The way the Christmas calendar fell this year was good news for many retailers because it allowed for a full weekend of selling before the holiday.
We’ve heard of long lines at cash registers at core surf shops over the weekend, including at Surfside Sports in Costa Mesa and HSS in Huntington Beach.
We followed up with HSS Owner Aaron Pai to get more details about how the weekend unfolded. He sent us this dispatch.
“I’m happy to report for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Huntington Surf & Sport was swamped and we posted an 8% increase in sales.
“T-shirts, surf wax and Stance socks were blowing up! They were the top of the bestseller list.
“We also sold lots of HSS, Hurley and Billabong T-shirts.
“Other best sellers during the weekend were wetsuits, booties, surfboards, surfboard fins, traction pads, leashes, hats, sandals, and men’s and women’s hooded fleece.
“O’Neill and Vissla wetsuits did very well, and Quiksilver Wetsuits were not far behind.
“Firewire Surfboards was No. 1 and Channel Islands Surfboards came in a close second.
“The Top 10 Men’s brands Dec 21-23:
- Hurley
- HSS
- Volcom
- Billabong
- Patagonia
- RVCA
- Vans
- O’Neill Sportswear
- Rip Curl
- Salty Crew
“Top 10 Women’s Brands Dec. 21-23:
- HSS
- Roxy
- Hurley
- Billabong
- Volcom
- Rip Curl
- Patagonia
- Stance
- O’Neill
- RVCA
“For the month of December we have been working hard on keeping the margin strong.
“There has been lots of discounting going on in our region of Southern California by brands and retailers and it would have been easier to go on sale.
“However, we are happy to report that we stayed off sale and remained at full price and our margin for December is up by 1.7%.
“Margin is ‘king’ and that is a very healthy thing!
“Wishing everyone Happy Holidays, Happy New Year and tons of great waves!”
