News

As outdoor leaders begin to speak out against racial injustice in the United States—once again brought to light by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis—SNEWS is collecting their statements in one place. Our list currently includes the following voices: Access Fund, The ...read more

The meaning of anti-racism: This article, recently shared by Camber Outdoors, is a good primer on why being "not racist" isn't enough. [Mashable] Racism and public space: It’s time to contend with the reality that individuals of color have a markedly different experience of parks ...read more

The sales numbers coming out of the pandemic thus far paint a picture of unpredictable, if short-lived, demand. In the first few weeks, dehydrated meals—the kind backpackers carry to lighten their loads—seemed to be worth their weight in gold. Companies like Mountain House, ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Updating Everest’s height: A team of researchers has summited the mountain to remeasure the peak’s height. A longstanding number could soon change. [Outside Online] The Boston Marathon is canceled: For first time in ...read more

Kicking off our Straight Talk series of laid-back, free-wheeling conversations with outdoor industry leaders, SNEWS Editor-in-Chief Kristin Hostetter connects via video with Eric Henderson, founder of Meteorite PR, which represents brands like Salewa, Dynafit, Sweet Protection, ...read more

In honor of World Oceans Day on June 8, Colorado-based Zeal Optics is throwing down an admirable challenge to its customers. For every pair of sunglasses, goggles, or lenses sold from June 8 through the end of the month, the company will yank five pounds of harmful plastic waste ...read more

The Sierra Club's newly elected president, Ramón Cruz, has spent his entire professional life fighting for sustainability, climate advocacy, and responsible urban planning around the world. A graduate of American University and Princeton, he has worked as a senior policy analyst ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Update on Malcolm Daly: Our colleague is still doing well and making progress. Thanks to the generosity of his therapists, he will receive another 30 days of care before being discharged. Also, today is his birthday! Show ...read more

As the world changes and businesses adapt, many brands find themselves needing to adopt a completely virtual sell-in experience. Even if your brand can’t conduct essential business face to face, it is essential that you find ways to move forward. This is doubly important at the ...read more

Why Reps Matter to Specialty Retailers Sales reps are one of the essential components of a brand finding success at retail. For many retailers, they are the key that unlocks a successful season by providing much needed support. But what exactly should reps be doing to service ...read more

The Seasonal Journey What is it and how to use it to build your go-to-market content plan. The seasonal journey is the path you and your retail partners take as they navigate the season. It’s helpful to think of the season as a series of stages when considering how to best ...read more

While the time leading up to a season for a brand and retailer are crucial to ensuring that the right product gets purchased and it eventually sells through, the decisions and actions in season can’t be overlooked. This article will discuss a retailer's needs while in season, ...read more

Welcome to Brand College! Think of this as your destination to get inside the head of specialty retailers and better understand what they expect of you as a brand in order to earn your spot on their shelves. We’ll cover the key fundamentals of building a thriving wholesale ...read more

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

Thanks to the coronavirus crisis, sales of dehydrated meal have shot through the roof in recent months. A sizable number of non-backpackers have probably been introduced to them for the first time, but for those of us who hike, dehydrated food is a familiar culinary option on the ...read more

An olive branch to Outdoor Retailer: An editorial from the Salt Lake City Tribune makes a case for the return of the industry’s largest trade show to Utah. [The Salt Lake City Tribune] A Colorado ski resort to reopen: Arapahoe Basin will resume limited operations for spring ...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

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Stay safe this weekend: If you’re headed outside for Memorial Day weekend, follow this advice released by Outdoor Industry Association, REI, and other industry leaders as part of a new campaign, Recreate Responsibly. Who’s ...read more

We love to geek out on gear. And we love talking to other people who feel the same. Sit in on the conversation between two passionate gearheads, SNEWS Editor-in-Chief Kristin Hostetter and founder of Meteorite PR, Eric Henderson, as they break down the details of Salewa's latest ...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

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Saw that coming: Yellowstone reopened on Monday and visitors poured in by the thousands. Virus precaution was, shall we say, a little lacking. [The Guardian] Malcolm Daly is recovering smoothly: Our esteemed colleague is in ...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

Outdoor industry webinars have cropped up swiftly and relentlessly in the last few months. Since the pandemic began, it seems like every week there's a new online event (or five) covering all manner of coronavirus-related concerns, from applying for small business loans to ...read more