Are You Ready For Summer Sports Fads?
Sporting Goods Retailers have two challenges in the coming summer months. The first is to meet the demand for the regular summer sports equipment by having the normal seasonal supply. The second is to be able to quickly stock whatever current sporting goods are suddenly in demand.
ChainDrive’s integrated retail management software is perfect for the highly seasonal and diverse product assortments that sporting goods retailing entails. Grouping functionality enables providing an entire team or league with the right sizes and styles for each player — and charging the proper price at POS while updating inventory. You also get the advantage of intelligent size analysis in sportswear and athletic footwear segments so all the intricacies of sporting goods retailing are streamlined.
But in any season, there could be an unexpected demand that changes the dynamic of consumer behavior. What happens then?
What Causes A Fad In Sporting Goods?
Some fads become classics. The athleisure trend may well be what everyone is still wearing ten years from now. Gadgets, on the other hand, get outdated quickly as technology progresses.
If we could predict the next fad, we would be ahead of the crowd seeking to profit from it. But it is very difficult to accurately predict what people will get excited about, particularly in sports. An appealing gymnast who is going well in the Olympics might trigger a national fad in gymnastics. Local teams who are moving up in the finals might trigger a local fad in that particular sport. It’s a tricky thing but retailers can be prepared.
Planning for fads involves making a category in your budget for Open-To-Buy. This provides a flexibility in purchasing so you are prepared for the next big thing in sporting goods.
ChainDrive has a comprehensive platform that is perfect for sporting goods retailers because it is flexible to meet the challenges of this market and let you manage your business profitably.