Brookfield Athletic launches licensed in-line skates - to introduce skates from Spalding and Nerf

Discount Store News, May 6, 1996

Brookfield Athletic Co. is strengthening its formidable market position in products that "roll, slide and glide" by adding two top brands to in-line skates: Spalding and Nerf.

"The strength of brands like Spalding and Nerf help consumers feel comfortable when they are buying skates. Both brands are known for their quality, price and value," says Scott Burke, vice president of marketing and sales for Brookfield Athletic. Both new lines will be available in August, to coincide with the fall and Holiday selling seasons.

"Unlike a lot of manufacturers, we are spending a lot of time not just selling in, but selling through. And we feel that well-known brands are the key to sell-through," he explains. The Spalding line will be backed up with print advertising, and a TV campaign scheduled for the fourth quarter is being finalized for Nerf.

Sustained double-digit annual growth in the sport's popularity has transformed in-line skating from a novelty product to the fourth-largest sporting goods category. Burke says market studies point to household penetration of more than 30 percent in the next few years, compared with the current 13 percent.

"We researched the strength of the Spalding name and learned that it has a 97 percent awareness among consumers. They know and recognize the Spalding name, and there is also extremely strong cross-participation among Spalding customers and other sports, such as basketball, football, softball, volleyball and soccer," says Burke.

The selection of Nerf for Brookfield's other new brand, in both in-line skates and street hockey equipment, came as the obvious response to a question: What is the largest segment in the in-line skate category? Research showed it to be youths under 12 years of age, who account for 40 to 45 percent of all skates.

"Nerf is the obvious choice of brand to go after that audience. The core market for this brand is youngsters age 5 to 11. Nerf has 93 percent awareness within this group. We also wanted to design innovative products that bring in the attitude that Nerf stands for with its customers," he says.

With the two newest brands to round out its assortment, Brookfield Athletic has spanned the entire marketplace with a product assortment that is almost universal in its appeal based on price, quality and the best-known brand names.

The company's line begins with its own Brookfield brand, which will continue to be its opening price point at around $30 to $50. Spalding is designed to fit the price/value niche with prices of $50 to $150.

Franklin Sports will continue to be the company's roller hockey segments. And Nerf products have been designed to go after the younger audience.

Brookfield Athletic Co. is based in Peabody, Mass.