Nike USA Home Jersey

With a lot of fanfare, Nike released the new USA Authentic 12/14 Home Soccer Jersey this week. To us, the shirt is astounding on two fronts:

1. It looks like it was designed out of the “Where’s Waldo” books
2. The astronomical price of $149.99 for the authentic jersey; $84.99 for the replica

As a direct from the factory supplier, sometimes we just scratch our heads at the pricing manufacturers deem reasonable to put on their products. Is there no threshold over the price points that are reasonable when it comes to licensed products? I often wonder what happens in the future as the prices creep to the moon completely defying gravity (and the economy). Will the authentic replica business soon die off like baseball cards who eventually prices themselves out of reasonableness? Or as we look at Google search results and see cheap-o companies show up with complete rip-offs for twenty bucks?

We’re often asked, “Why not simply knock the product off?” The answer is simple: Unlike other companies who gladly knock-off competitors, we respect the intellectual property and designs. If you love their jersey style, we believe you should reward them with your business; if you love our style, then reward us with your business.

We just know that without the cache of slapping the US Soccer Federation logo on jerseys that we have to be better on every front: pricing, customer service and delivery lead the way. We do everything we can to make buying soccer jerseys: easier, cheaper and faster.

For information about buying soccer uniforms, please visit Totally Soccer.

The Wannabe Rocker

I could have been a rocker. Based around my only stage performance (yes: big hair, zebra striped tights), I’m glad I didn’t. Instead, I began working in the soccer business in 1990 – over twenty years ago – and have spent more than half my life in the business. I have literally traveled the world for the game, been certified as an expert in the US retail soccer market and have outfitted a ton of teams through the years. I know soccer. I don’t know music quite as well.

When I started TotallySoccer.com, I aimed to solve the headaches buyers faced and strove to achieve a simple, guiding principle:

Totally Soccer makes buying soccer gear easier, cheaper and faster for our buyers.

For the last ten years online, I believe we’ve achieved that promise. But, while having a business conversation with a friend at a dinner party, he asked a simple question about our business: “Are you still easier, cheaper and faster?”

Boink.

I thought we were…but it had been quite some time since I had “checked in.”

For a month straight, I called every one of our “competitors” in the Top 50 search results from Google. I learned so much. Talk about industry blindness! As I listened to the explanations on the phone, I was struck by how hard we, as an industry, make it for buyers to purchase custom soccer uniforms. It is insane! Some of the pricing explanations required a PhD in mathematics and industry jargon like “availability” and “life span” left me with a headache. It made no sense. I truly felt sorry for soccer buyers.

I also hopped on the phone and spoke with our customers – and non-customers. I wanted to learn why people loved shopping with us. And, perhaps just as important, I wanted to know why potential customers selected another vendor. People were brutally honest. And, being from Philly, I really liked that in my calls. I appreciate everyone who took the time to speak with me.

This experience dramatically changed my view of our business – for the better. I want to share with you five of the changes we’ve made at TotallySoccer to ensure we continue to lead the soccer market: easier, cheaper and faster.

Guaranteed by Game Day

The #1 headache that team buyers face is receiving their uniforms by Game Day. During my calls, no one would pin down exact timelines of when I could receive my uniforms. The best answer most companies gave was a timeline of, “It takes about two to three weeks, so you should be good.” If I was a buyer, this isn’t good enough because it provides me with no certainty.

Our manufacturing processes are so good…so tuned into exactly what we do…that we’ve rolled out “Guaranteed by Game Day.” We know our production cycles as a manufacturer of the product and the printer of the product. We control every aspect. And, unlike other companies who will take your order and hope, we’ll tell you exactly when you can expect your uniforms.

There is no other company that packs this promise and puts their money where their mouth is. If we tell you you’ll have it by game day, then you’ll have it by game day. Guaranteed!

Free Means Free

Personalizing your team jerseys is confusing. It’s the reason why I include a free team logo and back number with your purchase. Since teams need it, it just made good sense to include it for you. Including a free number and logo saves teams about $7. In time, we also added a collection of 200+ stock soccer logos to help teams that didn’t already have a logo.

In order to print a logo, you have to prepare the logo and setup the machines. As a result, there was a $25 fee to complete this process. And, then you have to print the logo – which is included for free.  While this setup is a real and tangible cost, it is hard to explain to customers, negates the concept of free and confused buyers. After listening to some of our competitors try and explain it, I decided to drop it. You flat out needed a PhD in Physics and Aerospace Defense to figure it all out.

Ultimately, I figured that if I couldn’t understand how other companies price their products than you couldn’t either. And, even though it would cost us money, I wanted the process to be easier for our customers and cheaper. So, we dropped the art setup on your free printing of your pocket sized logo. This saves teams an additional $25 – and more importantly, it makes it easier on buyers.

We’re the Experts & Better Act Like It!

One of the first postcards I ever developed included, “We specialize in first-time buyers!” I wanted to sincerely convey that we really understood how to outfit teams and clubs and would take you by the hand to explain the process and make it easy. Buying soccer uniforms shouldn’t be hard! Even though I think we have the best-trained salespeople, we’re investing in additional training. We’re the experts – it’s what we do everyday. And, our goal is to make it as simple and easy to understand. Unlike selling other people’s products who we’re unfamiliar with – we can guide you to the right soccer uniforms for your team. Additionally, we’ve invested a ton of resources on the website to help better explain and show our products. We realize that most of our buyers are volunteer moms and dads or part-time coaches. You don’t do this for a living; we do. Let us help guide you.

Investing in Manufacturing Decreases Costs

With a difficult economy over the last few years, customers have been focused on squeezed budgets. Our business is laser focused on selling soccer uniforms to teams and clubs. We don’t sell retail product; it isn’t our business. With unemployment rates hovering at 10%, it means that 1.5 kids on every soccer team of 15 players have parents who are unemployed. We get it.

As a result, we dug into our manufacturing systems. We re-worked our product flows and crushed  inefficiencies.  We are able to pass those savings along to you. We’ve invested internally and it enabled us to lower prices to teams by more than 10%.  Our uniforms, packages and volume pricing represent savings of more than 25%. 25%!!

Through rigorous production testing we lowered our price breaks too on volume orders. Instead of price breaks being at 51, 201 and 501, we’ve pounded them down to 10, 101 and 251. There are no additional economies of scale we can achieve over 250, so smaller clubs receive our best pricing.

Not only were we able to lower prices in total, we were able to lower the price breaks too. When it is all said and done, teams can buy jerseys with free team number and for around $20 including delivery and uniforms land in the $30-40 range – delivered and packages in the $45 – $55 range (best value!). We’ll put that up against anyone in the industry for quality, delivery and value.

Published Business Hours

As stupid as this sounds, we’ve never had published business hours. We’re on the east coast and “normal” office hours are from 9:30 am – 5:30 pm. But, since we work with customers around the country, lots of times we’re here much later than office hours. As a result, we left it as an “open” item. It was stupid. I didn’t realize how frustrating it was to customers – but I sure did hear about it when calling customers. I’m sorry. And, I promise that we’ll return your call when you leave a message. We want your business!

Color Customize your Jerseys

Teams want unique looks on the field. We pioneered custom color soccer jerseys back in 2009. Due to our manufacturing capabilities, it’s become a significant part of our business because of the cost and the short lead time. We’re going to expand this program in 2012. As always, there are no surcharges and team uniforms can be delivered in about two weeks. You can check out our “Customizer” where you can design your own soccer jerseys.

On top of all the other great aspects of our business, we believe these 5 changes place us ahead of the pack when it comes to fulfilling our promise to you:

Totally Soccer makes buying soccer gear easier, cheaper and faster for our buyers.

We will continue to work as hard as possible to be the best choice for your soccer uniforms. Thanks, as always, for your support!

For information about buying soccer uniforms, please visit Totally Soccer.

Is Buying Local the "Right" Choice?

Buying soccer jerseys isn’t easy – even for experienced buyers who have successfully navigated the waters. Some buyers “wrestle” with buying jerseys locally versus buying online or through a catalog. I was on the phone yesterday with a customer and we were discussing the topic, so I thought I would share my thoughts.

I started in the soccer business at a local store, so I understand the challenges. As luck would have it, by being in the right place at the right time, I rose to Vice President of Operations for the largest chain of soccer stores. We had 35 stores. I’ve written training manuals, opened stores and been flown around to events by adidas and Nike. I’m really familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of these companies – where they shine and where they fail.

When I setup Totally Soccer, it was to solve the issues buyers faced. Successfully delivering team uniforms takes extreme concentration and attention to detail. Every order is different and every order is custom. A retail environment, where customers are walking in and out of your store, interrupts the necessary (and timely) work: orders are misplaced with vendors (or not placed at all), paperwork remains half-complete and printing errors occur due to the stop-start. Additionally, relying on third-party vendors like adidas and Nike takes control out of the local store’s hands. In speaking with buyers, this “perceived control” over the supplier is a driving force for buying locally. It doesn’t exist.

We work in an office environment by design. This is a huge advantage. We don’t have people walking into our location trying to buy retail items; we don’t sell retail product by design. The only “wonderful distraction” we have is the phone ringing to answer questions and take orders. This provides for laser focus on the task of delivering soccer uniforms exactly the way you ordered them. Layer on top the ability to ship your product direct from the factory and you have a dynamic 1-2 punch: a focused, team only supplier that provides all the benefits of buying direct from the factory.

Here’s how the comparison breaks down when buying direct from the factory with a Team only supplier:

• Better Pricing – We are able to keep the process simple and cost-effective. One area where teams benefit is through free personalization of a team logo and player number. You save $7 compared to what other vendors charge.
• Better Quality for the Price (Value) – Completely focusing on the team market means that you receive better quality for the price. You aren’t paying premiums for adidas and Nike for similar product. After all, we’re all using 100% performance polyester, so you’re getting great stuff.
• Easier – Never have to leave your desk or house and still have your jerseys by kickoff!
  
• More Control – By controlling production, we have the ability we aren’t depending on third-party sources to fulfill our uniform needs. Let’s face it, if adidas or Nike is out of stock, you and your local vendor are out of luck.
• More Flexibility – We can offer unique opportunities for soccer uniforms: custom colors and sizes from Youth Extra Small to above 2XL when needed. This provides solutions for every team and club out there.
• Speed of Delivery – placing your order locally takes you on this journey: your local store calls the vendor (maybe not as soon as you place your order), vendor processes order, issues pick, pack and ship orders, product is shipped to local store (delay), local store checks-in product (along with all their other deliveries), in-between phone calls, other orders, managing staff takes the product to a silkscreen printer to print your soccer jerseys (markup on printing drives additional cost), silkscreen printer works the jerseys into their production and prints the jerseys, local vendor makes arrangements to come and pickup jerseys. From there, they heat press the numbers and names on the back of the jerseys. Sometime in the distant future, you pickup your jerseys. Need 1 more? Good luck!

For information about buying soccer uniforms, please visit Totally Soccer.

Missus F Tending Goal

A great aspect of a small business is that we’re really nimble. There’s no “pushing it up the ladder” and “market testing” ideas. When something “feels right”, we’re able to make it happen from scratch. From concept to implementation, we’re usually faster than a few clicks of a mouse. Today is no exception.

Last Fall, Harold’s mum, Margaret, succumbed to cancer after a valliant and inspiring 5 year battle. She was someone who never let cancer stop her as she continued her pursuits without hesitation. In fact, the last time I was personally with “Missus F”, she was playing goalie during a mean ball hockey session on the back deck with her grandson, Hudson and me. Much to my chagrin, her competitive energy and magnificent goaltending won the day for them, as usual.

Today, we’d like to unveil a new color in the “KPR” called, “The Fortess.” This is a play on Margaret’s last name, Fortis. We will be donating $10 from the sale of every Fortess Goalie Jersey to support Breast Cancer research. We hope you’ll support this awesome cause – and get a great looking goalie jersey too!

Buy the Fortress Keeper Jersey & Save us from Cancer!

For information about buying soccer uniforms, please visit Totally Soccer.

An adidas fan

Growing up, I could have been the poster child for a raving adidas fan. I was nuts. The story of the UK teenager suspended from school because he shaved a trefoil in his head struck me as odd. Not because he did it, but because he got suspended. I did the same thing twenty years ago with my best friend, Scott Chalbert. We shaved trefoils into our heads before our Senior soccer season. Thankfully, I wasn’t suspended. But, I think you understand the depth of my passion.

Fast forward two decades in the soccer industry. I never thought I would write this post. When I was Vice President of a 35 store soccer specialty retailer, I used to get wined and dined by adidas, Nike, diadora – in fact, all of the major companies. Because of them, I’ve held the World Cup, had Tisha Venturini put her Olympic Gold Medal around my neck and attended every major soccer event in the best seats. I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for all these brands. And, as a general rule of thumb, I don’t speak poorly about my competitors. I think it makes you look stupid.

But, as an industry veteran and a seasoned soccer coach, this isn’t a slag on these companies. It’s a discussion about how their business processes don’t match the needs of team uniform buyers. It is an educational piece for our volunteer soccer buyers around the country – to avoid the wasted time and impending heartbreak. A lack of experience leads buyers to think all brands and team suppliers are created equal. It isn’t true. I’m a “soccer guy” first and I’ve grown far too tired of disappointed buyer after disappointed buyer calling here with similar frustrating stories. After all, it’s the reason I started Totally Soccer: to solve the buying problems.

6 Reasons Brands Fail in Delivering Team Uniforms

These companies are great retail soccer brands. In fact, I wear their soccer shoes and guards. But, they fall short at supplying teams and clubs with soccer jerseys and uniforms consistently, reliably and at affordable prices. Here’s an insider’s view of why they’ll break your heart:

1. Pricing – Now that I’ve been involved in manufacturing soccer gear, I understand the costs. And, we manufacture our uniforms here in North America – not over in China. When I examine some of the styles offered for sale, I can’t help but to think, “Outrage!” The price value proposition just isn’t there – even if they sewed the jerseys with gold thread! I guess all of those inflated dollars go to paying off their sponsored athletes.

2. Delivery – When the production process moved abroad, companies lost control of flexibility and responsiveness. A product planner has to project a year in advance how much product will be sold. And, there is no reasonable way to project it. This leads to situations where product is not available to ship to your local retailer when you need it most. And, if you’re a repeat team, what do you do then when you can’t get just one more for the new player? Toss them in the bag and scrap your uniforms in place of t-shirts. That stinks.

3. Available Colors – A common complaint we hear: After scouring the internet, you finally find a jersey that you love. Unfortunately, they don’t produce it in your team colors. The journey must start again wasting hours upon hours of your time.

4. Consistent Colors – With factories all over the world in places like China and Vietnam, there is no way to maintain consistent colors. As a result, you may have one shade of red coming from one factory and another shade coming from another factory. Who wants that? It’s called a uniform for a reason. Because, well, everyone is uniform – or not.

5. Sizes – A major frustration for buyers is that not all styles are available in every size. This severely limits your team choices. Imagine finding a style you liked in the colors for your team only to find out they don’t make it in the sizes you require. This is especially important for youth teams aged 9-15. Back to the drawing board and time wasted.

6. Discontinued Product – the industry term for this problem is “planned obsolescence.” Discontinuing product is a way for brands to ensure teams must buy new product – based around the brand’s needs and not your team’s needs. And, even when you pick a uniform with an expected lifespan (time frame the company says they will produce the uniforms), brands have proven time and time again that they don’t adhere to those lifespans. We receive calls all the time from frantic buyers whose team’s uniforms have been discontinued prematurely. You just can’t trust the lifespan; there is no consequence to discontinuing product early.

When you layer on top that team uniforms are sold through local retailers, you add another layer of complexity that adds to the unreliability. These retailers are at the mercy of product planning and proper execution by adidas to even have a shot to get you uniforms. Even if the stars align and everything is ready to go, it ships on a UPS truck from adidas to the local retailer. Once the uniforms arrive from UPS, the retailer has to check-in the product to make sure everything is correct. Then, they have to organize the uniforms by team, so it can be personalized. From there, it goes over to the outside silkscreen printer where it gets in line to be printed among the thousands of t-shirts. Many days later, the product is ready for pickup, which is then organized and delivered back to the retailer. The retailer checks the quality (I hope) and further personalizes with numbers and names. All of this adds cost and time to you receiving your soccer uniforms before kickoff.

Now, although it might be cool to shave a companies logo in your head, we at TotallySoccer won’t ask any of our fans to do that to gain exposure. We feel our long standing track record of producing a high quality soccer jerseys and uniforms and great delivery success rate does our marketing for us. But, if you still want to shave your head or tattoo yourself with our logo, let us know and we can send you a file with our image to get started. It’ll be way easier than the cardboard cutout I used from the side of a shoebox.

Here’s Why Totally Soccer is the right choice for your uniforms and guarantees your uniforms by kickoff!

For information about buying soccer uniforms, please visit Totally Soccer.

World's Largest Soccer Jersey

American Express may has it’s privileges. But, we’ll tell you that manufacturing soccer jerseys has a few benefits too – like being able to outfit any team on earth!

The flexibility to create really small – and really large – soccer jerseys comes in handy from time to time. As you can see from the “World’s Largest Soccer Jersey” (left), we can make some really big and tall soccer jerseys. [Sidenote: The jersey is not for sale – we use it at trade shows. People ask all the time if they can buy it.]

Anyway, we pride ourselves on being able to help everyone out. We have a series of best-selling kids soccer jerseys that we’ve made all the way down to Youth Extra Small. These are for the ultra pee-wee teams who haven’t quite figured out how to dribble a soccer ball that rises up past their knees. Nonetheless, we can get those kids on the field and looking like soccer players – even if they can’t quite play like Pele yet.

On the other side, we have to take care of our bigger players too. There’s nothing more uncomfortable than showing up to the beer league match and seeing the opposing team with three players in apparent mid-drift jerseys. All our adult soccer jerseys are available up to Adult 2XL. Depending on your body make-up and fit preference, we see the AXXL fitting players who are 6’5″ and 235-250.

With our manufacturing capabilities, we have produced jerseys up to an A6XL in very special circumstances. It was for a Special Olympics team and we were happy to tackle the challenge. On certain select jerseys, we have the opportunity to custom make larger sizes. If you or your team has this need, please contact us and we can walk you through the possibilities!

Available up to AXXXL (A3XL) – 30% extra:

Villa, Hudson

Available up to AXXXXL (A4XL) – 40% extra:

Copa, Chelsea

For information about buying soccer uniforms, please visit Totally Soccer.

Personalized = Printing

Custom = Creating a unique jersey based around the ability to select your colors

For information about buying soccer uniforms, please visit Totally Soccer.