Global brands are zooming in on sports and stores have got upmarket. The business of running a sports store in Goa is in top form, finds out Team B&C
One of the ideal places to chill out in style in tees and shorts and ride a two wheeler on rent without any inhibition is Goa. If you like to relax in active wear then you are in luck. An array of irrefutable styles and designs from local to mega brands is in the sports showrooms of Goa. Check out the shops and discover Adidas, Puma, Reebok, Nike in numerous boutiques. They are expensive and for the brand conscious.
Branded jackets range from Rs 2500 to 6000, track pants comes at price tag of Rs 2400- Rs 5500, t-shirts for Rs 1295- Rs 2995. Exclusive items such as yoga mats are at hefty price. But for the money saving consumer there is affordable sportswear. The consumer is spoiled for choice with vast array of colourful t shirts, track pants, shorts, jackets, slacks, yoga pants.
Traditional sports stores offered cricket bats, badminton racquets, skate boards, boxing gloves and host of equipment. The ancillaries were goggles, gloves, shoes, etc. However current trend is that a sports good store has a bit of everything. Clothes get big display and hogging prime space on shelves is watches, wallets, glasses, headphones etc.
The array of sportswear at Angleys ranges from football, jersey shirts to basketball and athletic kits, cricket wear to track pants and shirts. Jackets are made to cater to the middle class and priced between Rs 350 to 700. “We have Indian brands only and the rates depend on the brand. People have become fitness conscious and are exposed to the best which has made the brands to improve their quality. Today even a five year old knows what he wants,” says Atish Angley.
There is immense scope for sports and athletic wear in Goa and there is a specific demand for it. We do not have specific wear for gym but it all depends on the demand, he says.
According to Ashfan A Harjee, franchise owner of Adidas and Reebok, the sports business in Goa boomed in 2012-13 when Russian economy was strong and rouble was at Rs 32. Now the rouble is on par with rupee and Russians find India expensive. However the 365-days of tourism and spike in domestic tourists means that business is evolved. We now have a regular inflow of domestic tourists besides casino goers, says Harjee.
Anil Pereira, the owner of Champs adds that to be trendy is to be fashionable in sports. For about 20 years it was local brands from Punjab and Jalandhar which dominated the market. They have now become a minority market and big brands are calling the shots. The market is big, he says. Earlier sports was limited to just equipments and now it is a mix of athletics and fashion. The trendily done up Champs store has a great mix of stuff. There is sportswear along with sun glasses, perfumes, sports gizmos along with the regular items like tennis rackets, cricket bats, hockey sticks etc. Suppliers to the Champ store are Nivea, Vector, Soccer international, Index to name a few.
One of the reason why sports stores are aggressively pushing apparel is that concepts have changed. Fashionable fitness wear can be worn for any sort of occasion. Indeed it is the favourite outfit of the stylish customer who can be spotted in hip slacks in a casual party, while chilling or travelling. The range at Reebok store in MG Road, Panjim is such that one never feels like going empty handed. Nike has different categories of sportswear for tennis, football besides running. Then there is clothing for cricket, women and lifestyle brands. Casual is the trend besides running and football in Goa, says Zaheer, Nike franchise owner.”
Nike has different categories in jackets which ranges from Rs 2500 to 6000. Track pants comes at a price tag of Rs 2400 to 5500, besides t-shirts for Rs 1295 to 2995. Sports bra is an added attraction available for Rs 2300 to 4300. The other exclusive items include yoga mats for Rs 2500 besides backpack for Rs 2395 to 5500.
In the past few years big brands have ventured out with different sportswear to cater to the need of different age groups. Has it helped the brands evolve and widen the market or is it a fight for survival after the advent of online shopping? Is there tremendous pressure to clear the stock pile up and put them on sale?
Store owners reveal that no doubt online is created an impact. It is caught the pulse of target customers, viz., the youth and hurt sales of stores. But business is also dependant on fashion trends and so they are quick to change products every six months to overcome competition. The online sites have their own shortcoming. Colours are not the same, chances of gum or stitches giving way are high. In contrast the brick-and-mortar stores are steady. They offer goods on warranty. And other advantages to physical stores is that the clothes can be tried, the colours selected in bright light and just the thrill of walking out with overflowing shopping bags. New arrivals these days are available at the same rate as online. They come with security as the customer has the bill in case of complain.
We overcome competition by being creative and creating trust and reliability. Shoes are easy to sell and in fact athletic and sportswear compliment each other. We try and bring in variety to cater to different tastes and have our regular customers, says Angley. While Harjee points out that fresh new arrivals are found in the stores while the old season ones are available online. Fresh stock is the same price online and in store. Besides, it is the touch, feel and service which makes the difference for store buyers.
On a lighter note Harjee points out that Myntra and Flipkart have incurred huge losses and play an evaluation game where they sell and sell. They will not be a model to sustain forever. For physical stores like us the main business is in March with the visit of many Iranians who are big Adidas fans. Rest of the time it is slow. During monsoons from May to September, Reebok sells as people play indoors, explains Harjee.
On the other hand for Champs owner Pereira the word of mouth publicity helps to overcome online competitors. Online is here to stay and we are in the bandwagon. I am a dealer for Snapdeal, Flipkart and Amazon and benefit from it. There is a certain price factor and variety which makes a difference for me, points out Pereira.
Some of the latest facets taking place in the fitness wear industry is technological innovations. There are T shirts which becomes cool in summer and hot in winter. Meerut based supplier of athletic and sportswear, Lokesh, explains that micro super soft clothing is used which is ultra light and sweat absorbent. Most athletes use color sublimation printed ones. Future is bright for brands and non brands as they are moving towards clothing which is deeply technical. It’s is not very special as it is made for the top athletes and best players. Many things have to be taken care of as regards the comfort and fitting and fibre has to be sweat absorbent and solvents be made breathable.
Like many businesses in Goa the market for sportswear and accessories has its ups and downs during the year. IPL, T-20, ISL, Lusophonia Games and other events serve to spike sales, point out store owners. Angleys supplies essential sportswear for the National school games within eight days. The store also supplied track suits for Santosh trophy. The FC Goa tournament helped Adidas as we were the sponsors, says Harjee.
Sports brand have life style and chic as their USP. Sometimes they are inspired by other products. For instance automobiles or energy drinks. We have a tie up with Ferrari and BMW besides tie ups with Red Bull and Mercedes. Our designs are selected to suit racers of Formula 1 with logos of Ferrari and BMW discernible,” said Arpit, brand advo- cat of Puma. Brand ambassadors such as Lewis Hamilton, Yuvraj Singh help the industry, he says. The tie up with Norberts gym has improved our business with their trainers been given Puma shoes while our customers are given 25 per cent concession without tax, adds Arpit.
Sports goods stores have a request to make to the government. They want the government to take care of the infrastructure so that tourism flourishes. Goa’s touristy profile is a big boost to the market, point out owners.