The Daily - January 31, 2020 - 79

Show News
F R O M

T H E

F L O O R

Legendary
snowboard brand
Sims is back at
the Show.

OLD SCHOOL NEWCOMER

Sims Snowboards relaunches
THE NEW SIMS SNOWBOARDS

Solo and the classic FE board
from 1985 stand side by side at
the booth of the pioneering brand,
which relaunched in September.
It's an apt display. As one of snowboarding's first companies, formed
in 1976, Sims was a giant in the
sport, born out of surf and skate
culture. Founder Tom Sims, who
was pals with Jake Burton, crafted
his first snowboard from a coffee
table in woodshop class.
After Tom Sims' passing, the
company had various licensing
deals but was no longer manufacturing boards. Tom's widow

brought the company back to
making its iconic boards, drawing
inspiration from the company's
original, simple, effective designs.
In addition to relaunching the
brand, the company is producing
a full-length film showcasing eight
Sims team riders as they shred pow
all over the world. Jordan Brown,
Sims global marketing director,
says he doesn't have a release date
for the film, but it's coming along
well. Then he switched the topic
back to his booth and Sims' success
on the showroom floor. "The reception has been amazing," he said.
-Chris Van Leuven

SPENDING HABITS

L AU R E N DA N I L E K

Younger generations are moving away from credit cards.
"Sixty-three percent of all millennials do not have a credit card,"
Mariana DiMartino, director of market development for Afterpay,
told the crowd at "Millennial and Gen Z are Re-Writing the Spending Rules" on Wednesday. She cited $1.5 trillion in student loans as
the reason the young cohorts are so debt averse. "If you are selling
something online to a millennial consumer and they only have a
debit card, you are going to sell them only what they can afford in
that moment," she said.
And you are selling to them. Millennials (people aged 23-38)
make up a quarter of the population and currently have $600
million in buying power. Thirty-three percent of millennials consider themselves outdoorsy, and they spend an average of $594 on
outdoor apparel, footwear, equipment, and electronics annually.
With Afterpay's "buy now, pay later" feature, retailers can offer
customers the option to make payments in installments for larger
purchases without requiring credit checks, fees, or interest accrual. Young people do most of their shopping on mobile phones,
and DiMartino discussed how mobile pay tools like Apple Pay and
Venmo can aid in customer acquisition and retention.
Millennials and Gen Z share their identity politics (50% identify
as multiracial) and environmentally conscious ideals, but one area
where they differ is their reliance on social media. "Gen Z uses social
media as the most valuable shopping tool," DiMartino said. "That
means that things like product reviews, endorsements, and awards
should be amplified on social media. Gen Z prefers influencers over
brand-to-consumer direct interaction." -Latria Graham

http://www.downtracker.com

The Daily - January 31, 2020

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