A New
Name and New Look
Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny
Magdaug and Patti Kishel
When you wipe out on a wave you go back out again.
And that's what giant surfwear retailer Quiksilver is doing this year after coming out of bankruptcy proceedings with a new outlook and a new corporate name – Boardriders.
New owner Los Angeles-based private
equity firm Oaktree Capital Management is focused on a three-to-five-year plan
that streamlines processes and brings Quiksilver – and its corporate siblings
Roxy and DC Shoes – closer to its markets.
Quiksilver – the once high-flying
company that led the surf industry with a $2 billion valuation – tried to be
all things to all people and lost sight of its objectives. Instead of focusing
on its strengths and loyal customer base it added other things like skiing and
even golf to the lineup.
Now the goal is to be more
responsive to customer needs and trends and reduce excess inventory buildups. Planning
is critical...and working as one global team with shared goals.
With the appointment this summer of
former Navy Seal and ex-Oakley executive Nate Smith as President of the
Americas Region, Oaktree is putting in place someone with strong leadership
skills and business experience to re-energize the Quiksilver brand.
SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and
Patti Kishel have been following Quiksilver since 2011 and are interested to
see how it implements the latest changes.
Along with the new name, Quiksilver stores are getting a new look with stores poised to become social hubs that provide food and live music along with fashion. The company says it wants to give customers an "experience rather than just selling products"
This approach is also geared toward
getting the next generation of surfers - millennials - in the door.
With the redesigned Boardriders
stores already in Europe and Australia, North America is on the radar now.
Malibu – scheduled to open soon – will be the first.
As we all know, retailing is constantly changing – with everything from online sales and aerial drone deliveries to pop-up stores and mobile apps on the scene. There's always something new on the horizon.
Boardriders is looking ahead and eager to catch the next wave!
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Sunny Magdaug and
Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material.
Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com
Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites
as long as credit is given.
