Rome Snowboards 2024/25 Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Snowboards FW24/25 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Rome
Interviewee: Matt Stillman , Vibe Merchant

OVERALL

How would you describe the current state of the snowboard market? What big developments, changes, challenges, and/or opportunities are you seeing and how is your brand navigating them?

The current state of the snowboard market seems to be eager and optimistic. We continue to listen closely to our valued retailer partners, reps and distributors to address whatever challenges they see emerging.

Following overall price increase, any positive developments with regards to manufacturing, sourcing, or logistics and the changes you’ve made? Are there any examples you can share of how your business pivoted effectively? What developments are you seeing with regards to product pricing?

The industry at large is indeed seeing pricing increase as material pricing increases and as inflation lingers. We are not immune to that but still doing our best to hold the line as much as possible on pricing.

Is e-commerce sales still strong since most brands have been put a lot of effort in physical retail?

We continue to see both sales channels as equally viable and complimentary to each other.

Past last winter and the lack of snow in Europe, what’s your overall sales and production/inventory strategy for 24/25?

Our overall production/inventory strategy has not changed for 24/25.

SNOWBOARD SPECIFIC

What trends or developments are you seeing with regards to board construction, shapes, and general innovation? How is this shaping your 24/25 range?

For 24/25 we continue to offer timeless shapes which are all built around the philosophy that responsive boards ride better. We have had great success with the addition of the Pro Collection in boards, as well as the Stale Collection and the team favorite Rene-Gade , Rene Renekangas’ pro model.

Rene-Gade

The 24/25 collection also finds the brand with a new logo package, prominently displayed on boards’ bases. To compliment the new refined logo, we also have new brand colors designed to evoke a clean, modern feel. A cool slate gray with hunter orange accent creates an approachable and timeless visual sensibility. We also set out this year to add more color to the line; bright hues of purple, acid yellows and shades of bone accent the new brand color palette.

Anything new concerning sustainability and related product or construction you would like to highlight?

The use of flax, as a woven fiber, in our boards has been very positively received. Our Flax Walls are used to add additional strength and stability in boards’ noses and tails, while Flax Impact Plates are a thin woven mat of flax that sits around the board’s insert pack to provide additional impact absorption.

Are you using any new materials in your hardware for 24/25? If so, what and why? We’re interested in anything new in inserts / edges / cores / sidewalls / glue / resin/ wood types / base material / top sheet / etc. here.

No new materials, but we continue to use our industry-leading HotRods and Omegas in our board line to create the most responsive boards in the game.

Any new design or pattern approaches in your 24/25 gear? Any collabs on the line?

This year consistency is the main the storyline in our board collection. We have seen great success with the ‘Pro’ collection format, and will be adding the Ravine Pro to the Pro Collection, which now features the Ravine Pro, Agent Pro and Artifact Pro. We have also reshaped the Stale Crewzer to help it feel more balanced overall.

Ravine Pro

Are you planning to focus on a special product range or type of customers? What’s your newest range?

Our philosophy with our board line has always been that responsive boards ride better, and we have something for every time of rider.

What is your top product marketing story for next season?

Our marketing stories for the 2425 range are focused on the reshaped Crewzer , the ever popular Stale Fish and the generally brighter , refreshed color pallete that the whole line embodies.

Stalefish