RED PADDLE CO SURF SUP S/S 2025 PREVIEW

Retail Buyers Guide: SUP S/S 2025 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Red Paddle Co
Interviewee: George Shillito. Commercial Director

2024 was a balancing act: getting rid of the 2022/23 inventory and introducing fresh SKUs. Did it turn out as you wish it would?
2024 was a strong year for Red with many customers citing low-quality product as a major driving force in their purchase decisions. By utilising key models to broaden our price range alongside the introduction of new innovation such as our MSL800 material (2KG lighter) and new board shapes to create a performance pathway has enabled us to continue to strengthen the brand proposition on many levels; More accessible to paddlers, strong financial margins for independent stores and innovation that customers care about.

How do you foresee the future of the category? Turning into a legit sport for the masses or still mainly use as a leisure activity by occasional participants?
The aim shouldn’t be to create one or the other but to feed the pipeline of everyday paddlers looking to up their skill and take on longer distances, experiences or challenges. Direct customer feedback and mass SUP event participation shows there is a healthy and growing number of people looking to take paddling more ‘seriously’ in terms of performance and technique. They do not see themselves as athletes but are very dedicated. This trend is being reinforced by the growing and varied number of mass, longer-distance events many of which are sold out in a matter of hours and have long wait lists. How we speak to these paddlers as an industry and equip them with vocabulary to allow them to differentiate themselves from leisure paddlers is key to maturing as a sport and continuing momentum as a sport.

How do your brand differentiate itself in the overcrowded “allround” segment? Pricing, technology, durability, wow factor?
For the Red customer, quality and construction remain king. In a world lost in off the shelf materials, poor construction and mis-matched specifications, the need from customers looking for reliable, safe and ultimately stable boards is a constant request from customers, looking for a board that gives them real confidence to improve in all conditions. Retailers and customers want and expect product they can rely on. That is everything we stand for here at Red. As a B Corp certified business, we have been working ever closer with our suppliers to ensure product quality and standards remain high and supply chains strong to deliver on core value of an authentic experience without compromise. In contrast, with most supply chains now severed in China, many factories have closed their doors and experienced craftmanship has been lost – it paints an uncertain and inconsistent picture for future competitor products.

The second bestselling category would be “adventure SUPs”, which spreads from the touring boards to the fishing/multi-user/river models. Which are the trending segments within your brand?
Touring products continues to see growth but our new thinner, lighter Sport+ models have been the boards of choice with customers able to benefit from faster acceleration, less fatigue and ease of transport. The increase of dedicated paddlers has also seen uplift on our internationally patented Compact range of boards, offering paddlers a smaller, lightweight package that doe not compromise on performance and overall finish.

Inflatables: Which are your flagship models for SS25?
For 2025 we are super excited to be launching our new Future Series collection. Designed to sit alongside our MSL Adventure range, the Future Series has been designed and tested for over two years with countless hours on the water, to create the ultimate range of boards and paddles. Made using super stiff, lightweight MSL800 – the range caters for paddlers specific requirements boasting a more comprehensive performance offering across fewer models.

Hardboards: who is your target customer for composite boards and what do you have to offer for SS25?
N/A

What kind of support do you offer for retailers? (pre-orders sales terms, in-season restocking, dropshipping, in-store demos…)
Alongside our trade B2B site, instore support, local distribution services, pre-order pricing and re-order top ups, and find a shop map – we offer retailers certainty. In what appears to have become a race to the bottom, Red remains a sustainable financial proposition for independent businesses. We continue to invest in the brand to drive demand and remain laser focused on building reliable, performance-led products for retailers who understand quality and are looking to reinforce their own brand/service online and instore.

Key Products:

9’2 Compact:
Increase your wave count and explore empty breaks with the all-new 9’2 Compact. Designed as a super-compact freeride board for exploring far away flatwater or secret surf spots. Made using MSL1000 material for riders up to 90kg – this internationally patented design offers riders total versatility and next level performance.

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12’6 Sport+:
Just 4.7” thick, the 12’6 x 28 Sport+ is designed for total efficiency. Made using MSL800 it is easy to carry and transport whilst the reduced volume makes it faster to inflate for lighter riders. Tapered width through the back two thirds and reduced volume in the tail allows for efficient water flow and improved agility.

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14’0 Voyager:
A long-range expedition board, the length of a racer with ample width for confidence and extra cargo – no matter what the conditions throw at you. Innovative Spin Box technology offers a removable centre fin for increased turning control in tighter spots, whilst the twin fin and V-HULL offer total straight line control over long distances.

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