Proud Owner – Snowscene Retail Store
During the almost five years Hayden worked as a sales rep for Adidas, he learned that not all retailers think about the customer experience. ‘They just think, we’ve bought all the stock so we’ll just jam it in there.’ But when Hayden began the retail side of Snowscene he wanted to ensure that the customers had a great experience when they came in the door. ‘I think that when they walk through the door, their holiday has begun……you have to make sure that the journey for them is as seamless and enjoyable as you can.’
Hayden credits meeting ‘inspiring people’ who helped him along the way, and acknowledges the role that luck played, allowing him to take over a beautifully fitted out retail space. But it is his obvious passion and depth of knowledge that is as vast as it is reassuring when a poor choice can make or break a holiday let alone lead to the worst case scenario.
Along with his wife, Emily, Hayden is the owner/manager of Snowscene ski store, a one stop shop where you can organise your travel and then obtain the clothing, gear, advice and expert help you need to make your trip successful.
It was only after meeting Emily that Hayden experienced the beauty of a snow holiday.
I always tell people that you remember the first time you see the snow regardless of how old you are at the time. You never really remember the first time you saw the beach or sand because we are blessed to grow up on a beautiful coastline. A snow holiday is really special. We see a lot of families who, even when their kids have grown up and had children of their own, still holiday together, across generations. I think that makes it really special.
Hayden’s favourite snow destination in the Southern Hemisphere is Queenstown. ‘It is a beautiful, stunning place regardless of whether you ski or not. You can go over there for weeks and weeks and still not see everything there is to see.’ Another benefit is that it is only a three hour direct flight from Brisbane which is now an important factor after the birth of his son nearly two years ago.
In the Northern Hemisphere Hayden says Aspen Snowmass is totally geared towards making sure that you have the best experience possible so that you want to come back. Interestingly Australia is their biggest international inbound market.
…….in a place like Aspen Snowmass, they don’t have a huge influx of Australian seasonal workers like in say Canada where we have a visa agreement ……I want to interact with locals when travelling overseas. Whereas in Aspen it’s the locals that tend to work in the resort and they treat you like a guest in their home. They really roll out the red carpet because they truly want you to have such a great time that you come back.
Hayden knows what you need when you are embarking on a snow holiday and he has built his reputation on supplying quality products to his customers. When it comes to ski gear in particular, he says, the saying ‘you get what you pay for’ has never been truer. You can ruin an expensive holiday by not equipping yourself adequately or trying to cut corners.
We tend to carry only Northern Hemisphere brands and the reason is that these brands deliver a product into a market where, if you aren’t delivering a high standard product, the brands don’t survive. Our winters aren’t life threatening in Australia, whereas over there, if you get caught out in the cold without quality gear you’re in real strife.
That sounds like a pretty good reason to me.
To book an appointment with Hayden for professional service and advice for your next snow holiday requirements you can do so online.
Visit:
743 Stanley St, Woolloongabba
1300 766 911 (Toll free)
