Oxbow opens first U.S. store in Santa Monica
A French surf-and-skate brand is hoping to make a splash in North America, its first stop in Santa Monica.
Oxbow, a subsidiary of European company La Suma S.A., opened its first U.S. boutique at the corner of Second Street and Broadway last month, choosing the city as its launching pad for its renown skate and surfing culture.
The brand, which is second in Europe to Quicksilver, offers higher-end surf products such as wet suits, board shorts and casual apparel than what is usually seen in stores like Pac Sun and Rip Curl, catering to an older audience between the ages of 20 and 35.
“Our price points are marginally higher because of the value added to the product we design,” CEO Gary Hunt said.
The store will celebrate its grand opening at The Yard, a restaurant located around the corner on Broadway, on Saturday, an event featuring legendary surfer Laird Hamilton.
The first Oxbow store opened in France in 1985, slowly growing over the years to more than 30 locations worldwide.
The expansion to the United States is largely a marketing move, a way to advertise the brand to the tourist population in Santa Monica, keeping the Oxbow name in mind as they travel to other countries. In fact, one of the main reasons why Santa Monica was selected as the first U.S. store is because of the strong tourist draw to the area, Hunt said.
The company is engaging in the advertising strategy to prepare for a shift to the wholesale market, hoping to grow the Oxbow brand from its own stores to include the products in some of the major surf and skate shops across the country.
“We’re looking for international visibility,” Hunt said. “We’re not trying to generate a fortune with our stores, but the goal is to cater to surf shops in America.”
The store in Downtown will be one of four planned for the United States, including one in Waikiki, Hawaii, New Jersey and South Beach in Florida.
The corner of Second Street and Broadway, which was previously occupied by shoe store O’ My Sole and remained vacant for the past year, was selected because of its proximity to the Third Street Promenade. The draw of European tourists to the area also played heavily into the decision, Hunt said.
“It’s a logical choice in Southern California,” Hunt said. “I don’t know if there’s an area that attracts more people than the Third Street Promenade.”
Oxbow is one of a handful of stores that have chosen Santa Monica as its first American store. Shoe company Royal Elastics opened its first U.S. boutique on Main Street earlier this year.
Laurel Rosen, the president of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, attributed the reason to the good weather and beach. Another reason why many business like to relocate to Santa Monica is the strong presence of entertainment, communications and tech companies, she said.
“We get an international and national draw,” Rosen said. “They see this beautiful beach city that provides the services and culture they want.”
The store has so far received positive reviews from shoppers.
“The other brands are too mainstream,” Hector Bernal, a 16-year-old Santa Monica resident said while browsing the racks on Thursday.
Stephanie Taft contributed to this report.
Jump hedline: Oxbow opens first U.S. store in Santa Monica
Suggested pullquote: “We’re looking for international visibility.”
Gary Hunt
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Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 18, 2008. Read the original PDF.