Business Journal
ArchiveGet to know these outdoor movers and shakers through their own words
Mental health is now factoring more heavily in business leaders' decisions
The historic expedition was announced at Outdoor Retailer's summer show in Denver this month
As the world gets used to doing more business online, B2B e-commerce providers are sparring for market leadership in the outdoor industry. Dozens of brands have yet to adopt a technology. Welcome to open season.
Renowned for making premium sleeping bags, pads, tents, and other outdoor products, the 20-year-old company has decided it no longer wants customers carrying gear in backpacks made by other brands
The running market is missing a huge opportunity by largely ignoring BIPOC participants. How can brands fix the problem? Start with proper recognition and support.
A look at how Envoy B2B is helping this iconic brand stay in step with the times
More brands are reducing waste by selling used and upcycled gear. It鈥檚 good for the environment, but it鈥檚 also good for the bottom line.
The New Mexico ski resort has hiked its minimum wage to $15 per hour to exceed the living-wage standard for Taos County
The outdoor brand has reportedly stopped selling products to JHMR鈥檚 retail stores because of an event held earlier this month by one of the resort鈥檚 owners
A conversation with Wyn Wiley, aka Pattie Gonia
On the last day of this month鈥檚 Outdoor Retailer Summer event, we sat down with Show Director Marisa Nicholson to discuss how it went, what鈥檚 in store for January's Snow Show, and whether OR will move out of Denver in 2023
Outdoor brands are working to address their plastic packaging problem, one polybag at a time
The outdoor industry is doubling down on sustainability tools and standards to measure and mitigate its environmental impact. Is it working?
Two gear makers with very different approaches to PTO square off
A recent dustup between specialty retailers and a behemoth market research firm has the industry wondering: Have we been basing our biggest business decisions on crap data for decades?
The trade war has taken a backseat to Covid during the last year and a half, but tariffs are still top of mind for many outdoor brands. Here鈥檚 the latest.
Our final roundup of cool new gear, education recaps, hot takes, and more from the floor of Outdoor Retailer in Denver
After receiving a difficult diagnosis last year, Larsen drew on his decades of experience as an adventurer to fight the disease
New gear, hot takes, cool startups, and more from the second day of Outdoor Retailer in Denver
A stroke of good luck saved Slim Pickins Outfitters from closing during the pandemic. Now, the owners are using the new interest in their shop to help people of color find autonomy, ownership, and space in the outdoors.
A roundup of what you missed at the first day of the industry's largest trade show in Denver
Hunters and anglers say other outdoor users need to step up as the costs of conservation skyrocket
Polartec鈥檚 NeoShell and eVent took the hardshell scene by storm more than a decade ago鈥攐nly to be outshone by proprietary versions of the same stuff. Can these brands mount a comeback?
We spoke with Sword, the former Oberalp, Pearl Izumi, and Bell/Giro executive, about his new post and the opportunities鈥攁nd challenges鈥攖hat lie ahead for the Colorado company he now leads
Trade shows are returning this summer, but for many, sustainability measures have taken a back seat to safety
For the first time since OBJ began tracking the stock performance of outdoor-focused public companies, the industry slipped. Was it a blip or does it signal the start of a trend?
Here's what went down on the third and final day of the inaugural Salt Lake City open-air trade show
A behind-the-scenes look at why outdoor brands are opening up new, in-person retail locations鈥攅ven after the pandemic prompted a surge in online sales
Catch up on everything you missed at Day 2 of The Big Gear Show, including hot takes from retailers and exhibitors, new and noteworthy products, education sessions, and more
When your social media account attracts a storm of negative comments, what鈥檚 the best way to respond? Brands, experts, and influencers weigh in.
If you couldn't attend The Big Gear Show in Utah today, we have you covered. Here's everything you missed from the show floor鈥攔etailer and exhibitor feedback, special events, brand updates, and more.
As sales reps return to in-person work, bespoke, private showrooms have become the new norm
The insulated bottle brand will begin using certified 90 percent post-consumer recycled 18/8 stainless steel starting in 2022
In the wake of the pandemic, some brands, like Cotopaxi, are sticking with the remote work (or hybrid) model. Here鈥檚 how to do it right.
Through The Outbound Collective鈥檚 Writers Residency for Underrepresented, McGrady is sharing her perspective on the outdoor world she loves
The gear maker鈥檚 newest venture is a campground in Washington state that鈥檚 modeled after existing sites in its home country of Japan and honors the brand鈥檚 ethos of connecting consumers with nature
Envoy B2B surveyed 6,500 outdoor retailers to understand the role and value of sales reps
Eight past CMC employees have filed a formal civil complaint against the club, alleging that leadership didn鈥檛 do enough to protect them from sexual exploitation
The executive director of Outdoor Industry Association, alongside other business leaders, met with the president and vice president Thursday in the White House, as the Senate nears debate on a landmark infrastructure bill
The aftercare company keeps gear out of landfills and focuses on doing the same with plastic
Mystery Ranch recently contracted with Sea to Summit for distribution in Australia. Alex Kutches, VP of sales for the pack brand, says finding a trusted partner that understands a new market will increase the chance of expansion success.
After transitioning to a remote-first work model, Cotopaxi devised a new way for team members to meet in person: a camping retreat with hiking and climbing, team games, and storytelling sessions
The Colorado town has seen a surge in both manufacturers and retailers opening their doors on its iconic Pearl Street Mall as the pandemic continues to drive consumers outdoors
MacNeill Pride Group, a portfolio company of the private equity firm Centre Partners, has added another outdoor asset with the acquisition of the Utah-based camping gear brand
The eyewear and headwear icon and one of its ingredient-brand partners have accused the snowsports giant of improperly using their patented technology in certain Anon-branded snow helmets
The outdoor brand and retailer hopes to broaden its consumer base with the launch of the 鈥淩ent Your 国产吃瓜黑料鈥 program
We spoke with Patrick Lynch, formerly of Backbone Media, to learn more about KAR Direct, the startup he launched in 2019 to help brands grow their e-commerce channel鈥攁nd their brand recognition
The Colorado-based provider of active-lifestyle content and services has expanded its portfolio again, bringing on three new cycling brands
Polartec announced today that it has eliminated PFAS鈥攕ome of the most harmful chemicals used in gear production鈥攁cross its line of products
When an oil company targeted The North Face with a tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign accusing the brand of hypocritical climate activism, it served as a reminder of the contentious鈥攜et partially codependent鈥攔elationship between the outdoor and fossil fuel industries
The OBJ Outdoor Index for the second quarter shows that outdoor businesses continue to outperform other industries by a wide margin
Sea to Summit鈥檚 new ultralight shelter series is shaking up the tent category
The artist Futura had filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the brand earlier this year because he says the apparel technology鈥檚 logo resembled one of his atom designs
The powerful technology of Envoy B2B is critical to BioLite鈥檚 thriving wholesale channel, company leaders say
The team at Chopwood Mercantile has created a six-step pledge to raise awareness about the overuse of public lands and encourage responsible camping
Founders of the iconic travel brand Eagle Creek sat down for an exclusive interview with OBJ following parent company VF Corp.鈥檚 announcement that it will shut down the business by the end of 2021
Maren Larsen created a little magic when she decided to start a queer ERG (employee resource group) at 国产吃瓜黑料
How limit-pushing expeditions鈥攁nd a little bit of healthy scorn鈥攍ead to limit-pushing gear for Sea to Summit
The co-op also honored Cannondale, NEMO Equipment, Fj盲llr盲ven, and Darn Tough Vermont as part of its annual Vendor Partner of the Year awards
The 100 percent employee-owned insole brand has signed an acquisition deal with Seattle-based Westward Partners
The heritage outdoor brand has a new leadership team in place and a new vision for the way it makes and markets apparel and gear
Alterra Mountain Co., Boyne Resorts, POWDR, and Vail Resorts this week announced the Climate Collaborative Charter, a unified effort to promote ski-resort sustainability
We spoke with two of the people running the newly created Vista Outdoor Corporate Foundation to find out what prompted the formation of the charity and what causes it will support
The 6,500-square-foot space will be the smallest of the co-op's nationwide locations
Parent company VF Corporation will shut down the decades-old brand by the end of the year
Motivated by nostalgia and a desire to pass down institutional knowledge, archivists play a significant role in the evolution of the outdoor industry by chronicling its past
Nemo will eliminate 100,000 polybags in two years鈥攁 roadmap for the rest of the industry
Roland Tyson built Sea to Summit from a one-man shop based in his bedroom to the lauded international brand it is today
In this episode of Straight Talk, Todd Spaletto reveals new details about Public Lands, the new conservation retail concept launching from Dick's Sporting Goods this summer
The OBJ Outdoor Index moderated in May, but it still outpaced other indices, proving that publicly traded outdoor businesses remain a safe bet
Mike Massey, founder and CEO of Locally, discusses how brands can better support retailers, what the future of trade shows looks like, and more
Clarus Corp. President John Walbrecht spoke exclusively with OBJ about the company鈥檚 $198 million acquisition of Rhino-Rack, including what drove the deal and what鈥檚 next for its newest asset
In its 2020 annual report, Outdoor Industry Association outlined the ways it worked to help member companies deal with an unprecedented year
As Outdoor Retailer and The Big Gear Show prepare for in-person events this summer, many in the industry are still debating whether to attend
Vista Outdoor, the parent company of CamelBak, Giro, Camp Chef, and others, has acquired e-bike maker QuietKat and the 鈥渉unt athleisure鈥 brand Venor, adding to its portfolio of outdoor companies
The Seattle brand has created a technical layering system with inclusive sizing thanks to a group of outdoor athletes who struggled to find outdoor clothing that fit
On the anniversary of George Floyd鈥檚 murder, skiing and snowboarding鈥檚 first Black professional photographer talks about how changing faces can change the game
Aimed at inspiring kids to build a lifelong relationship with the outdoors, Thrive 国产吃瓜黑料 programs will launch in Missouri, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Maine
Canadian outdoor apparel and equipment brand Arc'teryx has launched ReBird, which connects customers to used gear, upcycled products, and care and repair services