Singapore (26/03/2013) – SureCatch World launched a new retail concept for anglers known as Catchbay at their international headquarters. The 3000 square feet angler-centered retail experience is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia and was developed by Consulus as part of SureCatch World’s strategic plan to offer unique experiences for anglers. Catchbay houses a variety of brands, features a technical support area for the purpose of repairing rods and reels and is staffed by a passionate crew who are knowledgeable about angling. The space will also showcase videos of fishing trips by anglers to foster a sense of community.
The concept fills a void in the region where products for anglers tend to be sold in an environment similar to that of a provision shop. Many angler shops are led by an older generation and so lack the appreciation of a good retail strategy and shopping experience to attract younger anglers.
Store interior of Catchbay
The pilot project is meant as a retail template for existing partners to understand how to upgrade their experiences or even adopt the full concept to remain relevant. SureCatch World plans to work with existing retail partners to gradually introduce Catchbay in South-east Asia.
“We don’t want to compete with our retail partners but at the same time, if we want to expand the pie, we need a more sophisticated retail experience to attract new customers. Catchbay acts as the catalyst to convince our stakeholders that change will help them in the long run,” Doris Toh, CEO at SureCatch World, said.
Crowding around a store demonstration.
As Asian brands move up the value chain from being distributors to purveyors of new experiences, innovation will be needed to make the change. Putting a new concept in place may be easy but sustaining it will be challenging.
“From our point of view, the challenge is always about sustaining the strategy as this concept rolls out in different phases. Helping SCW build up a strong marketing team was critical to Catchbay. The team, which was hired and trained by our strategists, was an important pillar in the execution of this plan. Further fine-tuning is still needed but it is a great start.” Lawrence Chong, CEO at Consulus, said.
Crew wearing the Catchbay t-shirt speaking with customers.
(L-R) Tang Yingchun, Manager for Strategy at Consulus, who led the project, Doris Toh, CEO at SureCatch World and Lawrence Chong, CEO at Consulus
The next step for SureCatch World is to study the data in terms of traffic and product sales. This will help partners understand how they can leverage on these insights and build better retail experiences.
