Yes. And no. The snowboard industry consolidation that started around 1995 or 96 could probably have better been called extermination. Literally hundreds of brands went away either because their founders got tired of losing money or because the Japanese stopped paying cash in advance for snowboards. Though there were exceptions, these brands didn’t get subsumed under the multi-brand umbrella of a large corporation. They just ceased to exist. A Business Week article in September talked More…
Posts Tagged ‘Consolidation’
The Impact of Consolidation; Wasn’t That Over Years Ago?
Wednesday, November 16th, 2005The End of the Beginning; Observations from Glitter Gulch
Friday, August 30th, 2002“Now, this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” Overall, Vegas showed signs of being the end of the beginning of the snowboard industry’s consolidation process. Which is convenient, since I’ve always wanted to use that quote. The first person who identifies the person being quoted by calling or e-mailing me, the approximate date of the quote, More…
Specialty Snowboard Shops and the Industry Consolidation; Who Are They and What’s Happening to Them?
Sunday, December 7th, 1997Over the last month, I’ve stopped by eight or ten snowboard retailers in the Northwest. I talked to the owner, manager, or whoever was around and not too busy to talk with me. The number of stores I went in probably isn’t large enough to be statistically significant, the stores were picked based on my personal biases, and I didn’t ask the same questions every where. I told them I wrote for Transworld More…
The Financial Impact of Consolidation; Why Is It So Hard on Smaller Companies?
Tuesday, September 2nd, 1997It’s conventional wisdom that smaller companies are having an especially tough time meeting their financial needs, or even surviving, in the snowboard industry shakeout. It’s so conventional it’s taken for granted; even chanted like a mantra at times. And it’s true. But why exactly? What are the specific changes in the financial operating environment of smaller companies that’s made life so difficult for them? It’s 1993. The glory days when a snowboard company More…
Now What Do We Do? Living With the Industry’s Success
Friday, June 27th, 1997I guess you can start by congratulating yourself. Though the snowboarding industry is still relatively small ($800 million at wholesale?) it’s continuing to grow at a rate most industries can only dream of and is clearly here to stay. You’ve been a part of that. But now, you are face to face with the results of your own success. The consolidation we knew would eventually come is here. Three years ago, it was More…
The Joys of Consolidation; Managing the Transition from Growth to Maturity
Wednesday, January 4th, 1995It happened to skate boards and surf boards. Now, it’s the snowboarding industry’s turn. The transition from a fast growing, hot trend to a mature industry is about more than consolidation to fewer players. It means lower margins, slower growth for many companies and aggressive competition increasingly based on price and service, not to mention savvier consumers who may care less about image and more about price. This transition will happen quicker than More…
