Outdoor Insight

s /UTDOOR )NSIGHT s *ULY outdoorinsightmag.com C reaky floors, home-made fixtures, "southern gumbo," music … all are hallmarks of perhaps the quintessential regional outdoor specialty chain. With nine stores averaging 10,000-square feet and manned by 12-15 full- and part-time em- ployees scattered in outposts in North Carolina and Virginia (along with a central warehouse in Raleigh, NC), Great Outdoor Provision Company has been focusing on the outdoor consumer for more than 40 years. Not afraid of larger competition or incursions by Internet sellers, Great Outdoor Provision (shortened to GOPC) does what it does best — sell outdoor specialty to people who want to get outdoors … and they do it with the unique style of Chuck Millsaps, who climbed the ladder from working in the Charlotte store when it opened in 1985 to president six years ago. So we are going to let Millsaps – whose business card actually reads Minister of Culture – tell the story of GOPC in his own words. So, Chuck … What is an accurate description of GOPC in 2017? "Walk into any of our shops and you'll be greeted by a smiling face and some creaky wood floors. We build all our own wooden fixtures and use a custom steel bayonet designed to accentuate our curated mix of the active outdoor lifestyle culture." Is that what makes GOPC unique? "Our staff makes us unique. We are fortunate to have managers who have worked for us for over 20 years. In fact, the average tenure of all managers is over 15 years." What's the merchandise mix? "We take fly fishing, climbing, backpacking/hiking, boating, technical footwear, travel and outdoor apparel and create a blend of southern gumbo where each ingredient is seasoned by the other for a flavor that keeps folks coming back for more. Over the years we have simply adjusted the seasonings based upon the changing interests of our customers." Does being an independent chain make doing that easier? "We are able to fine-tune a certain percentage of our product mix to our local community. This is especially fun if we can help a local manufacturer grow their business beyond the town radius." So who is your typical customer? "We have always made the effort to serve a multi-generational audience. We discovered this more than 40 years ago when we opened up in a college town. Our goal is to have a relevant product on the sales floor that meets everyone's needs. We aspire to serve outdoors as "Star Wars — The Force Awakens" served the entertainment industry." How's that? "That movie attracted a broad audience because there was a familiar plot, yet there were new characters that had a compel- ling story line." I'm guessing, then, that Millennials are core customers? "Millennials are especially fun to engage." So how does your product mix engage them? "It is important to remember that nostalgia is very temporal, but the heritage/vintage play that many brands make provides an opportunity to reacquaint the Millennial to the brands their parents grew up with. The Millennials are looking for value and substance while being entertained and certain that they have not compromised their product ethics." Any products stand out? "Products that have navigated this landscape well would be the Patagonia Trout Fitz Roy or the Squeaky Clean Polo — a heritage play but with a twist." Sounds like another Star Wars reference is coming. "Think 'Rey,' Luke Skywalker's daughter. She shows up in the recent film and yet we feel as though we already know her." Who is your competition these days? "Our founder told me 30 years ago that we compete for leisure time. That is still true. We happen to believe that time outside is the best way to spend it." How do you compete with larger retail and Internet competition "Specialty retail, when done right, can be an experience similar to live music. The sound of the creaky wood floors, the smell of the singed nylon webbing going out to the climber, the warmth of a great smile from our staff encouraging you that the upcoming hike will be among your most memorable life experiences. This experience can simply not be replicated in a big-box chain environment. We are more about relationship and community than we are on membership." And what are your unique challenges and opportunities? "Helping the established outdoor manufacturers understand that specialty retail is the gateway to the customer's experience of brands. At the same time, building business with new brands that are emerging into the outdoor industry. In addition, extend- ing our vision into what is possible for outdoor specialty retail." Finally, what does the future look like for Great Outdoor Provision? "We will keep our eyes on the ball. We will take care of our staff who listen to the customer who keeps our doors open through their support of our business." O 20 17 GREAT OUTDOOR PROVISION COMPANY DOWN TO EARTH BULLET POINTS GOPC does not sell online, although if customers go to its website they can pur- chase a gift card. Even that process is decid- edly old-school, as the request goes to Chuck Millsaps e-mail box and someone mails out the card. GOPC is launch- ing a paddlesports app to educate key customers, but even that is meant primarily get them into the store. "It is online to offline," explains Millsaps. "It is like using the Jetsons to get to the Flint- stones." Great Outdoor Provision Company knows what drives its business. TRAIL MIX Headquarters Raleigh, NC Stores Nine in North Carolina and Virginia Website greatoutdoorprovision.com 2016 Sales $20 million+ GOPC offers a merchandising mix spiced up into a "southern gumbo."

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