Top Gear Sport


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Latest features Forthcoming features Subscriptions Job classifieds Tweet August/September 2010 Retailer showcase: Reasons for Top Gear’s success Gilliomee says that his shop assistants have been an important factor in the store’s success. Two of them (Sharon Buis and Renay Heynes) have been with him since the beginning and they all look after each other. There hasn’t been a time when there has not been a staff member’s baby in the store! Another success factor is the good and long-standing relationship he built up with sales representatives. “It is essential for brands to have good reps,” he says. “Once you’ve walked some way with a guy, it makes a difference in how you rank his products when you advise customers on what to buy.” He believes it is important to go just one sentence further than “can I help?” when approaching a customers. “Use the opportunity to start a conversation.” Gilliomee has regular clearance sales where he sells certain brands at ridiculously low prices (like R50 for branded footwear) for a certain number of hours to attract people to the store. They offer a variety of add-on services, like stringing rackets and knocking in bats. Gilliomee believes it is more important to build a relationship with a customer, rather than just make a sale. Top Gear Sport: Where the whole family feels at home The owner of Top Gear Sport in George is involved in the community through sponsorship of schools, by coaching and doing administration for clubs, by meeting customers’ needs and by helping those truly in need. He runs the kind of sport store a community cannot afford to lose On the day of our visit to Top Gear in George, owner Ters Gilliomee is busily involved with the preparation for the major school sport day they sponsor. About 700 learners from across the country are expected to compete in a wide variety of sporting codes the following day. An out-of-town customer asks for 15 head bands in a specific colour, embroidered with the school’s name, for the event the following day. No problem, Gilliomee assures him, and phones a supplier in Cape Town who will deliver the head bands within a few hours. We’ll have them embroidered in no time, Gilliomee promises. Amid the bustle Gilliomee’s baby daughter Mila lies asleep at the back of the store, under the watchful eye of all the shop assistants. As soon as the notices are displayed about which shoe models will be offered at special discount prices for a designated few hours that day, the store fills up with customers. It does not take long to observe why Top Gear manages to trade successfully, despite being close to the headquarters of the fastest-growing sportshoe chain and with stiff competition from most other sport chains. They are closely involved with the community, especially schools; they have the ability to meet a customer’s needs at very short notice, think creatively to attract customers and created a friendly, family-orientated environment where everyone is welcome. A former school teacher in Riversdale, Gilliomee has always had a special interest in rugby — he was involved with coaching for Boland Rugby and SWD in the past, where he worked with, among others, former Springbok coach Nick Mallett. It was therefore no surprise to learn of the strong connection between rugby and the Top Gear sport stores, founded in 1997 by rugby player Pieter (Slap Tjips) Rossouw and Boland coach, now with the Cheetahs, Hawies Fourie, who opened a store in Ceres. Gilliomee opened the George store — one of two still trading (the other one is in Upington). Although the stores share a name, they share no other connections as all the store owners went their separate ways in 2002. Gilliomee has kept his rugby ties and he still coaches the George rugby club and school teams, upon request. He is also very involved with the local athletics club — he does their administration — and the rugby, cricket and soccer clubs in the coloured community. And the Top Gear stall has become a regular feature at the annual Sevens tournament in George. “I’ve walked a long way with the community,” says Gilliomee. He keeps an appro book that gives customers the opportunity to try on sportswear at home. “And we can always talk about the price. If someone really cannot afford a pair of shoes, I’ll always be prepared to talk about giving a discount.” Because he gets to know his customers in this relatively small community, he knows where there is genuine need and athletic promise. “Athletes who need technical equipment and footwear know their needs will be met at Top Gear.” But, times are difficult, he acknowledges. “There was a time when I could easily sell a pair of shoes at R899, now people cannot afford it.” * Read our copyright notice before making use of this article Back to retailer showcase

August/September 2010

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Reasons for Top Gear’s success

Gilliomee says that his shop assistants have been an important factor in the store’s success. Two of them (Sharon Buis and Renay Heynes) have been with him since the beginning and they all look after each other. There hasn’t been a time when there has not been a staff member’s baby in the store!

Another success factor is the good and long-standing relationship he built up with sales representatives. “It is essential for brands to have good reps,” he says. “Once you’ve walked some way with a guy, it makes a difference in how you rank his products when you advise customers on what to buy.”

He believes it is important to go just one sentence further than “can I help?” when approaching a customers. “Use the opportunity to start a conversation.”

Gilliomee has regular clearance sales where he sells certain brands at ridiculously low prices (like R50 for branded footwear) for a certain number of hours to attract people to the store.

They offer a variety of add-on services, like stringing rackets and knocking in bats.

Gilliomee believes it is more important to build a relationship with a customer, rather than just make a sale.

Top Gear Sport: Where the whole family feels at home

The owner of Top Gear Sport in George is involved in the community through sponsorship of schools, by coaching and doing administration for clubs, by meeting customers’ needs and by helping those truly in need. He runs the kind of sport store a community cannot afford to lose

On the day of our visit to Top Gear in George, owner Ters Gilliomee is busily involved with the preparation for the major school sport day they sponsor. About 700 learners from across the country are expected to compete in a wide variety of sporting codes the following day.

An out-of-town customer asks for 15 head bands in a specific colour, embroidered with the school’s name, for the event the following day. No problem, Gilliomee assures him, and phones a supplier in Cape Town who will deliver the head bands within a few hours. We’ll have them embroidered in no time, Gilliomee promises.

Amid the bustle Gilliomee’s baby daughter Mila lies asleep at the back of the store, under the watchful eye of all the shop assistants.

As soon as the notices are displayed about which shoe models will be offered at special discount prices for a designated few hours that day, the store fills up with customers.

It does not take long to observe why Top Gear manages to trade successfully, despite being close to the headquarters of the fastest-growing sportshoe chain and with stiff competition from most other sport chains. They are closely involved with the community, especially schools; they have the ability to meet a customer’s needs at very short notice, think creatively to attract customers and created a friendly, family-orientated environment where everyone is welcome.

A former school teacher in Riversdale, Gilliomee has always had a special interest in rugby — he was involved with coaching for Boland Rugby and SWD in the past, where he worked with, among others, former Springbok coach Nick Mallett. It was therefore no surprise to learn of the strong connection between rugby and the Top Gear sport stores, founded in 1997 by rugby player Pieter (Slap Tjips) Rossouw and Boland coach, now with the Cheetahs, Hawies Fourie, who opened a store in Ceres. Gilliomee opened the George store — one of two still trading (the other one is in Upington). Although the stores share a name, they share no other connections as all the store owners went their separate ways in 2002.

Gilliomee has kept his rugby ties and he still coaches the George rugby club and school teams, upon request. He is also very involved with the local athletics club — he does their administration — and the rugby, cricket and soccer clubs in the coloured community. And the Top Gear stall has become a regular feature at the annual Sevens tournament in George.

“I’ve walked a long way with the community,” says Gilliomee. He keeps an appro book that gives customers the opportunity to try on sportswear at home. “And we can always talk about the price. If someone really cannot afford a pair of shoes, I’ll always be prepared to talk about giving a discount.” Because he gets to know his customers in this relatively small community, he knows where there is genuine need and athletic promise.

“Athletes who need technical equipment and footwear know their needs will be met at Top Gear.” But, times are difficult, he acknowledges. “There was a time when I could easily sell a pair of shoes at R899, now people cannot afford it.”

* Read our copyright notice before making use of this article

Back to retailer showcase