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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 13, 2012 • A11
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Store Owner Spreading The Tennis Bug Spotlight On
Huntington Businesses By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com
Huntington native Derek Hsiang watched tennis legends Andre Agassi and Roger Federer do battle in the 2005 U.S. Open. He caught the tennis bug, becoming not only an ardent fan of the sport, but the owner of several tennis businesses. These days, Hsiang is the face behind Solow Sports in Huntington village. “It’s mostly a specialty kind of shop. We are very gradually branching out into other sports. We’ve been a tennis shop since the beginning,” the co-owner said. The Main Street store does stock a few soccer balls, basketball pumps and baseball glove wraps, but almost everything in the 1,700 square-foot store is tennis-themed. Solow contains no shortage of tops, bottoms, sneakers and other apparel. They have strings, balls and sweat bands. And most importantly, they carry more than 500 racquets on their Wall of Racquets. “It’s probably bigger than any store on Long Island,” Hsiang said. But the hottest thing in tennis right now, he added, isn’t even regular tennis. Platform tennis is a popular sport at area country clubs in the winter, and Solow Sports does good business equipping players. Unlike traditional tennis, platform tennis pits players armed with paddles in a much smaller court and towering walls that are inbounds. “Tennis players love it because it’s like tennis but they don’t have to be cooped outside,” Hsiang said. His store sells paddles for $89-$179. And while traditional tennis apparel
works just fine with platform tennis, the courts for the winter sports are significantly more gritty. The Huntington merchant said his Prince T22 shoes are a popular item since they are more durable; he sells them for $94. Whether it’s racquets or apparel, there is no shortage of merchandise filling the Main Street store. But Solow Sports has only called that location home for two years; they spent more than two years in a West Neck Road location that was significantly smaller. “We hit a plateau and in order to do more sales, we needed to carry more stuff,” Hsiang said. But there’s more to Solow Sports than just a brick and mortar operation; the business also has a significant online presence. When Hsiang first caught the tennis bug, he opened an ecommerce business site for the pro club at a Long Island City tennis club. Shop owner Doris Maffia handled in-store traffic while the Huntington native did business by laptop and cell phone. They continued their business partnership into Solow Sports after the club’s land was claimed by eminent domain in 2009. But while Hsiang still spends several days a week in the store, he also maintains their online presence. Web sales have declined in recent years as the partners focused on their Huntington location, down to 35 percent of all business, although they expect to rise again now that they’re comfortable in their new home. “It’s finding the right balance. I do try to cater to both markets, knowing that ecommerce is growing or has the potential to grow next year. It’s a slightly different product mix,” Hsiang said. The clients that walk into the Huntington store tend to spend more money, he added, while online shoppers are looking for a discount. Nothing lingers for long on the shelves between both the brick and mortar and digital stores, although prices do vary due to business contracts and tax laws. Residents of New York State who buy
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Half Hollow Hills photo/Mike Koehler
Online or in the store, Solow Sports has it all
Standing in front of 500 tennis racquets, Derek Hsiang is the co-owner of Solow Sports. from Solow online must pay the 8.6 percent sales tax, while New Jersey and Connecticut residents do not. Still, Solow Sports has continued to grow in a market when many small businesses are forced to give up their dreams. And moving forward, the Huntington resident expects to focus even more on the ecommerce side, especially with more tech-savvy customers. So long as sales hold steady or continue to grow, Hsiang said they will remain in Huntington at least for another five years.
“I hate renovating,” he said. “It’s not fun. I don’t want to do it again.” Hsiang also revealed that he is working on a major project that could serve as an extension of the business. He was reluctant to reveal details, but did say more information could be available by February. “It’s top secret until I find out if it works,” he said. Solow Sports 347A Main St., Huntington 631-629-4640 www.solowsports.com