Articles, Seminars & Industry News

  Private Label Roundtable, presented by Board Retailers Association      Surf Expo, January 2024      This rSurf Expo BRA Panel Discussion addressed what to know about private label and shop-branded product opportunities plus common misconceptions and unique, high-margin, and easy-to-sell … Read More

          Dave Seehafer, partner at Global Wave Ventures, will be speaking at the upcoming “Coastal Connections” Conference sponsored by Seaside Retailer Magazine. The conference will be held at the new Margaritaville Resort in Orlando, FL on January 22-24, 2023. For … Read More

Build shop awareness AND boost sales for less than twenty five cents! On a recent sales trip, I was reminded how powerful a logoed sticker can be.  At the end of the meal, the server brought the check along with … Read More

While 2020 started out with closures, quarantines and ever-changing regulations, many retailers were disclosing record sales by the end of the year, “best year ever” claims and similar results.  Inventories of surfboards, paddleboards, skateboards, skimboards, wetsuits and accessories were emptied … Read More

MY DOORS ARE OPEN and I survived the summer…NOW WHAT?? Now that summer is over, I’ve been chatting with specialty retailers across the nation on ways to boost profits, manage inventory & orders, keep customers coming through the doors and … Read More

MY DOORS ARE CLOSED…..NOW WHAT?? (aka how to stay stoked during these crazy times!) In the past couple of weeks, I’ve had numerous conversations with specialty retailers across the nation to brainstorm ways to keep revenue flowing, customers happy, employees … Read More

TIME TO SHINE….as a specialty retailer! In these unprecedented challenging times, I encourage you, as a specialty retailer, to stay positive, optimistic, AND open to opportunities that may unexpectedly arise. Be a source of POSITIVE ENERGY & INFORMATION to your … Read More

It is important in today’s competitive market to stay connected to your customers, keep them loyal to your store and coming back to buy frequently. There are countless challenges to “steal” your customers—other specialty retailers, outdoor or sporting goods retailers, … Read More

One of the most frequent questions that I’m asked as a consultant is “how can I increase sales?” While there are many possible responses, this article will focus on a simple yet under-tapped solution — the customer database. Whether you’re … Read More

On a recent sales trip, I was reminded how powerful a simple logo sticker can be. At the end of a meal in Hood River, the server brought the check along with two of the restaurant’s stickers, a survey card … Read More

It’s been nearly 10 years since the closure of Clark Foam—an event that initially sparked dismay, frustration and uncertainty among surfboard shapers, glassing factories and surf shops around the world. In the aftermath however, a tremendous surge of innovation and … Read More