Issue 51

We wish you a wonderful World Cup!

Sports Trader wishes you the best of trading and plenty of fun, enjoyment, smiles and making many friends during the next months we’ve been waiting for so long. With the blowing of vuvuzelas and waving of flags we have already embraced this as South Africa’s World Cup – but in the stadiums FIFA will still be calling the shots. Just a final reminder about the rules if you are one of the ticket holders that ensured that the 64 matches are 97% sold out… and many 100% sold out. Read more.

Tips for trading during the World Cup

Much as we would all like to take a break during the World Cup month to watch every game or attend each match, at least at a Fan Park, it will have to be business unusual for all – and busier than Christmas for many. Unfortunately, it will be a teeth-gritting and frustrating time to do business, especially for those close to stadiums or on routes to stadiums. “Businesses in areas that will be affected need to ensure they have a schedule of events and they will need to understand what impact, if any, these will have on their business,” advises Peter McLaren-Kennedy (see picture), sales and marketing director at Metrofile. Read more.

2010 World Cup match dates and host cities

A last reminder of where and when the world cup matches will take place. Click here to view a list of dates and times.

Stellenbosch brushes up on soccer lingo

Stellenbosch University, in collaboration with various coaches and researchers, has released a new soccer terminology booklet - just in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It is published in English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans and is the result of months of research into football culture, formal soccer terms and the current colloquial lingo used by players and fans. The soccer booklet is part of the University's aim to promote multi-lingualism and can be ordered from www.stellenbosch2010.com at a cost of R55 per booklet.

R88m in World Cup counterfeits

Since November 2009, fake and illegal 2010 FIFA World Cup merchandise worth more than more than R88m have been confiscated by the South African Revenue Services (SARS) at harbours and airports across SA - with the figure increasing on a weekly basis. “Using any FIFA Intellectual Property without a licensing agreement in place is against the law and officials will confiscate illegal goods wherever they find them; counterfeiting is a serious criminal offence,” says GBG general manager Paul Zacks. “We rely heavily on the general public’s assistance to report illegal importers, manufactures and distributors so any such acts of counterfeiting can be punished under respective local law.” All Official Licensed products bear the FIFA logo. Sales of the fake goods not only affect the income of the more than 40 SA local licensees, but also the retailers who buy through legal channels.. Click here for more information.

Goalies complain about WC ball

It has become “fashion” for goalkeepers to complain about the erratic behavior of the official ball supplied by adidas before the FIFA World Cup (perhaps as an insurance policy?), and this year is no exception. This year Spain’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas complained that the Jabulani ball was better suited to the beach than to the finals in South Africa. "Now it isn't only the goalkeepers (complaining) it is the outfield players as well,” he is quoted by www.iol.co.za. The website further quotes Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar as saying the ball is "terrible, horrible" and like one purchased in a supermarket, while Italy striker Giampaolo Pazzini said it was a "disaster" for both goalkeepers and forwards because it is so light. Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said on his website (www.gianluigibuffon.com): "The new model is absolutely inadequate and I believe it is shameful to play such an important competition, where so many champions are taking part, with a ball like that."

GU to fuel Brazilian squad

GU Energy Labs, manufacturer of the original sports energy gel, has announced that the Brazilian World Cup squad will be using GU Energy products for the upcoming World Cup. Brazil has won the World Cup an unprecedented five times and this year faces North Korea, Portugal and the Ivory Coast in Group G.

Alexandra team beats Street legends

While the world’s eyes were on our field soccer team and facilities, grassroots SA soccer teams took on the best soccer players in the world on the streets. A street soccer team from Alexandra township, Johannesburg, recently beat The Street Legends, led by former Dutch midfielder Edgar Davids. Five years ago Davids gathered a talented group of Dutch street soccer players and took on – and beat – the best local teams in Europe, the US and Latin America … and claimed the title The Street Legends. That journey became known as The Legends Tour. Read more.

Children from 'My Home' and 'Sport for all' meets England squad.

Laureus World Sport Academy chairman, Edwin Moses, took children from the 'My Home' and 'Sport for all' projects in Gauteng to watch the England World Cup team play a practice game against local team Platinum Stars in Moruleng, five days before the English teams' opening Group C match against the US. After the game the children had a chance to meet England Coach Fabio Capello and members of the England World Cup squad.

And four days before the German team was to play their opening match against Australia, Franz Beckenbauer, known as Der Kaiser for his style of play, and co-academy member and chairman Edwin Moses took children from the Laureus 'Sport for all' project in Katlegong, Gauteng, to meet the German World Cup team. Oliver Bierhoff and midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger talked to the children about the importance of football and sport in their lives. Each child was presented with a German football jersey.

Pictured here are youth from Laureus supported project Sport for All with Steven Gerrard. Photo by Ian Walton, Getty Images for Laureus.

Who's running in which shoes

The percentage of Comrades runners wearing Asics increased this year to 41.5%, up from last year's 36.3%. A record breaking 23 525 athletes took part in the 2010 Comrades, please click here for a shoe count filled in by the participants at the Comrades, sponsored by Reebok. At the shorter distance Safari half marathon, most of the athletes (30%) wore New Balance shoes. Click here for a shoe count.

Baxter joins Cape Union Mart

Andrew Baxter , founder of local outdoor brand Capestorm, has joined Cape Union Mart as technical merchandise manager. “This is obviously great news for us as we look to Andrew to take our K-Way range of technical apparel to even greater heights!,” says marketing manager Evan Torrance. “We’ve invested a lot of time and energy into developing our K-Way range of technical garments over the past few years and have made significant financial investments into our K-Way factory in Ottery. Now we have also secured the services of one of the country’s most respected innovators of technical apparel.”

Nel to manage Rocky

Jeremy Nel has been appointed brand manager for the popular Rocky sandal brand, distributed by Crown Footwear. He will be managing the brand in conjunction with K-Swiss, whose successful running shoe launch he oversaw earlier this year.

New Power brand manager

Gerry Smith was appointed brand manager for Power, distributed in SA by Futura Footwear, in the beginning of April, after David Lloyd was transferred to another position in the holding company, Bata SA. Smith had been working as marketing manager for a boating company for the past three years and had been with Reebok before that.

Ntunja ambassador for Bronx

Bronx has recently launched a new print marketing campaign called "Transform your look" featuring Vincent Ntunja (top SA model, basketball player and television presenter) to promote their latest sneaker range. The advertisement showcases the ambassador at various moments that may form part of the target market's daily lives.

Footwear Trading launches their summer 2010 range.

Footwear Trading's product, sales and marketing teams recently hit the road to launch their Summer 2010 collections to the Free State and Mpumalanga. Brand managers and representatives spent time with retailers to showcase their respective collections, which was very well recieved.

K-Swiss dominate Iron Man

K-Swiss is so closely associated with the Iron Man event, which they sponsor, that the branding has now extended to cover all equipment, not just clothing and footwear. K-Swiss athletes recently won several Ironman events around the world. American Trek/K-Swiss athlete Chris Lieto won the Ironman 70.3 Kansasin record time; Australia’s Belinda Granger took first place at the 7th annual Rohto Ironman 70.3 Hawaii; Ukraine’s Maksym Kriat won first place at the Ironman Mooseman 70.3 in New Hampshire. Germany’s Michael Raelert continued his dominance in the half Ironman distance by winning the Powerbar Ironman 70.3 Switzerland. K-Swiss athletes also occupied all the podium places at the Rev3 Quassy, a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run through the heart of Middlebury, Connecticut. For more information visit www.kswiss.com.

K-Way expands

K-Way won the 'Best Practice Award' for manufacturing at the Cape Clothing & Textile Cluster's AGM in March 2010. Operating from a factory in Ottery, to which they have added 1 000m2 of additional production floor space, they produce garments using sew-free technology. K-Way was established in South Africa in 1980 and has ever since been exclusively available in Cape Union Mart stores around South Africa. For more information visit www.capeunionmart.co.za.

New concept for New Balance

New Balance recently opened their experience store in Canal Walk , where the history of New Balance running shoes can be experienced. Upon entering you are greeted with the first New Balance sneaker produced in 1903 and the later sneaker designs leads you on a 'showcase trail' towards the centre of the store. They have also incorporated a 'Running consultant' in the shop, which is essentially a treadmill hooked on to a computer that records your natural barefoot foot strike and whether a customer's foot arches or has any other problems. This is essentially a tool that shop attendants can use to advise a customer on the style of running shoe they’ll need. Click here to view a slide show of the store.

New Balance Trail TV

New Balance Trail TV, presented by ProNutro, had their first screening on the 26th of May 2010 on Super Sport 5 and Super Sport 5 Africa channel. This is South Africa's first television sport programme dedicated solely to trail running and viewers can look forward to in-depth interviews with trail running legends, gear and nutritional tips as well as footage taken at various trail running events in and around South Africa. For the entire month’s broadcast schedule visit: www.stillwatersports.com.

Hi-Tec clip attracts 4m views

The Hi-Tec “running on water” clip on YouTube mentioned in our previous newsletter see it (click here) attracted more than 4m viewers – placing it among the top 100 all-time most viewed sports clips. The successful Hi-Tec Liquid Mountaineering viral campaign, designed by an advertising company in Amsterdam, but with SA input, was presented as a new global sport, “running on water”, emphasising the water-repelling qualities of their ion mask footwear.

Senqu sponsor SA Junior Fly Fishing Team

Senqu will sponsor the 5-man team of junior fly fishers the SA Fly Fishing Association (SAFFA) is sending to compete in the 9th Youth World Fly Fishing Championships to be held in Slovakia. They will be fishing in Senqu’s technical apparel in the tournament to be held from 3-9 August this year.

Short news

» The Thule Car rack systems have moved their warehouse in Durban. The warehouse can now be found at 28 Intersite Road in Springfield in Durban. For more information visit www.thule.co.za.

» Mandy Ramsden was wearing CapeStorm technical gear when she summitted Everest at the end of May – becoming the first SA woman to reach the summit of the highest peaks on seven continents.

» Nike is the “coolest” fashion brand, the “coolest” sports brand, and has the coolest slogan, according to the Sunday Times Generation Next 'Coolest Brands' 2010 survey. Mr Price is the “coolest” fashion and accessory store, Zakumi is the “coolest” animated character and Cristiano Ronaldo the “coolest” 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer star. The survey was done by HDI Youth Marketeers among more than 5800 young urbanites (aged 8 to 22) from six major SA cities in February/March 2010. Another key insight is that the youth say that hosting the 2010 World Cup is the number one reason that young South Africans are optimistic about living in this country. For the full list of winners see www.hdiyouth.co.za.

»Street soccer is the breakdance of the soccer market: its about attitude, incredible ball handling skill and being streetsmart. It’s also about dressing the part. Whether it’s the freestyler wowing an audience with his acrobatics or a team forming to turn a street into a soccer field, street soccer is part of our heritage. Worldwide, clothing brand Monta is associated with this sport, as it is the only brand dedicated to providing street soccer footwear, clothing and balls (much tougher than field balls). Monta is now also available in SA, and will be distributed by Ashraf Noorani with plenty of retail experience (ashraf@montasoccer.co.za or 083 6900 567), former Hellenic footballer Jon Sissions (jon@montasoccer.co.za or 072 619 5025), with Gunner Way looking after sales.

Trade shows

» The 17th annual Outdoor trade fair will this year attract a record breaking 860 exhibitors from 39 countries to Lake Constance to unveil the latest product developments to the outdoor community and map out future trends. The 6% increase in the number of exhibitors means that Outdoor 2010 is the year at which the most exhibitors will be showcasing at the Outdoor trade show thus far. Apart from over a 1 000 brands that will premier the newly developed products nearly all the members of the European Outdoor Group (EOG) will be present at Friedrichshafen and over 900 journalists are expected to attend.

» Following its success in 2009, Golf Europe will take place again from the 26th to the 28th of September in Munich, Germany. Anyone who wishes to promote their golfing product or destination will benefit from everything this trade show has to offer. The most innovative products such as golf equipment, clothing, accessories, tourism, literature and magazines will be showcased and judged by an independent jury who will award the Golf Europe Product Award. Golf has become a favourite pastime for millions of people who not only want great quality products but are looking for amazing golf tourism destinations - South Africa's specialty. Exhibitor application forms are available on www.golf-europe.com.

Coming shows:
» 11-13 June: EFTTEX. Feria Valencia Exhibition Centre, Valencia, Spain. www.eftta.com. Fishing trade show.
» 1-5 July: Tanzania International Trade show, Dar es Salaam Universty, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. www.africantradefairs.ae
» 14-16 July: ICAST. Las Vegas Convention Centre, Las Vegas, USA. www.asafishing.org.icast. Trade show for sportfishing.
» 15-18 July: Outdoor. Friedrichshafen, Germany. www.outdoor-show.com. Trade show for camping and moutaineering accessories, clothing and tents.
» 22-23 July: Bike Expo. Munich Trade Fair, Munich, Germany. www.bike-expo.com. International bicycle trade show.
» 24-25 July: SAFTAD. Unisa Centre, Ormonde, Johannesburg. maryannh@mweb.co.za. South African Fishing trade show.
» 3-6 August: Outdoor Retailer Summer, Salt Place Convention Centre, Salt Lake City, USA. www.outdoorretailer.com. Trade show for the outdoor industry.
» 9-11 August: WSA Show. The Venetian & Sands Expo and Convention Center, Las Vegas, USA. www.wsashow.com. International footwear and accessories exhibition.
» 14-16 August: Action Sports Retailer. San Diego Convention Centre, San Diego, USA. www.asrbiz.com. Trade show for the action sports industry.
» 10-12 September: Surf Expo, Orange County Convention Centre, Orlando, USA. www.surfexpo.com. Trade show for active lifestyle product and apparel manufacturers.

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Issue 50

World Cup now a reality

The World Cup is no longer an upcoming event but a reality as the arrival of international teams turns the World Cup into a long anticipated actuality. The Australian soccer team was the first to arrive on 26 May (pictured right is Pim Verbeeck, the socceroos coach), followed by Brazil the next day and Denmark on Saturday (29 May) and Argentina on Sunday the 30th. The US arrives Monday, 31st of May, Korea DPR June 1; England & Paraguay June 3; Mexico & Chile June 4; France, Korea Republic, Uruguay & Nigeria June 5, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, New Zealand, Greece & Algeria June 6; Germany, Ghana & Slovenia June 7; Serbia June 8; Cameroon, Italy, Honduras & Slovakia June 9; Cote d'Ivoire & Switzerland June 10 and Spain, the last to arrive on the opening day, June 11.

Tickets available for all World Cup Games

There are still 160 000 tickets available to the public for all FIFA World Cup matches (including the opening game, final and semi-finals) after an additional 90 000 tickets were made available by FIFA. Of these, 34,000 are available in category 4 (at R140 for South African residents only), 28,000 in category 3, 23,000 in category 2 and 75,000 in category 1.

According to FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke 96% of the total of 2,88m purchasable tickets have been sold, and the target is to reach about 97 or 98 % which would correspond with the figures from the past FIFA World Cups. “The additional 90,000 tickets for public sale have become available following the finalisation of seating arrangements at all FIFA World Cup™ match venues, after the final stadium inspections have been completed, and further adjustments of different ticket allocations,” he says. To see a full list of available tickets click here

They’ll be watching us!

The World Cup period will also be an opportunity for the SA sporting goods industry to show the world what we’re capable of. Apart from football teams and heads of state, executives from many of the most prestigious companies in the world will be coming to see what SA has to offer.

Executives from some of the world’s top brands will also be coming to see the South African market for themselves – If you would like Sports Trader to interview any of your principals coming to SA, please contact Trudi du Toit (trudi@sportstrader.co.za) or Tel: 021 461 2544. Read more.

Puma unveils World Cup campaign

Puma will kick off its World Cup campaign with a series of African Unity Experience in Paris this weekend featuring the three Puma African World Cup qualifiers: Ghana, Ivory Coast and Cameroon. An exhibition game featuring players from the African qualifiers, a concert featuring a collection of African and Western artists and an African Unity Experience Camp will be part of their campaign. Read more.

Retail sales figures looking up

According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) retail sales for March 2010 increased by 1% when compared to March 2009. However, February sales figures fell by 1.5% this year when compared to the previous year. Expectations were that sales would have increased by 0.6%. When compared to the sales figures of the fourth quarter of 2009, the first quarter of 2010 had an 3.5% increase whilst having a 0.6% decrease when compared to the first quarter of 2009. This data does indicate that sales figures has turned the corner after 13 consecutive months of declines. Optimistic perceptions of consumers and businesses are beginning to make a mark, however a full recovery in retail sales will depend on the rate at which household's financial positions improved reports Stats SA.

US sport retailers hope for better 2010

According to the US Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) State of the Industry Report for 2010, the majority of members predict that 2010 will be a year of single-digit growth for the sports, fitness and recreation industry. Sales are expected to increase between 2%-4.5% with athletic footwear, like running shoes, and fitness equipment, like treadmills, being the best-selling items in this category. This follows a drop in retail sales in 2009. Read more.

New venture for John Black

After spending 12 years in the outdoor industry, which included purchasing for Cape Union Mart, and nearly three years sourcing for Edcon, John Black will be starting his own business, Outland Distributors. This venture will be focused on developing merchandise for medium-sized retailers in the outdoor related markets. Trappers signed on as his first major client. Black's vast experience range from climbing, cycling to running. He summitted Mt. Everest in 2009 and he has participated in many endurance events such as Ironman, Comrades etc. He is pictured here during a climb of Mt. Kenya.

K-Swiss running wins awards

K-Swiss has made an impressive debut in the UK running shoe market with their latest range winning four awards. The K-Swiss K-Ona C has won the prize for Top Value in the Triathlon Plus Magazine and the Editor's Choice award for the 220 Triathlon magazine. The running shoe has a blown-rubber outsole and a TPU mid-foot shank to give support for mild over pronators. Though flexibility and heel cushioning was rated high on the design, forefoot cushioning could have been plusher as was reported by testers of the Triathlon Magazines. The other running shoes in the range includes the Konesic, which received the Best Debut award from the Endurance Sport Media Group, the Keahou II, which received the Best Neutral Shoe award from the Running Network and the Tubes Run 100 was voted one of the best shoes under $80 by the Running Network.

Bryan brothers again #1

K-Swiss apparel-sponsored Bob and Mike Bryan won their 61st doubles title together earlier this month when they defeated Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic in the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, an ATP World Tour Masters 1 000 clay-court tennis tournament. Winning their 61st doubles title puts them on par with the Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde Open Era record of team titles and propels them back to #1 in the ATP Doubles Team Rankings. The Mutua Madrilena is the fifth tour-level title that the brothers have won this season and their second straight success on a clay court.

Matthew to become World #1

Dunlop-sponsored Nick Matthew will become World #1 in June's Squash World Rankings after winning the Sky Open in Cairo earlier this month. After winning 27 matches in a row, Matthew won the Open by beating the defending champion Karim Darwish, 6-11,11-7,12-10,13-11, with his Dunlop Aerogel 4D Evolution 120 racket.

David Miller in Slazenger team

Slazenger announced the signing of David Miller, one of South Africa's young Protea cricket stars. Only 20 years old, he had a strike rate of 133 at an average of 53 in the recently completed domestic Pro20. Miller previously played for SA Schools and is now a Protea and Dolphins player. He recently debuted for the South African cricket team and is currently playing in the ODI’s against West Indies, where he was the top scorer for SA in the second T20 match.

Columbia’s Rogers wins

Micheal Rogers of team HTC-Columbia won the Amgen Cycle Tour of California in May this year, bringing him to the biggest victory of his career. This event is almost as important as the Tour de France in the cycling world. Rogers also won the Tour of Andalusia earlier in the season and took the yellow jersey in the Tour of Romandie in April.

Second Skins awarded UPF80 rating

Second Skins is the first SA manufacturer to be awarded the right to label their sun protection garments with a UPF80 by the Institutes of the International Testing Group for Applied UV Protection. Their fabrics passed the UV Standard 801 tests, which means that the fabrics can withstand all the 'abuse' the fabric might encounter into account (such as getting wet, stretched, washed and in general use). The UPF80 range is now the highest ultraviolet protection factor available in the Second Skins range -previously the highest UPF available in South Africa was the UPF50. Their fabrics also have OEKO-Tex Environmental Certification from the Swiss Textile Testing Institute (Testex). Products in the new Summer 2010/2011 range will carry a UPF 80 stamp and swing ticket.

Short news

» K & T Sports have moved their premises to Centurion. They can now be found at Heritage Park, on the corner of Jurg and Tobie Streets in Hennopspark. Their new contact number is 012 653 0264 and fax line 012 653 4086.

» Three thousand fake Bafana Bafana replica jerseys (with a retail sales value of nearly R2m) were seized this week when nine men were arrested on the border between South Africa and Mozambique. The men were caught throwing the jerseys over the border fence, which is notorious for the smuggling of goods between South Africa and Mozambique. This came after officials seized nearly 27 000 fake Bafana Bafana jerseys within 11 days at OR Tambo at the end of April this year. These supporter shirts were valued at R 8.1m.

» Joaquin Hidalgo, a Nike veteran of 20 years with an impressive track record of growing their soccer business, has been appointed Nike vice-president of emerging markets. He has been credited with helping to build Nike’s soccer division from nothing to a $1.5bn business after he was appointed vice-president and global brand director for soccer in 1998. For the past four years Hidalgo has been tasked with running Nike’s aggressive growth strategy in soccer, with the aim of making the brand the global market leader by the 2010 FIFA World Cup. For the past year Nike SA also concentrated their marketing strategy on soccer. Hidalgo will report to Gary DeStefano, president of Nike global operations. Jayme Martin, the former Nike vice-president of emerging markets, is now vice-president of global running.

» Umbro is supporting England’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 by encouraging members of the public to back England’s bid in an online campaign. Personalities from musician Noel Gallagher to footballers Michael Owen and Alan Shearer will appear in clips explaining why they think England should host the competition. Other people will be encouraged to produce and post their own clips in support of England’s bid on Umbro’s website – and stand the chance to win tickets for a qualifying game of the European championships.

» TYR Sport will sponsor the German Swimming Federation as the official deck apparel supplier until 2013 and national team members will wear TYR apparel on deck and in public and personal appearances – but individual swimmers will wear swimsuits provided by sponsors are these are considered to be technical apparel.

» On a lighter note, tell us what you think about this new "sport".

Trade shows

» Remember to pre-register for the 2010 SAFTAD fishing tackle trade show held at the UNISA Ormonde Conference Centre, at 2 Vinton Rd, Ormonde Ext 1, Johannesburg on Saturday and Sunday 24-25 July. Pre-registration forms were distributed with SA Sports Trader in February – please contact trudi@sportstrader.co.za if you need another form. This popular annual trade show attracts retailers stocking fishing tackle from across the country as most of the prominent brands show their latest ranges and new products at this show and it therefore offers a one-stop opportunity to view and order. For more information contact Mary-Ann Hodgskin on maryannh@mweb.co.za or Tel: 011 943 4921.

» Fishing tackle traders have until June 1 to pre-register for free entry to the annual EFTTEX fishing tackle trade show, this year held from 11-13 June in Valencia, Spain. A 6% rise in the number of exhibitors, currently 248, has already prompted a high number of visitor registrations. About 1 000 visitors have already pre-registered online at www.eftta.com.

» The growing popularity of the OutDoor Show in Friedrichshafen (July 15-16 2010), where leading brands of the outdoor industry meet at Lake Constance, is reflected in recent studies on hiking and mountaineering activities. The organisers of the OutDoor Show report that 56% (29.8m) Germans rate themselves as active hikers. The German Hiking Association commissioned a study called "Hiking: a market with a bright future" and found that the most popular hiking gear are jackets (92%), followed by day packs (80%), hiking boots (72%), sleeping bags (62%) and hiking maps (58%). The most important key criteria for the purchase of outdoor gear is the combination of quality and functionality. Hikers said that they spend an average of 92euros a year on equipment. The popularity of mountain recreational activities seem to be on a rise as well as the German Alpine Association reported 37 000 new members (a growth rate of 4.57%) in 2009. That was reportedly the largest increase in the history of the German Alpine Association. For more information on the OutDoor Show visit www.outdoor-show.de.

» Despite the recession the global cycling market is growing and to keep up with this trend the BIKE EXPO (22-25 July in Munich) will include exhibitors from the bike tourism industry. According to the German Bicycle Industry Association (Zweirad-Industrie-Verband-ZIV) more than 4m bicycles were sold during the economic recession in Germany in 2009, 68% in retail stores as customers focus more on high-quality products and service during troubled times. A poll among BIKE EXPO 2009 visitors showed that leisure cyclists were very interested in all facets of bike tourism and would like to see more exhibitors from this segment. The BIKE EXPO will also be an information and education platform for retailers as training courses and other information on new technologies will be available. For more info go to www.bike-expo.com.

» Brintex, the organizer of the UK board sports trade event Surf Shop, has launched a new trade show called HUB, which will take place 10-11 August in Bristol. It will cater for the whole board sports industry and will incorporate the former Surf Shop, which was postponed in 2009 due to difficult trading conditions. Confirmed exhibitors for HUB 2010 include labels such as Etnies and Billabong.

Coming shows:
» 11-13 June: EFTTEX. Feria Valencia Exhibition Centre, Valencia, Spain. www.eftta.com. Fishing trade show.
» 14-16 July: ICAST. Las Vegas Convention Centre, Las Vegas, USA. www.asafishing.org.icast. Trade show for sportfishing.
» 15-18 July: Outdoor. Friedrichshafen, Germany. www.outdoor-show.com. Trade show for camping and moutaineering accessories, clothing and tents.
» 22-23 July: Bike Expo. Munich Trade Fair, Munich, Germany. www.bike-expo.com. International bicycle trade show.
» 9-11 August: WSA Show. The Venetian & Sands Expo and Convention Center, Las Vegas, USA. www.wsashow.com. International footwear and accessories exhibition.
» 14-16 August: Action Sports Retailer. San Diego Convention Centre, San Diego, USA. www.asrbiz.com. Trade show for the action sports industry.

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Issue 49

World Cup merchandise ensure 70 000 SA jobs

There are about 67 500 South Africans employed in the manufacturing and distribution of Official Licensed Products (OLP) for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and an additional 1 500 – 2 000 people will be employed in the Global Brands on-site programme (selling merchandise around stadiums, Fan Fests etc), Paul Zacks, Global Brands South Africa CEO, said in response to an allegation by COSATU Western Cape that “the clothes and mascots (for the World Cup) are being made in sweat shops in China”. (Read more)

Bafana demand and supply

COSATU is concerned about what they term “excessive” mark-ups on locally manufactured Bafana Bafana supporters’ and replica jerseys. A replica jersey was manufactured for R100-R150 in a COSATU-affiliated factory in Ladysmith, the wholesale price from adidas was R331 (66-55% mark-up), and it retailed for R599 (45% mark-up), Andre Kriel, SA Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) general secretary, told a press briefing following a meeting between COSATU and the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee (OC) this week. (Read more)

Bouwer Broers turn 60

The Bouwer Broers retailer in Voortrekker road, Pretoria, turned 60 this year. Since Nic and Petrus Bouwer opened their small cycle store in February 1950, the shop has moved to bigger premises in the same street, expanded floor space to 1 600m² and grew their product offering to include fishing tackle, arms and ammunition, camping equipment, braai tools, walking equipment and other outdoor gear in addition to cycling. Picture: Johan, Nic and Hennie Bouwer in front of their store. (Read more)

Stars to watch in World Cup

The 2010 FIFA World Cup provisional teams has been announced and with it the key players who might have influence on World Cup sales are known as well. SA Sports Trader looked at the high profile soccer players who are coming to South Africa for the World Cup and listed the brand of boots they play with.

As many studies have shown, sponsorship and endorsements pay off as aspiring players look up to international players and buy into the image (or brand) that the star player is playing with. The same can be said of boots. Click here for a list of high profile soccer players and their boots sponsors.

Dunlop increase visibility

Dunlop was the official ball supplier for Europe's leading Clay Court Tournaments at the Monte Carlo Masters and at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia Rome in May this year. They had ball bins strategically placed on court, a retail stand and advertising placed in the tournaments official programme. They also sponsor the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, making Dunlop the official ball supplier for three of Europe's leading tennis ATP tournaments.

From this year onwards they will also be sponsoring ATP tournaments in Entoril, Nice, Munich and Dusseldorf.

Their latest signed player Fernando Verdasco had an impressive run this season after beating Robin Soderling to win the Barcelona Open, and reaching the semi final of the Monte Carlo Masters.

New milestone for Black Diamond

p>Simon Larsen, SA distributor of Black Diamond outdoor and climbing equipment, is excited about the prospects that come with Black Diamond’s access to a bigger financial backing following a recent transaction with Clarus Corporation, a public company with strong financial resources, and merger with Gregory Mountain Products. “This will cement Black Diamond’s leadership in the international backpack market,” says Larsen. “This certainly holds promise for Black Diamond in SA”. (Read more)

Capestorm hosts Rim of Africa talks

Capestorm will be hosting a presentation on the Rim of Africa hiking trail, Africa's first long-distance hiking initiative which follows a natural line along the mountain ridges of the Western Cape. Rim of Africa founders, Galeo Saintz and Ivan Groenhof, will be presenting the first 12-day section of this conservation-linked, non-profit initiative at the Wynberg Capestorm store on the 19th of May at 19h30.

The hiking route - which encompasses the Cederberg wilderness, the West Coast and part of the Cape Garden Route - includes hiking in the Cederberg, Skurweberg, Hexrivier, Keeromberg, Langeberg and the Outeniqua and attracts hikers from all over the world. To RSVP contact info@capestorm.co.za or phone 021 761 2021.

Gray-Nicolls score with bats

Gray-Nicolls had an impressive innings in round 2, 3, and 4 of the County Championships with 19 Gray-Nicolls batsmen hitting centuries earlier this month. SA born Jacques Rudolph (pictured right) hit an impressive 228 not out with his Gray-Nicolls bat. During the IPL David Warner (playing with the GN Kaboom) was Gray-Nicolls' leading run scorer with a total of 282 runs. Interesting to note, Gray-Nicolls, with Indian manufacturer SG, supplied the third most bats to players in the IPL series. Brands like Reebok and Nike has made an impact with bats in India, as 27 and 25 IPL players respectively were sponsored by these brands.

BD pack Gear of Year

Black Diamond's Infinity 50 Backpack won Outside Magazine's Gear of the Year award for 2010. The Infinity 50, and all Black Diamond's other Launch and Enduro series packs, make use of Active Frame Technology, which allows for more manoeuvrability and actually moves with the wearer's body whether they are climbing hiking or skiing. The Innova 50, specifically designed to fit a woman's body, is the ladies version of the Infinity 50.

Monfils plays in K-Swiss

K-Swiss has announced that Gael Monfils, the French tennis star who has reached the ATP tour finals 7 times and won 2 ATP titles, will be the newest and highest ranked men's singles player on the K-Swiss team. Monfils is ranked #2 in France. The multi-year deal will see Monfils wearing the tennis footwear brand.

Celebrating Football Friday

Lowrance SA staff is already sporting the spirit of the 2010 Soccer World Cup as every Friday is Bafana Friday for them. Each staff member has his or her name printed on the back of their T-shirts in the colours of the national team, which they wear with pride.

New Balance 905 get top marks for speed

The New Balance 905 marathon running shoe was featured on the cover of the Outside Buyer's Guide for summer, an international consumer buyer's guide for the outdoor and sports market. The 905 shoe was awarded full marks for its speed delivering ability, one of the testers commented that "it's hard to run slow in this shoe". The Outdoor Buyer's guide's team of testers consisted of 25 mixed gender, ability and foot type Californian runners who started off with 27 of the latest models of running shoes and narrowed the selection down to the top shoes featured in the magazine. For more information on the shoe visit www.newbalance.com.

Short news

» Alfred Baloyi, who thirty years ago started a uniquely South African trend when he decorated a hard hat (obtained from a friend working on a construction site) to protect his head against the missiles thrown at football matches, has now trademarked his business name (Baloyi Makarapa), opened a production studio and started a website – www.makarapa.com (Email: info@makarapa.com). With the support of his friend, Grant Nichols of Papadi Integrated Marketing, he is now marketing his colourful range of makarapas, as well as vuvuzelas decorated with heads, eyes, big glasses and other unique touches, to a much wider audience. Through the trademark registration, he is also staking his claim to the invention of the makarapa. Baloyi, a former bus cleaner, is supported by several corporate companies who recognise the commercial and marketing potential of his eye-catching hard hats.

» According to a report in Business Day (May 13Th: Massmart’s high fuels speculation), analysts believe that Massmart Holdings’ share price peak on the JSE on May 12th could be an indication that the holding company of Makro, Game and Builder’s Warehouse are in talks to be taken over by US retail giant Wal-Mart. Business Day quoted Element Investment Managers’ portfolio manager Mohamed Shafee Loonat, saying that there is a rumour that Wal-Mart is “sniffing around” and that they had many similarities with Massmart – which would also give them an opening into the rest of Africa.

» FNB released the latest South African economics research survey in April this year indicating that SA manufacturing is returning to normal, with 2.7% growth reported in February. After a gloomy 2009, during which SA retail sales volumes fell by 4.9%, sales volumes began dropping at a lower rate in January (1.5%) and February. Sales revenue recovered by 4.8% in January and a further 4.0% in February. Retailers selling textile, clothing, footwear and leather goods recovered well, with revenue growth of 5%. Manufacturers in this sector are still under pressure, with production in February still down -11.3%.

»The Annual SAPICS Conference on supply chain management will be held from 25-27 July at Sun City this year. Key discussions will include seminars on improving profit through better customer service based on Cadbury SA's success story; on ways to reduce surpluses and shortages in retail; a Suzuki presentation on improved distribution by eliminating wrong dispatches and improving accurate inventory; presentations on greening transportation in the supply chain; etc. See more on www.sapics.org.za.

»The North Face’s holding company, VF Outdoor, paid a fine of $207 500 for claiming that some of their shoes provide “anti-microbial protection” and inhibits the growth of “disease-causing bacteria”. This follows a complaint by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that these claims violate the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). According to this Act all products that claim to kill or repel bacteria or germs are pesticides, which must be registered as such with the EPA before it may be sold. EPA will only register a pesticide after it has been tested to show that it will not pose an unreasonable risk when used according to the label directions.

Trade shows

» Specialist trade fair for street and urban wear, Bread & Butter will take place 7-9 July at the Airport Berlin-Tempelhof in Berlin, Germany. The show covers categories for Sport & Street, Street Fashion, Fashion Now, Style Society, Denim Base, Kids Camp, Urban Superior Women, Urban Superior Men and L.O.C.K. – Labels of Common Kin. The specially designed website, www.breadandbutter.com/sportandstreet, gives a preview of the new Sport & Street platforms. The B&B Kids Camp is also a new platform for the show, presenting kidswear from the Street and Urbanwear segment with roughly 50 brands presenting their kids and junior collections. The show organisers have also organised the Kids Club, which will look after exhibitors and visitors' children. Click here to pre-register to attend the show.

» Ispo China 2011 will now be held 23- 25 February. The change of date is Messe Munchen International's response to the many requests by industry representatives for an earlier date. Apart from moving the trade show date forward, Messe Munchen International also took into consideration that Saturdays are the strongest business day for retailers and the show will now run from the Wednesday to the Friday to allow all retailers to benefit from the exposition without having to sacrifice the week's most important business day. The venue will also change to the China National Convention Centre (CNCC) in Beijing.

Coming shows:
» 11-13 June: EFTTEX. Feria Valencia Exhibition Centre, Valencia, Spain. www.eftta.com. Fishing trade show.
» 14-16 July: ICAST. Las Vegas Convention Centre, Las Vegas, USA. www.asafishing.org.icast. Trade show for sportfishing.
» 15-18 July: Outdoor. Friedrichshafen, Germany. www.outdoor-show.com. Trade show for camping and moutaineering accessories, clothing and tents.
» 22-23 July: Bike Expo. Munich Trade Fair, Munich, Germany. www.bike-expo.com. International bicycle trade show.
» 9-11 August: WSA Show. The Venetian & Sands Expo and Convention Center, Las Vegas, USA. www.wsashow.com. International footwear and accessories exhibition.
» 14-16 August: Action Sports Retailer. San Diego Convention Centre, San Diego, USA. www.asrbiz.com. Trade show for the action sports industry.

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Issue 48

What can be expected in SA for June/July?

If the current excitement in cities countrywide are an indication of what the morale will be like during the FIFA World Cup, the official 50 day countdown on the 21st of April had specifically Kimberley locals in a spin. A massive carnival atmosphere showed that there is no doubt that South Africans are excited about the event. The Northern Cape capital had a float, dancers, a marching band with hundreds of residents following and even President, Jacob Zuma, learning a new Diski Dance. Even though Kimberley is not a match city, supporters showed that you don't need a stadium to be consumed by the World Cup spirit. (Read more)

Hi-Tec sales figures increased

Hi-Tec's British team leaders were unable to attend the first half of Hi-Tec's Global Launch on the 20th of April due to Airport restrictions caused by the erupting volcanoes in Iceland. Despite restrictions the launch was still able to incorporate the European team through international Skype calls projected on large screens.

Despite difficulties Hi-Tec Europe has reported soaring quarterly sales figures. Compared to the same quarterly period of 2009, Hi-Tec's athletic footwear sales rose by 63% and their outdoor footwear sales rose by 48%. As more mainstream footwear retailers are sticking to tried and tested brands it does offer some explanation as why Hi-Tec, committed to producing comfortable, lightweight and true value footwear, is showing success. Hi-Tec's focus on the independent retailers by providing enhanced sales support and marketing initiatives enables enhanced opportunities for the brand as well.

Columbia trustworthy in USA

Columbia was named one of America's 100 Most Trustworthy Companies by Forbes.com for the first time since the annual list was started in 2007. Forbes.com used Audit Integrity, a Los Angeles based independent financial analytics company, to go through accounting, disclosure and management practices of over 8 000 US companies and identify the most transparent and trustworthy businesses and attempt to point out 'the good guys'.

Laureus race for sport

Children from the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation projects had the opportunity to meet 2008 Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton and double Olympic gold medallist Edwin Moses at the Kyalami race track in Johannesburg during April this year as part of a 4-day youth exchange project.

The project exchange involved children taking part in interactive sports and life skill sessions and allowed them to visit numerous Laureus supported projects in Johannesburg. Laureus uses these visits as a key part of their strategy to promote the sharing of skills and knowledge across its network around the world.

Puma strives for carbon neutrality

Puma announced that they will now try to offset their own global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in an attempt to become the first carbon neutral company within the sport lifestyle industry.

This means that they will compensate the company's direct and indirect CO₂ emissions through projects in Africa that will take the needs of the local communities, the conservation of biodiversity and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs into account. This project-based offsetting programme is verified by an internationally recognized auditing company according to internationally accepted standards such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the Gold Standard and voluntary emission reduction standards. (Read more)

Amr Shabana promotion at Sportsmans Warehouse

Dunlop and Hi-tec is holding a Squash promotional competition at Sportsmans Warehouse from the 23rd of April to the 18th of May. Winners receive 1 of 10 Amr Shabana signature series packages, each valued at R 2 500.

Entries are accepted upon the purchase of any Dunlop squash racket or Hi-Tec squash shoe. A free pair of squash socks and a Dunlop key-ring is given away with every purchase. One Amr Shabana package consists of a Dunlop Aerogel 4D Ultimate squash racket, a 3 racket thermo bag and a pair of Hi-Tec 4:sys squash shoes.

Sportsmans Warehouse now stocks compression gear

Sportsmans Warehouse has announced that they will now stock compression gear for professional athletes. Compression gear - not to be confused with base layers, which keeps muscles warm - can be worn during sports activities, but is primarily used for after sport recovery improving oxygen flow to the muscles, resulting in improved performance and endurance as well as recovery. It keeps muscle fibres in alignment and reduces vibration, which lowers the risk of muscle damage and enhances the athlete's body positioning (proprioception), which enhances their agility and speed.

With compression gear correct fit is important and specialist retailers will assess the customer's body mass index and advise products accordingly.

Short news

» Sports Brands have changed their contact details. The company can now be contacted on 087 809 0489 and 087 809 0490. The new fax numbers are 086 628 7467 to reach Tony Barker and 086 628 7466 for queries and orders. Their other contact details remain the same.
» Massmart announced that 2010 is the year that their permanent staff benefits from their BEE Transaction, the Thuthukani Empowerment Trust. This trust, implemented by Massmart in 2006, involves making 18 million shares available to Massmart's permanent staff, distributed according to the individual's length of service. The benefits includes voting rights, the right to earn dividends and to earn a capital profit by selling their shares in the future.

Trade shows

» Manufacturers and designers are called to enter their products for this year's Outdoor Industry Award held at the Outdoor Show in Friedrichshafen from the 15th - 18th of July. The fifth year running, the competition is organized by iF and hosted by Messe Friedrichshafen. The nine different categories that can be entered into is:

1) Apparel/helmets/shoes
2) Backpacks/travel luggage
3) Mountain climbing equipment
4) Camping equipment
5) Sleeping bags
6) Accessories
7) Products of high ecological and recyclable value
8) Material innovations
9) Concepts (strictly students)

Jurors will rate entries on the basis of degree of innovation, design quality, workmanship, choice of materials, environmental compatibility, sustainability, functionality, utility, safety, trendsetting character and brand value/branding.

Online registration and further information is available at www.ifdesign.de.

» The European Fishing Tackle Trade Association (EFTTA) is reminding all tackle companies around the world that 7 May is the deadline for stand bookings for what will be the largest EFTTEX shows ever. With an already huge interest space is limited for the show which takes place in Valencia, Spain from the 11th to the 13th of June.

Clothing manufacturers and bait makers will now have their own categories at the 2010 EFTTEX Best New Product Awards, which means that accessories will now strictly be limited to bags, luggage and terminal tackle. The closing date for entries any of the categories is the 21st of May 2010. Contact Victoria Seymour at victoriaseymour@eftta.com.

Coming shows:
» 29 April-2 May: TaiSpo. TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. www.taispo.com.tw. Sporting goods trade show.
» 11-13 June: EFTTEX. Feria Valencia Exhibition Centre, Valencia, Spain. www.eftta.com. Fishing trade show.
» 14-16 July: ICAST. Las Vegas Convention Centre, Las Vegas, USA. www.asafishing.org.icast. Trade show for sportfishing.
» 15-18 July: Outdoor. Friedrichshafen, Germany. www.outdoor-show.com. Trade show for camping and moutaineering accessories, clothing and tents.
» 22-23 July: Bike Expo. Munich Trade Fair, Munich, Germany. www.bike-expo.com. International bicycle trade show.
» 9-11 August: WSA Show. The Venetian & Sands Expo and Convention Center, Las Vegas, USA. www.wsashow.com. International footwear and accessories exhibition.
» 14-16 August: Action Sports Retailer. San Diego Convention Centre, San Diego, USA. www.asrbiz.com. Trade show for the action sports industry.

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Issue 47

Tickets chaos show WC interest

We can look forward to stadiums packed with SA fans during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, judging by the eagerness of local fans who queued overnight to buy tickets during the last (5th phase) of ticket sales. The estimate of the number of overseas visitors have now been adjusted to 115 000 – 150 000 while we normally get 70 000- 80 000 overseas visitors during that period. Countrywide fans stood in long queues to buy the last 500 000 available tickets, some having stood in line for over 24 hours, some fainting from exhaustion and one man died during the night in the queue in Buitengracht Street, Cape Town. As each ticket took about an hour to process and the overloaded computer systems frequently crashed, frustrations mounted and police had to use teargas to control some crowds. Click here to read more and see a slideshow of the event.

Hi-Tec international comes to Cape Town

From this weekend close to 200 Hi-Tec distributors, sales and marketing people from across the globe will get an early taste of the adventure that will be awaiting World Cup visitors to Cape Town. Apart from participating in adventure activities like abseiling off Table Mountain, kloofing, taking part in the Spur Adventure Challenge (sponsored by Hi-Tec), or going on a wine tasting tour on mountain bikes, delegates will also get down to the serious business of looking at the latest global product launches and discussing future strategies at the sales conference. Hi-Tec SA devised an innovative way of showing delegates where they should go – also to see the company’s extensive branding campaign that will run till after the World Cup this year – by pinpointing the sites on a Global Earth map (Right-click here and 'save as' to download). If you don’t have Google Earth, click here to download the programme (great to see what your office or home looks like from space). The slideshow (click here) gives an indication of the Hi-Tec branding delegates will see across Cape Town.

22 T20 World Cup players choose Gray-Nicolls

Gray-Nicolls have announced that the following players will be representing the brand in the forthcoming T20 World Cup starting at the end of April: JP Duminy (South Africa), Karim Sadiq (Afganistan), David Husley, David Warner and Cameron White (Australia), James Tredwell (England), William Porterfield, Niall O'Brien and Gary Wilson (Ireland), Jessie Ryder (New Zealand), Dinesh Chandimal, Chamara Kapugedera and Angelo Matthews (Sri Lanka), Shiv Chanderpaul, Denesh Ramdin, Ronnie Sarwan and Suliman Benn (West Indies), Prosper Utseya, Elton Chigumbura, Greame Creamer, Vusi Sibanda and Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe). The SA Northern Titans team have been added to their 2010 teamwear portfolio, which also includes the Gloucester, Northhamtonshire and Yorkshire teams.

SA soccer youths compete in Paris

Seven SA youths and two leaders of the Free the Youth Project will participate in the Fraternity Cup in Paris (18-28 April 2010) and share in an inter-cultural exchange with youth from Senegal, Cameroon, Morocco, Brazil, Argentina, Palestine, Israel, Romania, Norway, India and Guyana. The Fraternity Cup will form part of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 20th anniversary of the French ratification of the International Declaration of Children's Rights. The aim of the event, hosted by The Child’s Voice, in partnership with the associations Diambars, Mani Football Forever and Laureus Foundation France, is to promote the prevention of all forms of discrimination and racism. South African football legend John Moeti, a member of the Laureus Friends and Ambassadors programme, and his wife Tshidi Moeti, are the inspiration behind the Free the Youth project, supported by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Trust SA. It combines life skills and sport as a tool to educate and encourage youths aged between 10-17 who grow up in families where consistent parental guidance is absent. Picture: Coach, Mr L. Mgwenya (centred) with seven youths selected to participate in the Fraternity Cup.

Puma tackles sustainability

Puma is boosting their sustainability rating with environmentally friendly product packaging bags that will replace the traditional shoe-box and polyethylene packaging. It marks an important phase in Puma's long-term sustainability programme, which includes the target of reducing carbon, energy, water and waste by 25% and developing 50% of its international products according to best practice sustainability standards by 2015. Their reusable "Clever little bag" replaces cardboard shoeboxes, resulting in savings of thousands of tons of paper, millions of Megajoules of electricity, a milion litres of fuel oil and water annually and it eliminates the use of the polyethylene bags. Puma's T-shirts will be folded one more time to reduce the packaging size. Puma also announced that all their shoes are now PVC free, their apparel packaging is made from biodegradable corn starch, the Puma mobile phone is made out of pulp paper, which is 100% recyclable, and they have reduced the amount of paper used in their hang tags.

Puma to race again

After achieving overall second place in the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) Puma announced that they will participate in the 2011-2012 race again. It will again be skippered by Ken Read, who is considered to be one of the world's most accomplished racers with 46 World, North American and National championships behind his name, who lead the Puma team to second place in 2008-2009. The VOC race will begin in October 2011 in Alicante, Spain and will end in Galway, Ireland in June 2012.

Fernando Verdasco signs with Dunlop

Spanish ace Fernando Verdasco has joined Dunlop as a brand ambassador when he signed an international contract for rackets, strings and accessories, while also agreeing to play a key role endorsing Dunlop’s junior talent identification programme – D-Squad. Verdasco capped off a successful 2009, in which he compiled his best career season by finishing in the top ten and qualified for his first year-end championship at the Barclays ATP world tour finals in London. The Madrid native also played a central part in helping his country win 2 consecutive Davis Cup titles, winning the deciding match in both years.

Durban vs Hamburg

Ten Durban youngsters, who have been learning chess with the help of the Victor Daitz Foundation (and DMCA), recently played an online exhibition match during the last day of the Hamburg schools chess tournament, where 2 600 children participated. Read more.

New adventure sport to help leukemia sufferers

The promotors of the latest adventure sport trend, Blokart racing, is doing their bit to raise awareness of blood disorders such as leukemia, marrow failure and aplasia through a fundraising campaign for the Sunflower Foundation. A Blokart is a three-wheeled, light and compact 'land yacht' that can skim over beaches at speeds of up to 96km/h. To mark the Sunflower Fund's 10th anniversary leukemia patients will be given a chance to experience the fun of sailing on land.
There will also be a national raffle allowing one lucky South African to win a Blokart buggy valued at R 17 000, plus one hour's tuition on the vehicle ( winners to be announced in January 2011). To buy a raffle ticket (R20) call 013 751 5018, email blokart@htucker.com or visit www.blokart.co.za The Sunflower Foundation helps to grow a database of bone marrow donors who could help to save the life of a cancer patient. If you want to assist the organisation or wish to register as a donor, call 0800 12 10 82 for more information or visit www.sunflowerfund.org.za.

Columbia opens branded store

Wild Elements Apparel recently opened a Columbia branded store in the Canal Walk Shopping Centre, Cape Town. Examples of their extensive range, including their award - winning Ravenous trail shoe and Mobex backpack, can be seen in the brand-building store. Pieter Strobos (left), Jackie Goewerneur and Hanèl de Wet welcomed guests.

Short news

» Caryn Burnill, a financial accountant with Servest, the holding company of a support services group, has been appointed General Manager of Leisure Holdings.
» Tony Montavani has replaced Andrew Baxter as MD of Capestorm.
» BPO SA announced that their name will change to Ultimo. The company’s contact and banking details will remain the same.
» The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Unemployment Equity Fund (UIF) has launched a R2-bn fund to assist local industries to create new permanent jobs and help preserve current permanent positions. The UIF will capitalise this fund through a five-year listed private placement bond (maturing in 2015) that would be registered with the JSE. The IDC would manage the facility and assess the applications for loans. This fund would be available for start-up companies, existing companies who want to expand through acquisitions, or need working capital. The capital is provided to the IDC at a lower cost than general financing terms which allows the IDC to provide better loan terms to companies, as well as fixed interest rates.

Trade shows

» Asia Outdoor (28 - 31 July 2010) is heading for a new record in exhibitor numbers. Apart from the regular exhibitors with long-term contracts, 53 new exhibitors have registered for the Nanjing show. These include Wenger from Switzerland, Keen from the US, Sea To Summit Australia and the mountaineering market leaders in China: Petzl and Beal. The Chinese market leader, Toried, the first outdoor enterprise listed on the stock exchange, plus national leading brands, such as Pureland, High Rock and Snow Wolf, will also be on show. "All in all, we are expecting some 350 companies at the Asia Outdoor 2010. The Number One in outdoor shows in China will be extended over four halls with a total exhibition surface of more than 30,000 square metres," reports Knut Jaeger, Founder and Consultant of the Nanjing International Exhibition Center.

Coming shows:
» 22-25 April: FIBO. Essen, Germany. Exhibition Centre Essen. www.fibo.de. Trade show for fitness, wellness and health.
» 29 April-2 May: TaiSpo. TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. www.taispo.com.tw. Sporting goods trade show.
» 11-13 June: EFTTEX. Feria Valencia Exhibition Centre, Valencia, Spain. www.eftta.com. Fishing trade show.
» 14-16 July: ICAST. Las Vegas Convention Centre, Las Vegas, USA. www.asafishing.org.icast. Trade show for sportfishing.
» 15-18 July: Outdoor. Friedrichshafen, Germany. www.outdoor-show.com. Trade show for camping and moutaineering accessories, clothing and tents.

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Issue 46

TK sponsors SA hockey

The South African men's hockey team is sponsored by TK. Erasmus (Rassie) Pieterse is both brand manager of TK and goalie of the SA hockey team. The team is pictured here at the Hero Honda World Cup in New Delhi, India.

RVCA surfing project

The RVCA surfing project, aimed at bringing back surfing contests to the whole family instead of just top surfers, has hosted their first event of the series at Surf Centre in Port Elizabeth at the end of March. Seven of these contests will take place at various beaches nation wide and will be hosted by local surf shops at those beaches. The categories will include U19, Open, Over 35, Girls and a Retro Division so allowing anyone to join. The prizes will consist of R 10 000 worth of RVCA products per tournament. The RVCA Surfing Series is brought to you by Zigzag Surfing magazine, who will have a staff photographer at each event and RVCA will provide a videographer. The results, images and videos will be uploaded onto www.zigzag.co.za.

Iron-out the Protea badge debate

The South African Football Association (SAFA) announced that iron-on embroided Protea badges will be made available to the public in early April this year. SAFA believes that the Protea emblem will go a long way in consolidating support for the South African soccer team. The badges can be purchased from retailers stocking genuine Bafana Bafana replica jerseys at the recommended retail price of R 20.

Strydom at Beyond Fishing

Morne Strydom joined the fishing industry as Western Cape agent for Beyond Fishing in the beginning of April. He left First Ascent Outdoor Apparel, where he was marketing manager, at the end of March

K-Way awarded Best Practice

K-Way (Cape Union Mart’s outdoor apparel and gear brand) beat 39 other firms to win the Best Practice award for world class manufacturing at the Cape Clothing and Textile Cluster’s AGM in March this year. Having less than 200 staff members, K-Way operates from a factory in Ottery, Cape Town and is the only factory in Africa that currently produces garments using sew-free technology.

New ambassador for Laureus

British athletic gold medallist Kelly Holmes and Morne du Plessis (Laureus Sport for Good Foundation SA chairman) visited the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation project Future Champs Youth Programme in Khayelitsha in Cape Town on the 24th of March. Since its inception, Laureus has raised over 20-million Euro for projects that have helped address social challenges and enrich the lives of over one million young people. For more information please visit www.laureus.com.

Hi-Tec moves to Cape Town

Hi-Tec’s head-office and top management is in the process of relocating to Cape Town in order to have a closer working relationship with many of their key customers. The move should be completed by the end of the year and all top management functions, except in the Magnum and Hi-Tec Work divisions, will be run from the existing Cape Town office in Montague Gardens. The warehouse and all distribution functions will remain in Johannesburg and will be run as normal without any change or interruption to operations. Both office numbers remain unchanged - the Cape Town head office number is Tel: 021 555 0707 and the Johannesburg number is Tel: 011 516 5800. Mickey Mallet, General Manager of Hi-Tec is pictured above.

Botes takes over from Fontein

John Fontyn (left), formerly of Eiger Equipment, has returned to his retailing roots and re-opened a Camp & Climb outdoor store in Paardeneiland, Cape Town. Fontyn started his career in the outdoor industry at ME Stores (Camp & Climb) in Braamfontein. Jacques Botes (right) is now taking over from Fontein at Eiger Equipment.

First Ascent MAST Challenge

The annual First Ascent "Man vs. machine" MAST challenge will be held on 17 April this year. Two-pre-registration days will be hosted by Sportsmans Warehouse, where entrants will have the opportunity to make use of promotional offers in-store.
Entrants can choose to run, mountain cycle or even unicycle in the event. Entrants receive a First Ascent limited edition moisture management T-shirt that usually retails for double the price of the MAST challenge's entry fee. R 10 000 in prize money, distributed over different categories, as well as spot prizes are up for grabs. To get an entry form and receive more information go to www.mastchallenge.co.za.

Columbia Ravenous wins again

Columbia’s trail running shoe, ravenous (formerly the Ravven), was chosen as the Editor’s Choice Best Debut shoe by the TrailRunner Magazine in their 2010 Shoe Review edition. The Ravenous and Mobex trail pack both also received Outdoor Industry Awards from International Forum Design in July last year. TrailRunner Magazine liked the support and performance delivered by the Ravenous and said that “for its light weight, the Ravenous offers excellent arch support, pronation control and cushioning.”

Bushtec specials

Canvas and Tent offers a comprehensive range of Bushtec tents, backpacks and sleeping bags across all price points for the discerning outdoor enthusiast. The range have been developed and improved over many years making Bushtec one of the leading brands in the South African outdoor market. To show their appreciation for the support they have enjoyed over many years they are now offering a special 25% discount for a limited period. This campaign will be run in the consumer press as well as retailing press and retailers must get their orders in as soon as possible to ensure that they will have stock when consumers come looking for the specials. Contact Andre Naude on Tel: 011 865 4686; Fax: 011 865 4686 oracnaude@absamail.co.za

Recreational angling survey causes confusion

During March a Notice to Recreational Fishers in the Freshwater, Estuarine and Marine Environments was sent to various anglers by André Share, Chief Director: Marine Resource Management, stating that DEAT and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries intend to discover the extent of and encourage organisation of recreational fishers in the freshwater, estuarine and marine environments towards facilitating stakeholder consultation. The latter is with the view to therefore establish a representative Forum to deliberate on issues pertaining to the recreational fishing sector.They require this information by April 30th.
The DEAT notice was not sent to the organisations representing recreational fishers, as one would expect, but seems to be distributed to various individuals, who then passed it on to friends and acquaintances. This prompted the following response from John Pledger (who did not receive the notice):
I am writing to you as the president of SASACC (South African Sport Anglers and Casting Confederation)… It amazes me that you have not made contact with the organised bodies to ensure that the information that you require is completed and returned to assure you a more accurate survey, which will give you a better understanding of the recreational fishers involved in all facets of angling.
Our Mr. Hymie Steyn has had several meetings with Mr Share and I am sure that he is conversant with our organisation, which is the controlling body of all organised angling in South Africa. We have some 33 000 members who compete competitively and we have 2.6-m part-time recreational anglers who might, or might not, be affiliated to clubs. Many of the clubs have recreational fisher members who do not compete competitively...
But, because this data could be used to determine the number of recreational anglers, fishing tackle traders are requested to encourage their customers to send their name, ID number, address, contact phone and (where applicable) membership of angling organisation to Ms Sandisiwe Mntonishi, The Customer Services Centre, DEAT, Private Bag X2, Roggebaai 8012 before April 30th.

Short news

» Fila launched the new DLS Slam performance basketball shoe which is targeted at high school, club and collegiate players at the NCAA Men's and Women's Final Tour in early April. It will be available in all Footlocker stores in May this year and is available in four team colours. The shoe will debut in early July in time for the next USA basketball season when it will be worn by many of the top high school girls and boys teams.
» Gilbert general manager, Du Toit Botes, has moved to Cape Town to be closer to key customers, and will be commuting between Cape Town and the Gilbert head office in Johannesburg (his cell contact number is 082 579 7503).
» Charles Willis, who previously worked for Merrell - a division of Wolverine World Wide - for 18 years, has now been appointed as Hi-Tec's Outdoor Creative Director. Willis influenced many of Merrell's product designs such as the Jungle Moc and the Chameleon shoes. Hi-Tec is excited to have Willis as part of their creative team especially right before their global launch for Spring/Summer 2011 in Cape Town.
» LifeMax has been appointed sole distributors of Monark Ergometers and Exercise Cycles in South Africa. Monark employed a full-time service technician to assist with repairs, parts, service and maintenance on the equipment. As many of the Monark Ergometers are used in testing and research they have taken the time to purchase the correct calibration weights and equipment to ensure accuracy and reliability of every measurement.
» PUMA was awarded the “Red Dot: Product Design 2010” award for three of its football products. The PowerCat 1.10 football, PowerCat 1.10 iFG football boot and Italy home shirt impressed the panel of judges who made the decision after receiving more than 4 000 entries from 57 nations in the product design category.
» Puma is going to acquire a 20 percent stake in Wilderness Safaris, a Botswanan ecotourism firm. Wilderness Safaris has been operating through camps/safaris in seven African countries for 26 years. Puma has not confirmed any of its financial details but is reportedly paying 186 million Botswana Pula (R 200 million) for its stake in the ecotourism firm.

Trade shows

» ISPO CHINA set a new visitor record with its most recent show, which this year took place from 4-6 March in Beijing. Close to 16 300 visitors attended — a 21% growth over last year. There was also a record number of 214 exhibitors (76% increase from last year) representing over 300 brands. Several were first time international outdoor brands, such as Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, Salewa, Regatta and Ecco. This Chinese trade show for international sporting goods and outdoor brands has grown to five halls, instead of one when the first expo was held in 2007, covering 25 000m2 of exhibition space. Alpitec China, the international trade show for alpine and winter technologies, was held during ispo China in cooperation with Fiera di Bolzano.
» While other business sectors were hard hit by the worldwide economic recession in 2009, the global outdoor sector continued to boom, reports the organisers of the OutDoor Friedrichshafen Trade Fair. According to a market survey by the European Outdoor Group (EOG) and German magazines Outdoor and Klettern 68%, consumers planned on spending as much money in 2009 as in the previous year on their outdoor activities. Last year the OutDoor show also attracted a record number of exhibitors and visitors; and statistics from the German Association of Sport Retail Specialists (VDS) showed that annual sales grew by 3.5% — from €7.1 to €7.3-bn. The top-performing sales sections in 2009 were outdoor and cycling (both with 15% growth) and winter sports with a 20% increase. The 17th OutDoor show, which will take place 15-18 July this year at the Neue Messe Friedrichshafen in Friedrichshafen, is again expected to attract a record number of visitors. The 2010 show will feature a new layout structure. The OutDoor Tent City, for example, will for the first time be in Rothaus Hall A1 (10 000m2 of exhibition space) and international companies will present their world premieres in the two new halls, A7 and B5. This is due to the completion of the eastward expansion project, which allows for a better arrangement of booths and shorter walking distances. Please visit www.outdoor-show.com for more information on travelling, shuttle buses, accommodation and registration forms.

 

Coming shows:
» 22-25 April: FIBO. Essen, Germany. Exhibition Centre Essen. www.fibo.de. Trade show for fitness, wellness and health.
» 29 April-2 May: TaiSpo. TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. www.taispo.com.tw. Sporting goods trade show.
» 11-13 June: EFTTEX. Feria Valencia Exhibition Centre, Valencia, Spain. www.eftta.com. Fishing trade show.
» 14-16 July: ICAST. Las Vegas Convention Centre, Las Vegas, USA. www.asafishing.org.icast. Trade show for sportfishing.
» 15-18 July: Outdoor. Friedrichshafen, Germany. www.outdoor-show.com. Trade show for camping and moutaineering accessories, clothing and tents.

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Issue 45

Argus Lifecycle Expo draws record crowd

The Cape Argus Lifecycle Expo, this year held for three instead of the usual four days between 11-13 March, set a new attendance record. 79 000 visitors attended the Expo, visiting the 309 stands that showcased companies with products from the cycling, health, tourism and fitness industries.
On race day, 42 000 participants took part in the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour, of which 35 000 were South African and 2 500 were international entrants. Among them, Lance Armstrong, we set his new RadioShack team mate from SA, Daryl Impey, up for a podium finish. Next year's Cape Argus Lifecycle Expo will take place 10-12 March. Click here to view a slideshow of the event.

PUMA acquires Cobra Golf

PUMA has bought Cobra Golf from Acushnet. The acquisition includes the Cobra brand and its related inventory, the brand's intellectual property and the brand's endorsement contracts. The acquisition will not affect any of Puma's current player sponsorships or relationships, such as Rickie Fowler and Anna Nordqvist. The endorsement agreements with Camilo Villegas, Ian Poulter and J.B Holmes will be transferred under the Cobra Golf name to Puma.

All Prince US Davis Cup team

All the players representing the US in the Davis Cup (Sam Querrey, John Isner and brothers Mike and Bob Bryan) play with Prince's O-Technology rackets, following the selection of Querrey and Isner to the team. The O-Technology racket consists of a few visible ports along the frame that is specifically engineered to deliver faster racket speed, greater stability and a larger sweet spot. Isner, who makes his debut to the Davis Cup, is currently ranked # 20 in the world. Querrey is ranked #22 and it is his second appearance in the Davis Cup. They have been playing with Prince since their junior years, while the Bryan brothers only switched over to Prince in 2007, and now play with Prince's latest racket, the EXO3 Ignite Team 95.

Sport Business a means to measure sponsorships

There is now a way to measure the effectiveness of sponsorship spend – the Sponsorship Measurement and Evaluation report from Sport Business provides businesses as well as brands with the means to measure and evaluate the value of sponsorship agreements.

It enables businesses to evaluate the effectiveness of their sponsorship positions and thus allows them to attract more substantial sponsors, and it allows companies to justify rights fees if a clear report can be set out to brands showing the effectiveness of the sponsorship. It facilitates the successful renewal of sponsorship agreements and expands the pool of brands that would use the sponsorship effectively.

The Sponsorship Measurement and Evaluation report allows brands to make better sponsorship decisions by investing in properties that will deliver, achieve sales targets and deliver long-term brand equity and value. For more information and how to purchase this report, go to www.sportbusiness.com.

Natalie winner of Sportsperson with a Disability award

South Africa's swimming hero, Natalie du Toit, won the World Sportsperson with a Disability award at the prestigious 2010 Laureus Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi, Dubai. Du Toit dominated the waters of both disabled and able-bodied swimming for the last few years. In December 2009 she was presented with the 'Ikhamanga In Gold' award, the highest honour a South African athlete can receive. She will continue to create awareness of the Laureus outreach programmes as an ambassador of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

The other categories at the star-studded Laureus awards were the World Sportsman of the Year, won by Usain Bolt, the World Sportswoman of the Year, awarded to Serena Williams, the World Team of the Year went to the Brawn GP Formula One team, the World Breakthrough of the Year went to Jenson Button, the World Comeback of the Year went to Kim Clijsters and the World Action Sportsperson of the Year went to Stephanie Gilmore.

This year there was two additional awards presented at the Laureus Sports Awards. The Laureus Lifetime achievement award went to Nawal El Moutawakel and the Laureus Sport for good awards went to Dikembe Mutombo for his charitable work in the Congo.

Toning the Trend

Some of the leading US retailers are saying that toning footwear (e.g. Skechers Shape-Ups, Reebok EasyTone and Fit-Flops) could be the latest trend to give the industry a lift, following in the steps of Heely’s and Crocs, report the US online publication SGB Update (SportsOneSource Media, Posted: 3/8/2010). They report that Famous Footwear ascribes the 18% growth in women’s footwear sales mainly to toning products; that Foot Locker’s CEO Ken Hicks said in a conference call "the toning category contributed to the higher sales and is breathing new life into the women's business," and that Genesco’s COO Bob Dennis said in a conference call that the footwear industry was driven by two categories: women's boots and toning, during the past season.

Another climber joins Ram Mountaineering

Deidre Keulder, an avid climber and mountain biker, is Ram Mountaineering's new sales co-ordinator. She recently moved down to Cape Town from KwaZulu-Natal where she was working at Trappers in Pietermaritzburg.

Team McCain races with Black Diamond

Ram Mountaineering's Tatum Prins is part of the McCain Adventure racing team, which is looking forward to a 800km non-stop mountain biking, trekking, rafting and snorkelling race in Australia at the end of May. Team members Tatum “ hobbit” Prins, Graham “tweet” Bird, Andre “Gie man” Gie and Hanno “smelly” Smit
are all sponsored by Black Diamond headlamps.

Dunlop D-Squad looking for talent

Dunlop has a global programme that aims to attract the top junior tennis players in the world and identify talent for future international player sponsorships with the Dunlop brand. This D-Squad initiative aims to encourage racket usage amongst juniors worldwide and it identifies and monitors future potential players. D-Squad players include seeded players like James Blake, Tommy Robredo, Tommy Haas, Nicolas Almagro, Jamie Murray and Tomas Berdych, who all play with Dunlop's latest Aerogel rackets.

If you think you or someone you know has what it takes to join the top juniors on an international level go to www.dunlopsport.com for more information.

Dunlop dominant at SA Open

Dunlop this year made a big marketing statement at the SA Open and sponsored and initiated several projects around the event. For example, kids were bused in from Soweto to take part in the Arthur Ash Development programme, which Dunlop sponsored through Riaan Venter, their affiliated coach. The kids were able to watch the stars in action and interact with players through the "play & stay" initiative.

They had a signing session with Dunlop-sponsored Jeff Coetzee and the Thai doubles twins Sonchat and Sanchai Rattiwat. Each youngster recieved a Jeff Coetzee autographed poster. Dunlop also used the event as an opportunity to do market research and data capturing through promoters, and promoted the brand through signing sessions, the "play & stay" initiative, photo shoots with celebrities, a tennis game with semi-finalist Stefan Robert and other entertainment.

Short News

» Edcon reported stable Q3 results with potential future growth and net profit of R253-m, up from the R156-m the previous year. They, however, reported a decrease in their EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation), sales and an increase in store costs for the 3rd quarter of the financial year, which ended 26 December 2009. Benefits of their cost reduction programmes began to surface as a direct result of the company's focus on reducing risk and improving cash flow. The cash generated from operating activities rose by 42.8%, their securitisation structure raised a substantial amount in external funding, credit sales were down and operating costs were lower than the previous year.
» The U17 Boys volleyball team of Stanger Manor Secondary school have recently won the KwaZulu Natal Provincial Schools Champion of Champions Volleyball tournament, which qualifies them to compete for the national title in Port Elizabeth on the 26-28th of March – provided they receive the necessary sponsorship. Should they win there, they will compete internationally in Beijing, China. Companies willing to a sponsor the team from a disadvantaged community, who believe they can become SA champions, can contact the school on Tel: 032 551 3416 or email principalstangemanorsecondary@tel-komsa.net.
» Kreature.co.za have opened a new 'mega' store in Northgate, stocking a wider range of outdoor and adventure gear than their previous store which was half the size of the new store. For more information contact them on Tel: 011 794 7440.
» South African consumers are again getting ready to spend on fashion – consumers who are planning to maintain or increase their spending power is prioritising their spending money on fashion accessories (27% of the consumers surveyed) in the MasterCard Survey of Consumer Purchasing Priorities, released twice yearly, reports. Their second priority is dining and entertainment (24%) and the third most important priority is to buy or upgrade a home (24%).

Trade shows

» The ispo BrandNew awards, an award to encourage new businesses and product development, will this year be extended to the Bike Expo 2010 in Munich. At ispo 2010 the BrandNew awards recieved more than 50 entries from the bicycle segment, and so the positioning of BrandNew with the 2010 Bike Expo (July 22-25) was a natural progression. Closing date for entries is 7 May. Contact Alexander Dewald at alex@pascher-heinz.com for more information.
» While other business sectors were hard hit by the worldwide economic recession in 2009, the global outdoor sector continued to boom, reports the organisers of the OutDoor Friedrichshafen Trade Fair. According to a market survey by the European Outdoor Group (EOG) and German magazines Outdoor and Klettern 68% consumers planned on spending as much money in 2009 as in the previous year for their outdoor activities; the OutDoor show had a record number of exhibitors and visitors; and statistics from the German Association of Sport Retail Specialists (VDS) showed that annual sales grew by 3.5% - from 7.1 to 7.3-bn euros. The top-performing sales sections in 2009 were outdoor and cycling (both with 15% growth) and winter sports with a 20% increase. The 2010 OutDoor Europe Show will take place from July 15 –18 in Friedrichshafen. Visit www.outdoor-show.com for more information.
Coming shows:
» 29-31 March: Fashion Access. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), Hong Kong, China, www.aplf.com. Trade fair for handbags, travelware, footwear, leather garments and fashion accessories.
» 22-25 April: FIBO. Essen, Germany. Exhibition Centre Essen. www.fibo.de. Trade show for fitness, wellness and health.
» 29 April-2 May: TaiSpo. TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. www.taispo.com.tw. Sporting goods trade show.
» 11-13 June: EFTTEX. Feria Valencia Exhibition Centre, Valencia, Spain. www.eftta.com. Fishing trade show.
» 14-16 July: ICAST. Las Vegas Convention Centre, Las Vegas, USA. www.asafishing.org.icast. Trade show for sportfishing.

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Issue 44

Stadiums impress

The 2nd of March marked the 100 day countdown to the first game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. As a lead up to the countdown kick off 100 local and international journalists and photographers were taken on a countrywide road show to showcase the readiness of the venues and related infrastructure and for the cities to give a comprehensive update to members of the media and invited guests.(Read more)

New fishing permit fees to be reconsidered

Before finalising the new permit fee structure for recreational fishing, the numerous public objections, which closed on March 1, as well as comments made at information meetings will be taken into account, Wickness Rooifontein, director of revenue services of the Marine Living Resources Fund (MLRF) assured stakeholders attending information meetings in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. (Read More)

Kushy joins Pro Shop

Richard Kushlick (pictured fitting a customer), well-known as a former golf distributor and staff trainer in the footwear trade, is back at the Pro Shop after 28 years. He is now trading at the Pro Shop in Woodmead.

Netball Proteas train with Mitre

The Spar SA national netball squad tried out the new balls from their sponsor Mitre at a training camp in Potchefstroom in February. They are training for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi later this year and the World Netball Championships in Singapore in 2011. They will also play a 3-test series against Malawi in April and a 2-test series against Samoa in New Zealand in June. They will also play matches against franchises in the Australia/New Zealand ANZ League (one of the strongest netball leagues in the world). SA national coach, Carin Strauss, reported that much progress had been made by the players and that there are now two quality players for each position in the Protea team, which makes the competition for places stiff. Picture taken by Greg Caldecott.

PUMA unveils Italy's World Cup kit

PUMA unveiled their 2010 FIFA World Cup home and away team kit for Italy, the current world cup champions. Italy will be the only PUMA team to wear the PowerCat collection in their traditional azure blue home kit emblazoned with the four stars representing each world cup Italy has won. The away kit will remain the traditional white with blue and gold details.
The Italian team will also be playing in PUMA's PowerCat boot. The PowerCat performance shirts feature 3D Motion Analysis, which captures and quantifies human movement. This allows the player to use minimal force and energy with every upper body movement. The jersey also features engineered mesh that enhances breathability, giving players more comfort and freedom of movement. The PowerCat 1.10 boot incorporates PUMA's 3D Power Shooting Technology which delivers unique rebound properties. Three other PUMA-sponsored teams will also unveil their kit in March - Switzerland, Czech Republic and Uruguay. Seven of PUMA's sponsored soccer teams have qualified for the World Cup in SA this June. Mauro Camoranesi is pictured here with Italy's replica kit.

Short news

» New Balance has launched an unique concept: New Balance 365 is a collection of 365 short films that engages consumers every day of the a year by asking them to think about "the balance". Every morning a 20 second short film will be posted to www.newbalance365.com for consumers to view, ponder and engage with the New Balance brand each day of 2010.
» Capestorm will be supplying full length down suits for the Everest team led by Ronnie Muhl, well-known South African motivational speaker and 2007 Everest climber. Capestorm will also host a press conference and farewell party for the team of 10 South African and Australian climbers that will attempt to summit Mount Everest. Cape Storm will also sponsor Joburg climber, Mandy Ramsden, who will attempt to become the first South African woman to complete the seven summits (the highest points on the seven continents).
» PUMA SA has signed another rugby team - a three-year partnership agreement with the Namibian Rugby Union to be their official technical supplier. Namibia has qualified for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. For the first part of 2010 the Namibian team will wear PUMA's vKon Rugby match kit and for their end of year tour to Europe they will move into the Power 10 jersey.
» Trading in the toughest market conditions the group has faced since listing in 2000, Massmart, Africa’s third largest retail chain, reported a 6,1% increase in sales to R24 154-m for the 26 weeks ending 27 December 2009. While operating profit declined by 15%, the pre-forex decline was 5,9%. Makro showed a 1,5% increase in store sales and a 10,5% decrease in trading profit. Although Massdiscounters’ SA businesses performed well growing sales and trading profit, divisional trading profits were negatively impacted by the economic slowdown in Africa and weaker local currencies resulting in products becoming more expensive. The division’s sales grew by 0, 4% with a 14,5% decrease in trading profit. While consumers remained under intense pressure throughout the second half of 2009, festive season sales figures and recent national data point to signs of a recovery in consumer spending, which bodes well for future earnings growth.
» The Bass Classic will in future be known as the Berkley Inanda Bass Classic, following a R400 000 3-year sponsorship agreement with Berkley’s SA distributor Beyond Fishing as the official sponsor.

Trade shows

» Please remember to return the pre-registration forms for the annual SAFTAD fishing tackle trade show inserted in the Sports Trader mailed this week to maryannh@mweb.co.za.  This popular trade show will this year be held on the weekend of July 24-25th at the UNISA Centre in 2 Vinton Rd, Ormonde Ext 1, Johannesburg. If you wish to attend the show, but received no registration form with your February-March Sports Trader, please contact trudi@sportstrader.co.za.

Coming shows:
» 12-14 March: GDS. Dusseldorf, Germany, www.gds-online.com. International event for shoes, leather goods and more.
» 12-15 March: IWA. Nuremberg, Germany, www.iwa.info. Trade shoe for arms, ammunition and outdoor.
» 17-20 March: Taipei Cycle. TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei, Taiwan, www.taipeicycle.com.tw. International bicycle trade show.
» 29-31 March: Fashion Access. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), Hong Kong, China, www.aplf.com. Trade fair for handbags, travelware, footwear, leather garments and fashion accessories.
» 22-25 April: FIBO. Essen, Germany. Exhibition Centre Essen. www.fibo.de. Trade show for fitness, wellness and health.

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Issue 43

New dates for SAFTAD

The dates for the annual SAFTAD fishing tackle trade show have been changed to 24-25 July 2010 due to unavailability of the venue on the dates advertised in the Sports Trader Directory. This popular annual trade show will be open from 9am to 8pm on the Saturday and Sunday (24th and 25th). It will be held at the same place as the previous two years – the UNISA Centre in 2 Vinton Rd, Ormonde Ext 1, Johannesburg. A pre-registration form will be inserted in the Sports Trader magazine to be mailed next week. Please contact Mary-Ann Hodgskin for more information to exhibit or visit on maryannh@mweb.co.za or Cell: 083 795 5588; Tel: 011 943 4921 or Fax: 011 943 4859.

Team Prince tour wins

Maria Sharapova won her first title this year at the 2010 Regions Morgan Keegan and the Cellular South Cup in Memphis while playing with the Princes' latest EXO3 racket. The men's side of the 2010 Regions Morgan and the Cellular South Cup had an all-Prince O3 racket final. Sam Querry had a victory over John Isner in the finals and then teamed up with Isner to capture the men's doubles finals there as well. Prince enjoyed another all-Prince men's final at the CopaTELMEX ATP event in Buenos Aires with David Ferrer and Juan Carlos Ferrero playing head-to-head for the title. Albert Montanes, who played in the CopaTELMEX ATP semi-finals, also plays with Prince.

Game enter 196 swimmers in Midmar Mile

Game stores entered 196 swimmers in the 2010 Midmar Mile Company Relay this year in support of the Community Chest Fund and as part of their 40-year birthday celebration. Game donates R1 000 to the Community Chest fund for every swimmer that completes the race. Game swimmers have entered the Midmar Mile for eight consecutive years (starting 2002) and so far they have donated a total of R752 000 to the Community Chest.

Fain contracts EP and Border Cricket

Fain Sportswear was awarded two clothing contracts that will enable them to kit out the Eastern Province and Border cricket teams. The company will supply clothing to all Eastern Province school teams from U11 and up, as well as supply clothing for EP cricket academies and amateur cricket teams. The contract with EP cricket started in the 2009/2010 season and will stretch to the 2013/2014 cricketing season. The contract with Border cricket started during the same season but will end earlier in 2011/2012. Fain will supply clothing for the U11 Border cricket teams through to rural cricket and they will continue to sponsor 50% of the senior provincial team's clothing.

Springboks and Natalie nominated for top awards

South African athletes are on the short lists of the prestigious international Laureus Sports Awards. The Springboks, IRB Team of the Year for 2009, have been short-listed for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award for 2010. This is the second time in three years that the Springboks have been nominated for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award. Natalie du Toit, paralympic multi-gold medalist, has been nominated for Laureus World Sport Person of the Year with a Disability. Both Natalie and the Springboks have been invited to go to Abu Dhabi, where the winners will be announced. Sports journalists from across the world were invited to nominate athletes in the different categories, from which a panel of top former athletes selected a short list of six athletes per category.

FIFA announce team bases

FIFA has announced where the 32 teams competing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be based (although they warned that last-minute changes could still be expected). Click here to see where the teams will be based, matches played and who sponsors which team.

Short news

» RMG Trust and Lefatshe Trust have been appointed joint liquidators of Milboys Sportsware, which was placed under voluntary liquidation at the end of last year.
» There are still 700 000 tickets available for FIFA World Cup matches – but more than 2-m have been sold. In the first week of the fourth phase (first come first serve) 117,589 tickets were sold - 99,042 of them to South Africans (84% of sales). Internationally, fans from the US bought 4 327 tickets, UK 1 964, Mexico 1898, Australia 1 231 and Germans 1193 tickets. This phase will run till April 7th and tickets can be bought through the call centre at 083 123 2010 between 9am to 6pm.
» Adrenalin & OMOTO fishing is the main sponsor of the annual Struisbaai “5 Spesie” Rock and Surf Angling Competition which will be held this Saturday (27 February 2010) in Struisbaai.
» Wild Elements Apparel/Columbia have committed to sponsor the Billfish Classic competition after the success of the angling tournament they sponsored this year.
» Massmart, Africa's third largest distributor of consumer goods, reported a 6.1% increase in sales to R 24 154 million against the backdrop of a SA recession, an economic slowdown throughout the rest of Africa, an ongoing currency volatility and low internal sales inflation.
» The ecologically friendly outdoor manufacturer Vaude has teamed up with Sympatex Technologies to advance the development of high-performance textiles. The Sympatex membrane (which is ecologically compatible and completely recyclable) will be used in Vaude's mountain sports and bike sports apparel lines from the beginning of the European winter of 2011-2012. The Sympatex membrane is 100% windproof and waterproof, and can withstand the pressure of a water column of up to 25m. Currently Sympatex is the thinnest membrane on the market.

 

Trade shows

Coming shows:

» 2-5 March: MICAM. Milan, Italy, www.micamonline.com. International footwear exhibition.
» 4-6 March: Ispo China. China International Exhibition Centre (CIEC), Beijing, China, www.ispochina.com. International tradeshow for sports, fashion and lifestyle brands in Asia.
» 12-14 March: GDS. Dusseldorf, Germany, www.gds-online.com. International event for shoes, leather goods and more.
» 12-15 March: IWA. Nuremberg, Germany, www.iwa.info. Trade shoe for arms, ammunition and outdoor.
» 17-20 March: Taipei Cycle. TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei, Taiwan, www.taipeicycle.com.tw. International bicycle trade show.
» 29-31 March: Fashion Access. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), Hong Kong, China, www.aplf.com. Trade fair for handbags, travelware, footwear, leather garments and fashion accessories.

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Issue 42

Darren Wentzel to handle Namibia region

Andrew Wentzel Senior, Director of W.E.T Sports, has decided to hand over the Namibian region to his son Darren. He will be taking Darren on a trip later in the year to introduce him to all the customers and to help him find his feet. "We're excited with our 2010 range of balls, racquets and accessories and after Darren proved himself in the Western Cape and Garden Route, we hope he can make a success of Namibia as well."

Wagenheim joins Umbro

Steven Wagenheim, who previously spent five years as a buyer with the Foschini Group, has joined UMBRO SA as Key Retail Accounts Manager.

Madiba’s shoes

The pair of shoes worn by former president Nelson Mandela during his walk to freedom through the gates of Victor Verster prison twenty years ago, is today owned by Jordan & Co. Signed by Madiba and purchased at an auction in 1995 by Robert Feinblum, former CEO of Jordan’s holding company, the shoes were given to Jordan & Company for safekeeping upon his retirement in 2000. Today, the tan-coloured leather shoes are preserved in a highly secure off-site facility. “With more than 110 years in the SA footwear industry, we are a very proud company,” says Jordan & Co MD Brian Pollock (pictured with the shoes). “Having the world’s most famous pair of shoes is a treasure we hold very dear.”

Prince stands out at SA Open

The Prince stand at the recent SA Open, which ran 1-7 February at Montecasino, was well visited and gave them a great presence at the tournament.

New Balance starts running groups

New Balance is inviting members of the public to join a weekly trail run on Wednesdays in the Tokai forest in Cape Town. The run caters for the more advanced runner, but does not exclude those who would like to start their trail running career, but don’t know where to begin.

Giorgio Armani and Reebok partner

Giorgio Armani S.p.A. and Reebok International Ltd. recently announced a global alliance to create a special collection, combining active style with sport and technology – the EA7 and Emporio Armani labels, with their sporty and sexy lines, team up with Reebok’s innovation and technologies, resulting in the ultimate activewear concept. (Read more)

Short news

» PUMA has created an e-card for Valentine's day showing soccer hooligans singing love songs, which is a more unique approach than the usual soppy ones. To have a look go to www.pumahardchorus.com. You can personalise the message, email it to your Valentine and post it to their Facebook wall.
» Recreational Fishing Services (RFS) will soon be meeting with the Marine Coastal Management (MCM) to discuss the proposed extraordinary hikes in the cost of angling licenses (as between 400-500%). They have been meeting with the West Coast Rock Lobster work group of MCM regarding inadequate catch estimations; a threat of a shortened season; and a proposed reduction in quota from 4-2. Last year ended positively with a meeting with Minister Buyela Sonjica who listened carefully and responded to the matters raised. The issue of Yellowtail and the effect that treknetting has on sticks and breeding fish has been raised and a subcommittee will be looking into the matter. There are indications that the commercial Abalone season is to be re-instated and RFS will be lobbying for a recreational quota. Contact Cary Steel-Boe on recfishserv@yahoo.com.
» Hi-Tec Sports PLC has reported earnings that have more than doubled for 2009 while sales in local currencies increased by over 10%, resulting in $250-m at wholesale value. This is predominantly from the outdoor category.
» JJB Sports’s chairman and architect of its rescue, David Jones, is stepping down to continue his long-running battle against Parkinson's Disease. John Clare, former CEO of electrics retailer DSG International and JJB’s senior independent director, will be acting chair until a permanent appointment is made.
» Cape Town surfer Chris Bertish, part of the O'Neill SA surf team and Western Cape sales agent for O'Neill SA, won the 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest, taking home $50 000.
» Acting to help those in Haiti, Columbia Sportswear have arranged for a shipment of shoes, clothing and accessories with an estimated retail value of over $3-m to be distributed by on-site relief workers; have facilitated the sale of over 900 Columbia tents to Shelterbox providing shelter for affected families; Mountain Hardwear employees donated around 100 used tents and Columbia and Mountain Hardwear employees together donated over $1200 000 in cash to relief organisations; and Columbia, in collaboration with Soles4Souls, will be collecting used footwear at the Columbia Muddy Buddy events that are being held in 18 cities across the US, starting March, to help Soles4Souls reach their goal of collecting 1-m pairs for Haiti in 2010.

Trade shows

» The Taipei Cycle Show, which runs 17-20 March at that Taipei International Cycle Show in Taiwan, has released their preliminary results for 2009.
Advance full year figures for 2009 show that Taiwan’s bike exports fell about 20% last year to a total of 4.3-m units (2008 = 5.4-m units). The drop should be seen in the light of the extraordinary growth in 2008: exports in 2009 were still higher than 2006’s figure of about 4-m. Value wise, total export value sales for 2009 dropped only 9.9% to $1.25-bn. This is due to increased high-end production within the industry: the average sales price for a Taiwan-made bicycle increased from $256.92 to $289.38 - a gain of 12.6%.
Taiwan bicycle exports to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) countries (US, Canada and Mexico) were down 13.58% to 721 689 units (6.97% drop in value to $323-m) and bike sales to the EU market dropped 22.49% to 2.8-m units and 13.61% to $625-m in value. The EU and NAFTA markets are Taiwan’s largest customers followed by EFTA (down 21.19% to 109 381 units and 13.51% down to $44.6-m in value).
They state that since 2008 was an exceptional year of growth, it’s better to compare figures to 2007. Compared to 2007, 2009 saw a drop of 10% in volume, but value rose by 29% ($222 to $285).
They expect 2010 to see a flat to slight growth due to existing inventory levels and a cautious ordering behaviour.
For more information, visit www.taipeicycle.com.tw.

Coming Shows:
» 2-4 February: WSA Show. Mandalay Bay Convention Centre, Las Vegas, USA. www.wsashow.com. International footwear and accessories exhibition.
» 3-4 February: Action Sports Retailer. San Diego Convention Centre, San Diego, USA. www.asrbiz.com. Trade show for the action sports industry.
» 7-10 February: ispo 2010. New Munich Trade Fair Centre, Munich, Germany. www.ispo.com/en. Trade show for the sporting goods industry.
» 23-25 February: China Fish. Jiuhua International Exhibition Center, Beijing, China. www.chinafishshow.org.
» 2-5 March: MICAM. Milan, Italy. www.micamonline.com. International footwear exhibition.
» 4-6 March: ispo China. China International Exhibition Centre (CIEC), Beijing. www.ispochina.com/en. Trade show for the sporting goods industry.
» 12-15 March: IWA. Nuremberg, Germany www.iwa.info. Trade show for arms, ammunition and outdoor.
» 17-20 March: Taipei Cycle. TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. www.taipeicycle.com.tw. International bicycle trade show.
» 29-31 March: Fashion Access. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), Hong Kong, China. www.aplf.com. Trade fair for handbags, travelware, footwear, leather garments and fashion accessories

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Issue 41

Innovative products for World Cup

South African companies are showing their creativity as the “biggest event on earth” draws closer - local companies licensed by Global Brands to develop Official Licensed Product have produced innovative products to add fun, colour, and a distinctive South African style to fans’ World Cup experience, as you can see from the oversized fun glasses (right) developed by SDM Optics to complement the regalia of these hardcore fans. A catalogue featuring the 2010 FIFA World Cup Official Licensed Products is being mailed to retailers this week – contact trudi@sportstrader.co.za if you do not receive one (Read more).

FIFA’s “just-in-case” warning

The reaction of SA marketers of brands to a FIFA letter sent from Zurich last week ranged from amusement, anger, incredulity, to indifference. The two-page letter, addressed to specific people and mentioning their brands, spells out FIFA’s extensive restrictions on advertising and marketing around the World Cup and warns them against ambush marketing – just in case they MIGHT have contemplated using a FIFA trademark or the World Cup event in advertising (Read more).

Where they’ll be

The 32 teams competing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup have until Sunday (January 31) to announce their base camps, but 24 of the teams have already announced where they will be based (Click here to see the chart). Although, some of the teams have indicated that they might still change – England was concerned about the pitch in Rustenburg, Serbia is unhappy with their hotel facilities and the US and Italy both want the same venue. With only a few teams that still have to confirm their base camps, it is obvious that the main World Cup action (games and teams) will be in Gauteng, with 13 teams confirmed in the province, and five more within easy driving distance (Rustenburg, Potchefstroom and Nelspruit). So far, 75% of the teams will be based in Gauteng or close by, and 60% of the group stage matches will be played within proximity of Johannesburg or Pretoria. FIFA has prohibited the naming of the hotels/resorts where the teams will be staying.

Alternative retailing

Reinhard Barnard of Model Sport in Worcester is an innovative retailer who believes in on-the-fly retailing. "Make it as convenient as possible for the consumer to shop and they'll shop with you again", he says. This is where the idea for his "Soccerbox" vending machine came from: it's a soccer ball dispenser, that works like a regular cooldrink/snack vending machine. The two “Soccerboxes” placed at the Table Mountain cable car and in Sandton, have so far been great hits with consumers. He will unveil a sandal vending machine at Stellenbosch University later this week.

Holiday sales roundup

While Statistics SA report a drop of 6.6% year-on-year in November retail trade sales at constant (2008) prices, we are still in the process of gathering statistics on equipment, clothing & football retail sales at sport, outdoor and lifestyle retailers during the December/January holiday season (retailers who have not yet responded are requested to please return their forms asap, or contact trudi@sportstrader.co.za if they require another form to complete). (Read more)

Mitre supplies official netball

Netball SA and Leisure Holdings SA has signed a contract with effect from 1 October 2009, for an initial period of 2 years, that Mitre will be the official ball to be used in all national matches.

Gilbert supplies RWC balls

Gilbert has been awarded the contract to supply balls for Rugby World Cup 2011 and 2015. They will supply the match, training and replica balls for the tournament. Gilbert has supplied balls for the tournament since 1995.

Sportsmode is moving

Sportsmode, who celebrated their 10th birthday at the end of last year, will be moving during the first week of February. They are relocating to the premises of the Andrews Academy (pictured) at 1 Vosloo Street (cnr Republic road), Windsor Glen, Randburg, where they will have about double their current floor space. Their new telephone number will be 011 431 0631 and Fax: 011 431 0633. If you are unable to contact them during the move, Christian Andrews can be reached on 083 453 1889. The sales and marketing offices of Carysma sportswear manufacturing will also move to this address, but the factory will remain at their current address.

Reebok with Sharks

Reebok are the official kit suppliers to the Sharks rugby team. They will be supplying all playing kit, supporter jerseys and associated Sharks gear. The new jerseys and supporter's replica have been designed with engineered seams for maximum durability and Reebok's Play Dry technology for moisture management as well as the use of top end materials to ensure quality garments that match the team's status. The design stays true to the Sharks' heritage and colours.

Development squad on Dusi podium

Thomas Ngidi and Eric Zondi of Martin Dreyer’s Change A Life Academy, sponsored by (among others) Hi-Tec, became the first black paddling team to earn podium positions (third place) in the tough Dusi canoe marathon. Race favourites, Michael Mbanjwa, who won the event with Martin Dreyer last year, and former winner Ant Stott (New Balance, etc) came second. Andrew Birkett and Jason Graham were the surprise winners.

PUMA commissions Unity Portrait

PUMA has partnered with artist Kehinde Wiley to herald the start of the World Cup year and to celebrate the brand's long standing partnership with African football. The brand sponsors 12 African teams, four of which have qualified for the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup. (Read more)

Cycling to get boost from Lance Armstrong visit

Cycling interest is bound to get a huge boost amongst Capetonians during March: Tour de France icon Lance Armstrong will be in the city to raise funds for the JAG Foundation and to promote his passion for healthy living, shortly before The Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Race on March 14th (the Cape Argus Lifecycle Expo is on from 11-13 March). Armstrong will host several “Lance for Life” events, open to the public, from 9-11 March. (Read more)

Short news

» Please note that the telephone number for Flicx South Africa should be Tel: 011 462 6464. Their sales hotline is Tel: 082 491 9873. The number published in the 2010 Sport & Outdoor Retail Directory is incorrect and we apologise for the inconvenience.
» Stan Holmes has been appointed as KwaZulu Natal agent for Opal Sports. Contact him on cell: 083 253 0668.
» Cabrinha Kiteboarding has moved to Shop 4 Marine Prominade, Porterfield Rd, Table View 7441. Tel: 021 556 7910.
» Please contact Super-Brands on Tel: 021 380 6360 – while the number printed in the 2010 Sport & Outdoor Retail Directory is functional, the preferred number for orders etc. is 021 380 6360.
» New Balance and Louis Vuitton have come to an agreement after New Balance filed a suit against Louis Vuitton for infringing their design rights (of the iconic 574model) with the Minstrel shoe. Louis Vuitton acknowledges that New Balance owns valid and protectable rights in the 574 trade dress, and the lawsuit has been dismissed.
» ADT Security Services has won a patent lawsuit in China against the ZhenTai Science & Technology Company. ZhenTai was found guilty of infringing on ADT’s Sensormatic anti-theft Ultra Max^® label technology, which globally helps manufacturers to tag more than 4bn items each year, in order to help combat counterfeits. More than 30bn products had been tagged at source with the Sensormatic labels since the inception of the program.

 

Trade shows

» The high attendance and exhibitor growth of the annual US Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show held January 19-22 this year in Las Vegas indicate that firearms and ammunition sales will remain robust in 2010, according to a press release by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Overall attendance was 58 444, more than 11 000 above last year’s show in Orlando. The show attracted an all-time high of 31 280 buyers, and the 1 804 media professionals attending established a new record. There were 1 633 exhibiting companies — about 125 of them international — covering 700 000 square feet. The 2011 SHOT Show was held January 18-21, at the Sands Expo & Conference Center in Las Vegas. See www.shotshow.org.za.

Coming Shows:
» 2-4 February: WSA Show. Mandalay Bay Convention Centre, Las Vegas, USA. www.wsashow.com. International footwear and accessories exhibition.
» 3-4 February: Action Sports Retailer. San Diego Convention Centre, San Diego, USA. www.asrbiz.com. Trade show for the action sports industry.
» 7-10 February: ispo 2010. New Munich Trade Fair Centre, Munich, Germany. www.ispo.com/en. Trade show for the sporting goods industry.
» 23-25 February: China Fish. Jiuhua International Exhibition Center, Beijing, China. www.chinafishshow.org.
» 2-5 March: MICAM. Milan, Italy. www.micamonline.com. International footwear exhibition.
» 4-6 March: ispo China. China International Exhibition Centre (CIEC), Beijing. www.ispochina.com/en. Trade show for the sporting goods industry.
» 12-15 March: IWA. Nuremberg, Germany www.iwa.info. Trade show for arms, ammunition and outdoor.
» 17-20 March: Taipei Cycle. TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. www.taipeicycle.com.tw. International bicycle trade show.
» 29-31 March: Fashion Access. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), Hong Kong, China. www.aplf.com. Trade fair for handbags, travelware, footwear, leather garments and fashion accessories.

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Issue 40

May 2010 meet your expectations

After three years of talking, writing and arguing about what “2010” will do for us, the year has arrived – and in only 5 months, the first ball will be kicked off to launch THE event. May every benefit of the 2010 FIFA World Cup promised become a reality for you, and the spin-offs exceed all your expectations. Retailers will receive a catalogue later this month, featuring all the suppliers of the official licensed products for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which will help them to select product that would appeal to the tourists most likely to flock to their area. (Read more)

Two Directories

There appears to be some confusion about the two directories we were preparing at the end of last year. The annual Sports Trader Retail Directory, mailed to retailers in December, contains the details of suppliers (distributors, manufacturers or agents) to the retail trade. A new annual directory, Sports Trader Team Sport Directory, is now in the process of being mailed to schools, universities, technikons, development teams etc to reach them when they open. Retailers, agents and distributors who supply equipment and services to these teams, are listed in this directory.

Bronx transform taxis into billboards

Bronx has launched a transit media campaign to advertise two of their iconic styles, the Hunter boot and Old Town boat shoe. The campaigns are targeted at consumers who utilise public transport and will be rolled out in the major provinces. 20 Siyaya taxis have been transformed into mobile billboards as part of the campaign. Additionally, they are running a competition where members of the public can SMS their details to a unique number on each taxi to stand a chance of winning shoe hampers. For more information visit www.bronxshoes.co.za.

PUMA supports biodiversity

PUMA and UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) recently announced their strategic partnership, Play for Life, to support biodiversity worldwide and specific initiatives in Africa. PUMA's key fundraising lever is the new Africa Unity Kit. (Read more)

Henin returns to tennis with Wilson

Seven-times Grand Slam winner Justine Henin has announced her return to the courts - and a partnership with Wilson. Henin is aiming for a Wimbledon title, the only major she has not yet won, and will continue to play at least until the London 2012 Olympics.

New racket for Sharapova

Maria Sharapova, aiming for a fourth Grand Slam title, will be wielding a new racquet this year – the recently launched Prince EXO³ Black – and carrying the first piece from her new Limited Edition Prince Sharapova Bag Collection. The EXO³ Black is an upgraded version of one of the most popular racquets of the past five years and features the unmistakable EXO³ “hole” technology along the outer frame of the racquet. (Read more)

Kappikappi opens concept store

South African sportswear brand kappikappi recently opened a concept store in George. The kappikappi range, including T-shirts, golf shirts, cycling and rugby jerseys, training shirts and shorts as well as accessories, are made from either 100% mercerised cotton, which is exceptionally durable, or high-performance technical fabrics. All garments are locally manufactured. According to the founders Sarel Theron and Jacques Dreyer the range will be popular with young people and they are therefore focusing on the student market. They will also provide selected sports teams with part-sponsored kit, says Theron.

Short news

» Sensational Angling Supplies has announced that it will be taking over the distribution of Zoom plastic baits as from January 2010 from Bass World Pro Angling Equipment. The ZOOM brand adds to Sensational's ever increasing and comprehensive range of fishing tackle and related products it sources from around the world. This will be the third American brand, which include Gamma and Eagle Claw hooks. All trade enquires can be forwarded directly to Sensational Angling Supplies on Tel: 012 327 1301.

 

Trade shows

» 2-4 February: WSA Show. Mandalay Bay Convention Centre, Las Vegas, USA. www.wsashow.com. International footwear and accessories exhibition.
» 3-4 February: Action Sports Retailer. San Diego Convention Centre, San Diego, USA. www.asrbiz.com. Trade show for the action sports industry.
» 7-10 February: ispo Winter. New Munich Trade Fair Centre, Munich, Germany. www.ispo-winter.com. Trade show for winter sports.
» 7-10 February: Sports Source Europe. New Munich Trade Fair Centre, Munich, Germany. www.sport-source-europe.de. International sourcing show for sports equipment and apparel.
» 23-25 February: China Fish. Jiuhua International Exhibition Center, Beijing, China. www.chinafishshow.org. International fishing trade show.

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