SSL’s Legendary President And CEO Passes The Torch To A New Leader As The Buying Group Makes Plans For A New Era Of Specialty Retail.
By Jahla Seppanen
January 2016 marks the 45th anniversary of Sports Specialists Ltd. (SSL) – a buying group of about 140 of the highest quality specialty snowsports and outdoor retailers in the country.
Ushering in the new year, the collective will be led by President, Scott Ford, who only months ago took the place of specialty retail expert and 30-year SSL President and CEO, Stephen Rogers.
As Rogers swapped a 60-hour work week for a 60-hour work month, remaining as SSL consultant during a transitioning period, Ford jumped into the position after 21 years with Cole Sport in Park City, where he acted as Equipment Hardgoods Buyer for more than half of that time – working closely with Rogers and SSL in the process.
The hiring of SSL’s new leader was not to be taken lightly. The process took more than two years. Rogers recalled, “it became apparent to me a few years ago that my tenure was coming to a close…the hardest part was finding the right individual who could maintain the soul of the organization and still bring it into the future of specialty retail.” The right fit made itself apparent once Ford made his interest known.
Scott Ford, President, SSL
“When I heard that Steve was looking to retire, my personal feeling was the future success off SSL depended on his replacement,” said Ford. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t think of myself in that role right away. But then it sat with me inside and I knew my next step was to take the reins and continue to drive SSL into the future.”
On a call with Rogers and Ford, their comradery was undeniable. Not to mention their shared satisfaction with the authentic reputation SSL has built over its near-half a century of supporting “the industry’s heart and soul,”- specialty retail. The two were also confidently optimistic about the next phase of the group’s evolution – a launch into areas of business support for specialty retailers.
Their interview also gave a harmonious glimpse into the past and future of SSL; its creation, transition, plans and potential power, all of which could only come about from the passionate leadership of Rogers and Ford.
Slaying the Dragon
SSL has been around since 1971, beginning as an offshoot of the Ski Specialist Guild. This network of specialty snowsport retailers were fighting an uphill battle, as sporting goods stores caught wind of the popularity of skiing, and began marketing special makeup skis. “It was the dragon every specialty retailer had to find a way to slay,” said Rogers. “Specialty retail couldn’t compete and be price competitive.” The primary initiative of SSL became finding a way to work together and use collective purchasing power to buy and competitively price skis. After all, these were snowsport-specific shops. Ski was their bread and butter.
Jump forward 45 years and SSL continues to bat off the ever-changing obstacles facing specialty retailers. The “dragon” is still present, only in a different form.
SSL’s 2016 Game Plan
Leading into 2016, SSL will super-charge its service-end components, addressing the many aspects of business profitability, awareness and presence within the new age.
“There has been an evolution from, say, special makeup skis into what are the real tools that make a store successful,” said Rogers. “Now the challenge is staying collectively competitive with technology.”
Stephen Rogers, Former President and CEO, SSL
Ford filled us in on the components of “staying collectively competitive,” which SSL will introduce this year. “There are many aspects of being a business and to business profitability,” said Ford. “So we’ll offer more than just the program deal.”
New business services will include: building social media; online ads and participation to drive consumers to specialty retailers and their online platforms; methods to create community; online ordering; B2B cataloguing; and more.
Overall, SSL found that in 2016 the representation of the specialty retailer will take a predominate role in its overall selling success. And some of these smaller retailers are either behind on the changes in retail or lack the funding to pursue elaborate strategies, such as social media strategies and online campaigns that big-box chains devote millions to each season.
However, it is important to remember that many of the new business services to be offered by SSL are things all manufacturers have trouble putting into place. “The services include various backend efficiencies for suppliers, as well as retailers,” said Ford. “We can tap into these efficiencies and apply them to up and coming specialty products.”
After all, it’s in the mission statement of SSL: “Purchasing program and business services.” And SSL plans to be “second to none in providing these services,” said Ford.
“I believe there will always be a reason and purpose for the specialty retailer,” said Rogers. “Customers dictate how they want goods and services and it take specialty retailer with a heart and passion to really respond to those needs and changes.”
Make or Break
Rogers concluded that technology would be the thing that really makes or breaks any organization in the future. “What I found as I was getting a little older was how hard it is keeping up with the rapid changing technology of how goods and services are delivered. There is going to be new delivery methods, and specialty retail has to respond to that,” he said. “SSL can help.”
Rogers noticed that purchasing and delivery trends have shifted to consumers making buys closer to when they will use the product. Therefore, increasing at the resort level will become an adaptive adjustment when accepting new members into the buying group.
Many in the outdoor industry might consider Rogers the seer of snowsports, who has used projective insights to carry SSL through 45 strong years. In fact, the reason SSL is celebrating its 45th anniversary this January is because the group has evolved to respond to the needs of specialty retailers.
“I believe there will always be a reason and purpose for the specialty retailer,” said Rogers. “Customers dictate how they want goods and services and it take specialty retailer with a heart and passion to really respond to those needs and changes.” However, specialty owners may not always be the savviest businessmen and women.
In the retail business, dominated by numbers, one might believe the lack of business savvy could mean business failure. SSL doesn’t buy into the hype. What truly makes a difference is an owner that has a devotion to the outdoor activity they sell for.
SSL’s dedication to the passionate specialty owner was the pull that brought Ford on board in the first place. “I always appreciated the uniqueness of SSL. It’s very professional, business minded, but always kept that respect and integrity for creating sincere partnerships with passionate members,” said Ford. “I will never go into any meeting where SSL hangs its hat on the numbers. It’s about the quality of our members.”
People know SSL – its top-grade suppliers ranging from Salomon, to Smartwool and Under Armour, and its business resources. “It would be very easy for us to drive numbers,” said Ford. But in keeping with the heritage ethos laid out by Rogers, Ford does not plan to uproot SSL from an intimate collective to a numbers-based buying mob.
“Steve has done an incredible job in what I firmly believe is the best buying group out there for all specialty retail,” said Ford, who agrees the retail landscape is changing, via the Internet and social media. “It’s an evolution of communication,” Ford continued. “There are new ways business is done, and this can be a great equalizer for the little guys.”
And as we know, it’s never the big army that slays the dragon, but the singular, unsung hero.
Rogers will remain closely connected to SSL in his consultant role. “To not include someone with that knowledge and history would be absolutely asinine,” said Ford. And with the two working together, 2016 is guaranteed to be another one for the record books.
