all-time high.  So, how can retailers ensure that this continues in the long-run, capitalize on the widespread enthusiasm for women’s sports, and leverage it to achieve their financial and social objectives? Long term commitment paying off Sportswear retailers were particularly well placed to make the most of the World Cup, and boost revenue, foot traffic and customer loyalty during the month-long event. For instance, Adidas doubled its production of Germany’s women’s football merchandise compared to the previous Women’s World Cup in 2019. It was on the verge of selling out of stock – even though the country did not progress to the final stages.  Online sportswear retailer Fanatics similarly saw sales of women’s soccer products increase by over 80 per cent compared to 2019. And in Australia, Super Retail Group – which owns leading sport retailer Rebel – successfully forecasted the huge popularity around the event, and was able to translate this to increased product demand and sales. Rebel entered a multi-year partnership with the Matildas, Australia’s national team, in 2019, and opened seven World Cup pop-up stores in hero locations across Australia. Super Retail Group’s managing director Anthony Heraghty told Inside Retail that Rebel sold upwards of 60,000 Matilda jerseys throughout its campaign – with about 99.5 per cent sell-through – showcasing that its long-term investment in women’s sport is paying off in spades. He added that Rebel is also well-positioned to benefit from the significant boost in grassroots participation in football – across both genders – that is expected in the months and years to come. “Rebel is the place to go when it’s football season, and I think we’ll see both boys and girls lining up to get their footy boots as they start on their journey to becoming the next Matilda or Socceroo,” he said. “Rebel is so often the place that these athletes started, and I can imagine that the next generation will do that all over again. Rebel is perfectly placed to make the most of this, because they made the decision to invest in women’s sport years ago.” Planting the seeds years in advance Rebel’s managing director Gary Williams told Inside Retail that he travelled to Paris with the Matildas as part of the 2019 Women’s World Cup campaign.  Noting the team’s incredibly strong team culture and camaraderie – as well as its competitiveness and capability –  he believed that the World Cup had the potential to capture the nation in ways not seen since the 2000 Olympics, which was hosted in Australia. Rebel subsequently mapped out a strategic plan with trade partners, including Adidas, Nike and Puma, as well as Football Australia and Westfield shopping centres, where pop-up stores would be located. Shopping centres were chosen, he said, to bring football to the masses. Williams added that the brand took calculated risks –  as well as a whole-of-company approach around the Women’s World Cup, with the tournament being “the most remarkable experience, both personally and for the company.” In addition to its jersey sales, Matilda merchandise and paraphernalia sold at over 96 per cent sell-through. And, while the sale of merchandise related to strong international teams, such as the US, Germany and Brazil, was hampered by the fact that these nations were knocked out relatively early, the sale of England-related products beat expectations. In addition, Rebel sold over 85,000 Women’s World Cup footballs during the tournament, as well as over 4,000 balls that mimicked the football used for the World Cup final. This is a positive indication of the huge uptick in grassroots participation in women’s sport, which experts are predicting following the event. Rebel has launched its own program to promote participation in sport across regional and metro locations. Rebel Rookies enables kids aged 6-12 to try out international football, Australian Rules Football and rugby as part of a rotational program. Over 7,000 kids have participated in the program over the last 12 months – with Rebel planning to expand it into new codes, such as tennis and athletics. “We absolutely believe that a key foundation of our future is women in sport, [and] we see ourselves doubling down on that,” Williams said. “Shining light for the brand” It wasn’t just sports retailers who were able to make the most of the event. Colette by Colette Hayman, an Australian retailer which specializes in bags, jewelry and accessories, released a Matildas and World Cup collection, which included suitably themed earrings and scrunchies, backpacks and handbags inspired by the design of a soccer ball. Executive chairman Bernie Brookes told Inside Retail that its bag range performed well above Colette’s expectations, with its evening clutch in the shape of a soccer ball performing exceptionally well. The sale of Matildas earrings remained strong throughout the competition, with Brookes noting that Colette re-ordered this range twice. “It was our shining light during a difficult retail period,” he said. The tournament reaffirmed for Brookes the strong potential of relevant collaborations, with Colette considering future partnerships with designers and celebrities. “It adds new product potential in a business that works on newness and fashion,” he said. “[The World Cup] also reinforced what many already knew – Australians get behind sport and, even more now, women’s sport. It provides numerous brand association opportunities.” Meeting the needs of female athletes Absorbent apparel brand Modibodi has a strong track record of engaging in partnerships and collaborations with the aim of promoting participation and engagement in women’s sport. It recently teamed with Puma as part of its Change Room initiative – a physical and digital program implemented to encourage women and girls to stay in their sport of choice. The concept enabled people to swap their white or light-colored sport uniforms for a free pair of Modibodi’s black-leak proof active shorts, and Puma’s women’s fit football boots. Hosted on Sydney’s Pitt Street mall, a digital version of the initiative saw over 1300 women and girls sign up. Liana Lorenzato, Modibodi’s chief marketing officer, told Inside Retail that the Change Room concept highlighted the need for retailers to offer products that helped to keep women and girls in sport, and make it easier for them to continue playing while on their period. This was reinforced by data showing that three in five women had skipped playing sport, due to anxiety around having their period while wearing unsuitable uniforms. Lorenzato added that the retail industry has a significant role to play in driving engagement in women’s sport. “As the Matildas players have famously said, ‘you can’t be what you can’t see.’ The more visibility we have on women’s sport, the more that participation from upcoming female players will arise,” she said. Some of the ways retailers might tap into this market is by partnering with women’s sport charities and organizations, designing relevant products for female athletes, marketing women’s sport and activewear in a positive and inclusive way, and educating consumers about the benefits of women’s sport. While retailers may have hesitated to promote women’s sport in the past due to a lack of visibility and financial backing, there’s been a clear shift in sentiment following the Women’s World Cup. “There have been more and more calls for increased funding from a grassroots level up. The more noise retailers are making in this space, the more visibility we have, and the greater opportunity we have to keep girls in sport,’ she said. Preparing for the next event  But while Rebel, Colette and Modibodi have reaped the rewards of their involvement with the Women’s World Cup, they’re in the minority.   Danny Lattouf, partner and chief strategy officer at The General Store, which works with Rebel, told Inside Retail that many retailers failed to tap into the zeitgeist surrounding the event. “The Women’s World Cup was such an unknown entity for retailers, particularly in these uncertain times,” he said.  And while some retailers might try to rectify that now, and capitalize on the ongoing enthusiasm for the Matildas, and women’s sport more broadly, it may already be too late.  “Unless retailers are already running campaigns or initiatives around the World Cup, it ultimately comes down to product and service and if they weren’t prepared for it beforehand, they’re going to be behind the 8-ball now,” he said.  “It will take them months to be in the right position with appropriate products and services.” He pointed out that Rebel developed its strategy 18 months in advance, producing a docuseries on the Matildas’ rising star Mary Fowler and ordering a “crazy amount of stock”.  This ultimately paid off, with Rebel selling three times more jerseys during the Women’s World Cup than they did for the men’s tournament.  “It was an aggressive and confident strategy, but it backed their promise to deliver 400,000 new women to the sport by 2027,” he said. “They really put their money where their mouth is.”  For those that missed the boat, Lattouf pointed out that there are strong opportunities for retailers around upcoming sporting events – including the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games – which is set to take place over the next few years.  However, the time to start preparing for these events is now. “As a nation, there’s a lot more that we could be doing to help increase our sports participation rates and encourage our kids to develop a love of sport, particularly our young girls,” he said. “From a business point of view, investing in these community initiatives is an authentic and long-term way for retailers to engage customers and take advantage of the post-World cup momentum.”