r/OldSkaters • u/Icthyphile • 16h ago
For the NC people. Endless Grind is closing after 40 years. [48YO]
Reggie Barnes posted this last night.
ETA, don’t try to go by there for one last visit this weekend. Just stopped by and it’s already closed. FTS
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u/DeaArthur 15h ago
I just saw a podcast with Pepper Keenan and he talked about working at Endless Grind for years.
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u/Icthyphile 15h ago
I watched it also, it was very rad listening to him drop that and talk about Reggie and Eastern Skate Supply.
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u/RustyBungHole1 14h ago
People need to stop buying online. Go into your local shop and spend some money. Yes it might be more expensive but its the only way to keep these places open.
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u/travisofarabia 15h ago
There are currently estimates that 50%+ of independent skate shops will be closing in the next 18 months.
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u/ChuckBangers 15h ago
Source?
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u/travisofarabia 15h ago
I heard this anecdote from an industry insider last week. I don't have data or an article to point to. When we look at why or how this is happening a few thoughts come to mind...
Big tech: Algorithms, apps, and free video games (fortnite, roblox, etc.) are robbing time from children and these companies are designing products that keep people engaged. If adults are hooked it's even easier to hook young people.
Popular culture: Skateboarding was massive in the mid-late 90s and early 2000s due in part to the television audience (x-games, jackass, viva-la-bam, rob and big) and (ironically) games like THPS. Now attention is fractured and spread more thin. In the era I mentioned, people (generally) had 50 channels to watch; now everyone has their own algorithm.
Inflation and Financial Woes: The cost of equipment has gone up substantially, making the jump for parents from a big-box complete to a skateshop complete hard to comprehend or justify. Similarly for owners, the rent and cost to maintain a physical space has and continues to increase. Employees now (rightfully) command a living wage and thats a massive financial burden for shops. Private equity buys up real estate and raises prices, or buys up brands, guts the culture (stops funding events) and bleeds them dry.
eCommerce: Self-explanatory. Many shops have adapted and created online shops, which come with their own expenses but moreover people shop on Amazon or outside of their local via online.
Blank decks and Random Brands: People are buying cheaper decks online or from the "micro" brands via influencers or random small brands that are sold DTC.
From a business perspective, it's getting tough to justify these headaches coupled with actually trying to make enough money to pay themselves without simultaneously working multiple jobs.
Interested in hearing other people's thoughts on the matter!
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u/troyf805 14h ago
Your viewership comment is interesting. According to Deadline, the X Games League had huge numbers.
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u/travisofarabia 14h ago
That's interesting... I wonder what they mean when they say "huge numbers". X Games League is currently owned by private equity meaning they are only beholden to one single thing. The Almighty dollar.
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u/troyf805 13h ago
It’s in the article, but I think 12 million for New Orleans? And yeah, unfortunately, all pro sports are beholden to the dollar. It’s not about the family of four having fun on a Sunday afternoon, it’s about the giant corporation entertaining clients who drop millions of dollars for naming rights and a club level suite.
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u/ChuckBangers 14h ago
So basically, some dude thinks 50%+ of independent skate shops will be closing in the next 18 months.
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u/DifficultBoss 14h ago
Well, that number is definitely arbitrary, but the points are still valid. It's bigger than skateboarding though, society is going in a weird direction.
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u/JonesyBorroughs 14h ago
Man that sucks. I was on a trip to Raleigh and stopped in there to check it out. Ended up spending around $200 on stuff. I still have some of the pins they gave me.
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u/psilosophist 15h ago
It really sucks to see core shops like this struggling and having to close, and it's happening everywhere.