It's a never-ending quest to evolve our identity and drive more traffic, and many of the Surf/Streetwear lines are a nice complement to the sportswear lines we carry today. Most importantly, these collections add another dimension to our business without taking away from our core categories.

It simply adds annual rate to a fun, new exciting business. Many of our customers intersect both of these business models, so why not embrace the opportunity?

Here are a few observations:

- A large segment of the 'Outdoor' customer base is wearing fashion items (t-shirts, sneakers and denim with some surf and skate influence).

- Online Outdoor heavyweight Moosejaw is representing a Street mix as well as Surf. They have moved from core brands into lesser known labels. In addition, these labels are now taking up valuable e-commerce space. These are both clear signs of success.

- The customer wants more options and there's a lot of product availability.

-The core Surf, Skate and Street brands have moved into lifestyle brands. In addition, several key vendors have moved into lifestyle brands for the 35-55 age groups, such as Quicksilver Edition.

- There's potential for slightly higher margin opportunities in Surf/Street. In addition, the initial commitments to test these lines are not very high.

-Reorders and chasing product 'closer to need' is a cash flow opportunity. Product seems to be readily available in this market.

I know several retailers who have added these categories and had some early success. Surf is probably the best category to start with since the surf lines of old have abandoned their core surf strategy. They now consider themselves to be lifestyle brands and as a result they complement the mix of product that we already have in our stores.

Merchants who have dipped their toes in this market usually start with the Quicksilver, Billabong and Hurley lines and then expand into lesser-known brands. But remember, you have to be committed if you are going to successfully enter this market. The new lines need to be presented front and center. I also recommend a separate planning category for Surf to truly understand what the opportunity presents.

If you do well in the Surf category the next step is to extend into Streetwear. Plan these tests into your Sportswear OTB's. A small dollar risk could lead to a great opportunity.

If you aren't in either of these categories yet, test the waters and let me know how you do. I'm betting that there's an opportunity to grab some market share.

Every month and every season the mix needs to change enough to encourage more visits. If the store is consistently being refreshed it will drive a subconscious but ‘real’ concern in customers’ minds that the product won’t be available next month -- buy it or lose it! This drives sale. Right now, the Outdoor business is too predictable; there’s little sense of urgency for customers to buy now. The same product will be available in the same color for the next three months.

Maybe it’s time to mix things up, even if it means entering new markets (assuming they fit with your customer base.)

Let me give you an example. I recently spoke with a merchant who runs a successful high fashion men’s and women’s denim operation in Mississippi. You know this kind of store: it carries $200 jeans, $125 tops and $400 dresses. This merchant was shopping the Outdoor markets for products that would differentiate his operation. It seemed an obvious choice to him since a lot of the customers buying designer product are also wearing Outdoor brands like North Face and Patagonia. In fact, that very day I was wearing Diesel Jeans, Cole Haan shoes, a North Face breaker and an admittedly goofy striped sports shirt that cost me $135 (I have no idea why I own such an ugly shirt that cost that much money but now feel obligated to wear it). The point is, I understand and shop both these markets – better men’s and outdoors.

This merchant knew that he could benefit by catering to the various wants of the same customer and Outdoor stores can do the same. In fact, Outdoor stores are missing a clear opportunity by forgetting some of their “boutique” roots.

Of course the surf business can be a contributor, and no, I’m not necessarily recommending Diesel Jeans. I’m recommending brands that are distinct to you in your local competitive markets: sportswear brands, margin brands, fashion tees, sports shirts, street shoes, collections, etc. We need to look for brands in our price range that contribute to the boutique model, throw off higher margins and deliver fresh excitement. Similar to my friend in Mississippi, the Outdoor Stores need to visit other markets. For example, the Magic Show in Vegas offers countless opportunities. The brands and vision are endless and Outdoor retailers need to take more advantage of the variety.

As shoppers, men can be tire-kickers and grazers. They will wait until they’re freezing before they invest in a jacket. If you focus your merchandise on women's wear at the beginning of the season, your sales will increase, but remember that the window is small and the men’s visibility needs to be aggressive for the remainder of the season.

The markdown (MD) cycle also plays into these gender trends. For example, men will act on a 20% MD in January, whereas women will need an MD of 30% to 40% to act. This is because women perceive the season as being longer. After all, they were buying in August and September when the men were still grazing.

The lesson here: pay attention to your gender trends and be more aggressive with Women’s MDs. It takes more margin sacrifice to move product.

While I’ve worked in the retail planning business for over 10 years, helping retailers of all stripes to manage cash flow and profits, control costs and expand in new directions, the Outdoor business is my true passion. It allows me to focus on the retail business – which I love – and the environment. Furthermore, it allows me to help the hardworking merchants I care about. It wasn’t always this way. In the past I’ve done corporate planning for a multi-billion dollar corporation. Each week I went home knowing I coordinated to boost profits for a major retail chain, but I felt unfulfilled.

Today I get to contribute to the success of independent retailers – families and individuals who have put their entire lives into a business. I've become friends with my clients and I deeply feel their pains and triumphs. My drive comes from contributing to the success of these merchants and taking some of the stress out of their lives. I understand that retail can be fun, but very unforgiving. That’s why I concentrate on helping them make smart business decisions that lead to less stress and a better life.

I feel fortunate to work and live in this space and my goal is to share my knowledge and experience in this market with other members of the Outdoor retail community.

This is a growing market and we have a lot to talk about, so let’s get started.

-Jason LeBlanc, Senior Analyst & Merchandising Consultant at Blacks