Andrew Weaver

Flowfold, a Maine-based maker of technical wallets, bags, and other outdoor gear, earned itself a spot in the headlines this March when it pivoted its entire operation to focus on building face shields for hospital workers. With astonishing speed, the company shut down production ...read more

One way to trace the progression of the pandemic is to look at the consumer demand for masks. In the beginning, there were devastating shortages and disturbing stories of profiteers and stockpilers. Then came a period of tenuous equilibrium, when the use of homemade face ...read more

If you're a small business owner struggling to get your message out to customers right now, take note. The creative agency CMD, based in Portland, has instituted a new program called Open For Business that pairs professional content makers—videographers, producers, animators, ...read more

In late March, just two weeks after the San Francisco PR agency JAM Collective instituted a remote work policy to protect against the spread of the novel coronavirus, a message circulated from the team. "We're taking things virtual with our new series #JAMSessions!" it read. ...read more

Gary Lenett understands the power of consensus. In 2014, when he founded the performance denim company DUER, he did it with funds raised through Kickstarter, a proof-first method that relies not on the confidence of big investors or market predictions, but on the voices of real ...read more

After months of closures that spelled disaster for some and extreme hardship for many others, retailers both small and large have started reopening across the nation as states lift the stay-at-home mandates that have kept them closed. The results so far, according to multiple ...read more

Walmart made big news in the outdoor industry three years ago when it snapped up the cult-favorite specialty gear chain Moosejaw for $51 million. Back then, speculation abounded as to what the world's largest retailer (largest at the time; Amazon nabbed the title last spring) ...read more

In the late 1980s, when Bob Collins founded the original Appalachian Outfitters in a strip mall in Canton, Ohio, specialty gear shops in the midwest were few and far between. A salesman for the chemical industry, Collins knew outdoor equipment only from his own pursuits: ...read more

Life and business have changed dramatically for everyone in the last few months. Like reps, retailers, and others on the for-profit side of the outdoor industry, those working in the nonprofit sector have faced new challenges almost daily since the pandemic began. This week, ...read more

"The very first concept to understand is that this all comes down to a brewing war between Google and Amazon." That's how Mike Massey, founder of the ecommerce platform Locally, described the recent announcement from Google that the tech giant will start listing products from ...read more

It might seem that now, in the middle of a global crisis forcing layoffs and closures across the outdoor industry, issues unrelated to the pandemic, like DEI, are in danger of being overshadowed in the national conversation. "Fortunately, that hasn't happened," said Teresa ...read more

In the midst of the pandemic, nothing is as simple as we might hope. While many of us are looking forward to the day America's national parks resume operations, the situation is more complicated than just throwing open the gates and letting people in. "Just because you read that ...read more

In recent weeks, we've seen a lot of suffering among retailers, as news of closures, furloughs, and layoffs rolls in. We've also seen the best in people—customers banding together to support independent shops, vendors implementing programs to keep their dealers afloat, and brands ...read more

When it comes to ecommerce, few factors influence buying decisions as powerfully as reviews. Studies have shown that 95 percent of consumers read online testimonials before making final purchases. Traditionally, those reviews have existed in different channels—consumer reviews in ...read more

The Reveal Global Media Conference wrapped up the first day of its two-day program this afternoon, showcasing new products from brands like Cotopaxi, Hoka One One, and Mountain Hardwear in seven hours of Zoom presentations curated for more than 300 registered journalists. Hosted ...read more

We've all been getting a lot of bleak news lately. Sometimes, you just need a little break. That was the idea that led Koby Crooks, a sales rep at The Alpine Cowboy in Austin, Texas, and puzzle aficionado to create an outdoor activity book for staff of the retail stores he works ...read more

As the coronavirus crisis continues to paint a bleak picture for small businesses across the country, outdoor brands are stepping up one by one to help. The latest company to join the relief effort: Mountain Hardwear, which implemented a program this week to support authorized ...read more

Just in time for Earth Day, The North Face has announced the launch of a new line, "Remade," that champions the environmental benefits (not to mention style points) of repaired, upcycled garments. A result of the company's inaugural Renewed Design Residency—"a workshop dedicated ...read more

On Earth Day, the San Francisco-based nonprofit Climate Neutral released its first class of "climate neutral certified" companies, 71 businesses taking concrete actions to combat climate change. To qualify for the certification, the businesses had to meet three requirements: ...read more

The pain of the pandemic has rippled through just about every workplace in the outdoor industry over the past few months, and those of independent sales reps are no exception. As the main points of contact between outdoor companies and the stores that carry their products, reps ...read more

Medical masks are on everyone's mind these days, and rightly so. To protect healthcare workers on the front lines of the pandemic, they are probably the most vital piece of PPE companies can start producing, as many in the outdoor industry have done, selflessly and valiantly. ...read more

It was only a matter of time. Trade shows like Outdoor Retailer, while necessary and wonderful, are also necessarily, wonderfully expensive. When a big show goes south, thousands in the industry feel the sting. Sooner or later, someone was bound to come along with a cheaper, ...read more

One of the largest providers of outdoor gear in the U.S., Exxel Outdoors, has added another company to its brand list, the wader and and rainwear maker Compass 360, headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama. Compass 360 was founded in 2015 and operated independently until the ...read more

Earlier this month, when Lindsey Davis announced the permanent closure of Wylder Goods, the online retailer she founded with Jainee Dial in 2016, she mused on the idea of success. "You have to measure your own success in life," she said. "It’s important to know when to fold and ...read more

With business closures, layoffs, and furloughs dominating the headlines in recent weeks, it's nice to see a bit of good news for a change. In Raleigh, North Carolina, Lawson Hammock announced earlier this month that it has taken on a major investment from two local firms, ...read more

It’s never easy to let go of something you love. When John D. Mead, 63, of San Diego-based retailer Adventure 16, decided to close the last two locations of his business in January after a 58-year run, he said it felt a little like losing a family member. “I've been in this ...read more

Just a few days after Outdoor Retailer announced that this year's Summer Market was off, organizers of the next major event on the industry's calendar, The Big Gear Show, have gone a different route. Event director Kenji Haroutunian told SNEWS late Monday that the first three ...read more

As the economic effects of the coronavirus force businesses to make immensely difficult decisions about salaries, REI joins the list of companies that have had to cut employee pay to deal with the crisis. The company announced yesterday that it would furlough most of its retail ...read more

In 2016, Jainee Dial and Lindsey Davis opened the online retailer Wylder Goods with $54,000 from Kickstarter and a simple yet compelling mission: to create a unique gear-buying experience for adventurous women who love the outdoors. Now, in the middle of the coronavirus ...read more

Outdoor Retailer, the largest outdoor trade show in the country and a cardinal event on the industry's annual calendar, cancelled its annual Summer Market Thursday as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus. Outdoor Retailer released the following statement: ...read more

It started by word of mouth. An employee at Mystery Ranch, the Montana-based backpack brand, heard from a friend that a local quilting guild had started sewing masks for hospitals, and soon many of Mystery Ranch's own employees were clamoring to do the same.  "Lots of people ...read more

Outdoor Research has pledged to start producing masks for medical workers at a substantial clip—200,000 a day by June, according to an announcement the company made Monday. To do so, the gear and apparel brand will convert its Seattle factory to comply with FDA Class II ...read more

It's no surprise to learn that David Billstrom, the CEO of Kitsbow, worked as an EMT for 38 years before taking over as head of the premium cycling apparel company in Asheville, North Carolina. As the coronavirus emergency has developed in recent days, Billstrom has responded ...read more

Skiers and snowboarders, we get it. You want to be outside right now. You weren't ready for the season to come to such an abrupt end, as it did in Colorado and virutally everywhere else. You're tempted to pull out your backcountry setup and keep the fun going yourself. Plenty of ...read more

As the White House resists calls to mandate the production of masks and other resources to fight the coronavirus, some companies have stepped up voluntarily to help. In the outdoor industry, Eddie Bauer and Flowfold are among the first. "Just a few days ago, we learned that some ...read more

The specter of layoffs and permanent closure hovers over small, independent outdoor retailers even in the best economic times. With the coronavirus dampening consumer spending and forcing temporary shutdowns, disaster scenarios are closing in for local shops whose every sale, ...read more

We are living through a scary, confusing, and consequential moment. Many of us have never routinely considered the existential and ethical implications of, say, going to the supermarket or setting up a playdate for our kids. Life inside the pandemic has proven itself a minefield ...read more

Emerald Holding, Inc., the parent company of Outdoor Retailer and one of the outdoor industry's largest event organizers, has released some dismaying numbers as the coronavirus crisis continues to rattle the economy and disrupt plans. Among the group's most consequential recent ...read more

Last week, Toad&Co rolled out an ambitious program to help small retailers weather the economic uncertainty of the coronavirus crisis, becoming one of the first brands in the outdoor industry to do so. Now, the California-based company has taken its efforts a step further with a ...read more

With independent retailers closing down across the country, store owners are searching desperately for ways to keep products moving during the coronavirus crisis. Locally, which supports online sales for stores without dedicated ecommerce platforms on their websites, has ...read more

Yesterday, a recommendation from the CDC dramatically changed the in-person event landscape for the outdoor industry for at least the next two months. In a statement released on the agency's website, experts advised cancelling or postponing all gatherings of 50 or more people ...read more

In response to the rapid spread of the coronavirus in the U.S., Patagonia has taken the unprecedented step of temporarily closing all stores, shutting down its website, and suspending all orders. The company effectively ceased all operations at the end of the business day ...read more

On Friday, Outdoor Industry Association announced that it had decided to postpone Capitol Summit, its April conference in Washington, D.C., in light of the coronavirus pandemic. A statement from OIA reads, "As the coronavirus outbreak continues to grow as a public health concern, ...read more

Everest is now closed. Following an announcement from China that it would restrict climbing on its half of the mountain due to coronavirus concerns, Nepal followed suit today with a full shutdown of the mountain's southern side, completely closing off the peak to climbers hoping ...read more

With growing clout in the outdoor industry and multiple large-scale DEI projects in the works, including a new initiative with Outdoor Gear Exchange in Vermont, it's hard to believe that Massachusetts-based Venture Out Project is only five years old. In half a decade, the ...read more

To prevent the spread of the coronavirus in base camps around Mt. Everest, China has indicated that it will close access to the sides of the mountain that fall within its borders, effectively cancelling the plans of many climbers and guide companies currently preparing to summit ...read more

As coronavirus spreads across the globe and alarm builds, stranger news seems to break by the day. On Monday, a Patagonia employee in Reno, Nevada, reported to the company that his roommate had contracted the virus, resulting in the employee's exposure and potential infection. ...read more

In an unprecedented move, the California brand Toad&Co has announced that it will help its brick-and-mortar retailers survive the economic uncertainty of the coronavirus outbreak by sharing 10 percent of its new-customer ecommerce revenue for at least the next two months. “I ...read more