I have vivid memories of being dumped
🌊 Gulping for air
🌊 Tumbled by waves
🌊 No sense of up or down
🌊 Swirling sand clouding my vision
🌊 Eyes and throat burning from salt water
These experiences of learning to body surf, boogie board, and be sea-safe are now fond childhood memories from growing up in Durban (“Durbs by the sea”).
[Side note - I recently learned about the different classifications on the “fun scale” - I think this counts as Type II fun - didn’t enjoy every minute at the time, but really glad I did it, plus made good memories].
Talking shop with a Retail friend in the lead up to peak trade I made a mental connection …Retail can feel this way, especially at certain times of the year.
It’s wave after wave – You barely find your feet and you get smashed again. Even the most “seasoned swimmers” can get dragged around by the current.
Spring collections, Race Days, Summer launch, High summer, cyber+, Christmas, Boxing Day, end of season sale, timing it just right for a trans-seasonal switch and then rolling into winter launch.
Brutal - but we love it. It’s a rush!
More memorable and more meaningful than the successive dunkings, are lessons my late father taught me, to survive the surf and catch a few waves…
I’ve drawn parallels to the ebb and flow of Retail. Maybe they will help keep your head above water, or be a lifesaver ring when you feel swept away.
#1 Never turn your back on the ocean
Resist getting too comfy or complacent. Keep an eye on the market. That includes competition and macro-economic factors (tariffs, supply chain stress, FX shifts, raw materials shortages, price fluctuations etc).
Stay alert and braced for the rogue waves. With plans and contingencies, there’s less chance your legs will get swept out from under you.
#2 You’ll exhaust yourself trying to swim against the current or a rip
Once you recognise the reality of your situation, you can work with what you have.
Wishing it was different doesn’t make it so (something I encounter way too frequently).
Float for a moment and catch your breath, then work with the currents to get back on track. Go with the flow, rebuild your energy, then choose your gap and timing.
#3 Swim between the flags
This doesn’t mean staying with the crowd and never exploring new spots. Sometimes you just get washed off course. It can be a gradual drift, and when you look around you realise how far you are from where you thought you were.
Regular reviews and tracking against meaningful goals and KPIs help you stay in a zone where you play to your strengths.
#4 Don’t swim alone
You never know when you’ll be hit with a cramp.
Working with a good team can be a lifeline.
#5 Waves come in sets. Wait it out and pick the right ones.
It’s not worth chasing every wave. There are good waves, and there are ones that will chew you up and spit you out. Learn to recognise what you’re really looking for.
This applies when tracking performance, assessing trends, and deciding where to place your inventory bets.
The right wave will come, and when it does it will all look and feel effortless.
#6 Duck under the foam
The turbulence is less when you duck beneath the surface.
Step aside from the churn of BAU to strategise and evaluate, away from the everyday noise and demands.
#7 You have to be bold to break through
When paddling out, you will be buffeted back again and again. Refine, edit and go again.
Be deliberate in taking learnings from trade and post-seasonal reviews. Trial new things with a Test & Respond approach. If you don’t keep pushing forward the offer will stagnate and performance will slow.
You can’t catch a wave from the beach.
#8 Paddle ahead of the wave
Anticipate the wave, start paddling ahead of it, paddle like hell, and don’t stop once you catch it. If you get it right, you can coast right in using the last drop of momentum to reach the shore - it’s the best way to end the day.
Timing matters. Planning matters. Together they have a compounding energy.
Happy to say I always bobbed back up.
I’ll credit that to having been open to learning from the wise and weathered who went before.
Wishing you fun times and success, as you surf the Retail sets.
[Disclaimer - do not take surf tips from me, I’m a Retailer, not a surfer]
