Lots of retailers still don't know what's happening.
A single exclusive retailer for 2013 would mean they won't need a distributor yet, and they're available for the Ashes. Might make sense, but can't be long term.
Romida Leatherhead @RomidaLthrhead 6h Very exciting news coming out of Romida HQ this morning! Romida will be exclusive stockist of @spartancricket in the UK
Available in 2 weeks
Was in at IJC today to chat with Paul after raiding the Oval shop of their stock.
I raised the point (and Paul had heard the same) that a lot of established cricket distributors/reps always talk about being close to a Spartan deal whenever we see them. One of them is still in talks despite Romida appearing to have got an exclusive deal.
I suggested to Paul that maybe Romida thought they were being clever/sharp by going to Spartan direct, but could they possibly have fallen foul of the same fake Spartans that stung Jason at Cricket Store Online a little while back?
The ropey stock photos, incomplete range and exclusivity all suggest it could be a possibility.
Spartan presumably spent big on signing Prior, Clarke, Gayle etc, so surely would want to maximise their sales in a cricket market as big as the UK? Exclusivity with a chain that nearly went bust seems a little odd.
This is all theory and gossip of course.
Either way, its a messy, late launch as i expected. There will be a mad rush on gear, and not enough stock to meet demand, leading to chaos.
I do like the look of the Matt Prior range though.