Ten years ago, inline skating was one of the sporting goods industry’s hottest segments. Then, in the opinion of some, product stopped evolving, and the market dried up. But Brian Conners of LandRoller doesn't believe the category is dead. To the contrary, he thinks skating is poised for a major resurgence, and his company is leading the way.
Q: Sales of inline skates have been on the decline for nearly a decade. Why?
A: At LandRoller, we feel the real problem is a lack of innovation. The number of skaters hasn’t dropped, but they haven’t had any good reason to buy a new pair of skates. Outside of brand name and a little bit of styling, there is no point of differentiation from one product to another. That’s where LandRoller enters the picture.
Q: You’re positioning LandRoller as a lifestyle brand, correct?
A: Yes, we like to call them "rolling billboards." LandRollers have such a distinctive look that people recognize them immediately. We’re turning skating into a social sport again. Our target audience is the early adopter/trendsetter type, both men and women, ages 13 to 25. We got a nice product placement in Jackie Chan’s Around the Word in 80 Days—which helped raise the profile of LandRollers.
But we’re not only trying to appeal to the existing market out there. LandRoller is opening skating to new consumers because of the ability to skate on less-than-ideal surfaces. We also think we can bridge the gap between inline skating and skateboarding.
Q: What are the major challenges you face?
A: We thought getting the product to retail would be difficult, but it’s proving easier than expected. We’ve already met with the top six to eight retailers, and have received verbal orders for test quantities from many of them. Dick’s ordered enough for their top 10 skating stores.
We’re set to exhibit at The Super Show, and initially we thought drawing the attention of the big-box retailers would be our primary goal in Orlando. But given the success we’ve had so far, we’re changing our focus somewhat. At the Show, we hope to meet with specialty retailers, and get as much media exposure as possible.
Q: What does the future hold for LandRoller?
A: We’re very excited. Our price point—$249, retail—is a little above the market sweet spot, but we’re sending a quality message, one about a better product. It’s also worth noting that we’ve built in higher margins for retailers. LandRollers have received a great response from our test markets. Retailers are craving innovation. So are consumers. LandRoller is going to revive the skate category.
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