Spalding is a well-known name in Italy, where it even had its own ski factory. The American company, which is jointly managed with Russell, has signed a new European licensing deal with an Italian leathergoods company, Sergiolin, for a line of bags, wallets, belts and other leather products that will bear the original name of A.G. Spalding & Bros. It replaces a previous contract with another Italian company of Chinese origin, Yien, that went bankrupt recently.
Spalding has also renewed a European licensing deal signed last year with another Italian company, Newsport. It replaced another Italian firm, DC Company, which decided to focus on its own two brands, DC Co. and U-Roads, as well as on its big European shoe license with Levi’s.
Under its contract with Spalding, which took full effect with the spring/summer 2009 season, Newsport is developing cheaper models for big retail chains starting at €39 a pair. The new price positioning, which should make the range more accessible to a larger clientele, has been decided in agreement with Fruit of the Loom, which took over Spalding in 2006 through Russell. The company is hiring a dedicated designer to expand the range.
Considering that some 2 million pairs of licensed Spalding shoes are sold in Japan alone, Newsport wants to do better than the former licensee. It plans to reach a level of 100,000 per year from the spring/summer 2010 season through the expanded range of products, through new foreign distribution contracts and by using a big network of about 1,200 small Italian sports and footwear shops that have been purchasing all kinds of shoes and other products from it, including branded items (see next article). It has found new agents and distributors in France, Sweden and Greece and is looking for a good partner in Germany. Its new Spalding line is going to be shown at the next CPH Vision fair in Copenhagen.
