Specialty retailers and outdoor brands are cautiously optimistic that a more stable, predictable operating environment is on the horizon at this week’s Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Connect tradeshow in Kansas City, Missouri.
But many attendees noted that a more stable outlook will depend on factors outside of their control, such as weather and the possibility of tariffs being implemented by the Trump administration in 2025.
Gabe Maier of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance. Photo by The Daily.
“We’re seeing tariffs being the next big X factor,” said Gabe Maier, president of GOA, in an interview with The Daily.
The industry has been through major events such as the pandemic, followed by product shortages, and then an inventory glut, Maier noted. And more recently, a lot of brands have found ways to rid their offerings of products containing PFAS.
“Our conversation with a lot of folks has been about stabilization,” Maier said. “Our fingers are crossed that hopefully we don’t see any more major events. Everybody’s been eager to get back to that place of a little bit more predictability in how we do business together.”
Just 35% of retailers among GOA’s membership said they had too much inventory in fall 2024, down from almost 70% in spring 2023. And while the majority of Grassroots Vendor Partners have indicated they were well-positioned from an inventory perspective from spring 2023 to spring 2024, that percentage grew to nearly 80% in fall 2024.
Some specialty retailers are expanding, too, such as Gearhead Outfitters in Colorado and Walkabout Outfitter in Virginia.
Retailers Meet with Brands Big and Small
While there wasn’t a massive technology presence at the show, Jason Engel of Idaho Mountain Touring said a meeting with Locally and Brand Slice was going to help his company save money.
Matt Enlow and Joan Brandenberger Chase of Wild Iris Mountain Sports in Lander, Wyoming.
His colleague Declan Smith was at GOA Connect for the first and was eager to meet with brands that have been performing well at the store. He met with Maine’s Flynn Hats at the Discovery Marketplace for emerging brands on Sunday, for example.
“They’ve done really, really well for us,” he said. “It’s cool to get a small company from Maine like that out to Idaho and kill it.”
Big brands were there in full force too, bringing teams from The North Face, Arc’teryx, Helly Hansen, and Black Diamond to the Kansas City Convention Center.
Declan Smith, Chris Haunold, Emma Channprasout, and Jason Engel of Idaho Mountain Touring. Photo by The Daily.
Cold Weather and Tariffs Are Top of Mind
Jeff Greenwell, the director of wholesale marketing at Outdoor Research, said the industry is still waiting to find out what the impact of the presidential election will be on the economy. President Elect Donald Trump imposed tariffs on some imports in 2018 and 2019 during his first presidency, and he has said he would do it again after he returns to the White House this winter.
“That could bring on new or old problems,” Greenwell said.
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Another problem that came up repeatedly at the show was cold weather – or the lack of it for the past few seasons – and how crucial it is to the industry’s success this holiday season.
“Sell-through for retailers at full price going into the holiday season is super important to everybody’s success in this building for sure,” Greenwell said. “And you can’t really count on the weather. You just hope it all works out.”
The GOA Show Model
Both retailers and brands said they continue to focus on getting business done at the show. Brand booths were largely shrouded in privacy, with black curtains used to create private spaces for meetings. GOA scheduled appointments on behalf of retailers to visit with brands to buy for the fall 2025 season.
“I really like the vibe, and I think it’s definitely productive,” said Drew Heller, who was there for the first time on behalf of Noso Patches. “I’ve already met some really great contacts. It’s a more chill atmosphere and you can just get to know the other brands and all the reps.”
Teva’s Kendall Fitzhugh and Nikki Tufte-Holland. Photo by The Daily.
David Karstad, who was at the show with Fits socks, said he was there to introduce the brand’s new look and feel to retailers. He said that while many brands have said their wholesale buyers are more cautious this year because of the election or having too much inventory or other reasons, retailers have always been careful about what they bring on.
“When hasn’t that been the case? That’s just classic retail,” Karstad said. “You need to bring something different. You need to bring something the customer reacts to.”
Drew Heller of Noso Patches. Photo by The Daily.
And while brands and retailers are focused on newness, Maier and his team at GOA are focused on consistency – and will stay that way for the next one, which will be in Reno in June of 2025.
“We do a pretty consistent thing,” Maier said. There was a slight increase in retailers and exhibitors this year, he said, and appointment volumes were fairly flat.
“The show’s outlook has always been about facilitating existing business and deepening relationships. It’s all about: How do we do better business together?”
Kate Robertson can be reached at [email protected].
