NSGA NOW - January/February 2024

VOLUME 13 | NO. 1

JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2024

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2024

REPORT EXAMINES SKI & SNOWBOARD APPAREL RATINGS GET WORKPLACE CONFLICTS UNDER CONTROL KNOW THE KEY UPCOMING RULE CHANGES A PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL SPORTING GOODS ASSOCIATION

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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CEO NOW

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ASSOCIATION NOW

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Making Business Resolutions for 2024 Hall of Famer James L. “Jim” Easton Passes Away; Tom Fuerst New NSSRA Chairman

RETAIL NOW Data is Crucial in Decision-Making

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OPERATIONS NOW

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT NOW

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INSIGHTS NOW T he first NSSRA Brand Ratings Report on apparel is an

excellent resource for the ski and snowboard industry as retailers shared their opinions on how snow sports apparel manufacturers stack up in a variety of areas.

Don’t Let Workplace Fires Burn Out of Control

Thoughts on What’s Ahead in 2024

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RULES NOW Looking at Key Changes in 2024 and Beyond

NEWS NOW STAHLS’ Partners with Chipply; OrderMyGear Acquires DistributorCentral; NBA Makes Foot Locker Marketing Partner

NEWS NOW SDC Announces Vendor of the Year Awards

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

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CEO NOW

A

new year always seems to bring new ideas and plans.

You don’t hear many people say their resolution is to not change a thing.

It’s a time where we often examine our lifestyle and resolve to change habits such as eating better and exercising more.

We would be thrilled to see the latter carried out because the more the public is active the better it is for our industry.

It is also a time for professional reexamination. Now that the holiday shopping crush is over, and we hope you crushed it, this is also a time when it should not necessarily be business as usual as we begin 2024.

Are you continuing to look at how you are connecting with your customers and employees and how they are connecting with each other? The two go hand-in-hand toward your success because if your employees are enthusiastic and engaged that will trickle down into important business relationships. According to Gallup research, the number one predictor of customer success is employee engagement.

Those relationships are much more challenging at a time when consumers have so many options for how they go about purchasing products. One of the goals for retailers and dealers should be to make sure athletes, coaches, teams and schools understand you are their best option for their sporting goods

NSGA OFFICERS needs; to make them understand the value of your service and expertise.

The same holds true in the relationships between manufacturers and retailers and dealers. Suppliers want to know their products are represented in a way that enhances their brand. That goes from how they are physically presented in a store, meetings between a road sales representative and athletic director, and to the product knowledge that is shared with customers.

It is also important to have a versatile approach when it comes to maintaining and enhancing your important connections. Examples include a dealer congratulating one of his/her schools on a big victory or championship or a retailer sharing the news of an exciting new product in store on social media. The “old-school” methods of an in-person visit or phone call still work, too.

Whatever your resolutions are for 2024 we hope you are able to carry them out successfully.

Not only does NSGA wish you the best for a happy and successful year but we are always here to help grow your business and advocate for your interests in the new year!

TREASURER/CHAIRMAN-ELECT GORDON GEIGER Geiger’s, Lakewood, OH

PAST CHAIRMAN DAVID LABBE Kittery Trading Post, Kittery, ME BOARD OF DIRECTORS KEVIN BEZANSON Cleve’s Source for Sports, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada BOB FAWLEY Capitol Varsity Sports, Oxford, OH TROY FREEMAN Play It Again Sports, Minneapolis, MN COLE JOHNSON Johnson-Lambe Sporting Goods Raleigh, North Carolina MICK MONTGOMERY Denver Athletic Supply, Englewood, CO RON RUGAL B&R Sporting Goods, Shelby Charter Township, MI JOHN SCIPIO SV Sports, Pottstown, PA NSGA TEAM LEADERS MATT CARLSON President & CEO MARTY MACIASZEK Director, Team Dealer Division, Communications JULIE PITTS Director, Public Affairs and President, NSSRA NICK RIGITANO Director, Insights and Analysis JENNIFER SHAFFER Comptroller

Best regards,

MATT CARLSON

PRESIDENT & CEO

NSGA NOW (ISSN 1045-2087) is published bi-monthly for members of the National Sporting Goods Association, 3041 Woodcreek Drive, Suite 210, Downers Grove, IL 60515. Phone: (847) 296-NSGA (6742).

Subscription price of $50 per year is included in membership fee. Non-member subscription information available from publisher. Periodical postage paid at Downers Grove, IL 60515 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NSGA NOW,® 3041 Woodcreek Drive, Suite 210, Downers Grove, IL 60515. © NSGA 2024 all rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

4>> NSGA NOW®

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD PAT DONNELLEY Twin Falls, ID

NSGA works with the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) to keep you informed on important news and rule changes.

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ASSOCIATION NOW HALL OF FAMER JAMES L. EASTON PASSES AWAY

J

ames L. “Jim” Easton was a major figure in ensuring the family name became an iconic brand in the sporting goods industry. Easton, who was inducted into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame in 1994, passed away December 4, 2023.

Easton was the second-generation owner of the sports equipment company that was started by his father James D. “Doug” Easton, who passed away in 1972 and was inducted into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame in 1978. Jim Easton followed his father into the sporting goods industry in 1960 and was a significant figure in the sport of archery.

“The contributions the Easton Family has made to the sporting goods industry have been extraordinary and Jim played a major role in its success,” said Matt Carlson, NSGA President & CEO. “We are very saddened to hear of the passing of Mr. Easton and extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

Easton Diamond Sports was acquired

by Rawlings in October 2020. Michael Zlaket, the CEO of Rawlings and Easton Diamond Sports, said the younger Easton left an indelible mark on the archery, baseball and softball industries and the entire sporting goods world.

“Jim was a one-of-a-kind role model for all who were fortunate to work with him,” Zlaket said. “Jim had high expectations that if you did something, you were to do it right. Details and precision were what separated great companies from good ones.

“Innovation was always at the forefront and integrity meant everything. These were the values Jim not only embodied, but mandated, and grew to be the backbone of the company. Everyone who worked for Jim learned to do business by these standards. It was the only way to conduct business and it still is.”

Easton had a fierce devotion to archery and was inducted into the Archery Hall of Fame in 1997. He was a major driver in efforts to grow the sport and make it more spectator-friendly and was one of the first commissioners named to the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles because of his business experience and archery background. He became a member of the International Olympic Committee in 1994 and served as vice president from 2002–06.

Easton introduced a new match play competition format for Olympic archery for the 1984 Games and he developed and supported three archery ranges in the Los Angeles area through the Easton Sports Development Foundation.

He was president of World Archery from 1989–2005 and was instrumental in the creation of the Easton Foundations Archery Center of Excellence in Chula Vista, California.

Easton was also named Executive of the Year by the U.S. Baseball Association in 1986 and in 1989 was named the UCLA Engineering Alumnus of the Year. He is survived by his wife Phyllis and two children Greg and Lynn and the family plans to hold a private memorial service, according to World Archery.

NSSRA NAMES TOM FUERST NEW CHAIRMAN

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he National Ski & Snowboard Retailers Association (NSSRA) named Tom Fuerst of Pedigree Ski Shop in White Plains, New York as the new Chairman of the NSSRA Board of Directors. Fuerst replaces Tracy Gibbons, who is no longer involved in the retail side of the industry.

Fuerst’s family has been a part of the snow sports industry for more than 60 years.

“His excellent working relationship with the NSSRA Board will help to address the challenges facing snow sports retailers.”

“Tom has been a tremendous asset to the NSSRA Board and It is exciting to have someone with his experience and understanding of the snow sports industry leading NSSRA,” said Julie Pitts, NSSRA President.

Fuerst leads one of the biggest ski and snowboard retailers in the United States.

Fuerst’s parents John and Jay started Pedigree Ski Shop in 1962 and it has four locations, with two in White Plains,

6>> NSGA NOW®

one in Bedford Hills, New York and one in Stamford, Connecticut. Fuerst is also the Chairman of the Board of the Snowsports Merchandising Corporation (SMC) buying group.

Gibbons had been with Sturtevant’s (Bellevue, Washington) and Christy Sports.

“NSSRA appreciates Tracy’s dedication, service and ideas to improve the snow sports industry,” Pitts said. “We wish her the best as she begins a new professional chapter.”

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DATA

SHOULD DRIVE BUYING DECISIONS

BY RITCHIE SAYNER ADVANCED RETAIL STRATEGIES

D

o you know what would happen if a frog were to jump in a pot of boiling water? He would jump out — and fast! But if that same frog was put in mildly warm water that gradually got warmer until it was almost boiling, he wouldn’t realize what was happening to him until it was too late and would end up cooked — literally!

So, what does the frog story have to do with sporting goods retail you ask?

Everything and here’s why. Retailers have an innate tendency to repeat the same behavior time and time again expecting different results. And, according to the old saying, we all know what that’s a sign of, right?

Here’s a classic example of what I am talking about. If you want to grow your business, you must look for opportunities. However, according to my colleague Paul Erickson, retailers often look in the wrong places https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=rf1RgycjUWw. A retailer’s historical data can provide a “treasure trove of opportunity” if you understand what to look for.

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NARROW AND DEEP You hear this term often in retail circles, but what exactly does it mean?

Take for example, the three-store operation described in the YouTube link above. The flagship store in this three-store operation does 60 percent of the company volume yet only has 35 percent of the inventory. The result is that the main store is constantly sold out of key items and misses business.

In this case the owner is trying to prop up the smaller branch stores by over-inventorying them to increase sales. This is a flawed approach as the real opportunity to grow sales is in the flagship store. Let the data guide your decisions.

Make sure you have enough inventory in the locations that are doing the business to grow. Equity does NOT and should not apply to inventory decisions.

The classification level is another area where the narrow and deep concept can be employed. There are three criteria to review in your historical data when searching for opportunities: unusual sales gains, stock turns that are way above normal and extremely low cost of purchases (not cost of goods sold because these are two completely different metrics). Once all three are met, Bingo! There’s your potential opportunity.

I have a client that recently did just this.

They had been tracking recovery sandals (the brand happened to be Oofos, but there are others) as part of a sandal category. What they discovered was that the sales were very strong and the turn was much faster than the overall class.

The store knew they could do more business in recovery sandals, so they decided to break out the class on the merchandise plan so that it could be monitored on its own. The sales plan was increased as was the planned turnover. In other words, they began flowing merchandise in more often. You may end up buying more, but the sales increase will more than offset the outlay of cash for the additional purchases.

This can also be done in any area of similar merchandise. You will end up buying more, but that doesn’t necessarily mean carrying more. It does mean moving quicker on slow movers. This can be done through employee sales incentives (spiffs), vendor stock balancing and/or marking down. Whichever method you choose, the right one is the one that moves the slow sellers quickly.

You do not wait for your twice-a-year sale. You get rid of slow merchandise when it’s slow merchandise! Mistakes made in retail rarely turn into positives.

Accept it and deal with it and you will be better off in the long run.

FRONTLOADING AND CARRYING OVER The biggest problem I see with seasonal frontloading of inventory is some stores are willing to commit too much of their seasonal OTB to upfront deliveries.

Stores that continually fall victim to this buying method do not appreciate or understand the power of new merchandise. If they did, they would change their buying habits. Their hope is they will get early sales, have a longer selling season, and take advantage of dating terms that won’t require the merchandise to be paid for until a future date.

That sounds good at face value, but the reality is that the entire assortment doesn’t always sell quickly resulting in an overstocked category up front.

Since it’s overstocked, all the open-tobuy is tied up in the preseason goods and the stock-to-sales ratios are out of line. Over time, the turnover ends up being less than it should be.

Now come the reorders. Certain styles and sizes begin selling right away.

Why? Because customers like fresh new merchandise. So, reorders are sent in to fill in the missing sizes. That’s fine, but oftentimes the styles that are slow selling do not get addressed at the same rate of speed that the hot sellers do. This causes markdowns that could potentially erode the margin if not careful.

To compound the matter let’s address seasonal carryover. This practice reduces turn even further, not to mention the negative effect on cash flow.

The financial inability to land more new merchandise to drive additional full price sales is another issue altogether. This happens primarily in seasonal classes like sandals and boots for a variety of reasons — typically the weather didn’t cooperate or the category became overbought.

Whatever the case the results are the same… old products, slow turnover, poor cash flow.

By utilizing the planning techniques outlined above and studying the

historical data available through any point-of-sale system, turnover can be improved, sales can be increased, and cash flow can become stronger.

You have two choices. You can jump out of the proverbial water and try a different approach like the first frog or keep doing things as you always have and stay in the water until you’re cooked. You decide!

EDITOR’S NOTE NSGA’s Brand Ratings reports can be used as a tool to identify new suppliers and manufacturers to grow your business with.

NSGA’s Cross Participation report identifies which products to display near each other.

NSGA’s Sports Participation reports provide data to identify trends in sports participation and help shape the inventory investments you make.

To learn more about how NSGA research can help you go to https://nsga.org/research/.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

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INSIGHTS NOW nssra report provides new insight into

APPAREL SEGMENT FOR SKI AND SNOW RETAILERS, BRANDS

BY NICK RIGITANO NSGA DIRECTOR OF INSIGHTS AND ANALYSIS

“The pre-season order due dates are often very challenging.”

“It would be great if we could have more time to get a read on the sell-thru before having to order.”

NSSRA Brand Ratings Apparel

“Sometimes I have barely unpacked the current season’s merchandise when I have to order next season’s.”

These are a few of the statements from ski and snowboard retailers capturing the sentiment of ordering due dates from their apparel manufacturer vendors in the industry. They were captured as part of the National Ski & Snowboard Retailers Association (NSSRA) Apparel Brand Ratings Survey conducted by NSSRA and the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) last summer. According to the study, retailers were more likely to give brands a lower rating on the category of order due dates than any of the other five business relationship

categories surveyed, which is one of many insights unveiled in the report.

Similar to dealers on the team sports side of the industry, ski and snowboard retailers often face the difficult task of evaluating whether or not they should expand or reduce their apparel offerings and which brands they should carry. To make decisions even more difficult, the apparel market is highly saturated with an abundance of brands and products.

nssra.com

NSSRA conducted this study to give ski and snowboard retailers a better idea of the brands being carried along with their ratings for certain business relationship attributes for apparel. Whether an organization is an existing or start-up retailer, the insights can aid in understanding the current landscape of the apparel market, including total sales vs. previous snow season, brands carried, and how those brands measure up against others based on certain business relationship categories.

This report can also be used by apparel manufacturers to get a better idea of where they stand with their retail customers.

Here is a glance at the information contained in the report:

APPAREL SALES OVERVIEW

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This section provides an overview of apparel sales among ski and snowboard retailers for the most recent snow season (2022–2023).

According to the study, retailers reported a 3.8 percent decrease on average for the ’22–’23 season vs. the ’21–’22 season. Also included is information on the percentage of retailers offering select apparel categories, along with which categories account for the highest percentage of apparel sales.

FIGURE 1

APPAREL BRANDS CARRIED This portion of the report examines the minimum, maximum, median and average number of brands carried by snow sports retailers for the apparel category. According to the report, retailers carried anywhere from 1-to-36 brands for apparel products with an average of 17. The median number of brands carried was also 17, meaning half of the respondents carried more and the other half carried less.

FIGURE 2

This section also includes a breakdown of the percentages of apparel brands being carried.

As seen in Figure 1, Hestra was the top brand carried, with 7 out of 10 retailers offering it for at least one of the categories surveyed. Turtle Fur, Smartwool and Swany were next with 6 out of 10 retailer respondents carrying those brands. Rounding out the top 5 brands was Obermeyer, carried by 59 percent of retailer respondents.

APPAREL BRAND RATINGS The final section of the report explores the ratings given to 39 apparel brands by retailers carrying them, based on different business relationship categories related to product and operational attributes. Product-related categories include product quality, consumer demand and value for the price. Operational categories include timely delivery, customer service and ordering due dates. Overall attribute scores are given for each brand based on their average scores among the six categories as well as the three product and three operational categories.

This section also includes ratings of brands carried by retailers based on overall feelings toward them on a 5-point scale (5=very positive, 3=neutral, 1=very negative) as shown in Figure 2. Turbine received the top spot in this category after retailers carrying the brand rated them most positively (4.52 average). Next were Traviso (4.47), Helly Hansen (4.47) and Hestra (4.41).

Rounding out the top six were Darn Tough (4.24) and Turtle Fur (4.23).

All retail members of NSSRA enjoy dual membership in NSGA.

The report is available to NSSRA retailer members as a complimentary benefit and can be downloaded at the Research section of the NSSRA website (www.nssra. com/research). The report is also available to manufacturers at $99 for NSSRA members and $599 for non-members.

NSGA has managed NSSRA since its inception in 1988 and provides data and other services to help NSSRA retailers be successful in their store operations.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

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2025

CALL FOR

NOMINATIONS Submissions accepted until March 31, 2024

Nominate a deserving individual for the 2025 Class of the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame Learn more and nominate at nsga.org/hall-of-fame The Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame was created in 1955 by the NSGA Board of Directors to honor the pioneers, innovators and leaders who built the sporting goods industry and to help recognize and encourage excellence within the industry.

OPERATIONS NOW DON’T LET WORKPLACE CONFLICTS

BURN OUT OF CONTROL

BY MINDY FLANIGAN INSPRING HR

B

usiness leaders know that workplace conflict prevention within their organization is a top skill they must learn and maintain. Fortunately, the best business leaders understand this is a major part of their job and they strive hard to ensure that would-be “fires” within the organization aren’t allowed to continue to burn. The entire organization can look up to its leaders to see which steps they should take to improve the circumstances they find themselves in and stay on course with the company’s mission.

COMMON TYPES OF “FIRES” WITHIN COMPANIES Any time a group of individuals is brought together to work on a common goal, there is always the possibility of tension developing. Let’s take a look at some of the pressure points that are common in various workplaces.

CO-WORKER FRICTION When individuals with different perspectives, personalities and work styles are brought together, they are challenged to learn to complement each other and get along. That doesn’t always go as planned. Friction between co-workers can mean that employees get so distracted by their in-fighting that they cannot do the assigned work.

Consider taking the following steps: • Nurture the Culture — Creating a culture that enables the right behaviors is critical before a company can address individual players. The trickle-down of leaders who listen, collaborate, work toward mutual goals and respect others sets the model for your employees to emulate.

• Work on Communication — Understand the meaning behind the words people say to one another.

Understanding what they are saying to one another behind the literal words they use can help get to the root of the problem.

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• Set up a Meeting Between Conflicting Co-Workers — Facilitating a meeting between co-workers who have friction can allow those tensions to be aired productively. Getting all sides to come together and work out their differences in the meeting itself is possible.

• Gain Buy-in and Commitment — Engaging employees in exploring what they believe they can do themselves to resolve conflicts places the responsibility back on them to control what they can control. Their active participation in the solution will also create better buy-in and a commitment to resolve differences.

• Find Common Ground — People often have more common ground between them than they may at first realize. Finding that common ground and elevating it is a great way to encourage cooperation between co-workers who might not otherwise see eye-to-eye.

A LACK OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS There are a multitude of disasters and emergencies that could strike a business at any time. Not having a solid plan ready to address those potential emergencies is unacceptable.

Just think about the estimated 700,000 small businesses closed in the second quarter of 2020 alone due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They had not prepared themselves for the emergency that COVID-19 ultimately became for them. Their lack of emergency preparedness harmed them significantly.

On top of that, 64% of businesses experience web-based cyberattacks. Again, this is an emergency that companies can and should prepare for.

ISSUES WITH CLIENTS One of the most challenging types of fires is potential issues with clients. A company suffering from client issues needs to work on resolving them as rapidly as possible. Otherwise, they risk losing business and turning off clients who could have otherwise provided them with additional income streams in the future.

Getting to the bottom of the client’s issue means researching why they are upset in the first place. It is easy to assume that clients are frustrated and taking it out on you, but that is probably untrue. There are legitimate reasons why they are complaining, and you should research why that is the case.

Remember that you are forming a relationship with them, and listening to their complaints is part of the process.

Once you have determined why they are complaining, develop an action plan for how to resolve their issue. Then, communicate that plan back to the client. They need to know that you are working on it, and they will appreciate you taking the time to explain your steps to resolve their concerns.

HR POLICIES AND WORKPLACE CONFLICT PREVENTION It is essential to have a core foundation of HR policies that every company should have to make it easier to put out fires and create the kind of workplace we all strive for. A few of those policies include:

NON-DISCRIMINATION AND ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICIES The workplace must be safe for all employees to work in. Not only that, but it is necessary for your company to remain in compliance with local, state and federal laws related to discrimination. It is also morally right to ensure that no one feels discriminated against when they work for you. Constructing this kind of policy will allow you to point to it if an incident crops up. Consider adding an employee hotline that they can contact anonymously to report any harassment issues. You need a clear policy for mployees and management to refer to when addressing any potential violations of one’s rights or psychological safety at work.

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY Billions of people log on to their social media accounts daily and post virtually anything they want. However, when those individuals work for your company, posting anything they want presents enormous risk to your reputation.

Your social media policy should address when employees are prohibited from being on their personal social media accounts (typically when they are on the clock) and it should also detail what employees are and are not allowed to post about when they log on to their accounts. Although you cannot infringe on an employee’s First Amendment right to free speech, you can have a policy regarding topics employees will be terminated for if they post about, such as:

• Confidential company information • Unlawful harassment or bullying of co-workers • Threats of violence or similar inappropriate or unlawful conduct •A ny criminal material • Infringement of company copyrights or intellectual property protections These are the types of things that keep business managers up at night. Make sure you have policies in place, before a social media incident occurs, to aid you in your workplace conflict prevention efforts.

CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY It is virtually guaranteed that your employees will have access to confidential information within the company that the outside public does not. Keeping that information within the company must be a top priority. Employees should be made to sign a confidentiality policy that prohibits them from speaking about private information deemed confidential to the company.

This protects the company legally from someone who might speak out of turn and release information they should never have released. This policy will keep your confidential information under wraps where it belongs.

DOCUMENTS HR SHOULD KEEP HANDY There are certain documents every business should have in place to mitigate or address workplace conflict. Such documentation will set clear and written expectations for employees so they can self-manage. When things go wrong, they can provide a paper trail of actions taken by the company and why they opted to make the decisions they made. Keep these documents readily available: • Employee Handbook — An employee handbook details all relevant company policies and procedures and how accountability is spread throughout the company. It is an extremely useful guide for determining who is responsible for what and how different procedures should play out.

• Exit Process — A list of procedures for when an employee leaves the company is also helpful to have around.

If one of the “fires” in the company results in someone being terminated, then it is best to have exit policies ready to go.

Ensure your HR department is prepared with all these workplace conflict prevention documents and anything else that lends consistency and credibility to your business. If you take all these steps, you can keep your company moving in the right direction.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

<<17

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT NOW

LOOKING AT WHAT’S IN STORE FOR

A Q:

s we look ahead to 2024, NSGA asked a few members three questions about the upcoming year and the joy that comes from being a part of the sporting goods industry.

What gives you the most optimism about the sporting goods

industry in 2024?

JESSICA: Growth and innovation. New software technology and decoration techniques have made it possible for us all to be more efficient and put a fresh new perspective on the product we sell. It is good to be excited about what you are selling your customers.

The enthusiasm is contagious and inevitably leads to growth.

LARRY: Because I have never really seen, other than our COVID year, a real dropoff in overall participation in youth and adult sports and fitness activities, at both the recreational and more competitive levels, there will always be a market for sports equipment and clothing. The businesses in this market that are changing with the times will have the opportunity to grow and be a thriving business in their markets.

SANDY: I’n not too optimistic. The employee situation is a challenge. Having a hockey pro shop is still “niche” so that helps as online competition keeps growing.

Q:

What are you most concerned with regarding the industry in 2024?

JESSICA: Rising material and labor costs continue to be a concern. Staying competitive with our prices as well as finding and retaining good, quality employees can be a challenge.

LARRY: Due to mother nature not coming through with much real winter weather the last couple years, combined with the concerns, since COVID, that merchandise may not always be available for us to get, our inventory levels the last 1 1/2 - 2 years have been way higher than they usually are due to carrying over a lot of seasonal merchandise, which is hurting cash flow and our inventory turn rate.

SANDY: The challenge of finding and keeping good employees and internet competition. I’m also concerned about more companies going DTC (Direct-To-Consumer).

Q:

What do you still enjoy most about being part of the industry?

JESSICA ROSE-HUGGINS

LARRY VANOSTRAND

COO | Denver Athletic Englewood, Colorado

Owner | Instant Replay Sports Ithaca, New York

20>> NSGA NOW®

2024 JESSICA: The most enjoyable part about this industry is the relationships.

Be it relationships with customers, relationships with co-workers or relationships with vendors and other dealers, this industry is driven on relationships.

The camaraderie we all have with one another still makes it fun to come to work every day.

LARRY: After 35-plus years working in the sporting goods industry I can still say most of the time I still enjoy/look forward to coming to the office and/ or store every day. Are things different today than they were 30-plus years ago? Yes for sure they are! We have had to make many changes over the years. Some of those changes were easy/fun and others were difficult/not fun, but from day one we have always tried to run our business like a highly successful sports team. We treated every day like it was a game and our team’s objective has always been to try to get a little better each day. We knew we would win more games than we would lose if we did this and ultimately we would hit many of our team’s goals and objectives.

SANDY: Helping our customers get the proper equipment and the money!

SANDY STEINDLER President | Ultimate Skate & Hockey Source For Hockey Affiliate Retailer Anaheim, California

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RULES NOW

IMPORTANT RULE CHANGES

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FOR 2024 AND BEYOND

s 2024 begins, it’s a perfect time for NSGA to remind dealers and retailers of some key changes taking effect in the next school year and upcoming years to ensure your teams and athletes are wearing proper uniforms and using proper gear.

NEW HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL JERSEY NUMBER REQUIREMENTS START IN 2024–25 The new football and basketball jersey number requirements from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) take effect with the 2024–25 school year.

The same time frame and reasoning was implemented for basketball jerseys for the 2024–25 season. The rationale for the change was the difficulty seeing some numbers that were the same color as the jersey, with a contrasting border, for on-field officials, game administrators, fans, media and coaches who are scouting opponents.

As you prepare to work with high schools on orders for new basketball and football jerseys, it is important they are aware of the requirements where the entire body of the jersey number (continuous horizontal bars and vertical strokes) shall be a single solid color that clearly contrasts with the body color of the jersey.

These rule changes were adopted

by NFHS in 2019 to give schools time to budget for new uniforms by the 2024 season. If you have questions about a basketball or football jersey design being compliant, contact Marty Maciaszek, NSGA Team Dealer Director at mmaciaszek@nsga.org or (847) 296-NSGA (6742), ext. 1260.

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY The use of a one-way communication device between a coach in the dugout and a team’s catcher for the purposes of calling pitches will be permitted in high school baseball beginning in 2024.

The change to National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Rules 1-6-2 and 3-2-5 prohibit coaches from communicating with any other player besides the catcher on defense and with any player while batting. The coach must also be in the dugout when using the communication device.

“This change is consistent with the growth of the game and is indicative of a measured and responsible approach to enable technology into our level of competition,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS Director of Sports and Educational Services and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee.

Continued on page 24

Bob Colgate, the NFHS director of sports and sports medicine and staff liaison to the Football Rules Committee, said a lot of football jersey designs he received within the past year from NFHS member state associations do not have the solid portion of the number clearly contrasting with the body color of the jersey, which would make them non-compliant as of the 2024 season.

The solid number can still have a border or outline to the number in 2024 but the key is the solid portion of the number (body) needs to clearly contrast with the body color of the jersey. As of 2024, the outline or the border of the number will not be used in order to comply with this rule and it will be the solid portion of the of the number (body) that needs to comply.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

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RULES NOW Continued from page 23 “The committee has made these changes to maintain the balance between offense and defense; increase the pace of play; and will responsibly manage technology so there is no advantage gained by schools that have more available resources than some of their contemporaries. Creating a level playing field is paramount to education-based athletics.”

NFHS also entered a three-year corporate partnership with SportsCom, a manufacturer of wearable sport technology and coach-to-player, real-time communication.

Rule 1-6-1 was added and designates a wristband with defensive shifts, pitching choices or game directions as non-electronic equipment and must be a single, solid color and worn on the forearm. Pitchers’ cards must not be white, gray or a distracting color and worn on their non-pitching arm.

NEW SOFTBALL SPECIFICATIONS NOW IN NCAA; HIGH SCHOOLS IN 2025 New softball specifications for the NCAA went into effect on January 1, 2024 and for high school go into effect in 2025. The new ball specifications for 12-inch fast pitch softball will have a compression of 325 pounds with a plus-minus of 50 (range of 275-375 pounds). The minimum weight will increase from 6¼ to 6½ ounces with a maximum of 7 ounces and the circumference will be 11⅞ to 12¼ inches.

The changes do not represent a difference in ball performance but allow for better control over the manufacturing process, according to NFHS.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL UNIFORM CHANGES IN 2027 Beginning January 1, 2027, softball uniforms may display only the player’s name, school name or nickname, school mascot and/or school logo as part of Rule 3-2-3 of the NFHS Softball Rules Book.

No slogans or unofficial school nicknames will be permitted on the uniform.

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Changes to Rule 3-2-7 clarify where wristbands with a playbook/playcard attached can be worn. The equipment is only permitted to be worn on a player’s wrist or arm, and pitchers must wear it on their non-pitching arm, prohibiting wristbands from being worn on the belt.

HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL UNIFORM NUMBER CHANGES IN 2028-29 An NFHS rule change for high school boys and girls volleyball pertains to uniform numbers will go into effect with the 2028–29 school year. Uniform numbers with a leading zero will not be permitted and this change to Rule 4-24b eliminates confusion with signaling numbers and aligns NFHS rules with other codes. For example, a uniform number of 01, 02, 03, etc…, would not be permitted. The standalone number 0 is permitted but a 00 is not permitted.

The five-year implementation gives schools the opportunity to go through their uniform cycles before complying with the new rule.

NATIONAL AMATEUR BASEBALL FEDERATION (NABF) The NABF will allow the use of metal bats at the 16U, 17U and 18U levels and the bats must be minus-3 BBCOR. Only wood bats were previously allowed at these age levels. The NABF hosts more than 50 regional tournaments and eight national championship tournaments throughout the year.

DIXIE GIRLS SOFTBALL Approved 2024 11-inch and 12-inch softball manufacturers are Diamond Sports as of November 30, 2023. Diamond Sports will also be the official softball for all Dixie Softball Tournaments.

Approved 2024 bat manufacturers are DeMarini, Louisville Slugger and Mizuno.

As other softball and bat manufacturers are approved they will be posted on the official Dixie Softball website at “http://www.dixiegirlsoftball.org”

www.dixiegirlsoftball.org and the Dixie Softball, Inc., Facebook page.

The eligibility age cutoff date for each season has been changed to January 1 from May 1. Dixie Softball is played in 10 states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia).

BABE RUTH BASEBALL For the 2024 season, Babe Ruth Baseball will start the transition from the Babe Ruth Baseball 13–15 Division to the Babe Ruth Baseball 13–16 Division. This adjustment will offer players new challenges and opportunities for growth, according to Steven Tellefsen, Babe Ruth League President & CEO. The official tournament trail for the Babe Ruth Baseball 13–16 and 16–18 divisions looks promising and will ensure that our players have a wide range of competitive experiences, Tellefsen said.

The official tournament trail for the Babe Ruth Baseball 13–16 Division and the Babe Ruth Baseball 16–18 Division will be as follows: 13-Year-Old tournaments (District, State, Regional and World Series) 14-Year-Old tournaments (District, State, Regional and World Series) 13–16-Year-Old tournaments (District, State, Regional and World Series) 16–18-Year-Old tournaments (District, State, Regional and World Series) MAKE SURE TO CHECK NSGA.ORG/NEWS FOR UPDATES AS THEY ARE RECEIVED BY NSGA.

NEWS NOW INDUSTRY NEWS STAHLS’ PARTNERS WITH CHIPPLY

greater confidence in their inventory management, pricing, and fulfillment, and helping them grow their businesses faster than they ever imagined.

The Growth Street investment is another exciting step on this incredible journey.”

Chipply and STAHLS’ are Platinum Supporters of NSGA.

STAHLS’ announced a partnership with Chipply, the popular online store software for custom apparel decorators, team dealers, and corporate suppliers.

This integration promotes heat print on demand by introducing new automation features aimed at improving the order fulfillment process and overall efficiency using direct to film transfers.

The key benefit of the collaborative effort is the new API connection to the STAHLS’ Artwork Dashboard.

This allows for one-click ordering of UltraColor MAX™ direct to film heat transfers directly from the Chipply order management software. The impact for apparel decorators means reducing the need for manual data entry and expensive in-house equipment, which empowers businesses of any size to leverage heat printing & DTF transfers for a scalable, on-demand solution.

Chipply Gets Minority Growth Investment: Growth Street Partners announced a minority growth equity investment in Chipply, which will use the investment to extend its technology lead, support its legendary service team and position the company for growth.

“Chipply is very excited about what this investment means for customers,” said Angie Hardwick, the CEO of Chipply.

“We are all committed to providing the same amazing service under the same leadership and accelerating our goal to provide best-in-class software solutions for industries we have worked in for many years.”

Said Lynn Burghardt, Chipply President and Co-Founder: “Our passion is to help our customers serve their communities by building sites efficiently, giving them

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REEBOK PARTNERSHIP REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO SPORTS

Authentic Brands Group (Authentic), a global brand development, marketing and entertainment platform, announced a long-term partnership with Sakar International (Sakar), a top manufacturing company for Reebok.

Through the partnership, Sakar will design, manufacture and distribute Reebok-branded basketball, pickleball, baseball, soccer and football equipment, as well as electronics, including audio, tech and massage products.

This partnership comes at a time when Reebok is reaffirming its commitment to sports that includes the involvement of basketball legends Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson. With Sakar’s expertise in product development, Reebok intends to offer consumers a range of products that align with their active lifestyles and reflect the brand’s dedication to quality and innovation.

“Partnering with Authentic and Reebok is exciting for us. We can’t wait to see Authentic’s vision and our own innovation come to life in the products we create,” said Jeff Saka, President of Sakar International. “We have a common goal of delivering high-quality, fresh, interesting items across all categories and look forward to launching these lines in 2024.”

The new assortment will roll out across key department stores, specialty retailers and online across the U.S. and Canada in 2024.

ORDERMYGEAR ACQUIRES DISTRIBUTORCENTRAL

OrderMyGear announced the acquisition of DistributorCentral, a leading technology provider for suppliers and distributors in the promotional products industry. The strategic move further positions OMG as a critical player in the branded merchandise ecosystem. Clients now have a single technology partner to sell, manage, and order branded merchandise across sales channels.

The deal represents a significant milestone for OMG and the second strategic acquisition for the company, following the acquisition of online store provider BrightStores in November 2022. The addition of DistributorCentral significantly expands the technology solutions available to the more than 4,000 promotional product distributors, apparel decorators, and team dealers using OMG online stores. It also allows OMG to provide product data management and advertising solutions to suppliers, many of whom struggle to manage and distribute product data across various channels with unique formatting requirements.

“Product data is at the core of OMG online stores. It’s also a difficult element of the tech stack to get right,” said Leonid Rozkin, CEO of OrderMyGear. “Suppliers often don’t have the resources to manage their product data across countless channels or to become PromoStandards compliant so their data is available in the industry standard format. With DistributorCentral, OMG will be able to provide the best technology paired with the highest quality product data.”

OrderMyGear is a Platinum Supporter of NSGA. Continued on page 28

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NEWS NOW Continued from page 26

UNITED SPORTS BRANDS ACQUIRED BY EQUITY FIRM

FRANKLIN SPORTS PARTNERS WITH PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION

Franklin Sports announced a multiyear agreement with Pro Volleyball Federation, a North American women’s professional volleyball league.

As part of the partnership, Franklin’s newly designed REAL Pro Volleyball will become the exclusive volleyball of the Pro Volleyball Federation.

Norwest Equity Partners, a middle-market investment platform founded in 1961, has acquired United Sports Brands, which has a portfolio of category-defining sporting goods and active lifestyle brands. The transaction closed on November 20, 2023, and financial terms were not disclosed.

Both organizations share a collective goal and commitment of bringing the highest level of women’s professional volleyball to the United States. In teaming up, Franklin and the League will shine a light on the first real opportunity for women to play professional volleyball in North America at a major league level. To that end, the Franklin REAL Pro Volleyball was designed for Pro Volleyball Federation to rival any other ball used in any other league in the world.

With a collection of six unique brands — Shock Doctor, McDavid, Cutters, Nathan, PEARL iZUMi, and Glukos — USB is dedicated to advancing athletes with best-in-class sports performance and protective products. USB sells mission-critical products used at every level of sport including mouthguards, protective gear, sports medicine and therapy, cycling, gloves and other sports focused accessories and apparel. USB’s products are sold by top retailers in more than 65 countries, including sporting goods, specialty stores and e-commerce retail channels.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Pro Volleyball Federation and to have Franklin’s REAL Pro Volleyball designated as the exclusive volleyball of the federation. This collaboration milestone highlights our commitment to innovation and quality, aligning with Pro Volleyball Federation’s vision for the sport’s future growth,” said Adam Franklin, President of Franklin Sports.

“The REAL Pro Volleyball is not just a ball; it represents our shared dedication to empowering the players. We are beyond thrilled to be a part of Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural season and working together to shape a new era in women’s volleyball.”

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Foot Locker announced a multiyear partnership that makes the global footwear and apparel retailer an official league marketing partner in the U.S.

The ball will officially debut on the court for Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural match between the Atlanta Vibe and Omaha Supernovas at CHI Center on January 24, 2024.

The comprehensive collaboration will engage fans throughout the NBA season, including at marquee league events such as the NBA All-Star Game weekend. Foot Locker also will receive

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NBA MAKES FOOT LOCKER OFFICIAL U.S. MARKETING PARTNER

media exposure across league platforms, including on-court virtual signage during national broadcasts and on league social media channels.

Additionally, the partnership will be extended to Foot Locker’s loyalty program, FLX, providing additional connection points for customers throughout the season.

Announced earlier this year, Foot Locker’s “Lace Up” plan is designed to drive the organization’s next phase of growth and create value for all company stakeholders.

Foot Locker also recently launched its new global brand platform, The Heart of Sneakers, with a holiday campaign featuring top NBA stars. The platform celebrates Foot Locker’s integral role as an originator and leader in sneaker culture.

Foot Locker is a member of the National Sporting Goods Association.

NEW BALANCE CONTINUES U.S. MANUFACTURING GROWTH

Boston-based New Balance broke ground at the future site of New Balance Londonderry as the company adds New Hampshire to its New England locations for its sixth U.S. athletic footwear manufacturing facility.

“The Granite State is known for its strong economy and skilled workforce, and we look forward to New Balance Londonderry being an integral part of our growing domestic factory base,” says Joe Preston, New Balance President & CEO. “This new factory will help us meet our significant U.S. and global consumer demand and drive future business opportunities that showcase our longstanding pride in American craftsmanship and innovation.”

New Balance’s $70 million investment in the factory will add more than 150 jobs at the 102,000-square-foot single-story building that is planned to begin production in 2025. The addition of NB Londonderry reflects the company’s pride in American craftsmanship, its significant investments in innovation and machinery and its integration of lean manufacturing processes to enable a demand driven and responsive MADE US supply network.

“With business and innovation flourishing in New Hampshire, we are excited to break ground in Londonderry for our sixth U.S. athletic footwear factory,” says Dave Wheeler, New Balance Chief Operating Officer. “Our relentless focus on manufacturing innovation and growing our U.S. footwear manufacturing footprint are two of the most important strategic initiatives we’ve sustained at New Balance and reflects the core of our culture.”

“We are thrilled to welcome New Balance to New Hampshire,” said New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu. “We work hard to create a healthy environment for businesses, and Granite Staters feel the results: millions of dollars in investment, hundreds of jobs, and a sense of pride buying products made right here in New Hampshire.”

REI HIRES VP OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS REI announced the hire of corporate communications and sustainability leader Roma McCaig as the co-op’s new vice president of public affairs and impact. McCaig brings more than 25 years of experience at the forefront of communications, business operations and impact to REI. Most recently, she served as senior vice president of impact and communications at Clif Bar & Company. Prior to that, she worked in a variety of roles at Campbell Soup Company, including leadership roles in operations, procurement and corporate social responsibility.

REI is a member of the National Sporting Goods Association

OIA NAMES BROWN TO SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS INNOVATION POST A member-led collective and the outdoor industry’s catalyst for meaningful change, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) announced that Julie M.H. Brown has joined the team as Director of Sustainable Business Innovation. In her new role, Brown will direct and manage OIA’s sustainability department in its mission to unite, empower and guide the outdoor industry to become climate positive by 2030.

Along with driving all OIA sustainability initiatives into the future, Brown will oversee OIA’s Climate Action Corps, the consortium consisting of over 75 outdoor businesses that has already made significant and crucial progress on measuring, setting targets, reducing emissions and advocating for bold policy action in Congress. She will also lead OIA’s Clean Chemistry and Materials Coalition (CCMC), the comprehensive program that provides OIA members with strategies, scalable action plans and solutions for thoughtfully phasing out PFAS and other harmful chemicals from their products.

MARUCCI UNVEILS SMART BAT FOR IN-GAME USE

Marucci and Diamond Kinetics (DK) unveiled the Marucci CATX Smart, the first smart bat with an integrated sensor approved by USSSA for in-game use, setting a new standard for smart baseball equipment.

“We can’t wait for athletes to get their hands on the new Marucci CATX Smart,” said Kurt Ainsworth, CoFounder and CEO of Marucci Sports.

“We believe this smart bat will be a game-changer for the sport and will provide athletes with the chance to personalize their development at practice, in the backyard, and in competition. Marucci and Diamond Kinetics are committed to innovation, developing supportive and responsible technology to grow the game of baseball and equip the next generation of players with tools to stay engaged, succeed on the diamond, and most importantly, have fun.”

The Marucci CATX Smart is the first smart bat to be approved for ingame use as part of the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) bat standard, so any tournament, league or organization that requires the USSSA stamp will allow this bat in game play.

Fox Factory Acquires Marucci Parent Company: Fox Factory Holding Corp., closed its acquisition of Wheelhouse Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Marucci Sports at an enterprise value of $572 million. The acquisition advances FOX’s position as a diversified provider of market-leading branded products.

Marucci will be part of FOX’s Specialty Sports Group (SSG). FOX said the existing Marucci team will continue to run the daily business from its headquarters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

This limited-release alloy Marucci CATX Smart gives players the same clean, consistent swings they are accustomed to, but with the ability to gather and track performance data anytime, anywhere without having to attach a sensor.

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X NOWNOW NEWS

>> The Bauer Hockey team led by Bryan McDermott (holding plaque) receives its SDC Hockey Vendor of the Year Award.

BAUER, ELITE HOCKEY WIN SDC VENDOR AWARDS

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BY TOM VAN JACOBS HDA MANAGING DIRECTOR

auer Hockey was awarded the “Hockey Vendor of the Year” award and Elite Hockey won the inaugural “Hockey Accessory Vendor of the Year” award at the annual Sports Distributors of Canada (SDC) Buying and Marketing Show on November 6-8, 2023, at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The “Hockey Vendor of the Year” award was handed out to Bauer by Brad Hause, President of SDC, to Bryan McDermott, Senior Director of Sales North America, and several members from the Bauer team in attendance at the vendor reception.

Hause also presented the “Hockey Accessory Vendor of the Year” award to Elite Hockey, a division of Icon-Elite Group Inc., and George Nehme, the Chief Executive Officer. Elite Hockey was a significant partner in the development and launch of the Source

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branded “S – HOCKEY” apparel and accessories collection.

The SDC annual Buying and Marketing Show had 675 attendees, including members with stores across the US and Canada, and vendor partners who hosted 153 booths across the show floor. SDC, the Hockey Dealers Association (HDA) and National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) have been in a hockey products buying collaboration for United States hockey retailers since 2013.

>> E lite Hockey’s George Nehme

speaks as SDC’s Brad Hause gets set to present the Hockey Accessory Vendor of the Year award.

APPLY NOW

for a 2024 Conference Scholarship

Scholarship includes: • Registration fee for the 2024 Conference • Accommodations for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday • Daily breakfasts, luncheons, receptions and Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony

Application deadline is January 12, 2024 Only member retailers and team dealers are eligible to receive a scholarship

Learn more and apply at nsga.org/scholarship

Registration Opens Mid-January 2024

nsga.org/conference2024