SOURCE Issue 126 Out Now!

On the cover: GB Snowboard Coach Rowan Coultas, photo by Syo van Vliet

Summer is behind us and winter is closing in fast. Many of us will be happy to see the back of summer as the market – particularly for hard goods – was particularly hard, even though the waves and spots were just as packed. So, what’s going on? Still plenty of practitioners but not a lot of buyers. Are we really beginning to see a significant change in buying habits as consumers find alternative ways to get the product they crave?

First of all, consumers are as happy to rent as to buy new, as more shops offer rental programs for more and more product categories. In most hardgoods categories, sales of rental products by brands is on the up.

Secondly our products just last that much longer, not only are they stronger but in many cases are constructed to make repairing easier – even softboards can last a lifetime now.

Thirdly, and most importantly, is the rapid growth in the second-hand market with consumers increasingly seeing this as a cornerstone to sustainable living. Second-hand products are worn or used with pride – it’s a statement of your intent. Gone are the days when consumers had multiple items in each category with cupboards and garages full of product. Now they buy on the second-hand market, try the product out for six months and then sell it back into the second-hand market, often at almost the same price as they bought it. Lots less to take with you when you’re working from home!

Collectively these trends are having an increasing impact on demand for new products and our industry – like many others out there – will have to adapt to meet the very different requirements of the next generations. Talking of changing requirements takes us smoothly onto this issue. Our bindings retail buyer’s guide looks at how the market has been shaken up by the sudden increase in demand for easy/fast entry bindings partially driven by the needs of the older generation. Again, this change in demand is here to stay and for this season in particular many purchase decisions will be attracted to where the action is. Our Big Wig for this issue is Bene Pelikan of Burton, one of the key players in the easy/fast entry binding market with its Step On technology.

The rest of our retail buyer’s guides will fill you in on what else is coming next, so wax your board and sharpen your edges, I hear it’s dumping in Innsbruck tonight!

Always slideways

Clive Ripley