Stephen Curry Teams Up With Storm Reid On International Women’s Day Curry 7 Colorway
Buy the B Amazing: https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/pid3023595-500?iid=hero&iidasset=FW19_BBALL_CURRY7_500_PRM
Source: International Women’s Day 2020 and Curry 7 B-Amazing colorway
I was out doing shopping to see which brands are beginning to pick up momentum heading into spring and surprisingly there were several shoes in resale that I could have purchased. There weren’t many people out at 10 in the morning and that is to be expected and here in Memphis, even with announced cases of COVID-19, all of the stores are open and this weekend a number of stores did solid numbers, but comps were down across the board. I was looking at the price in resale on every brand and as expected Under Armour isn’t even resonating in the resale arena at all. I’m sure many people think that UA has never been a hot item in resale, but that’s not a correct assessment. UA at one point was resonating:
As resale began to shift, Under Armour’s focus on Connected Fitness and digital distracted the brand from continuing to deliver content around Curry. With the dad shoe debacle of the 2.5, UA was still being bought by teens and more important kids were asking their parents to buy the kicks. UA had a presence on shelves in both Foot Locker and in urban accounts, but adidas’ resurgence had already disrupted UA and led to the Three Stripes moving to the front of the store. Orders slowed for Curry and by the end of 2016 every account carrying Curry kicks kind of dried up overnight it seemed. By 2017 it was over.
That’s a different story which requires a considerable amount of analysis and isn’t the point of this post, but it is, kind of. The B Amazing Colorway made in conjunction with the actress Storm Reid and Under Armour’s team for International Women’s Day was dropped this weekend. Many of the activations were in the Bay Area and they include scholarships for girls, as well as short films to inspire girls. The work being done is important and needed, but in the Bay Area alone, this is my opinion, the brand couldn’t expect to sell more than 500 pair… and that’s a high number. Events for girls are often not supported and attended in big numbers. While UA did a good job of announcing the event via social, the engagement on posts weren’t very strong:
Twitter: 72 likes 13 retweets with 3 comments (all negative)
Inspired by actress @stormreid’s #Bamazing initiative, @StephenCurry30’s latest colorway celebrates the next generation of girls. The International Women’s Day #Curry7 is available now. https://t.co/sG4o4KN2iz pic.twitter.com/gcWCQxWjZQ
— Under Armour (@UnderArmour) March 6, 2020
Facebook: 148 reactions 9 shares 5 comments (all negative)
The Curry 7 is actually one of the better looking versions of his shoe. The problem is multifaceted for why the model isn’t hitting resale and isn’t selling at all. The visual merchandising for Under Armour is non-existent at the only retailer carrying the brand in this region. The visual merchandising on the website is solid, but forgets to mention Storm and doesn’t utilize any video on the page.
As I browsed the store checking prices and speaking with sales leads Finish Line (JD Sports) has taken on the appearance of a UK store. The front wall leads with trainers (running inspired shoes). The wall then transitions into Jordan Brand and Hoops shoes in the back of the store. The B Amazing Curry 7 was in the back of the store with 4 pair on the wall. No commentary, no visuals, and no one in the store knew what the shoe was.
Under Armour is sliding considerably on the stock market and COVID-19 isn’t doing anything to help the brand internationally or at home; which is an issue for all brands. UA however has to begin to function like a startup. Right now the brand is the last option for anyone looking at footwear for sport or casual (in my research). The only UA door in our region is the outlet mall store at the Tanger. It’s right across the walkway for Nike. Nike’s crowd is always a diverse mix of age and race. UA’s crowd is always White. When you enter the store the people on the floor are helpful and courteous, but the store itself is not merchandised in a way that delivers a product that is eye catching. It’s cramped and loaded with gear. Curry isn’t given any importance in the location and there isn’t anything detailing or giving info on UA tech. There isn’t anything interactive. The store looks like a Nike store. That would be fine if it was Nike.
I haven’t made an Under Armour prediction in a while. If UA doesn’t look at their real estate and consider a small store strategy I don’t expect anyone outside of California to carry the product in traditional retail outlets in North America. That’s a bold statement. When you factor in the volatility of the stock market and the disruption in the international market, the brand is balancing on the ledge with one leg. They can’t bounce back to off brand retailers. There isn’t anything to inspire connection with teens and adults. There aren’t any casual options for men and they aren’t connecting with women who are buying more workout gear than any other demographic. In the title I said UA needs more doors. Every brand is growing DTC, but yesterday an interesting thing happened with Reebok and adidas footwear. I was able to move pairs in resale. Why is this important? Resale is a strong indicator of brand heat. Reebok and adidas are doing better jobs of delivering smart product. New Balance is controlling the discussion in sport and Nike is Nike. UA isn’t registering in the resale market and they aren’t visible in stores. If UA doesn’t open smaller, smarter stores I’m predicting layoffs and outlet store closures for the brand.
All of this from walking in a store and seeing the B Amazing buried in a Finish Line with no one who could tell me what the shoe was.
These posts are catalysts for conversations and based on my own sales data and observations.