Here are a few notes from our recent tradeshow for those that weren’t able to join us. . .
Birthday Skate: Pacer’s Charger skate is being promoted as a birthday party skate. Birthday parties are a great thing for rinks. They bring in good numbers, and some of the guests are probably not regular customers. Many rinks are reporting that birthday parties are the strongest part of their business right now. The only problem with birthday parties is that they only happen once a year.
Consider what would happen if you could expand on the success of the birthday party and bring the birthday child back at least once a month.
Some rinks are offering a birthday skate as an add-on to their birthday packages. Some are including the skate in their nicer packages. At least one group of rinks is including a birthday skate in every single birthday party they book.
This is aggressive, but it seems to be working for them. They believe that by including a skate in each and every birthday party they’re creating repeat customers. The birthday child gets a pair of skates, so he is going to be coming back to the rink several times (at least). The party guests see the birthday skates and they want their own, so they are sure to ask their parents to have their next part at the rink.
Plus, the rink owner gives every kid at the party a coupon for a discount on their own pair of the birthday skate. The coupon is valid for one week. Some kids ask for the skate that day. Some kids beg the parents to take them back to the rink before the coupon expires.
The Charger skate is designed especially for birthday parties. It comes in black or white, sizes 10J – 4. Most sizes will arrive here by October 12, a few sizes may be backordered for a couple of weeks.
If the birthday child is too big for this skate, then switch them to the GTX-500. If they already have a nicer pair of skates, give them a credit in your pro shop towards new wheels or bearings.
Labeda: We received a few pair of the Labeda Pro Line skates and a few sets of their new quad wheels. We don’t have many in stock right now; we hope to get more soon. If you’re interested please act quickly to get some from the first batch.
Sure-Grip: They now have a white version of the Shaman in a “race” hardness. They also have a new (additional) narrower profile of the Fugitive wheels in purple (88A), yellow (92A), and light blue (90A) designed for the derby market.
Chicago: The Bullet skates are now available in white.
Vanilla: They have a lot of new products on the way. Here are the latest estimated ship dates. Mid-October for the Zane boots, white Freestyle, black Freestyle, white Remix wheels, and red Deluxe wheels. Early November for the Brass Knuckle (derby boot), Diamond boots, Curve boots, speed inlines, black Remix wheels, and blue Deluxe wheels.
map: main > news > Tradeshow Update
We are wholesale only and are not allowed to sell to skaters or to quote prices. For info on purchasing skates please look in your phone book under "skating rink" or click here.
Always skate smart. Use appropriate protective gear. If you're not an experienced skater then learn to skate indoors at a roller skating rink. It's a flat and smooth surface with no traffic to deal with. We strongly encourage you to take lessons (most skating rinks offer them).
Contents of this page and this site copyright (c) 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 by Southeastern Skate Supply, Inc. You are allowed to link to us. We ask that you do NOT copy our material or our work without express written permission.
