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58Surf Opens 3rd Portuguese Store, Discusses Biz Strategy + How To Grow Online While Promoting Bricks & Mortar

58 Surf, the retail arm of Portuguese surf distribution behemoth Despomar, has recently opened its third Portuguese store and we caught up with shop Founder Ivo Nisa to talk business. Their physical presence is still their bread and butter, but Ivo says the 2020 pandemic means they will be upping their ecommerce efforts. Portugal is also set to host the CT in its new timeslot of February and Ivo believes this will further establish Portugal as a global surfing mecca.

Please tell us how 58 Surf is integrated into Despomar and how many shops you have across Portugal?
58 Surf is the more mature technical side of Despomar retail. We’ve always been able to provide surfing and skateboarding products to all sorts of customers. We’ve loved watching 2-year-olds doing their first-ever runs on the boards we chose for them, seen them grow up into pro’s, love boards as their hobby and retire thinking about their next new board. Sometimes it feels the store is more than just a store! At the moment, we are proud to have three stores in Portugal.

Summarise the opportunities and threats COVID-19 has presented?
COVID has truly woken people up! Everyone is suddenly ready to go about their lives ando do more outdoor sports than ever before. So many regular surfers, skaters and other nature lovers. As everyone knows, it’s not easy to travel these days. But even so, we’ve seen a big trend where most European surfers are staying and surfing our European waves during wintertime, instead of venturing further abroad. This is something that we have never experienced before!

Talk to us about your target demographic.
We never stop looking around. As a matter of fact, we never try targeting everyone with our products, but instead, we try getting close to those people who are genuinely interested. If we can add a little bit of fun in the process – we go for it. Sometimes it may feel like no one is there for you in our industry. But we constantly think of that positive reality: you are working on your own, but you are never alone. A great team gives space to the creativity that a good supply chain asks for and allows for the unexpected, surprise factors.

How do you foresee the WSL’s CT change of October to February affecting business?
It will definitely affect us. It will be very good for the business. October is already on the surfers’ map, thanks to the last 10 years’ CT stop. In turn, February will show surfers from across the globe how good Portugal can be in full winter. February will connect that gap between Christmas and Easter, which will be really interesting to watch.

What product categories and brands worked well for you this summer?
We’ve keep the same flow since 58 Surf started. Surfboards, wetsuits and hardgoods are the categories that have always performed well. Apart from that, we saw softgoods and accessories increase during Covid in all 58 Surf stores. Brands such as JS, Channel Island, Mar and Softech Surfboards fared well. Billabong wetsuits, O’Neill and Xcel also performed really well.

How are you approaching winter buying periods?
It’s all just about being confident in what we are doing. We kept the numbers steady in some categories and bought 10% – 20% less in other lines.

How much of your business is done online?
Less than it should! But we are getting there, the numbers are looking better every day. 58 Surf is a brand on its own, with the story, good stock and so much on offer. So I think there’s so much room for development on our side. It has been a constant evolution and we are always learning really. Many important steps were taken as the new 58 Surf in Ericeira opened in 2019.

Whatever we do; open a new store or focus more on online business, we aim to keep everything we do under control. We do our jobs with passion and an open heart. It seems after 2020 we will be working on our 58 Surf online evolution more than ever.

How do you suggest brands work with retailers to ensure eCommerce business doesn’t cannibalise the wholesale channel?
Brands just have to be honest and look, plan 10 years ahead. Not focus on two or three years of short-term income. Brands have to be aware that real people and shops make real feelings and create the experience that eCommerce and ‘behind the screen’ time will never manage to provide. We tell our customers: You have to feel the board with your own hands and you will know which one should be yours. The board may well pick its owner!