In the August 1999 issue of SKATE Biz (Volume 11 Number 1), I wrote about two hypothetical skateboard factory owners, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll’s production was strictly OEM. Mr. Hyde had a successful brand and built his product at his own factory. They both made a bunch of perfectly logical and rational […]
Competitive Challenges; Four Things You’ve Got to Do Better Read More »
I do confess it. I was trained as a finance guy. I have an MBA, started out in international banking (Ask me about Carnival in Brazil sometime!), and did some corporate treasury and investment banking kind of work. Given the way things have changed, I decided it was okay to come out of the closet. Please don’t throw me
Numbers, Numbers Everywhere And Who Knows What They Mean Read More »
Most of us are in a different business than we were a few years ago. Retailer, brand, manufacturer, or even consultant, our customers have changed. There are only a handful of companies out there that can say they are snowboard companies. Others have adjusted their strategies, or aren’t around anymore. Remember the “C” word? Consolidation wasn’t just about a
Changes in Market Focus; The New Snowboarding Reality Read More »
I spent three days walking and talking. I suffered through the usual distraction and traffic jam at the Reef booth (why is it that no matter which way you try and go, you end up there?). In no particular order, I noted the following things: No major new products Snowboarders trying to do skate tricks in
What I Learned at ASR: Products, Movies, Cooperation, Culture and Hype Read More »
It must suck to be the only public, pure snowboard company left standing. All the other snowboard brands are suffering from some of the same industry issues as Ride, but they can equivocate about it with impunity. But Ride’s management wouldn’t want to do that anyway. Like the title says, there’s good news
Good News And Bad News; Ride Reports Third Quarter and Preseason Orders. Read More »
There’s got a way to make this story exciting. Oh the injustice of making me write about a company with a strong balance sheet, growing revenue and earnings, no meaningful litigation, and an experienced management team with a clear strategic focus. I’ve got to stir up some drama somewhere if there’s to be any hope that people
Chasing the Demographics; Pacific Sunware Focuses on Youth Read More »
There are sixty million kids people in the United States between the ages of 5 and 20. Over half of them haven’t entered adolescence yet. It’s the biggest demographic bulge since the baby boomers. Every large, mainstream company in this country from Levis, to JC Penney to Fidelity Mutual Funds needs credibility and brand recognition with
Beset by Opportunities; How Can We Take Advantage of Them? Read More »
K2’s purchase of Ride, announced on July 22 and expected to close within 100 days, is as close as we’ll ever get to a capstone on consolidation. We all were intellectually aware of consolidation, but this makes you aware in your gut. Burton and K2 now control what I’d estimate to be 65 percent of the
Fat Lady Sings. K2 Buys Ride Read More »
I’m not entirely sure what the title of this article means, but I’m pretty certain it applies to the skateboard industry. Conditioned as I am by the snowboard industry consolidation, I went to ASR expecting to observe a similar process. Subjectively, it seemed like the show wasn’t quite so crowded, and things were more business like, but
I Feel a Whole Lot More Like I Do Now Than I Did a Little While Ago; My Take on ASR Read More »
The specialty shop in Vienna was all snowboards and snowboard products. It was mostly last year’s stuff and was all on sale. Word was that financial problems were preventing them from getting new stuff. Over at a big Intersport store, there was just as much space devoted to snowboard products and the deals were just as good. I’d
Hung Over, Jet Lagged, and Sleep Deprived; A View of the Industry from 37,000 Feet Read More »