Laguna Beach, CA (January 21, 2004) -- With orders placed and the latest trends fresh in their minds, ASR buyers from around the world head home from San Diego. The buzz on the floor at this year’ s show circled around the quality of retailers, the strength of the industry and the innovation in new lines. Strong back to school and holiday seasons made retailers confident and ready to buy.
“We saw over 70 new brands showing lines on the ASR floor who chose to launch their names and style at ASR,” says Kevin Flanagan, ASR Show Director. “It is clear coming out of ASR January, that our industry is in a good place.”
The year’s first ASR brought in a variety of retailers and brands, many new to ASR, adding to the diversity and mood. “We opened so many stores and what was most exciting was the quality and quantity of high end boutiques we saw,” says Monica McNeel, owner of L * Space. “Jill Roberts of Beverly Hills is here, which is just one example of the very high end boutiques we are happy to see at ASR.”
ASR exhibitors believed the very latest by offering fresh new looks. “I was excited to see companies getting creative with their lines, says Lexie Hallahan, GM of Cleanline Surf Shop in Seaside, Oregon. “There was a lot of innovation, particularly in wetsuits, which are very important in my store.” Rip Curl was just one of the brands Lexie singles out in the wet suit market. Adam Sharp of Rip Curl affirms that technology did draw traffic into their booth, "We definitely had a successful ASR show with great reaction to both our technical and soft products. Reaction to our newest Winter 04 wetsuit line showcasing our latest technology was fantastic.”
Milo Meyers, of Hanger 94, says of the brands that his shop searches out, “We are looking for authenticity, the core brands with roots in the industry like Mada.” Milo’s store also style-seeks in the aisles, “What’s hot? What are the kids wearing? That’s part of how we gauge trends.” In the weeks leading up to ASR, talk surrounded the new brands hitting the market like Mada and Modern Amusement. The talk turned into orders and solid interest when the show opened.
ASR attendees also noted that skate is seeing a resurgence. Shoes and decks were singled out for stepping it up in summer lines. “There’s a good buzz, skateboarding is as strong as it has ever been,” said Johnny Schillereff, founder of Element as he stood at the door of a busy booth. “Retailers are looking for brands with vision, marketing and who can deliver, which leaves companies working to stay core while allowing themselves to mature and become more sophisticated.” Roy Turner, President of the new Board Retailers Association confirmed that, “[In the skate area] the booths are bigger with lots of traffic - it is refreshing.”
Buyers noted the traffic in the skate area and detailed what was catching their eyes. “Skate denim is on point right now, competing with the high end jeans,” says Bernie Kozan of Skaters Sport Shop in Calgary, Canada. “We [retailers] are going to get back business by giving kids the option of fashionable jeans from the labels they are loyal to in their local skate shops.” Many of the skate footwear brands came armed with beefed up and revamped lines. Joe Pagan of the Old School Sk8 Shop in Virginia was coming in pumped to pick up new shoe lines and restock the brands in his store that are flying off the shelf. “DVS is really catching on, while Emerica and IPath are consistently selling well.” Overall bright colors, retro prints, all shades of pink and tech features were some of the trends noted from the footwear companies.
While the floor at ASR January revealed a crowd focused on previewing and buying for summer and fall, many retailers and exhibiting company reps could also be found taking time out of busy schedules to check in at seminars outlining everything from reaching the exploding women’s market to maximizing distribution dollars. “It’s great to see that people care and to have speakers who have a clue,” says Mikke Pierson, owner of ZJ’s Boardshop. “With the availability of real, helpful information, retailers are packing into the seminars and they are becoming an integral part of the day.”
With buyer numbers strong, a vibrant nightlife and family friendly attractions throughout, the consensus was - San Diego works. “The success of this show reaffirms our decision to move the January show from Long Beach to San Diego,” says Kevin Flanagan, ASR Show Director. Some exhibitors took advantage of close beaches and a nice swell to surf before the show, “This is perfect for us, close to home, good restaurants, entertainment and the offices of so many exhibitors - I even get to surf every morning,” says Santiago Aguerre, co-founder of Reef.
