The Sunday Mail
With the coronavirus pandemic not just shutting down sporting events worldwide but also placing a greater demand than ever on personal fitness equipment, high-profile brands have been placed in a unique position.
Market giant Adidas are expecting a 40 percent drop in sales, with 70 percent of their stores worldwide currently shut.
“Our results for the first quarter speak to the serious challenges that the global outbreak of the coronavirus poses even for healthy companies,” said Adidas chief executive Kasper Rorsted.
“I am proud of how our Adidas family has been working together to support both our company and our communities.”
Long-time high street chain Animal has also become the latest victim of the pandemic, with all of its physical stores to close by 2021.
Having first entered administration in 2021, the financial strain of recent months has proven fatal.
For sportswear manufacturer Asics, things have been a little more complicated. Having planned a large-scale launch for three new shoes at the Asics Innovation Summit in Tokyo in April, ideas had to be rapidly rethought.
Instead, the company turned to virtual reality with headsets and equipment deployed to ensure their new products could get the opening they deserved.
Fiona Berwick, head of global brand communications, says: “We believe that now, more than ever, it is important to remember the positive impact of sport for individuals and society: exercise uplifts people, so they achieve a sound mind through a sound body. We will continue to do all we can to help the world achieve that goal.”
The Asics Studio at-home workout app has also been made free to access, while virtual races hosted by Asics and Race Roster have also been organised to ensure customers remain connected.
Of the three shoes launched, the Metaracer is Asics’ most advanced distance racing shoe yet, while the Metasprint has been introduced as a spikeless track shoe and the Metarise is a revolutionary volleyball shoe designed to deliver an extra 3 percent on jump height.
Mr Kenichi Harano, executive officer at Asics Institute of Sport Science, says: “These three new shoes are our most advanced yet. — Forbes
“The three shoes between them cover all the fundamental motion of athletes – stopping, starting, moving side to side, running and jumping.
“We wanted to support athletes to perform at their best in big competition, which is why they were launched at this time, with huge sporting occasions in the offing next year.” – Forbes
