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Doodah (Swiss) Buyer Matthew Lee Talks Snow Business
In early 1994 Matthew Lee and Thomas Scherrer launched their first doodah snowboarding store in Zug (Swiss). Today there are 10 shops around Switzerland that are the leaders of their industry. We catch up with Matthew to find out about their plans for this winter and discuss 20/21 stock choices.
How has winter 20/21 kicked off? I hear in the US the backcountry market is booming… any trends noticed here?
Winter has kicked off like most years I would say, the only trend I’m seeing just now are all the Reps telling me how much Splitboarding will explode this year! We have a slight increase in Splitboard Binding sales, but apart from all distributors being sold out already there hasn’t been a rush for product yet.
How much of your orders did you cut back on in March? Did you cut back any more at before winter started? Does this differ from hardgoods to outerwear?
We didn’t cancel any FW2021 orders in March (only a few deliveries scheduled for April and May, mostly FTW). We didn’t cancel anything before winter started either, on the opposite, we had quite a few cancellations by brands leaving us with a gap in Outerwear.
What percentage of old stock are you sat on compared to a ‘normal’ year?
The only category worth mentioning is Bags, otherwise we had normal sellout by the end of summer. Hardgoods was pretty much the same as the previous year, we would have had an increase without the lockdown.
What support did you request from brands during the pandemic, which they weren’t able to offer?
We asked for a discount on goods delivery late in the season, which some brands didn’t want to hear about.
What were some of the best things brands have done for you since the start of the pandemic?
Best thing brands have done? Started listening!
How do you expect brands to drive consumer demand with zero events?
I’m pushing the idea of being supported in creating local content with our team riders.
What are you hoping/expecting to see in product lines from brands for 21/22?
Smaller lines, better availability of top-selling products, sustainable innovation in new products.
Sticking your finger in the air… how do you expect this winter to unfold?
I think we will see a strong increase in snowboarding, splitboarding and powder surf, as a lot of Swiss people will not be travelling abroad, instead heading to the mountains – once in the snow you have to go out and do something so all outdoor activities should have a nice push. But as of the moment, Switzerland is a “Corona Hotspot” all travel restrictions on returning have been dropped, so the flood gates are open to go to a warmer climate.
