Steve, there is no doubting that this is a bold move; what is the feel for this within the company?
We’re excited about the opportunity to move into an adjacent business and believe the timing is right. We’ve talked to golfers and our trade partners, who enthusiastically support the plans and offerings; and we have the right people and support in place to be as successful in performance golf apparel as we are in our golf footwear, glove and sock categories. This represents an important step forward in FootJoy’s mission to enhance enjoyment of the game for golfers everywhere.
Why is FootJoy expanding into this new category?
FJ is already a major player in the ‘Outerwear market’ (No. 1 in US, No. 2 on course here in the UK*) and has a broad set of existing core competencies in apparel category. We have seen a growing demand from our existing offering to extend fully into the apparel market.
How will the strength of the FJ brand assist with this transition?
Evolving into a new category may be harder for some brands than FJ, and in many instances licensing brand names to other producers can relinquish control on any brand. This is why FJ believe that the new apparel will succeed so, with the lessons learnt in over 80 years of trading.
There are a lot of golfers out there who believe in and trust products that bear the FJ initials.
How have you identified your target market and how has that shaped the product range?
A UK consumer survey of over 2,000 golfers on what they wanted from apparel identified key areas of focus for us. It is with this information we have been able to tailor a look and feel that we as a business feel comfortable with and are sure consumers will be comfortable in!
How key is the ASM’s role in achieving a positive sell in?
We’ve extended our sales team even further. We thought about having an apparel specific sales team, but felt the best service to our customers will be achieved by adding ASM’s, reducing the size of their areas, enabling them to get round to see their accounts and service their requirements better – whether those requirements be for shoes, gloves, socks or apparel.
What are the benefits to the retailers in your eyes?
Brand loyalty from consumers is key. In addition, we support products with extensive point of sale investment, our advertising support always gives us high visibility in the market place. We are in over 95% of golf shops already so retailers will be familiar with the high levels of FJ service; this makes adding our apparel line to their shop a safe bet as they know the level of support we give all of our product ranges.
What are your hopes for the future?
To have a brand as recognisable in the apparel industry as the shoe and glove industry. In a nutshell to continue to deliver on high standards of performance and excellence we have built up a reputation for. To outperform the market. To deliver on our promises of service and quality. Our market shares for shoes, gloves and outerwear all rose last year. We want to continue in that vein.
FootJoy golf shoes cater for a broad range of tastes and pockets; will the apparel range follow suit?
With a large range of colours, styles and designs we will definitely be able to appeal to a variety of tastes. We will be offering different cuts/fits, both of which are tailored specifically to our market, which goes yet further to ensure that we cater for golfers’ varying desires and requirements. In terms of pricing we will be launching with premium-priced product, fitting with the premium nature of the FootJoy brand.
How important is the PGA professional to your core business and the success of the apparel venture?
The PGA Professional has always played a key role in our business model and our move into apparel will not change this. He or she understands and has confidence in the FJ brand, in terms of product quality, sales service, marketing support and numerous other functions. It is this that has allowed us to grow and build the business.
How do you intend to promote your apparel range?
As with all our product categories we invest heavily in advertising and promotion to drive consumer demand and repay the support shown to us by PGA Professionals who have stocked our products. Point of sale is crucial to success in apparel, and we will soon be signing off on our range of stands and displays to help merchandise the product in store. We will do everything we can to assist in supporting our partners in the sales process.
*Golf Datatech Retail Survey
