This is part three of a multi-part series. The next installments will be published in the coming weeks. You can read the entire series here. Last week, we published our findings on the best manufacturers to do business with, according to more than 100 independent retailers across ...read more
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web A new way to sell shoes: The Swiss footwear company On Running is trying out a new business model for the shoe industry, borrowed from Silicon Valley—subscription memberships. [Outside Online] Respecting the Appalachian ...read more
[This is part one of a three-part series.] Strictly speaking, you don’t need to justify making durable products for the outdoors. “It’s just the right thing to do, to make equipment that isn’t going to fail in the field,” says Mystery Ranch project manager Luke Buckingham, ...read more
After all but losing spring 2020 to the pandemic, retailers and consumers alike are looking for gear to get excited about in 2021. So excited, in fact, that we decided to add their votes to our ranking of next season’s top products. Together, we’ve pored over, narrowed down, and ...read more
This story originally ran in the Summer 2020 issue of The Voice. To read the free digital issue, access it here. A few years ago, as the trade war with China heated up, Mark Wolf decided he had had enough. Already frustrated with theft of his company's intellectual property in ...read more
From this point forward, SNEWS will be publishing regular roundups of the articles that drew the most interest to our site each month. July was filled with big news, from changes in the retail space to landmark legislation passed at the federal level. Here are the headlines that ...read more
What’s in a name: Racist climbing route names, tone-deaf brand terminology, and other instances of offensive language across the outdoor space are being examined anew. [The Colorado Sun] Speaking of language: It’s time to rethink how we talk about skiing, and the subtle ways our ...read more
Retailers across the nation are reopening, people are out shopping again, and everyone is wondering just how safe they are, say, sitting down to try on a pair of shoes or getting fitted for a pack. Throughout the outdoor industry, most (if not all) major brands have poured ...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 Ski resorts open: Some Oregon ski areas are gearing up to reopen. [Oregon Public Broadcasting] Shoe launch during the pandemic: Why did On Running launch a new product during the coronavirus crisis? [Fast Company] Q&A with ...read more
In recent weeks many retailers have stepped up to help support brick-and-mortar retailers survive the coronavirus pandemic through profit-sharing ecommerce revenue. Osprey is the latest to announce such a program, but with a twist that also promises to drive traffic once stores ...read more
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Alterra Mountain Co. makes tough choices: The company that owns 15 North American ski resorts, including Steamboat and Deer Valley, is furloughing many year-round employees after huge layoffs of seasonal workers last month. ...read more
Combing through the season’s new gear can be like bushwhacking through a jungle: slow going. Consider us your personal guide. We spent weeks poring over press releases and product shots, watching embargoed videos, and asking questions about materials, features, and design. Then ...read more
There are lots of way to make an impact on the world’s raging plastic problem. Every little step away from single-use plastic and towards a circular and petroleum-free world is worth celebrating. Here are a few things we’re stoked about from just a few of our 336 (and counting) ...read more
Keep up with all the important outdoor news by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. Stay up to date and get Industry Buzz delivered to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter. Trade show talk: Nora ...read more
It’s countdown time to Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show, which stages in Denver January 29-31, 2020. Thanks to collaborative efforts of Plastic Impact Alliance members, including the show management, there was a major increase in awareness around single-use plastic at Outdoor ...read more
"Excuse me. Can you tell me where the CamelBaks are?" I asked a hovering, green-vested employee in a big metro REI store last fall. "We don't carry CamelBak anymore," she said. Obviously well-versed, she continued, "Their parent company also owns a semi-automatic rifle ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com Outdoor Industry Association chimed in on the introduction of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act 2019: “America’s diverse and unique wildlife are not only ...read more
Sustainability is the outdoor industry’s warmest and fuzziest buzzword, but the movement has fallen short on two points: It’s only really made headway in apparel, and it’s mired in green-washed marketing speak. Osprey has decided to tackle both. Osprey—which, according to NPD ...read more
Last year, the Super Bowl, one of the largest events in the country with more than 100,000 attendees, sought to keep 90 percent of waste out of landfills and send 10 percent to a waste-to-energy plant. Due to its magnitude, some were skeptical. But they pulled it off. Now, it's ...read more
Some call them waist packs or hip belts, others call them fanny packs. Some wear them to Disneyland, others wear them hiking or fastened to their bikes. Whichever your preference, these compact bags are trending right now—up 50 percent as of November—and numerous outdoor brands ...read more
When baristas offer single-use cups and food vendors offer reusable utensils, most of us have begun to say, "No, thanks, I'll use my own." We do this because we understand that single-use plastic is a burden to our beloved planet. As we count down to Outdoor Retailer Summer ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. Here's everything you need to know about David Bernhardt, Trump's nominee for secretary of the Interior The EU market cut single-use plastic products to protect ...read more
Now that it's officially spring, we're itching to get on a trail that's not covered by snow. Not far from our office in Boulder, the Flatirons and foothills beckon us to trek up its peaks and valleys on our lunch breaks or after work. A daypack is essential to hold our water, ...read more