Education

In this guide for brands and sales managers we will cover How to overcome objections and get your team on board Finding The Right Time To Upgrade Prepping Your Organization For A New B2B System --- Upgrading your flagging B2B system to a more effective, modern platform is a big ...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

Whether it's for environmental reasons or because nobody likes constantly  slathering sunscreen all over their body and hands when adventuring, more and more people are discovering sun-protective clothing, and outdoor retail shop employees can help even more. With SNEWS’ Retail ...read more

Whether they’re used to help reduce knee pain while hiking downhill, add balance while trekking, or to pitch an ultralight tent, trekking poles can be a great addition to a hiker’s gear closet. But there’s more to the category than ensuring he has the right length pole. With ...read more

Most avid outdoor adventurers know to leave the cotton at home during any aerobic activity. Yet there are tons of people who wear what they have, not knowing the benefits of a T-shirt made from a technical fabric like wool or polyester. It’s time to enlighten them. With SNEWS’ ...read more

Nobody wants to be bothered by mosquitoes, flies, no-see-ums, or any other bug while trying to enjoy nature. But more and more people are steering clear of chemical bug repellents like DEET. That’s why bug-repellent clothing can be a great alternative for consumers looking to ...read more

Mummy, rectangular, ultralight, synthetic, down, water-repellent down, full zip, no zip, and the list of sleeping bag options continues. It’s no wonder why customers’ heads spin when starting a sleeping bag search, which poses a substantial opportunity to connect with your shop. ...read more

From wide- and narrow-mouth, and plastic or stainless steel, to insulated or not, there are so many options when it comes to water bottles. And, often, there’s a paralysis of choice when it comes to customers trying to find a new one. With SNEWS’ Retail College: How to Sell Water ...read more

The last thing you (or your customers) want is to get a water-borne illness during or after a great adventure, so understanding the various types of backcountry water treatment devices critical. With SNEWS’ Retail College: How to Sell Water Treatment online course, sales ...read more

Selling sports bras can be thought of as a women-only sell, but it doesn’t have to be a mythological category in an outdoor shop that some floor warriors shy away from. With SNEWS’ Retail College: How to Sell Sports Bras online course, sales associates will dive into the ...read more

Regardless of where your store is located, there’s huge potential to make selling insulating layers a thriving category. Whether it’s a lightweight jacket for getting groceries or walking the dog when the temps dip to an expedition-weight down suit and everything in between, ...read more

Almost every adventure starts with a backpack, making it one of the key categories in any retail shop. And selling packs successfully (and responsibly) requires deep technical knowledge of features, fitting, and use. Our free online course will help any sales associate—seasoned ...read more

Buying is an art and a science. Your buy defines your shop’s essence: the brands and products your choose reflect the culture of your store. The underlying principle is to keep your store fresh and fun for all of your different types of customers. Shops structure their buying ...read more

Virtually every customer who walks in your shop is a potential buyer of travel underwear. Technical undies are an easy upsell item for any camper, hiker, runner, skier, cyclist, or traveler. Our free course will help any sales associate—seasoned veterans or fresh new hires—lock ...read more

Following the launch of our "Boost Your Sales: Footwear" course last year, we're rolling out 12 more Retail College classes over the next several months to help outdoor specialty retailers boost their sales in numerous categories.  We know that you have other training tools at ...read more

As the outdoor movement gains momentum by the day, brands and retailers are pondering, "Who is my next customer?" ISPO, the German trade fair, and the market research institute Rheingold partnered to provide new insights into current and prospective outdoorists, and the way they ...read more

Fact: 55 percent of all online product searches start with Amazon. Fact: There are more than 550 million products for sale on Amazon. Fact: 3,500 new anonymous 3 party (3P) sellers join the Amazon marketplace everyday. This last stat is a real doozie: By virtue of their ...read more

Rich Hill, president of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is fired up. Anonymous 3P sellers on marketplaces – especially Amazon – are the single-biggest threat to the health of the specialty outdoor industry ecosystem in 2019, he told his members at the Grassroots Connect Show in ...read more

When Christine Iksic's lifelong friend expressed an interest in wanting to accompany her on an overnight backpacking trip, it dawned on Iksic. She had assumed her friend wasn't interested in doing "outdoorsy" things, but really, she just didn't have the equipment or knowledge to ...read more

Truth: Canoes, kayaks, and standup paddleboards are perfectly suited to family fun. A day paddling on a mirror flat lake, fishing from a kayak, or splashing in the waves on a SUP for the first time can build vivid lifelong memories for kids and parents. And great specialty ...read more