Activewear retailers will be seeking something to spark their business
NEW YORK -- The New Products section of the Atlanta Super Show will see a lot of action in this transitional year.
Activewear retailers report that anything new in the category will be sought as they look for items to replace their sagging fleece business.
Most retailers say business has been slower than they would like. And since nothing puts a spark in sales like something new, most say they'll be walking the New Product aisles for an especially hot item.
The Super Show, which runs Feb. 4-7 at the Georgia Dome, the Georgia World Congress, the Atlanta Apparel Mart and the Inforum, features hard and soft goods.
Herman's Sporting Goods always makes it a point to visit the New Products area, according to Stu Kessler, executive vice-president/chief merchandising officer.
'We always look for new products,' Kessler said. 'Usually, the New Products area is fun to walk through. I mean, clearly we meet with our key resources at the show. We're happy with our resource structure. We deal with the top two or three vendors in each category. When we see them at the show, we talk from a marketing or sales point of view. We are not out to replace vendors.
'But we meet new people to see if we can do new business; we don't have blinders on,' he continued. 'If we see something from a resource we're not currently doing business with, then we'll try to see them quickly.'
Kessler said Herman's has about 27 appointments at the Super Show among all its resources. He pointed out that most other retailers are probably looking for something new, too.
'I don't think it's been a brisk year in sporting goods and apparel overall this year, but our business has been good since Christmas,' he reported. 'That comes through our skiing program, in both hard and soft lines. But there's been a shake-up in the racket market -- the tennis business -- as well as the footwear business, although our footwear is somewhat better than the industry's. And the licensing business has been soft.'
Kessler said Herman's is bringing 22 representatives to the show, including hard and soft goods, footwear, marketing and visual.
Herman's buyers will be looking for back-to-school and fourth-quarter goods, but the company always has money available if an opportunistic purchase is to be made, Kessler said.
Buyers from Paragon Sporting Goods, New York, will be taking a sharp look in the New Products area, especially for b-t-s items, according to Alan Handell, vice-president.
'We're looking for new vendors in the New Products section -- not Nike and Reebok,' Handell said. 'We want things that are new and exciting, like in-line skates. We're also looking for co-op programs and opportunities. And we're also just going to check out the market.'
The Paragon team will be looking for some off-price opportunities and at-once business as well, Handell added, saying that 10 buyers for all sporting goods categories will be going down to the show. 'Whether they're looking for licensed apparel, fleece, team sports or hard goods, we bring all our people there.'
City Sports Boston, which has five units, is looking for 'anything hot,' according to Jeff Conor, apparel buyer.
'To be honest, there aren't any particular categories that we'll be looking at; just anything that's new and exciting,' he said, adding that City Sports buyers go to write paper, although he didn't have a specific number. 'We look to expand all the time. We won't shut our eyes to certain categories. And we'll definitely meet with the majors. But when we see the big guys, it's not to look at their lines but to talk to the main people and key accounts.'
The City Sports team will look for closeout spring goods, but the big agenda is for fall merchandise. He added that City Sports is especially looking at vendors that will do private-label fleece programs, since the retailer is in the market to promote its name.
Besides its three apparel buyers, City Sports is sending its financial officer and promotional manager to Super Show, Conor said. 'We want to get better terms and work on new deals, and get more co-op programs going.'
J.C. Penney is one retailer that's been enjoying healthy activewear sales. It's also a company whose buyers will primarily be meeting and greeting vendors, as opposed to looking at lines, according to Mark McMahon, merchandise manager for Simply for Sport, the retailer's activewear department.
'Timewise, the show doesn't fit for us,' he said. 'We had pretty much all of our '94 buying done by last November. So we don't really shop, we just go down to meet and talk to some of the principals of the different companies and to see what's going on.'
McMahon said four Penney's representatives will be attending the show, including the licensed apparel buyer, who he said has a number of appointments with key players and the pro sport leagues. Otherwise, the rest of the Penney's people don't have a fixed agenda, he said.
'We're there to show that we're interested in the industry, and to show we care,' he said. 'And if we come across a hot item or an item we missed before, we would do something about it. But that's something we would stumble upon. We're not looking for it.'
