Score with Premium Athleticwear

Score with Premium Athleticwear

Premium Athleticwear Goes Mainstream Up your game by selling fashionable premium athleticwear it s a $97 billion market at retail with crossover appeal for the promotional apparel sales market. Performance apparel, including heritage styles, is everywhere from the gym to the mall to restaurants. Top brands have doubled sales over the past five years, according to Market Realist s report How Athleisurewear Boom Has Impacted the U.S. Apparel Industry. Champion follows suit, as the second-leading brand in It s a lucrative sector of the market that wearers are becoming accustomed to because of its strength at retail, so it makes sense for distributors to present these styles to their buyers. NICOLE ROLLENDER, WEARABLES premium athleticwear. What trend is pushing an increase in sales? Athleisure with performance features (think Lululemon s fashionforward, super-comfy workout wear designed to be worn all day). It is fast becoming a giant in the apparel world, closing in on $83 billion in annual sales, says Nicole Rollender, award-winning editor of Wearables magazine and executive director of professional development at ASI. It s a lucrative sector of the market that wearers are becoming accustomed to having available at retail, so it makes sense for distributors to present these styles to their buyers. Nearly half (49%) of all clients seek brand names when purchasing apparel, according to the Wearables 2016 Sales Forecast. Consumers want premium athleticwear that is the same as what they see at retail. In addition, they want heritage brands they ve known for decades and so do promotional apparel buyers. Having your client s own brand associated with the cachet of top names in premium athleticwear adds value. The longer a garment is kept and worn, the better the cost per impression. Corporate clients, teams, clubs and organizations targeting millennials or baby boomers there are myriad sales opportunities. This is where you can UP YOUR GAME and grow your business. Here s what you need to know to make the most of the trend.

What s The Score In Premium Athleticwear? People wear active lifestyle apparel for activities other than exercising 93% of the time, according to lifestylemonitor.cottoninc.com. Where are they going? STAY AROUND THE HOUSE RUN ERRANDS SHOP GO OUT TO EAT 85% 20% 42% 65% Worldwide sports apparel and footwear sales have jumped 42% to $270 billion over the past seven years, according to Morgan Stanley Research, Global Athletic Wear: Very Bullish Five-Year Outlook. The U.S. has the world s biggest market for activewear, currently accounting for $97 billion, or 36%, of all sportswear sales. More than 30% growth is projected by 2020 adding $83 billion in sales. Casual and athleisure have taken on a life of their own. This is no longer a trend it is now a lifestyle that is too comfortable, for consumers of all ages, for it to go away anytime soon. MARSHAL COHEN, CHIEF INDUSTRY ANALYST FOR THE NPD GROUP, INC. Champion, a leading consumer brand with 89% brand awareness, is the only premium athleticwear widely available in the branded apparel category. One in five distributors and decorators have either quoted or sold fitness trackers, according to the 2015 Wearables Sales Forecast. A CivicScience survey from February 2016 found that 28% of U.S. adults wear athletic clothes in public almost every day, and 26% do several times a month. More than half of all respondents wear athleticwear in public even when they aren t exercising.

Premium Performance Wear Goes Mainstream Help your clients leverage the appeal of high-performing athleticwear; it s an upsell opportunity. Present unbranded basics alongside premium athleticwear brands. Compare quality and performance features. Have clients touch both garments. A lightweight performance fabric feels better, dries faster and looks sharp. Here are five key markets that can use your expertise to make the most of their purchase. 1 Corporate Apparel Today s executives want to move seamlessly from an office to the gym or out with friends for dinner. The right pullover or upscale track pant make excellent transition garments. Corporate wellness programs that encourage employees to destress should consider premium athleticwear as an incentive. 2 Education/Schools The top market for promotional apparel sales is Education/Schools. Higher education needs premium athleticwear for teamwear, intramurals and special occasions, such as orientation. Sell to athletic programs, sororities and fraternities, student clubs, security for uniforms and student life administration for events. 3Racewear The number of U.S. running events reached 30,300 in 2015, according to the 2016 State of the Sport report by Running USA. There were 17 million finishers. Marathons and walkathons are annual opportunities for you to sell athleticwear that raises awareness for both a cause and sponsors. Present premium performance apparel that corporate partners will be proud to put their logo on. Higher performance brands will make participants more likely to wear the garment long after the race. Show how sponsors get maximum mileage with high-quality activewear bringing down cost per impression. 4 Gyms and Yoga Studios The annual number of people that use a gym or health club is 58 million, according to Statista Brain. There are 30,500 gyms and health clubs in the United States. Gyms and yoga studios can boost profit and brand recognition by selling their own logoed athleticwear in the lobby or at the front desk. Stress the importance of staff wearing logoed activewear as a uniform. 5 Golf There are nearly 30 million golfers in the United States. Most are employed in a white-collar occupation with a desire to go from the office to the links. Look for sophisticated styling with performance features to feel comfortable and professional in any environment. Show your clients how to make the most of sponsoring a golf tournament or to stock the club pro shop with authentic premium athleticwear in traditional styles. Upsell the program with embroidered detail or personalization.

5 Styles Ready to Perform Explain the benefits of performance technology in premium athleticwear. Is it durability, moisture wicking, drying ability, flexibility or sun protection? Learn and demonstrate the specific performance features of activewear you show clients. 1 Champion Double Dry T-shirt in Camo (style #CW22) made of 4.1-oz. 100% polyester jersey interlock quickly wicks moisture away and dries so the wearer is comfortable. With a 50+ UPF rating, suggest these tees for outdoor concerts, festivals, rec leagues or campus events at universities. 2 Champion Absolute Sports Bra (style #B900) Champion is the number-one athletic brand in sports bras. Its new Absolute Sports Bra is seamless, increasing the printable area, and made of 87% polyester/13% spandex, making it great for sublimation. A SmoothTec band prevents chafing and Double Dry technology wicks away moisture. Cheer teams, sports clubs, yoga/ fitness studios, sororities, etc., are ideal clients. 3 Champion Cotton Max Pullover Hoodie (style #S171) has a fashionable contrast hood and traditional front pouch pocket. The 9.7-oz. 90% cotton/10% poly heavyweight fabric has a 100% cotton face fabric for superior printing. It s rugged enough for athletic departments, yet stylish enough for Greek organizations. 4 Champion Performance Fleece Full-Zip Jacket (style #S270) has stylish accents, such as contrasting side panels with side-entry pockets. The 5.4-oz. 100% polyester fleece is lightweight with a performance wicking finish. Show your client the versatility: The jacket is upscale for executive gifts and functional for employee gifts. The fleece full-zip jacket looks good in the office and is practical to wear on chilly days. 5 Champion Vapor Quarter-Zip Pullover (style #CV80) is a 5.3-oz. 100% performance polyester and keeps the wearer dry and safe whether they re jogging or running errands. Wicking keeps a person dry, while a reflective logo helps in low light or nighttime visibility.

What Makes Authentic Comfort? Champion Originals Fleece and French Terry premium athleticwear combine the nostalgia of crewneck sweatshirts, hoodies and jogger pants with fashion-forward styling and advanced fabrication. Sueded Fleece An 8.5-oz. 80/20 cotton/poly 3-end fleece provides warmth and comfort while a 100% cotton face allows for superior screen or DTG printing. French Terry 7.4-oz. 43/43/14 rayon/poly/cotton triblend is absorbent, soft and offers a bit of stretch for added comfort. Dress for International Sweatpants Day January 21 The annual event goes upscale with fashionable premium athleticwear. Champion Originals joggers in Sueded Fleece and French Terry sport modern cuts with flat woven drawstrings, jersey lined pockets and a rich color palette.

A New Generation Of Style Introducing Champion Originals fashionable tops and bottoms designed for the wholesale market with a focus on elevated styles and printability. The Collection features 12 contemporary men s and women s styles, including: Plain and Pocket T-shirts are stylish and lightweight made of a triblend fabric for extra comfort. Details such as a softwash or distressed, printed stripes on sleeves add authenticity. Sueded fleece tops and pants offer a new take on renowned Champion rayon/ poly/cotton and cotton/poly blends in your choice of weights. Women s French Terry options make it easy to be comfortable at the intersection of sport and life. Henleys made of 100% cotton ringspun slub bring together contemporary design with athletic heritage. Swing tanks in a tri-blend jersey fabric are fashion forward for active, social lives. Made for Action or Occasion Champion Originals are available in a carefully chosen set of trendsetting colors in styles made for all kinds of active and social occasions. Look for fashionable details such as this swing tank with a racer back silhouette and natural color twill tie at back. For 2017, Advantages magazine describes the overall fashion theme as, What s old is new again. Top trends include heritage tees, blocks of color and slub chic.

Fan Sales With Fleece Fleece is an opportunity to upsell. Rather than a basic jacket, present a fleece-lined version. Instead of a typical long-sleeve T-shirt, suggest a style such as a Champion Double Dry Eco Crew. When selling fleece: Ask about use. When clients need athletic apparel for team practice in cold weather, go for a fabrication such as Champion Cotton Max Fleece. Talk weight. Shop a brand that offers a range of weights heavyweight to lightweight compressed fleece. Match the weight to your client s location. A 5.4-oz. 100% polyester performance fleece warms without weight. A 9.7-oz. 90% cotton/10% polyester is better for colder environments. Suggest an eco-fleece fabrication when presenting to universities and businesses with social responsibility goals. Offer layers. Fleece outerwear can complement indoor casual to provide an athleisure look for everyday activities. Look for pullovers and vests to complement the base garment. Tap demand for heritage styling. Get that nostalgic look with a colorblock fleece pullover such as the Champion Double Dry Colorblocked Pullover Hood (style #750). Discuss decoration. Fleece can be embroidered, laser-etched or embossed. Make More Money With Fleece Think about the product mix you sell to clients. Let s say you take 500 orders each year for cool-weather athletic apparel, with an average of 200 units per order. Your current mix might look something like this: 70% 20% 10% Basic sweatshirts at $10 per piece Premium fleece at $15 per piece Long-sleeve T-shirts at $6 per piece = $770k Total Sales What if you were able to up your fleece sales to 30% of your orders? That s a $160,000 improvement on the same number of orders and units. 55% 15% Basic sweatshirts at $10 per piece 30% Premium fleece at $15 per piece Long-sleeve T-shirts at $6 per piece = $930k Total Sales

Heritage Wear What Makes A Classic? Retro styles are about more than nostalgia. Today, they re fashionable and highly desired at retail. Whether your client is celebrating a corporate anniversary or a college club needs member tees, there are new style choices you can sell to meet their needs. Vintage sells. There s a turn back to simplicity and quality, particularly among millennials. The comeback of vinyl albums over digital downloads exemplifies the trend. So do raglan-sleeve baseball tees. They go back to the sport s early years, worn under players jerseys. They re popular on the field today for community leagues and corporate teams. How does that turn into promotional apparel sales? Fan jerseys and caps to raise money for booster clubs Souvenirs for tourism locations Alumnae gifts for donors Staff uniforms What's great about these styles, too, is that offices are trending more casual, so people can wear these logoed styles to their workplaces, says Nicole Rollender, editor of Wearables magazine. In terms of T-shirts, people love to wear anything vintage, anything that reminds them of shirts they've had forever, so think Henleys, distressed, slub and ringers. Also, for women, styles that are a little more form-fitting and longer length are desirable. The hallmarks of vintage are details like colorblocking, contrast collars and raglan sleeves. Ask your client about their target audience. Is it an older market that likes a basic sweatshirt with a one-color imprint, or does heritage mean a fashion-forward fit and athleisure lifestyle for millennials? In terms of T-shirts, people love to wear anything vintage, anything that reminds them of shirts they've had forever NICOLE ROLLENDER, WEARABLES

4 Retro Styles Everything old is new again with today s interpretation of classic styles. 1 Champion Ringer T-shirt (style #T136) has genuine appeal with its 1x1 rib contrast collar and sleeve ends and 5.2-oz. 100% cotton fabrication. 2 Champion Raglan Baseball T-shirt (style #T137) is an all-star. The classic jersey style is ready for recreational leagues and corporate teams alike. 3 Champion Reverse Weave Pullover Hood (style #S101) is a heritage style defined by thick, durable fleece. Pair it with Reverse Weave pants to outfit teams for practice or for sales by booster clubs and university bookstores. 4 Champion Eco Colorblock Pullover Hood (style #750) colorblocking gives it that retro feel popular at retail. Tell clients the environmentally conscious fleece fabric is made with up to 5% recycled polyester from plastic bottles. It s both retro and recycled. Colors evoke emotion. Team colors stir pride. Corporate colors present professionalism. Fashion colors stand out. All of these bring an opportunity to combine style with action.

Once A Leader, Always A Leader Tradition began when Champion introduced the first hooded sweatshirt in the 1930s. Today, innovations include performance fabrications such as Champion Double Dry Eco -Fleece (2011) and Champion Vapor (2014). Introduced the cotton football jersey 1935 1919 Champion Athleticwear established in Rochester, NY 1938 1952 First to market with reversible jersey. The Reverse Weave sweatshirt makes its worldwide debut 1967 1977 Introduces mesh practice shorts Invented the sports bra 1994 & 1996 Official outfitter of the U.S. Olympic Team

Brand Power With brand growth and partnerships, Champion Athleticwear continues to score at retail with double-digit growth for the third year in a row. The brand is succeeding at all levels of retail, including Target, Macy s and Nordstrom. The authentic nature of the brand has led to cutting-edge partnerships, including Todd Snyder, PacSun and Urban Outfitters. These collaborations increase interest in wholesale styles as well. Urban Outfitters + Champion Big C Tee Todd Snyder + Champion Classic Full-Zip Hoodie in Black Charcoal Heather Pacsun + Champion 3/4-Sleeve Raglan T-Shirt