blurr recently added to its sales force with the intent of pursuing an aggressive distribution strategy for the US market. Toby Reid, formerly of Mountain Equipment Co-op and G3, has joined blurr as Sales Manager as of March 2005, and has since enlisted the talent of industry veteran Andy Howe, formerly of Patagonia and White Sierra and recognized by many for providing strong direction to promising brands.

Howe brings a proven track record of business development in the US to blurr and is quickly implementing outreach to a targeted network of US specialty retailers likely to benefit financially from a long-term relationship with blurr. Together Reid and Howe have developed a distribution strategy for the US that will target the top 100 specialty retailers in 2006.

Since 2001, blurr has been building a brand for active outdoor consumers who embrace both urban and adventure lifestyles. A fresh design approach to apparel and gear intended for climbing, training, work, and travel has positioned blurr as a brand appealing to both the youth demographic as well as core outdoor enthusiasts. Since the brand’s inception, blurr retailers have noted that outdoor consumers are increasingly comfortable with a nod to fashion in their lifestyle and technical apparel.

“There has been a buzz in the outdoor industry about how to capture the attention of the youth demographic. Blurr has successfully captured this group, while also appealing to outdoor enthusiasts who are increasingly living a more urban-based lifestyle” said Toby Reid, sales manager for blurr. “We’re offering retailers a brand that will drive both new customers into their store, and offer their existing customer base a relevant brand that fits their evolving lifestyle: core outdoor users increasingly commuting between work, adventure, and travel with a sense of urban-driven style”.

Andy Howe draws a parallel between the growing urban outdoor trend and the growth of the women’s-specific category that the outdoor industry has witnessed in recent years. “Urban and Outdoor together is an active trend with very few followers and it reminds me of the women’s outdoor market six years ago when very few companies addressed women specifically as a group that, today, no savvy retailer would ignore. Blurr is a company that has without shame addressed the market

before it was even known as “outdoor urban”. Today, blurr understands that the market may be more appropriately named “urban-outdoor-urban” and that is the way the consumer for it views and lives their lives”.

Howe cites the recently released 2005 Outdoor Industry participation and trend study as evidence of this emerging demographic and category. “The profile of the active outdoor consumer today is urban dwellers looking for the outdoor experience in done-in-a-day activities. These activities are usually near home or weekend trips where good food and lodging and local cultural activities round out a full agenda with two or three different outdoor sports planned.”

The first step in the sales strategy will take place at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, where blurr anticipates strong sales resulting from the early stages of retailer and distributor outreach. The Spring 06 line is a collection of apparel, packs, and accessories that segue easily between wilderness and metropolis.