Like the article said, just being a place to buy things with a cool environment and good service is not a good enough reason to exist anymore. If you organize your local scene through events etc and/or sponsor locals and create videos and proliferate skate culture locally, your brand will be synonymous with the local skate culture and people will rock it as a signifier of supporting/being part of the local skate culture. If you provide something to skate (like a mini ramp) I think that increases the hang out factor a lot too.
Also - the article mentioned shops buying discounted product from other shops becuase it was cheaper than their distributors. Someone should set up a paradeworld type website but only for shops to buy from other shops at wholesale prices. This way product could move more easily between shops without distributors having to offer returns and stores wouldn't have to rely on discounts to the public that just make it harder to sell new things at full price.
something like a ramp is a great way to build foot traffic, and then once people are in the area they are more likely to spend money on tertiary products like beverages or snacks. i mentioned no-comply in austin earlier, and they're a good example of this: their combination of running a coffee shop plus being around the corner from a skatepark has got to be really good for business. in fact, just in the last few weeks they actually expanded into a larger space on the same block. so it would seem that things are going well for them.
without food/drink and/or a skate spot around, there is a lot less reason for anyone to 'hang out' at a shop. and time equals money. more time spent near the shop means more money spent at the shop. i bet even something as simple as a decent curb out back would actually make a pretty considerable difference.
circle-a skateshop in san jose runs a coffee shop as well. they're in the middle of downtown, so i imagine the cafe biz is big for them as well.
on the other end of the spectrum, in my current neighborhood i just noticed someone opened up a combination rollerskate shop/art and graff supply/used record store. i can't imagine it's gonna last very long. they're clearly trying to diversify their income stream but i don't think the rollerskate scene is big enough to support them, and the other elements of their business are already well-covered by other bigger businesses within a short walking distance. and since they don't serve food or drink and they aren't near a major skatespot, there's really no reason anyone would spend time hanging out there.
its a shame paradeworld has gone under, even tho i assume they were ripping off shops somehow. it was a nice idea, to make it easier to support independent shops while getting the products we actually want. i hate when i go into a local and they don't have anything i want and then i feel bad not buying anything.
Topic: SOLO: What’s going on with skate shops right now? (Read 6355 times)