For better or worse, today, you don’t have to leave your couch to buy groceries, gear, gadgets, or anything else. Even after ordering items, they’ll be delivered right to your door.
Is this the convenience of a modern, ultra-connected society or a dystopian reality, showcasing a decline in social interaction? It depends on who you ask.
When it comes to surf shops, however, the ease of online ordering has affected the communal, in-person experience. A trip to the local shop used to be – and still is in many cases; cyber shopping hasn’t killed them all yet – an adventure. You’d bump into your hometown heroes, chat about swell conditions, feel the product before buying, geek out on a surf flick, and simply connect.
Thankfully, there are those who still see the value in the in-person surf shop experience. Brands like Florence and Patagonia are keeping the tradition alive by recently opening new locations on the North Shore of Oahu.
Florence, in particular, has opened its first stand-alone retail shop right where the brand was born, featuring all the latest gear. John, a representative from Florence, commented after the grand opening celebration, “Thank you to everyone who came to support. We have a pretty incredible community on the North Shore!”.
For Patagonia, although they already had a shop on the North Shore, this new one represents an expansion to a larger space. Bremen Schmeltz, Patagonia’s Surf category manager, emphasized the importance of a physical presence within Hawaii’s surf community, “The North Shore is the epicenter of all things surf. For over 50 years, we’ve been building gear for outdoor adventures like climbing, fly fishing, surfing, and skiing. Patagonia has had a presence in Hale‘iwa for three decades, and as we expand Patagonia’s Oceans category, it felt natural to dedicate a space specifically for the core surf products we design. Our new surf shop will house big water safety equipment, FCD boards, impact suits, board shorts, and wetsuits, and also offer wetsuit repair and PSI vest servicing to support the North Shore community and beyond.”