Cricket World cup Merchandise demand tied to team performance
The odds on offer—in the illegal betting market—should bring merchandise vendors some cheer; India is the odds-on favourite to win. “Team India is a very hot property and a very passionate property,” said Saumitra Srivastava, director of Yog Sports, the official merchandise distributor for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2010, last year’s edition of the popular Twenty20 cricket tournament organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. India is currently second on the International Cricket Council ranking of teams in One-Day Internationals, behind Australia.
Big Bazaar, the hypermarket chain of the Future Group and the authorized merchandiser for ICC World Cup 2011, has launched products across a range of categories—personal care, apparel, accessories and home linen. “We expect to sell a million pieces across the various products in the eight weeks (of the tournament),” said Sanjeev Agarwal, joint chief executive officer, Big Bazaar. He didn’t put a value to the transactions.
To be sure, it isn’t easy getting Indians to buy merchandise despite their passion for the game.
Agarwal said this could be because Indians do not “buy into the idea of buying apparel that can be used for two or three months”.
“Waste is not part of our culture,” he added. And so, Big Bazaar has focused on the fashion element of apparel and, according to Agarwal, is “just using the World Cup logos” on these.
That’s the same approach being used by Nike, which makes the Team India jerseys. In addition to the jerseys, Nike has launched a cricket-inspired line of products in association with young designers that interprets India and its obsession with cricket. Nike sees an opportunity in such merchandise, according to the marketing head of its Indian operations.
“When you look at the NBA (National Basketball Association in the US) or the EPL (English Premier League in the UK), you see the coolness factor... The influence filters down to what kids are wearing on the street, from their jerseys to their shoes. But you don’t see that with cricket here,” said Sanjay Gangopadhyay, marketing director, Nike India Pvt. Ltd.
Unlike the World Cup in 2007, which saw an early India exit that resulted in racks full of unsold merchandise, the 2011 schedule ensures the team will stay in the tournament for a longer time.
The longer the team is in the World Cup, the greater the demand it will fuel, Gangopadhyay said.
Price is also critical, with items below Rs. 500 likely to move faster than those above it, said Srivastava of Yog Sports.
Simba Toys India Pvt. Ltd, which makes the World Cup mascot Stumpy, has shipped 50,000 items of merchandise featuring the little blue elephant, said Pradeep Parmar, business head.
These include soft toys, nursery bags, back packs and stationery priced at Rs. 299-2,499.
“We are a German company, which wants to connect with the Indian masses,” Parmar said. “What better way to do it than cricket?”
HyperCity Retail (India) Ltd, which sold soccer World Cup merchandise last year, is offering T-shirts and signed bats starting at Rs. 99. Interest generated by big tournaments leads to a 15-20% increase in footfalls for categories such as apparel and sportswear.
Sales usually rise 30-40% in these categories, said Ashutosh Chakradeo, head, buying, merchandising and supply chain, HyperCity. Sports, electronics, home furnishings and apparel make up 45% of the revenue at such stores.
Brands are also focusing on streams of revenue such as airports and online sales.
“Sales (of Indian team jerseys) have been rising every day with the World Cup,” said Mukesh Bansal, chief executive of Myntra.com, an online e-commerce site specializing in sports and lifestyle products. It sells Nike India team jerseys priced at Rs. 900-2,500 online.
Sales are up from 1,500-2,000 jerseys a month at other times of the year to 300 a day now, he said. “We are expecting to sell approximately 10,000 jerseys this month,” Bansal said.
Counterfeiters may be taking away as much as half the business.
“While we haven’t really gone out and surveyed the losses, it would be safe to assume that retailers and manufacturers (of World Cup merchandise) could lose as much as 50% of their revenue to counterfeit products. And that’s a fairly reasonable estimate,” said Srivastava of Yog Sports. Unlike IPL merchandise, Team India items are sold round the year, thus pushing up such losses through fakes, he said.
Still, more than anything else, being associated with the game helps build a bond with buyers.
“It’s a brand connect with the Indian consumer,” said Nike’s Gangopadhyay. “Our biggest investment in India has been and will continue to be in cricket.”
Team India colours, a hot-selling Cricket World Cup Merchandise
Says Mr Mukesh Bansal, CEO of myntra.com, which sells customised India jerseys from Nike: “We are overwhelmed with the consumer response – the demand has been more than expected and we are trying to buy inventory wherever it is available so that we are not sold out. Since January 15, we have sold over 8,000 jerseys – that is almost 300 per day. On a normal match day when India plays, we sell about 50 shirts, while on a non-match day it is 20. There is a general euphoria around the Indian team this year and with the World Cup happening in our backyard after 15 years, the excitement is greater. As the World Cup progresses, we hope to double sales.”
Unprecedented demand
The jersey is a clear draw among the younger audiences and the demand is equally strong across big and small cities, says Mr Sanjay Gangopadhyay, Marketing Director, Nike India, which is the official apparel sponsor of the Indian team. “The demand for the team jersey has been unprecedented, especially with the team's chances at the event looking so good. About 50 per cent of Nike's cricket merchandise sales currently come from the India jersey. We have ramped up accessibility of the jersey across 1,000 Nike outlets, MBOs and other retail channels in the country.”
And it is not just the Indians who are rooting for the Indian team. According to Ms Monica Laliwala, who owns SportXS, a sports gear destination store, there is demand for the team jersey even among foreigners living in the country – a clear indication of the popularity of Dhoni and his men.
“As long as the Indian team is in the Cup, the interest levels among consumers will be high,” says M. Venkateshwar Kumar, Business Head – South, Big Bazaar.
Variety and more
With the pitch fever on the rise, a few retailers are dishing out offers on the various types of the team jersey whose prices range from Rs 800 to Rs 2,500. While Myntra.com is undertaking bulk orders for corporates and offering free personalisation – customers can have their name and number of choice on the tee – SportXS is looking to offer gift vouchers and combo deals with the India cap. Nike began its ‘Bleed Blue' marketing campaign way back in September, much before the season's fervour had even caught on. The sports brand is also releasing limited edition replicas of the actual jersey the Indian team will be wearing at the World Cup. Priced at Rs 3,499, they are made from recycled plastic bottles.
Style statement?
While one can surely spot the Indian team jersey at the stadia, can the influence trickle down to non-match days too when the team jerseys are worn as casualwear? Unlike Europe and the US where games such as football and basketball have influenced people's daily lives in what they wear and do, in India – though cricket is religion – brands have not really tapped into the game's true potential outside the playing arena, says Mr Gangopadhyay of Nike. “It is not uncommon to see people in Manhattan walking on the streets with a swagger, wearing basketball-inspired clothes. In India, how many people can you see like that on the streets, outside the stadium? Not many.”
Flashback: ICC Cricket World Cup records
WITH JUST 15 days to go for the cricketing extravaganza ICC World Cup 2011 to begin, we take a quick lookup at the scores and champions who helped in carving history in the last nine world cups. The analysis includes team and individual scores.
Highest Individual Score
1. Gary Kirsten (South Africa) 188* vs. UAE
2. Sourav Ganguly (India) 183 vs. Sri Lanka
3. Vivian Richards (West Indiaies) 181 vs. Sri Lanka
4. Kapil Dev (India) 175* vs. Zimbabwe
5. Craig Wishart (Zimbabwe) 172* vs. Nambia
Leading Run Scorers
1. Sachin Tendulkar (INDIA) 1796 (36 Matches)
2. Ricky Ponting (AUS) 1537 (39 Matches)
3. Brian Lara (WI) 1225 (34 Matches)
4. Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) 1165 (38 Matches)
5. Adam Gilchrist (AUS) 1085 (31 Matches)
Best Batting Strike Rate
1. Shane Watson (AUS) 170.58 (8 Matches)
2. Dwayne Smith (WI) 163.33 (6 Matches)
3. Chris Lewis (ENG) 155.76 (9 Matches)
4. Andy Blignaut (ZIM) 138.20 (7 Matches)
5. Ian Smith (NZ) 132.69 (17 Matches)
Best Batting Average
1. Shane Watson (AUS) 145 (8 Matches)
2. Lance Klusener (SA) 124 (14 Matches)
3. Andrew Symonds (AUS) 103 (18 Matches)
4. James Franklin (NZ) 95 (9 Matches)
5. Michael Clarke (AUS) 87.2 (11 Matches)
Most 100s
1. Sourav Ganguly (INDIA) 4 (21 Matches)
2. Mark Waugh (AUS) 4 (22 Matches)
3. Sachin Tendulkar (INDIA) 4 (36 Matches)
4. Ricky Ponting (AUS) 4 (39 Matches)
5. Rameez Raja (PAK) 3 (16 Matches)
Most 50s
1. Sachin Tendulkar (INDIA) 13 (36 Matches)
2. Graham Gooch (ENG) 8 (21 Matches)
3. Martin Crowe (NZ) 8 (21 Matches)
4. Steve Tikolo (KEN) 8 (23 Matches)
5. Herschelle Gibbs (SA) 8 (25 Matches)
Best Bowling
1. Glenn McGrath (AUS) 7/15 (7 Ovrs) vs. NAM
2. Andrew Bichel (AUS) 7/20 (10 Ovrs) vs. ENG
3. Winston Davis (WI) 7/51 (10.3 Ovrs) vs. AUS
4. Gary Gilmour (AUS) 6/14 (12 Ovrs) vs. ENG
5. Shane Bond (NZ) 6/23 (10 Ovrs) vs. AUS
Highest Team Total
1. INDIA 413 vs. BER
2. SL 398 vs. KEN
3. AUS 377 vs. SA
4. INDIA 373 vs. SL
5. NZ 363 vs. CAN
Lowest Team Total
1. CAN 36 vs. SL
2. CAN 45 vs. ENG
3. NAM 45 vs. AUS
4. SCO 68 vs. WI
5. PAK 74 vs. ENG
Largest Victory Margin (Runs.)
1. INDIA 257 vs. BER
2. AUS 256 vs. NAM
3. SL 243 vs. BER
4. AUS 229 vs. NED
5. SA 221 vs. NED
Largest Victory Margin (Wts.)
1. INDIA 10 vs. ZIM
2. WI 10 vs. PAK
3. WI 10 vs. ZIM
4. SA 10 vs. KEN
5. SL 10 vs. BAN
Most Catches
1. Ricky Ponting (AUS) 25 (39 Matches)
2. Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) 18 (38 Matches)
3. Chris Cairns (NZ) 16 (28 Matches)
4. Brian Lara (WI) 16 (34 Matches)
5. Inzamam-ul-Haq (PAK) 16 (35 Matches)
Most Stumping
1. Moin Khan (PAK) 7 (20 Matches)
2. Adam Gilchrist (AUS) 7 (31 Matches)
3. Kiran More (INDIA) 6 (14 Matches)
4. Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 6 (21 Matches)
5. Romesh Kaluwitharana (SL) 4 (11 Matches)
Most Run Outs
1. Jonty Rhodes (SA) 5 (24 Matches)
2. Dwayne Bravo (WI) 4 (9 Matches)
3. Chris Harris (NZ) 4 (28 Matches)
4. Lou Vincent (NZ) 3 (6 Matches)
5. Mark Waugh (AUS) 3 (22 Matches)
Flashback: ICC Cricket World Cup records
WITH JUST 15 days to go for the cricketing extravaganza ICC World Cup 2011 to begin, we take a quick lookup at the scores and champions who helped in carving history in the last nine world cups. The analysis includes team and individual scores.
Highest Individual Score
1. Gary Kirsten (South Africa) 188* vs. UAE
2. Sourav Ganguly (India) 183 vs. Sri Lanka
3. Vivian Richards (West Indiaies) 181 vs. Sri Lanka
4. Kapil Dev (India) 175* vs. Zimbabwe
5. Craig Wishart (Zimbabwe) 172* vs. Nambia
Leading Run Scorers
1. Sachin Tendulkar (INDIA) 1796 (36 Matches)
2. Ricky Ponting (AUS) 1537 (39 Matches)
3. Brian Lara (WI) 1225 (34 Matches)
4. Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) 1165 (38 Matches)
5. Adam Gilchrist (AUS) 1085 (31 Matches)
Best Batting Strike Rate
1. Shane Watson (AUS) 170.58 (8 Matches)
2. Dwayne Smith (WI) 163.33 (6 Matches)
3. Chris Lewis (ENG) 155.76 (9 Matches)
4. Andy Blignaut (ZIM) 138.20 (7 Matches)
5. Ian Smith (NZ) 132.69 (17 Matches)
Best Batting Average
1. Shane Watson (AUS) 145 (8 Matches)
2. Lance Klusener (SA) 124 (14 Matches)
3. Andrew Symonds (AUS) 103 (18 Matches)
4. James Franklin (NZ) 95 (9 Matches)
5. Michael Clarke (AUS) 87.2 (11 Matches)
Most 100s
1. Sourav Ganguly (INDIA) 4 (21 Matches)
2. Mark Waugh (AUS) 4 (22 Matches)
3. Sachin Tendulkar (INDIA) 4 (36 Matches)
4. Ricky Ponting (AUS) 4 (39 Matches)
5. Rameez Raja (PAK) 3 (16 Matches)
Most 50s
1. Sachin Tendulkar (INDIA) 13 (36 Matches)
2. Graham Gooch (ENG) 8 (21 Matches)
3. Martin Crowe (NZ) 8 (21 Matches)
4. Steve Tikolo (KEN) 8 (23 Matches)
5. Herschelle Gibbs (SA) 8 (25 Matches)
Best Bowling
1. Glenn McGrath (AUS) 7/15 (7 Ovrs) vs. NAM
2. Andrew Bichel (AUS) 7/20 (10 Ovrs) vs. ENG
3. Winston Davis (WI) 7/51 (10.3 Ovrs) vs. AUS
4. Gary Gilmour (AUS) 6/14 (12 Ovrs) vs. ENG
5. Shane Bond (NZ) 6/23 (10 Ovrs) vs. AUS
Highest Team Total
1. INDIA 413 vs. BER
2. SL 398 vs. KEN
3. AUS 377 vs. SA
4. INDIA 373 vs. SL
5. NZ 363 vs. CAN
Lowest Team Total
1. CAN 36 vs. SL
2. CAN 45 vs. ENG
3. NAM 45 vs. AUS
4. SCO 68 vs. WI
5. PAK 74 vs. ENG
Largest Victory Margin (Runs.)
1. INDIA 257 vs. BER
2. AUS 256 vs. NAM
3. SL 243 vs. BER
4. AUS 229 vs. NED
5. SA 221 vs. NED
Largest Victory Margin (Wts.)
1. INDIA 10 vs. ZIM
2. WI 10 vs. PAK
3. WI 10 vs. ZIM
4. SA 10 vs. KEN
5. SL 10 vs. BAN
Most Catches
1. Ricky Ponting (AUS) 25 (39 Matches)
2. Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) 18 (38 Matches)
3. Chris Cairns (NZ) 16 (28 Matches)
4. Brian Lara (WI) 16 (34 Matches)
5. Inzamam-ul-Haq (PAK) 16 (35 Matches)
Most Stumping
1. Moin Khan (PAK) 7 (20 Matches)
2. Adam Gilchrist (AUS) 7 (31 Matches)
3. Kiran More (INDIA) 6 (14 Matches)
4. Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 6 (21 Matches)
5. Romesh Kaluwitharana (SL) 4 (11 Matches)
Most Run Outs
1. Jonty Rhodes (SA) 5 (24 Matches)
2. Dwayne Bravo (WI) 4 (9 Matches)
3. Chris Harris (NZ) 4 (28 Matches)
4. Lou Vincent (NZ) 3 (6 Matches)
5. Mark Waugh (AUS) 3 (22 Matches)
ICC cautions cricket fans about email fraud related to World Cup
DURING THE previous International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup tournaments, it was noticed that some unknown companies had sent e-mail to fans indicating that they had won cash awards as part of ICC sweepstakes or other prize competitions, which were nothing but fake. These e- mails most often instructed fans to provide personal details, including bank account information and to wire funds to a third party bank account to facilitate their receipt of the award.
Most of these companies turned out to be fake and their objective only is to dupe the gullible fans of their hard earned money. To ensure that people are not caught in this type of fraud, the ICC has issued notice to all fans across the world that neither does the ICC conduct nor authorise any such sweepstakes or prize promotions nor does it appoint any third parties to do so.
ICC has stated that it never asks anyone to send or confirm personal information via e-mail or to wire funds to a bank account for award eligibility. ICC has asked the readers to note that if they do happen to receive an e-mail from someone proposing to be an agent of ICC or other company that asks for personal information etc., then they should avoid responding to it.
It is most likely a deceitful e-mail and the sole purpose is principally illegal gain. ICC said "All are requested to put all these type of mails in blocked e-mail or spam e-mail list or delete it forever. It is best you immediately notify your local law enforcement agency."
ICC cautions cricket fans about email fraud related to World Cup
DURING THE previous International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup tournaments, it was noticed that some unknown companies had sent e-mail to fans indicating that they had won cash awards as part of ICC sweepstakes or other prize competitions, which were nothing but fake. These e- mails most often instructed fans to provide personal details, including bank account information and to wire funds to a third party bank account to facilitate their receipt of the award.
Most of these companies turned out to be fake and their objective only is to dupe the gullible fans of their hard earned money. To ensure that people are not caught in this type of fraud, the ICC has issued notice to all fans across the world that neither does the ICC conduct nor authorise any such sweepstakes or prize promotions nor does it appoint any third parties to do so.
ICC has stated that it never asks anyone to send or confirm personal information via e-mail or to wire funds to a bank account for award eligibility. ICC has asked the readers to note that if they do happen to receive an e-mail from someone proposing to be an agent of ICC or other company that asks for personal information etc., then they should avoid responding to it.
It is most likely a deceitful e-mail and the sole purpose is principally illegal gain. ICC said "All are requested to put all these type of mails in blocked e-mail or spam e-mail list or delete it forever. It is best you immediately notify your local law enforcement agency."
World Cup will reverse poor perception of 50-over cricket: ICC
New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat believesnext month''s cricket World Cup will dismiss fears of thedemise of the 50-over format of the game and prove that allthree formats can co-exist.
Buzz up!
"I think the talk of poor interest in 50-over cricket isoverstated. I firmly believe that all three forms of the game(Test, ODI and T20I) will co-exist and in fact thrive atinternational level," Lorgat told Espnstar.com.
"I hope that the ICC Cricket World Cup, being the game''sflagship event and cricket''s biggest prize, will add toreversing the poor perception of 50-over cricket as some ofthe recent matches already have.
"To be frank, the talk of a demise of 50-over ODI cricketis way out of whack with what we are experiencing. Players,spectators, TV viewers and administrators still see greatvalue in the ODI and I think we are very fortunate as a sportto have three viable formats that are so popular in their ownways. I can''t think of any other sport that enjoys such anembarrassment of riches in that way," he added.
Lorgat said 2011 will witness the most open andunpredictable ICC Cricket World Cup in history.
"This year''s event promises to be one of the most openand unpredictable in history. It seems to me that the topteams are all playing some wonderful cricket at present andthere is precious little to decide between them," he said.
"The Australians could make history by becoming the firstteam to win four in a row but they will be challenged as theyare not as dominant today as they were four years ago. Theother teams no doubt will sense an opportunity to wrestle ''TheCup that Counts'' from their tight grasp," he added.
The ICC CEO said the governing body doesn''t have plans totinker with the format of the game but it is ready to considerchanges if it is good for cricket.
"There are no plans to dramatically change the format ofthe 50-over game at international level. That said, weencourage our Members to experiment with different formats andinitiatives to see if there are ways it can be enhanced," hesaid.
"The ODI today has a very different look and feel to whatit was 40 years ago when the first match took place in 1971.
We have always embraced change and will continue to do so. Ifit''s good for ODIs we will consider it," he added.
The World Cup, which is being co-hosted by India, SriLanka and Bangladesh, will be starting from February 19 inDhaka.
Big Bazaar to be official Cricket World Cup 2011 merchandise dealer
As the sportswear sector of the country is experiencing a boom, Big Bazaar, the flagship hypermarket retail chain of Future Group is foreseeing a rise of around 10 percent in the sale of its fashion apparels during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
The hypermarket has been appointed to serve as the authorised dealer of special merchandise for the World Cup 2011, by the ICC.
It expressed its delight over getting the licence to serve as the authorised dealer of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 merchandise. It stated that, through the wide range of home, personal care and apparel merchandise they would try to cater and develop a strong relationship with their consumers and would help them to express their joy and admiration for the game of cricket.
The cricket merchandise particularly designed for men, women and children are available in the price range of Rs 199 to Rs 449. Various sports attire and accessories like active dry tees, shorts, sports tees, track pants, sweatshirt, head bands and caps are all included in the range.
Besides the usual sports range, a graphic range of merchandise bearing cricket-inspired messages and a soft toy range tagged as ‘Stumpy’, which is the official mascot of the ICC CWC 2011 is also on display at all the Big Bazaar outlets.
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India


