Going back to Spring Summer 2008, Ashworth had launched its Ash33 and Organics ranges, which signalled a departure from its heritage of cotton polos in traditional cuts, and dipped into the younger, more technical market already occupied by the likes of adidas and Nike. Now under the control of TaylorMade adidas, Ashworth is making a u-turn to its roots.
"The Ashworth brand had been struggling in all of its markets," Heike O'Leary, EMEA brand director for Ashworth and adidas, tells SGB Golf. "There are a variety of reasons for this. Previously Ashworth was sold in Europe by a network of independent agents, rather than by its own fully-employed sales force, which can be tricky. As an American brand, sizing has always been an issue for the European market. There were inventory problems, which eventually led to significant price decreases, which damaged the brand. The re-structuring of Ashworth is addressing all those areas."
In making a clean break with the Ashworth of old, TaylorMade adidas is using retail channels outside the established golf market to flush out the inventory it inherited, and for Spring Summer 2010, the Ashworth range is much more compact.
"We need to move away from certain designs and certain fashion faux pas of the past," says O'Leary, "and so we have a much smaller, more commercial product range that can maintain strong price points. Retailers will regain confidence that the Ashworth brand will sell through very well, and they will start to make good margins on the products again.
"We launched the Spring 2010 collection to our sales force in June and pre-bookings have started coming in. All the key accounts in the UK and Europe are pleasantly surprised by what they have seen, in terms of how the collection fits, how we have addressed the sizing issues, and how we have worked with colours. The smaller collection is much easier to handle, to understand and to merchandise. All of our big retailers have bought into the new collection and that is very positive."
In the key markets of the UK, France and Germany, TaylorMade adidas has restructured its sales force so that instead of coming across to retailers as a hard goods company first and foremost, that also dabbles in soft goods, the company has a sales team devoted to the soft goods offering of the adidas, Ashworth and Sunice brands.
"With Ashworth and Sunice waterproofs joining adidas we have the potential to become the number one soft goods company in Europe," adds O'Leary, "therefore we need to start thinking like a soft goods company. We have hired more sales people who are focused on shoes and apparel and this change is really starting to pay dividends."
The Spring Summer 2010 range for Ashworth pivots around EZ Tech cotton and cotton hybrid fabrics. O'Leary claims that EZ Tech is the "easiest-care" fabric in golf, as it is breathable, it resists shrinkage, pilling and colour-fading and it does not need to be ironed. The ‘Third Groove' functional cotton hybrid shirts will come in with slightly higher price points, being made from a moisture-wicking fabric that has the feel of a Pima cotton.
"Ashworth is known by golfers as an authentic golf brand," adds O'Leary, "and that is what golfers want from Ashworth: authentic, comfortable cotton golf products."
Ashworth will also offer a small Ryder Cup range for 2010, and O'Leary is looking to introduce a line of knitwear for 2010, incorporating Scottish lambs wool. With adidas concentrating on its more technical and athletic adiPure, 3 Stripes and Formotion collections (see Launch Pad on p13), a clear distinction between the brands looks to have been established.
