West Snowboarding 2022/23 Snowboards Preview
Retail Buyers Guide: Snowboards 2022/23 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: West
Interviewee: David, CEO
Please provide an overview of how 2022/23 is shaping up for your brand.
We keep providing our classic serie as timeless carry-over, and we will add more and more limited edition product as we just started this year.
Everyone has been affected by impacts from Covid-19 in one way or another. Have you had to change manufacturing or sourcing processes and can you explain any good examples of how your business has pivoted effectively?
We keep working with the same factories but we just changed our production schedule for a better timing and delivery time. The fact that we are not producing seasonal products based on deadline anymore, is actually helping us to produce what we want when we want.
Muveran
Carry-over was a hot topic for 21/22 boards. Where did your brand sit on the matter and has this changed for 22/23?
Mentioned above
The bricks and mortar model is changing rapidly. How are you working with retailers and your ecommerce channel to ensure as little conflict as possible?
We love bricks and mortar, we’ll support them the best we can till the end. All our love to them ! Respect for the job there are doing !
What’s your company doing to improve its carbon footprint/eco consciousness?
We are not communicating too much on it, based on the fact that we don’t want to become green washer. For us it was, it is and it will be “Natural” to be the most eco-friendly as possible. We love nature more than everything else and there is no doubt that we are trying our best to save it. On top of using, FSC woodcores, Green Epoxy and water based ink… we also use 100% natural wooden topsheet on our classic series. But most important, we’re sourcing all our materials within Europe to produce in EU. And this is where we’re doing the best when you know that 80% of your carbon footprint is coming from transportation.
Are you using any new materials in your hardware for 22/23? If so, what, and why? We’re interested in anything new in inserts / edges / cores / sidewalls / glue / resin/ wood types / base material etc here.
Nope
What about shapes? Anything new for 22/23? Does anything remain unexplored, or are there still advances to be made in shaping specifically?
We’ve been testing a new shape, fully unisex which will complete our Classic Series
What new items do you have that are specifically aimed at entry level? Has this increased/decreased due to COVID-19? Please also mention anything new that’ll be aimed at the youth market.
Our mid range products will be a little less demanding for beginners based on the request we had from Asia. Meaning that we’ll mix a bit more, several options from Juniors riding 140-145cm to ladies riding 145-150 to beginners (young) riding from 150-155. Their choice gonna be wider, for all of them (Junior-wmn-beginnners), from 140cm to 157cm. We actually sold many board for Junior to Petite, and vis & versa.
Grammont
Prices: Which area of the market do you primarily cater to, price-wise? Have you revisited this after the uncertainty of this past winter?
We stick on mid to high price range
Please tell us about the dominant visual themes in your 22/23 gear, including any interesting artist collabs you have lined up.
More and more limited editions to be dropped at anytime of the season. You will see.
Park? Freeride? All-mountain? where will your primary focus be in 22/23, and how much has that changed since 21/22?
Still backcountry for the most. But at the same time, thanks to our team riders, we become now a bigger player also in the street and park.
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