The sports-apparel sector is not immune to troubles facing the country's retail industry. It is a tough environment for consumers. And Kevin Hodgson, CEO of Holdsport, which owns the sport apparel stores Sportsman's Warehouse and Outdoor Warehouse, does not expect the pressure to lift in the medium term. While the retailer's target market was in a high-income bracket, the company was still feeling the pinch even if not to the same extent as in the lower and middle income brackets, he said. "Our business trades best when people are in a positive frame of mind ... when the Springboks are winning the rugby and the rand is strong and the stock market is going up and those emotions make it easier for people to shop." Last season was one of the worst for the national rugby team, which won only four of its 12 test matches. And while the rand stengthened just under 2% this year, over the past five years it was 72% weaker against the dollar - putting it among the four worst-performing emergi...
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