Retail College is the place to be if you want to be valedictorian of outdoor specialty retail.
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The more you learn about outdoor gear, the more you can sell. In Retail College, we'll teach you everything we know about succeeding in outdoor specialty retail, from how to sell more socks to how to make sure boots and backpacks fit customers perfectly.
Our Outdoor Retailer Playbook series and Outdoor Brand Playbook series are aimed at helping brands and retailers navigate the omni-channel word of retail with best practices for success.
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
Welcome to SNEWS’ Boost Your Sales: Footwear course, which is part of our new Retail College series aimed at educating retail employees on the latest gear tech and most proven sales techniques. Whether you’re a seasoned vet looking to bone up on the newest materials and features ...read more
While lounging at a picnic table outside of Pack Rat Outdoor Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, I’m distracted by a woman tossing out a garbage bag. When I ask the store’s Sustainability Director, Faebyan Whittle, if it’s the day’s trash, she replies, “No, that’s the recycling; ...read more
Before Amy Kleissler was hired in June of 2014, she had been a loyal customer for years. She noticed a call for interested applicants at the bottom of a TB&C newsletter. With her four boys coming home from school for the summer she said,”I had to get out of the house and thought ...read more
Successfully producing outdoor gear used to be such a simple endeavor: Make great product, then sell it through retail partners, or directly through a catalog or your own store. These days, the formula has become a lot more complicated. With the option to distribute through a ...read more
Successfully producing outdoor gear used to be such a simple endeavor: Make great product, then sell it through retail partners, or directly through a catalog or your own store. These days, the formula has become a lot more complicated. With the option to distribute through a ...read more
Successfully producing outdoor gear used to be such a simple endeavor: Make great product, then sell it through retail partners, or directly through a catalog or your own store. These days, the formula has become a lot more complicated. With the option to distribute through a ...read more
Successfully producing outdoor gear used to be such a simple endeavor: Make great product, then sell it through retail partners, or directly through a catalog or your own store. These days, the formula has become a lot more complicated. With the option to distribute through a ...read more
Successfully producing outdoor gear used to be such a simple endeavor: Make great product, then sell it through retail partners, or directly through a catalog or your own store. These days, the formula has become a lot more complicated. With the option to distribute through a ...read more
Everyone in this industry knows the problem by now: The rise of online shopping has turned the traditional outdoor marketplace on its head. Consumers now turn to the internet first when they need new gear; brands seize the chance to sell it directly through their own websites or ...read more
Everyone in this industry knows the problem by now: The rise of online shopping has turned the traditional outdoor marketplace on its head. Consumers now turn to the internet first when they need new gear; brands seize the chance to sell it directly through their own websites or ...read more
Everyone in this industry knows the problem by now: The rise of online shopping has turned the traditional outdoor marketplace on its head. Consumers now turn to the internet first when they need new gear; brands seize the chance to sell it directly through their own websites or ...read more
Everyone in this industry knows the problem by now: The rise of online shopping has turned the traditional outdoor marketplace on its head. Consumers now turn to the internet first when they need new gear; brands seize the chance to sell it directly through their own websites or ...read more
Everyone in this industry knows the problem by now: The rise of online shopping has turned the traditional outdoor marketplace on its head. Consumers now turn to the internet first when they need new gear; brands seize the chance to sell it directly through their own websites or ...read more
It's a common refrain we've heard from retailers over the years: "I wish I had more training resources for my staff." What if you had unlimited access to free online gear training modules that are independently taught, not tainted by any one brand trying to get you to sell more ...read more
Here’s our layman’s guide to today’s footwear tech lingo for your inner scientist — whether you’re working the sales floor or updating inventory for next season. The more technical outdoor footwear gets, the more its product descriptions resemble alphabet soup. PVC, EVA, PU, TPU ...read more
“What’s the difference between a canister and liquid fuel stove? Will that battery pack charge my iPad? Can I wear merino wool in the summer?” Customers come to specialty outdoor retail with a lot of questions and your floor staff should be ready with the answers. Knowing the ...read more
No reason to blush when selling underwear at outdoor retail. Next-to-skin boxers, briefs, thongs and bikini bottoms are just as important as any other technical layer. Read this Retail College chapter to find out how to make this add-on sale to adventure travelers, ...read more
There’s no stopping this generation of consumers. They’re going to bring their electronics outdoors. Smartphones, tablets, video cameras, lighting, Bluetooth speakers and GPS devices are becoming essential gear in packs and at campsites. While this may be to the chagrin of ...read more
With many outdoor adventures getting shortened in today’s fast-paced world, food and drink prep for a trip is shifting to the home kitchen. To that end, insulated bottles, mugs and food containers are on the rise at outdoor specialty retail, with a larger variety of products for ...read more
Teach your customers how to shield themselves from harmful rays by upgrading their apparel — their first line of defense — to UPF-rated sun-protective clothing. Read this SNEWS Retail College to learn about the technology behind UPF-rated clothing, and why your customers need it ...read more