Previously available only to staff who worked a minimum of 20 hours per week, the co-op’s medical benefits will now be extended to everyone
The new Evo Membership earns customers discounts on gear and adventure travel
Here’s how shops can monetize non-paying customers who just want free information
The Dick’s Sporting Goods spinoff is expanding fast
The product line aims to make the country’s largest outdoor retailer more inclusive
Employees at the Berkeley, California, location voted in favor of unionization this week
WNC Outdoor Collective, a retailer in Black Mountain, North Carolina, needs to raise $500,000 to expand
The retailer is expanding aggressively into the running market, with an eye to attracting new customers
The Tahoe City location joins Evo’s Salt Lake City and Whistler locations in its lineup of adventure hotels
Vehicle-supported adventuring—sometimes called "fauxverlanding" or "overlanding light"—is introducing a new cohort of consumers to the outdoors
Salt + Snow aims to help people—mothers specifically—find quality outdoor gear
A recent name change is part of the co-op’s strategy to increase its guided-tour business to 3 million customers annually
Gear shops are most powerful when they sit at the center of a strong community orbit. Here are a dozen proven strategies to grow your clan.
If the vote is certified, around 100 employees at REI's flagship store in Manhattan would be represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union
The lifetime membership now costs $30 instead of $20, but offers new benefits
Should you leave your shop unattended? One daring apparel brand says the practice has boosted trust—and sales.
From weighing every binding to throwing ski-club parties, here's how the country's top winter retailers rule the snowy season
A look back at the inspiring history of one of the nation's most iconic independent retailers on the eve of its 50th anniversary
Black Creek Outfitters in Jacksonville, Florida, is a retail unicorn—a legacy shop with deep community roots that remained under family ownership for nearly four decades. A year shy of its 40th anniversary, the owners have decided to wind it down.
How are independent outdoor shops retaining employees—not to mention morale and integrity—in a pinched hiring market?
Workers at the company's SoHo location in New York have filed for an election to be represented by the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union
Following the continued growth of its retail business, evo plans to turn a full city block in Seattle into a mixed-use development combining retail, restaurants, experiences, and more
The Lebanon, Tennessee, facility will run on 100 percent clean energy and produce zero waste
The addition of a CCO signals a possible new retail strategy for the outdoor giant
Clay and Meredith Diers are fitting right into the Crested Butte community and keeping the spirit of the store alive
The 24,000-square-foot store signals a continued push into smaller markets for the retail giant
The co-op, which has offered adventure tours in Wyoming for more than a decade, on November 5 will open its first store in the state
REI is continuing its annual #OptϳԹ campaign—despite a tough sales environment due to Covid in 2020—by closing its doors on Black Friday and encouraging customers to spend time outdoors
One of the outdoor industry's most famous gear shops, Neptune Mountaineering of Boulder, Colo., has been purchased by another just up the road in Aspen, Ute Mountaineer
OBJ got a behind-the-scenes look at the grand opening of Public Lands, the new retail concept from Dick's Sporting goods, in Pennsylvania
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.
The team at Chopwood Mercantile has created a six-step pledge to raise awareness about the overuse of public lands and encourage responsible camping
The co-op also honored Cannondale, NEMO Equipment, Fjällräven, and Darn Tough Vermont as part of its annual Vendor Partner of the Year awards
The 6,500-square-foot space will be the smallest of the co-op's nationwide locations
More than 1,400 people have raised $68,000 so far to save Montezuma Valley Market, a popular PCT thru-hiker stop, after a devastating fire
After the co-op reported a double-digit sales decline and a net loss for the year, we took a deep dive into financials across the outdoor industry to see how the retailer compared
Neptune Mountaineering, a gear shop just steps away from the site of Monday’s massacre in Boulder, Colorado, has confirmed that all its employees are safe
The e-commerce startup Out&Back, which debuted last month, is billing itself as “Kayak for outdoor gear." What does its arrival mean for specialty retail?
REI’s ever-expanding ambitions have earned it plenty of fans—and critics—as it’s grown to dominate the outdoor industry. But many feel the retail giant has been made vulnerable by its own hubris. Now that the pandemic has rocked its fortunes, we’re faced with an uncomfortable question: what if the $3 billion co-op isn’t too big to fail?
Mask requirements and other coronavirus rules have caused some distressing confrontations between retail employees and customers recently. A new training tool can help.
The online retailer will expand the size of its physical retail footprint with two new shops in Utah and Colorado
Experts weigh in on small changes you can make to increase sales in the last few days of the holiday shopping season
The sporting goods giant will open two locations of a new outdoor concept, Public Lands, next year, the company's outgoing CEO told investors last week
2020 has been a year of supreme uncertainly for specialty retail. Empty shelves, cancelled orders, and lopsided demand have forced shop owners to get creative to meet customers needs. Here's what several retail owners say about the challenges they've faced.
By staying true to its community-driven values, the Philadelphia-born brand transformed its flagship retail store into a mini market for fresh foods, household goods, and takeout meals. An insurance provider took notice.
In anticipation of a pending sale, the retailer sent layoff notices to dozens of employees last week
Over time, sales of small, low-cost items at the register can add up to a considerable revenue line. But what do customers actually reach for?
Thousands of member-owners of Mountain Equipment Co-op have banded together to prevent an American investment firm from buying the company
The struggling Canadian retailer, recently acquired by a U.S. investment firm, will no longer operate as a consumer-cooperative business
This hybrid survival-outdoor store opened its doors in the middle of a global pandemic. The timing might have been perfect
This little shop got its start out of the back of a truck. In just four years, it's become a local treasure that brings outdoor lovers together all year round.
Recent announcements from REI, MEC, and Bass Pro Shops have people asking: What's going on with all these staff changes?
After significant layoffs and furloughs earlier this year, REI plans to further reduce its nationwide staff
The Cleveland Outpost, a gear shop offering new and used goods, opened its doors this week. Even in the middle of a pandemic, it's been smooth sailing so far
The company will also double match any employee donations to anti-racism nonprofits
As stores open their doors and welcome customers back, everyone—staff and shoppers alike—face a new normal
Situated on the edge of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, this Northeastern Ohio shop has been a community stalwart since 1988
Google's latest response to competition from Amazon is a potential windfall for small, independent shops
The owner of longtime San Diego retailer ϳԹ reflects on the decision to close his store
The female-focused online retailer has decided to close up shop
Owner Brendan Madigan asked his community to #SaveYourLocalGearShop. And they did
Expanding on its coronavirus aid program announced last week, Toad&Co has pledged even more help to struggling retailers
Data from Grassroots Outdoor Alliance show a 31 percent spike in brands’ promotional behavior over the holidays. Plus, retailers dish on the risks of overly aggressive tactics
This is the go-to store for local climbers and visitors to The Gunks to get climbing hardware, route beta, and a sense of community.
Outdoor meets fashion in one sneakerhead's retail-shop manifestation of his gear dreams
Housed in an old bank, this three-year-old shop is preserving the past while outfitting all levels of adventurers
CEO John Mead says he couldn't make ends meet anymore, but not for lack of trying new things, employing a rockstar staff, and getting people outside
Learn tips and tricks from veteran buyers
Outdoor brands use temporary brick-and-mortar locations to engage with customers during the busiest time of the year for retail
Honing in on products and maintaining a strong community presence have kept this ski shop ticking for 45 years
This black-owned outdoor store is built around faith, and being a safe space for all identities and communities
Knowing when to scale back and when to stay ahead of the trends has kept Buffalo Peak flourishing for more than three decades
On a mission to keep gear out of the landfill, The Gear Fix is also making outdoor pursuits more accessible and affordable
Flannel on khakis is a staple uniform in the outdoor industry. But it doesn’t have to be, and this fashion-forward shop mixes expected "outdoorsy" pieces with the unexpected
From inventory management to diversification to events and activism, these outdoor shops are preparing for an uncertain future
A surefire way to draw customers through your doors: offer free, filtered water