Tell me a little about Reydon Sports?
Reydon Sports is the UK and Ireland’s premier trade wholesaler and distributor of industryleading sports products and brands. Whether it’s football, hockey, fitness, golf, basketball, educational equipment, sports accessories; Reydon Sports has it covered. With over 40 years’ experience in the sports industry and new management from last year onwards, we pride ourselves in offering market leading service at market leading prices. We are growing fast and continue to do so into the new year.
How long have you been in the football trade game?
We’re essentially in the Sports trade game. Football is just one of the many aspects to our wholesaler company which we’ve continued to develop and delve deeper into over recent years. Precision, one of our own and most established brands, plays a big part in this sporting category for us. It’s known for its quality products at competitive price points.
What has changed in the marketplace over the years?
The sporting goods market has changed dramatically over the past five to ten years, with many bricks and mortar stores either closing their doors or being bought out by some of the bigger boys. This, in turn, has seen the rise of online retailers, many of which offer sports as a category, selling everything from clothing, footwear and equipment/accessories. We have also seen many of the larger sports brands go in a different direction, mainly focusing on the larger multinational accounts, and providing less of a service to the independent trade, many of which have had their accounts closed resulting in big gaps in their product offering. Reydon Sports are here to help plug those gaps.
How do you see the market developing over the next five years?
Very much a continuation of what is mentioned above. More of the independent trade will suffer from a reduced service from the bigger brands and this is where I expect Reydon Sports to flourish, in the improved service we now provide and the wider brand mix now available.
How large is your range of football products and what does it cover?
Football is one of our biggest sporting categories in the Reydon product catalogue. Spreading across 80 plus pages, we cover the whole spectrum of football goods from matchstandard quality footballs to Premier League winning goalkeeping gloves to specialist training equipment to basic entry level accessories. We distribute a number of brands such as Mitre, Puma, Bownet Soccer and, of course, our own brand Precision which we take great pride in.
As you’ve just mentioned you have your own football brand, Precision. What do you feature and how have you developed the brand?
Precision has been on offer for a number of years and plays a big part within the business and our product ranges are developing regularly; not just on choice, but on quality and pricing too. The brand really does cover the whole spectrum of football as a sporting category, offering successful ranges on both an entry and professional level. We have a big following on social media and continue to post new content daily.
How important are your sporting ambassadors and links with clubs to your business?
Sporting ambassadors are a great asset to the brand who we appreciate immensely. Not only do they help expose Precision in a positive light but they also play a big part in developing our products. Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton, for instance, has worked closely with the development team over the last couple of years, enhancing the feel, fit and technology behind our huge range of goalkeeping gloves. As well as individuals supporting our brand, we also work very closely with clubs and organisations, developing long-term partnerships. FA Wales, Nottingham Forest, Burnley FC and McDonalds are just some of the partnerships we’re involved in, supplying specialist training equipment to fulfil every one of their training needs!
