‘We’re Competing With Other Brands’: Sutton Applies Competitive Drive To Verbero
Verbero Owner & CEO Andy Sutton doesn't jostle for position in the blue paint or vie to win puck battles along the boards, but the 676-game NHL veteran does keep his competitive spirit alive in the business side of hockey.
“I definitely miss the competition at the highest level. There’s nothing that can really check that box, to lay it all out there and be part of a team at a high level. But that being said, especially with the team that we’ve grown at Verbero, there is competition there,” Sutton told TSN 1260’s Tom Gazzola.
“We’re competing with other brands. We fight every day to make sure we’re at the forefront of change and that we’re at the forefront of progress and can take better care of the customers that entrust us. For me personally, similar to when I played, you never stop trying to perfect your craft. It’s the same thing with a brand. Working every day to make sure that I’m making the brand better, making sure the products are better every day, making sure we have more automation and better service.”
Verbero challenges the traditional approach to team servicing with innovative and progressive proprietary software, such as Verbero’s Online Team Store Program. Clubs, organizations or associations that partner with Verbero have the luxury of obtaining team-decorated equipment and apparel 24/7/365.
“With our programs, having the only online dedicated team stores and that proprietary software, we’re always working on making that a better interface for the customer and making sure there’s more automation in there to streamline the process and have better customer satisfaction,” Sutton continued.
Unlike typical hockey brands, Verbero streamlines its gear and apparel to offer one amazing product in each equipment category. The Mercury V350 Composite Stick is the lightest on the market at 350 grams, the Mercury Pro Gloves blend comfort with durability and the Mercury Pro Pant provides pro-level protection in four different colors.
“We just want to make sure we always have the best in class for every product category,” added Sutton. “That’s an endless pursuit. We’re very different from the other brands where they have a multitude of products that are, essentially, all the same and who are just trying to stuff the retailer with options that are versions of, basically, the same product. That’s not what we do. We want to work directly with the customer. We want to pass on as much savings as we can and want our products to be up there with the best products in the game. In a lot of regards, we have those products and offer them at dramatically reduced prices compared to the competition.”
