The First Roller Skate Shop in Switzerland
Switzerland, the land of mountains and cheese, now has its first physical roller skate shop.… Der Beitrag The First Roller Skate Shop in Switzerland erschien zuerst auf Dogdays Magazine.
Switzerland, the land of mountains and cheese, now has its first physical roller skate shop. Nami who everyone knows as @tsunami_s.o.d on Instagram opened her webstore called Roller Skate Europe in 2021 and filled a gap in this small country as there was no place to get hardware for park skating and dancing. In September, she fulfilled a long-held wish by following up with a store in Lucerne which she runs with her partner Marc and her brother David. We spoke to Nami to find out why she took this step in times of a general drop in sales and store closures.
Europe does not have too many physical shops. Recent skater run openings were Sol Quads in Barcelona or Burdy’s Quad Shop in Bordeaux. As most are in EU-countries, before RSE came along Swiss skaters always had the issue of import taxes and long waits. But according to Nami, that’s something Swiss people are used too and she lists a few reasons for opening a physical shop.
In recent years, she has gained loyal customers who regularly shop at RSE. “During this season, we also had exponentially more customers coming into the warehouse to buy. The sales are better when people come by. They can try skate on. Everyone wants advice, and you get your skates fitted straight away”, she says.
But her little warehouse is in the back of her house. “This meant that people had to go through our house. I had to do a lot of tidying and cleaning before I could welcome customers. It was stressful.” So it was the next logical step from the online store to the store.
This Skate Shop is a Family Business
The situation in the house might not have been a big deal, but Nami and her partner Marc have two little boys – another reason for the change. The new store is a true family business as Nami shares it with her brother David Kressebuch who runs 360 Media, an online-marketing agency. “It was crucial that I was able to do this together with him. I have two children and it’s a huge advantage that if I can’t work because I or the children are ill, he can still open the store.”
The new store in Lucerne is almost an hour’s drive away for her, but she chose this location because her brother and family live there.
“Lucerne is my hometown. I grew up there, my family lives there. I associate a lot with Lucerne, I feel like I belong there. We feel at home in Lucerne.”
Though Nami prepared herself for another challenge: “The quad scene in Lucerne is practically non-existent, but we see that as potential. We have big plans with workshops and dance classes, and want to host rollouts in the spring.”
Expanding the Niche to Make it Work in the Long Term
Nami knows that for a roller skate shop in Switzerland to work in the long term, she can’t just focus on the park/street skating niche as the country is atehr small. The opening in late September attracted many people from the neighborhood and especially parents with children.
“The whole neighborhood was there. I have lots of parents now who want to bring their children to the children’s lessons. That’s why I’ve increased my stock of kid’s skates. I have a space and will be offering lessons for kids in winter. I’m really looking forward to teaching young children how to roller skate. I’m sure that this will become something that grows over the next few years.”
Location:
Roller Skate Europe Shop
Weinberglistrasse 11
6005 Lucerne
Opening hours:
Thursday & Friday: 2 – 8pm
Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Words by Marta Popowska
Photos by RSE
Der Beitrag The First Roller Skate Shop in Switzerland erschien zuerst auf Dogdays Magazine.
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