Saturation
The imbalance of power in gloves is much the same in the United States, and Maria Bonzagni, senior director of FootJoy gloves and accessories, tells SGB Golf that FootJoy’s US market share in gloves last year held steady at 50%.
“WeatherSof grew 1% to a 20% share, and in the US, StaSof is the second highest seller in terms of volume,” says Bonzagni, who has worked her way up the FootJoy ranks since joining as a customer service rep in 1990. “The market for gloves has grown a lot over the past 20 years, although it has corrected itself over the last four years and reached saturation point.
“People are still playing the game and there is still a need for gloves, although perhaps golfers are not changing gloves as frequently as they used to. On a worldwide scale our volumes have mirrored the market conditions and so we have adapted, and we have been able to maintain our market share, which is outstanding. In difficult times I think people look to their trusted brands, which is why we are seeing such a solid market share for WeatherSof and StaSof.”
On a global scale, FootJoy’s figures show that the WeatherSof, WeatherSof GTX and StaSof models hold a quarter of the glove market between them.
“In the UK WeatherSof is number one, WeatherSof GTX - which is Europe specific - is number two, and SciFlex is number three,” adds Richard Fryer, marketing manager for FootJoy in Europe. “These three models are selling at the average price or above for their respective categories and we are delighted with that. Particularly from a trade perspective, in uncertain times retailers want to buy in product that they can guarantee will sell through.”
Purification
While the established models have enabled FootJoy to maintain its impressive market shares through the recession, the Acushnet-owned brand also made a bold addition to its European product offering in September with the limited introduction of the premium Pure Touch. Worn on tour by the likes of Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington, the Pure Touch, complete with an RRP of £20, has now become a permanent part of the FootJoy range.
“Every aspect of the Pure Touch is different from all other FootJoy gloves, from the leather to the manufacturing process,” explains Bonzagni. “It is extra special. We wanted to ensure this glove provides the finest, most luxurious feel on the market. We have eliminated any disruption between the glove and the club itself, so there are no perforations on the inside of the glove. We have a quality-control team that feels every single glove to make sure they all feel the same, and the manufacturing process takes five times longer than it does for a StaSof. That is an indication of the level of scrutiny that goes into the Pure Touch.
“I expect the Pure Touch to have a long-lasting presence in a smaller volume, as a glove that a lot of better players will choose to wear.”
FootJoy is planning to add to its European glove range in the near future, and Bonzagni is confident that 2010 will be a year of growth for FootJoy gloves, not just in terms of market share, but also turnover.
“Market conditions have already improved, certainly in the US,” she concludes. “We are finding that as conditions improve, retailers are looking to us to have the product ready when they need it. We are gearing up for that trend to continue – in January we saw a double-digit sales increase on January 2009. That is very positive news. The market has hit the bottom of the ‘U’ and it is now coming back.”
