A Message From Our Founders
As we approach the halfway point of another year which has been challenging and thrilling in almost equal measure, it feels like an opportune moment to step back and reflect. The last six months have brought the gradual reopening of society and the economy from the Covid pandemic, albeit this has been swiftly following by global supply chain disruptions, highest in a generation cost price inflation and an impending UK recession – not an easy time for any consumer focussed brand.
However, we have always had the mindset that challenges are purely an opportunity to get better and that challenger brands have an inherent advantage versus larger incumbents by being agile in dealing with changing external landscapes. We have embraced these tough times and Castore is a far stronger brand for not only surviving but continuing to thrive this year. As one Castore athlete once said, tough times don’t last but tough people always do!
As always, a business’s success depends on so many different groups, from staff to factories, investors, banks and team and athlete partners – but there is nobody more important than our customers. You are the people who make it all possible and allow us as founders to live our dream. Thank you for your continued support.
Below are a few of the notable highlights from the first six months of 2022. It’s been a fantastic year so far and will have every confidence there is a lot more to come. We hope you enjoy your Castore products and thank you again for being with us on this journey.
Tom & Phil Beahon
Castore co-founders
Better Never Stops!
Rangers historic European run
Rangers are a special football club for so many reasons. The fans, history, passion, the global brand recognition. When people describe Rangers as an institution rather than a club they are not wrong. Having had the joy of the club’s 55th title last season, our first in the partnership, the season’s run to the Europa League final has been a rollercoaster of emotions – we were at Ibrox for the games against Borussia Dortmund and Red Bull Leipzig and the atmosphere for both matches was unlike anything we have ever experienced – the raw emotion and elation was truly something to behold. Although we didn’t get the result we all wanted in the final in Seville, the memories from this season will never be forgotten. We genuinely feel so privileged to experience these historic moments and be part of a new chapter in this great club’s history. There is no greater embodiment of our Better Never Stops ethos than Rangers Football Club.
Being part of the NUFC renaissance
There is nothing better in life than being part of building something – everyone wants to be successful and as a society we celebrate the end result of success but very rarely do we embrace the journey - and it’s the journey that is the most rewarding. The setbacks, challenges, risks and opportunities - working with people to collectively create something that has never existed before – is what a partnership truly rewarding and this is exactly what we have with Newcastle United. A phenomenal club with special history and fans; being part of the journey as Newcastle look to return to challenge for major trophies for the first time in a generation is a genuine honour. At Castore we see ourselves as challengers and we love being in a fight together with our partners. The coming season has the potential to be one to remember.
Seeing our home nation wear Castore for the first time
When we founded Castore, our dream was to create products that were good enough to be worn by world-class athletes. We wanted to create the number one premium sportswear brand in the world and we knew that this would only be possible if our products were undisputedly better than our competitors. This is the ethos that has driven us from the very beginning and five years later to see the England Cricket team run out at Lord’s wearing Castore inspired feelings that are difficult to articulate. What started as no more than a pipe dream and two guys with very little experience and even fewer resources has resulted in a moment we will remember forever – a good lesson that grit, determination and desire go a long way in life. The England team’s recent performances against New Zealand have been nothing more than spectacular and the aggressive, attack-minded style of play almost perfectly mirrors how we try to run Castore. Long may it continue.
Exceptional success of McLaren F1 launch
Our first partnership in F1 has been truly astonishing in terms of its global reach – we have both been big F1 fans for a long time and knew it was a global sport but we have been taken back by the level of passion within the McLaren Racing fan base from all corners of the earth. From Australasia to Canada, the Middle East to Africa, the deeply emotive community this team has is astounding and it has been fantastic to see the positive feedback on Castore’s first kit for the drivers. Lando and Daniel are two of the most recognisable faces in the sport and as well as amazing sales of McLaren product we have seen a major increase in Castore brand awareness in markets we had never before had a presence. The McLaren Racing focus on engineering, performance and marginal gains is perfectly aligned with our own Better Never Stops philosophy and there will be a lot more we can learn from our partners at McLaren in the months ahead. We love to be challenged and McLaren will make Castore even better at what we do best – create products for world-class athletes. The upcoming limited edition Silverstone collection is one not to be missed if you’re a racing fan.
Relentless commitment to innovation
It would be impossible to finish a note on the first half of the year without specifically calling out product innovation – new product development is absolutely central to everything we do at Castore; it’s our way of standing out and staying ahead in a fiercely competitive environment. We have released a 2.0 version of our Pro Tek collection and in our opinion, this range stands head and shoulders above anything else in the global market – made from lightweight, highly flexible, highly durable fabrics and tested by elite athletes, these are the ultimate everyday training garments for those who demand the best. A huge amount of energy, passion and commitment goes into creating these products and we are incredibly proud of the team – the Pro Tek range is a testament to their skill and resilience. This summer will see several additional launches fusing Castore’s commitment to unique performance fabrics and engineering excellence with a more lifestyle focused design ethos so keep your eyes peeled for those.