How US Polo Assn blends sport and retail to drive billions in global sales

With a resounding $2.4 billion in global retail sales in 2023, US Polo Assn, the official brand of the United States Polo Association, is reaping the rewards of its strategic expansion across continents, robust digital presence and investment in forging key partnerships.

In an exclusive interview, J Michael Prince, president and CEO of USPA Global, told Inside Retail about the pivotal strategies that have fueled the brand’s success.

“We have a balanced growth strategy with significantly increased market share in more mature markets such as North America and Western Europe while delivering exponential growth in emerging markets such as Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and India,” he said.

Prince said the brand’s global focus can be seen in its store network, which numbers more than 1100 stores worldwide. 

“For 2023, new stores and existing strategic stores around the world have been enhanced with a more elevated brand and sports concept providing consumers with an authentic experience when engaging with the brand,” he added.

Prince said the brand has a realistic target to reach 1500 stores and $3 billion in global retail sales in the next several years.  

Carving out a niche

Apart from being the official brand of the United States Polo Association, the brand supports polo clubs worldwide, global charities, players and equine welfare.

In addition, it is the top sponsor of the most prestigious polo events around the world, including the XII Federation of International Polo (FIP) World Polo Championship, US Open Polo  Championship and the US Open Women’s Championship, just to name a few.

“No other brand is closer to the sport of polo than the US Polo Assn,” Prince pointed out.

The brand recently inked a multi-year global deal with ESPN, and now several of the top polo tournaments in the US and the world are airing across the network’s multiple platforms.

“In addition to top tournaments, ESPN aired the four-part Breakaway series which offers non-polo fans the ability to engage with the brand year-round and learn more about the sport. This series recently won a prestigious Gold LIT Award,” he said.

Prince also stated that polo tournaments were aired on several strategic media networks that align with the brand’s international markets, including beIN Sports and Times of India.

“Partnerships with ESPN and additional international networks continue to bring the brand and sport of polo to a global audience, delivering on the strategic goal of building the authentic connection,” he said.

The challenges

While Prince acknowledged that the global marketplace remains challenging with inflation, high-interest rates, global volatility and consumers being stretched thin in terms of spending, the brand is sticking to its “aggressive” product, store, digital, and international growth  strategies to further expand its global footprint in key cities and markets worldwide.

Prince believes he has a great brand with an excellent price-to-value proposition, strategic vision and a global team that can execute, so despite marketplace challenges, he believes the future of the brand has never been brighter.

“The brand has successfully fused past and present for lovers of classic, timeless, and wearable, sport-inspired style. It maintains its unbreakable bond with the USPA and continues to be its official apparel partner,” he noted.

USPA now owns the USPA National Polo Centre (NPC), the sport’s premier destination in North America, and the 2024 season has brought record crowds and sellout Sundays.

The venue spans 160 acres, encompassing multiple grass polo fields, fine dining, tennis courts, stadium seating, a swimming pool and the NPC retail shop.

“The global retail footprint of the US Polo Assn is also expanding with the introduction of the Open Field store design worldwide, featuring large LED screens, showcasing polo games and lifestyle sportswear,” Prince explained.

According to him, digital strategies have been integral to the brand’s success over the years, generating record growth in e-commerce with some 50 brand sites in 20 languages in 2023. He said the brand continues to grow its presence with some 8 million followers worldwide.

“Late last year we launched the India flagship e-commerce website. This new site, along with the activation of other international e-commerce websites around the world, resulted in record e-commerce growth,” he said.

Prince said USPA Global also made other digital marketing investments, resulting in over 14 million views of the global brand site since its launch, from nearly every country in the world. 

The future

In August, USPA will host the Paris Games Polo Challenge 2024 at Polo Club du Domaine Chantilly. 

The event will feature a match between the US and France as a tribute to the matchup between the two countries at the last Paris Olympics in 1924. 

“In addition, we are ramping up for the exciting 135th-anniversary celebration of the USPA and the sport of polo here in the US. We will be activating major events and launches around the world virtually every month through 2025,” he stated.

The brand will also be launching a 135th-anniversary capsule collection. Prince said the trend is to be ‘everywhere your customers are’. That’s why its growth plan for the brand is to open exceptional stores in prime locations to support the online channels.

“The market is also seeing a strong focus on experiential shopping. We want our customers to come back to the stores for the brand experience which includes ease of shopping and great customer service,” he noted.

Prince wants to give customers the ability to pause and watch an exciting polo game with their friends. He also wants them to have a wonderful experience online. Overall, he wants the brand to be there for its customers anywhere and anytime they want to shop.

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