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Swimming: In the swim
Martin Newton, sales and marketing manager at Aqua Sphere, tells SGB Sports, about the current swimming market and the opportunities presenting themselves to retailers.
According to Government figures, over 16 million people in the UK swim. Approximately 4.5 million of these are accepted to be ‘regular fitness swimmers’ and this figure is swelling with the increased participation in outdoor swim events, triathlons and improvements in swimming facilities as we fast approach London 2012.
It's gratifying for swim brands that, in a flat sports retail market, swimming seems to be less affected by current economic constraints and is maintaining a steady course. We suspect this is due to its low cost of participation in comparison with other sports, ease of accessibility and it's definitely less seasonal than it used to be as a result of more people swimming throughout the year indoors or out.
As a retail proposition, a modest space can create an interesting display of swimwear, goggles and accessories so, for just a few square feet of floor space, the margins can be very good for 12 months of the year.
For brands such as Aqua Sphere, stock returns are minimal because the quality is consistently high. Indeed, the brand has won significant accolades and TV product placements because of its consistent product integrity. The truth is that we all need to feel safe and secure in the water and so the days of cheap leaky goggles and boring baggy swimwear are over.
The market has raced on and retailers who stock swim kit which is at the forefront of design and technology are really able to capitalise in the fitness swimming arena. In comparison with some sporting goods categories which are perhaps a bit stagnant, swim kit is all about extreme technology and tons of features, giving the retailer something new and edgy to talk about with up-to-date colourways to keep the range fresh each season. Customers also have a better understanding of new technology and in the case of goggles they crave panoramic curved lenses and clever side adjust buckles because they know these features deliver long lasting performance and comfortable fit.
For more, see the May issue of SGB Sports.
