
It’s been a busy couple of months over winter for members of the RSI group. With many suppliers preferring to start the AW24 buying season earlier, there has been plenty to keep the group busy!
In November we held the bi-annual supplier show. This Winter Show would traditionally have been held in January of each year, however with earlier deadlines amongst many brands we all felt it was best to bring it forward to November. Here all RSI members met in Athlone for 2 days full of supplier viewings. Suppliers included; Contest, Maquire Agencies, Head2Head Sports, Brooks, Mizuno, Lee Sports, Daricia, Reydon Sports, Specialist Sports, Titan Agencies.
A big thank you to all of the suppliers who participated. These shows have proven to be a great way for suppliers to connect with all members in the one location, strengthen relationships, show new products and make deals based on the buying power of our group. Once again members all came away with new ideas, shared opinions and great deals for the year ahead! At the conclusion of the show, the RSI had gained an additional new member-Ted Murtagh Clothing & Footwear, Trim Co Meath. We invite interested/potential new members to join in on a portion of the show, to get an idea of what the group is about and to see the benefits themselves.
During the group dinner we also announced the inaugural ‘Sports Retailer of the Year Awards’. These awards were judged by a combination of multiple parties, on various areas of business including supplier satisfaction, store visual merchandising, and commitment and support to the RSI group. A huge congratulations to First Place Winner- A Sportsman’s Dream, a very well deserved award by the team in Nenagh! Special mentions also to second place- My Sport (Enniscorthy), and third place- Rathmines Sports.
Aside from the Winter Show, RSI members also attended the Puma Show room in Dublin to view AW24 collections. This is always extremely beneficial for members to have this opportunity to see the products in person and learn more about them. We also had the opportunity to meet as a group with Under Armour in Dublin where we had the chance to see part of the AW24 collection and learn about new technologies, products etc. Once again we were grateful to have this opportunity to see and feel products in person.