Ski Shop Pros & Cons

a lot of awesome info and feedback from you guys. really helps us confirm what we already do well, and what we can improve on.

we definitely agree with what someone had mentioned about a website. our website blew before, and really gave no good info on our store. this week specifically we have been hammering away at the new site which you guys should check out! www.verticaldropskiandboard.com no e-commerce yet, but we may dabble into that. check out our new "Corporate Shops Suck" t's, we love em haha

we've also been expanding our freestyle section to some of those core brands mentioned. we usually just had the basics, k2, volkl, line, etc. but are starting to open up to more core brands and handmade stuff. this year we're bringing on Epic Planks and are more than stoked, hoping to add a few more US brands next year. also we are bringing in SAGA this year which will really help out our outerwear selection.

thanks again for all the great feedback! again, we really do value your guys' opinions!
 
Couple of points for you guys. Why do you need an appointment for footbeds? Every boot should come with a footbed so if you don't need an appointment for boot fitting why for footbeds? Also you may want to give some rough pricing for fitting. For example your stretching costs, molding ect. Also maybe give a list if services. Do you offer footbed stabilisation of existing footbeds, do you do alignment ect.

Also 15 bucks for a buff wax is a lot, if we charged we used to charge 5 but usually just did it for free as it only lasts a few runs.

Other then that site looks good.
 
lol, you want your customers to shop independent but your own store shops wholesale from corporations. I mean good job "expanding" but shit.....
 
we ask for an appointment for CUSTOM footbeds so that we have enough time to warm up the oven and the customer isnt just sitting around for 30 mins. every boot comes with a footbed yes but not custom ones. our prices are competitive to our area, if not the lowest in town.

 
from a business standpoint, its just not possible to own a shop in the midwest and only supply boutique ski brands made in the USA. your shop would tank in a season. maybe its possible where you live in Colorado, but not Ohio. we absolutely support shopping local and the shirts are really a friendly jab at the other shop in town thats owned by a large chain out of Texas
 
You want to really be aiming for a 1to1 ratio for custom to boots sales. It's that level of fitting which will really set you apart. Any shop can sell a trim to fit, buts it the ones that can really offer the proper full custom service which get a name for themselves. Just a suggestion for you guys.
 
It's not that we don't agree with you, however I think it's hard for some people to realize just the kind of market we're in. We're not in Colorado, Utah, or British Columbia like yourself. This is Midwest, cornfields, Ohio. The type of skier that's going to want full custom repair or fitting is 1 of maybe 150. And while we absolutely offer more than just a trim to fit (ex superfeet custom blacks and corks) we don't really see the same types of customers you see in the PNW. It's hard enough selling a boot for over $400 to someone, let alone throw another 50-100 on custom footbeds

Also, we may be new to NS, but we've been in business 37 years. We definitely know a thing or two on custom fitting, and we know we can always learn and grow even more as boot fitters. We appreciate the suggestions and we know you know your stuff. We wish we had the same kind of customers as the west coast does, but we know that's not realistic.
 
Well I certainly see your points but I feel honestly you can grow that business. When I began working in the shop in whistler the rate of custom footbeds to boots was down around 1 in 25. 3 year later I had it up to 1.5 customs to every boot. So your customers will be there you just need to know how to sell the product and really more then anything sell its values. One big change we made was move away from super feet korks to sidas. The korks are ok but offer very little in terms of customisation. There while selling point is anyone can make a pair. But my issue with them was they were so limited in what improvements and customisation you could do. Every one got basically the same footbed which obviously is not going to work. Also you must remember most of our customers were tourists. Many had been to smaller shops like yourself but cam to us to upgrade to a more professional fit. If they will pay for it with us there is no reason they won't with you. The issue you guys will have is changing people perceptions. Customers think they will get better service in the bigger resorts out west but this need not be the case. You guy could easily offer everything we did. To do this though you want to work on showing that custom service, they will pay for it if they believe in what you guys can offer.
 
I can agree with this for sure and see your point now. That's something we'll definitely work on! We definitely want our customers to feel like they're getting the same, if not better, service and customization they would at any major resort
 
I hate going into a shop and seeing a majority of the selection Salomon skis and Armada outerwear.
 
Oh dude 2nd wind sports was awesome, I visited there when I went to hood, and got some sick 10 buck watch. Definatley one of the coolest shops I've been to.
 
Oh dude 2nd wind sports was awesome, I visited there when I went to hood, and got some sick 10 buck watch. Definatley one of the coolest shops I've been to.
 
Great to hear you liked our shop!It's funny, we sell so many of those Neff sport watches. We constantly sell out of $10-$20 waterproof watches, ski socks, cheap goggles, sunglasses, ski poles, and especially GoPros.

Advice for any ski shop: carry these items!
 
At our shop there is only 1 guy who knows how to do the custom footbeds. It is quite pricy to train people, and you dont want someone fucking up. Takes more than 1 go to fully get the hang of it and if people arent returning every year whats the point in training them?

Also for 1 to 1 custom, we hardly sell any custom. Even the superfeet rep says trim to fit are killing customs. He said even hockey players are going away from customs. If you look behind iginla during his post game interviews he has boxes and boxes of trim to fits.
 
I love my shop, Fresh in Calgary. always have good service and are very friendly. One of my favorite things they do is freshtival which is like a weekend of ski movie premiers and give away a bunch of free stuff!
 
One of my three local shops is super chill about small stuff which I think makes or breaks the shop. The other two I despise. One's a bike and ski shop and suck at helping me with both.. you'd think they'd at least be good with one. The prices are ridiculous at these two shops and they will never go out of their way to help you. The other shop is a surf and ski shop and really doesn't know much about skiing. The manager is a douche and again doesn't like helping people out. I went there once to get a brake for my binding cuz my go-to shop didn't have any in stock and I needed it the next day and a new guy found a used one and gave it to me for half the price of the new one that he offered me as well and said that if the used one breaks soon he'll give the new one. Well when he said that the manager walked over and threw a little hissy fit. The brake lasted me about a month.

At my favorite shop, they tune my skis for free (and fast - like 1 or 2 days), give me free magazines, always are down to talk about what we both have planned for the coming weekend, gear, whatever. I know the guys really well, especially because my brother used to be a snowboard salesman there (they actually wanted me to sell skis for them last winter, but I declined the offer, which I kind of regret). I give them a lot of business though so that's why they like me but I only have given them the business because they've been so helpful. When I first got into park skiing I needed to buy new boots, but didn't have much money. I looked online for the cheapest park boots and this shop actually had the cheapest ones I could find (Nordica Double Sixes). I went into the shop and told them I'd love to try them on. They knew that they probably wouldn't fit my foot so they brought out a few different boots and really fit my foot for the right boot, which just happened to be the Nordicas. After all that work I put them through they still felt obligated to give me the boots for even less than advertised. I'd assume because they got the impression I was so dedicated. Also, their clearance sections have such good deals.

Cons: their selection could be better and they're always running out of stock for things, but that's nothing to complain about really.
 
So long a you have one guy on staff who really knows what he is doing with foot beds it does not cost anything to train staff. Obviously staff can't learn to make footbed in one day so those training sessions put on by brands are not much use. The very best way is to have one person in the shop train all other staff. That way he can work with his staff and maintain the quality of all product going out. It probably takes a month or so of working alongside someone to get them to a good level.

If you only have 1 person who can make them your going to have issues. Say you have 5 fitters working all fitting boots but only 1 can finish the fit then your going to have customers waiting. All staff should be able to do all fitting. You will of course have some staff who have done it longer so they make do more trickery feet but all staff should at least be able to md an stabilise a footbed if they are selling boots.

The reason the super feet rep would say ttf are outselling customs is because in super frets range that is very true. But that is not because ttf are better it that the customs korks are not very good. They are very old fashioned now and not to be honey suitable I modern boots. They tried to update them with the kork pro but they had some serious issues. Jeff is working on improving the custom range but currently its not up to standard. This is one reason most fitting shops are moving away from super feet. Sidas are becoming much better known in North America. They have been the biggest brand in Europe for years but are now making big advances in North America.

In my opinion a good boot fItter should never recommend a trim to fit. They will never work as well as a custom option so really should never be recommended. It's fine to sell them if the customer simply won't take a custom, but the boot should not be garenteed unless try take a custom. You can't garentee what a foot will do unless you stabilise with a custom bed so you can not garentee the fit.

Lastly hockey is completely differnt to skiing so I'm not sure why you mentioned that but the hockey players I worked with all preferred sidas customs to super feet trim to fits.
 
Hire people who can tell who actually knows things about skiing. in my local shop they just treat everyone like theyre complete idiots and force every wannabe park skier to buy afterbangs
 
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