BPSA, Leisure Trends teaming up

MONTGOMERYVILLE, PA (BRAIN)—The Bicycle Products Suppliers Association and Leisure Trends Group have formed an alliance to track retail sales through a representative group of more than 200 U.S. retailers.

While the details of the three-year agreement are still being ironed out, the primary structure is in place: BPSA will purchase top-line data from and endorse LTG’s retail tracking program. LTG will then market detailed monthly reports to industry suppliers. Reports are available now.

The BPSA has been collecting sales data from its member companies for decades, but this is the first time that the industry will have access to precise, representative sell-through data from retailers.

The National Bicycle Dealers Association had such a program from 1995 to 2004, but the dealer base was self-selecting and the survey relied on faxed-in reports rather than tapping directly into retailers’ point-of-sale systems.

LTG’s confidential retailer panel receives in-depth industry sales reports detailing category, class, brand and model in exchange for their participation. Retailers are invited to contact LTG if they wish to join.

BPSA president John Nedeau hailed the agreement as, “One small step for the BPSA and Leisure Trends, a giant step for the industry.

“The lag time associated with wholesale data just hasn’t let anyone respond quickly to market trends,” he added.

LTG has a well-established record in tracking retail data in other industries such as camping and climbing, snow sports, running, outerwear and sportswear, scuba, athletic eyewear, gyms and spas, paddle, surf and skate, and resorts.

"Adding a RetailTRAK for the bicycle business and being able to work with a forward-looking association such as the BPSA is one of the great developments in LTG’s business life,” said LTG president Jim Spring. “We are honored to be part of this important progression."

The BPSA requested proposals to create a retail data capture program in June. LTG’s proposal was selected over those of Gluskin-Townley Group and Boulder Sports Research.

Charlie Cooper of LTG will head up the sales effort to suppliers. “Brand-share retail tracking tells us the price the consumer paid, the retailer's margin and inventory on hand across all categories,” Cooper said.

—Ray Keener