Shop Name: CENTRAL SKATESHOP
Location: PORTIMÃO-ALGARVE PORTUGAL
Age of Shop (years trading): Since 1999 -14 years
Brands Stocked: VANS-DC SHOES-HUF-HABITAT-FALLEN-ZOO YORK-INSIGHT-RHYTHM-ANALOG-DGK, ETC
Website/Social media platform: www.centralskatestore.com
Central Skate Shop is a awesome shop with a cool and minimalistic style layout aswell as a successful online buisness. They have a in-store gallery which adds to the vibe.
How do you use social media to your
advantage to promote your store?
Uploading photos of the new products that arrive at the shop and putting the link to our website
What particular product has been the best seller? What’s working and what isn’t?
Actually we sell very cool VANS, RhythM / Insight retro boardshorts, The Snapbacks Caps from all brands are a best seller … The hoody´s are selling very slow
What is your best selling accessory category?
SKATEBOARDS DECKS- SNAPBACK HATS
What percentage of your sales are from online business (from your website) compared to your in-store sales?
30% ONLINE/ 70% IN-STORE
What are the benefits of having a physical shop over simply having an online store?
The benefit of having a physical shop, is to secure the client who then will buy on our online store ….and the ONLINE is to try to catch an “EXTRA SALES ”
What makes your store different and in what ways does your store excel beyond your competition?
What make my shop different is the KNOW-HOW and also we try to have unique stuff or stuff that the clients dont´t see on the megastores
What trends do you see upcoming?
RETRO STUFF -OLD SKOOL STUFF , LIFESTYLE STUFF, A MIX OF THAT
What kind of advice can you give other independent retailers who are trying to compete against the big megastores?
Is not easy but for my shop I try to stay focused on what I really know best, and give a very good reception to the clients…
Which up and coming brands do you hope to stock in the future?
Right now we are not looking to put new brands but if YES ..Maybe STAPLE, ONLY ….
What are you doing to pull people into your store?
We came by the customise idea on BACKPACKS for the back to school and in some shoes too!
What have been the best three selling categories for you in the last 12 months?
CAPS -TANK TOPS -SHOES
Please tell us of any upcoming initiatives your shop has planned? (events, signings, re-vamps etc…)
We gonna make a ‘GAME OF SKATE’ and ‘CUSTOMISED BACKPACK’
Also we make a gallery inside of the shop and we are gonna make an event with old skateboards magazine from 1975 etc …Its gonna be INSANE !!!
