With the demise of one of our local great surf shops it got me wondering are they now relegated to a past era, the electronic options to get boards and the local shapers now doing most of their work at their shed/factory/farmhouse, are we seeing a sad but real change in our culture.

yep i think your dead in the water,unless you broaden your scope of trade.other factors come into play like consumer confidence,location,local support,tourism,
competition.
for any business to work,, you have to change with times,have a good trademark and work hard.

All dross these days and has been for quite a while

an old mate of mine has a shop,,and is KILLING it. broaden your scope of trade

I was in the Shop Next Door in Manly this morning. They have clearly been listening to Cobra. Nice clothes, incredible boards and a lovely coffee / food outlet. It's always rammed in there and they are not cheap. Diversification is the key. Most surf shops the last 15 years have just been clothes stores anyway !

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Ted the Kiwi said..
I was in the Shop Next Door in Manly this morning. They have clearly been listening to Cobra. Nice clothes, incredible boards and a lovely coffee / food outlet. It's always rammed in there and they are not cheap. Diversification is the key. Most surf shops the last 15 years have just been clothes stores anyway !

Yep spot on ted,you can't afford to be a dinosaur.
most of my mates income is backpackers..yep tight arse backpackers…surf school = $$$$

like I said= dross



to answer the question without the superior advice attitude - yes







sell them a bucket hat the man said. we.ve got bucket hats coming out of our a##

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laceys lane said..
like I said= dross



to answer the question without the superior advice attitude - yes







sell them a bucket hat the man said. we.ve got bucket hats coming out of our a##

maybe you need to shop elsewhere if your only getting rubbish

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Cobra said..

laceys lane said..
like I said= dross



to answer the question without the superior advice attitude - yes







sell them a bucket hat the man said. we.ve got bucket hats coming out of our a##

maybe you need to shop elsewhere if your only getting rubbish

im really after a north coast cash cow.

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laceys lane said..

Cobra said..

laceys lane said..
like I said= dross



to answer the question without the superior advice attitude - yes







sell them a bucket hat the man said. we.ve got bucket hats coming out of our a##

maybe you need to shop elsewhere if your only getting rubbish

im really after a north coast cash cow.

some in noosa

That's why we need to support independent shapers and brands. It might cost a little more but the cashola def goes to a better home...

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AndyrooMac said..
That's why we need to support independent shapers and brands. It might cost a little more but the cashola def goes to a better home...

Your first statement I agree with , the next one not so sure !
My last custom was 3 ta 400 less than shop price for a similar product. each to there own eh.

For me at my stage in life a good surf store should represent surf culture.With a mix of old classic to new boards top quality brands.from fish,mid length and mainly longboards 3 or 4 different brands,locally made with some brands like Bing ,Amond and Tyler type brands.No imported cheap stuff there are many already doing this.
Add the surf culture like music,art and good original clothing from small independent companies.Also some surf lifestyle products, some home decor type products but not tacky lamps and stuff.Throw into the mix a great coffee cafe where people can hang out listen to good music wonder the showroom serve on board porn and I think it would be a winner. The old saying you build it they will come.In my travels there are some around,Noosa longboards was on the right track a few years ago not sure what its like now because I haven't been to Noosa sadly in years,there is a great store in Bali called Drifter Surf.Also one of the best set ups is The Temple of Enthusiasm Deus Canggu which has all the about,great coffee food beers,clothing boards shaped on site by some of the world best shapers which you are free to wake around the workshop,also the rat bikes on display are amazing which you can also watch in the workshop the build of these bikes,live music at night with a real party vibe.If you ever get a chance pop into this store mind blowing,the Deus stores here have good product but nothing on the one in Canggu.

I'd love to do a store like this without the bikes if I could semi retire one day.

Me two cents,,,,,I think that the core surf people your families that surf,guys in there 20's to 30's etc have cottoned on to surf shops the mark up on say clothes is ridiculous ...how many core surfers would buy a new stick off the racks geez I seen a channel island 5'10 that had a price tag of $980, if u surfed good the thing would last 6 months.....
Eg. U can go to markets and buy a black pair of walk shorts for 20$$ nice comfy fits well people are stoked u bought something at there stall,or u can buy the same black walk shorts with fillabong or Hurley burley tag on em for 75 to 80 bucks off a grom that probs doesn't surf while he is paid 14 bucks an hour in ya big surf shop.......

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Ashmullet said..
Me two cents,,,,,I think that the core surf people your families that surf,guys in there 20's to 30's etc have cottoned on to surf shops the mark up on say clothes is ridiculous ...how many core surfers would buy a new stick off the racks geez I seen a channel island 5'10 that had a price tag of $980, if u surfed good the thing would last 6 months.....
Eg. U can go to markets and buy a black pair of walk shorts for 20$$ nice comfy fits well people are stoked u bought something at there stall,or u can buy the same black walk shorts with fillabong or Hurley burley tag on em for 75 to 80 bucks off a grom that probs doesn't surf while he is paid 14 bucks an hour in ya big surf shop.......

Go into that brand that started in WA surf fashion store ask the grom a techngol question about a board and watch them melt try it sometime its a lot of fun
A few years ago this same store would lose 6 bucks on every board sold just so they looked or tried to look like a surf store and then up sell you the accesseries

I'm hearing you!,,,when the bogans stopped wearing billabong they nearly went bust,I bet if u went into the billabong shop in byron and asked if there was any banks around they'd point you to the Anz or nab

haha funny mate

Yesterday a punter with wife and two kids in toe all over weight,rolled in,dad wearing a rip curl cap,quick tee and bong boardies in thongs.You could tell they were westies pale as try hards the dad thought his **** did not stink, all kitted out in his surf wear crap,I just saw him and said to myself YEP Without sounding judge mental it would be like me waking around in full blown bikie sh-t

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Macaha said..
For me at my stage in life a good surf store should represent surf culture.With a mix of old classic to new boards top quality brands.from fish,mid length and mainly longboards 3 or 4 different brands,locally made with some brands like Bing ,Amond and Tyler type brands.No imported cheap stuff there are many already doing this.

Mac I reckon you would be stoked if the shop just had a couple of Mct longboards in it

You could have yr own showroom at home ! Add a coffee machine and a some tunes and you be as happy as a pig in sh* t

Yeah I think to survive a surf shop has to be switched on to todays demands and flog items that (A) give profit (B) Aren't online (C) Diversify..coffee idea etc...

Must be knowledgable and surf savy....for sure cater for the hipsters and bogans...the ones with some spare $$

Hard ask..+ rent+ongoings+wages..tough ..that is unless one of the wanna be new names wants a presence in a surf shop and outlay consignment stock, rare.

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Ted the Kiwi said..

Macaha said..
For me at my stage in life a good surf store should represent surf culture.With a mix of old classic to new boards top quality brands.from fish,mid length and mainly longboards 3 or 4 different brands,locally made with some brands like Bing ,Amond and Tyler type brands.No imported cheap stuff there are many already doing this.

Mac I reckon you would be stoked if the shop just had a couple of Mct longboards in it

You could have yr own showroom at home ! Add a coffee machine and a some tunes and you be as happy as a pig in sh* t

If thats the case I'm stoked at home who needs a shop

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surfbroker said..
Yeah I think to survive a surf shop has to be switched on to todays demands and flog items that (A) give profit (B) Aren't online (C) Diversify..coffee idea etc...

Must be knowledgable and surf savy....for sure cater for the hipsters and bogans...the ones with some spare $$

Hard ask..+ rent+ongoings+wages..tough ..that is unless one of the wanna be new names wants a presence in a surf shop and outlay consignment stock, rare.

Yep I agree it would be a passive income,as I stated earlier( semi retirement),if your making 200 profit on a board that retails for 1500 thats a very small margin and you would want to be selling heaps but they don't so the income would have to be from other products.

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Macaha said...
For me at my stage in life a good surf store should represent surf culture.With a mix of old classic to new boards top quality brands.from fish,mid length and mainly longboards 3 or 4 different brands,locally made with some brands like Bing ,Amond and Tyler type brands.No imported cheap stuff there are many already doing this.
Add the surf culture like music,art and good original clothing from small independent companies.Also some surf lifestyle products, some home decor type products but not tacky lamps and stuff.Throw into the mix a great coffee cafe where people can hang out listen to good music wonder the showroom serve on board porn and I think it would be a winner. The old saying you build it they will come.In my travels there are some around,Noosa longboards was on the right track a few years ago not sure what its like now because I haven't been to Noosa sadly in years,there is a great store in Bali called Drifter Surf.Also one of the best set ups is The Temple of Enthusiasm Deus Canggu which has all the about,great coffee food beers,clothing boards shaped on site by some of the world best shapers which you are free to wake around the workshop,also the rat bikes on display are amazing which you can also watch in the workshop the build of these bikes,live music at night with a real party vibe.If you ever get a chance pop into this store mind blowing,the Deus stores here have good product but nothing on the one in Canggu.

I'd love to do a store like this without the bikes if I could semi retire one day.

Serious question mac. Your in retail. How is your ideas sustainable. Its all well to have the experience but someones got to pay for it. Shops with less then what you are suggesting are charging $900 plus for a shortboard as it is.

Is the surfshop only going to be for the rich.


Also seems like a surfboard is a accessory, not the purpose which in the end really just makes it a cafe.

Just some thoughts here.

Fight the powers

Shops in Torquay seem to do alright...we have good mix of the big clothing style ones and the smaller coffee music different board type ones

Lacey your never going to get rich owning a surf shop the margins in boards is terrible for the retailer.
The small stand alone stores would be struggling I would think unless you have multible stores like some
do with little profit x 10 stores equals a decent living BUT retail is like playing with a yoyo imo,up and
down up and down,the highs and the lows.

Del would be doing well in WA he has a store and manufactures boards for his own store,his margins would
be better than any other store who use the supply chain to source boards.McT in Byron same but they don't
stock clothing and other stuff like a fashion surf store does.

Lacey quality will always win over stores that are on sale every second week,you MUST have a point of difference
stock products that are exclusive you you in your area and I mean your area the entire GC for example not 30 minutes
down the road.You won't need to sell 100 units per day to keep the doors open you would only need to sell 10 because
you are offering unique product not available elsewhere quaintly that people will and do buy,know your sh-t offer outstanding
customer service,purchase right so you can sell right,look at the automotive industry for example,how many cars dose your
local dealership sell,Holden 100 verses Merc 50 units but keep in mind car dealerships make FA selling new cars,its the accessories
and service side which brings in the serious bucks,like a service station they don't make much on fuel its the smacks papers ect that
bring in the real bucks.

So there you go,today you should be looking for a site for your very own surf shop and remember location location location helps

Remember all those punters who would not have a clue who SDR or McT are or where they manufacture ,the people who don't live on the coast
and do the weekend drive pull up in the carpark and buy a board ,there is and will always be a need for a surf store remember we have been around
along time and educated most punters would not have a clue and can be sold anything from that 14 year old grom this may not result in a return customer after
being sold a dud though

Some good thoughts there Mac. I think some of those 666 stores seem to do ok - seems most punters have at least 2 666's, they like to upgrade them on a regular basis, they are normally older with a bit of cash behind them and then as an added plus they can sell them several accessories - like paddles. Throw in some training and off you go.

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Ted the Kiwi said..
Some good thoughts there Mac. I think some of those 666 stores seem to do ok - seems most punters have at least 2 666's, they like to upgrade them on a regular basis, they are normally older with a bit of cash behind them and then as an added plus they can sell them several accessories - like paddles. Throw in some training and off you go.

If I owned this surf culture store I would stock 666ers without any question.

Probably not completely dead - but it will be hard to run them , especially during winter and even harder given online sales , into the future

I think GSI tried to get some small shops to stock entirely their gear 2 years ago in WA ?????

Probbly won't be a goer in WA but I would love to see a factory unit converted into a market stall type caper - where shapers & retailers could set up for each weekend , imagine walking thru after a surf perving at all the goodies

No way known I'd survive running a surf only shop here atm - overheads would kill any chance of being competitive

^^^^
SDR seems to do all right pup..2 shops here in secret harbour and a factory on the goldy...that is a lot of rent to pay. See heaps of his boards around though.

Yeah absolutely & he's doing it with style his way .... and he's a top shelf guy too 'Vibes

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Macaha said..
Lacey your never going to get rich owning a surf shop the margins in boards is terrible for the retailer.
The small stand alone stores would be struggling I would think unless you have multible stores like some
do with little profit x 10 stores equals a decent living BUT retail is like playing with a yoyo imo,up and
down up and down,the highs and the lows.

Del would be doing well in WA he has a store and manufactures boards for his own store,his margins would
be better than any other store who use the supply chain to source boards.McT in Byron same but they don't
stock clothing and other stuff like a fashion surf store does.

Lacey quality will always win over stores that are on sale every second week,you MUST have a point of difference
stock products that are exclusive you you in your area and I mean your area the entire GC for example not 30 minutes
down the road.You won't need to sell 100 units per day to keep the doors open you would only need to sell 10 because
you are offering unique product not available elsewhere quaintly that people will and do buy,know your sh-t offer outstanding
customer service,purchase right so you can sell right,look at the automotive industry for example,how many cars dose your
local dealership sell,Holden 100 verses Merc 50 units but keep in mind car dealerships make FA selling new cars,its the accessories
and service side which brings in the serious bucks,like a service station they don't make much on fuel its the smacks papers ect that
bring in the real bucks.

So there you go,today you should be looking for a site for your very own surf shop and remember location location location helps

Remember all those punters who would not have a clue who SDR or McT are or where they manufacture ,the people who don't live on the coast
and do the weekend drive pull up in the carpark and buy a board ,there is and will always be a need for a surf store remember we have been around
along time and educated most punters would not have a clue and can be sold anything from that 14 year old grom this may not result in a return customer after
being sold a dud though

yeah, yeah. but im getting at all the candy you were talking about- bands, music, beer, girls, coffee etc.

im not stupid. I understand wank is in.


someone has to pay. in the end its the customer. would a $1700 to $1800 longboard start hitting the $2000 plus.


there is a minor backlash happening now with the price of some 666's. $3000 plus then hardly get half the money once out of the shop isn't going to go on forever no matter how good the parting with your money experience was

Lacey some brands simply have a crap re sale value just like cars.