Outdoor Insight

tanding out from the crowd in today's hyper-competitive retail landscape is no easy feat. In the outdoor retail world, competition comes from all corners — big-box stores, the internet and, increasingly, brands themselves selling directly to consumers. To stand out, stores need to be special. This year, our annual Great 8 Retail list focuses on eight true specialists. These eight retailers are unique in their own way, but a common thread across the board includes what we call "The Three Cs" — community, culture and curation. The people behind these shops are not only a part of their communities, they know how to create their own commu- nity within their stores and beyond. They don't just live and breathe the outdoor culture, they help define it. And when it comes to curation, they are experts in selecting, merchan- dising and selling the right products to their customers. Retailers on this year's Great 8 list range from young upstarts to grizzled veterans. They excel in a range of ways beyond tradi- tional retail — some are big on events, others focus on education and some are super-tuned in to social media. They've all got special stories to tell. Turn the page to find out more about each of these specialists. & T H E S P EC I A L I STS 20 18 S July 2018 • Outdoor Insight • 27 outdoorinsightmag.com O u td o o r G e a r E xc h a n g e B u r l i n g to n , V T Pa c k & Pa d d l e L a faye tte, L A Way wa rd Co l l e c t i ve S e a tt l e, WA N ex t Ad ve n t u re Po r t l a n d , O R Th e M o u n ta i n e e r Ke e n e Va l l ey, N Y Th e Tra i l h e a d B u e n a Vi s ta , CO Tow n s e n d B e r t ra m & Co. Ca r r b o ro, N C W i l d I r i s M o u n ta i n S p o r t s L a n d e r, W Y

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