While spring riding is on the minds of most snowboarders, winter is still on the minds of Palmer Snowboards executives next winter that is. With SIA behind them and preseason sales well underway, the Palmer sales team is breathing a sigh of relief. 2006 sales are pacing above expectations, a welcome change from this time last year when the entire snowsports industry saw soft numbers, presumably from the below-average snowfall during the 2004/05 winter season.
“There is a lot of momentum in the hard goods industry right now,” said Kevin Addy, VP of Sales and Marketing for Palmer. “Everyone suffered last year and its good to see that trend reversing. Palmer early sales are definitely exceeding our expectations.”
Addy attributes the introduction of new price point snowboard models over the last few years for the renewed interest in the Palmer brand. Introduced in 2005, the Flash, Jade and Prodigy all retail in the low $300s yet offer riders the quality construction, performance and reputation that Palmers more expensive boards are known for.
Expanding on that concept, Palmer introduced the P-Line in January 2006 to the retail community and received an overwhelming response. Created with ease of selection in mind, the P-Line features all the performance and quality, without the confusing technical terminology and riding-style distinctions.
Most snowboards require the rider to determine their “riding style” before they are even on the mountain. The new P-Line boards dont make any distinction between freeride, freestyle or all-mountain. They are designed for people who just want to ride, making it an excellent recommendation for everyone and therefore, significantly simplifying the retail purchasing process.
The approach seems to be working for Palmer. Sales are already surpassing the companys goals and the majority of orders placed thus far include P-Line products.
On the other end of the spectrum, the $1,900, handmade Platinum LE also opened new doors to Palmer with high-end retail accounts. The Platinum is 100% carbon and is the benchmark of Palmer technology, innovation, playful performance and style. Its also the most expensive snowboard ever produced.
While its still early in the sales cycle, all signs indicate that growing the Palmer line in both directions was a good decision.
“Our product line evolution over the last two years has really created the stable platform Palmer needed for growth,” concludes Addy
