Brand loyalties grow among fitness fashionistas

By Rajeshwari Rajimwale

On a sunny day, Yoshnika Shah likes to indulge in river floating. For such occasions, she wants to ensure she’s dressed properly and that means only certain brand names will do.

“For me brand names matter as they are more trustworthy,” says the 20-year-old sports fashionista. “I hunt for clothing marked under the rack as Adidas and Nike. I feel they define me.”

Until recently, Shah, who is studying human resources at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), bought sports gear like track pants and T-shirts from a local store.  But she found they often lost their looks and shape after the first wash.

“I spent most of my allowance on clothes,” says Shah. “And every month I realized I required new clothes. I kept frequenting these stores. It was a waste of money and time.  This made me shift and be loyal to a popular brand.”

Shah is not alone in her loyalty to certain brands of sports and "active" wear, which is one of the fastest growing segments of the clothing market.

Growing demand has seen many big names venture into the field.  

 “Sports clothing has evolved over the years” says Bill Sanesh, founder and owner of Bikini Bills, a large tanning salon and swimwear retailer in Kamloops. “Big brands have joined hands with celebrity designers to create fusion styles with sophisticated garments.

“Different brands like Body Glove, Oakley, Billabong, Seafolly and Chica Rica - to name a few - are preferred in Kamloops. Many brands are now [designed] to suit the young buyer and in a more chic version.”

Kamloops, a city of about 87,000  people, is a tourist and education destination and attracts people from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds but has fewer retail outlets than larger cities, which frustrates some shoppers.

“I am a brand enthusiast,” says Angela Andrew-Ming, a 40-year-old dentist who moved from Vancouver to Kamloops to establish her practice. “But I am totally dissatisfied with the way stores in Kamloops stock themselves in range of sports garments. After we moved here I realized that the city still lacks a lot in terms of branded fashion apparel and other popular brands.”

Her major complaint is that her favourite brand, Lululemon, is hard to find in Kamloops stores.

“It’s a sad state of affairs that there is such a limited choice when it comes to apparel availability. If I have to buy sports equipment for my daughter we cannot find enough stuff here,” she says.

To satisfy her consumer needs, Andrew-Ming takes frequent road trips to Kelowna, a two-hour car drive from Kamloops, but she would rather be able to buy what she wants at home.

It could happen. Kamloops now markets itself as the Tournament capital of Canada and sports tourism is one of its economic generators and retailers are certainly eager to capitalize.

 “Sports facilities in Kamloops are amazing,” says Dawn Jeannotte, Store Manager, Jersey City. “Snow skiing, golf and the triathlon are a rage among Kamloops citizens. There is a lot of awareness amongst Kamloopsians about outdoor activities.”

Jeannotte herself is not a brand loyalist. For her, the absence of a brand tag on her gym wear is not a big issue. She like clothes that are comfortable, no matter who makes them.

But she says many people who have large expendable incomes really care about buying branded wear. Apart from its house-brand merchandise, she says Jersey City customers seek out brands like Adidas, Reebok, New Era, Metal Mulisha, Bad Boy, Silver Star and Tap Out.

“The trend in sportswear for women is seeing a change,” Jeannotte adds. “Earlier women had to be satisfied with boxer shorts. But now we see fitness apparel with shape and fit for women also.”

Jeannotte says sales of branded sportswear in Kamloops are also seasonal.

“Sales at the store depend largely on the game that is being played or a team that masses are supporting. For example, we see a surge in sales when the Canucks are playing the game. People are more motivated to buy sports-related items at such a point to show solidarity for their team. And we offer them the right type of garments and equipment.”

Brand sales are generally driven by heavy marketing, with ads carefully targeted at a certain age group of the society.

Workout and yoga gear are among the fastest growing segments in sportswear. For some, wearing fitness gear, even when not working out, is making a personal statement. According to Jeannotte, the preferred brand in yoga pants is Lululemon, whose pants typically cost more than $100.

“Most of the people want to spend for branded fitness wear once they have done a considerable amount of working out,” says Stephen Webb, director of  Bikram Yoga College in Kamloops. “They see shopping for themselves as a reward for their hard work.”