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Discount Store News, March 12, 1990

Fluorescent Colors, Air Steppers Pump Up This Year's Exercise Equipment

ATLANTA -- Air and color. Color and air.

That was the twin theme of Super Show '90, the sporting goods spectacular that continues to gain the "Big Mo."

Air as in air steppers, a new piece of exercise equipment that marries last year's new equipment, the stair stepper, which simulates stair climbing, and the fan from last year's air bike.

The faster exercise buffs pump up and down on the air stepper foot pedals, the faster the fan turns--and the harder it gets to pump as air resistance. Virtually every exercise vendor at the show had an air stepper, ranging from discount stalwarts such as Diversified Products, Voit, and Weslo/Proform to a Taiwanese trading company that took the down home name of Ozark Industries to market its offshore version.

Color as in the neon yellow, green and international orange basketball nets from Huffy, neon volley balls from Mikasa and neon snorkling goggles and swim fins from Voit. Just as neon fades as a body color from activewear and athletic footwear after a brilliant, two-year run, hard goods vendors are adopting fluorescent colors with a vengeance.

In perhaps the boldest use of neon, Excel painted each of the three legs of a weight-lifting bench a different color, green, yellow and orange.

Black Gives Way to White

Basic black is out for exercise. And white, with neon accents, is as much a trend in exercise equipment as it is in athletic shoes.

During the show, Weslo/Proform was keeping its air stepper behind closed doors and showing it only to selected accounts. Chief operating officer Gary E. Stevenson declined to release details about its new air stepper product beyond saying say it will retail for about $299.

Looking ahead, Stevenson expects to see popularly priced mountain climber exercise equipment in discount stores by next fall at about $299. Several years ago, Weslo/Proform brought out a mountain climber, which simulates the motions of rock climbing, at $1,000, Stevenson said.

DP's entry in the air stepper derby comes equipped with a seat so fitness buffs can exercise either sitting or standing, supposedly to work different muscles. Its expected retail will be $399.

Club Price Canada will carry it at $199 (U.S.), said Isaac Hamaoui, sporting goods buyer for the warehouse club chain that Price Club partially owns.

Harts buyer Gene Weaver also likes the DP air stepper. Weaver plans to run a program of DP's new air stepper, its AirGometer air bike, introduced last year, and a treadmill, each for $289.

As for the DP AirGometer, retail prices have declined from a high of $299 to as low as $199. Moreover, DP has recently introduced a new line of budget air bikes which are priced to retail for less than $150.

Weaver said he also likes the new, licensed slumber bags from Ero Industries, Dick Tracy and New Kids on the Block, a pop vocal group, and will carry them at $24.97.

The licensed goods category is "buzzing with activity," said Dick Mahan, vice president of the sporting goods division of Wal-Mart. "There's an awful lot of NFL and NCAA goods. Wal-Mart is just beginning with it and is enjoying some success."

As for neon, "We're buying some neon but not for the long term," Mahan said. "I'm not sure how long it will last."

At least through fall of '90 was the show consensus on neon, although some vendors predicted it might carry through next spring.

Neon accents caught the attention of John Nosach, assistant buyer for Hills. "Bold colors are going to last." Nosach predicted. "I'm looking at them."

On the other hand, Dave Peer, a Target buyer, takes a more cautious view. "Neons will be in and out. They'll last through the fall but not spring," he predicted. "The next colors are jewel tones, purple and teal."

In a common show lament, Super Show '90 had few new items, said Weaver, of Harts. Vendors mainly were sprucing up existing products and using brighter colors, that Midwest buyer said.

Apparel vendors appeared to dominate the new products section showing in the Hilton Hotel and Towers. And many vendors there weren't showing new products. Rather, they were new vendors to the Super Show and had to pay their dues by displaying off center stage before they can get booth space in the main halls of the Georgia World Congress Center.

Products Introduced

Among the new products introduced at the show: * Wilson's line of Pro tennis rackets, about $225; * Spalding's Assault 95 tennis racket, about $170; * Licensed pro sports replacement seats and backs for director's chairs, about $15 from Toland Enterprises, Mandeville, La.; * Trimflex, a 1-pound piece of exercise equipment that fits in a suitcase, $27.31 wholesale, from Porta-Gym, New Rochelle, N.Y.; * Crazy Leggs plastic stilts, $99.95 retail, from Sawyer, San Antonio, Texas; * AquaJogger, a flotation belt for "jogging" in a swimming pool, $49.95 from Excel Sports Science, Eugene, Ore.

Moreover, Coleman was making the first major showing of its new line of lanterns and cook stoves that burn unleaded gasoline, instead of requiring more costly lantern fuel. Lantern models start at $30 to $35 retail.