The Action Sports Retailer show held over the weekend in San Diego is always an exciting event and this years version was no exception. Only Outdoor Retailer has the same vibe, with the aisles filled with participants and enthusiasts who live the sport every day.
This year, the exhibitions found its groove again, after several recent shows of declining attendance and spirit. As we saw at MAGIC, the improving Back-to-School business is the tide that has lifted all ships. At the same time, Surf has emerged as a hot new fashion trend. ASR is the best place to see and understand this critical new look.
That said, there were few, if any, sporting goods retailers in attendance. SEW saw none, although the department stores were out in full force. It appears that our industry is once again going to let an important sports-related fashion story go to specialists. Sporting goods retailers and manufacturers will once again be left scratching their heads about why business isnt getting better.
The hottest booths were from the surf apparel brands, especially those with a female component. Surf industry figures now estimate that 25% of participants in surfing are women and girls. The hot brands were Billabong, Nikes Hurley division and Volcom. The Quiksilver booth, while busy, was not as mobbed in previous shows. (This fact was explained away as a timing shift, as the show came after the release of their new line.)
The withering skate shoe industry remains ripe for consolidations. Rumors abounded about brands closing and/or being sold. Many of the formerly hot exclusive brands just did not have much of a buzz going on.
Nikes skate shoe division, headed by VP Sandy Bodecker, had good traffic. It was clear that they are looking to move beyond the white-hot Dunk model, with a strong offering of new soccer looks aimed at the skater. The importance of the Dunk was re-enforced with most every other skate shoe brand showing their version. Surely the industry does not need that kind of duplication.
An interesting note is that, for an industry that represents such an extreme attitude and lifestyle, the footwear products are very “me-too” in concept and execution. Manufacturers and retailer cant seem to break out of the fat-tongue, fat-laced look. This conservative approach has held the industry back from reaching full legitimacy.
One brand, Nice Skate Shoes, a division of Jerry Turners American Sporting Goods, is trying to break the mold. Headed by skate industry veteran Laurence La Haye, NSS has come up with some very exciting new looks, both in design and materials, which could take the industry in a whole new direction. It remains to be seen if the reactionary tastemakers accept these new ideas.
Industry behemoth Vans seems to be shaking off the rust that sent its sales into a tailspin over the last several seasons. After having shed much of the ill-fated marketing ventures, and with a renewed focus on product, sales appear to be rebounding, albeit slowly. Now that the sporting goods industry has given up on Skate as a viable category, Vans must earn their place back in the value channel, where they have the majority of their business, and at the same time remain legitimate to the core skate consumer. Could be trickier than anything you see in the half pipe.
Hi Tec, adidas and Puma were also represented at the trade show.
>>> Once again, the industry misses an opportunity to reach out to a key sports demographic and to understand a new sports fashion phenomenon…
>>> Make sure to check out our first annual swim suit edition, free with your paid subscription. Of course, due to a limited budget and space, we will only be able to describe the suits to you…
