Columbia Sportswear said it has made the “difficult decision” to not attend the Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show in Denver.
The news was first reported by Gearjunkie.
In a statement provided to SGB, the apparel giant said, “Columbia has made the difficult decision to depart Outdoor Retailer. We will not have a presence at the Winter Show in January 2018.
“In our annual review of the brand’s investments across the board, it became clear to us that now is the best time to change the direction in a few aspects of our business. We believe we can drive better results and consumer demand through a strategic refocusing of our resources.
“As a leading outdoor brand, we remain absolutely committed to our wholesale partners and to the larger goals of our industry: achieving meaningful change in recreation and trade policy, advocating sustainable business innovation and increasing outdoor participation.
“We are grateful for the partnerships that OR has enabled us to build over the past several years. Those partnerships remain at the center of the Columbia brand’s strategy and we look forward to strengthening them in new and exciting ways moving forward.”
Columbia’s plans for future shows remain uncertain, according to the Gearjunkie report.
The report also noted that Arc’teryx will not be exhibiting in late January as well but will be participating in the On-Snow Demo event at Copper Mountain. Arc’teryx chose not to attend last year’s winter show in Salt Lake City in a protest over the state’s stance on public lands.
Photo courtesy Columbia Sportswear
