Prince O3 White Industry’s Best 3rd Quarter Selling Racquet
Prince Syn-Gut with Duraflex Best Selling String on Market for Fifth Year Running
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Riggs
101 N. Cherry Street
Winston Salem,
336-774-9227
mark.riggs@mullen.com
11/07/06 - Bordentown, NJ – The Prince O3 White is the No. 1 selling racquet in 3Q 2006 according to the Sports Marketing Surveys/Tennis Industry Association Specialty Store Retail Audit. O3 White, which is played by Maria Sharapova, entered the audit report in 1Q 2006 and has never been ranked lower than third on the best seller list.
In addition to the O3 White at No. 1, Prince O3 racquets hold seven of the top 15 and three of the top 5 Best Sellers, ranked by year-to-date dollar sales. The racquets include O3 White, O3 Blue (No. 4), O3 Silver (No. 5), O3 Red (No. 9), O3 Hybrid Hornet MP and OS (No. 12 and 13, respectively) and O3 Tour (No. 15), which hold a combined 13.3 percent dollar share in the category.
Prince also has the top three racquets in the Hot New Racquets category – O3 White, O3 Hybrid Hornet MP and O3 Hybrid Hornet OS.
“O3 Technology has been embraced by players at all levels,” said Doug Fonte, president Prince U.S. “With a 56 percent conversion rate among ATP and WTA tour professionals, O3 Technology has won more than 150 professional tournaments including six Grand Slams, making it a mainstay on courts around the world.”
String
According to SMS/TIA, Prince also has the top selling string on the market in 3Q – Prince Syn Gut with Duraflex – which holds an overwhelming 14.4 percent unit share and a 6.8 percent unit share lead over the nearest competition. The string has been No. 1 on the market since for five straight years – every year that the retail audit has been conducted.
Footwear
In the footwear category, Prince held a 19.6 percent unit share in 3Q 2006, and continues to lead the $75.00-$84.99 price point with 25.2 percent of unit sales. Year-to-date, Prince is the No. 2 footwear brand in unit sales with an 18.8 percent share.
In August, Prince M Series footwear hit specialty retail shelves nationwide, allowing players to choose among unique shoe attributes that best fit their needs. Made with Precision Tubes in the heel and forefoot, M Series gives players ideal cushioning, ventilation and stability.
“Tennis players recognize the Prince brand as one of quality and outstanding performance,” Fonte said. “Whether it is racquets, shoes or string, we are committed to designing tennis equipment that will go beyond the high expectations of our customers.”
The data presented here is based on a retail audit of key pro/specialty and sporting goods stores conducted by Sports Marketing Surveys.
About Prince Sports
Prince Sports, Inc., based in New Jersey, is a recognized leader in game-improvement technologies and engineering-based high-performance sports equipment. Since 1970, Prince and Ektelon have revolutionized tennis, squash and racquetball with innovations including “Oversize,” “Longbody” and “Extender” racquet technologies, Natural Foot Shape footwear technology, Synthetic Gut String and Electronic Ball Machines. In 2005, Prince introduced O3, another breakthrough that features an expanded sweet spot (up to 54 percent) and increased racquet speed, a combination only possible with O3 Technology. In 2006, Prince developed M Series footwear with Precision Tubes, the latest innovation that gives players maximum cushioning, stability and ventilation. Prince Sports has operations on three continents and distribution in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.princetennis.com.
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