Adidas
The Scenario:
Adidas is a worldwide sportswear brand selling through an increasing number of direct stores and trusted regional and local wholesalers. Controlling the brand image and proposition through the assortment sold and the supporting visual communication displayed is a complex business.
Adidas Latin & South America was looking at ways to coordinate and consolidate its brand sellers.
What we did:
We carried out extensive reviews & analysis of a range of Adidas wholesalers & direct stores across Peru & Chile.
We interviewed owners, managers, sales assistants and took customer feedback of how these businesses interacted with Adidas, and what they wanted from Adidas as a brand and a supplier of sportswear & fashion.
“The relationship between a brand and its retail partners is often a difficult one. Brands want to protect the image and sell the new, whilst partners want to buy and sell perennial bestsellers.
At the heart of the problem is that normally each party has never been in the other’s shoes. Without understanding and facilitating each partner’s needs there is no way to improve the relationship.’
Empathy is a good starting point, with lots of communication, interaction and flexibility. In this way, with listening & trust, each customer gets an interpretation of the brand that they want, not the version that the brand or the retail partner want them to have. That is after all most important.”
Tim Radley. Founder RETAILMEANING
What we achieved:
We delivered detailed recommendations to help Adidas work in more effective and commercial ways with its partners.
Amongst the outputs was guidance on segmenting & grouping its sales channels & outlets, creating commercially balanced collections for distribution, providing realistic visual merchandising guidelines based on shop realities and not brand ideals, on-the-ground partner training and support.
Adidas is now armed to make viable relationships with its sales partners.
What we can all learn from this…
“Every route to market for a distant brand supplier must begin with the customer interface.
Moving forwards is about working backwards!”
Tim Radley. Founder RetailMeaning