Online US Retailer Of The Year, Dogfunk

The online retail world is flooded with competition from every corner of the globe. In this game, you’re up against Amazon, eBay, Zappos, and a myriad of other huge players with bottomless pockets. Yet in this cutthroat world, Dogfunk.com has managed to create a community of shreds online by offering great customer service, excellent selection,  competitive prices, and a business model that recently earned the store its second straight  as voted on by brands and reps.

Launched in 2005 by parent company Backcountry Corporation, Dogfunk.com exclusively focuses on snowboarding gear, accessories, and clothing from top and up-and-coming brands and strives to differentiate itself based on customer service. We caught up with Dogfunk Director of Merchandising Karen Craig to learn how they’re staying ahead of the curve.

How has the action sports online retail marketplace evolved over the last several years?

In just the past two seasons we’ve seen the snowboard industry refocus on full-price opportunity and new product hype momentum. In 2008, there was an abundance of product in the market and retailers were slinging product out at discount and low margin. Retailers were competing solely on price instead of creative messaging or customer loyalty programs. The customer could expect to find current season product at discount as early as November. We saw this turn around at the tail end of 2009 and we’ve seen a very healthy in-season business so far in 2010. Major brands are taking control of their brand image again and re-emphasizing the importance of local community. It’s all a ripple effect. We can literally see customers’ excitement for new product through their positive response to our new product messaging. We’re seeing increased sales and profits as well.

How are things looking this winter? I understand that Dogfunk has been one of the strongest sites at Backcountry?

Dogfunk.com is doing very well.

How do you differentiate yourself based on customer service online?

On Dogfunk.com, there is a huge emphasis on the customer and their personal input on the products we sell. Through our on-site community, customers can educate each other and share product stories through reviews, images, video, and questions and answers. This experience differentiates us from other online retailers and provides a big value to our customers.

Our community is just one part of our plan to provide a customer-focused experience. We make an effort to listen to customer feedback and to seek out future trends to assure we deliver the products the customers want. We offer the widest selection of product, access to gear knowledge from our Community, outstanding customer service, and fast, efficient delivery.

What categories and brands have been the most successful for you this season?

We’ve seen a rebound in our top-brand business this season, as well as a significant increase in consumer interest in boards/boots/bindings as early as August. In the world of apparel, there’s a lot of interest in street-style technical flannel, like Analog’s new ATF collection.

We’ve seen a huge increase in demand for many small to mid-sized brands such as Nomis, Airblaster, Technine, Analog, Insight, and Nike 6.0. These brands or collections offer something different and unique to the customer’s individuality and they have been continuously sought after this season.

Why do you think your brand partners nominated you for this award?

This is like being a middle-aged woman and asking someone to guess your age.

What’s the most rewarding thing about working with your brands and customers?

We are fortunate to share and participate in our common, life-long passions with our brands and customers. It’s not a job; it’s a lifestyle.

What were the biggest highlights and lowlights of 2010?

Highlight: Retailers are maintaining price this season so we are all on a level playing field. Brands simply stopped selling to retailers who persistently devalued their brand in the marketplace via price competition in 2009

Highlight: Strong hard good sales in 2010 prove that the sport of snowboarding continues to grow and gain customer interest and has not hit the plateau that people worried about in 2009.

Highlight: We are no longer in an inventory hangover from 2008/2009.

Lowlight: Factory and production issues in China caused a few brand and product delivery delays this past fall. This continues to be a concern as we approach the Spring 2011 season and we are doing everything in our control to monitor and manage our receipt expectations for the season to come.

What are your predictions for 2011?

I think we’ll see success with current-season product promotions and an increased appetite for unique brands. For Dogfunk.com in particular, I expect to see continued growth in key categories as well as new category offerings for 2011.

 

 

Sitka Sprouts up in New Zealand

Sitka is a Tree. OMG. WTF. YUP. Named after the impressive Sitka Spruce evergreen tree, the canadian based fashion, surf and skate brand has sprouted up it’s first flagship store outside of Canada at 6 Osborne Street in Newmarket, Auckland - the fashion capital of New Zealand.

Hailing from the West Coast of Canada, the Sitka brand has evolved from humble beginnings with two keen surfers  Andrew Paine and Rene Gauthier shaping the first Sitka surfboards, and the company, in a derelict garage in Victoria, British Columbia in 2002. The Newmarket shop is the third flagship store for the Sitka label which still holds close to its heart the roots of the business, although now bearing the weight of such labels as being voted “Canada’s Best Brand” by SBC Surf Magazine in 2010.

The New Zealand flagship store has been fashioned using almost entirely recycled materials which the team have sourced from all across Auckland including demolition yards, inorganic rubbish collections, mystic houses and even Sustainable Coastline’s coastal community rubbish pickups. The labour used to build the shop is testament to Sitka’s ingenuity and can-do community style as those employed for daily duties on the shop floor have all had first hand involvement building and fitting out the store giving it a truly unique sense of ownership to the team. An impressive instore example of this work is the skate section designed and built by shop employee Brett Band who is studying product design at Auckland University of Technology.

With the current collection of mens and womens clothing on offer in Auckland boasting a range of Sitka’s very own milled organic cotton blends and bamboo fibre, it’s a step in the right direction for those shoppers conscious of their buying decisions and the effect their actions have on the environment. At the heart of Sitka’s ethics is the sustainability of the resources used in producing all of their garments and products. It is these ethics and corporate responsibility beliefs which has lead Sitka to plenty of praise at Vancouver’s recent Eco Fashion Week, and Sitka being profiled on the May 2011 cover of Transworld Business Magazine.

 

The New Zealand based Sitka family is steadily developing and already consists of some upcoming but frequently noted names in the surf world including Blake Myers, Nicola Colson-Koster and Mischa Davis making up the NZ surf team. Auckland based band Tahuna Breaks headline Sitka’s growing list of musicians as like minded athletes and artists are drawn to the lifestyle of Sitka. Sitka is also proud to be involved with Sustainable Coastlines, a New Zealand initiative to raise awareness of plastic pollution in and around New Zealand’s waterways. Like Sitka, Sustainable Coastlines lead with a genuine hands on approach to education and environment cleanups, which Sitka has been proud to be involved with over recent months.

 

Complementing the Sitka range of clothing, skateboards and surfboards in the Newmarket store at 6 Osborne Street will be a selection of hand picked brands which Sitka is proud to be bringing to New Zealand. Among some hometown British Columbia favourites of Love Jules Leather

necklaces, belts and jewellery, Cuchara hand made necklaces, and Bahgsu Jewels, are some more established brands including Shwood and Raen sunglasses, The Critical Slide Society, Toms Shoes, West and Matusse wetsuits, and plenty more to come!

 

Sitka

6 Osborne Street, Newmarket

Po Box 99204, Newmarket

+64 9 551 5016

www.sitka.co.nz

 

 

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