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Independents must push service
Mizuno European footwear business manager tells specialist independents to improve on where the multiples fall down
Specialist independent running retailers will need to increase the level of knowledge and service they offer consumers to survive, Mizuno’s European footwear business manager has warned.
Nick Pope said independent retailers specialising in running footwear and apparel will not be able to compete with online retailers on price, a view shared by Steve Millward, owner of independent retailer Gloucester Sports (SGB Sports, December 2010).
Millward said: “I feel it will be more difficult to provide quality products in-store at the right price that customers are willing to buy.”
Instead, Pope said retailers will flourish if they up their level of service to consumers, and offer knowledge and advice unavailable online, or in larger chain outlets.
Pope said: “The future of specialist running shops and independent retailers lies in ser vice.
“They need to offer a level of knowledge and advice that consumers can rely on and that will keep them returning to the store.”
