Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. Columbia ran an $80,000, full-page ad in the Washington Post today, telling Congress to end the stalemate. Here's what CEO Tim Boyle has to say about it: “For ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com YETI Holdings' IPO values the company at $1.7 billion, per an updated filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The premium cooler manufacturer plans to ...read more
Climate change is big—so big that we often assume that no ordinary person could possibly slow its progress. And maybe that’s true: One changed light bulb probably can’t preserve Arctic ice or save New England’s maple trees. But when you recruit a handful of bulb-changers, who in ...read more
The U.S.'s trade war with China has escalated to a point that's becoming a real issue for the outdoor industry, which now faces billions of dollars in tariffs on certain products and materials. Companies will feel the impact immediately on Monday, when the retaliatory tariffs on ...read more
On Aug. 14, half of NEMO’s workforce reported for duty at a quiet grove of hardwoods near Barrington, New Hampshire, about a 30-minute drive from company headquarters. Each employee arrived ready to sweat. Their task was to build two bridges on trails through a brand-new, ...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
During the entire month of July, NEMO’s 24 employees conducted a silent negotiation. Dover, New Hampshire (where NEMO is headquartered) was experiencing record high temperatures, and some employees craved ultra-cool office temperatures. Yet the company had challenged itself to ...read more
NEMO employees love a good contest. While other companies announce “initiatives,” NEMO stages competitions that spark everyone’s urge to win—even if it’s just to claim the honor of being the fastest to load a backpack during the company campout. But the company’s latest challenge ...read more
NEMO and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have issued a recall for about 7,500 of the portable swinging and reclining camp chairs due to a defect that causes the chairs to collapse. The plastic joint supports, or hubs, attached to the chairs’ legs can break, ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. NEMO Equipment and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have issued a recall for about 7,500 Stargaze Recliner camp chairs—Recliner, Recliner Low, ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? We've created a new form where you can submit tips and story ideas. Want to know what's cookin' at the Grassroots Connect Show? Our editor-in-chief, Kristin Hostetter, is reporting live from her ...read more
Hundreds of representatives from outdoor brands and retailers gathered last night for the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance annual awards, which pay tribute to the vendors and retailers that are leading the outdoor industry in excellence. The presentation happened in Knoxville, ...read more
A Grassroots Outdoor Alliance award is a very big deal. The group, which is a consortium of 64 independent outdoor specialty retailers and 68 vendor partners, represents the best of specialty retail. The awards, which will be given out on June 13, 2018 on night one of the ...read more
Hang a few straps around some stable trees and hammocks can elevate—literally and figuratively—your park visit or camping trip. Vote now for the brand making the best. Speaking of getting cozy outside, you can also vote for the best sleeping pads, sleeping bags, and tents. ...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
It’s so easy to be cynical about politics and politicians these days. If your only connection to what goes on in Washington D.C. is CNN, Fox, and MSNBC, it can feel epicly depressing, like nothing gets done, nothing ever changes, and all our elected officials are just tools being ...read more
REI is holding brands accountable to sustainable practices. On Monday, the cooperative debuted Product Sustainability Standards that will soon apply to more than 1,000 small and large brands sold by the outdoor retailer. “Some, like prAna and Patagonia, are on the leading edge ...read more
As one of the biggest ticket items in your kit, a good tent is a serious investment. And, it’s your home-away-from-home, so it's also a wicked important decision. There are a ton of great brands out there, but we want to know: Which tent brand is your favorite? Vote now to see ...read more
Just a decade ago, local retailers were the biggest influencers of a shopper's path to purchase. But, just like most other industries—from airlines and hotels to restaurants and even schools‑changing consumer behavior has dramatically upended everything we all knew about how ...read more
Earlier this week, we published an opinion piece by Todd Frank, owner of The Trail Head in Missoula, Montana, lambasting Ibex or its treatment of its specialty retail partners. Our readers had a lot to say on the topic. Of course, there are two sides to every story, and we spoke ...read more
The final Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City is behind us. And while the attendees we spoke with felt that the aisles of the Salt Palace were less crowded that usual (no official numbers have been released by the show), energy was high around the industry coming together to ...read more
If you’re running a small to medium-sized outdoor brand today, there are so many competing forces trying to shape your business. It’s easy to freak out and be too scattered in your focus or retreat altogether and stubbornly stick to an old way of doing things. Neither approach ...read more
One of the first things you’ll notice about Wes is that he’s a very affable guy. You can tell right away that’s he’s someone you can trust and I later came to realize how important this DNA is to the success of Sunlight. I had a lot of conversations with Wes, his wife Melissa, ...read more