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UK Market Insight: Fickle, Sporadic, and Haphazard

Fickle – adjective: changing frequently, especially as regards one’s loyalties or affections.

Is it always fickle? Are there degrees of fickleness?

So here we are at the height of the holiday season (mid-August). If there is one thing that should be guaranteed, it’s that tills at all the holiday locations should be ringing loud and clear… and long. That’s always been the way — hasn’t it?

Sporadic – adjective: occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated.

Alas, the two words that can best describe the current state of play in our business.

Or what about ..

Haphazard – adjective: lacking any obvious principle of organization. As an example: our business works in a haphazard fashion.

It’s not like it’s our fault. It’s not! And it’s not like we can continue to blame the Covid boom — but we can, and we do.

One thing’s for sure: we are a long way from the dependable, reliable, predictable business that we all crave so much… that we all need.

One of our Brand Managers, Scott, was describing to me a typical few days on the road. “I was in Torquay and it was rammed. Good, good I thought – the stores are going to be busy and I should have some happy customers. The reality was that on that particular day there was some event on which drew in the crowds, but they were not spending money. They’re coming in, looking, touching and even trying on, but finally — getting that sale across the till — was elusive.” Scott went on to Woolacombe. “It was dead. Empty. The campsites were half full.” And then on to Teignmouth: “Heaving, but all buckets and spades and ice creams.”

This seemed to be a pretty good summary — fickle, sporadic and haphazard.

I called Ben at The Bay Surf Shop in Woolacombe and asked him how business was. There was a long pause followed by the word: “Quiet.” It actually made me laugh — I thought the line had gone dead… then just that one word: “Quiet.”

‘The Bay’ was founded more than 40 years ago. Ben has been a customer since he was about 10 and the owner for the past 5 years. Having previously been a car salesman, he made the jump to a sensible business! Or did he?

So, after the pause Ben continued: “It is what it is. It’s difficult and much quieter than it should be. The campsites have plenty of spaces, as do the hotels. Customers are being much more considered in their purchases and almost always looking for a deal.” Is there any particular area that is harder? “Wetsuits are really slow. Clothing is just saturated and only seems to move if it is a sale item.”

“Nothing we sell is a necessity — no matter what we may think — and people need to feel good in order to part with their money for luxury and non-essentials. The economy is not helping, the government are not helping. People need to feel confident, they need good news, and there’s precious little of that about at this time.”

I checked back with Mark from Piran Surf… it was quite uncanny how the call started. I asked Mark how it was… and there was a long pause (been here before). “Ummmm… Ummmm…” Sometimes people just don’t want to deliver bad news. “… tricky… yes… tricky.”

Mark said he did not want to crow on again about too many boards, too few customers, but it was still a fact. And business was not great. “We’re in the middle of the summer season and we’re a tourist beach so it should be busy — but it’s… tricky. Online it is only the cheapest price that wins the day, so that’s no good. We need footfall — and whilst we have had two busy weeks it’s now tailed off. Sunny days — more than ever — make the difference.”

Anything in particular not working? (Wait for it.) “Neoprene is really tough and I think it is going to continue to be that way for some time. There’s still loads of stock in the chain and it has to go somewhere. I’m really not looking forward to the 5mm season as I don’t think it is going to go well.”

Anything to do about all this? “Yes – you have to find your skills as a retailer! We have to try and counter the failure of our government to do anything positive. In fact, I’m particularly scared of our current Chancellor and what she may be doing to our economy.”

Mark did finish by saying that despite everything he is “guarded to optimistic”, which perhaps we should put on a T-shirt for everyone in our industry. We are almost always that!

Next call was to Paul at Zuma Jays — always positive (almost). “He’s busy with a customer” — always happy to hear that. I was put ‘on hold’ and it’s amazing what a bit of music can do for you. It’s worth calling Zuma Jays and asking to be put on hold — for a surf shop to have Jacques Offenbach’s Galop Infernal as their ‘on hold’ music is interesting, to say the least. (Probably better known as the can-can dance music.) It made me smile.

So where to next? There must be some good news out there somewhere?

“It’s like pulling teeth.” This is Jason from Midland Nautique. Primarily a boat retailer, they also sell wakeboards, wakesurf and accessories, but my endeavours to find good

news fell on deaf ears. “Well – it’s up and down, but it’s hard. Everything is so much harder than it used to be.”

Tell me some good news, Jason. “OK – well interestingly we have sold three 2026 boats, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.” Now these boats are selling for upwards of £200k, so I take that as a good sign — there is hope for us yet.

Checking in with another wakesurf/wakeboard retailer — Raymond from Scotland Nautique. “Diabolical. Wakesurf selling OK. Wakeboarding dead – I cannot remember the last wakeboard setup we sold. Wetsuits selling OK [WOW] but remember it’s cold up here [Loch Lomond].”

“Some of the events we’re attending are getting the people there, and where there is enthusiasm there are potential sales, but generally it is diabolical.”

Where does that leave us? Up one day, down the next. It’s fickle. It’s sporadic and haphazard. It’s boardsports.

I want to end on a positive. Winter is coming. Order books are solid. Retailers are super optimistic and calling in stock early. Sales over summer for winter product have been better than anticipated. By the time we come round to the next Boardsports Source it could be a whole new board game. (See what I did there?)