Pro Content

2020 UK Boardsports Market Insight Roundup

‘Still Crazy After All These Years’. Especially 2020. For most, 2020 will be a year to forget as quickly as possible. For others it turned out to be better than anticipated.
By Gordon Way

It certainly has been a year of ups and downs. In the early part of the year, the tail end of the winter season was going well. Distributor orders for winter 20/21 were coming in very nicely and all was good. Generally, there was a very positive feel.

BANG. Late March. COVID. Lockdown. Overnight, business fell like a lump of led. It just stopped. Early April and some sectors felt the start of a ‘COVID-bounce’. Skate in particular went ballistic – as an ‘acceptable outdoor activity’ participation grew which then translated to sales.

Paul from Blacksheep in Manchester said: “It exploded – it went off the charts. It’s a solo sport… so that helps. The Olympics next year, the Tony Hawk Game… that all helps.

It’s also self-generating; more participants generate more participants in the same way that stock shortage creates a demand in itself. If people think that they can’t get it tomorrow because it may sell-out then they’ll snap your hand off. It all came together to bring us a 10-year boom.”

BOOM. In early June, further restrictions were lifted, and the tap was turned on for watersports. SUP in particular went nuts with many suppliers selling out. The staycation really kicked in and all tourist areas of the UK were overloaded.

Paul from Zuma Jays – in Bude, the heart of the West Country said: “It’s been good, very good. Amazing. We’ve done 6 months’ business in 3 months and we’d had to split the team into two [COVID protection] so everyone had to work double as hard when they were in the shop. Of course, we missed the Easter period and the early part of the season but no complaints at all and it’s still busy.” [November].

What were the main problems? “Stock management, stock availability and customer expectations. Customers nowadays have a ‘want it now’ attitude and don’t appreciate that we’re a small West Country surf shop. They’re used to getting everything immediately – of course we’ve done all we can, but expectations are high, and it is sometimes difficult to meet those expectations.”

“Don’t get me wrong – business has been great and we truly are grateful but sometimes it just feels like groundhog day – like it was 20 years ago, which is great, but let’s not forget that we’re here to surf as well! It’s not all work.”

At Ultra Sport EU it was just the family keeping the business going and they found themselves working 7 days a week, 12-14 hours a day, for 2 solid months. They experienced record days, record weeks and record months. They had one brand that will end the year tripling its business. The COVID-bounce was really kicking in… for some.

September – winter nerves started jangling and it felt like the Fat Lady was warming her vocal cords. It was obvious that retailers would need to be cautious and cut back on their pre-orders.

I’ve said it before but COVID has brought out the best of some people in our industry.  The ‘we’re-all-in-it-together’ approach had been adopted by most – but not all.  Some brands failed to identify this and shoved their products through the doors. Hopefully, when it’s all over those who have not shown the ‘brotherly love’ will get their comeuppance – buyers have long memories!

October came and hopes were high, but we were all hoping against hope itself. Winter sports holiday bookings were non-existent, and retailers (and brands) were now getting anxious. The UK is notoriously early with its winter sports business when compared to our EU brethren (I can still call them brethren as we are not divorced as yet!) and, of course, we don’t have plentiful resorts. Scotland, whilst great, is not going to get us out of this situation. If people cannot (or will not) travel to get to resorts, they are not going to buy any kit. That is stating the very obvious!

November brought a new lockdown and sealed the miserable deal. Cancellations were rife and retailers were reporting sales reductions of up to 85%-90%.

I touched base with Chris from Snowfit/Revolutionz in Norwich just after the second lockdown hit. I think it is fair to say that we were both equally sanguine about the situation – but also both more-than-a-little depressed. “The shop’s closed. Whilst we are doing all we can to stimulate online sales, we are one of the few remaining real bricks and mortar stores and we know our customers will miss coming into the shop. We also know that, right now, almost nobody is booking any travel and therefore not buying kit.”

Snowfit/Revolutionz have taken a proactive approach to the situation and have written to all suppliers outlining their position. They’re being fair to everyone and, like all winter sport retailers, they are seeking understanding and support. “We really are all in this together and we want to treat everyone fairly and in the same way. At the same time, we’re doing all we can to stimulate online business and we have come up with a few unique ideas to give our customers as much of an ‘instore’ feeling as we can. Some kit is selling and I’m confident that if and when we’re allowed to travel business will really take off – I certainly hope so!”

So, looking on the optimistic side and hoping that this lockdown helps the health of the nation, if/when we are allowed to travel in the new year (please God) then we can surely hope that people will be flooding to the hills with kit flying off the shelves. We’re never going to pick up the lost ground, but it may (please) give us a decent end to the season.

Brands really need to understand the situation in the UK more clearly– no travel, no winter sports, no sales. This will massively impact on the 21/22 pre-sell and season and it’s not clear that the industry outside the UK really understand this… yet!

Of course, we hope that there will be a COVID-bounce for the follow-on winter season – we have enthusiasts that are being starved of their ‘fix’. We have a host of new board enthusiasts, courtesy of skate and surf. Surely some of those newbies will want to transfer to the snow – so it could, just could, be a great follow-on season. However, that hope is unlikely to boost retailer confidence and transfer to an uplift in pre-orders.

Whilst I talk about the ‘COVID-bounce’ in this piece, I want to make it clear that I am all too aware of the terrible consequences of COVID. We would all surely be better off without it but … overall …. boardsports will hopefully come out with a new intake of practitioners – I sincerely hope so.

Stay safe, ride sideways but look forward to a better future.