ABG Group (Prince) partners with TW

[floydcouncil]

Just received an email from a local Prince dealer!!!

Looks like TW will be taking over Prince. Wow............

"From its origin as a manufacturer of tennis ball machines, Prince has proved itself to be an industry leader in the innovation and manufacturing of performance racquet sports products. Tennis Warehouse is the clear innovation leader in tennis retailing and as such is the ideal partner for our U.S. business. ABG will continue to drive product design, R&D, marketing, and athlete exposure for our TeXtreme racquets, T22 footwear and accessories for all our distribution partners around the world. Tennis Warehouse will ensure that Prince is able to offer U.S. consumers the best products and shopping experience.

"The tennis industry, and sporting goods retail overall, has changed more in the past 24 months than in the past 10 years. Having brands with the history and tradition of Prince and Ektelon, that our customers know and value, is not only key to Tennis Warehouse but also important to the tennis industry as a whole. We take great pride in the strong relationships we have with all of our vendors. Those strong relationships allow us to tell their stories in a way that interests and excites our customers. We look forward to being able to tell the Prince and Ektelon story as it unfolds.”
-Drew Munster, CEO, Tennis Warehouse"

Discuss.....

 

[Noah Swift]

Wow....what a curveball. I mean obviously prince has had some decline lately, but it is still extremely prominent in the tennis world. Maybe this will be Prince's saving grace businesswise. Also, hopefully their strings will stay the same,and cheap.

 

[ollinger]

Looks like TW will be taking over Prince

ABG will continue to drive product design, R&D, marketing, and athlete exposure for our TeXtreme racquets, T22 footwear and accessories for all our distribution partners around the world. Tennis Warehouse will ensure that Prince is able to offer U.S. consumers the best products and shopping experience.

did we read the same thing here?? Ensuring "consumers the best products and shopping experience" doesn't sound to me like "taking over." In fact, it doesn't sound that different from what prevails currently. Sounds like ABG continues to run most of the show at Prince, not at all clear from any of this what the TW role is beyond sales. Even marketing is described here as still a function of the ABG group.

 

[mpournaras]

Yeah just keep Premier Power under 12 bucks and we are good to go!

Also is Textreme wasn't able to hold them up they will need to think of something special

 

[ollinger]

Tennis Warehouse is the clear innovation leader in tennis retailing

Drew Munster, CEO, Tennis Warehouse"

and speaking of innovation, Mr. Munster, it was two other Munsters, Herman and Lily, who were the first characters to be shown together in the same bed on an American TV series

 

[scotus]

I wonder if TW would become the sole US retailer (at least Internet-based) of Prince products.

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

and speaking of innovation, Mr. Munster, it was two other Munsters, Herman and Lily, who were the first characters to be shown together in the same bed on an American TV series

Supposedly the blond niece secretly shopped at Tennis *******. (I always thought there was something different and wrong about her.)

I'm glad Prince has a solid partner for U.S. retail. It would be a shame for rackets that good to be crowded out of the market.

 

[floydcouncil]

I wonder if TW would become the sole US retailer (at least Internet-based) of Prince products.

My earlier statement about "taking over" meant that TW will be taking over the distribution, not owning the brand. I believe that TW will be the sole distributor of Prince in the US, unless I'm misunderstanding the scenario.

I have a close friend who is a local Prince dealer (source of the email earlier today). AFAIK, they would be placing their Prince dealer orders through TW. Make any sense???

 

[langdon0555]

This has already been discussed in another thread...but here's a couple points.

Two of the main problems with Prince has been the manufacturing (as far as lack of having product available for the consumer to purchase), and their lack of marketing.

Since these two specific things are going to still be in Pronces' hands...I don't see how teaming up with TW is going to make much of a difference.

 

[floydcouncil]

This has already been discussed in another thread...but here's a couple points.

Two of the main problems with Prince has been the manufacturing (as far as lack of having product available for the consumer to purchase), and their lack of marketing.

Since these two specific things are going to still be in Pronces' hands...I don't see how teaming up with TW is going to make much of a difference.

IMHO, ABG is nothing but a greedy naming rights holder who only wants their royalty checks from the name lessee.

 

[floydcouncil]

To set the record straight, ABG NEVER designed, marketed, promoted, developed anything Prince. It was all done by someone else using the Prince name (and paying for naming rights).
Manufactures didn't get paid; therefore, the production stopped.

 

[JohnBPittsburgh]

I actually received the email. There is a lot missing from what was originally posted.

As it stands. There is a lot of changes. I don't know what I am allowed to discuss. But I can guarantee, as a small dealer for Prince. I am done

Hopefully not....but not holding my breath.

 

[langdon0555]

I actually received the email. There is a lot missing from what was originally posted.

As it stands. There is a lot of changes. I don't know what I am allowed to discuss. But I can guarantee, as a small dealer for Prince. I am done

Hopefully not....but not holding my breath.

Would love more insight into what you know.

I'd say share away. If TW takes the post down, so be it.

 

[JohnBPittsburgh]

trust me, it's nothing exciting. All Prince sponsorships are terminated. Dealer products that are defective have until 4/30 to send them in. All current orders are cancelled. All dealers are basically dissolved...but there is a form to retry. I filled it out and said a prayer

Nothing fun for TT crowd

 

[ShahofTennis]

I remember hearing something about TW "demanding" that Prince offer lower prices exclusively through TW, or something like that, a few years ago. Needless to say, Prince is seeing dark days in the retail space. On the other hand, they dont disgust me by using terms like Graphene and Countervail in their products. Textreme, sure, is a fanciful name, but its just a weave of graphite.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

 

[ricki]

trust me, it's nothing exciting. All Prince sponsorships are terminated. Dealer products that are defective have until 4/30 to send them in. All current orders are cancelled. All dealers are basically dissolved...but there is a form to retry. I filled it out and said a prayer

Nothing fun for TT crowd

They butchered their milking cow: The EXO3 line back from 2009-2010. It was bet line of racquets off all time (and with NO BS marketing!!!)

 

[JohnBPittsburgh]

I liked their Textreme line also. I thought they were on their way. I am glad I still have some great frames from Prince, and stocked up on grommets

 

[themitchmann]

To set the record straight, ABG NEVER designed, marketed, promoted, developed anything Prince. It was all done by someone else using the Prince name (and paying for naming rights).
Manufactures didn't get paid; therefore, the production stopped.

Not exactly true. ABG has been running Prince for the last year.

 

[DUROC]

Hmmmmmm.........so what happens to the current Prince sales reps????? Heard that they have been told to return all stock, samples.......etc etc etc immediately.

Will TW become the only supplier of Prince products? Will sales reps be let go?

Interesting where this is going

 

[floydcouncil]

Hmmmmmm.........so what happens to the current Prince sales reps????? Heard that they have been told to return all stock, samples.......etc etc etc immediately.

Will TW become the only supplier of Prince products? Will sales reps be let go?

Interesting where this is going

Reps have to purchase their sample stock. Did you know that?

 

[ShahofTennis]

Shame really, a few years ago Prince would invite the top selling retailers of their products out to a fun shindig at the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

 

[kimguroo]

The information did not say TW will take over prince.
I don't think TW has money to buy prince.
Sounds like TW wants full retail control from ABG. More like US exclusive prince distributor.

If TW takes over prince, TW might put themselves to serious financial crisis within 10 years in my opinion.

ABG needs someone who can turn around this mess. seems like the company is running by inexperienced people......

 

[dgoran]

I see I already lol:

Andy will be switching to new model of 100p

Reviews will be off the charts for entire prince lineup.

Chris and a Michelle will both switch to prince equivalent of what they are using now.

 

[DJ-]

I see I already lol:

Andy will be switching to new model of 100p

Reviews will be off the charts for entire prince lineup.

Chris and a Michelle will both switch to prince equivalent of what they are using now.

A couple of playtesters already use the tt95 and they rated that frame and others pretty high... But yeah, I can see some "Big three brands" type ratings to follow... ;-)

 

[mugener]

Will TW announce this anytime soon?

 

[ushynoti]

Just bring back all the Prince Original Graphites in 93, 100 and 107 and TT Warrior and we are good to go! Forget all the other frames they've made!

 

[JohnBPittsburgh]

The TT95 is a great frame!!!
I am not sure if TW will be a sole distributor or they will just take control of dealers as well (that would be sweet if they are not sole distributor)

 

[DJ-]

John you are missing 'anything prince' from your sig...

 

[JohnBPittsburgh]

It's because I feel like my continuous support for the last 3 years was met with an email saying go f*** yourself

Plus the LTD's have propelled me to the promised land!!

 

[DJ-]

It's because I feel like my continuous support for the last 3 years was met with an email saying go f*** yourself

Plus the LTD's have propelled me to the promised land!!

You have always loved the ltd's.. I'm sure the mail wasn't personally directed at you though... It would be still good to be acknowledged for the hard work and loyalty.... Maybe they will give you the two new phantoms....

 

[JohnBPittsburgh]

I can dream....

 

[ollinger]

Plus the LTD's have propelled me to the promised land!!

Pittsburgh??

 

[JohnBPittsburgh]

Lol,Yes!!! Pittsburgh is the promised land!!

 

[themitchmann]

Hmmmmmm.........so what happens to the current Prince sales reps????? Heard that they have been told to return all stock, samples.......etc etc etc immediately.

Will TW become the only supplier of Prince products? Will sales reps be let go?

Interesting where this is going

The sales reps were all let go from the company

 

[JohnBPittsburgh]

Yep. confirmed sadly

 

[mugener]

Will TW be the only AD in the world/ N. America and there's no more other AD's?

 

[JohnBPittsburgh]

That is the million dollar question

 

[ollinger]

The sales reps were all let go from the company

The future is now. The "what's your territory" sales rep won't disappear from the economy entirely any time soon but they're gradually being replaced by webinars and podcasts in the same way that in-class professors are being slowly, but not entirely by any means, being replaced by online classrooms. Sales rep loses its meaning over time as more and more of the economy takes place on the internet.

 

[Crocodile]

In Australia they partnered with Tennis Only (TW affiliate) but it was uncertain that this was confined but maybe now things might be different.

 

[DUROC]

That's what I was told as well.........was not sure if true or not.