Outdoor Insight

N E W S / A N A L Y S I S OUTDOOR EYE Leatherman announced that it plans to re-focus and pare back its wholesale distribution partners as part of a streamlined retail strategy, exiting a number of accounts in North America by the end of the first quarter in 2021. The brand says it will shift its focus to increasing brand presence and demand at regionally-selected single and multi-door accounts, with an eye to a consumer-centered approach. Tim McCool, EVP Global Sales & Marketing at Leatherman, says, "This shift in distribution will allow us to build stronger partnerships, provide more support to our retail partners and to build unique brand experiences with our retailers to engage with our shared fans." Outdoor Retailer parent company Emerald Holding, Inc. has acquired PlumRiver LLC, a provider of software-as-a-service technology. PlumRiver's Elastic Suite's platform is designed to streamline the wholesale buying process for both brands and retail buyers, creating a digital year- round transactional platform for use by Emerald's customers. Emerald hopes the acquisition will accelerate its strategy to provide 365-day-per- year engagement for its customer base regardless of location by significantly expanding its digital commerce capabilities and providing its customers with transactional functionality, including enterprise- level integration to brands' ERP systems, allowing customers to manage orders, real-time inventory, and product merchandising. The Conservation Alliance has added 14 member organizations to its growing list of more than 250 companies committed to conservation and protection of North America's wild places. The group includes: 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Amari, Atmos Financial, Bell & The Whistle, Domestic, Elevated Independent Energy, MyClimb, Nomadix, Prime Gear Direct, Righteous Felon Jerky Cartel, Rumpl, VSSL, Wholesum and Wild Nature. Bern Helmets, known for its street-inspired helmets, announced an expanded leadership team and a growth plan leveraging the surging outdoor and micromobility trends. Founder Dennis Leedom, along with Adam Godwin, chief financial officer, will lead a team of veteran action sport professionals from its new Plymouth, MA headquarters in Cordage Commerce Center, a renovated industrial park. The leadership team also includes John Phaneuf, head of global sales; Leah Markham, creative services manager; and Kenneth Perkins, product design director located in Bern's Brooklyn design studio. # T H E B U Z Z T he opening months of the ski season saw strong sales for backcountry-related equipment sales in the U.S. According to The NPD Group, backcountry gear sales grew a combined 76 percent at the start of this year's snow season (August through October 2020) compared to the same period last year. Nordic and alpine touring equipment, splitboards, snowshoes, and backcountry accessories including beacons, probes, skins, and avalanche shovels saw sales grow in the high double- to triple-digits in the three-month period. This early season growth builds upon what began to take shape in March. An acceleration of backcountry equipment sales began at the tail end of last season and was driven by internet sales as many parts of the country, including ski resorts, shut down.l G rassroots Outdoor Alliance, the national organization of independent specialty outdoor retail, has added 10 new retail members. The new additions bring the organization's membership up to 94 retailers with 195 total doors in 42 states nationwide. Newcomers include The Bear Mountain (Waco, TX); Canyon Pass Provisions (Fair Haven, NJ); Footsloggers (Boone, NC); Lake Superior Trading Post (Grand Maris, MI); Little Forks Outfitters (Midland, MI); The Outfitter at Harbor Springs (Harbor Springs, MI); River Rock Outfitter (Fredericksburg, VA); Rock and Snow (New Paltz, NY); Treads 'n' Threads (Gunnison, CO); and Water Stone Outdoors (Fayetteville, WV). l Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Adds 10 New Retail Members Wolverine Worldwide Promotes Jim Zwiers, Names Ecommerce President J im Zwiers, president of Wolverine Worldwide's International Group, has been named president of the Rockford, MI company's Global Operations Group. Zwiers, a 23-year WWW veteran, will retain the international group position and responsibilities he has had since 2014. In his new role, Zwiers is replacing the retiring Mike Jeppesen, who spent 33 years in the footwear industry that included the last nine at Wolverine. In a separate executive development, Wolverine has hired Matt Blonder, most recently global head of digital for Adidas- owned Reebok, as its new president of Global eCommerce. The Merrell, Saucony and Sperry brand parent is aiming to reach $500 million in global ecommerce sales in 2021. l 4 • Outdoor Insight • Winter 2021 outdoorinsightmag.com Backcountry Sales Surge

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