Sporting goods retailers that cater to divers, bicyclists and skiers strive to build their customer base into a community, frequently organizing outings, classes and gear clinics. The events cement long-term customer relationships and the experiences help those customers make the most of their purchases. (See our sister-site trendwatching.com’s briefing on status skills for more examples of helping customers master skills.)

A Florida extreme sports store called Adrenalina has gone to the next level by bringing the excitement of its surfing products right into its shopping mall space. Enter the FlowRider: an in-store surfing simulator that creates an artificial wave using highly-pressurized water. Beginners and experts alike get to try out wakeboards (mini surfboards) right in the store. As they balance on boards held aloft by an endless barrage of water, other customers in the store can watch their antics from behind floor-to-ceiling windows.

FlowRiders can be found in water parks and even on cruise ships. But Adrenalina is the first retailer to install them, creating a powerful attention-grabbing attraction at its Miami and Orlando stores. Surfers pay USD 20 for a half-hour session, and Adrenalina generates repeat visits through club memberships that let boarders use the facility 6–12 times per month. Combined with a wide range of surf gear, the store lets consumers experience the surfing lifestyle, trying before they buy. Adrenalina aims to expand the concept across the US. One to replicate in other countries or for other sports?

Website: www.adrenalinastore.com
Contact: info@adrenalinastore.com

Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen

Back in 2006 we covered GoinGreen's G-Wiz electric cars. Recently, we've begun seeing several options emerge in battery-powered trucks, serving the business market.

In London, Electruc distributes the French-built Mega Multitruck, which is designed for inner-city use. With speeds up to 30mph and a range of up to 60 miles, the Mega Multitruck can handle payloads from 300kg to 530kg, depending on body type. The Mega Multitruck charges from a standard 13amp (3 pin) socket, and five body types are available, including modifications for espresso carts or mobile fruit stalls. As with electric cars, the Mega trucks are exempt from congestion charges and road tax, and they are eligible for free parking in many London boroughs. Pricing starts at GBP 45 per week, based on a 60-month contract; average yearly running costs are just GBP 215, or between 2p and 3p per mile, Electruc says.

On the other side of the Atlantic, California-based ZAP (which stands for Zero Air Pollution) sells a range of electric vehicles, including both cars and trucks. The company's 3-wheel Xebra Electric Truck, for example, offers speeds up to 40mph and a range of 25 miles per charge. Both flatbed and dump-truck styles are available, as are left- and right-hand steering. The suggested retail price is USD 12,500, and operating costs are between 1 and 3 cents per mile. This fall, Zap will also begin selling the Zap Truck XL, a 4-wheel vehicle with a payload of 770 lbs, maximum speed of 25mph and a range of 30 miles. Estimated MSRP is USD 18,500, and operating costs are about 3 cents per mile.

With their financial and environmental advantages, demand for vehicles like these will only increase. Transportation entrepreneurs: time to make "emission-free" your mantra!

Website: www.electruc.com — www.zapworld.com
Contact: sales@electruc.co.uk — zap@zapworld.com

Spotted by: Ben Wraith

Though by no means ubiquitous, household energy monitors have been around for some time. A few new entries into the space, however, add a splash of colour and style to make understanding energy consumption more intuitive.

Wattson, first of all, is a sleek, aesthetically pleasing device that shows homeowners through both numbers and colours how much energy they are using in their home. Consumers begin by attaching to their electricity meter or fuse box a transmitter device, which can measure both single and 3-phase systems. That, in turn, beams information directly to the freestanding wattson device elsewhere in the house, where it instantly displays current usage. Wattson's LED display can represent energy use in euros, dollars, yen or pounds, while its pulsing, coloured light also reflects the amount of electricity being used, ranging from cool blue for small amounts to red for high energy consumption. The wireless wattson display is portable, and when appliances are switched on or off, it indicates how much energy they use. Homeowners can store up to 4 weeks of energy-use history on the device and download it for analysis on software that comes included; a forthcoming community feature will let wattson owners compare their usage. Wattson was listed in Stuff Magazine's "Cool List" of the top 10 gadgets of 2007. It is priced at GBP 149.50 from UK-based DIY KYOTO.

The Home Joule, meanwhile, resembles a nightlight and plugs into any outlet in a home. The device displays not just energy usage, broadcast wirelessly by the consumer's energy meter, but also the real-time cost of energy, which comes wirelessly from the energy company. The colour of light emitted by the device represents the costs of the moment, with yellow and red light indicating expensive energy costs, while green means energy is cheaper. The idea is that consumers can then modify their consumption accordingly, switching off discretionary appliances at peak times of the day. The Home Joule is from Ambient Devices and is currently available only to customers of Consumer Powerline's demand-response program.

Finally, though not truly an energy monitor, we can't resist mentioning Ambient's beautiful Energy Orb, which also emits different colours of light to represent pricing information. This time, however, the device emitting the light is an egg-shaped orb that plugs into an outlet. The Energy Orb has been adopted by Pacific Gas & Electric and other US energy companies, and is priced at USD 149.99.

With energy prices heading nowhere but up, so, too, will demand for devices like these. One to get in on early, especially outside the US!

Websites: www.diykyoto.com — www.consumerpowerline.com — www.ambientdevices.com
Contacts: info@diykyoto.com — hwong@consumerpowerline.com — drose@ambientdevices.com

Spotted by: Vibeke Viteri

Last fall we covered StyleShake, a site that lets consumers design their own dresses, and recently we came across a like-purposed site called Studio 28 Couture.

Founded in February 2007, Studio 28 focuses on dresses that have vintage appeal. Customers begin by selecting a bodice style for their dress, followed by the skirt style. They can then choose from more than 100 fabrics and trims, including many antique-style florals and prints. The resulting dresses are made individually in the U.S.A. by Studio 28’s seamstresses from 100% cotton fabric, and each dress's USD 200 price includes one free alteration. Those unsure of what they want can send Studio 28 a full-length photo of themselves, and the company's advisors will offer suggestions on the most flattering styles and colours. Studio 28 also sells a selection of its dresses through retailers near its Pittsford, N.Y., offices.

As we noted in last year's post, it will be nice to see this type of DIY approach brought to other types of clothing, including shirts, pants and swimsuits, as well as ways to enable consumers to monetize what they create. Either way, though, it's further evidence that consumers really do like making—or at least designing—it themselves!

Website: www.studio28couture.com
Contact: customerservice@studio28couture.com

Spotted by: Dan Nice

A new home decor website from the UK lets shoppers experiment with room planning and buy directly from a wide range of retailers. mydeco, founded by lastminute.com's Brent Hoberman and Martha Lane Fox, aggregates products from over 500 retailers and combines this wide selection with 3D planning tools that let users view and share the rooms they create.

The site is packed with bells and whistles, most of which seem very useful, but could be overwhelming for first-time users. Options include uploading a photo of a room and changing its colour schemes (walls, floors, etc) with the click of a button. Another handy feature lets browsers 'buy the look for less': going from a GBP 8,000 room to a GBP 800 room by using less expensive pieces, while sticking to a given style.

Although shoppers can create lists on mydeco, the actual sale takes place through the company's retail partners, who pay mydeco a commission on each item sold. The site lets members earn commissions, too. For each item purchased from one of the room designs they've created, users can earn 3% or more.

Presenting products from a range of retailers isn't new, of course. What brings this to a next level of e-commerce is the focus on making it easy for consumers to visualise potential purchases, trying them out online. Instead of having to schlep around countless individual stores, users can easily assemble pieces in a way they otherwise couldn't, online or offline. One to copy to other industries? (Related: Social shopping meets interior design.)

Website: www.mydeco.com
Contact: youtellus@mydeco.com

Spotted by: Cagla Pakel