January 6, 2006
Merchandising 101 Part II: Softgoods Merchandising
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding Business June 2004
Skateboard apparel and softgoods can be a bit trickier to sell through than hardgoods. As usual, shops always have to deal with varying brands being popular from region to region and season to season.
January 6, 2006
Merchandising 101: Hardgoods
Simple ways to sell more.
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding Business April 2004
Despite Element's Bam Margera pro models or Flip's Really Sorry DVD flying off the racks of skate shops around the world last Christmas, or a hot new colorway of eS Accels or DC A.V.E. pro model shoes blowing out the week they arrive in your shop, most items in your store aren't going to sell themselves. Particularly in this day and age when customers, especially kids, are far more sophisticated shoppers than they were fifteen years ago.
Today's skateboard shop merchandising is more than placing product in a case or on a rack or wall. It's not only how you place product, but where you place it and what you place it with. Good merchandising is creating an environment—a retail space that reinforces the brands' message while maximizing sales.
January 6, 2006
Simply For Skaters
Vancouver skateshop has a unique approach.
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding Business April 2004
When it comes to skateboarding, Vancouver, British Columbia is a city known for it's parks, scene, and producing its fair share of talented skateboarders. Michelle Pezel and Girl professional Rick McCrank wanted to do something different for themselves and for skateboarding in Vancouver. The result is a skateboard shop and art gallery known as Anti Social, located just outside the downtown area in East Vancouver.
January 6, 2006
Resurrecting the Tech:
Should we expect a resurgence of more technical, pricier skateboard shoes in the near future?
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Business December 2004
Interesting factoid alert! Nike sent me an email super pissed for not including them in this article. If I wasn't cool with the guy who wrote it, I would print it here. So funny. The last article I asked them to be in before this one, my Limited Edition Shoes piece, they refused to be interviewed for, so why would I bother? The rejection is just too much for me to take these days! Oh well, what can ya do? All has since been forgiven and forgotten. I even own a few pairs of Nike SBs. Enjoi the article.
Long gone (well, at least a few years gone) are the days of the uber tech, basketball-inspired skateboard shoes and shelling out close to $100 or more to get them on your feet. But remember that skateboarding has always been cyclical in nature, which means that, much to the chagrin of many in the core industry, the “tech-looking” skateboard shoe may very well see the light of day again. But is “tech” a fashion-related look or is it a design and function issue and how do the two coexist in modern skateboarding footwear?
January 6, 2006
I Want My P.O.P.!
There's a purpose to point of purchase propaganda.
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding Business April 2003
There is no escape.
Posters, banners, hanging mobiles, sun catchers, stickers, dominos, light boxes, benches, inflatable “whatevers,” bottle openers, key chains, beer-can coolers, racks, stands, shelves, displays, and on and on.
This is the propaganda known as P.O.P., and you have little control over its arrival.
It's the stuff you either love or hate when it's delivered to your shop or your warehouse. It's the decorations worth making room for on the walls or filling the dumpster with before they see the light of day.
As much as some P.O.P gets us stoked, we often view P.O.P. as “junk” or “disposable.” We may even take it for granted. Although our shops, warehouses, trade-show booths, and bedrooms would look pretty bland without it.
January 6, 2006
Unbreakable:
New York-area companies and shops rebound after September 11.
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding Business January 2002
New York is probably one of the most resilient cities in the world. So it comes as no surprise that the skateboard industry and community within the city is equally resilient. The September 11 terrorist attacks affected everyone, especially New Yorkers and the companies that do business there. Local skate-shop owners and skateboard manufacturers were no exception to this, and after speaking with some of them, it seems more than obvious than ever that the skateboard industry's current ability to remain minimally affected by economic strain is quite remarkable.
January 5, 2006
So I wrote the Tampa Pro 2004 article for TransWorld back in March of '04. I ended the article with the following paragraph:
And finally, the Bastien/McCrank show—first and second place, respectively. Rick had consistent runs full of lovely maneuvers— the backside tailslide nosegrab around the bowl corner was especially delightful, as was his 360 flip over the pyramid. But Bastien Salabanzi went above and beyond contest skateboarding, combining the hardest tricks and doing them every try. Big spin flip over the hip, tre flip up the step-up gap to kickflip fakie on the quarter to switch heel down the step-up—all in the blink of an eye with no push or setup time, full Cab kickflipping the pyramid every try. No joke, he must've landed this 50 times over the course of the weekend, which is something most people wouldn't do more than once at this stage in the game. Perhaps Bastien's “self cheering” and alleged ego are a little much to stomach at times, but the kid is young and his skating is undeniable, so hopefully the other stuff will pass with time. Congratulations to Bastien and everyone who left happy, and thanks to Brian Schaefer for always hosting a sick event year after year.
January 2, 2006
Finally put all my Goofy vs. Regular 2005 footage together into one clip.
January 1, 2006
Just put all these clips into one video with a nifty little tune for y'all. Leo Romero and Austin Stephens from the Sole Technology / etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest Holiday Festival on December 16.