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23/10/11. Support your local surf shop. I recently visited a few shops not only in the South West, but metro areas as well, just to see how things were going. We all here about the doom and gloom in the retail sector and wanting to find out how true it was, I thought I would ask those who it affected the most. "Mate I have people coming in here, trying on stuff and then the cheeky bastards tell you right to your face that they are just trying it on to see if it fits so they can buy it online. Myself or my staff have just spent the last 10 minues trying to help them out in getting the right size, fit etc and they tell ya that. Some even with a smirk on their face", said one shop owenr who did not want to be named. Here are some findings from my visit to some shops: A lot of shops are feeling the pinch big time due to online sales, by the brands they have supported over the years to put them where they are today Some are having problems with potential customers coming in trying on Wetsuits, clothing etc and checking out prices on ther products, then telling the shop staff they can getter cheaper online or are trying it on to order one online All at the expense of the shop owner. Say you owned a shop, you have to pay the staff to work there, you have to pay for overeads (rent, electricty, water rates etc). Then you have to sell the product to pay for all of these, while competing with the large surf companys who are selling the same product that you stock, in some cases cheaper online from their companys website. Add to this, you as a shop owner are dictated to by these companies in what your summer, winter, spring or autumn order is going to cost you. Thats right, you dont tell them how much you want to spend on product, they tell you! You then wait for the product to be delivered, but in some cases, some of the surf companies have already got the products you are waiting for advertised online ready to order from them before you have recieved the same product you are wanting to sell. What this does is grabs the potential sales from a surf shop that stocks their products. Doesn't seem right does it? Here are the surf shops who have been supporting these large companys over the years, putting them where they are now and now the surf shops have to compete with the company who's products they stock. You would think these large surf companys would do the right thing and give the shops a split of the profit on the sale to the shops in the area from which the online sale came from. What this would entail is the large surf company gets their normal wholesale price that they sell to the shops, of which they still make their normal profit margin and the shop or shops who they snaffled the sale from in that area gets the rest. Then everyone would be happy add to this the fact that in recent years we have even been seeing these large surf companys open what they call "Concept stores" right next to some of these surf shops who have been supporting them all these years. Get into your local surf shop, jump in your car, bus, walk ride and do your shopping there. There, where you can feel, touch, try it on and get to know the people who own your local surf shop. They are ones that are trying to create local employment opportunities by employing staff in your area. And don't stuff them around by going in there trying on stuff and then going online and buying it. Reverse the role, how would you like it if people came into the surf shop you owned and did the same to you. |