When most people think of action sports, thoughts turn to California, NYC, and other large urban, beach, and mountain markets. But, it’s time to turn your attention to Raleigh, North Carolina and take note of how Vertical Urge has built a following around skateboarding and snowboarding that is shaping lives and the community.
Vertical Urge’s strategy has earned it overwhelming victories for the TransWorld Business Retailer of the Year for the Southeast for all three years the awards have been around. We caught up with owner Todd Canipe to learn more about his approach.
Why do you think you’ve been so consistent in nailing these?
Good question. I think at the end of the day we are really good representatives of the industry as a whole. Authenticity is key, and we are very authentic in our passion for our industry and lifestyle and I think people, whether customers or industry allies, can pick up on that. We are constantly trying to make our store, and the experience we provide better and better, even when things are going great. We still take every dollar we make here and reinvest it into our business, and I think that shows through.
What’s the most rewarding thing about working with your brands and customers?
Probably getting up everyday and knowing that you’re going to a job and doing something that you are excited about. Knowing that you’re working with incredibly talented people who are passionate about what they are doing and making sacrifices so we can keep doing it. In our case we also get a very rare opportunity to have a direct positive effect on kids’ lives, since we also own & operate Project 58 Skatepark. It’s become very rewarding for me in the past couple of years to see kids, that when I first met them were trouble for lack of a better word, but have evolved into great kids through their love of skateboarding. Kids that I love seeing everyday. And I think us having and maintaining a skate park that’s well maintained and easily accessible has contributed to that greatly.
Todd Canipe
What’s your philosophy on the role of core retailers?
We are the front lines and the ambassadors for our lifestyle. In this age of mall-store expansion and money grabbers like Foot Locker invading our backyards, it’s more important than ever for us to rise to the challenge and show kids and parents what real skateboarding and snowboarding is all about, and to provide positive role models for kids who are into the same things we are into.
What makes your shop different?
It’s a large shop, with 8,000 sq feet of retail space, but I think we are still as focused as we were when we had a 750 square foot store almost 20 years ago. I really believe if we can’t be the best at something we shouldn’t be doing it. Hence the reason we stopped selling surfboards a few years ago. I mean, we love surfing, but we weren’t in a position or location where we could be the best at it. So we decided to reallocate those resources to things that we can be the best at.
What have been the biggest highlights and lowlights of 2011?
The highlight for me in 2011 is seeing my staff really rise to the occasion and get my back when I desperately needed it. I had a major, personal family medical issue that really dominated my year, so to see my core group of guys—guys who’ve been with me for years through thick and thin—really step up and give me the space and time I needed to deal with it was incredibly rewarding and gratifying for me. This award is 110% for my managers and employees. I’m taking no credit for this one!
This year was another tough one for core retailers, but it seems like the best of the best are staring to turn the corner. Would you agree?
Actually, 2011 has been far more challenging for us than 2010 was. More and more national, online, and local competition is creeping in, and will continue to do so, so we really had to watch our business much more closely.
It’s been great actually, because I think we were becoming a bit complacent with some of the success we had enjoyed over the past few years. This year with everything we have been through has given me a fresh new perspective on what we need to do to get and stay healthier. We will be integrating a lot of new initiatives geared towards our local customers and market for 2012 that we are really excited about.
This was really a transitional year for us. My personal issues aside, we had a lot of adversity in general. We worked on a brand new, fully redesigned website for the bulk of the year that still hasn’t gone live, and we did a full POS and systems upgrade during the middle of back to school which was no fun at all. Timing is everything, and while I think all the changes and upgrades we worked on this year were necessary, my timing and decisions on when to move forward with them left a lot to be desired.
One thing I would like to point out here, is that the vendors have been extremely patient with me during this past year. I think everyone knew I was struggling personally to some degree, and I was blown away by the understanding I was paid by almost all of my vendors. If I needed a couple more weeks, or sometimes months, on a payable most people didn’t blink an eye. This did not go unnoticed and I am so lucky to have such strong relationships with these guys and girls.
What are your predictions for 2012?
A smoother year. I think we’ve worked really hard through a lot of adversity in 2011 to get 2012 set up to be an easier year. We actually had a company dinner last week and I told the guys that 2012 was going to be the year we started having fun again. But we gotta finish out this holiday and snow season strongly first, then we can sit back and enjoy the hard work we put in in 2011.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Just that when we won this award for the first time three years ago I thought it was a fluke. After pulling a hat trick I don’t quite know what to say, except thanks to my partners in the industry, my customers – both locally and online—and my incredible staff. Here’s to another great year!
