Face-lifts apply to more than just people in Southern California. In Huntington Beach, Jack’s Surfboards is also benefiting. With a remodeled flagship store and a new look for its customers, Jack’s continues to offer a plethora of surf merchandise. From wetsuits and board wax, to flip-flops and sunglasses, Jack’s has been in the beach business for more than 50 years. Co-owner Ron Abdel gives us a glimpse at how the remodeling will affect the shop’s sunglass merchandising.
SUNGLASSES: How did Jack's come to be, how long have you been around, and what was the inspiration for the store?
RON ABDEL: Jack’s was started back in 1957. The current ownership has owned Jack’s Surfboards since 1972. We have always tried to offer our customers the newest and largest selection of sunwear. The main inspiration for the store is pretty simple: to give the customer the best surf shop experience.
SG: Your flagship store is undergoing renovations. What kinds of changes are you making and why did you de-cide your store needed the change?
RA: We like to give the store a fresh new look every four years or so. Just like always offering new inventory, we want the look of our store to evolve as well.
SG: How will these changes benefit your customers?
RA: It will give the customer more room to shop and an updated environment for the brands to better showcase their products. This will help the customers find the newest gear available.
SG: What sunglass lines do you carry and how do you decide which lines to carry?
RA: We currently carry 16 brands of sunglasses. With our experience in the surf action sports industry, we make our decisions based on trends in style and brand marketing.
SG: What are your best-selling sunglass brands? Why?
RA: VonZipper, Electric, Spy Optic, and Oakley. These companies do a good job marketing their brands which makes our job easier. They also consistently offer the most current designs.
SG: What sunglass shape or style do most of your customers ask for and buy?
RA: For men, the wraparound style is always a winner. It’s a style that consistently sells because it accommodates the majority. For women, oversized frames with bright lenses. We base our buys according to our sell-through reports, and add in styles that are current with the newest trends.
SG: How did you display your frames before the remodel and how will you display them now? How do you think this will increase sales?
RA: We display them in glass cases divided by brands. Our new display is similar but with more visibility for the customers to see all of the styles avail-able. It will increase sales because we feel it will get to the customers who were thinking about purchasing new sunglasses, but may have been on the fence. When they see everything we have to offer it will hopefully make them think if they were going to get new sunglasses that this would be the perfect time to do so.
SG: What sets your company apart from others in the industry?
RA: We always try to carry the newest products. Our surf shops serve as a place for the brands to really showcase the best they have to offer. Our flagship store in Huntington Beach is probably one of the best places for brands to do so because of the amount of foot traffic that it receives.
SG: How do you keep up with current trends?
RA: We get a lot of help from the brands. They keep us up to date with what they are developing and what their marketing strategies are. Just like anyone else, we also follow trends in music, TV, and movies to get a hint of what might be happening in the market.
