Legacy Paddlesports, a Fletcher, N.C.-based maker of rotomolded kayaks, has informed its dealer base that its Liquidlogic whitewater boat brand will shift to a direct-to-consumer model starting Oct. 1, 2014.
“While this has not been an easy decision, we, along with our investment partners feel that having a direct message to the end consumer will allow for future growth not only for us but for the sport of whitewater kayaking,” said the brand in a newsletter emailed to dealers.
Legacy Paddlesports says it has seen the number of whitewater kayak dealers decline in the United States during the last five years coinciding with “massive growth of manufacturers all battling for floor space, marketing dollars and sales.”
Legacy hopes te a direct-to-consumer distribution plan we will “invigorate the sport and provide the kayaking community with a vast array of kayak designs to fit their particular interest.”
“The hard part of this transition is the move away from you, our retailers, who have been at the core of the business from the beginning, and with whom we have formed many strong relationships,” said the company wrote in its dealer newsletter.
Legacy Paddlesports said it will continue providing Native Watercraft’s premium line of fishing kayaks through current channels of distribution.
