A paddlesport shop near Brecon has gone from strength to strength since opening in 2022.
The SUP (stand-up paddleboard) & Paddlesport Shop is located at Black Mountain Adventure in Three Cocks.
The UK interest in paddleboarding rose to a whole new level during Covid as all you needed was a board, a paddle and a buoyancy aid.
In wake of the pandemic and thinking ahead, one of the members of the Black Mountain Adventure team decided to buy a few and start selling them. It also got her thinking about adding a full retail arm to the activity business.
The activity centre and instructors were often being asked about their own kit and where the customers could buy it for themselves. The answer was nowhere locally. So, Hayley Lagerweij, a key member of the team, only 34 years old at the time and with 12 years in the business, took on the project single-handedly.
She researched the brands, looking in particular for British-based ones and those that fitted well with the BMA customer base and the advice of the instructing team. She taught herself how to build an e-commerce website and set up all the social platforms and used her international experience in customer service and hospitality to create the brand.
Together with the team, Hayley officially opened The SUP & Paddleshop shop in 2022 and built the retail range fully in 2023 so that they now stock paddleboards, dryrobes, buoyancy aids, waist leashes, wetsuits, socks, footwear, hats, books, mugs, jewellery, gift boxes, beanies, clothing, hoodies, t-shirts, helmets and more.
The shop showcases some leading adventure brands including Dryrobe, Two Barefeet, Palm Equipment, Yak, Ruksports, and Vast Boardsports and leans towards supporting UK brands as well as ones that their instructors use themselves when out on the mountains and rivers.
The shop is now open seven days a week from 9am-5pm alongside the activity centre and sells about 50/50 of its products between online sales and local footfall.
It’s also new visitors - not just the adventure guests - that come and buy kit which is great for a small business and encouraging new people to the area.