http://www/sports-insight.co.uk Sports Insight Magazine is the Sports Industry's leading trade publication. en jeff@partridgeltd.co.uk Copyright 2013 2013-05-17T09:16:50+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/recruitment/business_development_professional/ http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/recruitment/business_development_professional/#When:14:55:48Z 2012-11-05T14:55:48+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/canterbury_signs_three_year_kit_deal_with_rotherham_titans/ http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/canterbury_signs_three_year_kit_deal_with_rotherham_titans/#When:09:16:50Z Canterbury will be the official kit supplier to the Rotherham Titans for the next three years.

The team currently plays in the English RFU Championship.

“Rotherham Titans remains a consistent top 20 club in English rugby and it is important for us to have a real brand presence within the English Championship, not just the Premiership,” says Chris Stephenson, CEO of Canterbury.

“We are looking forward to working with a club with such a successful rugby history and to be a part of a team that attracts a dedicated and passionate rugby audience.

“Combined with their dedication to producing and developing talented players, I have no doubt there is a successful road ahead.”

]]> 2013-05-17T09:16:50+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/hotproducts/lincolnshire_county_cricket_chooses_gymphlex_as_it_launches_new_approach_to/http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/hotproducts/lincolnshire_county_cricket_chooses_gymphlex_as_it_launches_new_approach_to/#When:11:38:20Z Lincolnshire County Cricket has launched Double Dozen, a new approach to cricket that is not at the mercy of the unpredictable British weather.

To ensure this accessible, rapid game has the right image from the offset, it has chosen to use GFORCE from Gymphlex to create the team kits.

Double Dozen has been developed primarily as a game for adults, with simplified rules and smaller teams of eight per side.

The games last around 1¼ hours, making them the perfect alternative for gym based fitness classes.

Kevin Spence, Lincolnshire County Cricket CEO, says: “As adults become increasingly busy, devoting a full day to the sport is sometimes unfeasible.

“What we wanted to create is a new cricket game that distils the essence of the sport, but that anyone can come along and play for an hour or so.

“We provide all the equipment, so participants can just turn up.

“As we are trying to put together the foundations of a professional new sport we turned to Gymphlex to see if they could create a template for a Double Dozen shirt.

“Teams can then choose to have a kit produced in their own specified colour within this template.

“Although this is not essential, many teams have now chosen to invest in their kit - which is a great indicator for the future of Double Dozen.”

There are currently 24 Double Dozen teams playing throughout Lincolnshire in a number of leagues and this number is increasing.

Gymphlex has worked with Lincolnshire County Cricket Club before to produce its county kit.

For this new shirt template the company has used a dye sublimated shirt with heavy Double Dozen branding.

GFORCE from Gymphlex is proving the perfect prestige sporting range for sports with smaller teams, as it offers minimum orders of just 10.

If you would like any information on how Gymphlex could work with you to create a professional GFORCE kit call 01507 523243 or visit http://www.gforcesportswear.co.uk.
]]> 2013-05-16T11:38:20+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/hotproducts/optimum_extends_colour_assortment_of_its_tribal_rugby_ball/http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/hotproducts/optimum_extends_colour_assortment_of_its_tribal_rugby_ball/#When:16:01:09Z To keep the brand and range fresh, Optimum Sport has extended the colour assortment options in its Tribal rugby ball range - currently available in pink, green, bokka, white and yellow - to also include blue and red versions.

The design and materials used throughout the Tribal range make the ball as strong as it is functional and fashionable.

With its durable rubber surface and super grip, the Tribal ball is ideal for club, school and junior rugby.

The blue and red versions are now available in sizes mini for £3.99 and sizes 3, 4 and 5 for £8.99.

Characteristics of the Tribal rugby ball range:

• Tribal design.
• Training quality.
• Durable rubber surface.
• Super grip.

Established in 1996, Wigan based Optimum first made its foray into the sports market with its range of rugby protection and fast became one of the world’s top rugby brands.

For more information on the above new colour product, or any of the Optimum range, call 01942 497707 or contact your local Optimum sales representatives.
]]> 2013-05-15T16:01:09+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/stag/news_update/ http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/stag/news_update/#When:11:34:52Z 2013-05-15T11:34:52+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/tough_trading_environment_dents_pumas_first_quarter_sales_and_profit/ http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/tough_trading_environment_dents_pumas_first_quarter_sales_and_profit/#When:15:17:05Z PUMA has blamed a challenging business climate in Europe and an unusually long winter in Asia for a 2.3 per cent drop in first quarter sales to €782 million.

Pre-tax profits for the period declined to €75 million, compared to €103 million in 2012.

The brand’s sales in the Americas improved by 1.8 per cent to €260 million, while EMEA sales fell by 4.8 per cent to €348 million.

In the Asia/Pacific region, sales declined by 2.9 per cent to €173 million.

India, supported by excellent sales in running and team sports, and Australia delivered positive performances, but they could not quite offset the less satisfactory numbers from Japan, where there was an unusually harsh winter, and China, where fitness and training products in particular did not perform as expected.

PUMA’s retail sales increased by 13.9 per cent to €135 million, representing a 17.3 per cent share of total sales.

The brand said this rise in sales was supported by “excellent results” from its ecommerce business, particularly in North America.

]]> 2013-05-14T15:17:05+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/american_invasion_drives_premier_league_clubs_kit_deals_to_record_high/ http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/american_invasion_drives_premier_league_clubs_kit_deals_to_record_high/#When:11:52:43Z The total value of this season’s Barclays Premier League clubs’ kit supply contracts has rocketed 32 per cent to a record £117.3 million, according to a new report.

And while traditional giants such as Nike, adidas and Puma continue to invest heavily, the surge in income has been driven by the entrance of North American duo Warrior and Under Armour - suppliers of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

This is one of the key findings of the REPUCOM Kit Supplier Report 2012/13, produced in cooperation with PR Marketing.

Almost 40 years after Admiral became the first sports equipment brand in England to advertise its logo on Leeds United’s kit, 11 different suppliers are today present in the Premier League.

And the combined revenue generated from these deals accounts for almost two fifths of the total combined kit deal revenues across Europe’s top five leagues, which this season nears £315 million.

Clubs from England’s top division earn an average of £6 million per year from kit supply deals, a figure that is also up on last year.

This season the league‘s 20 clubs will sell a combined total of approximately five million shirts worldwide - around one million more than 2011/12, which is more than double the number sold by Germany’s 18 Bundesliga sides.

The report also reveals the average price of a Premier League club shirt has risen 8.3 per cent since last season. However, average prices in the UK remain the lowest across Europe‘s top leagues.

The average price of a Premier League club jersey now stands at £47.60, still significantly less than the Serie A equivalent at £61.

“The entrance of Warrior and the growth in Under Armour‘s investment in British football has been a shot in the arm in terms of Premier League clubs‘ kit sponsorship incomes,” Andrew Walsh, president - global enterprise at REPUCOM, says.

“The league’s global reach makes it a very attractive prospect for the world’s top sports merchandise manufacturers.

“In turn, kit contracts are becoming an evermore relevant source of revenue for the clubs, not only at the top level, but right down the division.”









]]> 2013-05-14T11:52:43+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/vibram_fivefingers_join_zsl_for_annual_zoo_stampede/ http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/vibram_fivefingers_join_zsl_for_annual_zoo_stampede/#When:11:28:20Z Minimalist brand Vibram Fivefingers has joined the Zoological Society of London as the title sponsor of the annual ZSL Zoo Stampede charity running events.

The 2km and 10km runs will take place at both ZSL Whipsnade (June 9) and London (September 15).

They will raise money for the Zoological Society of London in order to help endangered animals around the world.

“We are delighted to be working with the ZSL as part of their Zoo Stampede,” says Matt Wallden of primallifestyle.com, the UK distributer of Vibram Fivefingers.

“After more than 270 million years of animal evolution, the foot, as an entity, has been honed and refined for optimal function and, with Vibram Fivefingers, we respect that functional heritage.

“Our ancestors ran to survive and became the pre-eminent distance runners on the planet.

“Our ethos is to provide runners with stripped back, minimalist footwear that allows their foot to move more naturally, like our ancestors’ feet, so these settings, with these amazing animals, provide a perfect atavistic backdrop for us and our message.”

]]> 2013-05-14T11:28:20+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/prime_selling_space/ http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/prime_selling_space/#When:08:25:46Z It’s most likely that the decision to buy or not will be made while your product pages are being viewed, so give them the thought they deserve.

Put yourself in the place of the buyer and ask yourself what they would like to see.

Be crystal clear
Provide clear information on the critical details such as price, delivery times and charges. If buyers have to hunt, some won’t bother and a sale is lost.

Show related items
When a shopper is looking at a particular item, there are always other items that naturally relate together and which a buyer is likely to want to purchase at the same time.

Make sure you meet this need.

Have a clear call to action
The aim of a product page is to sell what’s on that page.

In most cases, this means clicking on an add to cart button or a checkout button.

For sophisticated and high price products, the sale may involve encouraging customers to call to discuss and place their order.

Since this is the objective, these ‘calls to action’ should be prominent on the page.

I remain shocked at how difficult it is to find out how to add items to the cart and checkout on some sites.

Clearly show stock levels
There are a variety of drivers that vary the way each business handles stock levels and unavailability.

The important thing is to be clear with customers and ensure their expectations are met.

Failing to do this will result in upset customers and lots of customer service calls, resulting in lost business and wasted time.

A picture tells a thousand words
Look at the ASOS site.

This is one of the most successful ecommerce retailers of recent years and the pictures are brilliant.

If yours are too, you will reap the rewards.

Provide clear clues to where you are
It’s important that browsers don’t get lost in your online shop.

Show clearly where people are, for instance, by providing a ‘breadcrumb trail’ that shows each section in the hierarchy above the current position.

Don’t skimp on information
Provide full details of all products for sale, allowing for all of the information that is needed for a decision to purchase to be made.

Nothing is more off putting than not knowing what you are buying or not being sure if it will work the way you need it to.

If you don’t supply the information, your prospect will click away to someone who does.

If all the necessary information cannot be accommodated on the page, provide links to even more information on another page.

Use videos wherever you can
Some studies have suggested videos can increase conversion by 20 per cent.

Use product reviews
Provide the opinions of other customers on the products you are selling. This will help considerably in the buying decision.



Chris Barling is co-founder and chairman of ecommerce software and EPoS systems supplier SellerDeck and has over 17 years’ experience of helping small and medium sized enterprise retailers with advice on trading online.

In his third book Barling shares the basic steps to setting up shop on the web, together with the key lessons he has learned that can make the difference between success and failure. The 440-plus tips are organised into a series of nine sections, so that it’s easy to dip in and out of.

The paperback edition is £12.99 from http://www.sellerdeck.co.uk/insider and a Kindle version is also available on Amazon for £6.49.

]]> 2013-05-14T08:25:46+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/hotproducts/new_curl_barbells_from_jordan_fitness/http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/hotproducts/new_curl_barbells_from_jordan_fitness/#When:11:40:52Z Jordan Fitness, the functional fitness specialists, has introduced new Curl Barbells to their range of high quality and affordable free weight solutions.
The new Jordan Fitness Curl Barbells complement the established Jordan Fitness range of straight bar barbells with solid rubber ends. Stylish and durable with an odourless black rubber finish, the Curl Barbells will not chip or damage machines; with the rubber virtually eliminating the "clanking" of barbells.
The Jordan Fitness Curl Barbells feature chrome easy-grip handles, raised number weight identification and the unique J-lock system helps prevent loosening of the barbell head and so minimises maintenance.
With an internal handle length of 110cm and available in 10kg—60kg weights, the new Jordan Fitness Curl Barbell has a compact one piece design ; offering a durable barbell with excellent balance.
The Jordan Fitness Curl Barbells are also available as a selection of 10kg to 45kg weights with a stylish rack.
Allan Collins, Jordan Fitness’ Director of Education says, “Curl bars are more comfortable than straight bars for a number of common resistance exercises, such as triceps extensions, as it reduces the stress on the wrist and forearm. For standing bicep curls or preacher curls, the forearm is not forced into a fully supinated position (hands facing up), but almost semi-supinated, whilst for reverse curls the forearm is semi-pronated (hands facing down). This more advantageous position is more comfortable and allows slightly more load to be lifted, helping to achieve greater results”.
For more information visit http://www.jordanfitness.co.uk/products/rubber-solid-end-barbells-with-curl-bars
About Jordan Fitness

Jordan Fitness specialise in the design, manufacture and supply of commercial quality free weights, flooring and studio equipment to trade and retail clients across the UK, Europe and USA. Jordan Fitness is also an approved distributor for the LifeLine USA and Alpha Strong brands.

Established in 1991, Jordan Fitness also provide design and layout advice as part of their award winning services.

Designed by Us. Inspired by You... Functional fitness specialists of free weight equipment and training across the globe.

For more details visit http://www.jordanfitness.co.uk, call +44 (0)1945 880257 or email sales@jordanfitness.co.uk

Jordan Fitness, Cherry Farm, Walpole Highway, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, PE14 7QX
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