Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1463099
product to get us through. Vail: Yes, like most everyone else we have been impacted. Our biggest issue has been getting enough yarns to knit our products. Are online team sales an important part of the sock business in 2022? Adam LaFollette: Very much so. Socks are a great option to put on an online team store to help drive an additional sale. Athletes need socks, so they are either buying them from you or they are getting them elsewhere. This is where we see the online platform come into play in a big way. Stagg: Online team sales are more important than ever. Customers are turning towards team stores and online platforms to place their orders from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Davis: Yes, the team dealers rely heavily now on online team stores. Socks have trended more towards a parent purchase, so the stores allow a team dealer to list our product and still get the sock sale. Any tips for team dealers on how to sell more team socks? Brown: Expand your customer base. Have you considered selling custom dress/casual socks to the local booster club or university development office? What local companies might have a need for compression or Merino socks? Stepping outside of your current market opens an unlimited amount of opportunity. Baldwin: Team dealers looking to increase their custom sales should do their best to keep socks a part of the custom uniform conversation. Customers are always looking for fun, creative ways to customize their look and sometimes something as fundamental as a sock is overlooked. Suggest a custom sock. Socks are a relatively low ticket price to the end user and generally high margins to team dealers and those are two great reasons why socks should be a part of every custom uniform discussion. LaFollette: Every sport is wearing socks and it is a great value add to the overall sale. Instead of shying away from it, embrace it and know that it is a need. Griffith: Graphic design implementation for all customers is the easiest and most effective way to generate interest. Socks are unfortunately sometimes not the highest priority item, but will always be one of the easiest upsells. Use your sock provider and sales rep to provide graphic designs for all customers. Vail: Team dealers often tie in sock sales with the uniform sale. Many also take that opportunity to upsell into a custom sock to match the uniform. Finally, in what direction do you see the sock business headed in 2022? Stagg: The sock business in 2022 will still feel the effects of shortages and supply chain issues, but with more time to plan and react those who book stock early and sell customs simultaneously will succeed. Powers: Trends continue to be cyclical in this business. Generally speaking, crews continue to trend versus no-shows. With the massive boom in tennis and the return of fall and winter sports like wrestling and volleyball, we anticipate that trend to continue. de Keizer: We've seen a global trend in post-pandemic fashion that emphasizes comfort and practicality. We'll see the compression socks market expand even more, especially as consumer knowledge about the benefits of compression socks grows. l LP Support PearSox ASICS Wilson Brown OS1st Twin City Stox sportstyle • sportstylemag.com 50 • March/April 2022 APPAREL