Like most local retailers, Watford-based snow and mountain sports shop, Absolute Snow, have been working harder than ever before to survive two lockdowns, which have seen them forced to temporarily close their physical shop.
And as we head into what would normally be the ski season, it is double trouble for the retailer. With most European ski resorts unable to open for the Christmas and New Year holidays, they are faced with the additional challenge of customers not wanting to buy ski or snowboard kit and equipment.
This is where Absolute Snow has had to think creatively. The business has had no option but to react quickly and focus their attention on improving their website to become even more intuitive, and products easy to find by activity, for men, women & kids.
To help the business grow and also survive a winter where very few Brits are likely to go on a snowsports holiday, Absolute Snow have expanded their product range to include equipment and clothing for rock climbing, mountaineering, hiking, camping, fitness and water sports. They have also created a ‘lockdown department’ where customers can buy everything they need for lockdown, including face masks, exercise equipment, running shoes, lounge suits and hammocks.
As director Paul McNamara explains: “We have had little option but to diversify, and this has been a good strategic move because we are no longer so reliant upon our snow business as we once were.
Fortunately for winter sports businesses like ours, we have been given plenty of notice about the difficulties we might face this winter. We used the summer to change the business’s direction of travel so our focus has now switched to mountaineering equipment and clothing, sales of which have, if anything, been boosted by the pandemic.”
The savvy retailer is fast becoming one of the UK’s biggest online retailer of snow and mountain sports equipment and had already secured the Ski Club of Great Britain’s award title of ‘best online clothing retailer’.
McNamara confirms that they will continue to grow their online business: “Growing our online business is already helping create new jobs at our warehouse. Even though it is a challenging time, we have no plans to stop growing and we are confident sales across our ranges will keep going up”.
For more information and to view the product ranges visit Absolute Snow online, www.absolute-snow.co.uk.