Surf shop now has its own discount outlet Out the Back

Local businessman fills a niche local shoppers have been leaving town to service.

PRINCE St clothing store owner Noel Smith's Low Pressure Surf Co has added an extra dimension to clothes retailing in Grafton.

Sick of shoppers deserting his home town for shopping expeditions to factory outlets in the major cities, he has launched Out the Back, his own surf wear discount store.

"People come into the store looking around for a bargain, but can't find anything in their price range," he said.

"Rather than let them go home disappointed, I can now say, why don't you try Out the Back."

The new store is located in the premises of the former organic fruit and veg store Narvi, in Wisemans Way, the winding street between Shoppingworld and the back of Prince St.

Mr Smith said he had decided against aligning with a single brand in his shop, instead opting for an independent approach, featuring a variety of the big name surf wear brands.

"It's actually an approach that's proved successful in the bigger areas," he said.

"When people are buying surf wear, its brand, brand, brand. With Out the Back we can offer the leading brands at the same prices people now travel for hours to find."

He is not worried Out the Back will be a competitor for his main operation, Low Pressure.

"We've been open since Wednesday and already we've noticed a bit of cross-fertilisation between the two stores," he said.

"And Low Pressure still has the surfing hardware like boards, skates and scooters, which keeps its identity distinct."

Originally published as Surf shop now has its own discount outlet Out the Back