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We have officially launched
the Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine's Gear Outlet! It's been a long process of carefully putting
it together and we're ecstatic that it's finally here. I thought I’d take a few
minutes to describe why we’re so excited about it.
First off, the mission of
the Gear Outlet is “to provide a place where stand up paddlers can easily find
what they’re looking for, and to create a quick way for good companies to sell
their gear and contribute to the advancement of the sport.” It’s not to compete
with retailers or distributors but rather enhance their business and provide
guys like me, who are looking for the good stuff, a place to find some of it.
Like almost every element of
Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine’s website, this newest feature was created to
fill a gap that we have identified in the industry. Over the last year, the
SUPSURFMAG.COM staff has come to know of some awesome companies that have
unique stand up paddle products which really deserve additional exposure to the
global stand up paddle market. Some of this gear is being produced by larger
surf equipment manufacturers and some is being created one at a time in home
workshops. Regardless of where it comes from, it’s easy for many of these
products to get lost in what can seem like an infinite sea of online information,
making it hard for companies to deliver what they’ve got, and even harder for
buyers like you and I to locate quality equipment. This problem has been
addressed in the creation of the Gear Outlet.
Before you pull out your
credit card to buy some gear, you probably do the same thing that I do, ask
everyone you can possibly think of about the product to make sure it’s going to
do the job and last a long time. Now, you can rest easy when you browse through
the Gear Outlet knowing that Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine researches the
company and products in the Gear Outlet to the best of our ability before we
make the decision to include it in the catalog. Everything in there is, in our
estimation, top notch.
Large companies with
extensive lines of surf equipment can be challenged at times with finding a way
to introduce their stand up paddle specific items to people like us who are
looking for them. Take Rainbow Fin Company for example. They produce hundreds of
fin shapes and sizes. Gear Outlet can list fins that are specific to stand up
paddle surfing or are recommended by other stand up paddlers. These fins can
quickly be made available through the outlet without major overhauls to their
corporate website. Additionally, large companies with special deals or offers
can quickly present those to the public through the Gear Outlet.
For small companies, it’s an
excellent way to introduce what they’ve got to the industry as a whole. For
example, the guy who is building some remarkable gear in his workshop, but has
little or no advertising budget, and wants to bring his product to the market,
can quickly do so through the Gear Outlet.
We’ll be adding new products
to the Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine Gear Outlet on a regular basis, so sure
to check back often. Some of the items have limited quantities or are for just
a promotional time period, so you have to be quick about it.
Truthfully, if we can create
a sense of community between gear manufacturers and consumers in a no-hassle
online environment like the Gear Outlet, we have succeeded. The checkout and
payment process is secured and encrypted so you can shop with confidence. And presently, shipping is free on everything
over $75, including surfboards. For now, we can only ship gear to the continental U.S. and Hawaii. Spread the word about the outlet and check in
often to see what’s new in the outlet. And, if you’re a player in the industry
regardless of the size of your company, and you have a sweet deal you’d like to
quickly offer the stand up paddle community through the Gear Outlet, shoot us
an email at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
You can check out the Gear Outlet on the main menu under DA' SHOPS >> GEAR OUTLET or you can get there directly at outlet.supsurfmag.com .
And, as always, we truly
appreciate your questions, comments, and feedback.
Aloha.
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