UK
F-Putin!
FRANCE GERMANY ITALY SWISS SPAIN PORTUGAL
What a difference one issue makes! It is really hard to focus on dayto-day business and our so-called ‘normal’ life when war is raging in Ukraine. A war in Europe? A war on our near neighbours, on our friends, on colleagues creating the largest refugee crisis since WWII. WTF? Almost impossible to comprehend. Almost impossible to believe what havoc one madman can reap on his neighbours. Almost impossible to think of those friends and colleagues that you shared a laugh, a joke and a beer with at ISPO are now facing this reality, now fighting to save their homeland, their homes and families… their lives. F Putin. So how can you go about writing UK Market Intel? Calling colleagues in the boardsports business and asking them “how’s business?” It all seems a little futile and, if I am honest, it makes you feel guilty going about your daily life as if nothing is happening. F Putin. As an industry I know that the boardsports community are compassionate and I am pretty sure that we are all, as individuals, brands and companies trying to do something to help. For those based in the UK, I would encourage you to consider offering a room or a home to refugees even if our government seem to want to make it as hard as they can - but it is possible… with some perseverance. And so back to the day-to-day. How is it? Winter season has ended really well and it was a good lesson for everyone as to how good business really can be later in the season. As a distributor, we were virtually 100
sold out with next to nothing on closeout. Indeed one of our key brands experienced sales more 10 times over the forecast for Feb/March – yeah the forecast was modest but even so it was a pleasant surprise. Retailers are reporting clean shelves and only now (early April) are some retailers going on sale. Let’s all please take note of this for future years … please. Lorraine from Subvert was upbeat: “I love the fact that we’ve got to this point and nobody has gone on sale. It just proves that people will pay the price and there’s no need to panic sell… and no need for Black Friday. And not one customer has been questioning the price – they’re generally just happy to be getting their hands on some nice kit. Boot fitting has also turned a corner – we usually get people coming in for a fit and then they go search out the cheapest deal – not this year – it’s been great. I hope we can all learn from this.” Has it been great from the get-go? “No. Of course, it was only when the lockdown was lifted and people could travel – that’s when it picked up”. And what about next season? “We’re optimistic and we’ve bought for growth. There are still loads of people who did not get away this year and, assuming no lockdowns, they’re determined to go next winter. We’re forecasting for a better than a normal season. Fingers crossed” Generally, it seems that winter pre-orders are at, or better than, pre-pandemic levels and all we have to do is hope that the current massive increases in covid infections do not result in new lockdowns. That said I simply don’t think that the UK has an appetite for lockdowns and it’s pretty obvious that they would not get the same public support as previously.
