retail buyer’s guide
RETAIL BUYER’S GUIDE
W E T S U I T S S S 22
C-SKINS
Dark matter is not just expanding through the universe but also through surf shops. Neoprene is exploding, right at a time when it has never been so difficult for brands to provide for their clientele. So what can we do about it? Answers to this question in the Spring/Summer 2022 Wetsuits, Retail Buyer’s Guide. By David Bianic.
Who would have thought that the main fear for boardsports brands would be an inability to stock retailers’ shelves and racks with enough items? However, this is exactly what’s been happening on the equipment market - at force 10 - since the Covid crisis. And the neoprene sector is no exception: “2021 has been such a hard year to keep everyone happy”, says Brett Verge, Creator of Adelio Wetsuits. 2020 was already their best year and the new rise in demand in 2021 has swamped the manufacturer, unable to fully provide. It’s the same noise from all the brands, a first 34
for Marty Kirby from C-Skins, shocked to see an empty warehouse so early in the season despite expecting the increase in sales. Before complaining, Benoît Brecq from MDNS Surfing reminds us that “it is always easier to manage shortages than large stocks at the end of the season.” For the really big players in neoprene such as O’Neill, Head of Product Tom Copsey reveals that the brand has had to make an earlier start on product development in order to give suppliers and factories a better chance
