Skater Owned Shops Spotlight | Skate Pharm
At the heart of all skate communities are the skater owned shops that keep the scene alive. Supporting local skaters, brands, and events, these shops aren’t just businesses; they’re meeting points, creative hubs, and essential spaces that shape UK skateboarding.
That’s why we’re launching a new blog series shining a light on the independent skate shops that keep the UK rolling. We’ll be visiting some of the best skater owned shops, looking into their stories, and finding out what makes each of them unique. From their beginnings to the challenges they face today, we’ll celebrate the people keeping the skate scene strong.
Whether you’re a local looking for a new spot to support or just want to hear some real skate shop stories , this series is for you.
First up in the SOS Spotlight Series is Skate Pharm in Margate. We spoke to Nic Powley to get the lowdown on this legendary establishment.
This series will be a deep dive into the real people behind the counters, the local scenes they help grow, and the future of skater owned retail.
"A Skate Shop Day participating store is defined as a skater owned and operated retailer whose main primary business focuses on full time, physical store locations, with an always on deep rooted commitment to skateboarding, and whose company is independently owned, and not publicly traded. (In other words, we’re dealing with real, live, physical, indie skate shops – not online retailers or corporate behemoths)."
Skate Pharm: The Story Behind the Shop
Paul Vale: When and why did you start the shop?
Nic Powley (Skate Pharm): 2013. I didn’t have anything else to do and it seemed like a good idea at the time
Paul Vale: What was the skate scene like in your area when you opened?
Nic Powley: It was pretty small and we really lack spots and parks, I guess it’s still small, a lot of people seem to give up every winter. It’s pretty solid these days though.
Paul Vale: What’s been the biggest challenge in running a skater owned business?
Nic Powley: Just paying bills and staying open, especially during the Covid period.
Paul Vale: How has the shop changed over the years?
Nic Powley: We moved from our original space to the seafront. Other than that not much has changed really, same shit, different day.
The Local Scene & Community in Margate
Paul Vale: How would you describe the skate scene in your town/city?
Nic Powley (Skate Pharm): It’s real small, the population in this area is low in general. New kids come in every year but the winters are harsh and that always culls the numbers
Paul Vale: What role does your shop play in supporting local skaters?
Nic Powley: We’ve got a team and we run a bunch of events throughout the year. I’m currently working on two local skatepark projects with local Councils but just trying to do anything here often feels like very hard work.
Paul Vale: Have you seen any standout local skaters come up through the shop?
Nic Powley:There’s a few. Chester Pegg is a favourite of mine, he’ll just go till he slams. Also Kane McArthur can do most things but he’s also an amazingly positive energy in the scene, he’s a really great role model for a lot of the younger skaters and he runs a skate school locally which gets a lot of new kids into it.
What’s your favourite local skate spot, and why?
Nic Powley: Honestly not really any of them, the car park has a solid scene in Winter and keeps everyone going. Then there’s a few little parks that are ok and Hartsdown which is a 70’s oddity. We really lack in natural spots and even smooth ground is hard to find round here. It’s a pretty tough place to be a skateboarder sometimes.
"About Skate Pharm"
Skate Pharm opened it’s doors in March 2014 with a view to supporting the Kent skateboard scene. Its 100% skater owned and operated. They only employ experienced skaters with a solid knowledge of the brands and products we stock. This is done to pass on the best advice to customers.
Their aim is to cater for the absolute beginner right up to the most experienced veteran.
Make sure you follow on Instagram: @skate_pharm. You’ll get info on all new stock, pre-orders, events, team news, limited editions and video premieres.
The Business & The Culture
Paul Vale: What brands do you stock at Skate Pharm, and why?
Nic Powley (Skate Pharm): That changes a lot based on what’s selling and who’s selling it. We stock what I consider to be skate shop essentials like Indys, Spitfires, Bones etc. It’s actually hard to know what else to stock at the moment especially as a lot of brands are pushing for direct sales off their websites and offering discounts etc that we can’t match. As soon as they go down that route their sales fall off in store and it makes it hard for us to justify carrying them. I just tend to focus on making our own stuff and having fun with that these days
Paul Vale:How do you decide what products to bring in?
Nic Powley: Pure guesswork, can’t claim anything more. If it sells we buy more of it.
Paul Vale: What’s the best thing about running a skater owned shop?
Nic Powley: A misplaced sense that everything or at least something you do is appreciated or important. It has a lot of good moments, just chilling in the shop chatting when friends visit or skaters from out of town is really nice.
Paul Vale: What’s one misconception people have about running a skate shop?
Nic Powley: That it’s fun and/or easy.
Paul Vale: How important is it for skaters to support independent skate shops?
Nic Powley: Unfortunately I think people will probably only understand that when there aren’t any left, the message has been flogged to death but at the end of the day most people don’t care.
Paul Vale: What’s next for Skate Pharm? Any upcoming events or plans?
Nic Powley: My main focus is getting our main local park built, it’s been dragging on forever and I just want it done, that’s my No.1 priority at the moment.
Paul Vale: Where do you see the UK skate scene heading in the next 5-10 years?
Nic Powley: No idea, literally zero clue. It’s in weird spot right now.
Paul Vale: What advice would you give to someone thinking about opening a skater owned shop?
Nic Powley: Just don’t do it, at best you will be disappointed at worst you will be bankrupt. Get a job doing something else and keep skating as a hobby, don’t try and make a living from it. Might seem like strange advice but you’ll thank me for it one day.
Paul Vale: If you could collaborate with any brand or skater, who would it be?
Nic Powley: I’d love a shop graphic or something drawn by Blender, Lucero or Todd Swank, they’re some of the industry OG’s I always looked up to and I like their artwork. Brand wise I guess just something that would sell out on launch day and pay some bills but I have no idea what that could be or I'd be already trying to do it.
SOS Spotlight Series
Safe Nic, big love for the time man 👊