FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Melissa Clary (BRA) or Laurie Bergthold (IASC)
Company: Board Retailers Association (BRA) and International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC)
Website: www.boardretailers.org or www.skateboardiasc.org
IASC AND BRA COLLABORATE ON LOCAL SKATESHOP DAY
Celebration for Specialty Skateboard Retailers to Take Place October 9-10, 2010
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, California and WILMINGTON, North Carolina, September 16, 2010:
The International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC) and the Board Retailers Association (BRA) have teamed up to create an annual manufacturer-driven retail holiday for core skate shops on October 9-10th, 2010. In its first year, Local Skateshop Day is an industry-wide, collaborative effort designed to increase sales and retail traffic for specialty skate shops across the country. Local Skateshop Day encourages manufacturers to focus their attention on the front lines of their distribution, the core skateboard retailer.
“Skate shops have always been essential to the heart, soul and spirit of skateboarding." Says Don Brown, IASC Chairman. "By creating ‘Local Skateshop Day’ skateboarding, as a whole, can focus on driving awareness, energy, support and friendship to our family on the front lines- the core retailer. It's essential that we do whatever it takes to support these shops in order to keep the true passion and creativity of skateboarding alive."
Manufacturers will team up with local skate shops to host sponsored events, promos, demos, limited product releases, discount programs and more; all of which are designed to support core shops, staff and most importantly, increase skate related retail sales.
“As a specialty skate retailer, I appreciate the effort by IASC and its member companies to create a consumer focused ‘holiday’ designed to drive sales to local skate shops during the lull between the back-to-school and holiday seasons. As Chairman of the Skate Committee for BRA, we are stoked to be partnering with IASC and skate manufactures on a joint initiative designed to support the grassroots retailers that are the backbone of the industry,” said George Leichtweis, Owner Modern Skate & Surf.
For more information on Local Skateshop Day and ways that you can get your company or skate retail shop involved, look for your Local Skateshop Day event kit in the mail or visit www.skateboardiasc.org or www.boardretailers.org.
About IASC
The International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC), the non-profit trade organization that represents the united voice of the skateboard industry, was founded in 1994. In 2003, IASC was restructured into the organization that founded Go Skateboarding Day. Driven by skate industry leaders, IASC strives to promote skateboarding, increase participation educate and save members money. For further information, please visit www.skateboardiasc.org.
About BRA
The Board Retailers Association (BRA) is a non-profit trade association representing almost 3,000 action sport storefronts across the country. The association serves as the preeminent voice, for independent retailers on a grassroots level with manufacturers, trade show representatives, and other associations. BRA also works to provide educational resources and exclusive discounts and savings from vendors on the day-to-day costs of business. For a complete explanation and description of Retail Member benefits, visit www.boardretailers.org
This would have been totally awesome, if they'd done it about five years ago (before independent retailers around the country started dropping like flies), and if it actually did something meaningful (like, giving retailers livable margins and better customer service out of their sales reps, for example), and if it actually narrowed the "distribution channel" in favor of the core retailer (let's stop whoring ourselves out, and selling to every fucking e-tailer, Zumiez, Pacsun, and West 49 on the planet).
Until those things actually happen, this is all just one huge hypocritical yawn.
