-- Well, just popped in for a coffee and hey guess what - I wrote a review! Its been a while, but I...
-- Well, just popped in for a coffee and hey guess what - I wrote a review! Its been a while, but I think I've still got the hang of it....
Member since:06.07.2000
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Sport Soccer now seems to have branches all over the place, though I’d suspect it is still firmly centred around the Home Counties. Many of their branches that I frequent have been undergoing a refit and enlargement, so I’d have to guess the business was thriving.
So that nicely brings me to ‘the business’.
This chain of Sports stores started life as Sport & Ski. Trading in Shopping Malls and stocking winter gear for the skier, in addition to general sports gear like T-Shirts, Polos, Sweats and Jackets. Also, there were always racks of trainers, football boots etc for both Adults and Children. This brought them a niche market. It was a shop you could kit little Johnny out for his new school with some respectable labels like Umbro,. Adidas and the now ubiquitous Donnay. While the teenagers and more label conscious amongst us could still get the ‘top range’ names for – we assumed – a bit less than the next store.
But often the ‘discounts’ were rather fake.
Old season stock bought in at a low price and sold off to the public. Nothing wrong in that at all, especially as 10 years ago, the Leisurewear and Sportswear trend to become ‘high fashion’ for the street was beginning to boom.
A change of direct three or four years ago, saw the stores re-branded as Sports Soccer, indicating the move towards trying to capture the huge Soccer ‘fashion’ market. You can get the latest kits here, plus sportswear with your club’s badge, logo, name or what have you. Unless, that is, you are a follower of a lesser club. You’ll not find many Crewe Alexandra branded shirts here, I guess.
I assume the Chain must have the license for Donnay gear – or at least some kind of tie up. Donnay were the manufacturers of Bjorn Borg’s tennis gear and rackets, when he was winning his string of Wimbledon title. But that was 20 odd years ago. The name was resurrected and cheap ‘Donnay’ branded wear began to appear in Sports Soccer stores. Donnay have tried to move a touch upmarket recently with the signing of British (Canadian!) Tennis player Greg Rusedski to wear their shirts on court. I’m not sure that this has had a noticeable effect on make Donnay a more fashionable brand. Their gear is cheap in the stores and a range of shirts, shirts, tracksuits, sweatshirts, shoes, trainers…well you name it (no, not condoms, yet!)
Another facet of these stores is their gradual move towards certain sports. You will be hard pressed to find any Cricket gear at Sport Soccer, but many of their stores will stock a wide range of Golf accessories, plus clubs and practice aids. Even the Donnay range has expanded to include better quality Golf Pique shirts, Inexpensive Golf Club sets and Golf Shoes.
The stores refund policy had always struck me as odd. They will only offer you an exchange, if you have the receipt/ticket. If you've lost it - tough, even if it has the original tags and shop labels. You never get a cash refund. And try asking the Staff a question. Go on I dare you. Usually youngsters of fair to middling intelligence who shrug their way around the shop, looking disinterested, till one of their mates rings them on their mobile. But back to the good points...
If you have one of these stores near you, it is quite probable that you are familiar with them. The prospect of reasonable quality across the range, plus good brand names in both Mens and Ladies sportswear (although these days it is pretty unisex don’t you think?) is a magnet. They do sell some crap too – but cheap crap that can be worn away from view – underneath your Reebok Hooded top for example. Their range of trainers is good with all the top names at good prices. Bigger stores may be on two levels – like two of our local ones – and they will section them off into Golf and Soccer on one level and the lower ticket goods on display as you enter the store.
By and large you can get good value here, without quite having the overall product range of a JJB Sports or the more upmarket feel of a JD Sports. Am I sounding old when I can remember the days you went into a Sports shop if you were a ‘player’ and you NEEDED new equipment? These days most of the sales come from customers looking for streetwear and trainers not to ‘train’ in but walk around more shops in. Ah well this is the 21st Century.
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i am currently a part time sports soccer employee and have been working at the preston branch for 3 years now, since it opened.
ive been reading opinions about sports soccer on this site for a while now and all i seem to hear about is the low quality of staff. which i agree with to an extent in that because of the rate at which the company has been expanding in the last few years, it has been hard to make all part time staff trained properly hence you get the laid back attitude.
I have seen my particular store go from a very unorganised store to now one of the leading stores in the country in terms of sportswear. on a good weekend we sell up to 1000 pairs of trainers/shoes. our weekly revenue is in the 200,000 range and we almost always hit that figure.
Re: REFUNDS
the company does not give refunds on products which have been purchased and then brought back which do not have a manufacturers fault. to the user who made the comment about the sales of goods act -- a company does not have to offer a refund unless a product is fault which sports soccer oblige with. Refunds at our store are also given if the company is at fault and we are very generous with giving exchanges or credit notes on worn garments or trainers. you do not require prrof of purchase, only for the product to be recognised as one we sell and presumed purchased from the store.
i could go on and on about the good things about the store which most people seem to forget and take for granted in stores. we also put up with unpolite customers, swearing and abuse so have pity next time you visit(",)
mattwood 09.04.2003 22:10
Great op! Can't say my local JD Sports is upmarket - was in there today and that darn gangsta rap music made me wanna scream! Matt
kano 30.07.2001 16:36
Great op! I will justify my following comments by saying I worked with this mob for 6 months in the Lewisham branch, I know what I am on about. Basically, they own donnay, it is THEIR own brand! As for other goods being cheap, your right, it is mostly just out of season (ie last years trainers) which is no problem to most people, seeing as how its atleast half the price!!!! On the staffing front, I will say only this, if you were getting £35 for a days work would you work very hard??? That is what they pay, or £15 for a half day. Hardly seems worth effort does it? That's how they are cheap and how come the staff act like they do. I hope this answers some questions! Ken
Jul 18th, 2001
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