ALL Another possible survival tactic is that a majority of these sites were founded by active women who already had the personal expertise to evaluate products, write copy, and answer customer inquiries in an informed manner. Title 9 Sports currently numbers 95 employees, including 17 former collegiate athletes and 5 national champions, according to its site. At Title 9 Sports, the majority of products appear to be unbranded, given the online store only allows visitors to search by category. It also humorously notes in its company history that the organization has no MBAs on staff and just acquired the first corporate copy machine last year. By contrast, Athleta features more name brands including Patagonia, SheBeest and Adidas, although it also designs its own bodywear and technical apparel for running and cycling.
Women have a hell of a time finding pants that fit - especially tall women.
She notes the company's catalog and site feature branded products that compliment vs. compete with their own private label line. The study monitored athletic apparel sold through both specialized and general retailers, splitting the market for women's athletic apparel into two main categories - clothing and footwear. Products measured were designed for use in competitive and recreational sports, including team sports, and equipment was not included in the report. Lipsey questioned the actual success in Web sales alone for women's sports gear, noting a decline in the last year of those who said they intended to purchase online. Factors such as the difficulty of returning merchandise, credit card concerns and the inability to find exactly what they wanted were among the major factors contributing to the problems online sites face when trying to cater to the women's sporting goods market.