Photo credit: @surfshopday and @surf_industry (SIMA)

Thank you to everyone who supported this year’s Surf Shop Day! It’s awesome to watch this important industry initiative grow more and more each year! A special shout out to our Aussie brands and retailers that got involved:

  • Red Herring Surf
  • Saltwater Wine
  • Creatures of Leisure
  • Avoca Beach Surf
  • Dragon Alliance
  • Layday
  • Quiksilver
  • Strapper Surf
  • Alpine Beach
  • Andorwith
  • OTIS Eyewear
  • Beach Beat
  • GO Surf
  • Billabong
  • JT Surf
  • MV2 ADL
  • Oceanfire Surf
  • Swansea Surf Shop
  • Jungle Surf
  • Yallingup Zinc
  • Extreme Boardriders
  • Deepwater Surf Co
  • Ocean & Earth
  • Steve’s Place
  • The Garage Boardstore

Between posting on social media, sales, giveaways, screenings, lucky dips and making sure to ask “What does your favourite surf shop mean to you?”, you guys really turned it on (if we missed anyone, please let us know)!

Be sure to mark down the date for 2024’s Surf Shop Day as May 18th and in the meantime, keep sending us through your surf shop stories. Your favourite shop, an experience you’ve had, what your local means to you, we want to hear it all! We’ll compile the stories for next year and shout out your shop in the process!

Stay stoked, legends.


Last year’s Surf Shop Day was a great event and we’re excited to partner with SIMA again for 2023, arming you with all the tools you’ll need for this year’s Surf Shop Day!

Shop Day is the day to celebrate the independent retailers that helped build and continue to maintain the surf industry. These surf shops are where so many of us found our surf stoke – the euphoric smell of surf wax, neoprene wetsuits, and resin curing from a fresh batch of surfboards.

Surf Shop Day will celebrate the heart and soul of our business and what it means to our industry and its growth, from the hardworking owners to the enthusiastic sales staff, to the relentless sales reps who keep the machine of stoke going for customers.

Let’s shine a light on surf shops in all communities, recognise those who have been there from the early days and throw sunlight on the new ones bringing fresh ideas and enthusiasm to make the in-person, brick-and-mortar experience more exciting.

Retailers and brands are encouraged to find their own way of celebrating Surf Shop Day to bring positive attention to our culture, sport and industry.

Here are a few fun suggestions on what shops, brands, reps, and industry members can do on this day of commemorating the heart and soul of the surf industry.

WHEN: Saturday, May 20th, 2023

WHERE: All independent surf shops and surf brands across Australia and around the world are invited to join in this campaign and celebration.

WHY: Surf Shop Day will be a great tool to drive customers into surf shops across the country, creating awareness for the shops and products, and generate sales. A rising tide floats all surfboards.

SOCIAL:
●    Use these hashtags to amplify the story with your posts #surfshopday #surfindustry #sbia
●    Tag @sbia.com.au and @surfshopday on your posts

DOWNLOAD THE SSD LOGO BY CLICKING HERE.

HOW TO CELEBRATE / ACTIVATE SURF SHOP DAY:
Whether you’re a surf shop, surf brand, rep, pro surfer, or consumer, SBIA has some suggestions on what you can do to participate and activate on Surf Shop Day.

RETAILERS:
●    Move shop branded products to the front and centre of the store to highlight and market your property
●    Release a new surf shop t-shirt for the Autumn
●    Invite a local musician to play in the story
●    Hold a pro-surfer appearance / signing / Instagram selfie session
●    Partner with brands on co-branded products
●    Encourage reps to visit and help on the sales floor
●    Offer promotions or giveaways for customers who visit the store that day
●    Promote heavily on social media to drive customers to the store that day
●    Host a surf video watch-party
●    Provide free coffees to first 50 customers in store that day or have a sausage sizzle
●    Have staff drop off flyers at the local beach parking lot that week, encouraging customers to come by store that day
●    Hold a surf contest at the local beach that day
●    Set up a shop-branded area for customers to take selfies in front of – offer giveaways to the best social media post

BRANDS:
●    Release special offerings exclusively at surf shops for that day
●    Offer co-branded products with surf shops
●    Encourage reps to visit surf shops, help on sales floor for the day, or run clinics with staff
●    Get local pros to do in-store appearances or morning surfs with shop staff, customers
●    Promote giveaways through social media, encouraging fans to take selfies at surf shops, or selfies of them buying the brand’s products at surf shops
●    Host a video-watch party that day
●    Host a pro-exhibition or pro-surf session with shop at local beach
●    Encourage sponsored pros to highlight their local / favourite surf shop on social media

REPS: 
●    Drop by a store (or two) and help on the sales floor
●    Host an in-store clinic
●    Hold in-store sales contest – offering prizes to salesperson who sells the most
●    Post pictures of stores on social media highlighting newly arrived products

ALL SURF INDUSTRY MEMBERS:
●    Stop by your local surf shop (or two) on this day
●    Buy something
●    Make a social media post about a great purchase, a helpful employee, or a new product you want to buy soon, using the hashtag #surfshopday #surfindustry #sbia