Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - December 2013 - (Page 12)

FIRST & 5 'Show Them What They Will Want' Peak Season's Joe Mansour talks licensed apparel trends, catering to young consumers and more. By Jamar Laster, Editor S tay ahead of the curve. Be innovative and creative. Give customers high-quality items at the right price. Joe Mansour, executive director of Peak Season, champions this three-pronged approach to licensed apparel. In fact, he thinks today's changing consumer mindset and increased demand frequency necessitate that philosophy. A 15-year veteran of the apparel business, Mansour knows today's trends change more quickly than they did when he was a neophyte. "I think the consumer expects more," Mansour says. "When I was a kid, the only licensed products you found were T-shirts and sweat shirts. Today, the young consumer is demanding a lot more novelty product. It is our job to show them what they will want." SportsFan Retailer recently spoke with Mansour to ask five questions about the changing focus of the apparel sector, trends for young consumers and more. SportsFan Retailer: Peak Season provides licensed apparel for young consumers. What makes this demographic an ideal focus for your business? Joe Mansour: We feel that the pro and collegiate sports industry is a huge and growing part of American culture. This is evident by the growth of event ticket sales, TV ratings and team sport consumer product sales in both hard and soft lines. Many children grow up watching and playing sports. This leads them to 12 December 2013 have a favorite team with favorite players. It is only natural that this young fan will have a desire for apparel in his or her favorite team. SFR: In the past five years, how has the apparel segment shifted its focus in terms of function vs. fashion? JM: Functionality will always be a dominant part of the team apparel business as, after all, it caters to young athletes. However, as the team sports category grows, we have seen a shift to athletic-inspired sportswear. This means more everyday casual wear items are starting to resonate. SFR: What is the biggest trend in licensed apparel right now among young consumers? JM: Right now, I think the consumer is paying more attention to novelty fabrications with different finishes, such as gel printing, flocking, appliqués, etc. I also think different performance and synthetic fabrics are becoming more popular and mainstream. SFR: What new apparel products are most popular now for your top demographic? JM: Right now we are seeing a growing trend in novelty items that are becoming more basic to the average consumer. Items such as board shorts, rash-guard performance tops, fashion tops, novelty fleece/outerwear pieces, performance polos, Henley tops, etc. SFR: With younger consumers, does a licensed apparel product's demand or popularity correlate directly with a specific team's on-field/on-court success? JM: The success of a team's product sales is a combination of the market size and the team's on-field/on-court success. In addition, large-market teams usually are successful early in the respective league's season since at that time, every team has a chance at the championship. If the team slows down, you see it in the apparel sales. On the flip side, I've noticed it takes two to three years of constant success for a small-market team to become a significant and successfully selling team. More About Peak Season Company Name: Peak Season Parent Company: Isaac Morris Ltd. Product Lines: Fashion tops, outerwear, swimwear, active sets Licenses Carried: MLB, NFL, NBA, NCAA Distribution Channels: Mass-market and department stores, sporting goods chains, warehouse clubs, regional chains Website: peakseasonshop.com SportsFan Retailer http://www.peakseasonshop.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - December 2013

Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - December 2013
Contents
For the Record
From the Show Director
Starters
First & 5
The Art of Storytelling
Previewing the Starting Lineup
Appealing to Passion
Around the Leagues
Tailgate Talk
Retailer Focus

Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - December 2013