The outdoor industry continues to shine amid the economic ravages of COVID. For this installment of our quarterly earnings recap, we found that most publicly traded outdoor brands are performing well relative to other industries.

A few companies saw softness in certain categories, but on numerous earnings calls, CEOs cited healthy demand for outdoor apparel and gear and also projected continued growth throughout 2021 as the country eyes the end of the pandemic.

Below are Q4 summaries of the outdoor-focused public companies that reported earnings in the last few weeks.

Acushnet Holdings Corp. (NYSE: GOLF)

Acushnet, the parent of outerwear and ski apparel brand Kjus, reported fourth-quarter sales of $420.5 million, up 14.2 percent year-over-year. Net income grew 20.7 percent to $21.6 million. David Maher, president and CEO, said of the company鈥檚 outdoor brand, 鈥淭here’s a lot of talent within the Kjus organization. We are pleased with how the team is positioning the business for the future and the investments we are making to prepare Kjus for long-term growth.鈥澛�

Adidas AG (XETRA: ADS)

Adidas says persistent currency headwinds in Q4 sank revenue 5 percent to 鈧�5.5 billion (US$6.7 billion) while net income plummeted to 鈧�429 million (US$514.2 million) from 鈧�1.9 billion (US$2.3 billion) in the year-ago period. The company鈥檚 big announcement was its ambitious plan to invest 鈧�1 billion (US$1.2 billion) over the next five years in digital transformation.聽

Camping World Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CWH)

RV dealer Camping World benefited from the growth of camping and #vanlife last year as more people looked to social distance in the comfort of their outdoor rigs. Q4 sales of $1.1 billion increased 17.5 percent, and net income of $14.4 million was up from a loss of $28.5 million a year ago.聽

Canadian Tire Corp. (TSX: CTC)

The parent of Helly Hansen reported that the outdoor brand鈥檚 revenue was $196.1 million, up 11.4 percent, or 12.1 percent on a constant currency basis, from the same quarter a year ago. Canadian Tire CEO Greg Hicks said he was pleased with Helly Hansen鈥檚 performance in Q4 amid 鈥済lobal restrictions and closures.鈥�

Clarus Corp. (Nasdaq: CLAR)

Clarus reported sales increased 24 percent to $75.9 million in the fourth quarter, but that growth was driven by its Sierra Bullets asset. Sales at Black Diamond Equipment, Clarus鈥� flagship brand, were flat, but the company projects BD鈥檚 sales to increase 17 percent to $200 million in 2021. On the March 8 earnings call, Clarus President John Walbrecht noted that BD鈥檚 apparel sales spiked 19 percent鈥攇rowth that was 鈥渞eflective of our decision to not aggressively promote or discount Black Diamond products at the onset of the pandemic; we believe this has strengthened our long-term competitive position.鈥� He also gave a shout-out to BD for being named one of 鈥渢he best-selling climate equipment brands in a January installment of [国产吃瓜黑料 Business Journal鈥檚] 2020 Retailer Survey.鈥澛�

Compass Diversified (NYSE: CODI)

CODI reported Q4 sales climbed 18.5 percent to $474.8 million, while net income of $8.4 million was more than double the profit from a year ago. During the quarter, CODI completed its acquisition of Boa Technology Inc., and that brand exceeded expectations by posting revenue growth of 2.5 percent and EBITDA growth of 29 percent. Says CODI CEO Elias Sabo: 鈥淲e remain impressed with the Boa team鈥nd we鈥檙e optimistic about the company鈥檚 future.鈥澛�

Conzzeta Group (SWX: CON)

The Swiss-based parent of Mammut Sports Group AG says sales for the outdoor brand were adversely affected by retail closures in Q4 but the brand offset that softness with 鈥渃ontinued progress in digital channels.鈥� Company-wide, sales dropped 18.6 percent in 2020.

Dick鈥檚 Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS)

A surge in outdoor and sporting goods helped Dick鈥檚 grow revenue 19.8 percent to $3.1 billion, while its net income tripled to $219.6 million. Recently appointed CEO Lauren Hobart didn鈥檛 discuss DSG鈥檚 new outdoor retail concept, Public Lands, and the company鈥檚 CFO mentioned it only when he noted that Dick鈥檚 still plans to convert two Field & Stream locations into Public Lands stores this year, as executives discussed in late 2020.聽

Emerald Holding Inc. (NYSE: EEX)

The parent company of Outdoor Retailer and numerous other trade shows not surprisingly posted a significant revenue dip and income loss in Q4. Sales fell 72.8 percent to $12.2 million and the company posted a loss of $58.1 million. On the earnings call, Emerald CEO Herv茅 Sedky didn鈥檛 discuss OR specifically, and he only briefly mentioned Surf Expo, saying that its in-person January show 鈥渃learly highlights the vital role that face-to-face events play in driving connections, commerce, and growth for customers and communities. This provides real optimism for the future.鈥� Outdoor Retailer was pushed back eight weeks but will happen in person this summer.聽

Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN)

Watch and fitness tracker brand Garmin reported Q4 revenue of $1.4 billion, up 23 percent from the prior-year quarter, led by growth in its marine, fitness, and outdoor segments. Net income slipped 7.6 percent to $333.5 million.聽

Vail Resorts Inc. (NYSE: MTN)

Stymied by a 鈥渃hallenging operating environment as a result of COVID-19,鈥� according to CEO Rob Katz, Vail reported sales for its fiscal second quarter ended January 31 of $597.1 million, a 20.8 percent decline from the year-ago period. Net income fell 28.4 percent to $147.8 million. But the company is much better situated than it was a year ago when it had to shut down its resorts, and Katz said 鈥渙ur growth in pass holders this past year also positions us well as we head into the 2021/2022 season.鈥澛�

Wolverine World Wide Inc. (NYSE: WWW)

The parent of Merrell, Chaco, and other footwear brands reported Q4 revenue slipped 16.1 percent to $509.6 million. The company also reported a loss of $170.7 million in the period. One bright spot was the digital channel. Wolverine CEO Blake Krueger said the company鈥檚 鈥渆commerce revenue grew 50 percent in 2020, and we have planned further investment in this area to enable growth of 40 percent in 2021.鈥�

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For reps, there鈥檚 no such thing as a free sample. While ambassadors, athletes, and media get free products to test, independent agencies are responsible for ordering, paying for鈥攁nd offloading鈥攅very product they show.

鈥淔or one of my brands, I carry on average almost $40,000 a year in samples,鈥� said Andy Molter, founder of Brandywine River Reps, which serves New England and the Mid-Atlantic and represents brands like Eagle Creek and Chaco. Compare that $40,000 to a $70,000 commission on the same brand, and the stakes of recouping the cost of those samples at the end of the season are high if the agency wants to make payroll for its employees.

This is especially tricky this year, given that some reps footed sample bills before the coronavirus halted spring retail. For others, samples weren鈥檛 available to buy.

鈥淥ur facility was shut down before we could finish manufacturing them,鈥� said Wigwam sales director Brad Bates. He says production will restart soon, but predicts most brands will delay Spring launches to give retailers time to work through existing inventory. Other reps expect their brands to save Spring 鈥�21 lines for Spring 鈥�22, or to let them return unused samples for a refund.

Even in normal years, most brands have buy-back programs that let reps return samples of products that get dropped. But for most samples, it鈥檚 usually up to the rep to find a way to recoup costs.

Because sample prices are negotiated as part of every sales agency contract, they聽vary. On average, though, vendors give reps 20 to 50 percent off wholesale. That might sound like a pretty good deal, but it鈥檚 still 10 to 20 percent above 鈥渓anded cost,鈥� the bare-minimum dollar amount it takes to manufacture the final product.

It hasn鈥檛 always been this way. When Molter entered the outdoor industry 20 years ago, samples were often covered in the contract and provided at no cost to the rep. (In some industries, like housewares, that鈥檚 still the norm.) According to Molter, it鈥檚 only the last ten years or so that outdoor brands started charging reps a reduced wholesale cost. 鈥淲e鈥檝e become a profit center for a lot of these companies,鈥� said one rep, who preferred not to be named. 鈥淭hey look at us as a line item.鈥�

Brands argue that pre-production sample runs are expensive, and the landed cost of a sample can actually be higher than that product鈥檚 in-season wholesale cost. Rather than profiting off the rep, the brand is simply sharing that loss.

Besides, says one in-house rep who asked to remain anonymous, selling discounted samples to agencies gives those agencies an opportunity to make extra profit.

That鈥檚 misleading, say the independent reps. Yes, they can offload samples through yard sales, consignment shops, or one-off deals with friends and family, but it鈥檚 not a good solution.

鈥淚 run sample sales out of my office for four weeks at the beginning of each season, but it鈥檚 cumbersome,鈥� Molter explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 disruptive to the agency.鈥�

Leta Kalfas, owner of Colorado-based agency MtnStuff, says she profits on some individual samples but always takes an overall loss. (On average, she鈥檚 able to recoup 70 to 80 percent of what she pays for samples each year.) For small agencies, or those with a lot of clients, those losses add up and deflate already slim margins.

Another issue with high sample pricing is that it makes it hard for reps to show dealers a rainbow set, versus a few samples and a bunch of swatches. That can harm the vendor, says Molter, especially with apparel, where being able to show off a jacket in all its colorways鈥攁n expensive proposition鈥攃an make or break a sale.

The solution? One rep says vendors should pony up and provide the sets for free. Another would like to see brands with retail spaces support reps by buying back samples and selling them there. Others suggest a more moderate fix.

鈥淚鈥檒l probably get daggers thrown at me for saying this, but I think the rep should have some skin in the game,鈥� said Kalfas. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our cost of doing business. However, I think we should get more help from the vendor [to bring sample prices down].鈥�

Reps don鈥檛 expect a free handout, says Kalfas. But making samples a little cheaper would help reps give dealers the best showing possible, rather than just the best showing they can afford.

This story originally ran in the Summer 2020 issue of The Voice.

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In 1986, Bob McCain thought Jackson, Mississippi, ought to have its own outdoor equipment shop. His home state might not have massive mountains, but trails, waterways, hill, and views are plentiful. Buffalo Peak Outfitters is now in its 33rd year, as a Grassroots Outdoor Alliance member and a hidden gem in a city not usually described as “outdoorsy.”

The store has benefitted from steady growth, knowing when to pivot and capitalize on trends. It has聽 to fill a 9,000-square-foot space today in the same shopping center it started in. Two big, nautical doors with round windows open up to an outdoor adventurer’s paradise of packs, jackets, Yeti coolers, and more.

McCain and his wife still work in the shop almost every day, and now their son Cody McCain serves as the store’s brand manager. He shared more about how the business has survived and thrived through the decades.

On being the first outdoor store in Jackson, Mississippi: “One thing that sets us apart is being the first in town carrying this type of product. We were founded in 1986. Our long history has given us the reputation of having quality items. Customers trust us.”

On things to do outside in Jackson: “There鈥檚 not a whole lot of outdoor stuff, so people travel to other places like New Zealand and the Appalachian Trail. But here, we have a parkway, Barnett Reservoir, and LeFleur’s Bluff State Park. People hike and run the trails and kayak and canoe in the water. We used to do a bunch of gear demos at the state park when we sold kayaks.”

On adapting over the years: “We started out mainly selling hiking equipment, backpacks, and trekking poles. But my dad quickly realized that if we wanted to survive and succeed, we needed to focus on men’s and women’s clothing. It became fashionable to wear that type of clothing, so most of the business is there now. We focus on around-town and travel, along with southern lifestyle brands like Southern Marsh.”

On partnering with big brands and local companies: “We love working with brands and as many local people as we can. Last May, we celebrated Keen’s birthday. We鈥檝e got a craft popsicle shop in our shopping center and we collaborated on a specialty popsicle promoting their Uneek shoe. I think those types of partnerships help people locally connect to the worldwide brands that we carry.”

On being an environmentally conscious store in Mississippi: “We support brands like Patagonia that care about the environment. We definitely have a mix of customers that either want to support those efforts or don鈥檛 care that much. The rural communities are more conservative, so there’s not a whole lot of environmentally focused people. But I think people in Mississippi are catching onto being more conscious and it鈥檚 getting more and more popular.”

On selling online: “We sell about 50 to 75 percent of product online. All of our inventory is listed through Locally. You can buy it online, but you have to come pick it up in the store still. We love making face to face contact with people. I think that ultimately we will put everything online. We鈥檙e currently trying to figure out what that looks like and how expensive it is. We have a good thing going, so we don’t want to make that jump and not be ready for it.”

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Located on the shores of its namesake lake, Whitefish, Montana, is known for its dramatic outdoor vistas. But in the charming resort town, The Toggery has become its own kind of destination.

Originally opened as Frank鈥檚 Shirt Shop in 1947 by Frank and Jessie Stephens, the store sold menswear鈥攕uits, shirts, ties, and the like鈥攖o the men of Whitefish. As the shop passed hands through a few generations of Stephens, it morphed and evolved to fit the needs of the growing community. After Frank Stephens passed away, his son Gary Stephens introduced women鈥檚 clothing and footwear. And the聽family tradition continued when Gary Stephens passed the shop to his son鈥攖he current owner鈥擳rek Stephens. When Trek Stephens took over and attended his first Outdoor Retailer in 2004, he again revamped the business.

鈥淣obody was buying the suits and ties or dressing up, so he was really intrigued with the outdoor world,” said his wife, Rene Stephens. “He changed it over and got rid of the more dress-wear and brought in the active lifestyle stuff.”

Tour The Toggery

Feminine pieces, like sweaters and magenta vests, soften the darker decor of antlers and wood and leather.

The Toggery carries both small and big-name brands.

Chacos is one of the major footwear brands at The Toggery.

Denim shorts can be outdoorsy too.

Leather fashion boots line the wall alongside classic hiking boots.

Fun prints add pops of color.

Want to dress like this? The Toggery offers fashion consulting before and after hours.

OR Meets LA Market

Now renamed The Toggery鈥攁 name derived from the 18th century slang term tog, meaning coat or outer garment鈥攖he Stephens brand it as an “outdoor lifestyle” shop. Still in the same location of the original Frank鈥檚 Shirt Shop, the store emits a down-to-earth, yet contemporary vibe all at the same time.

Weathered brick walls, rich hardwood floors, and naked lightbulbs strung across the ceiling create the backdrop for trendy clothing and accessories adorning the various racks and tables. Chic jumpsuits and sundresses are paired with the newest styles of Chaco, and flannels are complemented by stylish Bedstu boots.

To keep a pulse on both the outdoor and fashion aspects of the business, the Stephens attend both Outdoor Retailer and fashion trade shows, like Magic and LA Market. So you can just as easily find brands like Free People filling the racks as you can Marmot or K眉hl.

“We pride ourselves on offering well-known brands that serve a function but don鈥檛 sacrifice style,” according to the Products page on its website. “You鈥檒l find outfits, shoes, and accessories that will take you from the mountains to the barbecue!”

Rene Stephens, who co-owns The Toggery, says the design was intentional to differentiate themselves from other outdoor specialty retailers.

鈥淏eing a brick-and-mortar store in a resort town, you have to be different,” she said. “I don鈥檛 want people to walk in my store and think it looks like every other store.”

Styling for Any Occasion

But what鈥檚 a shopper to do when they sees waxed canvas and unfamiliar accessories next to their default purchase of plaid and jeans? The Stephens really shine in their commitment to fashion by offering free style consultations, ensuring customers don鈥檛 get lost in the process.

All a customer has to do is fill out a form (found on The Toggery鈥檚 website) detailing size and style preferences, and pick a time to come into the store before or after hours. Customers get the store to themselves, along with someone to help pick out clothes.

鈥淚t takes a lot of time to go through all the clothes,鈥� Rene Stephens said. 鈥淭here is such a diverse mix, [and this way] you can dial in what you鈥檙e looking for.鈥�

Through more than 70 years of retail experience, the Stephens have discovered that customers with unique body types really appreciate help finding gear and clothing that fits properly. The more descriptive the customer is about their wants and needs, the more targeted the consultation. 鈥淲e can capture the whole audience instead of pigeonholing people and saying you have to be a size two or eight to shop in this store,鈥� Rene Stephens said.

This #CoolShop has long been committed to the happiness of each individual customer, and their style consultations are just another way of making sure everyone can find gear that fits and functions for them personally.

鈥淏ecause that鈥檚 what everybody wants鈥攁 personal experience,” Rene Stephens said.

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To put it bluntly, Supreme is the cool kid on the block. The one whose lack of effort seems unattainably chill, whose attention you鈥檙e dying to grab but can鈥檛 ever seem to figure out how to get.

Even if you think you don鈥檛 know them, you鈥檝e almost certainly seen riffs on their block-lettered logo. Supreme started out as a clothing brand for skaters, and along the way, it became the ultimate hype brand. Millions of followers around the world eagerly await Supreme鈥檚 regular 鈥渄rops,鈥� their co-branded collaborations with clothing, outdoor, lifestyle, and home goods brands across the board.

Part of what makes Supreme work is its scarcity model: there are always more fans than there is product available. Drops sell out in seconds worldwide, in spite of mass quantities available, which makes nabbing a collab with Supreme a slam dunk. Karl Fritzsche, category manager for SealLine, told us that the See Pouch they produced for a Supreme drop early this year accounted for more than ten times the amount they typically sell in a full year.

鈥淧eople are buying it because it says 鈥楽upreme,鈥� that鈥檚 the crazy thing,鈥� he said. For the most part, they don鈥檛 even need a drybag. 鈥淚t鈥檚 super mind-boggling.鈥�

That鈥檚 essentially Supreme鈥檚 whole model: find cool stuff, slap their name on it, sell it en masse.

If you scroll through their recent drops, you鈥檒l find a lot of normal stuff like clothing鈥攁 fair amount of it produced in collaboration with The North Face鈥攁 lot of outdoor gear, and a heck of a lot of stuff that鈥檚 just plain weird. (Who needs an anatomically correct model of the human body with Supreme鈥檚 logo on the base?)

But while a fair bit of it ends up on eBay, selling for many times the original asking price (Fritzsche鈥檚 seen SealLine See Pouches go for about $300, compared to the MSRP of about $50), there鈥檚 another unintended consequence, too: urbanites from major cities across the world who might not otherwise care to go kayaking or camping pack up their new gear and head for nature.

鈥淪upreme comes up with some really funny things, and I think they鈥檙e very calculated in what they鈥檙e doing,鈥� said Ryan Pugh, a product designer for Advanced Elements, which produced untold thousands of inflatable kayaks (he鈥檚 not allowed to say exactly how many) for a Supreme drop in July.

The kayaks sold out in seconds鈥攚e鈥檙e not exaggerating鈥攁nd Advanced Elements had expected that they鈥檇 mostly stay in their boxes, serving as collectors鈥� items. But to their surprise, they鈥檝e seen scores of YouTube videos and Instagram posts of people kayaking for the first time thanks to Supreme. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e figured out that, with millennials, being outdoors is catching on,鈥� Pugh said. 鈥淭hey understand that their clientele is at least thinking about getting outside, doing things outdoors, and engaging in that realm.鈥�

To be sure, collaborating with Supreme can seriously boost your brand鈥檚 clout and recognition. So how do you get a deal? That鈥檚 the tough part鈥攜ou can鈥檛. Supreme is very much a 鈥渄on鈥檛 call us, we鈥檒l call you鈥� kind of company (case in point: they didn鈥檛 respond to multiple requests for comment on this story). Even SealLine didn鈥檛 work directly with Supreme on the See Pouch collab; they went through a third party agency hired by the company.

So, outdoor brands shouldn鈥檛 hold their breath and wait for Supreme to come knocking. But collaborating with other companies鈥攂oth within the industry and beyond鈥攊s still good for business.

Here Are 5 Types of Collabs That Your Brand Should Consider.

1. The Co-designed Collab

By designing products together that wouldn鈥檛 exist if not for brand collaboration, you can achieve some serious brand awareness. Take, for example, their Topo Designs x Chaco collection. Chaco made sandals and dog leashes and collars with Topo-inspired patterns. And Topo made packs featuring the same designs. Products like these, and similar projects like the sleeping pad collab between Poler Stuff and Therm-a-Rest, or the tent, sleeping pad, and table collabs between Big Agnes, Helinox, and Burton, play up both brands鈥� assets and appeal to both of their audiences. Brands like Power Practical, Rumpl, and Ravean take it a step further when they innovate by building on one another鈥檚 technology. In 2016, the three brands worked together to create the Rumpl Puffe-, a rechargeable electric puffy blanket.

Check Out These Succesful Co-designed Collabs

Burton and Big Agnes Tent Collab

Nomadix and Wylder Goods Towel Collab

Chaco and Topo Designs Sandal Collab

Therm-a-Rest and Poler Sleeping Pad Collab

Power Practical, Rumpl, and Ravean Blanket Collab

2. The Co-branded or White-Labeled Collab

This type of collaboration is fairly run-of-the-mill. You make backpacks, for example, and you want water bottles with the company name on them, or vice-versa. If the brand you want to work with has a following you want to tap, it may be beneficial to keep both companies鈥� logos on the product. But if you want to have full 鈥渙wnership鈥� over the product, you can white-label it. Sock companies like Nester Hosiery the parent company of Farm to Feet, for example, produce socks on behalf of other companies without ever mentioning their involvement.

3. The Social Collab

Perhaps the easiest type of collaboration to secure is one in which you work with some like-minded brands to tap each others鈥� audiences. Maybe you put together a sweet prize package, and to enter, Instagram users have to follow all the brands involved, like the post, and comment by tagging a friend who may be interested. Or, maybe consumers enter online with their email address, and then you end up with 10,000 new newsletter subscribers. Emails are great leads to new customers, says Yoon Kim, who runs Blogs for Brands and frequently executes social and giveaway collaborations between brands.

Social Media Collabs That Work!

Topo Designs, Big Agnes, REI, and others collaborated on this trip giveaway.

Wylder Goods collaborated with Hydro Flask, Sun Bum, Toad&Co, and others for this summer gear giveaway.

Retailer Feral Mountain Co.聽partnered with several local groups for a spring giveaway.

4. The Press Trip Collab

If you work with an external PR agency, it might be easy for you to organize a press trip where costs are shared with another gear company (or maybe several gear companies). If not, look around you鈥攖here may be other gear companies in your city that you can approach on your own. If co-hosting a trip is out of the question, you can also try to support an existing trip by offering up product to pass out to writers for potential review.

5. The Out-Of-Industry Collab

Just because you can鈥檛 hunt down a Supreme collab doesn鈥檛 mean you鈥檙e out of luck for increasing your brand recognition beyond core outdoor users. Just look to Woolrich, for example, which made a co-branded 鈥淧ennsylvania Tuxedo鈥� beer a few years ago with Dogfish Head Brewing. It was a pale ale brewed with spruce tips from Pennsylvania and Delaware forests. Stormy Kromer has worked with a tattoo shop in Michigan to do 鈥淗ats for Tats.鈥� Major fans could trade a free lifetime supply of Stormy Kromer hats in exchange for tattooing a hat somewhere on their body. And if you鈥檙e tight on budget for your upcoming catalog but want to go somewhere exotic for killer photos, you can seek partnerships with destination tourism boards, too, who may be able to help lower your costs.

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An icy wind whipped fresh snow into mini tornados in the narrow alleyways of a Golden, Colorado, storage facility, and Bruce Gordon dropped a box of product samples into the slush under his rented box truck.

He looked over at his business partner Zach Branson and said, 鈥淭here鈥檚 got to be a better way.鈥�

The two were hustling to make their outdoor sales agency, Mountain Source, a success, and knew that the storage-locker-and-rented-truck strategy would only get them so far. Eventually they found a home base in the Denver Merchandise Mart.

This hulking event space and collection of showrooms, tucked into an industrial pocket of north Denver, opened in 1965 as a wholesale marketplace. Unlike the Colorado Convention Center, the new home of Outdoor Retailer, which accommodates sweeping events attended by entire industries, the Denver Merchandise Mart specializes in connecting sales representatives to buyers. It鈥檚 strictly B2B and not open to the public.

Since opening, The Denver Merchandise Mart has become a major business hub for the western wear industry, and outdoor industry sales reps in the Rocky Mountain region鈥攍ike Mountain Source鈥攁re wisely beginning to take note.

The Scene

The Denver Merchandise Mart, or just 鈥淒enver Mart,鈥� has the look and feel of a massive ’70s-era hotel, with crisscrossing escalators and stair cases in a bright multi-story atrium and long, window-lined hallways and event halls. But instead of housing vacationers, this facility has apparel and accessory companies as guests.

I pass showrooms with jewelers hunched over magnifying glasses, bedazzled cowboy boots, sterling knives with elk-antler handles, and cabinetry and backsplash supplies among a blur of other things on my way to meet with Todd Herrick, a managing partner of Denver Mart. Herrick is a pilot and backcountry skier who came to Colorado in 1987 and also owns Telluride Helitrax, Black Canyon Anglers, and Gunnison River Farms.

鈥淲e have nearly one million square feet of space in total,鈥� Herrick told me. 鈥淲e have loading docks for every event hall, freight elevators, a concert stage (Garth Brooks, Lori Morgan, and Merle Haggard have played there), a drive-in outdoor movie theater (showing first-run movies on weekends Memorial Day to Labor Day, but available to tenants for midweek private events), security, 24/7 access for tenants, and free parking.鈥� Denver Mart hosts a trade show every weekend and can run up to four separate shows simultaneously.

鈥淲e have everything from western shows to car shows, toy train shows, roofing shows, the state bar exam, marijuana shows. The marijuana crowd鈥攕howing grow lamps and products like that, not bud鈥攖hey鈥檇 have a show every week if they could. They鈥檙e going gangbusters. But my point is, we can fit any particular industry鈥檚 needs,鈥� said Herrick. 鈥淚f you want to build an ice climbing wall outside, we鈥檒l setup an ice climbing wall.鈥�

The venue also has space for up to 400 tenants in showrooms ranging in size from 180 square feet to more than 8,000 square feet. This is a real attraction for a sales rep who may be used to the relative chaos of showing gear out of the back of a truck or van. Currently, 142 outdoor lines, from Jack Wolfskin and adidas Outdoor to Alpine Start and Selk鈥檅ag to Gregory have leased showrooms, which each agency can customize to their liking. Showroom tenants have 24/7 access and meet with retailer and potential buyers on their own terms. With Outdoor Retailer鈥檚 high-profile move from Salt Lake City to Denver, Denver Mart expects its outdoor industry tenant list to grow.

Browse the Outdoor Brand Showrooms

The Chaco Showroom

The Gregory Showroom

The Jack Wolfskin Showroom

The Smith Showroom

The Smartwool Showroom

鈥淲e are in Adams County which is non-union, so you have great creative freedom to set up a trade show booth how you like it,鈥� said Herrick, 鈥渁nd for tenants who lease showroom space, we feature a 鈥榣oss of line clause,鈥� which lets a sales rep out of their lease if they lose one of their three biggest clients.鈥� For reps who are often on 30-day revolving contracts, this eliminates the personal liability of a long-term lease.

The western wear industry (think Justin, Cinch, and Ariat) was an early adopter of Denver Mart and serves as an example of the type of community the ownership hopes to cultivate within the outdoor industry.

The Value

To get an idea of how the big western brands have used the show rooms, we tour a few of their largest and most lavish. First, Corral Boots, which has a stone fireplace and full bar, along with cocktail tables, and more than a dozen sales rep stations. Next is Miller International (parent company of Cinch jeans, among others). Their space is the size of a commercial outlet store, has a runway, overstuffed leather chairs, a huge bar, and a seating area that鈥檇 be right at home at any sports bar in America.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so easy to imagine a big outdoor or snow sports brand creating a ski-lodge or Swiss chalet apr猫s scene,鈥� I said to Herrick.

鈥淎nd they could show ski films at the drive-in out back,鈥� he replied.

We also tour the Ariat and Carhartt showrooms. The former was one of the first tenants in Denver Mart and boasts an 8,100-square-foot showroom. Carhartt鈥檚 has a sleek mountain-modern vibe, several private rep stations, and a huge conference room with a 16-seat table and the largest video-conference-ready flat screen I鈥檝e ever seen. It looks like a corporate headquarters.

What鈥檚 crazy is that many of these large showrooms are only utilized during the Western English Sales Associations biannual shows. That鈥檚 just eight days per year.

鈥淭his is where brands and buyers conduct a substantial amount of business. It鈥檚 worth it鈥攁nd it鈥檚 stood the test of time over the years. It works. Even with the internet and e-commerce, these industries are ultimately very tactile. You need to physically see the product and share stories and strategies with each other, personally, to make sound decisions,鈥� said Herrick. 鈥淎nd these industries that take up shop here are very community-driven.鈥�

The Potential

So, are outdoor industry brands utilizing it and how? To begin answering that, I met up with Mountain Source, an outdoor and snow sports sales agency with eight team members servicing retailers in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Nebraska.

鈥淲e used to use a storage unit and a rented truck and show product in a retail space,鈥� said partner Bruce Gordon. 鈥淣ow we have a controlled environment to interact with retailers with no distractions like we might have if we were meeting at a shop, or even worse, the back of a van. It鈥檚 revolutionized our business.鈥�

Mountain Source currently reps Chaco, Fj盲llr盲ven, GU, Hanwag, Klean Kanteen, Smartwool, and Swany.

鈥淲e want to change the agency model. As we grow, our goal is to have a [show] room for each of our brands,鈥� said Gordon. 鈥淯ltimately, we want to show a buyer that they could stock all of our brands, and in this environment, we can mimic how those brands could be displayed in the store. Smartwool is now flying people from outside of our territory to pre-line here in this showroom.鈥�

Their bright Smartwool space features vinyl wall wraps, custom racks and signage, and individual meeting tables to display product on. The Chaco space has artificial turf and a vibe 100 percent in line with the booth I鈥檝e seen at Outdoor Retailer for years. Their showrooms are inviting, casual, and fun, just like the brands they rep.

鈥淲e all got into this business because it鈥檚 fun, right?鈥� said Gordon. 鈥淏ut then at some point the fun is out of it. Having showrooms at the Mart has been key to us bringing some of the fun back. We can do really creative things in this space. With all of the support from the leasing manager and staff here, we have extreme flexibility to do whatever we want.鈥�

Mountain Source鈥檚 biggest success, business wise, has been with brand extensions. 鈥淚n an unhurried environment, we can introduce buyers to more brands. We were not able to do that as successfully before,鈥� said partner Zach Branson.

鈥淭his space allows our staff to tell better stories. We do 80 percent of our annual business in this showroom now,鈥� added Gordon.

鈥淚t sounds cheesy,鈥� said Branson, 鈥渂ut this place has given us a real sense of pride and really gotten us excited to reinvest in our business. There鈥檚 no other place we鈥檝e seen where we can do this.鈥�

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