Tahe Outdoors is to relocate its Ploeren store to its production site in the Prat area of Vannes, France as the company continues its diversification into industrial markets.
The decision comes as the watersports equipment manufacturer faces a slowdown in the market.
The company is also set to diversify into other sectors to ensure its long-term future.
The Tahe Outdoors Group, which specialises in windsurfing, surfing, kayaking and stand-up paddling, says it has had to contend with more selective demand and a booming second-hand market.
The decision to relocate its Ploeren store to its production site is aimed at optimizing logistics by eliminating transport between the factory and the store, which will reduce costs and its carbon footprint.
The new location will also enable Tahe Outdoors to organize factory tours for surf schools and the general public.
“We want to offer our customers an immersive experience, a real life experience,” explained Renaud Lacoste, president of Tahe Outdoors.
The new store is scheduled to open in March.
“We want to offer our customers an immersive experience, a real life experience.
Renaud Lacoste
The company, which has historically focused on water sports, also intends to continue to expand its industrial activities.
Using extrusion and sheet injection technologies, Tahe Outdoors recovers and repurposes plastic offcuts to supply components to other sectors, notably the automotive industry.
This currently accounts for 5% of its business, and the company is aiming to increase this proportion in order to reduce its dependence on the marine leisure market.
Renaud added: “We have the skills and infrastructure to broaden our range of activities.”
The company also plans to expand in the stand-alone water sports equipment rental market.
In partnership with two companies in Brittany and south-west France, Tahe Outdoors equips resorts with surfboards and paddles, offering an alternative to purchasing equipment.
Tahe Outdoors has more than 100 employees in France – in Vannes and Cognac, the United States and Australia. The company generates sales of approximately 18 million euros with exports accounting for 85% of business, primarily in Italy, Spain and Japan.
