Shop Profile: Decade, Guilford, England

Decade is a relatively new skate shop in Guilford, having been open for just one year.  The shop may be new, but owner Greg Foster acknowledges the important of social media, and uses it in an exemplary way.  We spoke to owner Greg Foster for more info.

Please give a brief history of your store including when it was started, who started it, who the owners and key players are and a little bit about your store in general.

Decade was set up by me, (Greg Foster) in 2011. The store is split on two levels with clothing, footwear and accessories on the ground floor. Hardware is upstairs on a separate floor. The primary focus for us is the physical store and has been the priority since day one.

Did your store’s sales increase or decrease over last year?

Sales have been steady since opening; it’s early days still!

What are the benefits of having a physical shop over simply having an online store?

Personal service and listening to the customers needs are very important to this store. The ability to look online and then go into a physical shop and try it on is what many customers are looking for.  We are trying to give people a good environment to look at the latest product as well as finding out about new items that have either just arrived or will be coming in soon.

What is the biggest challenge an independent retailer faces today and how do you meet that challenge?

Being a new independent retailer is a challenge during a recession however if we concentrate on being consistent on a daily basis and stick to basic principles then all will be good here!

Does your store sponsor athletes, competitions, etc? What are the benefits to the store and to the boardsports community?

The store has a number of skaters who represent the store on a local level. Pete Adams, Ben Coughlan, Matt Boulton and Chris Rotherham are out skating every day and help to represent the store in a positive light. It is important to have a presence outside the store; we also support a local independent radio station Kane FM that is often played in store and they give us regular shout outs which helps get the message out there.

How important is it that big brands support small retailers such as yours with what you’re trying to do for the boardsports community?

I think big brands should support individual retailers more with exclusive product as this helps to enhance their image with customers that are looking for something a bit different.

What are five products you couldn’t live without right now?

There is nothing specific that I can pinpoint at this time as it all goes pretty quick.

What are your secrets for selling high-end products?

Selling high end products successfully involves displaying the product on its own in a designated space and allowing extra time to explain any features and benefits that it has over any cheaper products.

Please could you let us know what it is you find so useful about social networking platforms such as facebook?  What sort of thing do you post on there?

Social networking is really important as most of our customers are on their phones 24/7 so it is really important to let them know what is happening in store.   If there are any new products that have arrived or anything that I feel people might like, I will post it up on facebook to show our customers what we’ve got.  We sell out so quickly of products, that this is a good way of getting customers in to Decade.

How do you combine your good work on facebook, with the qualities needed to keep customers happy and informed in store?

Staying in touch with customers using both social media and a physical store presence means that you are there for them come rain or shine. People need to know that you are ready to serve them well at all times, this leads to good repeat customers that are happy.

What kind of advice can you give other independent retailers who are trying to compete against the big box megastores?

Decade does not cater for any fads or crazes. We aim to be the primary destination for the best in streetwear and skateboards in town.

What are the biggest challenges a small independent retailer such as Decade faces at the moment?

Rising operating costs and more competition make it pretty hard work for any retailer now, through a recession in there as well and things look pretty impossible! However people will always need clothes and skateboarders will always need skateboards, that won’t ever change so let’s look forward to the future. The Olympics will help things for
retailers in the UK this summer for sure!