Grassroots Outdoor Alliance (GOA) has added five retail members, including Big Agnes and Osprey, as vendor partners.

The retailers include Active Endeavors (Iowa), Bill and Paul’s (Michigan), Nomad Ventures (California), Outdoor Experience (Idaho), and Soko Outfitters (Iowa). With the addition, GOA has advanced to 96 members in 196 retail locations.

The addition of Big Agnes and Osprey expands its vendor partner membership to 65.

“With the boom in all things outdoors and the solidifying awareness among consumers of the positive impacts of ‘buying local’, there is unprecedented energy and momentum driving the independent specialty retail channel right now,” said Rich Hill, president, GOA.

GOA vendor partners gain direct access to its retailer community with the opportunity to engage on numerous levels including learning events, regular planning meetings, participation in the specialty outdoor-specific Switchback data management system, and a guaranteed invitation to Grassroots Connect, the group’s twice-yearly buying show scheduled for November 2021.

New GOA Retailers include:

  • Active Endeavors, Iowa’s only locally-owned dealer of The North Face and Patagonia has served the community since 1998.
  • Bill & Paul’s Sporthaus, serving the winter sports and outdoor market in Grand Rapids, MI, earning awards including SIA Downhill Retailer of the Year, SIA Cross Country Ski Retailer of the Year, Snow Country magazine’s America’s Top Shops and Skiing magazine’s Gold Medal Ski Shops.
  • Nomad Ventures outdoor specialty retailer located in Southern California serves the camping, backpacking, rock climbing, overlanding, kayaking, and adventure traveler. Over the course of its 40 years in business, Nomad Ventures has grown to four locations and an online store.
  • Outdoor Experience specialty outdoor store and full-service bicycle shop in Sandpoint, ID also serves as a community adventure hub, hosting product demos, educational opportunities, volunteer events, and a weekly group run. The original owners, Kevin Nye and Marc DeLaVergne, retired in 2019 and passed the torch to Jennifer Curto.
  • Soko Outfitters, a specialty outdoor store in Cedar Rapids, IA, focuses on hiking, camping, paddling, climbing, and the outdoor lifestyle.

Photo courtesy Osprey