Movers & Shakers Edit
Page no: 23
Movers.doc
Sports Insight Magazine
Movers & Shakers
Paul Carmichael, national sales director of Kitdeals.com
When did you get into the sports trade and why?
I have been involved since my late teens, and now 48 have immersed myself in the industry nearly all of my working life. I love rugby and it was this passion that prompted me to begin formally developing sports protection 12 years ago. I am also a member of the BSI.
I have been fortunate to work alongside a number of large sportswear manufacturers in the rugby and football markets, as well as with high street brands. With this experience I can drill down and identify what both the customer and the retailer want and need from and for their kit, whether financial or performance related.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career?
The group of highly specialised individuals that make up our team - we have all been working together for nearly five years now and it was this incredible bond that established the Kitdeals.com® concept. The group is a mix of specialists, each key in their fields, from SEO to marketing and web design. The small membership fee buys you a lot of experience.
What other brands do you admire and why?
During a recent trip to the USA in late July, I found Under Armour's dominance breathtaking. The technical apparel and fabric combinations are amazing, accompanied by exceptional point of sale and product range. I respect and admire anyone who can bring an idea to life and make it work.
How did you come up with the idea for Kitdeals.com?
We saw a need to provide the smaller sports retailer with a low-cost marketing solution, helping them to increase sales and traffic to their own websites.
On establishing this need, we secured the important domain Kitdeals.com®. The idea is simply to provide a low-cost, high-yield engine that provides measured returns for our members. It is already proving successful on Google, ranking number one for some great search terms. Similar systems are tried and tested in other industries, so although not identical we know it has aided significant online development for those involved.
How does it work?
Kitdeals.com® allows retail members to log on and post offers and deals (advertise) - our introductory package is 20 deals. The cost is just £149 for a full 12 months. Products may be changed as often as our members like - daily, weekly or monthly - with each deal costing just 14p per week (no other charges apply).
The posting or adding process is as easy as writing an email and attaching an image. You log on through the site as you would an email account, then click ‘add product' and fill out the data boxes and browse for your image. The advanced system architecture even resizes and optimises your photo or image to fit the listing, so no editing is needed - it keeps the whole process simple. Then press ‘submit', reviewing your submission before it goes live.
The deal is posted in around four clicks of the mouse and at this point potential customers can vote on the product up or down the list. This element uses sophisticated algorithms to evaluate the number of views, votes and days or weeks the product has been on the site - we call this our ‘flame rating'.
The answer, however, is that there are three contact methods to help make the sale:
1. Online enquiry form that emails you to notify of an enquiry.
2. Your company phone number is listed with the item.
3. A link can be added to direct a customer to your online shopping cart or website.
How do retailers join the site?
We can take payment via phone, cheque or transfer. Joining includes scheduled site training, which is 20-30 minutes if necessary. A membership card, introduction pack and user guide will be sent to you, while video tutorials, tips and tricks are also available at Kitdeals.com® for reference. We walk you through the whole process and make it hassle free, even adding initial products to get you started. Don't let the internet scare you, we are more than happy to help.
What are the benefits of joining?
• Larger exposure to customer bases.
• Sales generation.
• Traffic directed to your own site.
• Online support.
• Notification of site updates.
• Links to your own site.
• A classified listing.
• Interactive e-news to an email database.
• Ideal for customers without their own website.
• Phone support as needed (subject to terms).
• Membership cards with user information and welcome packs will be supplied.
• Online video tutorials.
• 24-hour customer facing.
What plans have you got for the site?
Kitdeals.com® is initially a rugby site. Planned expansion centres around four other sites - cricket, netball, hockey and football - to be finished shortly. Membership to all new sites will be offered on first refusal to existing members with further discounts. Our mission is to become a leading resource for the provision of sports kit and team kit packages. To operate independently auditing our processes and ensuring all elements of the business reach set targets.
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We love kit it's that simple!
