Retail Update

Two in one day...

Intrawest is launching a new discount clearance SnowSports and Outdoor e-commerce site, PureMountainoutlet.com

They are also apparently trying to give SteepandCheap.com a run for their money with a "Deal of the Day" micro site.

(However, the link to the "Deal of the Day" on their site doesn't work...)

Here's something that is Simply Frightening for Halloween

This came accross the wires this morning...

TITUSVILLE, Pa., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Barrels of fun lead the oil market news today as plans for a special worldwide birthday celebration were announced in northwestern Pennsylvania.

The Oil 150 Committee unveiled a logo for the 150th anniversary of the oil industry which will be celebrated beginning in August 2008 through the official anniversary year of 2009. The event was held at Drake Well Museum in Titusville, PA, at the site of the world's first successful commercial oil well drilled by Col. Edwin Drake on August 27, 1859.

"The oil industry has so transformed the world through its products, from the first lamp oil to fuel, lubricants, plastics, and medicines, its impact has been rivaled only by the invention of computers," said Oil 150 Co-Chair U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-5th District of Pennsylvania.

The Oil 150 Committee is promoting national and international entertainment and educational events and activities for the general public, students, historians, and heritage travelers.

"The anniversary celebration will recognize the important discoveries, innovations, and achievements in oil industry exploration and production, refining, transportation and storage, marketing, and business organization," said Oil 150 Coordinator Lois McElwee. "It will also incorporate the very close parallel development of the natural gas industry," she said.

Drake Well Museum in the Oil Region National Heritage Area is one of the historic sites that will be ready. An expansion and renovation plan was detailed by museum administrator Barbara Zolli in welcoming all to visit. Oil 150 Co-Chairs Lynda Cochran of the Titusville Chamber of Commerce and Bruce Wells of the Washington, DC-based American Oil and Gas Historical Society reviewed some of the Sesquicentennial celebration goals. They are to: increase public knowledge of the significance of the early oil and natural gas industry developments in Pennsylvania and later developments resulting in social and economic benefits to the world; enhance interest in oil history and oil-related education fields; and increase tourism at oil-related sites.

The theme for the sesquicentennial anniversary is, "Celebrating the Story - Progress from Petroleum."

Oil 150 is administrated by the Oil Region Alliance. Its Chairman, Jack Crawford, and President, Randy Seitz, also spoke at the logo unveiling event. Co-sponsors for the celebration are now being sought. More information about the Oil 150 Committee and its plans is available at www.Oil150.com.

My only question is, what the heck is a congressman doing sitting on the board of an oil industry's trade organization...

Thanks Hugh

Retail Update

Arc'Teryx opened their first brand store...

Link

An Interview with Goose

Gabcast! Interviews with The BOSS #4 - Goose Kearse, King of the Mountain at Misty Mountain Threadworks

Goose talks about the beginning of Misty and how the business has evolved over the past 20 years...

Changes are Happening Faster than we Expected

We were actually able to make some very significant changes faster than we thought.

From here on out, our daily UPDATES will be renamed.




The Sports Market UPDATE is now the SGB UPDATE
and the Specialty Market UPDATE, which complimented The B.O.S.S. Report with daily coverage, will be renamed the Outdoor Business UPDATE.

You will see the changes in the newsletters this morning.

Like I said earlier, there will be no changes to SEW or BOSS, we are simply re-positioning our free daily emails so they support our printed magazines as well as our weeklies.

There are still some more changes to come.

Quote of the week...

During K2's quarterly conference call:

Analyst's Question: "Salomon is out with some pretty bad numbers... Did you guys benefit at all in terms of sell-in from Salomon not being able to deliver product?"

Heckman's Response: "Let me let Wayne answer that, but my first reaction is that I think we caused it..."

Changes Are in the Cards

at The SportsOneSource Group.

The first public-facing shifts in positioning for our family of publications will be announced shortly. There won't be any differences in our on-line daily coverage, in The B.O.S.S. Report, or in Sports Executive Weekly but there will be some shifts in some of the print titles and the daily UPDATEs...

Clay Kitten Shooting...

Only from the minds of Crumpler...

Link

The New River Gorge and Seneca

Well, I'm back after a few days on the road. The New River Gorge was great for a day on Saturday, we actually put up a new route and worked on a few others that I had never been on before. People say that the New is tapped out for new route activity, but I know of at least two dozen new lines that have gone up in the past few months, ranging from 5.8 to 5.13+. There is a very dedicated group of locals up there searching for new rock every day, and there's plenty to choose from.

After that, the weather took a turn for the worse and we had snow non-stop at Seneca. We didn't bring the aid gear (and we didn't feel like climbing in alpine conditions without gloves) so we went caving instead.

Bush: The Outdoor President

I know a few folks who would have liked to sit in on this meeting...

From the Coleman PR Desk:

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 19, 2006) -- Building on The Coleman Company, Inc.'s 106-year history of bringing Americans outdoors, Gary A. Kiedaisch, the company's President and CEO, met with President George W. Bush in the Oval Office on Monday to pledge the company's and the outdoor industry's support in connecting America's youth with the great outdoors, and to express appreciation for the president's ongoing support for recreation.
The reasons for the meeting were threefold. First, to thank President Bush for his commitment to outdoor recreation, proclaiming June as Great Outdoors Month, bringing focus to the outdoors as a national priority. Second, to draw attention to the president's stewardship of America's magnificent outdoor recreational resources. And third, to encourage a greater partnership between the government and the outdoor industry in bringing Americans -- especially young people -- back outside.
"Outdoor recreation gets us off the couch, out of our sedentary lifestyle, and back outside to enjoy all that nature has to offer," Kiedaisch said. "Coleman would like to work with business and government to come up with sustainable solutions to getting Americans back outdoors and recreating. As the world's largest outdoor company, we are already working with outdoor advocacy organizations to reach the public with the message that spending time with nature is the best way to revitalize mind, body and spirit. But there is much more that can be done."
...
At the meeting, Kiedaisch delivered a commemorative lantern -- one of more than 60 million fuel lanterns produced by the company since 1900 -- and a letter to President Bush (attached) discussing the industry's interest in partnering with government to get people off the couch, away from their computer and TV screens, and back into the outdoors.

Retailer Update

Specialized Opens 1st UK Concept Shop

TNF does it again...

"Our Outdoor coalition continues to have tremendous momentum, with total revenues up 25% to $659 million and strong gains across nearly every brand. Domestic revenues grew 20% in the quarter while international revenues rose 37%. The North Face, Vans, Napapijri and Eastpak brands each posted revenue gains in excess of 20%, while our Reef and Kipling brands also posted solid growth in the quarter...

"Operating income rose 25% in the quarter, while operating margins remained strong and stable, despite continued investments to support the future growth we expect from all our Outdoor brands."

Link

Check out The B.O.S.S. Report on Monday for more details...

(Hey Rich, By the way, B.O.S.S. - Bicycle, Outdoor, and Snow Sports)

The ATTA World Summit

If you haven't checked out the Adventure Travel Trade Association, they are worth a look. Chris Doyle has been working hard to create this community that blends the outdoor industry with the travel industry. Where else can you sit down at the same table with exec's from eagle creek, Ex Officio, Orbitz, REI, and the AARP...

The World Summit is going on right now...

Links

ATTA's Adventure Travel World Summit is Carbon Neutral Event

ATTA

Only Wal-Mart...

...can spam the news-wires.

06:00 Wal-Mart Announces Accelerated Rollout of $4 Generic Prescription Program in 14 States
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Illinois; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Illinois Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Arkansas; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Arkansas Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Texas; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Texas Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Vermont; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Vermont Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Alaska
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to New York; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for New York Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Oregon; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Oregon Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to North Carolina; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for North Carolina Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to New Mexico
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Indiana; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Indiana Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Nevada; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Nevada Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Arizona; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Arizona Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Delaware; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Delaware Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers

European Invasion

So, Life-Link and Dynafit have ended their relationship after nearly ten years and Salewa is going to distribute direct in the U.S.

With the Dollar - Euro conversion rate settling down (1 US Dollar = 0.79763 Euro compared to 1 US Dollar = 0.83160 Euro last year - not much change) I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot more of this in the near future. I know of at least two U.K brands who are looking at the U.S. market seriously. VauDe seems to be haveing some success (after a few stumbles) with their current distributor. Craft USA is rocking right now.

Lafuma and Mammut have already pulled it off with some success, and two very different business models. I guess the real question is, how many brands can the market really sustain?

Retailer Update

Outdoor Divas just opened a new store in Denver.

Congrats Kim!

Utah...

...is turning into quite a Mecca for ski companies lately. With Salomon moving all of their winter operations to Ogden, and Atomic likely to join them, it certainly seems like the place to be.

Here's a run-down of who's in Utah, or will be there shortly:

Atomic
Backcountry.com
Bent Metal
Black Diamond
Chisco
Chums
DC Shoes' Mountain Lab
Descente N.A.
Dynastar
Gnu
Lib Tech
Look (SnowSports only)
Lange
Marker
Nidecker Snowboards
Petzl
Rossignol
Roxy Ski
Salomon
Scott USA (Dist. Center)
Völkl Performance Wear
Wasatch Ski Distribution
Zeal Optics

(I'm sure I missed a few - feel free to add to the list.)
...Makes you wonder who's left in the Northeast?
There must be a lot of talent left behind up there, and Burton can only hire so many new folks.

Gabcast! Fun with marketing

Who knew tequila could do so much...

CamelBak's New CEO...

...is Sally McCoy, Silver Steep's co-founder (See the interview with Nate below).

The Full Story will be in BOSS shortly, but here's a LINK to the announcement in Specialty Market UPDATE

Gabcast! Interviews with The BOSS #2 - Nathan Pund, Co-Founder of Silversteep Partners

Nate talks about today's deal environment in the outdoor industry and when and why a company should consider selling...

Off to Rendezvous...

If you're not going, here's some of what you are missing.


Natural Steps to Sustainability with Brian Nattrass

Retailing in China with Roger Zeng

Essentials of Influence with John Jenson

Sustaining Specialty Retail through Start-Up, Buyout and Acquisitions - A panel discussion with Frank Hugelmeyer, Joe Hyer, Fred Martin, and Jeff Weidman
Sponsored by Specialty Market Retailer

America at War: 2006 Election Outcomes with Ken Rudin

Turning Your Business Into A Green Business with Billy Connelly

Chattanooga: A Model of Sustainability in Community with Jim Bowen and Philip Grymes
Amphitheater

Keynote Presentation
Love What You Do, Do What You Love with Jim Bergquist

BBQ, Bluegrass, and Baseball at Bell South Park

EMS' New Expansion Plans

Gabcast! Interviews with The BOSS #1 - EMS Expansion Plans

An excerpt from our interview with Will Manzer, CEO of Eastern Mountain Sports



Check out Monday's BOSS for the full story...

Ooops...

Even Reuters can make mistakes...

Food Locker names Hall CEO of int'l division

Link

Climbing Dangerously

Just as Climbing Magazine's "Danger Issue" hits the stands, this report comes out of Explorer's Web...


Tibetans shot at Nangpa La - Cho Oyu Advanced Base Camp swarmed by Chinese Army – nun shot dead in front of climbers

"There is a story that happened here on the 30th and the 1st that is not being told," wrote a climber from Cho Oyu to ExWeb. “Early morning of September 30th, I walked out of our dining tent to gaze over towards the Nangpa La pass. Without warning, shots rang out. Over, and over and over. Then the line of people started to run uphill – they were at 19,000ft. Apparently the Chinese army was tipped off about their attempted escape, and had showed up with guns. Watching the line snake off through the snow, as the shots rang out, we saw two shapes fall. The binoculars confirmed it: 2 people were down, and they weren't getting up. Then more Chinese army swarmed through ABC.”

Climbing in the South...

is always an adventure. Here's a shot my friend and climbing partner, Jay Young took of our friend Phil. I think it sums up the feeling of climbing in the S.E. perfectly.



This time of year is perfect - so I'm off to The New this weekend. Sunny, high of 55. It's sending weather.

It's Official...

We heard about this well before OR Summer Market, but it's now official... and I am actually quite happy that Mark got the OR Daily gig. He's a genius when it comes to publishing.

BR&IN Publisher to Produce OR Show Daily

VNU Sports Group has hired a new publisher for the Outdoor Retailer Show Daily and the Official Outdoor Retailer Summer and Winter Handbooks. NBDA Services, Inc., which publishes Bicycle Retailer & Industry News as well as the Interbike Show Dailies, will write, edit, print and distribute the OR Show Dailies and OR Handbooks.

And out of the ashes...

Word on the street is that Keen's former President, Jim Van Dine, will be launching a new footwear brand... called AHNU

A new Player in the Game...

Who is O.R.C. and why are they buying outdoor brands? Let's talk with the company's VP, Todd Bahnub...

...Lance Armstrong and Nike will launch the "Run Like Lance Challenge," created to support Armstrong and track his miles as he trains for the 2006 New York City Marathon. With a goal of logging 50,000 miles prior to running the marathon, the seven-time Tour de France winner is calling on his "Army" of cancer-fighting advocates to help him reach his goal in what will be his first major athletic competition since stepping down from professional cycling. Nike will donate $1 to the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) for every mile run and logged by Armstrong and runners that visit www.nikeplus.com from October 2nd until November 5th.

Didn't Lance say he would spend his retirement promoting the sport of cycling?

...and the consolidation continues.

Two acquisitions this week already.

ORC Industries to Acquire Bell Canoe Works

ORC Industries (you pronounce each letter) signed an agreement with Ted Bell to acquire the assets of Bell Canoe Works of Princeton, Minnesota. Bell’s manufacturing operation will be moved to the ORC complex in LaCrosse, Wisconsin and become part of the company’s growing Outdoor Group. Ted Bell will remain with Bell/ORC to assist with the transition Bell Canoe is the second acquisition for the growing ORC Outdoor Group, which purchased Redfeather Snowshoes last winter...

But the really interesting part is that ORC "was founded in 1966 as a nonprofit employer of people with disabilities, and the company has grown to become one of the larger employers of disabled Americans in the manufacturing sector."

Second acquisition was Johnson Outdoors buying Scotland-based Lendal paddles.

It's shaping up to be an interesting week. We've also been waiting on the Helly Hansen Deal to close. No official news on who the buyers might be, but there's a lot of specualation. We know the folks over at Silversteep are working hard to get the deal done.

Interbike

Well, Interbike is finally over - don't get me wrong, I love going to the show, but Vegas can wear you down after a while. Below are a few of the choice shots from Judy Leand and a few excerpts from the show review in The B.O.S.S. Report...

...While the road market seems to be maintaining itself, the days of double digit growth are clearly over. The people who are new to the sport are still spending money, and according to most retailers, sales of road bikes remain strong, but are relatively flat. This is actually good news for the market, leading many to believe the “Lance effect” was not simply a spike in sales, but a phenomenon that grew the overall size of the road bike market...

...Bike retailers have never dedicated much floor space to any footwear or apparel other than lycra and cleated cycling shoes. However, partially because of the increases in commuter bikes, consumers are asking for more casual apparel that can cross-over from echelon to errands...

The the Dance Goes on....

Looks like we have yet another player in the consolidation game...

“Stabilo wants to grow and not just through the Deuter brand,” said Loomis. “It’s too early to tell if this is a marriage made in heaven. There are many peculiarities about the outdoor business that outsiders can have a hard time with. In the short term we will continue to do what we do best – it will be a learning period.”

From this week's B.O.S.S. Report