Fever’s hot for Cott

After almost five years in Subiaco, boutique sports store Sports Fever will open a second store next week on the corner of Railway Parade and Napoleon Street, Cottesloe.

It is an exciting time for business partners Craig Gaspar and Murray McIntyre, who have been looking at possible locations for a second store for about two years.

Mr Gaspar said Fremantle was an attractive retail location but the rent was expensive.

“We saw an opportunity in Cottesloe and knew there was nothing between Claremont and Fremantle,” he said.

“And we have a lot of customers that come to Subiaco from that way.

“A second shop in the western suburbs is a good thing.”

Mr Gaspar, who has been in the sporting industry for 20 years, said he would also like to look at opening in Fremantle and south of the river in the future, but acknowledged that “you can’t get too big, too fast”.

Because 80 per cent of Sports Fever’s turnover is sports products, the new Cottesloe store will carry both sporting and lifestyle goods.

“I want the Cottesloe store to mirror Subiaco,” Mr Gaspar said.  “It will be a mix of sport and lifestyle, about 70 per cent sport and 30 per cent lifestyle.

“We did follow the lifestyle path in Subi in a big way but it didn’t quite work out the way we wanted.”

Mr Gaspar said he was expecting a good 12 months ahead for Sports Fever and Perth sport retailers in general.

“The success of both of our AFL teams this year will increase business, so too will the introduction of the Super 14s and the Commonwealth Games next year,” he said.

“There is so much happening in our industry and, even when there is doom and gloom and people stop spending on luxury items, people will always do sport, go for a run or go to the gym.”

Getting the right mix is vital for a boutique sports store such as Sports Fever to compete in a marketplace that includes The Athlete’s Foot, Foot Locker, Jim Kidd Sports, Rowe and Jarman and Rebel Sport, according to Mr Gaspar.

“The biggest thing is getting the stock mix right and at good prices,” he said.

“There are so many little things we do that our competition doesn’t which makes the difference.

“Word of mouth, old school values and service is also part of it.”

Mr Gaspar said another key market for Sports Fever was the referrals from Perth’s physiotherapists and podiatrists.

“We receive about 100 referrals a week from more than 150 podiatrists and physiotherapists asking us to fit people with suitable footwear,” he said.

“Some from as far as Broome and Albany.

“We understand how to fit footwear and over the five years we have built a good reputation with the physios and podiatrists.”