Shop Profile: SS20, Oxford, England, Skate & Snow
Skate/ Snow SS20, Oxford, UK
Age of Shop (years trading): Established 1st December 1988. Aged 23 years & 9 months
*Tell us a little about SS20?
SS20 is the original rider owned skate & snowboard store in the UK. Born from a passion for the sports we love, it was set up in 1988 and has provided the very best product, advice and service to its customers for over 20 years. As an independent shop, we have continually supported both the skateboard & snowboard scenes by sponsoring countless competitions and riders alike, including such legendary names as Tom Penny, Alex Moul & Danny Wainwright. Do join our Facebook page to get exclusive deals and info on forthcoming events!
*What makes your store different and in what ways does your store excel beyond your competition?
Our philosophy has always been to keep it small and concentrated so that we can provide the best possible personal service to our customers. Our reputation within the industry is second to none and that’s how we’d like to keep. That’s why you’ll find the pick of the best products from all brands we consider worth stocking.
Our website runs real time with sales in the store so it’s rare for us to let you down with an order. When we do, we’ll endeavour to make sure you’re given the best possible service and offer that we can.
SS20 has been pivotal in helping set up and run the Oxford Wheel Project, a registered charity that has lobbied the local council for a permanent skate-park. The project has now successfully raised over £280,000 to build a new purpose built facility 400m from the store. The new park should be completed by the end of September this year. It will be the biggest & best facility in the region. We’ll finally be able to put on proper pro demos/tours and skate comps in Oxford!
*What percentage of your sales are from online business compared to your in-store sales?
60% online – 40% in store
*What are the benefits of having a physical shop over simply having an online store?
Obviously customers can come in and try out the fit of trainers, clothing, snowboard boots and the like. They can also get in-depth opinion and advice on the products we stock. To buy a pair of snowboard boots without trying them can be an expensive and painful experience!
*What have been the best three selling categories for you in the last 12 months?
Footwear – Nike, Adidas & Vans
Skateboards – Shop branded SS20 decks including the Cliche Co-lab decks, Chocolate & Palace
Snowboards – Burton, K2 & Bataleon
Clothing – Obey, Carhartt & Matix
Headphones – Skullcandy only!
*What trends do you see upcoming in skate?
Crusier decks as opposed to longboards will be really strong. More Co-Lab products from suppliers. US brands may start to have resurgence after so much domination from home grown brands but it may well stay with smaller brands such as Palace, Magenta and Polar.
*Which up and coming brand do you hope to stock in the future?
We’ll keep working closely with home grown independent brands such as Sutsu clothing which isn’t sold in chain stores. On top of that we’ll carry on trying to get other exclusive products which are only sold in true skater owned stores like 50/50 in Bristol & Ideal in Birmingham.
* If skaters visit your area, what are a few things they have to check out locally?
We’re in Oxford, one of the most historic & beautiful cities on the planet! Other than that there’s a load of small scale parks dotted around Oxfordshire but they’ll have to wait till September before they can ride the new concrete park! There’s also a great live music scene here with plenty of venues.
