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Posted: April 27, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »I finally returned after a two week road trip that took me to Boulder, Portland, Olympia, Seattle and Vancouver. It was a whirlwind tour, but well worth it.
I was in Boulder for a few reasons. First and foremost was the Mountain Hardwear Trends Retreat. This is a great event that Paige Boucher and her team in Steamboat put on every year. Mountain Hardwear gathers a ton of journalists and other media proffessionals to discuss the biggest trends impacting the outdoor industry. This year we discussed everything from the shifting supply chain to new media’s impact on the magazine publishing industry.
Here’s a photo of the whole crew on a hike we did between sessions in the Flatirons.
Media folks at the Mountain Hardwear Trends Retreat
The next leg of my trip took me to Portland where I had back to back meetings with the folks from END, Columbia, Icebreaker, Yakima, and CRKT. Then I stopped by The Alpine Experience in Olympia before I was off to Seattle for meetings with Amazon.com and K2 Sports. After that I headed North again to Vancouver for an afternoon with Tyler at Arc’Teryx. It’s great to be on the road getting a variety of viewpoints from all different angles in the industry.
The Puget Sound via the Nisqually Basin between Olympia and Seattle
What’s the concensus? well, the economy is clearly hitting everyone, but there is definately light at the end of the tunnel. March was better that February and April has been better than March (so far). In spite of a heavy collision, the wheels have not fallen off of the bus and we seem to be rolling along.
Six months ago, financial writers were hesitant to use the “R” word, referrring to recession, now we’re just as hesitant to use the “R” word referring to recovery. However, I think we might see the faintest traces of one around the corner, at least in the outdoor market.
This Week’s BOSS
Posted: April 6, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »***************************************************
THE B.O.S.S. REPORT. KNOW MORE. NOW.
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TOP STORIES THIS WEEK:
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o Analysis: Seizing the women’s opportunity at retail…
o OR Survey: New products main reason to attend show…
o Cannondale shifts manufacturing to Taiwan…
o Rocky Brands extends its credit facility…
o Report: Global organic cotton jumps in 2008…
o Outdoor Groups urge better backcountry management…
o OIA: Affordable Footwear Act re-introduced in Senate…
o Crocs,Inc. gets new life with credit line extension…
o Wireless Jacket lawsuit targets numerous brands…
o VF Corp. lays out retail growth plans for investors…
o Rossignol to cut workforce…
o LL Bean furloughs 150 call center workers…
o SGB announces 2009 40 Under 40 recipients…
o Other Stories include Keen, REI, Crocs, Unifi, Timberland, and many more…
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Another Interesting Alliance
Posted: April 3, 2009 Filed under: Access | Tags: Access Leave a comment »
It looks like OIA has united with The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Outdoor Alliance, in support of responsible management of inventoried roadless areas. The group’s end goal is to sustain “the high-quality sporting and recreational opportunities provided by America’s backcountry.”
Bill Schneider over at New West has a great opinion piece about this new alliance. We’ve been writing about potential alliances between conservation organizations for years at The BOSS Report. We’ve also been talking to Frank Hugelmeyer over at OIA about all of the common ground the Outdoor Specialty business has with the hook & bullet crowd.
Yes, there are differences – sometimes dramatic differences – of opinion. Hunters and backpackers are referring to two totally different things when they talk about packing a Cannon into the backcountry. I personally prefer the SLR variety. But when it comes to preserving roadless wilderness, we are both in the same boat.
Interesting Partnerships
Posted: April 1, 2009 Filed under: Access Leave a comment »Backpacking Light issued a press release today stating that they are seeking a partnership with the Blue Ribbon Coalition, an Off Road Vehicle community group. Their goal is to “join forces in the fight for American Wilderness preservation.”
They also listed several different issues that are undergoing a “feasibility study”
