VF Corporation

The guilt of e-commerce is real. On Cyber Monday this year, U.S. shoppers spent a record $10.8 billion in less than 24 hours, generating an incredible amount of packaging waste in the process. For outdoor industry consumers—people who care about the environment and ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web New leadership at Patagonia: The company has hired Beth Thoren as its new environmental action and initiatives director. A mountaineering icon on film: Selena Gomez has signed on to play the mountaineering legend Silvia ...read more

VF Corporation, the parent company of Smartwool, Timberland, and The North Face, announced today that it has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire the direct-to-consumer streetwear company Supreme. The deal is set to be completed before the end of the year. Supreme, ...read more

Reggie J. Miller, the DEI leader whose career has included executive positions at Walmart, Tyson Foods, Sam's Club, and most recently VF Corporation, has accepted a new role as vice president and global chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at McDonald's. The news of ...read more

VF Corporation announced today that, as part of wider organizational changes meant to better align the company's leadership, Steve Murray will be promoted to global brand president of The North Face. Murray replaces former TNF president Arne Arens, who will leave VF to pursue ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Vote the assholes out: Patagonia hid a provocative message on the back of some clothing tags this season. People just recently noticed, and the revelation is now making waves on the internet. [BACKPACKER] Body recovered in ...read more

VF Corporation released its 2020 Inclusion and Diversity Annual Profile to the public in recent days, providing an in-depth look at the company’s global efforts to create a highly inclusive culture that celebrates the diversity among its 50,000 employees. The report—the first ...read more

How do I apply for a paycheck protection loan? What if I have to furlough employees? How do I pivot my manufacturing to make PPEs? What if I have to close my business? These are the types of questions the Outdoor Industry Association fielded when its 1,300 member businesses ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Grants for BIPOC students: A $34K VF Corporation grant awarded to Colorado Mesa University’s new Outdoor Recreation Industry Studies program will be used for scholarships aimed at promoting diversity in the industry. [CMU ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Mark Satkiewicz Memorial Fund: After the passing of our colleague Mark Satkiewicz last weekend, a fund has been created in his name to provide gear and resources to Steamboat Springs youth. Celebrate the newest outdoor ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web VF’s social consciousness: The parent company of The North Face and Smartwool snagged the top spot on Barron’s List of Most Socially Conscious Companies. Representation on public lands: Surveys of national parks show that ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web REI workers speak out: The company is facing criticism over its handling of coronavirus cases as locations reopen across the country. [The New York Times] Invest in outdoor: “It’s hard to go wrong with the great outdoors ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Rose Marcario on the Facebook boycott: The former Patagonia CEO gives her thoughts on the outdoor industry’s refusal to accept Facebook’s moral lapses. [Fast Company] Will MEC survive the coronavirus? The pandemic might ...read more

In 1992, I was hired as the first black independent sales representative for The North Face (TNF). Back then, TNF was privately owned and headquartered in Berkeley, California. On the way home from my very first sales meeting, I happened to bump into the company president, Bill ...read more

Boulder, CO (April 29, 2020) – Camber Outdoors, a national nonprofit supporting workplace inclusion, equity, and diversity across the active-outdoors industries, gathers active-outdoor industry leaders for an Interactive Training Webinar: "Return to Work Strategy - Diverse ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Layoffs and furloughs at Orvis: The Vermont-based company is the latest to join a string of outdoor businesses that have been forced to reduce staff and weekly worker pay. [Bennington Banner] American Alpine Club furloughs: ...read more

Medical masks are on everyone's mind these days, and rightly so. To protect healthcare workers on the front lines of the pandemic, they are probably the most vital piece of PPE companies can start producing, as many in the outdoor industry have done, selflessly and valiantly. ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Furloughs at Columbia: Another big outdoor company has resorted to cutting pay as the coronavirus crisis worsens, cutting 3,500 workers’ wages by 75 percent. [The Oregonian] Your mask might not be working: That polyester ...read more

Coronavirus news Outdoor brands shutter stores left and right: Many companies are closing all retail stores to prevent the spread of the virus, among them Merrell, REI, VF Corp., and Columbia. Some, including Patagonia, are halting ecommerce as well. End of the line: Ski resorts ...read more

Yesterday, a recommendation from the CDC dramatically changed the in-person event landscape for the outdoor industry for at least the next two months. In a statement released on the agency's website, experts advised cancelling or postponing all gatherings of 50 or more people ...read more

VF Corp. is the latest big retailer to announce temporary closures due to coronavirus. Steve Rendle, VF chairman, president, and CEO announced in a press release that all VF retail locations—including The North Face, Icebreaker, Smartwool, and Timberland—will shutter through at ...read more

Prepare for coronavirus: OIA will run a webinar next week on the economic realities of the emerging health crisis and what comes next for you and your business. Olympics face cancellation: The longest-serving member of the International Olympic Committee member has suggested that ...read more

Turning to the masses to save Modell’s: The beleaguered sporting goods retailer, which plans to close 15 percent of its stores to stave off bankruptcy, is also seeking new outside investment, an effort that CEO Mitchell Modell called “crowdsourcing at the highest level.” [PR ...read more

A little less than a month after outdoor companies with Chinese supply chains got some relief from a preliminary trade deal, they’re now reeling from work stoppages caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Large outdoor apparel companies VF Corp. and Columbia Sportswear are losing ...read more