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Here is a pic of some new lace colors that just arrived.

We have several new lace colors on the way.  They’re not in stock yet, but should be here very soon:
neon blue
electric fuschia
purple and white weave
neon plaid – pink, purple, white
neon plaid – yellow, blue, and white
neon plaid – orange, blue, and white
neon plaid – green, blue, and black

There is also a new color in the Candi Girl Sabina U772.  The new version is mainly pink, with blue and yellow accents.  The laces and stops are blue.  Half of the wheels are yellow, half are pink.  It is a very colorful option and will certainly get some attention.  These are in stock now.

As we get closer to the Christmas season, here are some calendar notes.

Nov 23 – Thurs – Thanksgiving – We are closed.  UPS does not deliver.
Nov 24 – Fri – UPS does deliver.
Dec 25 – Mon – Christmas Day – We are closed.  UPS does not deliver.
Jan 1 – Mon – New Year’s Day – We are closed.  UPS does not deliver.

The week of Thanksgiving is always hectic with customers placing last minute orders for the Thanksgiving weekend and UPS being closed for a day.  Please get your orders for “Black Friday” in as early as possible to avoid disappointment.  Consider bringing in a little extra inventory to get your skaters thinking about skates as a great Christmas present.

After our recent tradeshow, we did interviews with many of the vendors that were here.  We’ve emailed them out to everyone, but if you haven’t seen them, they are also saved at www.seskate.com/blog.

Today we have two different interviews with the same gentleman.  Dave Smallwood works with Roces Skate Co and also with Scenturion, so we thought we’d combine the two interviews into one post/email. . .

ROCES SKATE

First off we will talk about Roces Skate.

QUESTION:

Roces is new to Southeastern Skate Supply but has been around since the very early days of inline skating.  Tell us a little about the company and its history

 

ANSWER:

Found in 1952, Roces produce an average of 1 million pairs of Inline Skates, Quad Roller Skates and Ice Skates per year through a distribution network covering more than 50 countries.  We are famous for being an innovative brand that offers quality and style. Roces is devoted to combining performance, comfort and style.  .

QUESTION:

How is the inline skate market doing as we start to get closer to the 2017 Christmas season?

ANSWER:

Inline skate sales have been on the increase again in 2017 and we are looking for a great Holiday Season.

QUESTION:

We became interested in your products because you make skates in sizes that other companies just aren’t doing.  Especially on the biggest sizes, if someone has feet that large, and they want to skate, they’re almost certainly doing it in a Roces product.  Why does Roces do this and how does it work out for you?

ANSWER:

At Roces we pride ourselves in listening to our customer. We kept hearing about a void in the Market Place and we wanted fill it. The more people we can skate the better!

QUESTION:

Tell us about how big and how small you can go on an inline skate.  Which models are available in which sizes?

ANSWER:

The three models Roces Inline Skate that Southeastern Skate Supply is now offering actually cover from the smallest to the largest sizes we have available.

The Orlando is a Kids Adjustable inline skate that starts in size 9JR-12JR. On the other end of the spectrum is the BIG ZYX that you have available up to a size 18! The third model you are offering your customers is the FCO Inline Rental Skate, with a non-marking brake pad, that will have available up to size 15 to get more people skating.

 

 

 

SCENTURION DEODORIZER INTERVIEW

QUESTION:

Why is Scenturion® a good fit for a Roller Skating Rink and those who love to Skate?

ANSWER:

When you use Scenturion® The More You Sweat, The More It Works®

It is a great addition for any Roller Rink to offer their customers for their personal use as well as to use to eliminate the odor in their Rental Skates.

QUESTION:

Tell us a little bit about Scenturion®

ANSWER:

Scenturion® is formulated with pure Nano Silver to kill 99.9 % of the microorganisms which cause odor in skates and just about any other items that need disinfecting.  Scenturion® is hypoallergenic, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly. You can treat a toddlers’ shoes (skates J) with Scenturion® – it’s completely safe!

 

The real genius of Scenturion®’s is that every time a treated item is worn and sweat reaches the Nano Silver – it reactivates the silver – and wipes out the microbes on the item.

 

You Spray Scenturion® on an item until it is damp and all the odor is gone.  When it is first applied the odor will go away almost immediately but allow it to dry before wearing. (If you wear skates before they are dry then socks will wick the treatment off the skates.) Once an item is properly treated with Scenturion®, its effectiveness should last for weeks. Simply retreat the item when the odor returns.

Scenturion®  Video: https://youtu.be/eHBCOQoF_pc

 

QUESTION:

What else makes Scenturion® different?

ANSWER:

Because it eliminates all the causes of odor, Scenturion® is formulated without any added fragrance. A fragrance would mask odor and compromise your ability to detect “absolutely no odor”. This is the fundamental difference between Scenturion® and other sprays. If you can smell even a slight odor, it’s a sign that parts of the item needs to be treated again to ensure that 100% of the item has been treated.

 

QUESTION:

What sizes is Scenturion® available in?

ANSWER:

Southeastern Skate Supply offers all three sizes of Scenturion®. The 4oz Bottle for Ret personal use, the 16oz Bottle for both personal use and to use on Rental skates as well as  the Gallon size for spraying Rental Skates that comes with a Spray Nozzle with an extended reach.

 

Once you have had the chance to try it you will see how unique Scenturion® is; i.e. it actually works and keeps working! Deodorize and Sanitize Safely with Scenturion®

Pure and Simple, No Odor…. No Germs™.

 

The days of putting up billboards and buying radio ad time have given way to new technology. Is your family entertainment center doing all it can to keep up? No matter how much the popularity of skating rises and falls, bringing the family out for a fun day at the roller rink will always have an allure that is hard to match. The key to running a successful skating center these days is all about how you market your business!

There are more ways than ever before to get your name out there and specifically target your main audience. We’re sure you’ve heard it all before, but it bears repeating. It’s all about digital marketing!

Here are a few relatively simple, yet highly effective internet strategies that you can use to increase your business and keep skating at the top of the list for family-friendly good times.

• Collect emails and send monthly e-newsletters
• Take advantage of social media by updating often and placing hours, specials, etc. on an easy-to-find page
• Respond to comments on your social media pages
• Keep your website current and update any specials you are running on your homepage
• Make sure your website is SEO friendly by using keywords such as “skate center” and your local city name
• Check your search engine ranking by searching things like “skate centers near me”
• Contact a marketing company about increasing your web visibility

Here at Southeastern Skate Supply, we can help you by providing all the gear you need to make your skating center a hit once you’ve drawn in the crowds. We have everything from novelty items to the hottest styles of skates on the market. For more information, give us a call today!

We’ve been doing interviews with some of the vendors that came to our recent tradeshow.  This is a way to help get out info to the customers that were not able to attend.  Today we are fortunate to have Steven from Sure-Grip Skate answering a few of our questions.

 

QUESTION:  You go to a lot of events, do a lot of traveling, and really try to be out there, visible, supporting the skating rinks.  What are you hearing from the rinks as the busy season gets ready to start up?  What are the rinks saying?

ANSWER:  We are on the west coast so things tend to move a little differently out here.  Our local market, Urban skating, is really strong.  We just had a new old rink reopen and we have seen a huge increase is skater awareness and sales.  This particular market is somewhat unique to our area but the trend is still moving across the country.  Aside from the urban market we are seeing great potential with our new Stardust skates.  After the partnership we had with a local cosmetic company the word has spread and we are seeing this type of product pop up in other industries as well.  We never expected this glitter theme to be as big as it has become.

QUESTION:  What are some of the new items Sure-Grip is introducing to the market?  What kind of feedback have they received?

ANSWER:  As I mentioned above the Stardust skate is our most popular skate as of late.  People really love the color and the expression on their faces is amazing.  When you tell someone the skate is glitter they get excited, then they actually see it and they are speechless.  This is a really great product for our industry because it allows people to express themselves in way they never imagined.

 

QUESTION:  Have you heard of any new ideas from the rinks you talk to that sound exciting and that our readers might want to borrow from?  Any new profit ideas out there?

Answer:  Adult nights are growing in popularity.  Meaning the all night skate parties.  Originally this was unique to the urban skating community but now we are seeing all kinds of late night skate parties.  I think one rink locally does a college night.  I think this is a good way to cater to a different audience, especially millennials.

 

QUESTION:  We’re always interested in new rinks that have opened, and new blood getting into this business.  You told us about a brand new rink in L.A. that is absolutely packed every session, with skaters waiting in line to try to get in.  Obviously, L.A. is a different creature than most cities, but can you tell us a little about that rink?  What are they doing that is making it such a homerun?

ANSWER:  This is a tough question because we have never seen anything like this before so its difficult to really be sure.  This rink was an older facility that closed for a few years and then reopened.  In its day it was a successful rink but it needed a face lift and a new plan for a growing market, they needed to think outside the box and offer something that is different and unique.  For the first few weeks they actually had to turn people away at the door.  They reached out to us and a few other skaters in the area early on and built a facility for the newer generation.  Looking at this facility its incredible, its not like a traditional roller rink and I think that’s exactly what it needed to be.  Its more of a night club that offers skating, its amazing!!!!  The fact that this is so close to Hollywood doesn’t hurt either, I think Usher had a birthday party here a few weeks ago.  Personally I think this is the future of roller rink design, any rink in the country can look at this facility and take something away from the experience.

 

 

Our annual tradeshow was a couple of weeks ago.  As a new feature, we’re doing interviews with some of the vendors that were at our show.

If you were at the show, this could be a reminder and a follow up with the people you met.  If you weren’t able to join us, this is a great way to get to “meet” some of the vendors that attended.

We’ve already talked to several vendors (Roller Derby, Laser Blast, and the RSA).  Today, we’re talking to Megan Hawkins from Party Center Software, a service that helps you book birthday parties online.

 

QUESTION:  Tell us a little bit about the Party Center company.

ANSWER:  We’re a team of passionate individuals on a mission to make roller skating rinks (and family entertainment centers) wildly successful because of the value they add to families and communities. Our products and services are designed help businesses adapt to the changing behaviors of today’s guests.

 

 

QUESTION:  Why is this a good fit for a roller skating rink?  What are the advantages of this type of system vs. booking parties via the phone?

ANSWER:  Our solutions are a great fit for roller skating rinks because our online waivers can transform your operations and the additional party revenue we help to generate is critical to keeping doors open. The advantage of our online booking platform vs. booking parties over the phone is the fact that today’s technologically enabled customers have higher expectations for businesses. That explains why approximately 33% of all parties that are booked (paid deposits, purchased add-ons and confirmed) occur outside of operating hours. Other high volume times when people book parties online occur around lunch time and right after work. The most important advantage of an online party booking system is to allow your time to spend less time on the phone and more time with onsite customers to deliver the best possible experience.

 

QUESTION:  What makes Party Center a better choice than some of the other companies out there that are doing similar programs?

ANSWER:  There are 2 main reasons why Party Center Software is a better choice: 1) We provide your customers with a better desktop and mobile experience that other platforms out there. You don’t have to take our word for it, just have a staff member or customer do a blind online party booking test and see which one they believe is easiest to use. 2) Products alone are not the solution, so we offer services and educational resources based on our party booking data to truly help our customers become successful.

 

QUESTION:  How many parties a month would you have to book before this program pays for itself?

ANSWER:  You only have to book one party for our platform to pay for itself. We have a lot of loyal customers who are just ‘killing it’ with the number of parties they book and the ROI from our product. However, the value of our software goes beyond the number booking parties, it saves time, streamlines processes, and creates additional revenue streams.

 

QUESTION: How does the setup process work?  How much time does it take to get everything up and running?

ANSWER:  The setup of our platform is just one small step in our entire customer onboarding process that’s designed to make sure our customers see results as quickly as possible. While setup can occur within a week or two depending on the customer, we are always finding new ways to reduce the time to value.

 

QUESTION:  If a rink wants to learn more, what’s the best way to reach you?

ANSWER:  The best way to reach a Customer Success Consultant is going to be through requesting a demo through our website www.partycentersoftware.com. This way, you can conveniently book a time to schedule a time to chat.

We just received a new version of the U772 Candi Girl in pink.  It has a fade look to it, so you get a lot of different shades of pink.  Plus blue.  Plus yellow.  A really different look, sure to turn heads.  Check it out:

We bet you already know that October is National Roller Skating Month, but have you thought about ways to use that to your advantage? 

We have a few easy ways to freshen up your skating center for October.

• New Prizes – Are the rewards for your arcade a little outdated? Check out the options from Southeastern Skate Supply. These novelties offer a huge markup opportunity, so don’t skimp on keeping prizes interesting.
• New Party Stuff – If you want to capture repeat party business (and why wouldn’t you?), make sure that guests can make their party different from the last one. New tableware and themes go a long way.
• New Music – While retro nights or speciality music are a big hit with certain crowds, your day-to-day music should be fresh and exciting. Make sure your DJs are keeping up with what’s popular as well as what’s cutting edge.

Of course, no matter how awesome they are, updates aren’t going to matter if no one sees them. How will you draw people into your skating center?

• New Promotions – Consider a National Roller Skating Month promotion (or several) that makes sense with your demographics and business plan.
• New Events – Throwing a National Roller Skating Month party with fun specials is a great way to bring people in during an off-season.
• Publicize It! If customers don’t know about your events, they can’t attend! Keep your customers up to date through all the channels you have access to.

Southeastern Skate Supply is here to help! With a little bit of extra effort, rink owners can turn this month into a real winner.

We wanted to follow up our tradeshow with a series of interviews with some of the vendors that were here.  We’ve already done the RSA and LaserBlast (see www.seskate.com/blog if you missed them).  Today we have a great one with Roller Derby.  We talked to Tony Muse and also Will Marion.  We’ve inserted a couple of editor comments in here, along with some pics of the new skates they talk about.  Feel free to forward this along to your skating buddies or customers. . .

 

QUESTION: You go to a lot of events, do a lot of traveling, and really try to be out there, visible, supporting the skating rinks. What are you hearing from the rinks as the busy season gets ready to start up? What are the rinks saying?

 

Will Marion:  Comments from the show would indicate that their business is getting better as the season progresses.  Some felt September was softer than usual but please with the current level of business.  Tony can answer this as well since he’s involved with his family in the business.

 

Tony Muse:  I come from a unique position in that I do get to travel to the shows and events and at the same time, my family owns and operates a few rinks back home. Because of that, I get to see it and hear about it at the same time. The energy at the rinks that I talk to is still very positive. There is the normal “football Friday” keeping a few rinks slow but many have shifted to a Saturday night that does what the Friday used to. Most rinks are doing everything they can to squeeze in more birthday parties as demand for those are high. For skate sales, it really is dependent on the area of the country as I really hear a difference in what works in different areas.

 

QUESTION: What are some of the new items Roller Derby / Pacer / Tour are introducing to the market? What kind of feedback have they received? Has anything specific stuck out?

Tony Muse:  We just introduced our Alpha 125 and 110 skates which we are excited about. The 3 big wheels catch everyone’s attention and with the quality of the support we have in the skates, they are really easy to use. Not only do I love skating on them, but my wife and kids have given them high praises as well.

Our Inferno boot has done really well for those skaters looking for top quality and performance in a roller skate. My brother Dante is one of the most picky skaters I know and he has been nearly impossible to pry away from his Oberhaimer boots but he has been on the Inferno for about a year and he is still amazing on skates.

The new colors in the GTX have created some buzz and our reboot of the Comet and Charger will certainly help with gift under the tree this Christmas season.

 

[editor’s note – Dante has earned the right to be picky.  Both he and Tony were very successful speed skaters, winning numerous National Championship and World Championship medals, they’re both generally considered among the best speed skaters ever]

 

 

Will Marion:  The new models in Pacer are new designs on what are proven popular models -  we revamped the Charger – the birthday skate – and the lighted wheel Comet.  Both have a very good response from the rinks – the new Alpha models had an excellent response – eye pop so to speak – had a lot of conversation on these – new Tour models will be introduced in 2018 – 39TY, 49TY and 59TA – we didn’t have samples at your show as everything will be 38, 48, and 58 until 2018.

 

 

QUESTION: Have you heard of any new ideas from the rinks you talk to that sound exciting and that our readers might want to borrow from? Any new profit ideas out there?

Tony Muse:  I am still a bit shocked at how few rinks have gotten on board with the “specialty” skate rentals. Our family has been renting specialty speed and inline rentals for years (at an additional fee) with great success. I have gotten a few notable rink operators around the country to bring in some skates to try specialty rentals out and they have all came back to me and told me how much of a home run it was for them. I would suggest every rink try bringing in a higher priced specialty rental program in and see how it works for them.

 

QUESTION: The company name is “Roller Derby”, but you’re also very involved in the SPORT of roller derby. Especially Tony, as a derby skater. What are you seeing at the different derby meets and shows? How is derby changing as we move forward?

Tony Muse:  The sport of Roller Derby is very near and dear to us as a company because our owned Ed Selzer is family to the creator of the sport Leo Selzer. We were excited to see the sport re-emerge again in the last decade and we try and support as many events as we can in order to help support it. The sport of Roller Derby as a comeback endeavor largely grew through women and the females have embraced it and made it grow to crazy proportions. In fact, the upcoming WFTDA (women’s league) championship will be broadcast live from Philadelphia on ESPN 2. As the sport has grown, the men have followed suit although not in the same numbers as the women and what we are seeing now, a huge emergence of junior and children’s roller derby leagues and programs popping up. Many rinks fear the roller derby adults and the leadership that comes with them but if rink operators have a chance to start a junior program in the area they should jump on it right away as it provides a number of kids with an outlet to continue their love and passion for skating in a team sport which many prefer over individual sports. Outside of the states the growth is great with nearly 50 women’s teams and 40 men’s teams scheduled for the upcoming 2018 World Cups in England and Spain.

 

[editor’s note – the WFTDA Championships will be broadcast on Nov 5, 2017, on ESPN2.  More details available at https://wftda.com/wftda-signs-deal-with-espn2-to-televise-2017-wftda-championship-game/]

 

QUESTION: Roller Derby is very involved in the bigger sporting goods stores and mass merchants as a supplier to many of the larger retailers across the world. What do you hear from them as they get ready for the upcoming Christmas shopping season?

Tony Muse:  We hear that grandma’s and grandpa’s have fond memories of growing up skating and they are excited to be able to share that love for the sport with their grandkids as they give it a try. We hear about stores having derby players coming in and not finding suitable grade equipment at some of the box stores. We hear about a generation of new parents who grew up in the skating rink and are finding their way back into skating as they have kids.

 

I hope this helps. I am certain that Will can help in a much greater capacity than I in some of these areas.

 

Will Marion:  In general retailers are very carefully watching inventory levels and inventory turns.  Fortunately, skates, particularly quad, are performing quite well. The advent of Soy Luna has brought quad skate interest in markets around the world for the first time.  Latin American in particular has seen a surge in demand – this was the inline customer of 5 years ago – and this is moving to additional markets – Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada – I have inquiries from markets that have been difficult at best to spur interest in the past.

[editor’s note – Soy Luna is a Disney program that is broadcast in the Latin America market.  It has been a huge success, creating a surge of interest in skating in that area.  There is hope that it might eventually come to the USA, but nothing definite yet]