According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, boating and fishing are the leading drivers of the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy, contributing 2.3 percent of our nation’s GDP. Ninety-five percent of boats sold in the U.S. are made in America.
Category: Outdoor

Mammut Partners with New Sales Agencies for 2025
Trail House Sales and Marketing Group and Redstone West will represent Mammut in the Western U.S. and Pacific Northwest, respectively.

Costco December Comps Jump 9.9 Percent x-Gas; E-Commerce Jumped 35.7 Percent
E-commerce sales in December were said to be positively impacted by an estimated 15 percentage points, due to Thanksgiving / Black Friday / Cyber Monday occurring a week later in 2024 versus holiday 2023.

Revo Moves to Direct Distribution in Key EU Markets; Adds New Region Leadership
Revo has made a strategic shift in its global distribution model, transitioning to direct distribution in several key markets, supported by a new leadership team.

Carhartt Opens Retail Store in SoHo
The new location joins the brand’s existing store in Seven Dials, in the St Giles district of the London Borough of Camden, in the West End of London.

EXEC: JCPenney Merges with Sparc Group to Form Catalyst Brands
The combined Catalyst Brands organization is a joint venture formed in an all-equity transaction between JCPenney and the Sparc Group, with shareholders Simon Property Group, Brookfield Corporation, Authentic Brands Group, and Shein.

POC Adds Strategic Hires; Creates New Territories in APAC Region
The updates and investments in the company’s regional and central teams will support continued brand growth and be closer and more responsive to its customers.

NRF’s Chief Economist Believes 2024 Ended on a High Note
Jack Kleinhenz’s comments came in the January edition of the NRF’s Monthly Economic Review, in which he reported that the 2024 gross domestic product was on track to grow 2.7 percent over 2023, based on results for the first 11 months of the year.

Burton Adds Exec Hires to Drive Brand and Product Categories
The privately-owned snowboard manufacturing company, hired Jennifer Valentine as chief merchandising officer and Debbie Lee as chief marketing officer based in the company’s global headquarters in Burlington, VT.

REI Shuttering Experiences Business, Cutting 428 Positions
The closure of the Experiences business will affect 180 full-time and 248 part-time employees, which are primarily guides serving the business. REI said it will re-invest in the core Camp and Backpack, Run and Hike, and Outside Life businesses.

Sitka Gear Opens Eighth U.S. Storefront
Sitka Gear has opened a new brand store in Columbus, OH, carrying its technical hunting and outdoor apparel gear. The company will host a grand opening on January 11.

Tilly’s Inc. Appoints PacSun Veteran to Board of Directors
Michael Relich has over 40 years of experience in retail, with an emphasis on systems and information technology. Most recently, Relich served as the co-CEO of PacSun.

Massimo Group Adds New Illinois Distribution Center to Network
With the addition of this Illinois facility, Massimo Group’s nationwide distribution network now has six points of distribution, including Edison, NJ; City of Industry, CA; Port Wentworth, GA; Houston, TX; Garland, TX; and Edwardsville, IL.

EXEC: Hydro Flask Adds Velocity with Expanding Amazon, Target and Costco Programs
Hydro Flask e-commerce reportedly “overdelivered” in the quarter, said to be driven by stronger-than-forecasted POS that lifted post Labor Day replenishment and stronger-than-forecasted performance on Amazon Prime Day with Hydro Flask achieving the No. 1 Best Seller ranking within water bottles during the event.

Birdwell Names Surf Industry Veteran Lance Eddy as EVP of Sales
Lance Eddy has over 20 years of experience working with multichannel heritage lifestyle brands. Most recently, he served as sales director at RVCA.