How has 2009 gone for Worldwide Golf Brands so far?
The start of the year was a bit slow, but as much as anything that was due to our relocation and getting the business operations set-up, and of course the recession was also a factor, but since January and February business has been very good. Stuburt is around 20% up so far, year-on-year from 2008.
The golf market in 2009 has remained flat for many companies - at best - so how have you generated such significant growth?
We are doing extremely well on the continent now, and in the rest of the world too, and that is where the growth has come from. We are selling throughout Europe, and in countries such as South Korea, South Africa and Canada. Stuburt is becoming a global brand.
How far has Stuburt extended into apparel so far?
We have expanded our 2009 Autumn Winter range, which started shipping on September 1. We are offering a lot more rainwear; in the past we had three or four rainwear lines, but now we have 10 and we have added new colours. We have a new higher-end suit retailing at £149, whereas in the past we had always focused on hitting the £99 price point.
The new suit is made from a very lightweight, four-way stretch material and it is very breathable. We also have a new performance fleece, which retails at £39.99, and sweaters made from lambs wool and cotton. We have added some lined sweaters, which are doing fantastically well, and we have launched some base layer products, so we are expecting September to be one of our best months ever.
What can we look forward to from Stuburt in 2010?
Everything is changing for 2010 - we are out there now showing the new products, with a view to delivering for February 1. We want to make sure we deliver nice and early for Spring.
We are launching a full Spring Summer apparel range, and we are looking to sign up three or four Tour golfers to endorse the range, from head to toe, but I can't go into any more detail on that just yet. We are taking a 1,200 square-foot stand at the Orlando show to display the new clothing, and we are planning to sell to the United States, Australia and in the Far East.
For shoes, we will be replacing the Helium Pro with the Helium Tour. We have worked very closely with SATRA over the past six months - where they do independent laboratory testing - to make sure our quality going forward will be second to none. SATRA put our shoes through the most rigorous testing in the industry, for factors such as waterproofing, comfort and flexibility. We have invested heavily in our quality control and we are very confident that Stuburt shoes in 2010 will be better than ever.
What we are trying to do with Stuburt is offer technology and innovation that matches Nike, adidas, Footjoy and Ecco, but at a more affordable price. It is about offering quality, but making it affordable.
Are you continuing with the Darren Clarke Collection next year?
Yes. That has been very successful for us, and we have improved the quality, comfort and technology of the shoes for 2010. Darren wears the shoes on Tour and he gives us regular feedback.
For Autumn Winter 2010 we are also developing a DCC suit that Darren will wear, which will run alongside the DCC shoes.
What are your plans for Ram, now that Worldwide Golf Brands has agreed a long-term license extension?
We will be launching two new junior sets just before Christmas and a new range in 2010.
Ram sales for 2009 are probably going to be like for like with 2008, and while we have probably lost a little bit of market share at the top end of our range, we have certainly picked up with our junior kits and boxed sets, and clubs at the lower end of the price range, such as SDX.
