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  Quiksilver Americas President Craig Stevenson. Shop-eat-surf file photo.

I was intrigued by the news yesterday from Fashion Island in Newport Beach that Quiksilver was opening a store called Waterman there in July.

 

I followed up with Quiksilver Americas President Craig Stevenson to find out a little bit more.

 

Craig answered a few questions for me via email.

 

First some background: Quiksilver’s Waterman Collection has changed over the years. Originally, it was the QuikSilver Edition, then Quiksilver Men’s.

 

Now with Waterman, Quiksilver is squarely focused on the SUP, free dive, and somewhat older – by still very vital and adventurous – surf crowd than the more youthful main Quiksilver line.

 

However, the new brand positioning seems much more aspirational and appealing then QuikSilver Edition, which brought to mind an image of gray hair and chubby men.

 

The active men’s market is a target demographic that is receiving increased interest of late with Hurley licensing the Hobie brand in men’s apparel and Billabong’s Honolua brand continuing to serve that audience, including the growing paddle market. Patagonia is also a player in this niche.

 

Here is a short Q&A with Craig about the Waterman store.

 

Will the Waterman store replace the Quiksilver store at Fashion Island (that I believe was a licensed store?) Will this store be company owned?

Yes, it will replace the Quiksilver Youth store in Fashion Island. The store originated as a licensed store, but we have recently added it back to our company-owned portfolio.

 

Is the Waterman concept something Quiksilver may expand upon?

Yes, we will continue to build this business in what we believe are the right retail channels for the brand: core shops and better department stores.

 

The release mentioned the store will be targeted to Waterman whether they surf, paddle or fish. Do you see this collection broadening to appeal to the larger waterman world beyond the traditional board sports? 

An example of the Waterman logo.

No, from a brand-building perspective, we will stick to what we know…surf, SUP, free diving, spear fishing, etc. But hey, if some city-dwelling yacht owners want to buy some stuff, that’s cool too!

 

Lastly, will the sign on the outside of the store just be Waterman or will it be something like Waterman by Quiksilver?

We will use the orange box and Quiksilver Waterman Collection.