Nate Musson from Frederick, Maryland Pitcrew Skateboards gives us his take on being a smaller skate and snowboard retailer. Whether it’s the difficulties of dealing with people buying online or keeping people interested in snowboarding this is what he has to say. Check it out.

What difficulties are you experiencing with keeping your customers coming back to your store and not hunting around online?

We’ve had customers come in to check out the products that they purchased online and have yet to receive. It’s hard to take once the customer, mentions that they’ve just purchased the item that your “helping” them with. We also have had several customers come in and try stuff on to get the right size before they order it.

How relevant is social media like Facebook, blogging, and twitter for engaging your customers?

We haven’t been using social media sites to date but, we feel it will be an important part of our future “online identity.”

If there was one brand you could bring in to your shop what would that be and why? Why haven’t you brought it in? How hard is it for a new brand to get itself into your shop?

We’d bring in Joyride 1994, just kidding! We’re interested in YES but, we’re waiting to see how the boards ride. It can be hard or easy for a brand to get into the shop, it just depends on the brand. The people behind the brand make a big difference, if they are life time shredders it will more likely have a good chance at making it in. Demand also plays in to the picture, it’s easy to bring in a brand that sells.

Trends come and go, right now which one has the hardest sell? Which one would you say is the easiest?

High end Gore denim outerwear would be a hard sell. We’re killing it with Quimbola Man and Aunt Mable’s right now! Really though, The “trend” is all over the place, extreme tight to extreme baggy and everything in between.

How relevant is “being core” whether its you, your shop, or a brand in the grand scheme of snowboarding? Is it just an over used marketing ploy?

We’re sick of hearing the word “core” but, we believe that if a company is doing the right things for the right reasons chances are it will be good stuff and a successful brand.

Is reverse camber/ rocker the real deal or the greatest marketing ploy in the snowboard world?

We’re backing reverse camber! Our local hills are all around 1000 vertical or less, with a handful of shredable trails. Reverse camber really let’s you ride the mountain more skate style. Plus it really floats through the heavy wet man made pow! I think step-in bindings still hold the title for the greatest marketing ploy in the snowboard world.

What do you feel is the biggest aspect with getting and keeping people in snowboarding?

Snowboarding is fun, if you like fun you will snowboard. A snowflex park opened down the road from us, it will be interesting to see what that does for the “scene.”

Which companies do you feel are really trying to get new riders to try snowboarding and keep them involved with their message/marketing?

I’ve personally volunteered for the Burton Chill Program. It’s a good introduction to snowboarding for inner city youth but, it seems like it needs one more step to keep the kids involved after the program is over. The resorts in our area have done a great job of marketing low priced preseason passes and affordable night season passes that have helped get people on the snow.

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