RS1 report

Charlotte Spencer N0253779 Words: 6,349

Table of Contents

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Brand History Brand Mission Brand Values Competitors SWOT Analysis Target Consumer A closer look at the brand today

4.0 Westbeach 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7

3.0 Boardsport Market

2.0 Methodology

1.0 Introduction

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9.0 Bibliography

8.0 Conclusion & Strategic Outcome

Current Market Is streetwear still relevant?

Boardsport brands moving into streetwear Cross over brands Nike Case Study

7.0 The Streetwear Market 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5

6.0 The Surf Market

5.0 The Summer Market 5.1 Youth retail Market 5.2 Summer Shopping Habits

Introduction

1.0 The aim of this report is to research the summer clothing retail market from a boardsports industry perspective. Westbeach, a brand that has strong roots in the snowboarding outerwear market, but originated as a surf wear brand, has set a live project to explore the current summer market. They are currently not making an impression in the summer market with their limited amount of streetwear. The brand has a history in surf and therefore should be able to be a major player in this industry or if not surf specifically then the summer market in general.

This report investigates if there is a gap in the market for them to be a major player in the summer market, in particular surf and streetwear. It highlights any threats the brand could encounter when trying to enter the summer retail industry, for example, the negative attitudes surrounding the term ‘summer clothing’. An understanding of the boardsports market was of paramount importance to determine the type of summer clothing the brand should produce. The relationship between streetwear and boardsports was also significant and the influence they have on each other. Case studies were used to support my research and to determine what makes a fashion brand successful in the summer market. Examples studied include cross over brands, snow outerwear and streetwear brands as well as brands that have collaborated in order to infiltrate the summer market.

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Methodology

2.0 In order to compile this report, primary and secondary research was gathered based on the boardsports, streetwear and surf market and the snowboard brand, Westbeach.

Different types of primary research were collated including online surveys, interviews and email conversations. A full analysis of primary research collected is shown in Appendix 1.

A range of different secondary research resources was used to inform this report including online reports from Mintel, WGSN and GMID. Specific website and magazines based on the boardsport and streetwear market were also used and checked on a daily basis such as: • Boardsportsource.com – an online version of the magazine providing a b2b platform for the European boardsports industry.

• Transworld Business – a website providing action and boardsports news, focussing particularly on retail.

• Shop-eat-surf – a subscription was bought to view action sport industry news.

• Cooler magazine – online website providing up-todate industry news and style.

The marketing department at Westbeach also provided a range of sources to gain a better understanding of the brands background and history as well as their future strategies.

These included the book, ‘OutWest’ by Dano Pendygrasse based on the history of snowboarding and Westbeach. The 2013/14 catalogue of their next collection and access to their dropbox folder of archived images. Westbeach are also supplying an industry pass for the slide tradeshow during late February.

Strong research enabled a strategic outcome with recommendations on how Westbeach should enter the summer market and indicating possible gaps in the market.

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Boardsports Market

3.0 Boardsports, otherwise known as extreme or action sports, are still relatively new in the sporting industry and most have only been around for less than 50 years. Surfing is regarded as the first board sport to be invented and the others developed from this, such as skateboarding and snowboarding. The board sports industry has evolved hugely from low-key recreational activities to multi-billion dollar business sectors and continues to grow at a rapid pace.

Twenty years ago, the industry had little official competition and nothing was deemed mainstream. Now, snowboarding for example, is included in the Olympics, global action sport events such as the X Games that are aired live on national TV and the apparel sector has entire companies dedicated solely to each individual board sport. Once a sport becomes part of the Olympics it is deemed a competitive sport, further raising awareness and appeal.

The 2012 Global Strategic Business Report on Boards Sports produced by the GIA stated that the world market is expected to reach $19.6 billion by 2017. There are an increasing number of people, especially women, taking up board sports.

This is due to the sports being more accessible and affordable as the technologies and markets have increased. The key opportunity for growth in the future is for women and middle class consumers. The report states that although women are less likely to partake in board sports, they do spend the same amount as males on clothing and equipment. There is also huge potential for them to spend more if they were encouraged to take up more board sports. Brands in the industry are now creating girl only forums and blogs online to specifically target women. They are also ensuring they are not just specific to those females who partake in board sports but any female who is interested in fashion, music, travel or food. Girl only media publications such as ‘Cooler’, a girl only surf, skate and snow magazine and organisations like ‘WIB’ (a foundation for women in board sports that holds regular conferences) have hugely helped to increase awareness of women participants.

“With their incredible acceptance of extreme sports, Generation Y has carved a niche for themselves in the world of extreme sports.” (GIA Board Sports, 2012) The adrenalin

and risk associated with most board sports is something that appeals to this ambitious younger generation. They are highly acceptant of new challenges and with the increased accessibility of board sports the brands must take the opportunity to target them specifically. A report by Mintel on Extreme sports in October 2005 explained that students have the highest participant levels of all extreme sports. Although they have limited funds and “live in their overdrafts”, they still are the core market for all extreme activities. They also have a strong spending culture and are constantly researching the latest technologies and fashion trends.

The increased accessibility of the boardsport’s market has meant that there has also been an increase in the use of the sports in advertising and marketing e.g. snowboarding has become a ‘solid platform for both sports and non-sports to reach a young, global audience.’ (WGSN, Snowboarding, 2011) Snowboarding has also been used in non-sport advertising.

‘The growing interest in snowboarding among a mainstream audience is perhaps best emphasised by the use of sport in FMCG advertising’ (WGSN, Snowboarding, 2011) e.g.

Farm Foods and Nescafe. The board sport’s industry is also experiencing bigger contention for sponsorship fom energy drink and car manufacturers. Partnerships are constantly evolving between board sports brands and non-board sports companies to produce brilliant collaborations e.g. Mountain dew and Burton Snowboards and Fiat and Nitro Snowboards.

As the board sports market becomes more main stream, companies and brands must ensure they are keeping up to date by constantly developing their business strategies. In the past an action image of a surfer or snowboarder had enough shock tactic to attract consumers to a brand. This no longer applies and brand advertising campaigns and promotions must be intelligent and powerful whilst telling the brand’s story.

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“Snowboarding has become a ‘solid platform for both sports and non-sports to reach a young, global audience.’ (WGSN, Snowboarding, 2011)”

Westbeach

4.1 Brand History Unknown to most, Westbeach actually began life as a surf brand in Canada in 1979. Dennis ‘Chip’ Wilson and his partner Cindy Wilson (the creators) brought the Californian culture to Calgary in Canada by selling their unique multicoloured reversible shorts from a table in a local mall. They predominantly sold surf shorts and t-shirts. The brand was then known as either ‘Chip’s shorts’ or ‘2 hip’. The popularity of the products led to a partnership between Chip and a previous colleague, Scott Sibley, who owned a surfing and skateboarding shop called ‘Cal B.C’ in Vancouver. Shortly after this the store became known Westbeach Surf Company which later changed to Westbeach Snowboard Company.

When snowboarding was born in the late 80’s, Westbeach realised there was an opportunity to be the first major snowboard brand. They did not miss the opportunity and were quickly regarded as the market leader with very few competitors other than Burton Snowboards – a brand more focussed on hardware. Although there were many established ski brands, Westbeach was the first brand to solely focus on snowboarding and were the founders of the first official snowboard competition in Canada - ‘The Westbeach Classic’.

Westbeach have focused on snowboarding ever since and the expansion of the sport allowed them to concentrate on this single avenue and forget the surf culture. This provided more than enough revenue during the boom period of the early 1990’s through to the latter part of that decade when snowboarding was included in the olympic games.

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4.2 Brand

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Mission

Westbeach have one goal: To encourage likeminded individuals and friends to go up the mountain in outerwear that will ensure enjoyment is achieved. This is something that has always been a priority for the brand.

Westbeach has stayed true to their roots, which started with a need for clothing suitable to use “on the hill” where no one else in market produced anything similar.

The desire to go and play on the mountain and enjoy the sport of snowboarding inspired the development of Westbeach’s snowboard outerwear.

This mission still firmly applies now for the brand.

4.3 Brand

Values

Westbeach value being a fashionable brand by keeping up-to-date with trend reports and innovations happening in fabrics. Quality is another significant value for the brand. They believe that good quality products will generate brand loyalty and consumers will trust the products enough to buy them season after season. In the future Westbeach hope to continue advancing the brand in terms of style and quality in order to result in high brand equity from their target audience.

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‘Customers want the latest fashion but from a reliable brand, this for us is the key to success.’

(Spickernell, 2013)

4.4

Competitors

Westbeach regards their main competitor as Bonfire, the snowboard brand owned

by Salomon. John Spickernell stated, ‘how long this will remain the same is difficult to say, more funding will allow Bonfire to grow but at the same time may alter the type of product it has been producing over the years which hit similar price points, fits and styles to Westbeach.’ Bonfire have also started to produce streetwear targeted at those that ride. They have collaborated with textile brand Pendleton who specialise in wool to produce a capsule collection.

From the Westbeach consumer survey it was evident that Special Blend are also popular among snowboarders. They have similar values to Westbeach on being a comfortable but fun brand. Burton snowboards are another competitor in the same market as Westbeach. Often described as the “King of the hill”, Burton is a ‘privately held company making boards, clothes, and snowboarding accessories, claiming 40 percent to 70 percent market share (depending on the category)’ (Marquardt, 2008)

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‘how long this will remain the same is difficult to say, more funding will allow Bonfire to grow but at the same time may alter the type of product it has been producing over the years which hit similar price points, fits and styles to Westbeach.’ (Spickernell, 2013)

“The longest lasting outerwear in the game. Quality, performance, and style- finely tuned for you and always, Tailored to Destroy.�

All Images sourced from Bonfire Facebook.

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“A streetwear collection that hasn’t forgotten how to ride”

4.5

SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths Strong reputation and loyalty from customers as regarded as the first snowboarding brand.

Website is simple and easy to navigate.

Westbeach has a glamourous image and the name is appealing to customers wanting to raise their profile.

Stylish good quality products.

Strong following of consumers and team riders.

Weaknesses Summer is ‘down time’ and they do not make an impression on the summer market.

Other than outerwear they have a very limited collection of clothing.

The t-shirts and hoodies are very heavily branded and not appropriate for a younger consumer, e.g. Generation Y. Website lacks easy interaction with the consumer and does not offer anything more than the product. Other than the clothing, Westbeach does not have any other interesting content such as a link to a blog with posts relating to snowboarding or boardsports.

Majority of products are sold online which can have a negative effect on the consumer, as they cannot try the clothing.

Although more difficult to re-create online compared to a brick and mortar store, Westbeach are not maximising their identity by creating an experience for the customer. They need to create a Westbeach ideal or lifestyle that people want to buy into.

Their website is the same for both Canada & Europe. There is a trend for brands to glocalize their company in different ways e.g. changing the website to be more specific for the country and culture.

Opportunities Westbeach’s roots were originally in Surf. They started making reversible board shorts in 1979, sponsored surf events and utilised the status of leading surfers . There is an opportunity for the brand to “story tell” their history, and create a narrative. (In theory they have been leading players in this field for a long time so should be able to extend their

position in the surf market and summer market in general) There is an opportunity for Westbeach to enter and produce children’s wear. Existing loyal customers to the brand such as parents are likely to invest in Westbeach clothing for their children if available. This will increase and sustain customer loyalty for the brand.

Increased accessibility to boardsports such as snowboarding has increased participants and new target audiences.

Female participation is continuing to rise and if they participate they are likely to spend more on products than males. Westbeach customer survey (see appendix 1.5) shows that they their target audience is more dominated by males.

They should try to target the female market but without deterring their focus from males e.g. create a blog or forum specific for girls or a small product line just for them.

Glocalising their online presence. This should be reflected in their social networking sites. The link to the Westbeach’s twitter site also does not work and this should be more prominent on all of their landing pages to generate more followers.

Consumers are looking for summer clothing that is not just specific to the summer season. There is a trend for reversible items that can have multiple purposes.

Consumers are being advised to buy less, but buy quality clothing. Vivienne Westwood, leading fashion designer, is a convert to this and it is cascading through the fashion industry. This puts high quality clothing to the fore, like Westbeach.

Threats Is the surf market in decline with other sports taking root?

Key players in surf such as Billabong and Rip Curl are facing economic problems.

Huge competition from the High Street especially during the summer months when consumers are looking for inexpensive disposable items.

Board sport and street wear brands face competition from budget brands such as Primark that can offer the same item but for cheaper price.

Increase in cotton prices in 2011 meant increases in clothing industry which affects the niche markets trying to attract younger consumers, making the clothing less attainable to majority.

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4.6 Target Consumer From a recent Westbeach customer survey conducted in May 2012 (See Appendix 1.5) research was collated from 1,619 participants. It revealed that there were a high percentage of male consumers compared to female. The average consumer age was over the age of eighteen with a very minimal percentage falling in the age category below eighteen. Over half of participants were snowboarders who mostly took part in the activity on holiday. The main reason consumers choose Westbeach is for style with quality being the next important factor. Most of Westbeach’s distribution is through online retailers this being because of the convenience for the customer. Westbeach’s current target consumer reads Whiteline’s magazine and their most popular social networking site is Facebook. They also take part in other extreme sports such as Surfing, Mountain Biking and Skateboarding.

4.7

a closer look at the brand today

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‘Westbeach’s USP is their heritage, they believe that because they were the first players in the market they are the best at what they do.’

Westbeach currently produces snowboarding outerwear and a small line of streetwear clothing consisting of t-shirts and hoodies. Westbeach’s USP is their heritage, they believe that because they were first players in the market they are the best at what they do. Westbeach is still a brand regarded today for the same quality of outerwear that gained their reputation 30 years ago. Their logo is also one of their main selling points – ‘The Canadian Snowboard Original’. The use of the word ‘snowboard’ was a bold move as skiing is still the more popular winter sport due to the growth of freestyle skiing and its popularity amongst the older generation. According to John Spickernell the marketing manager at Westbeach, skiers still opt to buy their products as they like the style they see on the slopes and prefer the

“snowboard look”. Westbeach has mastered the combination of quality & style of there clothing that allows this crossover between skiers and boarders to happen.

Westbeach survive through a mainly online presence and high street retailers. Their main retailers are Snow and Rock and Ellis Brigham (TSA) in the UK including 25 other independents. They also operate through French, Czech, Russian, Italian, Japanese, Austrian and German distributors. In Canada they only operate online. Their online site is simple and very easy to navigate meaning that in the UK they have a good amount of direct sales from the site.

(See Appendix 3 for further information)

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Summer is Westbeach’s ‘down’ time and they are not making an impression in the summer market with their t-shirts and hoodies. They are not playing off their history and have in theory been doing this a long time. They should be able to be a major player in the surf market or, if not specifically surf, the summer market in general and in particular streetwear.

Other aspects of the brand such as their online and social media presence and collaborations and partnerships have been explored to highlight areas that need developing to increase brand awareness and engagement. Please see appendix 3 for the full analysis.

The Summer Market

5.0 Consumers, especially those living in the UK and countries with a simliar climate, are looking for brands that offer more to their summer clothing line than just beach styled products. Weather can be a huge influence on the type of clothing that a consumer purchases e.g. if it is a wet summer such as 2012, then there will be decline in sales of summer appropriate clothing such as summer dresses and shorts. The consumer also wants to invest in a product that they can wear both on a day-to-day basis at home and on holiday and possibly even wear into the other seasons.

There has been a rise in ‘staycations’ which contributed to holiday clothing brands struggling.

Consumers are also less likely to buy a completely new wardrobe for the summer and in an online survey conducted on the summer market, 80% of respondents confirmed this. 63% of respondents stated that they could wear their wardrobe all year round.

“Consumers mostly buy clothes for their holidays that they will wear at home afterwards, highlighting the importance of multi-functional items.” (Mintel, Holidaywear Shopping, 2012) This could include T-shirts that are made from thicker material, reversible items that have a bright summery print on one side or a more subtle colour palette throughout.

When buying summer or holiday clothing, consumers tend ‘to buy from their regular shops, look for special offers and only buy clothes they will wear at home afterwards.’ (Mintel, Holidaywear Shopping, 2012) This suggests the importance to any brands looking to enter the summer market to convince their current target audience to buy the products before looking for new customers. An example of this would be a successful snowboarding brand such as Westbeach. They already have a loyal following of purchasers who snowboard and ski. If they enter the summer market they must ensure that they market themselves correctly and those who would buy items from them in the winter months are aware of their new summer line. In theory if they are loyal to the brand they will buy other product lines from them dependent on the style and quality of the item. Brands can also target reluctant but loyal customers with targeted promotions that suit their specific needs.

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“Consumers mostly buy clothes for their holidays that they will wear at home afterwards, highlighting the importance of multi-functional items.” (Mintel, Holidaywear Shopping, 2012)

5.1

market

Youth retail

Over the next 5 years, the youth fashion market is forecasted to increase their ‘total spend on clothing and footwear by 15-24s will grow by 8% to almost £11.4 billion in 2017’. (Mintel, Youth Fashion, 2012) Clothing for the younger generation is viewed as more of a priority to save for and many will sacrifice eating well if they can buy the latest products. Their overall concern for money is low compared to older cohorts such as their parents. Reported by Mintel, the most popular item of clothing between both males and females is the t-shirt. Although the younger generation dictates their lives via the Internet the enjoyment of buying clothing in-store is one of the biggest influences to purchases. They do however feel that the convenience of buying online is more practical and shopping on the high street is deemed a social activity. Many board sport brands such as Westbeach are just producing t-shirts that use big logo treatment.

Consumers no longer want heavily branded clothing and these brands will not succeed in the current apparel market especially if trying to target Generation Y. (See Appendix 4 for Westbeach streetwear collection)

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5.2

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Summer Shopping Habits

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Expensive Hot Disappointing Crowded Tedious Exhausting Rare Long Difficult Stressful

Undesirable Busy Tiring Depressing Sticky Sweaty Unfortunate Intense Pointless

Aggravating

Primary research from a questionnaire based on the summer market (See Appendix 1.6) highlighted the emotions participants felt towards shopping for summer clothing.

Many of the words chosen to describe their feelings were negative. The preconceptions behind “summer” appropriate clothing can account for why many consumers are now opting to buy multi-purpose items. For a consumer who is unconfident about himself or herself, the summer months are automatically associated with a limited amount of clothing and more unwanted exposure of their body. Labelling a line of clothing as ‘summer-wear’ can be detrimental to a brand.

Other than the high street brands that supply consumers with fast fashion budget items which they will choose to buy as holiday appropriate clothing, many brands should opt to steer away from labelling themselves in the summer category.

Mid market to high-end brands whose prices are higher than the high street will benefit from marketing their temperate appropriate clothing as suitable for all season wear.

Consumers are also more and more looking for a combination of quality, style and practicality. In recent years there has been an increase in people taking part in exercise and opting for a healthy lifestyle. ‘The evidence suggests people are realising that although some exercise is better than no exercise, we have to take part regularly to gain real health and fitness benefits.’ (Mintel, 2010) This is having an influence

Annoying

on clothing brands as well. Many brands are now driven by practicality and ensuring that the item is still fashionable.

Barbour is a good example of this. They are, by definition, an outdoor activity and country sport, clothing brand but are now seen as a fashion item bought from an array of different consumer types who do not necessarily fall into the “country” bracket. They are a reliable brand that is trusted by many consumers for a warm yet stylish coat. Everyday items such as a men’s short sleeve shirt, could be made more practical by using thicker material so that it’s appearance is still summerlike but it is warmer. Due to climates such as the UK’s, practicality for the summer is essential as the weather is so interchangeable. Outdoor clothing brands such as Berghaus are being seen more regularly matched with fashion items when the weather is raining for a lightweight jacket option.

Berghaus is now stocked on fashion website, Asos.

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The Surf Market

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6.0 The sport of surfing has developed over the years into a fashion trend and style. ‘Increased accessibility and affordability has drawn significant numbers of surfing participants and has attracted wider demographic clusters beyond just the younger generation.’ (GIA, 2011) Surfing has attracted a larger and more diverse demographic since becoming more accessible. It is considered an important part of youth culture particularly in California and Australia.

The style that is associated with surfing has a coolness and laidback-feel that many consumers want to be part of even if it just wearing the styling of clothing rather than partaking in the sport. Major players of the surf market include Billabong, Quiksilver and Rip Curl.

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“The ride is almost over for the founders of the surf industry.

The wave they caught as amateur but passionate businessmen in the 1960s and rode to spectacular success is over - or, in surfing parlance, it’s a close-out.”

(Pawle, 2012)

Due to the fall of employment rates and decline in disposable incomes, the surf retail market has suffered. The apparel sector suffered the most significantly in 2008 and 2009. This is due to the market expansion and the younger generation dominating the sport. A ‘Gen Y’ is unlikely to want to wear a brand that their parents have worn. The brands that will survive are those that have realigned their focus towards fashion rather than just performance based items. Surf brands cannot rely on just producing surf shorts as there is a limit on how many pairs a customer will buy compared to items such as t-shirts which are a more commonly worn item of clothing. Even though targeting a more fashion based audience will wider consumer following, brands should still look after their core consumers such as surfers. Ultimately they are their image leaders and without them the brand would not have the style that non-surfers want. Boardsport brands such as Billabong whose main revenue is from the surf market and snowboarding industry are incredibly dependent on environmental factors. In 2009, the brand reported ‘the first evidence of growth unwinding when it told the market it expected to report declining sales across the globe.’ (BRW, 2012) This was a consequence of an unusually warm winter and cooler wet summer.

“The ride is almost over for the founders of the surf industry.

The wave they caught as amateur but passionate businessmen in the 1960s and rode to spectacular success is over - or, in surfing parlance, it’s a close-out.” (Pawle, 2012) Quiksilver, Billabong and Rip Curl, the three major surf brands have experienced decreasing sales and increasing debt in the past

year. This is thought to be because of these international brands losing sight of their roots in surfing. Surfing originated from subcultures and there has always been competition between independent retailers and global giants.

‘Independent labels have more credibility because they are considered closer to the grassroots of surfing culture’ and this is perhaps why many surfers have deterred away from brands like Quiksilver who now sell in departments stores such as Macy’s. Consumers feel their main priority is to increase market share and no longer care for everyday surfers.

The decline in surf retail is also a result of the industry’s unexpected growth and move into a more fashion based mainstream bracket. Brands in the surfing industry are no longer just competing against each other but also with huge fashion brands such as Ohio born Hollister. Hollister is the sister brand to Abercrombie and Fitch. It currently has 587 stores with 101 being international stores and is continuing its expansion. The brand has no history in the surf market but just styles itself on Australian surf labels like Quiksilver.

They are stealing “a large chunk of the lucrative non-surfer market.” (Pawle, 2012) Hollister currently sell more surf wear than Australia’s largest surf wear brand, Billabong. Some may argue that purely surf wear labels have caused this shift because they are intimidating to non-surfers and have limited their target audience. Those brands that are not just targeted to actual participants but also target those that like the association and style of surf clothing will appeal to a wider audience.

The Streetwear Market

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7.0 Due to the common association with surf brands and the summer, consumers are opting to buy their summer clothing from brands that don’t just fall into the summer market. Instead, they are purchasing from streetwear brands, which consumers regard as clothing brands suitable for all year round but still are influenced by the style of boardsport brands. Since 1980 the streetwear industry has peaked and declined and in recent years the market has been resurrected ‘with streetwear (being) one of the biggest growth sectors in menswear’ (Boardsportsource, 2013) Even though the retail industry has seen a trend moving towards a more sophisticated look, especially menswear, streetwear is still continuing to grow and evolve and is still as relevant as it was when it first begun in the 80’s.

Recently menswear brands have been partnering with streetwear labels to produce successful collaborations that appeal to a wider target audience and allow streetwear brands to reach a new audience that may not have been aware of the brand before, e.g. APC with Supreme.

‘True traditional streetwear is a genre of contemporary apparel, united between sportswear and military looks, and is one that speaks to a spectrum of subcultures’ (Hundreds, 2011) Streetwear was instituted by what was originally a surf company that has now developed into a signature streetwear brand, Stussy. Stussy started as the market leader 30 years ago and with 75 flagship stores continues to thrive. Classic items of streetwear products include racerbacks, raglans, t-shirts, hoodies and customised accessories. Brands are also producing other products lines such as iPhone cases to ensure the market does not become static.

Streetwear is often perceived as a brand that combines the latest trends with unique designs on basic items of clothing such as a t-shirt or sweatshirt.

The most highly regarded streetwear brands have grown and built their brand off just designing t-shirts that connate exclusivity. Robin Waite, owner of streetwear and skate store Non-stop sport

in Nottingham stated in an interview for primary research that the most successful brands are those that have a history. ‘Skate was first distinguished by brands who created decks and boards and streetwear was created by a bunch of skaters who wanted cool clothing to skate in. (Waite, Personal Communication, 2012) Although subcultures such as hip hop, skateboarding and surfing have heavily influenced streetwear, brands aim to target a wider audience of like-minded individuals. The sneaker industry also profoundly influences and inspires the streetwear industry. There is a huge following of streetwear brands that consist of a range of different consumer profiles e.g. from a rebellious skateboarder and rapper such as Tyler-theCreator who would wear clothing from Supreme or own label Odd Future to a laidback surfer type such as pro Kelly Slater who recently inspired Quiksilver’s streetwear line, VSTR. Streetwear remains as open minded as the people that wear the clothing.

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7.1

The Current Market

Streetwear is primarily targeted at the youth market but due to how diverse the definition of the industry can be it attracts a larger audience. The most successful streetwear brands have been in the market for more than thirty years and longevity is an important value to a streetwear label. A brand’s ability to become a “vintage” label and be traded through second hand retailers will not directly generate more revenue for the brand but will increase brand exposure through the extended product lifespan.

‘Apparel sales took a dramatic drop, up to 40% in some markets, during the first half of 2011.’ (Vogel, 2013) but since then the streetwear sector has transformed and is set to experience increased interest in 2013. Streetwear brands are often criticised for being a rip off and over priced due to consumers not being aware of the quality of the item compared to what is on offer on the high street. Brands are trying to remain consistent with pricing but are facing difficulty due to an increase in manufacturing and fabric costs.

‘Streetwear originated in Orange County, found it’s footing in Los Angeles, grew up in New York and Tokyo, and matured worldwide in cities as far-reaching as London, Singapore, Melbourne, Vancouver, and Paris.’ (Hundreds, 2011) The emerging market for streetwear to enter is predicted to be China, in particular Hong Kong. Subcrew a Chinese originating streetwear brand have begun to demonstrate the scope this market holds for the industry. CLOT is also another streetwear chinese label that is conquering the market which other brands should watch to appreciate how to tackle the next frontier - the Chinese market.

7.2

Is Streetwear still relevant?

Due to the power of the Internet, small independent streetwear brands have managed to grow without the expense involved in opening a brick-and-mortar store. It has increased accessibility for both the consumers and brand.

The brand can target a wider audience and test the market without the economical risk. The consumer also associates the idea of streetwear with exclusivity and unique items that can only be found from intent researching. If an item is found in-store on the high street, the consumer often questions the “cool-ness” of the product – unless the store is situated on the notorious north Fairfax in LA, home to the Odd Future pop-up store as well as Supreme, Dope and Diamond to name but a few.

(See Appendix 5 for research on multi channel brands)

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7.3 Boardsports brands moving into Streetwear Boardsport brands have also moved into the streetwear market to appeal to a more diverse target audience. It also is an opportunity for brands whose roots are secured in snowboarding for example, to move into the summer market instead of branding their products as surf-wear.

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‘The market for streetwear and lifestyle sports fashion represents a unique opportunity for sporting goods companies as it is more fragmented and larger in size than the market for products used in sports activity.’ (Adidas, 2011)

International pro surfer, Kelly Slater founded and inspired Quiksilver’s sub brand, ‘VSTR’ and considers it as a clothing brand not just a surf brand.

It is intended to target “world travellers that want clothes with quality, sophistication, versatility – all without a lot of logos”. (VSTR, Montgomery, 2012) New brands emerging such as VSTR are trying not to be specific to just one season but instead produce clothing for all year round purposes.

This obviously maximises sales but enhances brand loyalty as consumers feel they can trust the brand to have a product that will be appropriate for a variety of occasions. Essentially brands such as VSTR are trying to bridge the dramatic gap between street wear and the surf market that needs to be renovated and remove the dated image consumers have of the surf industry.

V-S-T-R

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Nikita

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]

Nikita is a female only streetwear and snowboarding outerwear brand originating in Iceland. They actually started by producing streetwear first before making the progression over into outerwear which now has a highly regarded reputation. Heida Birgisdóttir is the founder of Nikita who in 1994 noticed the lack of ‘street clothing for girls who ride’ available and started the collection which is heavily inspired by boardsports and how it influences streetwear. ‘At Nikita, the team has always made clothes that they would themselves want to wear and Nikita’s success and support from like-minded girls worldwide is a natural result of that.’ (Snowboard Steez, 2012)

A street wear brand can distinguish and pride itself on the quality of their products compared to what is on offer on the high street. The idea is to communicate to consumers that they are buying quality rather than quantity. This is important as consumers favour both streetwear and high street brands to buy summer clothing, which is evident in the online survey conducted on the boardsports market.

(See Appendix 1.1) 53.4% would choose a streetwear brand, 55.2% choose the high street and only 39.7% choose a surf brand when buying summer appropriate clothing. The brand RVCA which is owned by Billabong and falls into the skate and surf culture, produces clothing that is not purely based around trends but provide “lasting items that the consumer can wear for years to come.” (Cortado, 2012) This is important as consumers who buy from streetwear, skate and surf brands in the summer months aren’t necessarily purchasing summer specific clothing but something that catches their eye and can still be worn into the following seasons.

[

]

‘lasting items that the consumer can wear for years to come.’

(Cortado, 2012)

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In order for board sports brands to survive and grow in the current climate they have had to start moving into other markets. For example, a brand that started with it’s roots in snowboarding will also benefit from producing products that fall in the skate, surf or streetwear categories to target a wider range of board sport enthusiasts. If an individual is a skateboarder, they won’t limit themselves to just skate clothing but look at surf, streetwear or snow brands that produce a similar styled product. In a questionnaire conducted on the boardsport market, the primary research revealed that 60% of respondents either already bought summer clothing from their favourite snow-wear brand or would if they started producing appropriate products. This evidence shows that if consumers are loyal to a brand from one boardsport area they are likely to remain loyal to them and invest in other items if stocked. One respondent from the online survey picked O’Neil as their favourite snowwear brand and when asked if he would invest in summer wear from their chosen brand he stated, ‘this is probably where my interest stemmed from as I own O’Neil wetsuits and boots and multiple t-shirts from this brand too.’

General sportswear brands such as Nike and Adidas have also started to produce board sport appropriate products

as well as their other sporting portfolio. Adidas, whom isn’t yet regarded as one of the top players in the board sport’s market is currently looking to assess this and gain better recognition in the market. They are starting to grow a core following with skateboarding and launched Adidas Snowboarding a year ago. The brand signed snowboarder Jake Blauvelt to assist with the launch and due to their recognisable strong roots in sports, particularly football and skate, he was confident that If Adidas did the same in snow it would succeed. They have assigned five other pro riders to their “snow squad”.

They are using their team to deliver the message of their entering the snowboard market via their various social media sites such as Facebook & Instagram. The team also hopes to enter surfing in the future once their skate and snow departments are grounded. It is apparent that in the sporting apparel and equipment market, if a brand can be successful in one market of the sports industry, they have potential to succeed in others. In terms of the board sports market this similarly applies and a brand that originated as a skate, surf or snow brand if marketed and communicated correctly can be successful in all three segments as well as streetwear.

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7.4

Cross Over Brands

7.5

Nike Case Study “Before there was the Swoosh, before there was Nike, there were two visionary men who pioneered a revolution in athletic footwear that redefined the industry”.

(Nike inc, 2011) Nike was born in 1970 and started with the production of footwear. Nike is based in Oregon in the USA and operates in over 120 countries worldwide. Apart from athletics the first sports that Nike ventured into were Football and Golf.

Nike is a truly global player in the field of sports and are ‘the largest apparel brand in the world and wholly dominate the global sportswear market with a 2.2% share.’ (GMID, 2012) Today Nike is not only a sports product brand; it is wellestablished lifestyle brand. Nike has exceptionally high levels of brand loyalty amongst their consumers. Their distinct branding and innovative products have led Nike to become one of the most iconic and recognised brands in the world. They are the market leaders across many different sectors in terms of innovation. It is regarded as unusual for someone not to be able to identify their simple swoosh logo and ‘just do it’ tag line. “Nike prides itself on a history of innovation, from the famous waffle sole invented in the 70s to contemporary fabrics that change structure when they come into contact with sweat.” (WGSM, Smart Fabrics, 2012) Nike initially decided to move into the action sports industry as they felt there was a whole consumer segment being neglected of product innovation. Action sports for Nike makes up $390 million of their business and this is predicted to double by 2015. The action sports division is also their fastest growing category within the brand.

The introduction of sub brand Nike 6.0 in 2006 and the purchase of Hurley in 2002 was a way for Nike to steadily infiltrate the market before fully committing themselves to an industry they had yet to conquer. ‘Today, Nike SB is already established in the skateboarding industry and Nike snowboarding is rapidly developing to become one of the key market players in its field.’ (Waite, 2012)

Nike has realigned its focus on the board sports market and is concentrating on the skateboarding and snowboarding segments of their brand. Nike is still increasing its commitment to Surf but under their brand Hurley. Hurley is already a well-established surf brand that competes better than Nike in the surf market due to its strong surfing roots.

Hurley ‘is connected to the action sports industry, one of Nike’s fastest growing categories, and can be aimed at a wholly different group of consumers with no risk of cross brand contamination.” (GMID, 2012) Nike skateboarding started in 1996 with the production of skate specific shoes. At this time the market was already heavily infiltrated with huge skate brands such as Vans and DC for Nike to be successful. In 2002 they introduced a sub brand, Nike SB, which was solely committed to the world of skateboarding. Nike Skateboarding was recently awarded ‘Best Specialty Specific Store Product Line’ in the 2012 Transworld Business Awards.

In terms of streetwear, Nike is best known for its footwear, Nike Air and Nike Janoski. Nike was awarded number one brand by dollar market share for Men’s shoes in the 2012 Transworld Business Awards. Now, consumers will search the Internet for the latest pair of Nike Airs before they sell out and become an exclusive pair only to be found on Ebay selling for much more than their retail price.

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‘Respect the past, create the future’ (Nike SB Facebook, 2013)

Salvation Nike finds Salvation. In a new retail concept from Nike they aim to further target the youth orientated action sport market with their ‘Salvation’ stores. Action sports are no longer a hobby but a person’s lifestyle and Nike is now producing merchandise to suit this transition. Nike SB, Hurley and Converse are all stocked in store. The stores include a customisable trainer station and recycling area.

Nike salvation offers a high standard shopping experience with sales assistants who all have a background in action sports and demonstrate a passion for art, music and fashion.

Staff members have an online profile created that is shared on the Salvation social media sites. The staff are also assigned specific job roles dependent on their background and lifestyle, e.g. a skateboarder will assist customers looking for skate clothing and footwear.

Roger Wyett, president of Nike Affiliates said at the Annual Shareholder meeting, “We felt that there was a place in the action sports world for a more different type of experience that was both innovative and celebrated the culture, art, design, music and action sports.” The exclusivity of these stores and products will interest any person that snowboards, surfs or skateboards.

Currently there are only two Salvation stores and they are all located in America - Malibu & Irvine. In the UK and other countries you can view the products that are posted on their Facebook page daily as a new pair of Janoski’s or Converse have been customised in store. The Workshop provides consumers the power to create products that speak to their individual sense of style and this creates a better connection between the brand and customer. This connected consumer is also engaged digitally to Salvation through their peer-topeer interaction approach. Nike Salvation constantly shares local events and step-by-step picture of bespoke products.

They are trying to create a lifestyle for consumers that by buying a product the customers are also becoming a part of the lifestyle.

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Stussy x Nike The S&S Collection Nike has also collaborated with the “King” of streetwear, Stussy to create a collection of ‘sneakers designed to bring authentic street style to any terrain.’ (Nike Inc, 2012) Essentially the collection is suitable for anyone who partakes in boardsports for any type of terrain. ‘S&S is about sand, street and snow style merged for day to day performance.’ (Nike Inc, 2012) The two iconic brands who both emerged from different sporting backgrounds have brought together surf, skate, innovation and athletics through this partnership.

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Conclusion & Strategic Outcome

8.0 To conclude, this research report, remaining mindful of Westbeach’s brand values, has resulted in a strategic outcome for the implementation stage. The perceptual map created from the research suggests where the gap in the market for Westbeach would be.

It is evident that the Surf market would not be an appropriate way for Westbeach to enter the summer market. Although they started as a surf brand most consumers are unaware of this. In recent years there has also been a decline in the surf apparel market with increasing debts and decreasing sales. It would be essential for them to produce equipment such as surfboards to survive which is unlikely, as they currently do not produce hardware for snowboarding. There is also too much competition from internationally recognised brands such as Quiksilver, Ripcurl and Billabong. The rise of fashion brands such as Hollister infiltrating the surf market would also create difficulty for Westbeach to make a name for themselves in the industry.

The perceptual map indicates that there are already established brands that produce just snowboarding and surfwear. All of these brands are renowned for their wetsuits and surfing equipment. Comparatively the market for streetwear brands that are heavily influenced by the skate culture is also a crowded one.

It is proposed for Westbeach to move more heavily into streetwear in order to increase their level of summer trade.

The only other significant competitor who produces both snow outerwear and streetwear is Nikita - who are a girl only brand. Bonfire, Westbeach’s key competitor, produces a limited amount of streetwear that Westbeach should look to emulate. Streetwear is targeted at many different individuals

with different styles so determining the target audience of Westbeach is important when deciding on the type of product to produce. The emphasis on their streetwear needs to be appropriate for those that ride and have a multi-functional element. The clothing could be suitable for a range of different situations, for example, suitable for summer riding on the mountain but also for day-to-day wear in the street.

The idea behind the Stussy x Nike collection is a perfect example of this as it is suitable for snow, sand and street (See section 7.5). Therefore the collection is appropriate for any person that takes part in surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding or likes the style of streetwear. A collaboration with a streetwear brand could be an alternative route for Westbeach to enter the summer market but it must be a suitable match for a successful partnership.

To keep in fitting with the brands values and needs of the consumers, the clothing must be practical whilst remaining fashionable and be transferable into other seasons. The trend for multi functional clothing such as a reversible elements relates to Westbeach’s history of reversible board shorts which could be incorporated into the clothing. Although the brand should not enter the surf market they should still portray their history through streetwear, for example, original prints could be used for a resort styled shirt, an upcoming trend for 2013.

From primary research conducted in the form of an online survey, all respondents that choose Westbeach as their favourite snowsports brand also stated that if produced, they would invest in summer clothing from the brand.

Westbeach’s strong brand loyalty from consumers suggests that a streetwear clothing line will be popular if it is targeted appropriately at their current target audience.

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bibliography

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WGSN, 2011. Snowboarding. 1st ed. Online: WGSN WGSN, 2011. Snowboarding. 1st ed. Online: WGSN

Section 4.0 Spickernell, J. john@westbeach.com. Brand background. 28/01/13 MARQUARDT, K., 2008. Burton snowboards is King of the Hill [online]. US News - Money. Available at: http://money.usnews. com/money/business-economy/small-business/articles/2008/09/19/burton-snowboards-is-king-of-the-hill [Accessed 01 2013].

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Section 5.0 Mintel, 2012, Holidaywear Shopping. 1st ed. Online: Mintel Mintel, 2012, Holidaywear Shopping. 1st ed. Online: Mintel Mintel, 2012, Youth Fashion. 1st ed. Online: Mintel MINTEL, 2010. Sport and exercise- Ten year trends - UK - July 2010. 1st ed. Online: Mintel.

Section 6.0 Global Surfing Market to Reach $13.2 Billion by 2017, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. [online]. Global Industry Analysts. Available at: http://www.prweb.com/releases/surfing_surfboards/surfing_apparel/prweb8581431.htm [Accessed 11 2012].

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Section 7.0 WAY, G., 2013. [online]. Board Sport Source. Available at: http://www.boardsportsource.com/#!/article/market-intelligence-november-uk [Accessed 12 2013].

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Illustrations

2009, Anon, Westbeach original t-shirt print. In: Pendygrasse, D (2009). Outwest. Canada: 1

WB_Final_Book06/09.indd 1

7/9/09 9:58:42 AM

2009, Nitro, Nitro & Fiat Collaboration. Onboard. Online Available at: http://onboard. mpora.com/news/nitro-road-warriors-stay-fiat.html Accessed: 18/12/12

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28/01/13

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2012, Anon, Bonfire Collection. Bonfire Facebook. Online. Available at: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151376365460152&se a=a.498159010151.298184.31529315151&type=1&theater Accessed 01/13

2012, Samadani, N. Driftwood. Online. Available at: http://photo.nabilsamadani.com/post/9778690784/collecting-driftwood Accessed 01/13

2013, Anon, Berghaus at ASOS. Online. Available at: http://www.asos.com/Berghaus/Ator-By-BerghausStone-Jacket/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=805347 Accessed 01/13

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2011, Anon. Tyler the creator. Wonderlust. Online. Available at: http://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2011/07/682/shot_01012f3/ Accessed: 01/13

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Own Image

2012, Anon. Holden. Business Transworld. Online. Available: http://business.transworld.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/ holden-photography/image[4].jpg Accessed: 01/13

Moodboard images sourced from weheartit.com, pinterest & google images

2012, Anon. RVCA. Online. Available: http://www.alohaboardsports.com/ alohaboardsports/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Web-RVCA.png Accessed: 01/13

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Section 7.5 All images sourced from Nike Case study from Nike online, Nike Facebook & Nike Salvation Facebook

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