Twenty or more years since the emergence of online shopping, consumers trends make it clear consumers see value in both ecommerce and in-person shopping. Referencing a 2019 GE Shopper Research Study, GE Capital CMO Toni White said, “While online research plays a bigger role throughout the major purchase process, 60% of consumers start by visiting a search engine, then go to the retailer’s website, and… Read More »How Retailers Can Become Indispensable to Online Shoppers

Outdoor retailers have a unique relationship with customers, who often come into the store as beginners and graduate to enthusiasts and then experts. While terms like “upselling” and “cross-selling” are prevalent throughout the retail world, outdoor stores have the opportunity to upsell and cross-sell to long-term customers as those people progress through their outdoor lifestyle journey. With the COVID-related influx of outdoor beginners and new… Read More »How to Convert Beginners to Devoted Outdoor Enthusiasts

There’s something in the water — and it’s not just canoes, kayaks and rafts anymore. Originating in Hawaii as a way to work-out when waves turned fickle, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) has gone both mainstream and mainland. “It’s absolutely huge,” says Charlie MacArthur, owner of Colorado’s first SUP school (and son of James MacArthur, who played Dan-o in Hawaii Five-O). “We’re taking just as many students… Read More »What’s Up With Sup: Experts Explain the Designs for Different Uses

With summer approaching and The Big Gear Show already on your calendar, why not make it a family trip? Plan a summer vacation in Park City, Utah! With 7300 acres of mountain ranges and over 330 trails to play on, there is plenty to do. We have outlined all of the fun activities you can do with your family while visiting The Big Gear Show. … Read More »Why You Should Attend The Big Gear Show With your Family in Mind

Deciding what to stock in your retail store has always been a mixture of art and science, an amalgamation of past sales data, a forecast of future trends, and an interpretation of what your customers want now and next. The pandemic’s effect on supply chains and consumer behavior have added even greater uncertainty about planning for inventory levels, product availability, and consumer demands. As you… Read More »Keys to Evaluating Outdoor Products

Outdoor gear is meant to be used outside, so why do we keep gathering in convention centers with artificial lighting and climate control to discover new products and build the relationships that keep our industry thriving? The disruption caused by the pandemic in 2020 gave us the opportunity to re-examine everything about The Big Gear Show, right down to challenging the use of a traditional… Read More »Why The Big Gear Show is Going Outside

What can the bike, outdoor and paddle industries learn from each other? Luckily our own Kenji Haroutunian recorded a podcast with the National Bicycle Dealers Association and discussed these issues at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.  When COVID-19 hit the US, there was a painful disruption and halt to specialty retailers in all of these categories. The industry was able to get back on… Read More »A Look Back at Cross-Category Learning with Kenji Haroutunian