Norden SUP 2024 Preview
Retail Buyers Guide: 2024 SUP Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Norden
Interviewee: Andy Wirtz, CEO - Owner
Carry overs were the go-to choice in 2023 to help clear the retailers & distributors existing inventories. Did the strategy pay out?
It was necessary at this point but the sales remained slow. It is about time to come up with fresh new products and push things forward again.
When do you think supply and demand will balance out and why?
I think SUP is in transition from a trend sport to becoming a core sport, which also means that the masses will fade and the core remains and that takes time. We have seen this in windsurfing, kitesurfing and we will also see this in foiling at a later stage. With brands, shops and products overflow fading away in the next 2 years, things will balance out but I guess that´s how much longer it will take at least.
What is your product strategy for next season? Bold and fresh or a more cautious approach?
2024 will still be a transition year for us, but we are in full swing working on 2025 products, that´s when we plan to come along fresh again.
(hardboard brands only) How important is the hardboard category for your business? Which boards are still relevant in 2024?
We are and always were a core hardboard brand. On the stock board side, all-round boards, whether that be traditional Malibu shapes or Touring boards are still interesting to sell. On the racing side, it is either do it proper or leave it, we´ve never been a racing brand. We love to still make surf SUPs even though the market has become very small. We have installed a custom manufacturing in Europe which still allows us to feed this small demand.
How are you supporting retailers through this difficult period?What we offer is available and not only in the catalog or website. We do demos with the dealers, we offer good service and supply fast.
Key Products:
GliderV3 carbonL:
norden-SUP-GliderV3-carbonL
TouringV3 carbon:
norden-SUPTouringV3-carbon
Combat Fish SGT:
norden SUP-Combat-Fish-SGT
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