Score with Premium Athleticwear

Up your game by selling fashionable premium athleticwear – it’s a $97 billion market at retail with crossover appeal for the promotional apparel sales market.

Performance apparel, including heritage styles, is everywhere – from the gym to the mall to restaurants. Top brands have doubled sales over the past five years, according to Market Realist’s report “How Athleisure-wear Boom Has Impacted the U.S. Apparel Industry.” Champion® follows

suit, as the second-leading brand in premium athleticwear.

What trend is pushing an increase in sales? “Athleisure with performance features (think Lululemon’s fashion-forward, super-comfy work-out wear designed to be worn all day). It is fast becoming a giant in the apparel world, closing in on $83 bil-lion in annual sales,” says Nicole Rollen-der, award-winning editor of Wear-

ables magazine and executive director of professional development at ASI. “It’s a lucrative sector of the market that wearers are becoming accustomed to having avail-able at retail, so it makes sense for distributors to present these styles to their buyers.”

Nearly half (49%) of all clients seek brand names when purchasing apparel, according to the Wearables 2016 Sales Forecast. Consumers want premium ath-leticwear that is the same as what they see at retail. In addition, they want heritage brands they’ve known for decades – and so do promotional apparel buyers.

Having your client’s own brand associated with the cachet of top names in premium athleticwear adds value. The longer a garment is kept and worn, the bet-ter the cost per impression. Corporate clients, teams, clubs and organizations targeting millennials or baby boomers – there are myriad sales opportunities.

This is where you can UP YOUR GAME and grow your business. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of the trend.

“It’s a lucrative sector of the market that wearers are becoming accustomed to because of its strength at retail, so it makes sense for distributors to present these styles to their buyers.”NICOLE ROLLENDER, WEARABLES

Premium Athleticwear Goes Mainstream

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What’s The Score In Premium Athleticwear?

distributors and decorators have either quoted or sold

fitness trackers, according to the 2015

Wearables Sales Forecast.

People wear active lifestyle apparel for activities other than exercising 93% of the time, according to lifestylemonitor.cottoninc.com. Where are they going?

STAY AROUND THE HOUSE

RUN ERRANDS

SHOP

GO OUT TO EAT

85%

65%

42%

20%

“Casual and athleisure have taken on a life of their own. This is no longer a trend – it is now a lifestyle that is too comfortable, for consumers of all ages, for it to go away anytime soon.”MARSHAL COHEN, CHIEF INDUSTRY ANALYST FOR THE NPD GROUP, INC.

Worldwide sports apparel and footwear sales have jumped 42% to $270 billion over the past seven years, according to Morgan Stanley Research, “Global Athletic Wear: Very Bullish Five-Year Outlook.” The U.S. has the world’s biggest market for activewear, currently accounting for $97 billion, or 36%, of all sportswear sales. More than 30% growth is projected by 2020 – adding $83 billion in sales.

A CivicScience survey from February 2016 found that 28% of U.S. adults wear athletic clothes in public almost every day, and 26% do several times a month. More than half of all respondents wear athleticwear in public even when they aren’t exercising.

Champion®, a leading consumer brand with 89% brand awareness, is the only premium athleticwear widely available in the branded apparel category.

One in five

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Help your clients leverage the appeal of high-performing athleticwear; it’s an upsell opportunity. Present unbranded basics alongside premium athletic-wear brands. Compare quality and performance features. Have clients touch both garments. A lightweight performance fabric feels better, dries faster and looks sharp. Here are five key markets that can use your expertise to make the most of their purchase.

Premium Performance Wear Goes Mainstream

1 Corporate Apparel – Today’s executives want to move seamlessly from an office to the gym or out with friends for dinner. The right pull-over or upscale track pant make excellent transition garments. Cor-

porate wellness programs that encourage employees to destress should consider premium athleticwear as an incentive.

2 Education/Schools – The top market for promotional apparel sales is Education/Schools. Higher education needs premium athleticwear for teamwear, intramurals and special occasions, such as orienta-

tion. Sell to athletic programs, sororities and fraternities, student clubs, security for uniforms and student life administration for events.

3Racewear –The number of U.S. running events reached 30,300 in 2015, according to the 2016 State of the Sport report by Running USA. There were 17 million finishers. Marathons and walkathons are

annual opportunities for you to sell athleticwear that raises awareness for both a cause and sponsors. Present premium performance apparel that corporate partners will be proud to put their logo on. Higher performance brands will make participants more likely to wear the garment long after the race. Show how sponsors get maximum mileage with high-quality active-wear bringing down cost per impression.

4 Gyms and Yoga Studios –The annual number of people that use a gym or health club is 58 million, according to Statista Brain. There are 30,500 gyms and health clubs in the United States. Gyms and

yoga studios can boost profit and brand recognition by selling their own logoed athleticwear in the lobby or at the front desk. Stress the impor-tance of staff wearing logoed activewear as a uniform.

5 Golf – There are nearly 30 million golfers in the United States. Most are employed in a white-collar occupation with a desire to go from the office to the links. Look for sophisticated styling with perfor-

mance features to feel comfortable and professional in any environment. Show your clients how to make the most of sponsoring a golf tournament or to stock the club pro shop with authentic premium athleticwear in tradi-tional styles. Upsell the program with embroidered detail or personalization.

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5 Styles Ready to Perform

Explain the benefits of performance technology in premium athleticwear. Is it durability, moisture wicking, drying ability, flexibility or sun protection? Learn and demonstrate the specific performance features of activewear you show clients.

1 Champion® Double Dry® T-shirt

in Camo (style #CW22) made of 4.1-oz. 100% polyester jersey interlock quickly wicks moisture away and dries so the wearer is comfortable. With a 50+ UPF rating, suggest these tees for outdoor concerts, festivals, rec leagues or campus events at universities.

3 Champion® Cotton Max Pull-over Hoodie (style

#S171) has a fashion-able contrast hood and traditional front pouch pocket. The 9.7-oz. 90% cotton/10% poly heavyweight fabric has a 100% cotton face fabric for superior printing. It’s rugged enough for athletic departments, yet stylish enough for Greek organizations.

4 Champion® Perfor-mance Fleece Full-Zip Jacket (style #S270)

has stylish accents, such as contrasting side panels with side-entry pockets. The 5.4-oz. 100% polyester fleece is lightweight with a performance wicking finish. Show your client the versatil-ity: The jacket is upscale for executive gifts and functional for employee gifts. The fleece full-zip jacket looks good in the office and is practical to wear on chilly days.

5 Champion Vapor® Quarter-Zip Pullover (style #CV80) is a 5.3-oz.

100% performance polyester and keeps the wearer dry and safe whether they’re jogging or running errands. Wicking keeps a person dry, while a reflective logo helps in low light or nighttime visibility.

2 Champion® Absolute Sports

Bra (style #B900) Champion® is the number-one athletic brand in sports bras. Its new Absolute Sports Bra is seamless, increasing the printable area, and made of 87% polyester/13% spandex, making it great for sublima-tion. A SmoothTec™ band prevents chafing and Double Dry® technology wicks away mois-ture. Cheer teams, sports clubs, yoga/fitness studios, sororities, etc., are ideal clients.

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What Makes Authentic Comfort?

Champion® Originals Fleece and French Terry premium athleticwear combine the nostalgia of crewneck sweatshirts, hoodies and jogger pants with fashion-forward styling and advanced fabrication.

✓ Sueded Fleece – An 8.5-oz. 80/20 cotton/poly 3-end fleece provides warmth and comfort while a 100% cotton face allows for superior screen or DTG printing.

✓ French Terry – 7.4-oz. 43/43/14 rayon/poly/cotton triblend is absorbent, soft and offers a bit of stretch for added comfort.

Dress for International Sweatpants Day January 21The annual event goes upscale with fashionable premium athleticwear. Champion® Originals joggers in Sueded Fleece and French Terry sport modern cuts with flat woven drawstrings, jersey lined pockets and a rich color palette.

A New Generation Of Style

Introducing Champion® Originals – fashionable tops and bottoms designed for the wholesale market with a focus on elevated styles and printability. The Collection features 12 contemporary men’s and women’s styles, including:

✓ Plain and Pocket T-shirts are stylish and lightweight made of a triblend fabric for extra comfort. Details such as a soft-wash or distressed, printed stripes on sleeves add authenticity.✓ Sueded fleece tops and pants offer a new take on renowned Champion® rayon/poly/cotton and cotton/poly blends in your choice of weights. Women’s French Terry options make it easy to be comfortable at the intersection of sport and life.✓ Henleys made of 100% cotton ring-spun slub bring together contemporary design with athletic heritage.✓ Swing tanks in a tri-blend jersey fabric are fashion forward for active, social lives.

Made for Action or OccasionChampion® Originals are available in a carefully chosen set of trendsetting colors in styles made for all kinds of active and social occasions. Look for fashionable details such as this swing tank with a racer back silhouette and “natural” color twill tie at back.

For 2017, Advantages magazine describes the overall fashion theme as, “What’s old is new again.” Top trends include heritage tees, blocks of color and slub chic.

Fleece is an opportunity to upsell. Rather than a basic jacket, present a fleece-lined version. Instead of a typical long-sleeve T-shirt, suggest a style such as a Champion® Double Dry Eco® Crew.

Fan Sales With Fleece

When selling fleece:✓ Ask about use. When clients need athletic apparel for team

practice in cold weather, go for a fabrication such as Cham-pion® Cotton Max Fleece.

✓ Talk weight. Shop a brand that offers a range of weights – heavyweight to lightweight compressed fleece. Match the weight to your client’s location. A 5.4-oz. 100% polyester performance fleece warms without weight. A 9.7-oz. 90% cotton/10% polyester is better for colder environments.

✓ Suggest an eco-fleece fabrication when presenting to uni-versities and businesses with social responsibility goals.

✓ Offer layers. Fleece outerwear can complement indoor casual to provide an athleisure look for everyday activities. Look for pullovers and vests to complement the base garment.

✓ Tap demand for heritage styling. Get that nostalgic look with a colorblock fleece pullover such as the Champion® Double Dry® Colorblocked Pullover Hood (style #750).

✓ Discuss decoration. Fleece can be embroidered, laser-etched or embossed.

Make More Money With FleeceThink about the product mix you sell to clients. Let’s say you take 500 orders each year for cool-weather athletic apparel, with an average of 200 units per order. Your current mix might look something like this:

What if you were able to up your fleece sales to 30% of your orders? That’s a $160,000 improvement on the same number of orders and units.

70% Long-sleeve T-shirts at $6 per piece

20% Basic sweatshirtsat $10 per piece

10% Premium fleeceat $15 per piece

55% Long-sleeve T-shirts at $6 per piece

15% Basic sweatshirtsat $10 per piece

30% Premium fleece at $15 per piece

= $770kTotal Sales

= $930kTotal Sales

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Heritage Wear – What Makes A Classic?

Retro styles are about more than nostalgia. Today, they’re fashionable and highly desired at retail. Whether your client is celebrating a corporate anniversary or a college club needs member tees, there are new style choices you can sell to meet their needs.

“In terms of T-shirts, people love to wear anything vintage, anything that reminds them of shirts they've had forever…”NICOLE ROLLENDER, WEARABLES

Vintage sells. There’s a turn back to simplicity and quality, particularly among millennials. The comeback of vinyl albums over digital downloads exemplifies the trend.

So do raglan-sleeve baseball tees. They go back to the sport’s early years, worn under players’ jerseys. They’re popular on the field today for community leagues and corporate teams. How does that turn into promotional apparel sales?

✓ Fan jerseys and caps to raise money for booster clubs

✓ Souvenirs for tourism locations

✓ Alumnae gifts for donors✓ Staff uniforms

“What's great about these styles, too, is that offices are trending more casual, so people can wear these logoed styles to their workplaces, says Nicole Rollender, editor of Wearables magazine. “In terms of T-shirts, people love to wear anything vintage, anything that reminds them of shirts they've had forever, so think Henleys, distressed, slub and ringers. Also, for women, styles that are a little more form-fitting and longer length are desirable.”

The hallmarks of vintage are details like colorblocking, contrast collars and raglan sleeves. Ask your client about their target audience. Is it an older market that likes a basic sweatshirt with a one-color imprint, or does heritage mean a fashion-forward fit and athleisure lifestyle for millennials?

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Colors evoke emotion. Team colors stir pride. Corporate colors present professionalism. Fashion colors stand out. All of these bring an opportunity to combine style with action.

4 Retro Styles

1 Champion® Ringer T-shirt (style #T136) has genuine appeal

with its 1x1 rib contrast collar and sleeve ends and 5.2-oz. 100% cotton fabrication.

2 Champion® Raglan Baseball T-shirt (style #T137) is

an all-star. The classic jersey style is ready for recreational leagues and corporate teams alike.

3 Champion Reverse Weave® Pull-over Hood (style

#S101) is a heritage style defined by thick, durable fleece. Pair it with Reverse Weave® pants to outfit teams for practice or for sales by booster clubs and uni-versity bookstores.

4 Champion Eco® Colorblock Pull-over Hood – (style

#750) colorblocking gives it that retro feel popular at retail. Tell cli-ents the environmentally conscious fleece fabric is made with up to 5% recycled polyester from plastic bottles. It’s both retro and recycled.

Everything old is new again with today’s interpretation of classic styles.

NEW FOR 2016The wide variety of Champion Double Dry® Interlock Tee colors and styles just got more stylish and a whole lot more colorful. This superior performance line is now available in contemporary stone gray camo, safety orange camo, safety green camo and wow pink camo. See the collection on page 20.

CHAMPION REVERSE WEAVE® PANT RW10

The undisputed Super Heavyweight of fleece is now available in pant.Finally, legs can experience the same thick, durable, weather-beatingquality that upper bodies have enjoyed for more than 75 years.See the collection on page 31.

CHAMPION DOUBLE DRY ECO® FLEECE S750EIGHT NEW COLOR BLOCK OPTIONSMade with up to 5% recycled polyester from plastic bottles, the increasinglypopular line of Champion Double Dry Eco® fleece has been expanded toinclude eight color block options. See the collection on page 34.

CHAMPION DOUBLE DRY® INTERLOCK TEES CW22, CW23FOUR NEW CAMO COLORS

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NEW FOR 2016The wide variety of Champion Double Dry® Interlock Tee colors and styles just got more stylish and a whole lot more colorful. This superior performance line is now available in contemporary stone gray camo, safety orange camo, safety green camo and wow pink camo. See the collection on page 20.

CHAMPION REVERSE WEAVE® PANT RW10

The undisputed Super Heavyweight of fleece is now available in pant.Finally, legs can experience the same thick, durable, weather-beatingquality that upper bodies have enjoyed for more than 75 years.See the collection on page 31.

CHAMPION DOUBLE DRY ECO® FLEECE S750EIGHT NEW COLOR BLOCK OPTIONSMade with up to 5% recycled polyester from plastic bottles, the increasinglypopular line of Champion Double Dry Eco® fleece has been expanded toinclude eight color block options. See the collection on page 34.

CHAMPION DOUBLE DRY® INTERLOCK TEES CW22, CW23FOUR NEW CAMO COLORS

11 10

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Tradition began when Champion® introduced the first hooded sweatshirt in the 1930s. Today, innovations include performance fabrications such as Champion Double Dry Eco®-Fleece (2011) and Champion Vapor® (2014).

1919

1938

1967

1994 & 1996

1935

1952

1977

Champion

Athleticwear established in Rochester, NY

Introduced the cotton football jersey

The Reverse Weave® sweat-shirt makes its

worldwide debut

First to market with reversible jersey.

Introduces mesh practice shorts

Invented the sports braOfficial outfitter of the

U.S. Olympic Team

Once A Leader, Always A Leader

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Todd Snyder + ChampionClassic Full-Zip Hoodie in Black Charcoal Heather

Pacsun + Champion 3/4-Sleeve Raglan T-Shirt

Urban Outfitters + Champion Big C Tee

Brand PowerWith brand growth and partnerships, Champion Athleticwear continues to score at retail with double-digit growth for the third year in a row. The brand is succeeding at all levels of retail, including Target, Macy’s and Nordstrom. The authentic nature of the brand has led to cutting-edge partnerships, including Todd Snyder, PacSun and Urban Outfitters. These collaborations increase interest in wholesale styles as well.

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