Adidas and Active Apparel Group (AAG) are taking
"established brand names from the men's market and aggressively
marketing them to women," according to SPORTING GOODS BUSINESS.
AAG has successfully shifted both Converse and Everlast apparel
to the women's market, and AAG President & CEO George Horowitz
said the $4M boost they received after going public last May will
enable them to "move to the next level and increase distribution
of both Converse and Everlast, while looking for one or two
additional properties to bring on in the future." Lisa Vorhees,
Owner of The Sporting Woman in Denver, says that "men's apparel
sales are flat" and that "manufacturers realize that if they want
to experience growth, it has to come from women." Adidas is also
focusing on the women's market, and will launch a women's fitness
category called "Workout" that will "spearhead a stepped up
effort across all its women's products, beginning in January"
with a worldwide ad campaign -- "Adidas: A woman's brand since
1932." Adidas will also introduces a Steffi Graf Ecliptic tennis
line and new running wear. SGB reports the increased sales of
women's products could account for nearly 30-35% of Adidas' total
sales (SGB, 7/95 issue).
