Last year a Congressional report confirmed what many within the outdoor industry already knew: climate change will transform the way we do business. The report projected that unless serious action is taken to curb global warming, the U.S. economy could shrink by nearly 10 percent in the next 80 years.

It specifically called out the danger to outdoor recreation and tourism economies. Wildfires will shut down national forests more frequently. Certain game species will shift their habitat, affecting local hunting and fishing. And warmer, drier winters will have a severe impact on snow sports.

Because many independent retailers have already experienced the effects of climate change firsthand, we wanted to know what they鈥檙e doing to prepare for what one business owner called 鈥渁n existential crisis.鈥�

Here鈥檚 what they had to say:

Ed McAlister, River Sports Outfitters, Knoxville, TN

Ed McAlister has been in business a long time鈥攏early 40 years鈥攁nd has seen his fair share of seasonal changes; however, he says recent weather fluctuations have been significantly more dramatic.

鈥淪ome years, we just don鈥檛 have any cold weather,鈥� McAlister said.

Tennessee, like much of the Southeast, is projected to experience a rise in the number of days above 95掳F, longer, more frequent droughts, and severe flooding.

McAlister believes climate change isn鈥檛 the sole challenge independent retailers face, but it is certainly compounding them. Competing against online shopping and big box stores will be that much harder if locals aren鈥檛 getting outside.

鈥淲e鈥檙e buying much more conservatively because of the fluctuations,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 afford to get stuck with inventory anymore.鈥�

McAlister has adapted his buying strategy to reflect unpredictable and often extreme weather. Instead of placing two to three big orders per season, he now plans for smaller, more frequent buys.

鈥淵ou always try to make the best of a bad situation,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen it rains a lot, boaters are out. When it鈥檚 dry and hot, climbers are out.鈥�

For McAlister, it鈥檚 about structuring his business to be nimble and capable of servicing the needs of the customer based on the situation.

Ben Rockis, Backcountry Experience, Durango, CO

Warmer, drier winters paired with increased wildfire activity is in the longterm forecast for Southwest Colorado and last year Durango received a back-to-back combination of each. A hot, dry winter segued into the 416 Fire, which shut down the San Juan National Forest and filled the town with heavy smoke at the height of summer.

鈥淚t basically hindered any outdoor activity locally,鈥� said Backcountry Experience owner Ben Rockis.

Rockis, who has now experienced two severe wildfire seasons, expects to see this pattern more frequently.

鈥淚 believe that the rise in temperatures will hurt the winter season the most,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e planning on ordering less winter product.鈥�

That, however, doesn鈥檛 mean lost sales.

鈥淎nytime there鈥檚 chaos, there鈥檚 always opportunity,鈥� Rockis said.

A shorter winter means a longer hiking, running, and climbing season. He sees potential in more backpack and footwear sales, as well as hydration and sun protection. Rockis has also begun working with several brands to develop a buying plan specifically for fire season. During the 416 Fire, Backcountry Experience bulked up on footwear and other gear for the influx of firefighters, often transporting special orders directly to the front lines.

Rockis emphasized the importance of inventory management going forward.

鈥淎s a small business, we can control our inventory on a shorter notice and work with vendors to accommodate that.鈥�

Bill Gaydosh, Taos Mountain Outfitters, Taos, NM

Like Colorado, New Mexico experienced a severe wildfire season last summer. Several national forests were closed including the Carson near Taos.

鈥淲e had a huge summer from a sales point last year,鈥� said owner Bill Gaydosh.

He attributed this surprising spike in sales to increased foot traffic as the fire 鈥減ushed people into town to eat green chile and look at pottery.鈥�

Gaydosh, who purchased TMO three years ago, has restructured the business to not be dependent on weather.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 sit there and make decisions on what the weather might be,鈥� he said.

And while Gaydosh does believe that climate change will affect the environment in Northern New Mexico, he doesn鈥檛 think tourism will be dramatically altered because of the strong arts and culture scene in Taos.

After taking over ownership of TMO, Gaydosh refocused the business to general outdoors with an emphasis on apparel and footwear. When it comes to buying, he plans on a good season and makes adjustments to his orders if it doesn鈥檛 pan out.

Brendan Madigan, Alpenglow Sports, Lake Tahoe, CA

Yes, California鈥檚 snowpack is 161 percent above average this year, but that doesn鈥檛 mean climate change isn鈥檛 real. Just ask Brendan Madigan, owner of Alpenglow Sports who has lived in Lake Tahoe since 2003.

In addition to hotter summers, Madigan has noticed more wildfires as well as rain instead of snow during the winter. Climate scientists expect temperatures to rise five to seven degrees in the Sierra Nevada, leading to a substantial drop in snowpack by the end of the century.

鈥淭hat has tremendous consequences for a resort destination,鈥� Madigan said.

Alpenglow Sports, which is well known for its robust events program, carries a breadth of snow sports and summer gear. Madigan said inventory management has become even more 鈥渇ierce鈥� as a result of increasingly unpredictable weather. However, he believes there鈥檚 only so much a retailer can do internally.

鈥淲hat we鈥檝e done is try to align with the brands that are actively making a difference.鈥�

Madigan intentionally buys more from companies that are taking political stances and developing eco-friendly products. And while he believes outdoor brands should be doing more to reduce their carbon footprint and lobby for climate initiatives, he has found one substantive way independent retailers can make a difference: events. Through Alpenglow鈥檚 Winter Speaker Series, Madigan raised $30,000 for Protect Our Winters and provided the non-profit with a captive audience.

鈥淲e can make a really comprehensive difference in our own community,鈥� Madigan said. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 do that, you make yourself irrelevant.鈥�

The post How Climate Change Is Impacting Specialty Outdoor Retail appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.