Before you start reading this one, you might wanna catch up to speed and read the previous article titled "Where have all the skate shops gone...?" You can find that one here:
http://thesolitarylifeof.blogspot.com/2010/11/editor-wonders-whered-they-go.html
So, I spent the better part of last week calling various skateboard companies all over the midwest, and around the country, asking them a very simple question. And that question was, "Okay, guys... why are all of these skate shops failing...?!"
Besides the obvious answers that I usually get ("the economy", "the evolution of retail", etc...), the answer that I got most of all was this one (which is actually a verbatim quote from one of the brand managers that I surveyed):
"Skateshops are failing because they're not doing their jobs. Pure and simple."
The Job Of A Skateboard Shop
So, the question becomes: "What is the job of a skateboard shop, anyway...?" Well, I asked my sample of brand managers and company owners this question, and got the following answers:
- To buy skateboards at a low Price A, and sell them at a higher Price B.
- To provide superior customer service, know-how, and selection at a fair price.
- To provide a visually engaging storefront that is kept clean, organized, and full.
- To act as the hub and driver of their local skateboard scene.
- To keep the kids stoked/energized/engaged/mesmerized/whatever with skateboarding.
- To serve as positive role models, and to promote skateboarding in a positive and sustainable manner.
- To serve as a knowledge and inspiration base for the next generation(s) of newbies.
- To contribute to, and invest in, their local skateboard community, and the greater community at large.
Here's the problem: Skate shops used to do all of these things. And, the best (and, most successful) shops out there still do. However: Most of them don't. And that's why they're failing.
"Our job, as a brand, is to promote on a global level... make skateboarding engaging to kids... to give skateboarding 'that magic'. The role of the skate shop is to give the skateboarding 'magic' to kids on the local level. And that's where skateshops seem to get it wrong. They rely on us- the brands- to do it all. But, we can't do it all. They have to pull their weight, too..."
- A brand manager that I interviewed, on the role of skateshops.
The question becomes: Why aren't they doing these things?! Is it just because they're lazy? Or, because they're inexperienced? Or, because they just don't know any better? Well, here's one possible reason why: If you look at that list up there? You'll realize that only one of those things... and that is buying skateboards at a low price, and selling them for a higher price... actually generates any revenue for the shop.
Everything else on that list costs either a serious time and energy commitment ("providing superior service and know-how", for example)... or, it costs serious money ("keeping the skate shop stocked with inventory" would be an obvious example of this).
And to be frank, most skateshops these days don't want to take part in anything that doesn't make them money. Regardless of the future returns that they may see from their investments, the simple trend that is emerging from most skateshops today remains pretty clear: The overriding goal is profits today, and whatever comes tomorrow is just whatever comes tomorrow.
Making The Grade
As I was talking to my "roundtable" of skateboard company owners and brand managers, I asked them if they could tell me how many shops they could think of, off the top of their heads, that are doing a truly admirable job of running their shops. The short-list that I got out of it? Five shops. In the entire midwest. That are making the grade.
One brand manager told me point blank: "Hey Bud, ask me how many shops I've reached out to in the last month...?"
"Okay... uhhh, how many shops have you reached out to in the last month...?"
"None!"
The rationale for this is becoming increasingly clear: The brands want to be in skate shops that represent... and, represent well... what those brands are all about. And, that's not very many skate shops out there right now.
Let's take a look at that for a second. Let's say you own a skateboard company. And, you're deciding which skate shop you want to be in, based on what that shop stands for, and what that shop says to the marketplace. Which shop might you pick...? And, what would that shop say about your brand...?
Well: If you pick "Peter's Budget Sporting Goods Emporium", that would probably say something like, "My brand is a pricepoint, mass-market brand for first-time skaters". Which is great! If that's what you are, and what you want to be. But, what if you're some "hardcore, badass skate brand"? In that case: Is this sort of store really the best fit for you...?!
On another hand: If you pick Zumiez, you would probably be saying something like, "My brand is an incredibly successful, formerly "core" brand that has now gone Mainstream Mall Store USA in the hopes of garnering mass market share". I would make the argument that these brands that are in Zumiez, are no longer "core" at all. Because I don't consider Zumiez a "core retailer". I consider them a "fluff retailer". And thus, I consider the brands that are in Zumiez, "fluff brands". But, that's just my two cents. Your one-and-a-half cents might be a little bit different from mine.
In any rate: Now, let's say that you're in a good, solid, friendly, knowledgeable, community-minded, truly successful independent skate shop. What does that say about your brand...? Well, it probably says something like: "I am working to be a good, solid, friendly, knowledgeable, community-minded, truly successful independent skateboard company". Which is really, pretty cool.
But, let's say [lastly] that you're in a crappy, greedy, money-hungry skateboard shop that offers shitty customer service, sketchy product knowledge, does nothing at all to promote the local skateboard scene, and treats newbie skaters like flaming assholes...? What does that say about the brands on those skateshop walls...? Well, it probably says "Hey, we're a skateboard company that totally supports crappy, greedy, money-hungry skateboard shops that offer shitty customer service, sketchy product knowledge, that do nothing at all to promote the local skateboard scene, and treats newbie skaters like flaming assholes..."
And as far as I could tell, no skateboard company in the world wants to be caught dead saying that.
I actually asked a brand manager that question, specifically. I asked him, "Hey, what if you had to pick which shops you were going to sell to, strictly based on the merits of the shops? Like, based on their friendliness, how they treat skaters [new, and old], and how well they represent everything that skateboarding should be about...? How many shops would you be selling to, then...?"
The answer?! "Well, when you put it like that... my answer would probably be, 'Very few of them'..."
So: Many of these brands have simply stopped calling skate shops altogether. Except for the good ones. And, there aren't very many of those left at all.
And the "Retard Of The Week Award" goes to...
... Steve Miller at Exit Skateshop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Why...?! Because of this funny little quote that he was dumb enough to utter to The Temple News, which said this:
"Steve Miller, owner of Exit Skateshop of Philadelphia, said longboarding is a current fad and fair-weather sport.
'A longboard is basically the equivalent of a hummer in terms of an unnecessary piece of wood and product,” Miller said. “We can’t fully stock them because the kind of person who buys a longboard is the kind of person who throws it in the closet after a couple of months and never steps on it again.'"
Now, to be fair and equitable here, Steve did respond to the article with this statement (in The Temple News comments section, which you can see here: http://temple-news.com/2010/11/29/gaining-speed/):
"I was approached by the author and asked to give my thoughts and experiences concerning “Long boarding on PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE CAMPUSES” not to give a commentary on the sport at large.
As the owner of a inner city skateshop for a decade I have seen my fair share of fads fade in and out of skateboarding, big pants, tiny wheels, big wheels, tiny pants, vert skating, street skating etc etc etc, BUT Philadelphia is not your traditional skateboarding market. Our skateboarding scene remains a strong but small tight group of individuals with very few changing variables in terms of what we can and cannot sell.
I have carried longboards in the past and will continue to special order them for customers who want them, but it still remains to risky to stock longboards full time (weather is a huge issue). This is not a question of “Is it not cool enough?” or not wanting to cater to the longboarding customer… Trust me I am the sole owner and employee of an independent retail business during the worst economic downturn in 70+ years, if it can keep me afloat and alive I WILL sell it, but bringing in a product that doesn’t provide a reliable sell through can destroy a shop as small as mine.
This article got several important details wrong, and I apologize if any one was offended by my statement concern longboarders on temples campus. Like one of the posters above had mentioned “skateboarding is skateboarding” no matter what form your doing it. As long as your enjoying yourself your doing it right.
If anyone would like to contact me directly at my shop feel free to. 215.425.2450.."
But still, here's my problem with this whole mess:
As a skate shop owner, it is probably ill advised to ever equate a longboard with a Hummer... to call one an "unnecessary piece of wood and product"... and to essentially equate longboarders with posers (which is precisely what Mr. Genius did with his "The kind of person who buys a longboard is the kind of person who throws it in the closet after a couple of months and never steps on it again...” ignorance).
Even worse: It's even dumber to say something this stupid to a "reporter", who is writing an "article" for the "free press".
Let's put this another way, just so Miller can understand what I'm saying here:
Saying something this dumb in private amongst your dumbass little blow-buddies is plenty bad enough. But, saying it publicly...?! Holy Fuck, is that ever Gawd-Awfully Stupid.
Even as a guy that normally steadfastly supports the "core retailer" to the very bitter end... even I have to concede one thing from time to time: That there are skateshops out there that truly and honestly deserve to fail. And, for the record: Skateshops that blatantly discriminate against, and talk shit about other skateboarders... and make no mistake about it, Longboarders Are Skateboarders (just like anybody else), in the world of The Solitary Life... those skateshops probably should be kicked in the nuts, and left to die on the vine.
Because being totally ignorant about skateboarding, really doesn't do skateboarding any favors at all.
You listening to me here, Steve Miller...?! This is all code for "Smarten The Fuck Up, or Shut The Fuck Up".
Last funny: Note how, according to Steve Miller's response, vert skating and street skating are also considered "fads" (in his mind). I guess that means we all better hit those mega-transitions, curbs, handrails, and ledges before they go out of style too, huh...?
The Solution...?
Here at The Solitary Life, we've made a point in the past of approaching skateboard shops with uber-positivity at [almost] every turn. Like, with our "Skateshop Spotlight" series that points out everything that skateshops are doing right.
The problem is... well, we're running out of good skateshops to spotlight, for one.
Which leads right to the second problem: There are a hell of a lot more skate shops blowing it than there are good shops doing it right, right now.
So, what's the answer? Stop writing about skateshops altogether? Or go negative, and start pointing out where the rest of the shops are screwing up...? Should we resort to calling 'em out, and naming names...? Pointing out the obvious flaws...?
Because if we did, here's what a typical midwestern "Skateshop Spotlight" might look like (based entirely on my recent experience with an actual skateshop that I visited):
"A while back, I stopped into a "skate shop" while I was on tour. It was in a small Indiana cornfield town (I'll leave it unnamed for the moment). The shop was called _______, and I found out about it through a Yellow Pages search.
I rolled into town about a week or so later, on a Saturday afternoon. The first thing that I did was got lost, because the Yellow Pages had the incorrect address on file (which is already, a bad start). So I called the shop, and asked for their address. Not "directions", but the address. I can do a lot with an address. But directions sometimes get me even more lost. Especially if the guy on the other end of the line was a total idiot. Which I could immediately see, was the case with this bloke...
About ten minutes later, after getting lots of "directions", I realized that the place was only one block away from where I was standing. So I got in the car, and drove to the door.
Inside were several high-end bicycles, and a wall stocked with skateboards. The shop looked awesome, visually, and the product selection was diverse and engaging. There were a couple of smaller companies represented that I didn't recognize, so I asked The Genius Employee who they were, and what their stories are. Genius had no idea, because he was "new here" at the shop. And, there was nobody else at the shop that day. So basically, nobody knew.
The prices were ridiculous. I saw an Emergency Jeff Grosso "Arc Angel" model (which is at least two years old, and currently on blowout at Socal for $39.99) on the wall... warped, no less... on sale for $74.99.
I asked Genius if I could take a few pics of the shop (because really, the shop did look outstanding... by far, the best part of the experience)... so Genius called The Boss, and informed me that if I wanted to stick around until 7:00 PM, then I could talk to The Boss. This was at 2:00 in the afternoon, and I had to be home at 5:00. Clearly, this wasn't gonna work out, either. If for no other reason that I was not gonna sit in a fucking cornfield for five hours with my thumb up my ass waiting on The Boss to show up.
The last thing that I did, was ask The Genius where the local skatepark is. The local skatepark by the way, is a mere ten blocks or so away from the shop (I already had the address and directions to the park, so I was really just testing this dude). The Genius seemed totally unaware that a skatepark even existed, let alone any idea where it was, or how to get there. Because once again, he was "new to the shop", and there wasn't anybody else around that could answer the question..."
Honestly...? This is pretty typical of most skateshops that I walk into, in the midwest. It's a sad, sad state of affairs out there.
And, to make it all worse: The Solitary Life will be embarking on an extensive midwest tour next spring, summer, and fall.
God help you all.
