Purchasing situation in 2020
Where you buy your ski/snowboard gear and how you start will greatly affect how you enjoy it and how addicted you are to it. As of 2020, when you think about buying gear, you have two choices: find it on the internet or visit a shop.
There are three types of shops. First of all, a sports specialty store that has multiple stores nationwide. The second is a highly specialized pro shop where owners and staff with deep knowledge and experience reside. The third is EC stores that are developed online. Recently, there are an increasing number of online stores as well as physical stores.
You can buy gear anywhere on these, but each has its merits.
See the advantages of the three types of shop formats
■ Pro shop
Price △
Product quality ◎
Friends ◎
Support ◎
A feature of the pro shop is that many of them are community-based shops.
There are products that reflect the owner's intentions and commitment. Because the owner and staff are slippery, it is easy to gather highly specialized core information and deepen exchanges between users. Another feature is that once you get into it, it is easy to make friends. Also, since there are shop riders and riders who are close friends, it is easy to receive lessons and advice. It is overwhelmingly recommended for those who are highly motivated to improve. Because some products are produced in small quantities based on the owner's idea, they do not compete with discount prices.
However, there are many stores that provide value beyond the price, such as ski wax service, binding installation, boot setting, and more. These days, it's not uncommon for pro shops to open near fields, so if you visit every place you go, you might be able to get detailed information on the snowy mountains, or be told about delicious restaurants and hidden spots.
■ Sports specialty store
Price ◯
Product quality ◎
Friends △
Support ◯
The point is that they have a large number of products because they are nationwide, and they also handle a wide range of price ranges and sizes.
Even if you don't have a specific product you want, you can enjoy the fun of choosing because you can compare many products. Furthermore, recently, the number of staff with specialized knowledge and experience has increased, so it is easy to ask for advice on selection. However, close relationships with shop staff and users are not as common as in pro shops. Active communication is necessary to make friends. Occasionally, tours and lesson sessions are held by the shop, so users can interact with each other at such timings.
■ EC store
price ◎
Product quality △
Colleagues ✕
Support ✕
What is different from the above stores is that you cannot see and touch the actual product.
For example, boots and clothing cannot be tried on or tried on.
Therefore, the color of the actual product may differ from the actual product. Also, in some cases bindings cannot be attached to skis (bindings must be adjusted by an SBB certified maintenance technician). However, the low price is the biggest attraction.
The benefits are great for people who have already decided what gear to buy, such as having already made an eye on it at a test drive event, or for people who do not have a shop that sells products nearby. However, online purchases require understanding of various terms and conditions, such as return and exchange policies and shipping methods. In addition, there is almost no information or post-purchase support obtained from face-to-face sales and interaction between users.
summary
Looking at it this way, we now have an environment in which it is easy to buy gear.
A long time ago, highly specialized products were sold at pro shops and some chain stores. I tried to gather information, but it was hard to find. Now you can buy from EC stores all over the world, and you can start even if you don't have a shop nearby. Professional shops and sports specialty stores are still alive and well, and it seems that efforts are being made to incorporate face-to-face sales know-how into EC stores. The coming era to be with Corona. In order to continue skating for a long time, it seems that each person will think about smart shopping.
Let's find a matching shop from SPOT-Shop-