John Murtiashaw could not catch a break. In the fall of 2023, Murtiashaw, 38, was working as the sales manager for Appalachian Gear Company (ACG), an apparel brand based in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Murtiashaw, an eight-year veteran in the outdoor industry, loved the job and his coworkers. There was some serious buzz around the product, and he felt like he was doing good in the world.

Then, in May 2024, AGC went out of business, leaving Murtiashaw, his coworkers, and the brand鈥檚 customers shocked and heartbroken. At the end of the summer, after hustling from one job interview to the next, Murtiashaw found work at another North Carolina-based outdoor company, tent-maker Diamond Brand. A few weeks later, right after Murtiashaw received his first paycheck, Hurricane Helene annihilated the region. The factory flooded, the shuttered, and Murtiashaw was out of work again.

鈥淲e got three feet of water inside the factory,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e tried to keep going for a few days, but then we had a meeting.鈥� Management told employees that it was impossible to continue the business with that much damage. They were all let go.

鈥淚t was devastating,鈥� Murtiashaw said.

Murtiashaw鈥檚 story is familiar to those who work in (or adjacent to) the U.S. outdoor recreation industry. According to the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), a trade group made up of outdoor businesses, that鈥檚 a lot of people: the U.S. outdoor industry鈥攚hich includes everything from outdoor apparel manufacturers, to guiding companies, to ski resorts鈥攃urrently employs five million people and accounts for more than two percent of the nation鈥檚 gross domestic product (GDP).

But throughougt 2024 and 2025, a litany of outdoor gear brands鈥攆rom Patagonia to Orvis to REI鈥攈ave announced revenue shortfalls, downsized their staff, or shuttered altogether. The Outdoor Retailer Trade Show鈥攐ne of the industry鈥檚 biggest events鈥攄eclared in September that it would drop to just one show per year, combining its summer and winter gear conventions into a single annual event.

The turmoil has generated local and national headlines. It鈥檚 also forced many workers, from entry-level employees to business owners, to analyze the micro and macroeconomic forces that are putting financial pressure on businesses. 国产吃瓜黑料 spoke to a dozen sources to try and understand the roots of the industry鈥檚 woes. These sources cited a laundry list of hurdles that the industry faces, from climate change and natural disasters, to supply-chain aftershocks that are still rippling outward from the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncertainty over national politics,聽and even competition from indoor activities, were also on the list.

鈥淏usiness has been really tricky,鈥� said Bryce Phillips, founder and CEO of ski-and-bike retailer Evo. 鈥淭hese last two years after the high of COVID聽have been particularly challenging.鈥�

None of the sources we spoke to could say whether or not the pressure facing the outdoor industry would abet anytime soon.

The Pandemic Boom and Bust

While the pandemic may feel like ancient history, it鈥檚 still having very real impacts on the U.S. economy. Supply chains and product inventory in the U.S. still haven鈥檛 rebounded to normal levels in multiple sectors. That鈥檚 certainly the case for many manufacturers and retailers in outdoor recreation.

Demand for outdoor gear surged during the pandemic, as millions of people sought refuge outdoors. Many manufacturers and retailers ran low on inventory as bikes, skis, and other gear flew off shelves. Brands, which had finished their orders months before, couldn鈥檛 restock fast enough.

鈥淣ever in our history have we experienced anything like what happened when COVID kicked off,鈥� Phillips said. Stores were selling out of critical equipment.

鈥淥n the cycling side for example, chains, chain rings, brake pads鈥攖hey were impossible to get during the pandemic,鈥� said Sean Smith, show director for the Outdoor Retailer trade show. 鈥淭he idea for some brands was that if there鈥檚 demand, we鈥檙e going to fill it. People want our stuff, we鈥檙e going to get it to them.鈥�

Many brands ordered huge increases in inventory and hired additional staff and managers to keep up with demand. Surging revenue helped fund this uptick in infrastructure.

For a brief and beautiful moment, the outdoor industry was exploding. But, according to some of the sources we spoke to, some businesses failed to predict that the good times wouldn鈥檛 last forever.

According to Phillips, swelling margins masked unchecked spending. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think any of us managers in the business are loose cannons by any means,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 human nature: when everything is working well, you鈥檙e more apt to spend鈥攁nd less apt to catch costs that are creeping up.鈥�

The Inventory Problem

As demand boomed, outdoor brands and retailers continued to increase their orders for new product. But when a warm, dry winter struck North America in 2021 and 2022, that slammed the brakes on ski-pass and lift-ticket sales. That was tough on Vail Resorts, which posted losses for several quarters before it ultimately announced layoffs in 2024. Sales of skis and winter apparel were down, too, which affected both Evo and Patagonia, representatives from both companies said.

Then, in mid-2022, the COVID-19 vaccine became readily available. People went back to offices and returned to indoor activities, like concerts and parties. Studies from OIA show that, around this time, the surge in outdoor activity leveled off: after three years of consistent growth, consumers鈥� average number of annual outdoor outings dropped by almost 7 percent in 2022, and by another 11 percent in 2023.

It鈥檚 not that people aren鈥檛 going outside鈥擮IA鈥檚 2024 participation survey indicates that the overall number of outdoor recreation participants is still up year over year. But according to that same report, the bulk of new participation is by casual outdoor users鈥攖hink picnickers, day hikers, and bird watchers. The percentage of more hardcore users鈥攖hose who make more than 50 outings per year鈥攊s dropping, OIA found.

According to Kelly Davis, OIA鈥檚 research director, the dip in core participation is tied to a handful of dynamics. Screens, social media, and other activities are increasingly placing demands on consumers鈥� time and money, she said. What鈥檚 more, young people are exercising and spending time outdoors for different reasons than they used to.

鈥淭hey are out there for their mental health more than for their physical health, and outdoor activities are where they found community during the pandemic,鈥� Davis says.

The bad news is that these hardcore outdoor enthusiasts were the folks most likely to buy a second mountain bike, a new rack of trad gear, or a high-end backcountry ski setup. With the loss of their purchasing enthusiasm, sales of these products have crashed back down to earth, said Matt Powell, a longtime outdoor industry data analyst and founder of Spurwink River Consulting. The reason behind that rise and fall in the data, Powell suggests, might simply be because people in the grips of pandemic lockdown overestimated how much time they鈥檇 spend outdoors when restrictions lifted.

鈥淎 lot of people bought product above their needs or skill level during the pandemic, and then didn鈥檛 have a good experience with it,鈥� Powell said. 鈥淧eople tried new activities and found they didn鈥檛 like them or they were too hard.鈥� Outdoor industry analysts incorrectly interpreted the flurry of buying activity as the mass arrival of new lifelong customers. In reality, many were just dabblers.

Yet, most brands continued to order inventory in 2022 and 2023, assuming that sales would continue to grow. And since these companies order a year in advance, many brands have been saddled by excess inventory.

鈥淭he business brands were planning for never materialized, but the inventory sure did,鈥� Powell said. Retailers were suddenly bogged down with way too much stuff. So they stopped buying new inventory, and just sat on the piles of old product they already had, hoping it would eventually sell.

鈥淎s a result, there hasn鈥檛 been a lot of newness out there,鈥� Powell said. 鈥淪o even the customers who do want to buy haven鈥檛 seen anything that feels new and exciting. I don鈥檛 care what you say鈥攖his business is a fashion business. And when there鈥檚 no newness in the market, people get bored.鈥�

Worse, many outdoor retail stores were forced to offer steep discounts to offload all their extra inventory鈥攁 task made even more difficult by inflation, which hamstrung consumers鈥� buying power.

鈥淭he steep discounting caused this domino effect,鈥� said Eric Henderson, founder of outdoor industry PR firm Meteorite. When some brands sell gear for pennies, the rest have to drop their prices to keep up. That didn鈥檛 help anyone鈥檚 bottom lines. The discounting was an especially big hit to smaller brands, which already operate at razor-thin margins, Henderson said.

Inflation Drives Prices Up

If you鈥檝e been buying milk, eggs, gas, or pretty much anything else over the last three years, you鈥檙e already familiar with the serious impact inflation has had on the U.S. economy. In August of 2022, it hit a record high of 8.3 percent. That made everything more expensive. Since then, inflation has dropped鈥攊t now sits at a very reasonable 2.8 percent鈥攂ut prices remain high. Then there were the interest rate hikes in 2023, which left some consumers with higher mortgages or car payments. That ate into folks鈥� discretionary spending even more, and many haven鈥檛 yet had time to refinance after the 2024 rate drops.

鈥淧eople are still spending鈥攃onsumer spending in 2024 was up year over year鈥攚ith all this uncertainty and the impact of inflation, people have had to be more discerning,鈥� said Chris Sword, a professor for the University of Colorado鈥檚 Outdoor Recreation Economy program. It appears that some consumers have chosen so-called 鈥渞evenge travel鈥� over a new bike or ice axe this year.

The revenge travel phenomenon got a lot of press in the year or two after the pandemic, but data shows that consumers鈥� pent-up, post-pandemic wanderlust is still playing out. According to the 国产吃瓜黑料 Travel Trade Association, a for-profit advocacy group for the travel industry, travel operators are serving 54 percent more clients this year than last. The average trip cost? More than $2,000. The catch is that much of the revenge travel so far has been international. That trend is also projected to continue: Americans took eight聽percent more trips abroad in 2024 compared to 2023, according to data by travel research company AXA. That means those dollars don鈥檛 always flow back into the U.S. economy.

Experts told聽翱耻迟蝉颈诲别听that, between 2022 and 2024, consumers were choosing to spend on travel or gear. Many chose to travel. Between that, the dusty inventory, and the warm winter, demand for outdoor gear dried up across most categories. A few items,聽such as running shoes, have maintained strong sales. But overall, growth stagnated.

鈥淲e had an extreme two years of demand that none of us could have ever imagined, followed by a two-year hangover,鈥� said Evo’s聽Phillips.

鈥淭he general vibe from the brands I鈥檝e talked to is that flat [growth year-over-year] is the new good. If you鈥檙e flat, you鈥檙e going to be fine,鈥� said Henderson 鈥淚f you鈥檙e down? That鈥檚 when the panic button gets pushed.鈥�

Brands Lay Employees Off to Cut Costs

In 2024 many brands realized the boom times weren鈥檛 coming back, Henderson said. When that happened, they took long and hard looks at their budgets.

鈥淪uddenly, the music stops, and you鈥檙e looking at your P&L and scrutinizing all your costs in a way you weren鈥檛 before,鈥� Phillips said. That process can reveal some ugly truths. Some brands discovered they had a glut of extraneous personnel that they may have needed in 2020 but just couldn鈥檛 keep busy anymore.

At the end of last summer, with the fiscal year coming to a close, companies started to get nervous. One source told聽国产吃瓜黑料 that many brands simply wanted to polish up their bottom lines and pump up their 2025 projections before they closed their books.

Enter the layoffs.

Throughout 2024 and into 2025, the outdoor industry generated a steady cascade of bad news. On January 25, REI laid off 357 staffers, including 200 at its Sumner, Washington, headquarters. It was the REI’s third layoff in 12 months. “Outdoor specialty retail has experienced four quarters of decline鈥攁nd that trend has been worsening,” REI’s CEO, Eric Artz, .

Then, on September 19, Outdoor Retailer officially nixed its second show. A week later, Vail laid off 14 percent of its corporate staff. On September 30, Patagonia employees were pulled into a call announcing the brand would cut one percent of its workforce. On October 4, Orvis laid off eight percent of its employees. On October 11, footwear brand Vasque shut down. LL Bean announced its second layoff of 2024 in December. In January, apparel company Alpine Parrot, which designed apparel for plus-sized customers, abruptly shuttered. (国产吃瓜黑料 Inc., the parent company of OUTSIDE, wasn’t immune from the layoffs, and in February 2025 let go of 23 employees.)

For current (and aspiring) outdoor industry staffers, it felt like gut punch after gut punch. But if the economic headwinds鈥攖he excess inventory, the high costs, the supply-chain woes鈥攁re years-old, why did these layoffs and closures happen in 2024 and 2025?

鈥淚 think there are a lot of [brands] who tried to hold on as long as they possibly could, and then had to make a difficult decision,鈥� said Bruce Old, head of global business operations at Patagonia. 鈥淲here we have settled is that we don鈥檛 think that the market and some of the risk around the world is going to change significantly.鈥�

In other words, the industry is close to finding its level after the pandemic. While Old hopes trends will continue to stabilize, the reality is that level may be lower than many brands had hired for.

Now, it remains to be seen whether the recent layoffs are enough to course-correct.

鈥淚t鈥檚 better to make hard decisions deep and early than small and late,鈥� said CU鈥檚 Chris Sword. 鈥淪o, we鈥檒l have to wait and see if these brands cut deep enough to course correct.鈥� If they didn鈥檛, layoffs could continue into 2025.

An Uncertain Future

Adding to the witch鈥檚 brew is the shifting political landscape. Political uncertainty historically leads to consumer reticence鈥攁 reluctance to buy and an impulse to hoard savings. That goes for brands and consumers alike.

鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing it in the U.S., and on the international side too,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淎 lot of people are in this wait-and-see mindset on the economy. Are we going to see increased tariffs on goods coming from China? That鈥檚 a legitimate concern. There are a lot of brands waiting to see what will happen next.鈥�

Throughout the early months of 2025, brands have had to endure the threat of the Trump Administration’s evolving agenda on tariffs. In February and March, the U.S. either imposed or threatened tariffs on goods imported from Mexico, Canada, and China.

Matt Tucker, director of client development for Circana鈥檚 sports equipment business, has seen that reluctance play out in Circana鈥檚 outdoor industry sales data. But a closer look reveals that things aren鈥檛 all bad: According to Tucker, the outdoor industry market is down two percent since this time last year. However, the industry has grown 31 percent since 2020. That鈥檚 some pretty strong long-term growth.

Henderson believes the post-pandemic pendulum swing has finally come to a stop. It鈥檚 stabilizing now, he said, and growth (and hiring) should both resume in 2025. But if you鈥檙e looking for an outdoor industry job, don鈥檛 hold your breath. Most of the managers interviewed for this story said their biggest lesson from the past few years was acting too fast, hiring or making changes before they had all the data. Going forward, many will be playing it safe.

鈥淲e鈥檙e patiently assessing what鈥檚 happening and proceeding with caution,鈥� said Corey Simpson, Patagonia鈥檚 communications manager. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like getting a sketchy avalanche forecast. It could be good, or maybe we鈥檙e just drinking coffee at the truck today. We just have to keep assessing as we move forward.鈥�

As for Murtiashaw? He鈥檚 feeling cautiously optimistic. For now, he鈥檚 still looking for work in the outdoor industry, but he鈥檚 not as set on it as he once was.

鈥淚 have friends in tech, and they don鈥檛 seem that different from me. Honestly, they seem happier,鈥� he said. The tech industry has had its own woes this past year, but Murtiashaw sees some real appeal in selling a product that isn鈥檛 physical and therefore isn鈥檛 affected by local and international factors beyond employees鈥� control.

鈥淵ou鈥檒l likely see me in the outdoor industry again, and loving every minute of it,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 hard to ignore friends who seem professionally stimulated, stable, with ample time to enjoy outside of work, and wonder if they鈥檝e found a better way.鈥�

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This fall, Mystery Ranch will notch a brand first鈥攖he company’s first fully recycled pack series鈥攚ith the help of Cordura Advanced Fabrics and its incorporation of Cordura re/cor fabric in The District series, Mystery Ranch’s new everyday-carry collection.

“We make the most durable load-bearing packs in the world, and now thanks to our innovative fabric partners, we can take meaningful steps at the product level with full pack lines made of recycled materials,” said Mystery Ranch president Alex Kutches. “Our company partnership with Cordura has a long and special history, but the launch of the District series heralds a new chapter in our brand story.”

For over 20 years, Mystery Ranch has been building some of the finest carrying equipment for military, firefighters, and mountain professionals. Now the company is on a mission to further reduce its environmental impact through its use of Cordura re/cor, which uses high-quality yarns spun into durable fabrics made from reclaimed waste resources.

The District series will include five packs and bags in sizes of two, four, eight, 18, and 24 liters. Currently available in 36 colors for fall 2022 and winter 2023, the new collection is “durable, responsible, and innovated to last,” according to the company. The production of the recycled fabrics used in the series decreases greenhouse gas emissions by 83 percent compared to non-recycled fabric, consumes 82 percent less energy, and uses 57 percent less water. Cordura re/cor is made solely from pre-consumer fiber that is 100 percent Global Recycle Standard-certified.

“We’re delighted that the District series has already been adopted in 16 countries, including the U.S.,” said Cindy McNaull, Cordura’s business development director. “This is an impressive take-up for a brand-new product line. As the world evolves, we know a large piece of that evolution will fall within stewardship and sustainability. At Cordura, we believe that sustainability begins with products that last. Mystery Ranch operates from the same value set, and they truly are the perfect partner to help us bring this new fabric to market.”

Cordura fabric is a primary ingredient in many of the world鈥檚 leading high-performance products,聽from casual apparel and activewear to footwear, backpacks, military/tactical wear, and workwear. To learn more about Invista鈥檚 Cordura brand, end-use products, and marketing tools, please visit , and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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As the clock ticks down to Outdoor Retailer鈥檚 40th anniversary show, it鈥檚 tough to zero in on a single emotion. OR has been doing its thing in Denver for five years鈥擟OVID gaps notwithstanding鈥攁nd for many, there was a sense of rightness about it that鈥檚 difficult to articulate. Yes, there鈥檚 the economic boon. Yes, there鈥檚 the central location. But at the heart of it all, OR鈥檚 Colorado residency fit the people here. The show, some would argue, was a reflection of the values and passions that make Colorado such a renowned ambassador for outdoor recreation and stewardship.

The next time this crowd gathers in early 2023, it will be back on the show鈥檚 old Utah stomping grounds. As attendees strolled the floor one last time or zipped by trying to hit that one booth they鈥檇 missed, it all seemed more final than usual. Colorado played host to a mere sliver of Outdoor Retailer鈥檚 74 shows over the years, but it鈥檚 been a meaningful, if transitional, run. Some would say the 鈥渞etailer鈥� part has lost a bit of luster over time as the show has slowly shifted its focus to other areas鈥攁dvocacy and consumer-focused elements chief among them. Will the Salt Lake City redux restore the OR of a bygone era, when big brands were king and deals were inked on the spot? Unlikely. Still, the specific nature of OR鈥檚 next chapter remains to be seen.

In the meantime, here鈥檚 our final roundup of new brands, neat gear, and deep thoughts from Outdoor Retailer Summer 2022.

Notable New Exhibitors

Performance wear with fishing roots: It might be its first time at OR, but the family-owned, Florida-based has been in the biz of outdoor wear for more than 25 years, expanding from early graphic tees to its current sporty and colorful lines of high-tech cooling and sun-protective apparel. In fact, most of Reel Legends鈥� fabrics have earned the Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation for sun protection. Moisture wicking, quick-drying, and heat-activated cooling features make these garments suitable for just about anything you鈥檙e doing outside. 鈥淔ishing is our DNA,鈥� said Roselle Thomas, Reel Legends deputy vice president of wholesale and ESG. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how we started. But we see people wearing this brand everywhere: on the boat, in water, and all over the golf course.鈥澛�

For keeping your (other) cheeks toasty: File this one under 鈥渢hings we never knew we always wanted.鈥� Developed in Maine in 2021 as a direct response to restaurants that were forced to launch all-season outdoor dining during COVID, heated seat cushions are battery-operated for up to ten hours of coziness, and portable鈥攕traps let you toss it one over your shoulder like a backpack. Water-resistant, easy to wipe down, and boasting three temperature settings, these cushions have grown beyond their restaurant beginnings to become an outdoor luxury for anything from camping to catching an outdoor show at an amphitheater. Imagine the seat warmers in your car鈥攂ut better鈥攑ackaged in a backpack you can take anywhere. 鈥淚t allows you to enjoy the outdoors for a longer period of time,鈥� said CEO Jocelyn Olsen.

The wagon that does it all:聽 Another Florida brand, , is hoping to expand its reach from beachgoers to a more camping-oriented clientele with a go at Outdoor Retailer. These hefty, no-nonsense wagons are your answer to getting from A to B when you鈥檝e got a lot of stuff to schlep鈥攁nd they鈥檙e surprisingly maneuverable. Manufactured entirely in the United States from commercial-grade, rust-proof aluminum, the wagons come in various sizes with a plethora of accessory options鈥攂ike attachment, trailer hitch, kayak holder, table top, cutting board鈥攖hat attach via two fishing rod holders on the end of the wagon. And if you want to bring your beach hauler to the woods? No problem. Just change out the wheels鈥攖hey sell a conversion kit. 鈥淚t鈥檚 super heavy-duty but also lightweight,鈥� said Kahuna Wagons president Jennifer Knoebel. 鈥淚t鈥檚 meant to be the last wagon you ever have to buy.鈥�

Cool New Products

Shoes that support the fight against breast cancer: Adidas Terrex and Adidas Five Ten have teamed up to launch a collaboration that not only looks sharp, but also sends proceeds to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Choose from the trail running, biking, or hiking versions, all of which boast a gorgeous pink color scheme in support of breast cancer awareness, with accompanying custom artwork. 鈥淭his is the first time Five Ten and Terrex have come together,鈥� said Whitney DeBree, senior manager of communications, who points out that Five Ten鈥檚 Luke Hontz was inspired to give back by his mother, who is a breast cancer survivor. He tapped bike athlete Vero Sandler to help design. 鈥淲e were really excited about this because it鈥檚 proof of how Adidas is tapping into an amazing network of athletes and using some of their incredible [leverage] to give back.鈥� The shoes will go live at the end of September, just in time for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

The easiest clean water in the world: There鈥檚 lots of love in the corner at this show (the water filtration company was a finalist in this year鈥檚 Inspiration Awards) but we鈥檝e gotta hand out one more plug for the newest addition to the lineup: the one-and-done 24-ounce Bottle Water Filtration System. Going on a day hike? Traveling to a place with questionable water? Bring this bottle. Fill it with water. Drink. Repeat. No extra containers or mechanisms required. 鈥淭his is the highest level of filtration in the industry and it鈥檚 highly portable,鈥� said Sawyer communications director Andrew Glen. 鈥淲hereas before you would need a reservoir pack and a bottle, this one is all in one.鈥� It鈥檚 good for 100,000 gallons versus 1,000 liters in other products. Plus: Sawyer鈥檚 proceeds help millions of people across the world gain access to clean water.

Training wheels for skateboards: It鈥檚 almost too simple. How do young kids learn to ride bikes? Training wheels that come off when they have the skills and confidence to make it in the two-wheeled world. And so it is with , whose first-of-its-kind Wheele Pro skateboard training wheel lets little skaters rock on their boards with the added support of an extra wheel. Once they鈥檝e mastered it, just rip off the sticky pad, and voila: ready to hit the park. 鈥淪kate smart鈥攖hat鈥檚 my mantra,鈥� said founder Kuba Sitak. If you teach kids [that], then they can become who they want and build their character through skateboarding.鈥�

Hot Takes from the Show Floor

Reunited and it feels so good: 鈥淔or the last two-and-a-half years, we had to do everything by Zoom calls. It鈥檚 hard to do a proper technical briefing on a Zoom call. Quite frankly, I think people are all Zoomed out. Being back in Denver is amazing just because we are able to be face to face with our clients and reestablish relationships that had sort of been put on hold for the last two-plus years. It鈥檚 nice to see people鈥檚 smiling faces, hear what they鈥檝e been up to, hear how they鈥檝e coped with COVID, and get back into innovating products for our brand partners. Because that鈥檚 what we do. We create innovation.鈥� 鈥擳imothy Skedzuhn, HeiQ / Global Brandforce

Next time, can we save some trees? 鈥淚鈥檝e made a lot of connections. A lot of the events on Wednesday night really helped get my feet wet. A lot of the seminars have been super helpful. 鈥楧iversifying the Outdoors鈥� was probably my favorite. A couple of things that could be changed: I saw a lot of paper. Like printed paper. What the heck? That was our team鈥檚 major [qualm]鈥攑eople outside kept giving us paper.鈥� 鈥擥racie Villanueva, Gossamer Gear

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Coming off of last night鈥檚 Inspiration Awards and Outdoor Retailer鈥檚 40th anniversary party, the morning of day two felt, well, inspired. The annual celebration of the people, retailers, nonprofits, manufacturers, and emerging leaders culminated in the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Larry Harrison, whose sales-focused outdoor industry career is profound, covering more than five decades and brands including JanSport, Eagle Creek, Yeti, Sierra Designs, and Adidas, to name a few, not to mention roles with Outdoor Industry Association and Outdoor Retailer. Other winners: Gloria Hwang of Thousand; Mercy M鈥檉on Shammah of Wild Diversity, Goal Zero, National Forest Foundation, and Pack Rat Outdoor Center.聽

As retailers, exhibitors, nonprofit staff, buyers, sales reps, and outdoor stewards milled around the convention center today鈥攎aking introductions, reconnecting with friends, exploring new ideas鈥擧arrison鈥檚 parting words in his acceptance speech lingered: 鈥�This is really about people. It鈥檚 about the 鈥榞reat us.鈥� I鈥檝e always liked that concept of 鈥榰s.鈥� People committed to one another are stronger, just like we are here, today. So you see, this award is not about me at all. But about each of you and the community that we鈥檝e created. We inspire others to find joy in the outdoors and preserve wildlands for future generations. It鈥檚 about us. Good on us.鈥澛�

With that, we bring you today鈥檚 rundown of brands, gear, and thoughts from the floor.

Notable New Exhibitors

Everyone鈥檚 favorite Western wear goes all-terrain. A stroll by the Wrangler display stopped us in our tracks when we spotted a stack of colorful tights that fit squarely in the 鈥榓thleisure鈥� realm. Wrangler showed up for its OR debut with a whole new line of apparel鈥�鈥攖hat skews less hunting, fishing, and ranchwear, more versatile outdoor garb. Think yoga pants, compression shorts, puffies, windbreakers, and trail joggers at affordable prices. 鈥淲ith people 鈥榝inding鈥� the outdoors the past couple of years, they also found that everything in this industry is expensive,鈥� said Aaron Mason, sales manager for ATG by Wrangler. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where we found the gap. We鈥檝e got fresh innovation and the technology, but the average consumer can afford the product.鈥� Amen.

Sunnies with built-in bluetooth tunes. introduced its sleek line of polarized audio shades to the OR crowd this year, and we鈥檙e intrigued (especially at the $150 price point). They pair with your phone via bluetooth to play your favorite jams鈥攁nd, via two subtle buttons, can even take and make phone calls, adjust volume, and skip tracks while you鈥檙e wearing them, whether you鈥檙e running or riding, on the trail, on the boat, or鈥herever. It鈥檚 open-ear technology that makes your run safer because you can hear external sound in addition to your music. 鈥淣obody鈥檚 done it like us with some of the patented technology we have,鈥� said Lucyd sales director Ken Strominger. 鈥淚t takes away your reliance on the phone because everything鈥檚 done through the glasses. And it takes ear buds out of the equation completely. It鈥檚 one less thing that鈥檚 hanging out of your ears or around your neck.鈥澛�

Molded foam shoes for鈥verything. They鈥檙e boat shoes. They鈥檙e street shoes. They鈥檙e water kicks. They鈥檙e loafers. They鈥檙e . This casual, moldable, EVA foam shoe in a loafer silhouette is about as versatile as you can get in a summer shoe, once you get past the unconventional look. Tucked into a dazzling enclosed modern booth, this OR first-timer brought a dizzying array of shoes in almost every color imaginable, including a scented kids鈥� Crayola line (yes, they smell delightfully like coconut and grape!) and fun prints like the Baja Llama and Robert Stock collections. What sets them apart from other foam footwear is the rubber outsole, which affords slip-resistant, scuff-proof, boat-deck-friendly wearability. Plus, they have side holes for breathability and drainability, a utility hole for easy hanging via carabiner (just clip to your backpack), and massage pods on the inside for extra comfort. 鈥淲e want to be modern, disruptive, and unexpected,鈥� said president and CEO Larry Paparo. Mission accomplished.聽

Cool New Products

Running tights with a built-in knee brace: Injury-prone athletes, these are for you. 鈥檚 K-Line tights鈥攖here are three versions with varying ventilation features and lengths鈥攁re referred to as 鈥渟upportive apparel.鈥� Each pair is a full lower-body compression system that the wearer can adjust to their comfort via minimalist dials on the back waistband. Each twist of the dial cinches cables in the tights that are mapped to the muscles on your body, but still allow for unfettered activity. 鈥淩igid braces don鈥檛 allow that much movement,鈥� said Stoko strategy specialist Kirsten Geyer. Pull on a pair of these tights, and 鈥測ou can go through the full range of motion without restriction, and if your knee goes into an injury-compromised position, that鈥檚 where the cables pull tight to correct it.鈥� Prepare to pony up: thanks to the proprietary Embrace System technology, these tights ring in at $298.

A must-have kit for wilderness survival: If you ever find yourself lost, stranded, or evacuating in the woods, mountains, desert, or water for any extended amount of time, you鈥檒l wish you had one of 鈥檚 Forever Endure Go-Bags along for the ride. You may have thought many times about what you would need to make it through a few days marooned in the wilderness鈥攐r even attempted to create an emergency survival kit yourself. Chances are, you missed something. Which could be critical. The beauty of these survival bundles is that experts have prepped and packaged it all for聽 you. The Ultimate Bug Out Bag ($260) is the most comprehensive (though the waterproof marine kit might be the best to stash on a boat), with all your basic needs鈥攚ater, shelter, first aid, food, lighting, communication, and more鈥攃overed. With almost every tool and supply you can imagine, 鈥測ou could survive off these bags for three to five days if you were to go out in the woods,鈥� said Brittany Bettonville, director of marketing for Quake Kare鈥檚 parent company, Lighthouse for the Blind. 鈥淲e鈥檙e really trying to sell to someone who is an outdoorsperson and a camper鈥攕omeone who can start a fire by hand.鈥�

An 101-level e-bike in happy colorways: 鈥檚 snazzy lineup is the prettiest set of electric bicycles we stumbled across at this show. 鈥淲e like to target entry-level customers who are new to e-biking, maybe haven鈥檛 had enough courage to try them,鈥� said Xprit product specialist Philip Hu. 鈥淪o we design with that in mind. Color is one of our big design factors. We put a lot of effort into our colorways.鈥� That translates to fun, retro color blocking (we liked the Beach Cruiser [$1,300] in Watermelon) that reads approachable and laid back. But if your speed is more forest trail than beach path, the fat-tired Hunter ($2,400) in Grand Prairie is a solid choice; it鈥檚 rugged enough to tow a trailer. Bonus: the bikes ship 95 percent assembled.

Hot Takes from the Show Floor

Slow but not boring: 鈥�The show looks great. It seems a little slow. It鈥檚 not as packed as I expected it to be. But I don鈥檛 know. Maybe it builds up. It hasn鈥檛 been boring at all. We鈥檝e been interacting with a great amount of people, making connections. We鈥檙e excited to be here.鈥� 鈥擜iyesha Christian, Nomad Trail Mix

Nonprofits need more visibility: 鈥�We teach rock climbing, backpacking, camping, kayaking, and everything that goes along with it at Title I, lower-income schools. We鈥檙e just trying to get our name out there, make partnerships and collaborations with other nonprofits. It鈥檚 worth us being here, I think, since we鈥檙e such a new nonprofit. I just wish [nonprofits] had more of a presence [here] instead of being just pushed off in the corner, so to speak. I feel like maybe if we were out in the hallways, or lined up in front of the entryway or something, where we鈥檙e more visible, [it] might be nice. A lot of the retailers, once they see 鈥榥onprofit鈥� on your badge, they kind of give you less attention.鈥� 鈥擜ndrew Hartman, New Treks

Work to do on DEI: 鈥淲hat鈥檚 been really helpful for me as a first-time attendee are the Outdoor Industry Association trainings and support. I think an area of improvement, for the outdoor industry or just this show in general, is diversity鈥攊n terms of representation and other audiences. I think that鈥檚 a definite area of growth. But I鈥檓 excited to be part of the industry and to be here. Denver is a beautiful city. It鈥檚 been amazing to see all the different brands. We all have to work together to support getting people outside.鈥� 鈥擲ana Jafri, BabyGami, first cohort of REI鈥檚 Path Ahead Ventures

Lesson of the Day

There was a packed house at this morning’s NPD Group briefing on retail and consumer trends in the outdoor marketplace, keynoted by sports industry analyst Dirk Sorenson.聽

Statistics and graphs aplenty provided a thorough picture of what, when, and why consumers are buying this year. Bottom line: the core outdoor industry鈥攁pparel, footwear, equipment, and accessories鈥攈as raked in $28.3 billion in retail sales in the 12 months ending in March 2022. That鈥檚 a growth of $6.8 billion over 2020. That鈥檚 significant. Ultimately, Sorenson encouraged retailers to keep a close eye on demographics and to whom they鈥檙e marketing, as it鈥檚 a moving target鈥攁nd to think deeply about how to keep consumers engaged once you get them on board.聽

Here, a sampling of the (many) takeaways:聽

• The outdoor industry will continue to be a bright spot in retail鈥攂ut focus will lean toward backyard lifestyle.
• Men are spending more on outdoor stuff. Coming off of the pandemic, they鈥檙e reevaluating their lifestyle and acting on it more than women.
• Consumers are learning from their outdoor and fitness splurges. Big equipment purchases are not necessarily one-and-done. Once newcomers master the basics, they want to augment their enjoyment of the activity. Retailers need to take note and figure out how to retain those people.
• Brick-and-mortar is back (up more than 27 percent from last year) while e-commerce is down more than 4 percent.
• Lifestyle goods are surging in sales, while equipment sales are declining.聽
• Backpacks and luggage are hot, hot, hot.
• Paddling sales are down (though SUP sales are up), and climbing gear is rebounding as people have gotten back to indoor gyms after a pandemic hiatus.
• E-bikes are now selling better than both road and mountain bikes.
• Top outdoor gear sellers in the past year include: water bottles, camp chairs, coolers, sleeping bags, and optics (i.e. binoculars).聽
• Spending at Recreation.gov, where you book camping sites at national parks and federal lands, is up 1 percent in Q1 of 2022 compared to 2021.

The post Live from OR: Everything You Missed on the Second Day appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

As the opening day of Outdoor Retailer Summer 2022 comes to a close, it feels bittersweet for those who鈥檝e grown to love the show鈥檚 home in downtown Denver. This is the last iteration (for now) in Colorado before the show . OR will call Utah home at least through the end of 2025鈥攁 move that was met with surprise and consternation from those troubled by Utah鈥檚 disregard for policies that protect public lands.聽

While Denver鈥檚 five-year contract was mired in pandemic challenges, some might also call it a transformational period for the very essence of Outdoor Retailer. Take this summer鈥檚 floor lineup: nearly 30 percent of the roster is composed of new exhibitors. A sign of more inclusivity and expanding reach in the outdoor industry? Probably. An indicator that the show has become more startup incubator than facilitator for heavy-hitting outdoor businesses? Jury鈥檚 out. Regardless, the positive feedback was flowing in the early hours. Here鈥檚 a snapshot.

Notable New Exhibitors

Surf stuff and artsy maps: Need a gadget for your surf life? This is the place. From wetsuit driers and waterproof seat covers to bike racks for your board and car door handle lock boxes to store your keys when the waves are calling, had an enthusiastic presence at its OR debut. Ricky Judalena, current Toyota USA Surfing Longboard Champion, is all in as the owner of 7 Seas, Inc., the parent company of Surflogic USA (and sister brand Awesome Maps鈥攈and-illustrated frameable world art maps with themes such as 鈥渂ucket list鈥� and 鈥渇ishing鈥�). 鈥淚t took 47 years of experience to start this at a late age,鈥� he said. Age aside, anyone in need of a few extras for their surf kit should start here.

Where to take a wild ride: In an impressively simple yet dazzling display, brings the stoke of eFoil (electric hydrofoil) to OR. For the uninitiated, eFoil is a hydrosport carried out on a board propelled by electric marine power. In other words, a surfboard-like piece of gear that鈥檚 propelled by a motor as opposed to a sail. The adrenaline-fueled sport is, said the Fliteboard crew, easy enough to pick up in 20 mins (the $13,000 price tag notwithstanding). 鈥淪o many people love this idea of surfing, but they think they don鈥檛 have time or that it鈥檚 too hard,鈥� said Jimmy Trask, Fliteboard west coast sales representative. 鈥淩eally, it鈥檚 pretty user friendly.鈥� Ben Miller, team lead in customer experience, agreed: 鈥淚f you go out by yourself, it鈥檚 very accessible. You don鈥檛 need another person to drive the boat or a big vehicle to tow it. They鈥檙e a blast.鈥� At 60 to 70 pounds apiece, the eFoils can be dismantled into four components, complete with bags and cases, for transport. With a charge time of two hours, you get 90 minutes zipping over the water, whether it鈥檚 ocean, lake, or bay鈥攁ny body of water will do. Now about that sticker shock鈥�

For the sun worshippers among us: We know, we know, sunscreen isn鈥檛 the jazziest item on the floor鈥攂ut it鈥檚 probably one of the most important. skincare line made its first appearance at OR at the perfect time to talk up its necessity for epic days on the water or the trail. The sunscreen line is 鈥渕eant to address all the pain points that keep men from wearing sunscreen,鈥� said brand manager Annie Gianakos. In other words, the white tinge that sits on face stubble, the greasy finish, and the anti-travel size are nowhere to be found in these products. Take your pick from spray, lotion, and the crowd favorite uber-portable Go Stick Clear ($6 to $22). No excuses.

Cool New Products

Tent camping for one: The latest addition to the ultralight Maxfield tent series by 聽is a solo backpacker鈥檚 dream. Weighing in at 2.5 pounds, the Maxfield 1 ($320) has unique super-short tent poles that make folding it up and packing it a dream, even with the built-in vestibule. The roomy overall footprint and 42-inch height make for a comfy, totally sit-able respite for taller folks. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our most comfortable style tent in terms of keeping your gear safe and the usability of the inside space,鈥� said product developer Kyle Hill. Solo getaway to the backcountry coming right up.

The coziest hammock ever: It鈥檚 like your fluffy down sleeping bag and your super chill hammock had a baby. 鈥檚 Evolution 20 Down Hammock ($299), made with RDS-certified down, might be the next must-have for car camping. 鈥淭here are a couple problems with normal hammocks,鈥� said Grand Trunk chief marketing officer Paul Asay. 鈥淥ne: You get cold. Two: There are too many extra attaching quilts if you do, and they don鈥檛 stay in place. We are solving a problem that鈥檚 been around for years.鈥� Tip: Grand Trunk鈥檚 Siesta Hammock Pillow is a clutch accessory. When you adjust in the hammock, it doesn鈥檛 slide down because it hooks into the hammock鈥檚 carabiner. Brilliant.

USB-chargeable batteries that never die: If you have ever camped or trekked with a headlamp that flickers out in the middle of the darkness, you know the pain of batteries that don鈥檛 hold up to sustained device use. Who wants to carry around extra bagfuls of鈥nything? Especially alkaline batteries that get tossed in landfills at alarming rates. Enter: 鈥檚 USB Rechargeable Smart Batteries, newly reimagined in an Artist Series that makes the batteries, well, pretty. More importantly, the partnership helps the artists鈥攐r whoever Pale Blue Earth partners with in the future鈥攑ursue their own sustainability goals as part of 鈥渁n ecosystem of businesses trying to do the right thing,鈥� said Pale Blue Earth CEO Tom Bishop. 鈥淎nd from a marketing perspective, it鈥檚 a way to help move the needle.鈥� At $30 for a four-pack of AAs鈥攃ompared to $5 for four Duracells鈥攖he ROI is outstanding, given that six uses pays them off, and it would take 1,000 full uses before they burned down to 80 percent of original capacity.

Hot Takes from the Show Floor

Wowed by the selection: 鈥�It鈥檚 amazing to see all of the different products and necessities for the outdoors. You have certain activities outdoors, but when you go around here at the exhibit, it鈥檚 just like, wow, I鈥檇 never have thought that I鈥檇 need this or that this could support my activities and endeavors. I think it鈥檚 a very good presentation. The traffic has been very good. It鈥檚 been flowy. Especially in the morning.鈥� 鈥擝arry Jackson, Adidas Eyewear

鈥淚t鈥檚 different in a good way. Just walking around, I see things you鈥檇 never think you鈥檇 need or never think existed, and you鈥檙e like, wow, I need that. I walked over to a booth and it was sleeping bag ponchos. I thought that was so cool. There鈥檚 a plethora of things from A to Z that I feel like I need to bring back to New York.鈥� 鈥擱yan Medina, Adidas Eyewear

Turnkey, one-stop shopping: 鈥�We call Oregon the Silicon Valley of the outdoor industry. This show is really important for our small- and medium-sized companies. Oregon and Idaho combine together to have this booth, the Northwest Pavilion. We kind of pay [the cost] up front with a federal fund. We help companies get grants, provide travel costs, food, setup, everything, with a 75 percent reimbursement for their costs. We try to do that every year. I鈥檓 so glad to be kind of a sponsor for these companies because they really need it. And we want to help them. A lot of people have been impressed because this [Northwest Pavilion] is kind of one-stop-shopping. We don鈥檛 have any duplicates.鈥� 鈥擲haron Kim, Business Oregon

鈥淚鈥檓 really liking the reception we鈥檙e getting from everyone coming through. Sometimes you see these big pavilions and people don鈥檛 walk into them鈥nd they are! I鈥檓 so happy that we kept a gap in the middle [of the layout]. A lot of times, the bigger vendors鈥攖hat aren鈥檛 really at the show this year鈥攖heir booths are very closed off and it鈥檚 like this secret entrance kind of thing. You walk by those and it鈥檚 like, can I go into those? So I worried a little bit about our scenario here, but traffic really seems to be flowing through. A lot of the buyers are liking that we have 22 companies, especially if they鈥檙e looking for a wide variety of products. Doing turnkey pavilions was new; we had to do some customization. Thank goodness they worked with me! I think we created a great product.鈥� 鈥擳ina Salisbury, Idaho Commerce

The post What You Missed on Day 1 of Outdoor Retailer appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 gear team exists to bring you information on the best outdoor products on the market. Usually this involves having our testers spend months in the field with them鈥攊t鈥檚 difficult to know what really works until we鈥檝e actually tried products in the wild. But a couple times a year at the Summer and Winter Outdoor Retailer shows, brands announce so many product launches at once that we can鈥檛 help but make some educated guesses about what will be our favorites. Here are the four items that we can鈥檛 wait to test from this show.

NEMO Forte Endless Promise Sleeping Bags ($180-$240)

There are a lot of new products out there that are made partially of recycled materials, and this is certainly a welcome trend. The holy grail these days: products that are made entirely from recycled materials and that are also recyclable at the end of their lives. NEMO accomplished just that with an upgrade to its popular Forte sleeping bag line. The new Endless Promise bags (men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 in 20- and 30-degree versions) are manufactured with zero waste practices. Each bag is made completely with Bluesign-approved recycled materials and insulated with recycled PrimaLoft synthetics. The kicker: 95 percent of the bag is made from a single polyester polymer, so that portion be recycled when it can鈥檛 be repaired anymore. Nemo will send the bag to their partner Unifi and give consumers $20 toward new gear. These bags hit the market in the spring of 2023.

Pale Blue Earth Rechargeable Smart Batteries ($30 for 4 AA)

Americans throw away millions of batteries every year, resulting in precious鈥攁nd toxic鈥揾eavy metals sitting in landfills across the country. Rechargeable batteries are nothing new, but we got our hands on lithium ion versions a few months ago and they are the most convenient we鈥檝e tried by far: each battery has an individual micro USB port that charges it within two hours, and a life cycle that takes the place of 1,000 alkaline batteries. And they weigh 40 percent less (17.5 grams for an individual AA)聽than disposables鈥攁 boon for weight-conscious athletes. The up front cost is more than a normal pack of batteries but you鈥檒l potentially save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars over their lifetime. And they come in AAA, C, D, and nine-volt versions too.

Aurea Technologies Inc. Shine Turbine ($400)

Portable solar panels keep getting better and better but some limitations remain: in areas with fickle weather and limited sunlight harnessing enough juice can be difficult. Enter the . This three-pound device sets up in minutes and can create power in winds from eight to 28 miles per hour, rain, shine, or through the night. Juice can be stored in the five volt, 12,000 milliampere-hour integrated battery or you can directly charge any USB-chargeable gadget. You could feasibly carry this setup into the backcountry, we think it鈥檇 be most handy in base camp situations where you鈥檙e in a fairly remote location but still need power. It鈥檚 on the market now.

Level Six Ace Spray Skirt ($185)

Spray skirts are a necessary evil for kayakers. They are a life-saving device, keeping you in your boat when you flip, but wrestling聽 them on is one of the more onerous tasks in the sport. Level Six takes on the latter problem with the , a skirt which has a thinner stitched (instead of glued) rubber band that鈥檚 stretchy to fit easily onto any style of cockpit. But it鈥檚 still made tough, with thick neoprene and reinforced kevlar panels for durability. We have questions about whether or not it鈥檚 too stretchy and could result in unwanted swims, but we鈥檒l have to get it on the water to test that factor. 鈥淚f it works, it鈥檒l be a game-changer,鈥� says our Gear Guy, Joe Jackson.

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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Outdoor Retailer was our industry鈥檚 indispensable event. Twice annually, more than 20,000 people crowded into the trade show, wandering a vast grid of booths that displayed companies鈥� top-secret coming attractions鈥攔acks of impossibly light down parkas, cases of glittering climbing hardware, and gadgets like stoves that charge a smartphone with a twig fire. The national media reported breathlessly on next year鈥檚 gear and shop owners and employees rubbed elbows with outdoor celebrities like Alex Honnold and Bear Grylls and partied at corporate shindigs featuring bands like Parliament Funkadelic and Macklemore.

Beyond the gear bacchanal, Outdoor Retailer was instrumental in growing the industry鈥檚 conscience. Dozens of conservation and equity nonprofits rallied support at the show, and the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), which has been the show鈥檚 title sponsor for over 25 years, grew from a trade-issues lobbying group into a more forceful advocate for public lands protection and social equity. Congresspeople and senators roamed the show stumping for legislation like re-authorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund and expanding designated wilderness areas. In 2017, Outdoor Retailer made national headlines when it decamped from Salt Lake City and moved to Denver to protest Utah鈥檚 efforts to decimate Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments.

So it was a blow to many when, after canceling the previous two in-person shows entirely, the Delta and Omicron variants whittled the August 2021 and January 2022 events to fewer than 8,000 attendees apiece. Some believed the show would never recover its previous size due to shifts in the way business is done: many factories now need orders well in advance of the event, a significant number of retailers have migrated to less expensive regional trade shows, and direct-to-consumer sales mean the show is simply no longer essential to some brands. Recognizing all of those factors, certain companies have shifted their marketing budgets away from previously lavish expenditures at Outdoor Retailer, or have stopped attending entirely. To the chagrin of many who love the energizing effects of Outdoor Retailer鈥檚 critical mass, the show鈥檚 star has undeniably dimmed.

The Next Evolution of Outdoor Retailer

It therefore made financial sense when, last month, Outdoor Retailer announced that despite its 2017 exodus, in January 2023 the show would return to Salt Lake City, where costs will be lower for both attendees and exhibitors鈥攁nd the show itself. Then, a week after the announcement, Outdoor Retailer let go two of its senior management team, brand development director Larry Harrison and senior marketing director Jennifer Pelkey. Harrison said it was an additional cost-cutting move. Representatives from OR declined to comment on the reasoning behind the decision.

But those weren鈥檛 the only problems: when brands caught wind of the potential about-face, 34 of the industry鈥檚 biggest players鈥攊ncluding Patagonia, the North Face, and REI鈥攑eremptorily announced that, on moral grounds, they would not attend Outdoor Retailer if it moved back to Utah.

鈥淲e will not support or attend a trade show event in Utah so long as its elected officials continue attacks on national monuments and public lands protections,鈥� they wrote in a public letter distributed by the Conservation Alliance. While President Biden reversed the Trump administration鈥檚 2017 decision to shrink both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, the state of Utah is currently to the Supreme Court. 鈥淏efore we鈥檇 return to a trade show in Utah, we鈥檇 need a commitment that Utah wouldn鈥檛 pursue that suit,鈥� says Corley Kenna, Patagonia鈥檚 head of communications and policy.

Furthermore, many have noted that Utah鈥檚 passage last month of makes the state anathema to an industry working to increase inclusivity. 鈥淲hy would you want to tie outdoor retailers to such a trans-phobic state?鈥� wrote one person on social media. 鈥淚t is a slap in the face to the entire LGBTQ+ community.鈥�

Outdoor Retailer and supporters of the Utah move say they aren鈥檛 ignoring the state鈥檚 unpalatable politics. 鈥淟eaving after 2017 has not brought the change we had hoped for, so we will push back, not pull back,鈥� the company wrote in a press release. They announced plans to donate a portion of show revenue to support public lands in Utah and to bring government officials and industry stakeholders together for meetings 鈥渇ocused on influencing policy, assisting advocacy efforts, and directing resources into protecting natural and cultural spaces.鈥� It鈥檚 unclear, however, how much they鈥檒l donate and where the money will go, exactly.

Nevertheless, the upcoming Utah trade shows will almost certainly be smaller than those of the show鈥檚 pre-pandemic apex. In addition to the boycott by many of the industry鈥檚 heavyweights, the trade show鈥檚 primary model has been shifting for the last decade or more. Outdoor Retailer was originally created to show off future products to retailers who would write orders on the spot, but the factories making the gear are requiring increasingly long lead times, so orders are now being filled weeks in advance of the shows鈥攁 problem only exacerbated by the pandemic. Instead, for the manufacturing brands footing a portion of the show鈥檚 bill, Outdoor Retailer has largely become a marketing event. Even before COVID, dozens of brands like Arc鈥檛eryx and Columbia had decided the costs were no longer worthwhile and decamped. Then, says Conor Hall, director of Colorado鈥檚 Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, 鈥淐OVID-19 threw lighter fluid on that smoldering model.鈥� Some of the brands and retailers that have abandoned OR are now rendezvousing at less expensive regional trade shows and smaller national gatherings like the Big Gear Show in Park City, Utah, whose exhibitor fees are significantly lower than OR鈥檚.

From the retailer side, national chains and online behemoths like REI and Backcountry don鈥檛 necessarily need a big show like OR to find new vendors, says Wes Allen, owner of Sunlight Sports in Cody, Wyoming. 鈥淓very brand makes a pilgrimage to REI鈥檚 headquarters in Seattle, and would give their left arm to sell their stuff with REI.鈥� Many manufacturers, including Patagonia, Arc鈥檛eryx, and Columbia, are also growing their own direct-to-consumer businesses online in addition to operating fleets of brick-and-mortar stores. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unlikely those big brands will miss Outdoor Retailer,鈥� says Allen.

What a Weakened OR Might Mean for the Industry

So, what is lost if Outdoor Retailer continues to fade? First and foremost, it鈥檚 the community building, say most attendees. 鈥淭rade shows are great for networking and trading ideas that you didn鈥檛 know you needed to trade,鈥� says Chris Sword, CEO of RoVR Products. Those ideas run the gamut from updating style and technologies to building consensus on the moral and political issues that affect the entire outdoor community. 鈥淲here else can the CEOs of The North Face and Patagonia grab a casual beer together?鈥� says Sword.

Speaking of community building, look too at the constellation of nonprofits that rely on the show to recruit supporters and spread their messages. Some, like , which seeks to increase inclusivity in the outdoor industry, were literally created at the trade show. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 see that activism at many other trade events, if any,鈥� says Harrison.

In addition, a weaker trade show might mean a weaker OIA, which is undeniably the industry鈥檚 most powerful agent of change in Washington. (Last year, OIA鈥檚 executive director, Lise Aangeenbrug, was invited with a handful of other business and labor leaders to sit down with President Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House.) At one time, OIA relied on show revenue from Outdoor Retailer for over 60 percent of its budget鈥攁 tenuous position that effectively tied the organization鈥檚 fate to OR鈥檚. Recently, it鈥檚 , but a smaller Outdoor Retailer still means less opportunity for OIA-driven consensus building and possibly less fiscal might for OIA as well. Representatives from OIA declined to comment on funding issues, but in a released after OR announced its upcoming move, the group did say that it 鈥渆xpressed the concerns of many of [its] members regarding a move of Outdoor Retailer to Utah.鈥�

A smaller national trade show will impact us all as outdoor consumers, too. Small brands, the kind with just a few employees and maybe a bit of seed funding, have been helping drive gear innovation for decades. Without the show, their opportunity for in-person discovery by important retailers will likely diminish. Allen describes the sensation on the Outdoor Retailer show floor when Jetboil, founded by a pair of New Hampshire cousins, debuted in 2003. Such brands made it at Outdoor Retailer 鈥渂ecause shops can wander the show and discover dozens of them all in one place,鈥� Allen says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no way a small brand can afford the time to attend each regional show or knock on the doors of hundreds of stores across the country.鈥�

Nicholson echoes that sentiment from the show鈥檚 leadership team. 鈥淲hat makes the show relevant is the ability for retailers to discover and elevate the importance of new and younger brands,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 been no slowdown of brands entering the industry. Trade shows have always served as an efficient path for small companies to showcase their products and gain exposure.鈥�

鈥淭he chance encounters you get when there鈥檚 20,000 people in the building were critical for us,鈥� says Kelli Jones, founder of NoSo Patches, which makes adhesive patches to help individuals repair their gear. At Outdoor Retailer in 2018, Jones happened to meet Burton鈥檚 director of global sustainability. They hit it off, and that friendship led to one of NoSo鈥檚 biggest contracts. Then, in 2021, The North Face icon Conrad Anker dropped by the tiny NoSo booth and expressed his love for the company鈥檚 mission. That led to a partnership with The North Face鈥攁 huge deal for the ten-person company.聽

By the same token, the show has been indispensable for independent retail businesses like Allen鈥檚. At a big trade show, he says, 鈥渟mall shops can efficiently find unique products that fit their vision, or get a leg up on competitors by discovering emerging brands.鈥� It鈥檚 how they compete with national chains and e-tailers.

As with NoSo鈥檚 Jones, Allen relies on the excitement of the show to help keep his business energized. 鈥淲e retailers are motivated by helping people get excited to go outside, which spreads that conservation ethic,鈥� says Allen. 鈥淲hen there鈥檚 25,000 people at the show, there鈥檚 a powerful sense of belonging.鈥�

Outdoor Retailer says it has plans to increase the critical mass at its Utah shows to keep the community building alive. When the company announced its return to Utah in late March, it declared it would be 鈥渞einventing OR鈥� by hosting speakers, community events, and musical acts 鈥渂eyond the walls of the convention center.鈥� Many are hopeful the strategy works, even if the high-profile boycotters of the show follow through with their threats. 鈥淚鈥檇 love to see [the show] survive,鈥� says Allen. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 hard to imagine Outdoor Retailer succeeding without its deepest-pocketed companies.鈥�

Perhaps, though, there鈥檚 a third option for attendees and exhibitors鈥攁 way to retain the political and cultural momentum created by Outdoor Retailer while satisfying those repelled by the state of Utah鈥檚 stances on conservation and equality. The same day OR announced it was leaving Colorado, officials in that state said they would establish their own trade event, describing it as a South by Southwest for the outdoor industry. Details are sparse, but given Colorado鈥檚 to power a significant part of its economy, a new event might quickly gain support among state organizers and lawmakers.

鈥淭here should be the leadership piece and the creative piece,鈥� says Colorado鈥檚 Hall. 鈥淕iven the upheaval in our society, it鈥檚 more important than ever to nurture connections within our community.鈥�

The post What Outdoor Retailer鈥檚 Move Back to Utah Means for the Industry appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Outdoor Retailer was our industry鈥檚 indispensable event. Twice annually, more than 20,000 people crowded into the trade show, wandering a vast grid of booths that displayed companies鈥� top-secret coming attractions鈥攔acks of impossibly light down parkas, cases of glittering climbing hardware, and gadgets like stoves that charge a smartphone with a twig fire. The national media reported breathlessly on next year鈥檚 gear and shop owners and employees rubbed elbows with outdoor celebrities like Alex Honnold and Bear Grylls and partied at corporate shindigs featuring bands like Parliament Funkadelic and Macklemore.

Beyond the gear bacchanal, Outdoor Retailer was instrumental in growing the industry鈥檚 conscience. Dozens of conservation and equity nonprofits rallied support at the show, and the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), which has been the show鈥檚 title sponsor for over 25 years, grew from a trade-issues lobbying group into a more forceful advocate for public lands protection and social equity. Congresspeople and senators roamed the show stumping for legislation like re-authorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund and expanding designated wilderness areas. In 2017, Outdoor Retailer made national headlines when it decamped from Salt Lake City and moved to Denver to protest Utah鈥檚 efforts to decimate Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments.

So it was a blow to many when, after canceling the previous two in-person shows entirely, the Delta and Omicron variants whittled the August 2021 and January 2022 events to fewer than 8,000 attendees apiece. Some believed the show would never recover its previous size due to shifts in the way business is done: many factories now need orders well in advance of the event, a significant number of retailers have migrated to less expensive regional trade shows, and direct-to-consumer sales mean the show is simply no longer essential to some brands. Recognizing all of those factors, certain companies have shifted their marketing budgets away from previously lavish expenditures at Outdoor Retailer, or have stopped attending entirely. To the chagrin of many who love the energizing effects of Outdoor Retailer鈥檚 critical mass, the show鈥檚 star has undeniably dimmed.

The Next Evolution of Outdoor Retailer

It therefore made financial sense when, last month, Outdoor Retailer announced that despite its 2017 exodus, in January 2023 the show would return to Salt Lake City, where costs will be lower for both attendees and exhibitors鈥攁nd the show itself. Then, a week after the announcement, Outdoor Retailer let go two of its senior management team, brand development director Larry Harrison and senior marketing director Jennifer Pelkey. Harrison said it was an additional cost-cutting move. Representatives from OR declined to comment on the reasoning behind the decision.

But those weren鈥檛 the only problems: when brands caught wind of the potential about-face, 34 of the industry鈥檚 biggest players鈥攊ncluding Patagonia, the North Face, and REI鈥攑eremptorily announced that, on moral grounds, they would not attend Outdoor Retailer if it moved back to Utah.

鈥淲e will not support or attend a trade show event in Utah so long as its elected officials continue attacks on national monuments and public lands protections,鈥� they wrote in a public letter distributed by the Conservation Alliance. While President Biden reversed the Trump administration鈥檚 2017 decision to shrink both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, the state of Utah is currently to the Supreme Court. 鈥淏efore we鈥檇 return to a trade show in Utah, we鈥檇 need a commitment that Utah wouldn鈥檛 pursue that suit,鈥� said Corley Kenna, Patagonia鈥檚 head of communications and policy.

Furthermore, many have noted that Utah鈥檚 passage last month of makes the state anathema to an industry working to increase inclusivity. 鈥淲hy would you want to tie outdoor retailers to such a trans-phobic state?鈥� wrote one person on social media. 鈥淚t is a slap in the face to the entire LGBTQ+ community.鈥�

Outdoor Retailer and supporters of the Utah move said they aren鈥檛 ignoring the state鈥檚 unpalatable politics. 鈥淟eaving after 2017 has not brought the change we had hoped for, so we will push back, not pull back,鈥� the company wrote in a press release. They announced plans to donate a portion of show revenue to support public lands in Utah and to bring government officials and industry stakeholders together for meetings 鈥渇ocused on influencing policy, assisting advocacy efforts, and directing resources into protecting natural and cultural spaces.鈥� It鈥檚 unclear, however, how much they鈥檒l donate and where the money will go, exactly.

Nevertheless, the upcoming Utah trade shows will almost certainly be smaller than those of the show鈥檚 pre-pandemic apex. In addition to the boycott by many of the industry鈥檚 heavyweights, the trade show鈥檚 primary model has been shifting for the last decade or more. Outdoor Retailer was originally created to show off future products to retailers who would write orders on the spot, but the factories making the gear are requiring increasingly long lead times, so orders are now being filled weeks in advance of the shows鈥攁 problem only exacerbated by the pandemic. Instead, for the manufacturing brands footing a portion of the show鈥檚 bill, Outdoor Retailer has largely become a marketing event. Even before COVID, dozens of brands like Arc鈥檛eryx and Columbia had decided the costs were no longer worthwhile and decamped. Then, says Conor Hall, director of Colorado鈥檚 Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, 鈥淐OVID-19 threw lighter fluid on that smoldering model.鈥� Some of the brands and retailers that have abandoned OR are now rendezvousing at less expensive regional trade shows and smaller national gatherings like the Big Gear Show in Park City, Utah, whose exhibitor fees are significantly lower than OR鈥檚.

From the retailer side, national chains and online behemoths like REI and Backcountry don鈥檛 necessarily need a big show like OR to find new vendors, said Wes Allen, owner of Sunlight Sports in Cody, Wyoming. 鈥淓very brand makes a pilgrimage to REI鈥檚 headquarters in Seattle, and would give their left arm to sell their stuff with REI.鈥� Many manufacturers, including Patagonia, Arc鈥檛eryx, and Columbia, are also growing their own direct-to-consumer businesses online in addition to operating fleets of brick-and-mortar stores. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unlikely those big brands will miss Outdoor Retailer,鈥� said Allen.

What a Weakened OR Might Mean for the Industry

So, what is lost if Outdoor Retailer continues to fade? First and foremost, it鈥檚 the community building, say most attendees. 鈥淭rade shows are great for networking and trading ideas that you didn鈥檛 know you needed to trade,鈥� said Chris Sword, CEO of RoVR Products. Those ideas run the gamut from updating style and technologies to building consensus on the moral and political issues that affect the entire outdoor community. 鈥淲here else can the CEOs of The North Face and Patagonia grab a casual beer together?鈥� said Sword.

Speaking of community building, look too at the constellation of nonprofits that rely on the show to recruit supporters and spread their messages. Some, like , which seeks to increase inclusivity in the outdoor industry, were literally created at the trade show. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 see that activism at many other trade events, if any,鈥� said Harrison.

In addition, a weaker trade show might mean a weaker OIA, which is undeniably the industry鈥檚 most powerful agent of change in Washington. (Last year, OIA鈥檚 executive director, Lise Aangeenbrug, was invited with a handful of other business and labor leaders to sit down with President Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House.) At one time, OIA relied on show revenue from Outdoor Retailer for over 60 percent of its budget鈥攁 tenuous position that effectively tied the organization鈥檚 fate to OR鈥檚. Recently, it鈥檚 , but a smaller Outdoor Retailer still means less opportunity for OIA-driven consensus building and possibly less fiscal might for OIA as well. Representatives from OIA declined to comment on funding issues, but in a released after OR announced its upcoming move, the group did say that it 鈥渆xpressed the concerns of many of [its] members regarding a move of Outdoor Retailer to Utah.鈥�

A smaller national trade show will impact us all as outdoor consumers, too. Small brands, the kind with just a few employees and maybe a bit of seed funding, have been helping drive gear innovation for decades. Without the show, their opportunity for in-person discovery by important retailers will likely diminish. Allen described the sensation on the Outdoor Retailer show floor when Jetboil, founded by a pair of New Hampshire cousins, debuted in 2003. Such brands made it at Outdoor Retailer 鈥渂ecause shops can wander the show and discover dozens of them all in one place,鈥� Allen said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no way a small brand can afford the time to attend each regional show or knock on the doors of hundreds of stores across the country.鈥�

Nicholson echoed that sentiment from the show’s leadership team. “What makes the show relevant is the ability for retailers to discover and elevate the importance of new and younger brands,” she said. “There鈥檚 been no slowdown of brands entering the industry. Trade shows have always served as an efficient path for small companies to showcase their products and gain exposure.”

鈥淭he chance encounters you get when there鈥檚 20,000 people in the building were critical for us,鈥� said Kelli Jones, founder of NoSo Patches, which makes adhesive patches to help individuals repair their gear. At Outdoor Retailer in 2018, Jones happened to meet Burton鈥檚 director of global sustainability. They hit it off, and that friendship led to one of NoSo鈥檚 biggest contracts. Then, in 2021, The North Face icon Conrad Anker dropped by the tiny NoSo booth and expressed his love for the company鈥檚 mission. That led to a partnership with The North Face鈥攁 huge deal for the ten-person company.聽

By the same token, the show has been indispensable for independent retail businesses like Allen鈥檚. At a big trade show, he said, 鈥渟mall shops can efficiently find unique products that fit their vision, or get a leg up on competitors by discovering emerging brands.鈥� It鈥檚 how they compete with national chains and e-tailers.

As with NoSo鈥檚 Jones, Allen relies on the excitement of the show to help keep his business energized. 鈥淲e retailers are motivated by helping people get excited to go outside, which spreads that conservation ethic,鈥� said Allen. 鈥淲hen there鈥檚 25,000 people at the show, there鈥檚 a powerful sense of belonging.鈥�

Outdoor Retailer says it has plans to increase the critical mass at its Utah shows to keep the community building alive. When the company announced its return to Utah in late March, it declared it would be 鈥渞einventing OR鈥� by hosting speakers, community events, and musical acts 鈥渂eyond the walls of the convention center.鈥� Many are hopeful the strategy works, even if the high-profile boycotters of the show follow through with their threats. 鈥淚鈥檇 love to see [the show] survive,鈥� said Allen. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 hard to imagine Outdoor Retailer succeeding without its deepest-pocketed companies.鈥�

Perhaps, though, there鈥檚 a third option for attendees and exhibitors鈥攁 way to retain the political and cultural momentum created by Outdoor Retailer while satisfying those repelled by the state of Utah鈥檚 stances on conservation and equality. The same day OR announced it was leaving Colorado, officials in that state said they would establish their own trade event, describing it as a South by Southwest for the outdoor industry. Details are sparse, but given Colorado鈥檚 to power a significant part of its economy, a new event might quickly gain support among state organizers and lawmakers.

鈥淭here should be the leadership piece and the creative piece,鈥� said Colorado鈥檚 Hall. 鈥淕iven the upheaval in our society, it鈥檚 more important than ever to nurture connections within our community.鈥�

The post What Outdoor Retailer鈥檚 Move Back to Utah Means for the Industry appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

After five years in Denver, the Outdoor Retailer trade show is bidding farewell to Colorado and returning to its previous home in Salt Lake City, Utah. On Wednesday, show organizers confirmed that the trade show will relocate to Utah鈥檚 capital in January 2023 when its current five-year contract with the City of Denver expires. The show will run in Utah at least through the end of 2025.

Show director Marisa Nicholson told 国产吃瓜黑料 Business Journal that the decision comes after more than 18 months of discussions with OR attendees and exhibitors.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been in talks with our customers since June 2021,鈥� Nicholson said. 鈥淭hose continued, meaningful conversations have ultimately determined the appropriate dates and location for the show鈥檚 future.鈥�

According to Nicholson, feedback from multiple post-show surveys in the last two years indicated that OR customers want easier access to water and snow demo sites to test products from the show floor. In Colorado, Nicholson said, OR has been 鈥渦nable to execute those [demos] the same way we did when we were in Salt Lake City.鈥�

The event鈥檚 new home at the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake is meant to change that, Nicholson said. In general, the metropolitan area of Utah鈥檚 capital has easier access to nearby mountains and lakes than Denver does.

The cost of travel and staging the event, Nicholson added, was also a factor. 鈥淭he costs for both attendees and exhibitors in Salt Lake City will be significantly lower,鈥� she said. OR has not released specifics about updated attendance or exhibitor fees聽for future Utah shows.

OR has one more run in the Mile High City before it departs. From June 9 to 11, the show will stage as planned in the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver. Exact dates for the first Utah show鈥攈appening sometime in January鈥攚ill be released in seven to ten days, according to Nicholson.

Officials from the State of Utah and the Salt Lake City Mayor鈥檚 Office could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday morning, though OR said in a statement that it has a 鈥渃ommitted partner in [Salt Lake City] Mayor Erin Mendenhall, whose values align with ours following tremendous investments in clean energy and a strong commitment to public lands.鈥�

A Debate Over Conservation

The return to Salt Lake may come as a shock to some, given that very issue: public lands. OR first moved to Denver in 2018 partly to protest Utah鈥檚 spotty record on public-lands protection, and some believe not enough has changed in the intervening years to give the state another shot at hosting the show.

Last month, 25 of the industry鈥檚 largest brands鈥攊ncluding Patagonia, REI, and The North Face鈥� pledging to boycott OR if it returns to Utah, arguing that the state 鈥渓eads the fight against designated national monuments and public lands.鈥�

Ryan Gellert, Patagonia鈥檚 CEO, wrote in the statement that his company鈥檚 position on the location of OR remains clear and unchanged. 鈥淭he show belongs in a state whose top officials value and seek to protect public lands,鈥� he wrote.

It鈥檚 a point OR acknowledged Wednesday聽in a release of its own. 鈥淪alt Lake City鈥s our hometown, and we鈥檙e going back with a commitment to effecting meaningful change,鈥� the statement reads. 鈥淟eaving after 2017 has not brought the change we had hoped for, so we will push back, not pull back.鈥�

Read more: .

OR said it will donate a portion of show revenue over the next three years to support outdoor recreation and public lands in Utah. It will also form a new initiative with the Salt Lake City tourism board to bring government officials, outdoor recreation leaders, and industry stakeholders together for biannual meetings 鈥渇ocused on addressing challenges, influencing policy, assisting advocacy efforts, and directing resources into protecting natural and cultural spaces.鈥�

In spite of the rift between OR and some of the companies that have been important presences at its past events, OR leaders said there is no malice toward any brand that has decided to protest the show鈥檚 move. 鈥淲e really want to be open-tent,鈥� said Jeff Davis, VP of the Action Sports Group at Emerald, OR鈥檚 parent company. 鈥淓veryone is invited. That鈥檚 the tack we鈥檙e taking.鈥�

Reinventing Outdoor Retailer

Show leaders confirmed Wednesday that they鈥檙e also planning changes to the event itself after it pulls up stakes in Denver. 鈥淲hen we talk about change, there鈥檚 a lot more to it than just changing a city,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淲e want to reinvent OR.鈥�

Part of that reinvention will be opening up parts of the show to consumers for the first time. Davis told OBJ that OR leadership is exploring the idea of hosting musical acts, speakers, and other community events 鈥渂eyond the walls of the convention center鈥� in Salt Lake to offer brands new opportunities to connect with customers.

Those efforts, Nicholson said, are a direct response to recent post-show surveys, which have indicated that brand exhibitors want more connection with consumers at OR. 鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited about the opportunity to engage beyond the B2B aspect we鈥檝e historically delivered,鈥� she said.

Specifics about the show鈥檚 new consumer elements will be released in June, at the summer event in Denver.

Gratitude to Colorado

Both Nicholson and Davis expressed their gratitude to the City of Denver on a call this week, saying it has been a wonderful home for the trade show over the past half-decade. 鈥淒enver has been, and is, a good partner,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淲e appreciate what they鈥檝e done for us.鈥�

OR added that, even with the change and excitement ahead, there鈥檚 still one more show to focus on in Colorado. 鈥淲e are incredibly grateful to Denver for nourishing [our] passions and embracing our amazing community,鈥� the company said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l gather in Colorado once more this June to reconnect in person, enhance relationships, and celebrate our milestone anniversary.鈥�

The post Outdoor Retailer Is Moving Back to Utah appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

It’s official. Outdoor Retailer is headed back to Utah in 2023. After this summer’s show in Denver, the trade event will bid farewell to Colorado, where it has staged since 2018, and return to its former home of Salt Lake City.

The industry is still processing the news, and we want to hear directly from you. Did OR make the right call? Cast your vote below to see how the rest of the outdoor community feels.

The post Poll: Is Outdoor Retailer Making the Right Decision Moving Back to Utah? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.