Top Seller: Third Coast Surf Shop

Eric Bennett

• August 05 2008
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• 1 comment

AS REPORTED IN THE AUGUST TRANSWORLD BUSINESS

Third Coast Surf Shop
New Buffalo, Michigan
thirdcoastsurfshop.com
Owner: Ryan Gerard

Third Coast Surf Shop exists to spread the popularity and joy of the surfing lifestyle to the Great Lakes region. Located on teh coast of Lake Michigan, TCS has accomplished the feat of making surfing relevant in the Midwest. Being so close to the lake, the are is infested with tourists year round, according to TCS’s owner Ryan Gerard. Gerard says the shop is known for supplying a variety of stand-up boards all year round. Here’s what else Gerard had to say about products TCS is selling in their effort to popularize surfing on a third coast.

BEST SELLING CATERGORIES

1. Surfboards

Gerard says that in Michigan they still sell surfboards all year round, but int he summer time the surf is not as consistent. Despite the inconsistency, Gerard still thinks surfboards are the best selling category for TCS.

Best Selling Brand: Seven
Gerard says Seven sells the most boards with Rusty close behind. According to Gerard, TCS generally sells teh most Global Surf industry products for the simple reason of havin g a good price. “They [GSI] have it dialed in. The surfers are not the best here and we don’t have the best waves. Global has been good for our market.

Best Selling SKU: Seven Super Fish
The Seven Super Fish is the best selling board at TCS and it also happens to be one of the cheaper boards they carry, says Gerard.

2. Boardshorts

Since it’s summer and New Buffalo is located directly on the coast, it’s obvious that board shorts are a hot seller for a shop located so close to the water.

Best Selling Brand: Volcom
Gerard says Rip Curl, Reef and Volcom are the top three brands in board short sales but Volcom beats out the other two board short monster brands in moving the most product at TCS.

Best Selling SKU: Volcom Mosaic Mod
TCS’s best selling board short is Volcom’s Mosaic Mod. Gerard says the cool-looking stain glass design short is a best seller because brand identity is such a key factor.

3. Private Label Soft Goods

TCS’s very own t-shirts make up the third best selling category. Gerard says they also sell a ton of TCS hats and hoodies.

Best Selling Brand: Third Coast
The people in New Buffalo like to represent local surf shops on their chest as opposed to mainstream companies, says Gerard.

Best Selling SKU: Any Third Coast T-shirt
Gerard says TCS T-shirt designs are more unique than mainstream t-shirt companies. One popular design- a shirt reading “I Surf Small Waves”- proves the loyalty of locals. The mature surf scene in New Buffalo couldn’t care less for mainstream T-shirt designs and companies, according to Gerard.

For more information, or to check out Third Coast Surf Shop’s online catalogue, visit thirdcoastsurfshop.com.