Prince Continues Momentum Through Second Quarter
Company has #1 Hottest New Racquet and is #1 in Racquet Product InnovationFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Zach Perles
One Advantage Court
Bordentown,
609-291-5932
zperles@princesports.com
08/06/07 - Bordentown, NJ - Prince Sports continued it’s strong momentum through second quarter, increasing market share over year end 2006 AND having the #1 hottest new racquet, the O3 Speedport Red, according to the YTD June 2007 Specialty Store Retail Audit conducted by Sports Marketing Surveys and the Tennis Industry Association. In addition to the #1 Hottest Selling Racquet, dealers again have given Prince their vote as the #1 brand in Product Innovation in the Early Season 2007 Dealer Racquet Report.
The First Half SMS/TIA report and the Early Season Dealer Racquet Report show Prince's lead in the following areas:
· A total of three top ten hot new racquets for the first half of the year, including the O3 Speedport Red, O3 Speedport Silver and O3 Speedport Blue, which makes all three January Speedport introductions top ten in the Hottest New Racquet Category.
· Four of the top ten best sellers, ranked by year-to-date dollars, including the O3 White, O3 Speedport Red, O3 Speedport Silver and O3 Speedport Blue.
· #1 Technology (O3) in premium segment dollar sales in the US (and most parts of the world).
· Ranked #1 in Field Sales Reps and Product Availability.
· O3 Technology had the highest perceived benefit to the consumer.
Prince has close to 100 touring pros playing O3 technology with over 250 wins on tour. Eleven of the top ten singles and doubles players on the Men's and Women's tour play with O3. Prince recently signed Mike and Bob Bryan, the #1 doubles team in the world. Mike and Bob both play with the recently introduced O3 Speedport Black featuring the new Speedport Tuning System.
In addition to the continued success in racquets, the 2nd Quarter SMS/TIA Specialty Retail Audit shows Prince's continued momentum in string. Prince holds the #1 market share position and has the #1 selling string, Synthetic Gut with Duraflex, which has an overwhelming 13.5% share. Synthetic Gut is going on its 6th year as the #1 selling string!!
The momentum in footwear also continues as M Series, with exclusive Precision Tube Technology, makes a move with two models among the top ten best selling shoes. The First Half and Early Season data show the momentum in footwear:
· Four models in the top ten ranked by year-to-date dollars (T10, MV4, MC4 and Scream II)
· Voted #1 in overall company rating, according to the 2007 Early Season Dealer Report.
· Voted #1 in field sales reps, in-house customer service and product delivery according to the ES Dealer Report.
In Japan, YANO Data confirms Prince is #1 in Unit Share and Value Share for the rolling 12 month period through April 2007. Globally, Prince continues to dominate the premium segment with O3 Technology. The O3 White, Maria Sharapova's racquet of choice, is a top selling model in the premium category on a global basis.
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. Prince gives players speed, stability and a larger sweet spot with O3 racquet technology, building the brand with O3 Original Series (2005), O3 Hybrid (2006) and O3 Speedport (2007). In 2006, Prince introduced M Series footwear with Precision Tube Technology, an innovation that gives players maximum cushioning, stability and ventilation. In 2007, Prince is introducing AeroTech apparel, a technology based fabric system, engineered to fit your game. Prince Sports has operations on three continents and distribution in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.princetennis.com.
Links:
www.princetennis.com
