As many of the bigger brands such as Quiksilver, Billabong, Hurley, and others move toward the direction of opening up their own stores, it has been interesting to see the toll that this is taken on many of the smaller retailers.

Yesterday I had the chance to see and learn firsthand how difficult this is making it for the local action-sports brands and their retail stores here in Hawaii when I spoke with a Local Motion store manager in Hawaii Kai, Oahu. He spoke specifically of the struggle to keep up with the ‘big boys’ now that they aren’t carrying much of their product anymore. It is impossible to match their advertising dollars and it has really left them in a tough position. This store in particular is one I have been coming to for years now and I had never seen it so dead and with such a limited selection.

The store-manger indicated that they weren’t the only ones feeling the pinch as the larger brands move in this direction. He didn’t really seem to have much of an answer as to how Local Motion was planning to keep up, only saying that as Quiksilver and others are continually re-inventing themselves with fresh new approaches the little-guys are being forced to fend for themselves. What’s a little guy to do is these situations?