O’Neill has been showing different parts of its line at the Outdoor Retailer show for about three years now. This season, the brand showcased its entire range all in one booth, including wetsuits, Jack O’Neill Originals, and the O’Neill’s fitness line for women, O’Neill 365.
I spoke with Senior VP of Sales and Marketing Steve Ward, O’Neill Junior’s and 365 Sales Manager Chelsey Lattimer, and Brian Kilpatrick, Director of Marketing Communications, about what’s new for Spring 2013, and how O’Neill’s business is performing in the outdoor market.
OUTDOOR MARKET, JACK O’NEILL ORIGINALS
Is this your first time showing all your brands together?
From the Jack O’Neill Originals line
Steve Ward: Yes, and it’s been great. I think having wetsuits, UV and our PFD line has helped bring in more outdoor-type customers to see the full range of apparel we have as well.
How’s the new Jack O’Neill Originals line doing? I am seeing the guys from Men’s Journal at your booth now checking out the line, and it looks really good.
Steve Ward: The line is performing really well and has been incredibly well received by existing retailers. Accounts like Hansen’s and Hobie – accounts that sell to older male consumers are selling the heck out of the line.
Did you open more doors with the Jack O’Neill Originals line?
Steve Ward: We did open some new accounts with it, but it’s basically been add-on business serving a new customer in exciting existing accounts like Jack’s, HSS, and Hansen’s.
The line is in its second year now. We are trying to grow it responsibly and making sure we are providing good product for that consumer who maybe doesn’t want to dress like his 15-year old son, so there’s nicer material, elevated quality and a slightly higher price point.
See Page 2 for more news from O’Neill
How about O’Neill 365?
O’Neill’s John Hunt with some O’Neill/Pabst collaboration pieces
Steve Ward: It’s actually doing pretty good as well. The same as with the Jack Originals line, there was just a real need for that type of product in the market.
How’s business overall, what are you excited about, and how is the outdoor market for O’Neill’s brand?
Steve Ward: Business is really good. We’re most excited about out core business in men’s and women’s, which is up over 20% in that channel. With the reception at Agenda and here at OR, we expect that momentum to continue.
In the outdoor market, the authenticity of our wetsuits gives us a great way to bridge the gap between surfing and this community. They already love the hardgoods side of O’Neill’s business and now are becoming introduced and excited about the soft goods side.
When we first came here three years ago, we came in a small way and were overwhelmed at the response. Our booth was too small.
O’Neill/Neff collaboration boardshorts
We have a new both now, and every year we attract more people. The outdoor world has helped us reach new accounts, especially in the middle of America.
What’s new that has you most excited?
Steve Ward: We have a great capsule collection we did in partnership with Pabst Blue Ribbon (the beer company), so that’s been awesome. We have a new Sean Neff boardshort collaboration that people were really excited about at the Agenda Show.
Lastly, 2013 is the 10th anniversary of the SuperFreak boardshort style, and we are bringing back one style in the original colors, red and black. That’s the boardshort that really helped create the technical boardshort category.
See Page 3 for detals about O’Neill’s active line for women, O’Neill 365
O’NEILL 365
Last year you debuted O’Neill 365. What’s going on with the brand and where did it sell?
Chelsey Lattimer, Sales Manager for O’Neill 365: The line has been really well received at retail. We sold the line into a mix of accounts from specialty yoga and Bikram studios to specialty running accounts to bigger sporting goods stores like Sport Chalet.
Chelsey Lattimer with a piece from the O’Neill 365 lineNext season we have a really cool “hybrid” capsule collection in the line. The line takes from the success we’ve had from men’s hybrid shorts so the idea is that we have sports tops and running shorts made from boardshort material so they can function in water or land.
Have you done any marketing?
Chelsey Lattimer: We have had a lot of press for the brand. With Olympic Swimmer Natalie Coughlin as our brand ambassador, it’s been a fabulous three months leading up to the Olympics. She’s been out there wearing everything.
O’NEILL WETSUITS
How are westuits doing these days? I’ve heard the wetsuit business is pretty challenging.
Brian Kilpatrick: For us, that category, which includes PFDs and our UV line, is up significantly. Our wetsuit business is up significantly as well.
A lot of it is because we introduced some new technology called Technobutter. It’s 20% lighter and absorbs about 30% less water than traditional neoprene. The new material allows your wetsuit to dry really fast so you can surf in the morning and it will be completely dry a few hours later.
Our UV Don’t Get Burned campaign has also done really well for the brand. I believe we have the broadest UV line out of anyone in industry. This show has been great for us.
