Over the summer, we had the opportunity to demo and review hockey tape provided by Hockey Tape Online. The tape we had the chance to use was better than similar tape we used that were purchased at a local hockey retail store. If you are looking to save money on something you use every time you skate, Hockey Tape Online is the place to go for tape, stick wax, and other hockey accessories.
Headed by Chris Healey, the web site opened nine months ago. Since we previewed their products in June, they have started to offer free shipping on orders. “The free shipping has impacted our business,” Healey said. “We have seen a growth in the area of our individual orders. It’s not as many orders as ones we get from teams, but it’s working”.
Hockey Tape Online operates as a wholesaler of small hockey products such as stick wax and tape of various sizes and colors. If you prefer wide 1.5 inch tape and you can’t find it in stores? Hockey Tape Online has it. And one of their tape suppliers, Jaybird, has gone through recent improvements to produce a better product for players to use on the ice. “The new lineup of tape from Jaybird has better durability and quality. They changed the compound on the tape to make it more adhesive,” Healey said. Healey also said customers who have used the new Jaybird tape reported better feedback and results compared to previous tape they have ordered.
Healey’s customer base includes parents who have multiple children playing hockey and teams at various levels in the hockey pyramid including junior and college teams. “The hard part attracting individuals and recreational players is getting them to change their purchasing their mindset. If players on an adult team chips in $3, players can come out with 2-3 rolls each,” Healey said. One feature Heasley and his team does when processing orders is to email customers to follow-up. This personal level of customer service is a good way to get feedback from customers. “I thank them for choosing us and inquire how they heard about us,” Healey said. “Our customers love the long shelf life of our products.”
Healey currently works with around 10 collegiate teams and six junior clubs. Equipment managers of those teams are sometimes a harder sale, because they have been in their position for 15, sometimes 20 years and like to use the same products for their players. But Heasley’s personalized approach has won over some. They would start with a sample or a small order and after seeing how well it performs is when teams start making larger purchases.
Hockey Tape Online’s product line is limited to stick wax and several different kinds of tape, but in the future could see them carrying other accessories like skate laces and mouth guards in bulk for individuals and teams to purchase and save money.
