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First Words - Jan 2010
We continue our coverage of the SGB Sports Retail Survey is this issue, with particular focus on online retailing. This is a difficult issue for the traditional independent retailer, with a business and heritage built upon foundations of bricks and mortar, rather than in the cyber-sphere.
There are some serious e-commerce issues for retailers to address. Firstly, in the online retail market, how can an independent retailer compete with the multiples on retail prices? It’s like Maidstone United playing away at Chelsea in the third round of the FA Cup. There will be the occasional upset in this scenario, but not often.
Then there is that friendly, personal and expert customer service that distinguishes independents from multiples – how is that face-to-face welcome supposed to be transferred online?
It is easier to grasp how a website is a very powerful marketing tool, and how it can be a useful outlet for stock clearance.
According to the Sports Retail Survey, 67.1% of independent sports retailers conduct a degree of online business, and with 66.6% of retailers seeing their online presence growing to some degree going forward, there is no doubt at all that as we move into 2010, online business will continue to grow – and probably rapidly. It is an issue we will continue to address.
Here’s to a prosperous 2010
Robin Barwick, Editor
