Outdoor Insight

What has been your strongest sell- ing category this year? We had a historic winter here in the Lake Tahoe Sierra, so all categories were firing. But with the continued increase in consumer interest, heightened R&D and category com- petition by all major ski brands, the backcountry ski category continued its growth explosion. Trail run footwear also continues to boom, with Hoka and Salomon leading the way. Women's run has proven to be our most notable foot- wear growth category and we've leveraged this with more models and multiple color ways for popular styles. How do you compete as a brick- and-mortar store in today's retail environment? Too many retailers view this as a glass-half-empty scenario. Sure, B2C websites are a blatant disregard and offensive measure against retail- ers, many of whom have supported these brands for decades. While brands try to claim it enhances overall brand awareness for the consumer, any retailer knows this is BS. However, it is the way of the world and in my eyes the ship has sailed, particularly as more brands move away from their core values that drove their creation toward a corporate bottom line. For instance, we've been a Patagonia dealer since the brand was created. When they opened a concept shop eight miles from our 39-year-old shop, we could have been bummed. But different customers exist across all channels and instead of viewing it negatively we turned to Patagonia and actu- ally enhanced our partnership. We asked them to send athletes to our annual Winter Film Series. With great aid and partnership from their end, we've been able to bring athletes like Tommy Caldwell, Lynn Hill and Barry Blanchard to our community. Each show is attended by 600 to 1000 people and raises $6-8000 for a local non-profit. With Patagonia's help we've raised over $110,000 over 11 years of the Winter Film Series. We have also seen great success with third-party websites such as Quivers. A brand like DPS for exam- ple understands that selling another 20-30 skis at solid margin is a mas- sive difference-maker for shops like mine. They make us more finan- cially viable by providing this outlet to us when they could just capture these sales themselves. I see this as the most holistic long-term busi- ness approach that speaks to their understanding of partnerships, all while staying true to their DNA. What's the biggest factor you've found in remaining successful over the years? We have a community-centric busi- ness model, the cornerstone of which is giving back to those who have supported us for nearly as long as I've been alive. We do this through free community events such as our bi-annual Alpenglow Mountain Festival (nine days of 50-plus events twice a year), the Winter Film Series and in-store films and presentations. In the age of digital over-con- nectedness, we think people still crave personalized experience with others in the mountain tribe. We see tremendous stoke and ROI through events and while they are an astounding amount of work for a small retailer they are rewarding and fulfilling in their own way, and the community wins, which is the best thing retailers can do. How have you utilized social media and events to stay relevant and competitive? Social media and events have not only revolutionized our business, they've allowed us to remain rel- evant and at the front of customer's minds when it comes to purchasing. Goodwill goes a long way and if you do what is right in your heart you always win big. That doesn't mean there aren't hardships, but even if you fail at least you fail by doing good by people and on your own terms. What has been the biggest sur- prise in your business to date? What our staff is capable of on a daily basis. When you give your family reason to buy into your mis- sion and what you think is right, it can be tremendously powerful. It bleeds through in every single conversation our staff has with a guest and becomes a living, breath- ing business approach. Connecting with our customers on a human level, which I think is drastically missing in today's world, as we are all sucked down the digital wormhole, is paramount. I'm also impressed by how loyal custom- ers are when you do right by them. Top-tier customer service and prod- uct knowledge, when paired with free and fun community events, is a winning combination. O 36 • Outdoor Insight • August 2017 outdoorinsightmag.com RETAIL Q/A Reality Check Five Outdoor Specialty Retailers Give us the Scoop on the State of their Businesses. Brendan Madigan: Alpenglow Sports, Tahoe City, CA "In the age of digital over- connectedness, we think people still crave personalized experience with others in the mountain tribe." By Aaron H. Bible

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