MC Sports team basketball: a team program for a retailer that had never run one

What it is

Team basketball at MC Sports was eroding to local team dealers. Khounlavong listed the obstacles: margin pressure, a retailer with no experience handling team business, and stores that were not the destination for local teams.

Nike had a national team basketball program for holiday 2007, built on the Nike Elite collection and on a plan to speak to the teen girl who played competitive basketball. Khounlavong took it to the account.

What Khounlavong did

• Proposed a team program to the retailer that included in-store presentation support, ad inserts, digital media, retailer events to connect with the consumer, and marketplace knowledge to help the buyers decide.
• Wrote the holiday 2007 team basketball plan for MC Sports. His review describes it as built on consumer insights, retail performance and business metrics, detailed plan goals and an integrated assortment.
• Presented a price ladder of four team shoes: the Air Max Elite II at $130, the Huarache Elite II at $125, the Shox Elite II at $100 and the Vis Air Sweet Elite at $80. The stated aims were to own the core, own men's, women's and kids', and own color.
• Set out Nike's commitment to the account in the same plan: coaching and in-store events, an ad insert showcasing color, digital support on Nike.com and MCSports.com with email, in-store storytelling, inventory responsibility and a sales program.
• Built the Nike booth at the MC Sports Fall 2007 Expo around basketball and SPARQ with the account team. SPARQ was an athletic training brand in partnership with Nike. He ran the shoe trial stage and gave the store associates the technical story on the basketball footwear.
• Organized a SPARQ and team basketball open gym for fall and holiday 2008, and gave the retailers a profile of wins and opportunities afterward.
• Submitted the return claim for holiday 2007 team basketball styles at the account.
• Led the region in basketball at the go to market meetings in fiscal 2009, with directive assortments for the other reps.

Results

• Team basketball at MC Sports grew for fall and holiday year over year as the retailer gained more teams and became a destination for basketball.
• MC Sports fiscal 2009 results for the program: average stock down 29.5%, sales up 18.9%, gross margin dollars up 17.1%, receipts up 17.1%.
• Women's basketball at MC Sports for holiday 2006, the season before the plan: sales up 36.3%, gross margin of 39.9%.
• The team recap of the Fall 2007 Expo called it the best Expo to date.
• Two attempts did not land. An integrated online team basketball presentation for holiday 2008 failed on the account's system limits. A combined Nike and Jordan team assortment was held back by the Jordan offering.

At a glance