LA Times turns to Tommy Knapp for core store makeover

Shop-eat-surf columnist and Honolua co-founder Tommy Knapp is the expert behind the most recent business makeover in the LA Times.

In the story, Tommy advises DBC Ride Shop owners Greg Armer and George Beard in San Clemente to take some radical steps to focus on their core: drop surf, go big in skate, and fill the store with new brands that aren't sold everywhere else.

It's advice that might sound familiar to our readers. Tommy's our Executive Edition retail columnist, where he's been suggesting ways for core stores to stand out in a down economy and crowded marketplace.

Tommy is an adjunct professor at USC's Marshall School of Business and the co-founder of Honolua Surf Co. You can find his columns listed on the left, under the "Related Stories" heading.