Post by sukeats on Jan 14, 2004 14:22:41 GMT 8
flicked off the geekrolling.com site
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Benetton has sold Rollerblade® for €20 million and at least €5 million in royalties to Tecnica, an Italian ski boot manufacturer. Rollerblade remains the global leader in a market it essentially created, but in five years under Benetton its share declined from a solid majority to little more than a third.
Tecnica seems to appreciates the participatory culture of the sports equipment industry. Says Rollerblade's Stonier, "I remember Tecnica telling all of us in the office, ‘We have to make sure you have the time to skate ... that you test the products on your feet and that everyone in the organization is committed to the activity.'"
Jeremy Stonier, (vice president of Rollerblade USA) also stated that “Benetton was extremely risk-averse to any inventory becoming old and getting marked down”. Explaining why Benetton permitted Rollerblade only one launch of products per year--hardly enough in the case of the brand's "aggressive" skates, aimed at the fashion-conscious youth market. Tecnica has already approved a doubling of the product line for 2005. Great news for TRS fans.
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Benetton has sold Rollerblade® for €20 million and at least €5 million in royalties to Tecnica, an Italian ski boot manufacturer. Rollerblade remains the global leader in a market it essentially created, but in five years under Benetton its share declined from a solid majority to little more than a third.
Tecnica seems to appreciates the participatory culture of the sports equipment industry. Says Rollerblade's Stonier, "I remember Tecnica telling all of us in the office, ‘We have to make sure you have the time to skate ... that you test the products on your feet and that everyone in the organization is committed to the activity.'"
Jeremy Stonier, (vice president of Rollerblade USA) also stated that “Benetton was extremely risk-averse to any inventory becoming old and getting marked down”. Explaining why Benetton permitted Rollerblade only one launch of products per year--hardly enough in the case of the brand's "aggressive" skates, aimed at the fashion-conscious youth market. Tecnica has already approved a doubling of the product line for 2005. Great news for TRS fans.
