Building a Better Way to Buy Team Gear and Uniforms -- SquadLocker

August 30, 2013

Todd Grant

SquadLocker has set out to build a progressive company, enabled by world-class technology and executed by a group of team gear experts. We are launching a business model that will make it easier for consumers, coaches, athletic directors and administrators to search for, select and purchase the very best team gear and uniforms at competitive prices.

Our humble beginnings

In the early days of our company, when we were focused on delivering a superior weather-proof garment as Turfer Athletic, we came to realize that there was an opportunity to broaden our offering of products and services to our existing client base. It was clear that teams wanted to purchase all of their athletic apparel and team gear from one source and that they needed expert guidance on available options and the best value products.

Our Vision: Being Able to Offer Teams Gear and Apparel for Every Sport in Every Season

To achieve this world class customer experience and endeavor to have a product and service platform that extends beyond just selling outerwear, we re-entered our Idea Lab and formulated the identity of a NEW–AGE Team Dealer experience; we named it SquadLocker™.

SquadLocker, team gear, uniforms

Turfer will continue as a product brand, but will not be sold direct to teams except through SquadLocker.

The Market Opportunity

In examining the market and reflecting on our own personal experiences related to purchasing things for our daily lives, we all concluded that buying decorated, brand name team apparel was an antiquated process, and there was a clear opportunity to elevate the buying experience from the analog, mom and pop feeling experience of the early 80s to the modern, customer-focused, consumer experiences of today. 

And while there are plenty of big box stores that offer great products and low prices, they can’t help the coach or team parent work through the myriad uniform and gear choices available or help them to understand the difference between heat applied graphics or embroidery. This valley between the modern approach of the big box stores and the touch and feel of a local provider illustrated an opportunity to combine the best of both. So, that is what we have set out to do: create a superior customer experience for buying team gear and apparel.

We envision this as a high touch, world class experience focused on product quality and decoration quality as well as information and customer care excellence. Together as a company we understand that making good on a promise may cost a bit more in the short term, but the lifetime value of a customer relationship will be far richer. 

Ultimately what was born from these early years and efforts evolved into the company we are today, embodied in our mission statement and our Customer Bill of Rights.

At SquadLocker, our tagline, "We Love Teams," says it all, because we have all been, at some point in our lives, members of a team. We are first introduced to the concept of a team during our younger years, where we learn the concept of fair play, integrity and mutual respect. Later on, many of us join different kinds of teams, like your family or a group of people you work with every day. Whatever team you find yourself on, the same rules apply: respect everyone, play fair (we call that integrity in the business world) and most importantly enjoy your experience. In other words, have fun and be passionate about what you do.

SquadLocker looks to take that same spirit of fair play and respect off the field and into our business, except winning, for us, means making sure we are pleasing you, our customer. We score points by delivering the product you expect on time; a field goal is a well-decorated garment, and touchdowns come when you recommend us to a friend or colleague. 

We are elevating the experience of purchasing team apparel, uniforms, equipment and fan gear to a new level, because excellent shopping experiences shouldn’t be limited to consumer goods websites like Amazon or Zappos.

Your budgets and hard-earned dollars deserve the same delivery of excellence that you bring to your team on and off the field every day. Even in our humble beginning, when we were manufacturing just a few different styles of jackets and using the local screen printer to decorate our products, we recognized the need to share our love of the customer with everyone we meet. So feel free to reach out to us and let us know how we are doing, and always let us know if we have fallen down on the job. We want to earn your business and your trust. Please check back often as we continue to roll out new services and products that will reward and delight you.


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