Leisure Trends Staffs Up Athletic Apparel Division

Boulder, CO, August 01, 2006 --(PR.com)-- Leisure Trends Group® continues the expansion of its industry-leading retail tracking service in the athletic and licensed apparel category, bringing onboard National Sales Manager Lynn Metzer and Retail Sales Analyst Jeremy Fancher.

“Leaders know that the future of profitability depends most on knowledge and industry trends,” says Leisure Trends Group President Jim Spring. “By adding Metzer and Fancher to our team of experts, we are armed to effectively deliver powerful data and insight to decision-makers involved in the development, marketing and sales of athletic apparel.”

Metzer brings an extensive background in sales management positions with international apparel manufacturers such as Skape Apparel LLC, Terry manufacturing Company, Kehl Wear Inc. and licensed sportswear makers Brazos Sportswear and Chalk Line Inc. Joining him is Fancher, who served as an onsite analyst with Information Resources Inc (IRI) and as category development analyst for ConAgra Foods.

“Metzer’s extensive knowledge in athletic and licensed apparel will be an asset to Leisure Trends Group as we further our presence in athletics,” said LTG Director of Sales and Marketing Julia Day. “And Fancher’s expertise in retail sales analysis – providing key insights and maximizing retailer and manufacturer profit – will prove invaluable to our clients.”

According to LTG RetailTRAK™ reports, athletic apparel retail sales grew 3.9 percent during the combined months of April, May and June of 2006. LTG’s expansion into the athletic and licensed apparel arena follows two years of developing and piloting the athletic apparel tracking service based on its established, successful model of tracking retail sales in a variety of other sports and recreation industries.

The absolute authority on sports, recreation and leisure in America, Leisure Trends Group has been helping clients understand the leisure behaviors and buying habits of consumers for over 15 years. Services and studies range from an examination of brand awareness to shopping habits, media preferences, purchase decisions and behavior, segmentation, price elasticity to customer relationship management and direct marketing. The company is known worldwide for LeisureTRAKâ, the definitive study of how Americans spend their leisure time, and RetailTRAK™, monitoring retail sales of sports equipment, footwear and apparel. Visit LeisureTrends.com for more information.

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