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Common misconception, Australia is not America and until it happens in the US it ain’t real
Don’t get me wrong either, I love OZ. Just not spider season.
It won't happen in the US because, as far as I'm aware, there isn't a skater-run shop that would be willing for Zumiez to buy them out and use their brand name to uphold the guise of "core" while opening franchises in malls across the country.
Say what you will about him, Sean Pablo pulled his clothes out of Fast Times once he learned it was effectively a zumiez-in-disguise. Older personnel at fast times (from when it was PSC) do a good job of fostering a sense of skate-shop community with prems, hooking people up, and supporting local skaters. But the zumiez buyout and the opening of new stores is still a pretty dangerous trend for smaller shops - especially when they have accounts with brands that are very hard to access elsewhere. I think there's a disconnect between smaller US/International brands and Aus Shops about who they're opening an account with but it is a large market so who can blame them really. Brands like Passport wouldn't be able to thrive on skaters alone buying their clothes and boards, and Fast Times brings in a steady stream of people with cash who are adjacent to/interested in skateboarding aesthetics.
was good to see bryce golder, callum paul & half the team quit once zumiez bought in.
huge respect to public skate shop when they broke away and formed.
the disconnect between usa brands and aus shops is real.
definitely a double stand or being fooled on the premise of fast times being a core store.
Totally, and it's a shame because public skate shop would've done much better if it had exclusive accounts with smaller brands like Polar, hockey/FA, Dime, 917, Palace, Frog, etc. - but it had to compete with all these brands being available at a zumiez right in the city centre. As I said though, I understand because it is a big account and international market for these small-ish brands. Public had a really cool image while Fast Times has almost none - and their shop stuff seems to just be lukewarm polar/passport knockoffs.
Also, this disconnect may be furthered by the fact that Casey Foley, who champions underground skating, is a store manager and does ordering. Similarly, it's easier to come off as core when you can point to a team with guys like tom snape, geoff campbell, quayde baker, gabbers, etc. (
https://fasttimes.com.au/teamriders). But it is again a totally different dynamic to the US.
Topic: HOCKEY & FUCKING AWESOME IN ZUMIEZ MALL STORES (Read 16607 times)