NRS SUP 2024 Preview
Retail Buyers Guide: 2024 SUP Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: NRS
Interviewee: Mark Deming, Chief Marketing Officer
Carry overs were the go-to choice in 2023 to help clear the retailers & distributors existing inventories. Did the strategy pay out?
Carrying over existing models was the only reasonable approach in 2023. Introducing new and revised products when retailers were holding so much inventory would have made a bad situation worse. The inventory situation as begun to normalize, so, in that sense, the strategy was successful. However, I don’t see retailers or manufacturers celebrating just yet.
When do you think supply and demand will balance out and why?
Supply and demand have begun balancing out, but a full correction will take time. Retailers and manufacturers have reduced orders in response to a leveling out of demand. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of inventory on the market—especially at the lower price points, much of it being sold at very deep discounts. It will take some time for that inventory to clear up and the market to balance out.
What is your product strategy for next season? Bold and fresh or a more cautious approach?
We believe that innovation is the best path out of this. When the market is flooded with minimally differentiated boards being sold at discount, the only way to compete is by offering something different and better. NRS has been bold in driving its board designs forward, introducing new shapes and technologies that stand apart from everything else on the market.
Which inflatable models are you pushing in 2024? Anything new in the technology/material front to report?
NRS has introduced a new line of shaped inflatables for 2024, including the Clipper touring boards and the Jukdo all-purpose models. Our woven Z-Blend drop-stitch material results in a board that is lighter, stiffer, and rolls up more compactly. Integrated Shaping Technology (IST) uses the unique properties, of Z-Blend along with multiple air chambers, to shape the boards for improved efficiency and stability.
(hardboard brands only) How important is the hardboard category for your business? Which boards are still relevant in 2024?
N/A
How are you supporting retailers through this difficult period?After weathering the over-inventory situation in cooperation with our dealers, we’re moving ahead with products that lead the way into the future. We’re giving our dealers the opportunity to offer products that stand apart from the sea of deeply discounted, undifferentiated boards currently on the market. We’re confident we’ve created the best-paddling inflatable SUPs ever made—boards that render previous generations obsolete and will inspire many paddlers to upgrade.
Key Products:
NRS Clipper SUPs:
The Clipper SUP Board is a premium shaped touring board featuring a deliberately shaped nose and tail rocker to balance tracking and maneuverability. Whether you’re challenging headwinds on the Great Lakes or crushing river miles to make camp, the Clipper handles touring and overnight adventures with ease.
NRS Jukdo SUPs:
The Jukdo SUP Board gives the do-it-all paddler a premium shaped board intentionally designed to track on flat water with the maneuverability to handle light surf and river running. Rig gear for a minimalist overnighter or ditch the gym and opt for daily jaunts on the Jukdo for fitness and yoga—it can truly do it all.
NRS Fortuna SUP Paddle:
The Fortuna SUP Paddle was designed to handle the more advanced demands of those who push SUPs to their limits in sport or fitness, through whitewater or on overnighters. A carbon-fiber shaft, custom-shaped fiberglass blade, and smaller blade profile, the Fortuna 90 offers an incredibly light swing weight and allows a smooth and quick cadence.
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