"Sportswear overtakes surfwear as most popular youth fashion"
wonder if this means we will see more nike and adidas wetsuits in the water
personally i think its about time that they started the downward spiral the big brands have been using surfing as a cash cow for way too long now and most of them dont give bugger all back to the environment or to looking after the one thing that makes surfing possible the ocean ( with a few exceptions ) they deserve what they get if you ask me ........ parasites .
however what is a shame is that if these brands do go out of favour with the younger market, our favourite independent surf shops while find it very hard to survive. I can't imagine they would exist mainly selling hardware and wetties etc.
But the kids still need clothes, don't they kane? Is it not possible for the independent stores to stock other apparel brands to lure in customers again?
The only surf shops which seem to be doing OK on the northern beaches are the ones like Aloha at Manly, who have moved back to their traditional area of expertise; boards, wetsuits and accessories. The idea of going to a surf shop to buy clothes seems to be dying and I think that trend will continue.
True that, BB. Aloha have turned the idea of filling floospace with clothes on its head. They've got three walls full of boards, the whole back of the shop devoted to wetties, and clothes appear an afterthought. It's like a surfshop of old, yet as you say it's also a model for the future.
While I'm giving them kudos I'll toot the horn of the staff there. There's a couple of fellas at Aloha that are more switched onto boards than any other shop staff I've encountered.
sure ben they could, I am not a retail expert however the surf brands are the best fit for a surf store other brands are likely to be set up in other retail outlets?
my concern is whether a surf shop could be profitable on boards and hardware alone?
it seems now a days at least in Sydney surf clothing is either worn by over 40's or kids who don't make their own decisions on were to buy their clothes yet
I suppose that's the risk in any business venture - you've gotta ride through the cycles - in this case fashion trends. But it's not just surf retailers who are hit hard at the moment. Retail in general has been down for a while and there's no sign of any improvement.
Slightly off topic but I don't see this as too surprising. With the social media effectively making us all our own 'brand ambassadors' the sportswear industry just had to cash in. Less and less is it acceptable to be seen doing your walking/running/gyming in casual trackies (now reserved for lounging) and light weight clothing. Its like there is a uniform, which has become incredibly fashionable. I've never seen so many people getting around in sportswear. Clever marketing by the sportswear company to make it essential to project athleticism through fashion, and our own desire to project such an image. That, and the fact that surf brands aren't trendy anymore.
so much easier to buy online these days anyway, shipped to your door in a few days
Not that anyone's surprised, but the latest Lifelounge Sweeney report reckons that "the tide's receding on surfwear brands as young people splash more cash on sportswear".
"The annual Lifelounge Sweeney report shows sports brand Nike has overtaken Billabong as youth's favourite clothing brand."
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/sportswear-overtakes-surfwear-as-most-popular-youth-fashion-in-lifelounge-sweeney-report/story-fnet01u7-1226745939865