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How an explosion in demand broke the skateboard market.
And why this is the new companies’ chance to shine!
Demand for skateboards was constant from 2011 to late 2019... However, starting from April 2020 the demand for skateboards grew rapidly and reached its peak just two months later in June 2020 at double its original market size.
Then over the next 17 months (except for a short peak during the Olympics) the demand for skateboards gradually decreased reaching its original size in September of 2021.
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While this might sound like a small hick-up, the impact for skateboard companies was gigantic.
This rapid up and down killed skateboard companies left and right.
The growth in demand led many companies to heavily invest into growing their facilities, production capacities and teams. While the explosion in demand already ended in August 2020, most companies continued investing and growing until 2021.
With their newly added employees, large offices, and big production facilities these companies saw themselves in a skateboard market that has returned to its original size. |
A market not big enough for skateboard companies to be able to pay back loans for machines or real estate, to pay for a big team of employees or large offices. Therefore, companies that highly invested into growth and did not have cash reserves went bankrupt.
For skateboard companies the last two years felt like the image on the left.
(Image from Lakai's video "Fully Flared").
However, the up and down also created a situation in which new companies had the chance to proof themselves. Around the world I have seen new skateboard companies take the dominant positions in their local markets.
But this new order is not yet carved into stone.
We are still in times of turmoil.
While the last companies die from having over-invested, or simply burn out from being disappointed in the markets return to its original size, other companies seize the opportunity to strengthen their positions in the new skateboard market.
Soon, after the turmoil ends, and the dust has settled, we will see the survivors of the tsunami that hit the skateboard market in June 2020. And I am sure we will be surprised by how big some of the skateboard companies have become, that were just small players in the skateboard market of 2019.
Now is the time to start your productions for Christmas 2022 and Spring 2023!
Make sure that your company shines with a new collection when the dust has settled.
Order now to have your production arrive before Christmas.
Make it a small production for Christmas and a medium size production for spring.
However: make sure to come with new products and styles!
Let all skateboarders and skate shops see that your company left the Market-Tsunami as the new leader.
If you order now, your production will finish October 22nd.
6 weeks later, on December 5th, the goods will arrive at your doorstep.
Still on time for Christmas.
To reach a lower price for the production and freight, merge both your Christmas and Spring orders.
The size of the two seasons’ collections does not matter – however, it matters that you have new products and styles for Christmas and Spring.