New Routine

Enthusiasm for cheerleading is contagious, even among conservative team dealers

Even better for the team sports business, current economic conditions can actually favor the local dealer when it comes to selling cheer product to these female athletes.

Cheerleaders today are talented athletes who routinely flip back and forth between cheering for their school team and competing for schools, clubs and all-star teams. Many are energetic competitors who practice year-round, giving cheerleading one of the highest rates of frequent participation and maintaining demand for the necessary gear, particularly practice wear items that wear out.

Team dealers can take advantage of easy access to cheer teams with their steady presence in schools and local clubs and associations. As budget uncertainties effectively shorten the lead time for orders, cheer teams still need to meet deadlines. With trust equity in the community, team dealers are in a unique position to recommend and deliver the right goods within stricter time constraints.

Like other team sports, cheerleading is proving to be effectively recession-resistant because the girls still need apparel and gear. Increased reliance on fundraising for can tip the hand toward local dealers, since schools and organizations tend to spend fundraising dollars locally.

Local Advantage

At All Sports, Kennett, MI, owner Bob McCuiston likes to dazzle local cheer teams with service and selection. All Sports is a team and retail business that sells directly to area schools and organizations for all sports, with a strong presence in gymnastics and cheerleading.

“Half of everything we sell nowadays is for girls. Our retail store has an 80-foot wall of gloves and half of them are for women and girls,” says McCuiston. “For cheerleading, we sell anything the girls need — custom and stock uniforms, travel suits, shoes, bows and practice wear.”

McCuiston asserts that cheerleaders are not difficult to service. “I operate from the premise that you can’t play good unless you look good. I give them catalogs and they pick anything they want,” says McCuiston. “There are so many choices to offer the girls that it’s okay if they’re a little picky.”

All Sports’ niche is to serve the local community and keep trust and service levels high. McCuiston tells the story of Grammy-winning singer Sheryl Crow, who he coached on the Kennett High School track team. “Sheryl was a good student, a good athlete, and she could sing very well too. She likes to say that she’s not the best singer around, but she found a niche.” he says. “We try to be a one-stop shop so people leave here with what they came for. There’s only so much money to spend and they count on us to help them out any way we can.”

Meanwhile, Denver Athletic, Englewood, CO, created a separate cheer and dance division several years ago. While most sales continue to come from local high schools, the company actively pursues cheer sales in recreational programs and all-star gyms.

“We stay on top of the trends so we can offer cheer teams what they want,” says Stacy Biggs, cheer specialist for Denver Athletic’s cheer and dance division. “Being local is a huge advantage because our customers know we will take care of them. Once we get a foot in the door more business usually follows.”

Biggs cheerfully reports that business has been relatively recession-proof. “We have noticed a tendency for teams to wait an extra year to order new uniforms, and the spirit pack orders are a little smaller,” says Biggs. “But we’re selling quite a bit of athletic tape and pre-wrap as well as mouthguards to our cheer teams. They are athletes, not just pretty girls on the sidelines anymore.”

At Stayton Sports, Stayton OR, a team dealer with a complete range of decorating services, cheer sales are gaining traction.

“Cheerleading is one area that has actually has been picking up a little for us,” says owner Ron Gower. “We haven’t really gone after it. Rather it has come to us through our decorating capability and the work we do with local dance teams.”

Decorating for Profit

Stayton Sports made its foray into cheer when a team brought in items to decorate. “We showed them a few catalogs and samples, and now they buy practice gear and the travel stuff that they replace every year from us,” says Gower.
Gower notes that unfortunately cheerleading is still an afterthought for athletic directors.

“Most ADs don’t think of cheer as a sport, although it’s clear that the girls do and their coaches do,” he says. “Around here most of the schools cover the cost of the coach and maybe uniforms, but they fundraise for the rest.”

The economic necessity to raise funds can work to the advantage of independent dealers. Says Gower, “When teams fundraise they tend to spend the money closer to home. Many of these coaches have been burned buying online because you don’t get to see and touch the product, and they have buyer’s remorse when it doesn’t meet expectations.”

The need for quick turnaround on orders has also tilted the hand in favor of team dealers. “The shorter lead times actually cedes some ground to an independent that usually can’t compete directly on price,” says Gower.

Go-To Companies

Who are the go-to cheer venders for these dealers?

For Denver Athletic, favorite vendors are MJ Soffe, Fayetteville, NC, and Alleson Athletic, Rochester, NY. “Price is always important but not as critical as quality products, good stock and fast delivery,” says Biggs.

Stayton Sports likes Holloway, Sidney, OH, for travel gear and Alleson for uniforms because of color selection and inventory. “Both of these companies can usually get us what we want when we need it,” says Gower. “We like Alleson’s easy ordering system and their samples and sizing for getting properly fitted garments.”

Brand familiarity also helps when budgets come into play. ”We feel confident offering an alternative, lower cost item to our customers when we can explain the specific difference and help them make an informed decision,” he says.

All Sports goes with Alleson and Bristol Cheerleading (Bristol, TN) for uniforms. “Alleson has expanded cheer offerings, both stock and custom,” says McCuiston. “Bristol is also very good keeping uniforms in stock, especially in small sizes for the little toddlers doing cheer.”

All Sports generates cheerleading foot traffic in its retail store by stocking Nike cheer shoes and Promarx bows (Custom Design by Promarx, Flower Mound, TX). “Nike is a good basic cheer shoe to stock,” he says. “Promarx is easy to work with and they get us our orders promptly.”


CHEERY OUTLOOK

Stayton Sports, Ron Gower: “We expect 2010 to shape up pretty much the same as last year. To the extent that parents will continue to get their kids what they need to play, we are a recession-proof industry. Overall, I think we can expect less spending per person, adjust our ordering to that level, and still maintain a healthy bottom line.”

Denver Athletic, Stacy Biggs: “As far as participation numbers, it is too early to tell for 2010 but the number of girls and amount of spending was down a little in 2009. On the bright side, we continue to see the level of competition increase, more All-Star cheer gyms opening, and girls continue to start cheering at a younger age.”

All Sports, Bob McCuiston: “People still want their teams to look good and have nice stuff. Sure the economy has affected our store and we’d prefer that the recession go away, but we’re lucky that we continue to have a lot of customers who depend on us from the surrounding area.”


What's the thinking for cheer in 2010?

What’s the thinking for cheer gear in 2010?
• Think athletic. Cheer uniforms and camp apparel continue to move to more athletic styles. Cheer routines require full range of motion so teams want special action weave materials that are more comfortable and give a more fitted look. Microfibers and other performance fabrics will play an even larger role in uniform design.

• Think conservative. Uniforms are trending toward classic and durable, as teams want to keep uniforms longer. For camp/practice, demand is for products that are comfortable, flattering, functional and fashionable in performance fabrics; many competitions are banning crop tops and midriff-baring tops for 2010, but shiny applications, including metallics, sequins and rhinestones, remain popular.

• Think essentials. Dealers can continue to count on steady sales of cheer essentials that wear out and need to be replaced frequently.

• Think new players. There are a lot of new ideas and products out there to keep things fresh for dealers. For example, Motionwear, Indianapolis, IN, entered the cheer market last year after years serving dance and gymnastics. “Cheer has already far exceeded our expectations,” says Chuck Pugh, executive VP-sales and marketing. Motionwear has added a large CampWear collection designed for cheer and a TeamWear collection of performance tops and bottoms. An interesting new accessory line comes from Custom Designs by Promarx, Flower Mound, TX, which is continually creating new bow designs to appeal to the girls, with popular colors including lime green and zebra prints. Expect schools to order simpler, lower-cost styles, while competition squads look for more elaborate bows. “We work with dealers to design bows for in local colors and mascots, and offer quick delivery and very low minimums,” says co-owner Sandy Shidler.

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