Global Sports Selected by Blades, Board & Skate to Develop and Operate the New E-Commerce Sporting Goods Store at WWW.Blades.Com
GLOBAL SPORTS, INC. (NASDAQ: GSPT), a leading developer and operator of e-commerce sporting goods businesses, and BLADES Board & Skate, a leading action sports enthusiast retail chain, announced today that Global Sports developed and is now operating the new the e-commerce sporting goods store at www.blades.com.
The new online store features a full line of in-line skates, skateboards, snowboards, and all of the related footwear, apparel and accessories for the action sports enthusiast.
Blades.com was previously operated by BLADES Board & Skate as a hybrid solution utilizing a third-party ASP technology provider while BLADES handled merchandising and fulfillment. The new Blades.com fully leverages Global Sports’ end-to-end e-commerce sporting goods solution enabling BLADES Board & Skate to remain fully focused on growing its successful retail business. Global Sports developed and operates all facets of the new online store, including Web site development, merchandising, order processing, fulfillment, inventory management, and customer service.
BLADES Board & Skate will promote the new Web site via its print advertising, radio placements, specialty sports marketing, and direct mail campaigns. BLADES Board & Skate will also integrate the www.blades.com URL into its in-store marketing at its 15 locations throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.
Jeff Kabat, President and CEO of BLADES Board & Skate, commented on the alliance, saying “Global Sports has consistently proven to be the leader in e-commerce sporting goods, and we are delighted about partnering with them to redevelop our online business. By partnering with Global Sports, we are now able to return our focus to our successful retail stores and allow Global Sports to provide our customers with a proven online retail experience.”
Michael G. Rubin, Chairman & CEO of Global Sports, Inc. commented, “We are excited to partner with one of the leading retailers that cater to the action sports enthusiast. BLADES Board & Skate has a strong brand and solid position in the Northeast market which are important ingredients to establishing a successful bricks-and-clicks business. We are also excited to see a continuation of the trend of sporting goods retailers with existing e-commerce operations transitioning to our solution, with BLADES Board & Skate representing the third such occurrence this year.”
About Global Sports
Global Sports, Inc. (NASDAQ: GSPT) (www.globalsports.com) is a leading developer and operator of e-commerce sporting goods businesses.
About BLADES Board & Skate
BLADES Board and Skate L.L.C. is the Northeast’s premier specialty retailer of existing and emerging action sports and their associated lifestyle products.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements made in this release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “guidance”, and similar expressions typically are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business of Global Sports and the industry and markets in which the company operates. Those statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions which will be difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. Factors which may affect Global Sports’ business, financial condition and operating results include the effects of changes in the economy, the stock market and the sporting goods industry generally, changes affecting the Internet and e-commerce, the ability of the company to maintain relationships with strategic partners and suppliers, the ability of the company to timely and successfully develop, maintain and protect its technology and product and service offerings and execute operationally, the ability of the company to attract and retain qualified personnel and the ability of the company to successfully integrate its recent acquisition of Fogdog, Inc. More information about potential factors that could affect Global Sports can be found in its most recent Form 10-Q and other reports and statements filed by Global Sports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Global Sports expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update those forward-looking statements except as otherwise specifically stated by Global Sports.
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Contact:
Global Sports Contact:
Michael Conn
(610) 491-7000
connm@globalsports.com
Blades, Board & Skate Contact:
Joel E. Silverman
(212) 807-6011 x214
joels@bladesmail.com
