Ambit collected different testimonials to draw an overview of the current state of consumption of tennis-related products, which includes, among other items, rackets, clothing, footwear, strings, and more. Economic fluctuations, especially the different prices of the dollar and the uncontrollable inflation, they make a dent in the market, although they did not paralyze it.
It is a particular moment in which some brands have products retained in Customs, while others propose strategies to be competitive with respect to possible purchases abroad. The generality exposes an adequate supply and with a constantly growing demand.
One of the most traditional companies in the world of grass, brick dust and cement is Wilson, sponsor of Roger Federer and Juan Martín del Potro, among others. From the American firm, with direct representation in our country, they assert that for the moment they do not have major problems with the stock and that the interest of the public is firm.
“The demand is totally permanent and stable. We handle the range that we have. We were lucky to bring in the products that we usually handle and the prices are the ones that correspond. Today we are fine”detailed Mariano Valenzuela, sales representative of the W company, who also expressed that, like the competition, they are subject to the fluctuation of the dollar.
The brand image is decisive in situations of economic imbalance. Such is the case of Wilson: “Our status is what always keeps us with good numbers. It is not necessary to go out and attract strong customers because it sells itself”.
In the same way, Sebastian Rodriguez LarretaDirector for Row in the Dass Group, was of the opinion that the sport of rackets “It is a very important market, a category linked to the DNA of the brand and which we believe is in a very good moment”.
The company of Italian origin and owned by South Korean capital is one of the historic sponsors of the Argentina Open, while it also participates in the Córdoba Open, the Buenos Aires Challenger and the Davis Cup. This work “The creation of brand value is not perceptible at the moment, but our bet is to build a brand legacy together with tennis that goes beyond the particular moment”.
“This year’s challenge is to deliver greater value and with a pricing policy that is designed to try to contain inflation”predicted Rodríguez Larreta.
Le Coq Sportif is a company closely linked to Argentine glory. It was the brand that dressed the national team in the World Cup in Mexico 1986 and in recent months it has faced a return to the vernacular mass market. Footwear and clothing are its star products, also for tennis.
“The market is complicated, especially for the companies that have the licenses, since you have to pay the royalties, which are in dollars. On the other hand, there are also difficulties in the entry of merchandise and components for production. But there is demand and the market moves”considered Diogenes de UrquizaSport Marketing Manager of Le Coq Sportif.
The former head of the National Sports Agency assessed that tennis “It is a market that is consumed, there are courts in many places, you play double and single, as a family. All this makes it an interesting business”while demanding “clear rules” regarding inflation and that part of that fight was “respect the prices they asked us for.”
Head is an Austrian firm whose majority sale is linked to sky and winter sports. However, his fame came from rackets and other elements connected to tennis. Grupo Vieytes has been the licensee in Argentina for more than 40 years.
Federico Vieytes He told this medium that after the pandemic, consumption grew worldwide, and that the company’s global factory extended its production times from four to eight or ten months due to orders.
The head of Head in Argentina indicated that the products they sell “are those of 2023”, although they are “Suffering a bit from the exchange issue and reserves” and that there are some “uncertainties” regarding future planning.
For Vieytes there was a change in the consumption model of tennis in the country, as a result of high things and some financial impossibilities: “It’s still a business, but those who play well, with the value of the rackets, instead of rotating them every two years, do it every four. It is the other elements, such as shoes, balls, grips and so on, that move with more repetition”.
From all the brands they affirm that tennis is a profitable and firm business, although in recent years another discipline familiar both with this sport and with Argentines has been revitalized: tennis. paddlewhich, they argue, has less technical complexity and is more televisable, which is why a new boom arose in the country.
Although the dollar causes some doubts and inflation conspires against excessive consumption, tennis still resists among the most nourished activities in the country. The Argentina Open sales stands were displayed all week with a large group of observers. Not everyone left laden with bags.
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Ignacio Petunchi
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
