, and having passed his ‘A' levels in the first year of what should have been a two year course, he set out to make his fortune. Or perhaps more accurately, to earn an honest crust.
He started, aged 18, (he has still to reach the fifties) working for Hussey and Greaves, printers and gained his first experience as a traveller cold calling, selling, or attempting to sell, photocopiers. This was certainly the sharp edge and tough, as anyone will confirm who has been involved with door-to-door selling will confirm. There was a carrot, and that carrot was a car, but Neil soon came to realise that this was not for him and responded to an ad in the local press, wrote to Ascot who were looking for a rep to sell their range of footwear and rackets. He was with them for six years until 1990, during which time he looked after and successfully sold product to customers in East Anglia, London and the South-East. The Jonah Barrington squash racket - wooden of course - being a firm favourite and an early example of name dropping by those engaged in marketing. Ascot's acquisition of the selling rights of Yonex (then, if I recall rightly, Yoneyama, which was considered too complicated for the UK market) was quite a feather in their cap, but the spread of selling their footwear ranges to shoe shops, proved too much for many of the traditional sports shops, even though, one has to admit, this might have been a commercial decision that proved beneficial to their cash flow. Indeed, Mr. Seth faced with the choice between staying with the sports trade and seeking to exploit the wider market possibly made the right decision. What was true, and remains the case today for retailer, manufacturer or distributor, is that decisions as to direction have to be made and there are many reasons why it is well nigh impossible to ride two horses in the same race. So, it is back to Neil, who believed that the time was ripe to become an agent and do his own thing.
With the benefit of a good relationship built up with his customers, he took to the road, and it was strictly sports-related items that he carried. This was the start of Stacey Sports Agencies. Now we do all know how important exercise is to the nation's health and the important role that sport can play in a person's wellbeing. But every coin has two sides and statistics (yes, I know they can prove anything) reliably inform one that most injuries are caused by those engaged in physical activity. At that time, apart from first aid boxes on the field, strains and muscle stresses usually meant a visit to the chemist. Thanks to the Staceys of this world, sports shops were beginning to realise that at least some injury money could find its way into their tills. Sports support came - and still come - in a variety of grades and prices. It is indicative of Neil's philosophy that he chose to represent one of the Rolls Royces of sports supports, namely Vulcan, which have stood the test of time. It was a good ‘in' to any sports shop no matter what the season. And he had the support too, of his wife Katie, herself much into netball, athletics and hurdling. True, supports may not have been a major part of his life, nor are they likely to represent a major part of a retailer's turnover. But - and it is a big but - they do constantly turn over, they do bring in the punter who may be attracted to other items or when coming for something else may add on the support. And for Neil, there was always the chance to pop in and take stock with a view to a fill-up.
And a chance to introduce other lines to make it all worth while. Hopefully, I am getting over the close connection between the way a ‘Free Agent' can earn a good living and so with an Independent Sports Retailer. Another worthwhile comparison is the desirability to join a trade association and/or buying group. Neil was comfortable as a member of APSA, The Association of Professional Sports Agents. I am always interested to hear the views and experiences of members of their chosen Group or Association, which are almost without exception both positive and encouraging. But I digress! Neil had a good non-conflicting range of product to offer. Kleim tracksuits, Yonex badminton rackets (and birds too, but get not too excited, I refer to the shuttles) K.Swiss ‘Pure Tennis', and clothing by Sergio Tacchini (are they still around?) with a smithering of fashion footwear. With some hundred-plus sports shops on which to call, he was kept busy. Later came adidas headwear, for some time all the rage, eyewear, for those with vision, and even cyclewear.
Again comparing the agent to the retailer, change must always be regarded as a challenge (the latter only has three extra letters standing, I always believe, for Look, Learn and Enterprise.) and very few successes last for ever, with the exception always of supports, but even these evolve with time. And it is time now to attend to the present and a confession. This is the first occasion that I have found myself writing about a brand of which I had no knowledge. Well, have you heard of ‘White Pepper'? And would you imagine that to be a brand that is likely to cause a stir, let alone a sneeze? OK, so I have given you the wrong name. Actually, and this time it's for real, it is called ‘Poivre Blanc' and is the established mark of a French manufacturer, originally concentrating on the world ski market. But it is the tennis range, catering for ladies and youngsters that is proving to be Neil's way forward. The range is colourful, while never forgetting the English tradition of ‘mainly white' applicable to so many clubs still today. The collection is comfortable, using modern breathable high performance materials. Those up in the world of technology will know the virtues of the Meryl Actisystem. The clothing is very wearable and - wait for it, because it is not available here, there and everywhere - just a tad exclusive. There is a subtle difference between a product that sells well and one that is mass market. Poivre Blanc is not mass market.
Is this the time to consider exclusivity? Should we be looking at economic conditions and aim to compete with the likes of Primark, if, that is, Primark has any ‘likes'? I would suggest that it is unlikely that we can compete, price wise, so the time is ripe for the specialist, and in this instance, it is the tennis specialist, to concentrate on strengthening his niche market. It is time too to reconsider how one perceives ‘expensive'. It is all too easy to acknowledge someone's stated desire to be shown something ‘reasonably priced', or ‘not too expensive' by assuming that they have a very limited budget and that they are reluctant to spend much. I have often been surprised to find that what they really want is good value and by offering a garment that fits the purpose in more ways than one, the customer is quite prepared, even happy, to spend much in excess of what might have been expected. So, what might one offer? Ask Neil. "Something that will give pleasure. Something that will attract admiration. Something that will last. Something that is (relatively) exclusive. Something that is fit for purpose. Something practical, fashionable, co-ordinated, comfortable... hold on a minute, this isn't supposed to be a sales pitch..."
I looked at this Englishman in French Clothing and before bidding Neil ‘Bon Voyage' and ‘Au Revoir', almost the entire range of French vocabulary remaining in my memory (apart of course from the newly-acquired ‘Poivre Blanc') I seriously pondered whether in my days as a specialist retailer I would have stocked the range. I do believe that I might have given it a swirl. But there again, would I have qualified as a chosen stockist?
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