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The San Diego Union-Tribune is holding no punches in its coverage of the January 2009 ASR Show.
In a story filled with words like “struggling” and “tough” and “worst” writer Jennifer Davies talked to many industry players and got nothing but bad news from nearly everyone.
“There is no immunity idol on this island,” said Doug Palladini, vice president of marketing at Vans, referring to the “Survivor” television show. “It can happen to anybody.”
Doug is always so poetic, isn’t he? ASR spokesperson Lora Bodmer on the other hand was alone with her glimmer of positivity. “We looked out over the show and said, ‘Hey, this isn’t so bad,’ ” she said.
And that’s kind of what we thought at first, but after walking the isles on day one and seeing that zombie “God, I hope I don’t get fired tomorrow” look in everyone’s eyes we’re not so sure anymore. While watching toilet seat tossing at the Vee-Haw Volcom booth we couldn’t help but think of them as a bunch of oblivious Hillbillies fiddling away on their out-of-tune banjos while flames licked at the cuffs of their overalls.
[Link: San Deigo Union-Tribune]
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Billabong newest retail outpost is in the Singapore Changi Airport’s terminal three in partnership with Travel retailer Lagardère Services Asia Pacific, according to a story on DFNIonline.com. Jason Neely, Billabong’s retail ops manager had this to say:
Billabong is focused on building its presence in Asia and the opening in Singapore of the world’s first Billabong airport store illustrates the brand’s commitment to the region. This is a significant move for Billabong so it is comforting to be working with LSAP, one of the world’s leading airport retail operators. We feel the combination of a world leading retailer and a world leading brand will add an exciting new dimension to the Changi airport retail mix.”
People who can afford to fly must have money, right?
[Link: DFNIonline.com]
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The Captain and Casey’s Chris Casey with the beautiful am babies award presenters. Diapers never looked so good.
We hung out for a little while after the show before “getting the hell out of there.” Photos from some after-show festivities including the Grind For Life High Ollie Contest and The Am Awards after the jump.
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We mentioned ASG parent corporation Source Interlink Cos. a couple weeks ago when their owner Ron Burkle bought an 8.5 percent share of Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Now, the company has announced that beginning February 1, 2009 they are joining Anderson News in charging a 7-cent fee per issue of magazines delivered to the newsstand regardless of the sell through, according to a story in the NY Post.
The remaining big distributors – Jimmy Pattison’s News Group, based in Atlanta and Vancouver, British Columbia, and New York-based Hudson News – have not sought a fee hike.. . . But if all magazine distributors follow suit, publishers worry it could sock them with an additional $1 billion a year in expenses at a time when they are contending with plunging advertising revenue and sagging newsstand sales.
Of course, magazines could easily cover these increased costs by simply cutting a few more editorial positions. . . and maybe the ASG titles will get a synergistic freeride.
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Anyone who questioned the validity of The Crossroads Skateboarding Trade Show, got a quick slap of reality today. The turnout reminded everyone that collectively the skateboard industry really can do whatever it wants.
At 10:15 AM it was difficult to find a parking spot anywhere near Jamie Thomas’ Black Box Distribution headquarters on the outskirts of Carlsbad. And by 11:30 AM when the free burgers began rolling off the grills the booths were packed with retailers, distributors, and Industry friends.
Kr3w’s Steve Clare doing double line shows with Pharmacy’s Patrick Kudrle and Asylum’s Pablo Aponte.
(Follow the jump for the rest of the story and all the photos.)
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In an effort to cut costs, Quiksilver released info today that it was reducing the salaries of top executives by five percent, according to a story on Reuters.
The current reductions, effective Feb. 1, are in addition to earlier pay cuts implemented in February last year, the company said in a regulatory filing dated Jan. 20. . . .Annual base salaries for the chief financial officer and the chief administrative officer have gone down by 8 percent and 10 percent respectively.
Damn shame. CEO Bob McKnight’s salary is now down 16 percent meaning he’s only going to make $903,000 this year. Hopefully, he can make it through.
[Link: Reuters]
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Dave Gatto is leaving VF Corporation as part of a reorganization according to a story in the News Record.
VF said its Outdoor Americas unit will include the North Face, JanSport and Eagle Creek brands. It will be overseen by Steve Rendle, 49, currently president of The North Face. . . . The second unit, action sports Americas, will include Vans and Reef brands. It will be led by current Vans president Stephen Murray, 48.
Wonder if this is in preparation for any footwear acquisitions.
[Link: News Record]
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The cover story of the latest issue of Fast Company Magazine exposes Shaun White’s amazing sponsorship aptitude: his ability to take money from the right people and keep his personal brand rolling strong.
I was so fortunate to have had some success before the Olympics,” he says. “So when the time came for everyone to come at me, I was able to step back and say, ‘Do I really want to do that? Do I want to be known for airing over some dude who is going aaaahhh! with his teeth gleaming?’ ” . . . White has sought out companies he truly connects with. Working with a tight team of advisers that include his 29-year-old brother, Jesse, and his agent, Mark Ervin of IMG, White sees these deals as a long-term investment portfolio, something that will outlast his knees. Each corporation meshes with a discrete slice of his actual life, and with each one, White dives in and takes a central role, from the design of specific products to pulling deals together among his various partners.
Shaun has been playing it smart from the beginning and it looks like the long game pays off. And we had to laugh out loud when writer Mark Borden described Shaun as having a “strange equine beauty,” because we’ve always thought of his beauty as more simian.
[Link: Fast Company]
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We don’t know exactly what “junk territory” means out on “the street” but we’re guessing this probably isn’t good news.
Moody’s downgraded retailer Quiksilver Inc. deeper into junk territory Thursday, saying the chain’s weak fourth-quarter performance and reliance on short-term debt makes it especially vulnerable as consumers cut spending.
Then again we always remember what Bob McKnight’s once said: “Analysts: there’s only one letter separating them from what they really are.”
[Link: MSNBC.com]
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