Taking the pulse of bike apparel, footwear industry.
By Thomas J. Ryan
Andrew Hammond has been global brand manager for Ride at Pearl Izumi since April 2013 bringing to the job a wide range of experience in the cycling industry.
As a bike manager for the Scheels location in Lincoln, NE from 2003 to 2005, Hammond managed bike orders, stocking and product training while also working the floor selling exercise equipment, outdoor clothing, golf and cold weather gear.
In 2005, he became one of the original members of Specialized Bicycle Components University (SBCU), a first-of-its-kind, in-house professional product-training program for Specialized Bicycle dealers. He eventually led the program before taking over U.S. marketing for the bike maker and eventually overseeing a global bike fit standard for Specialized’s retailers.
At Pearl Izumi, Hammond guides the look, feel and tone of the cycling business. His responsibilites include photography, messaging, PR, product introductions and trade shows.
Overall, how has the cycling category been doing? Everything that we’re seeing now indicates that the sport is healthy, and though participation numbers have not increased, the amount of time and number of rides-per-participant has increased. Bike manufactures have seen a slow down, but business is steady for accessories and clothing brands.
What’s helping to drive cycling apparel sales? Cycling apparel has become more fashion conscious and fashion forward. Riders historically purchased apparel based on technology and performance factors. The level of quality and performance has increased across the board, and now riders have more flexibility to choose apparel that matches their personal aesthetic.
What exciting innovations is Pearl Izumi bringing to bike apparel? The biggest change for Peal Izumi has been a realignment of our product offerings to match the riding experience of our customers. We have two main categories: Pursuit is for goal-focused riders, and Escape is for adventure or experience-focused riders. This helps us to clarify the features, fit and aesthetic to provide the rider with the best possible apparel. It all started from an argument about the perfect cycling short, which can never be resolved because riders prefer different combinations of inseam length, chamois thickness, fabric compression, etc. based on how they ride. We build features like our Patented Speed Sleeve into our Pursuit jerseys, and offer non-traditional designs, especially for women, as part of our Escape collection. This shift in mindset has yielded the most exciting product from Pearl Izumi in years.
Late last year, Pearl Izumi launched a new ambassador program for women’s RIDE and TRI Teams for 2016. Is the brand placing more attention on the female customer? We’ve focused on women for a long time on the product side, more than 30 years, and women have been and continue to be an important part of our business. We are shifting how we communicate to women, as many of the traditional cycling marketing outlets are not a very effective way to reach these riders. I think every cycling company is seeing the women’s category as an opportunity for growth and participation is increasing.
Run specialty stores have faced challenges reaching women with largely male staffs. Is that also true at bike shops? It’s definitely a challenge. We have an online education platform for our retailers that cover many subjects, but one area where we have really invested is retailer best practices, including how to professionally address customers, create inviting displays, make a pro dressing room and sell apparel. Customers, especially women, have high expectations for the apparel environment at retail. We’re providing our retailers with the knowledge to meet those expectations.
What’s creating excitement around cycling footwear? For Pearl Izumi, mountain bike shoes that perform well off the bike are big. Almost no one rides a mountain bike without getting off to hike, take pictures, or scramble over rocks. Traditional mountain bike shoes had rigid soles and plastic tread that offered little traction on rocks and were miserable to walk in. We’ve seen huge success making our entire line walkable. On the road side, seamless, lightweight and minimal uppers are creating very comfortable shoes. Coupled with a high tech closure system, like Boa, and riders are noticing.
Last year Pearl Izumi launched a new campaign and brand positioning, “Endure & Enjoy.” What was behind it? We think the cycling industry, especially in the apparel space, has lost some focus on why we participate in endurance sports. While it’s important to look good (and think you look good), worrying about your “sock game” or choosing to not wear a helmet as a fashion statement isn’t what our sport is about. Lots of athletes are turned off by the elitist attitude that is becoming more common. We wanted to focus on why we do it: the love. It’s hard, but also fun, so that’s what Endure & Enjoy is about.
Is Pearl Izumi a run, bike and tri brand? Percentage wise, we sell a lot more cycling gear than tri and run. That said, we know triathletes use a lot of cycling gear. Pearl Izumi customers, as a whole, are dedicated and enthusiast athletes who really put the gear to the test.
Soulcycle has garnered a lot of attention lately. Is the spin cycling craze good for the sport? The spin craze is good for companies who make gear to support spin classes (apparel and shoes), but probably doesn’t make much of an impact on the industry as a whole. We don’t see many Soulcycle participants taking up cycling or considering themselves cyclists, but that could change. I guess it’s better than a golf craze for the sport.
