Superfeet, a vendor partner with Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, hosted 11 retail members for a multi-day “University” at their corporate headquarters in Ferndale, WA. Attending members included:
- Summit Hut: Traci Henne and Jeremy Davis
- Rock/Creek: Jonathon Scott and Jason Sapere
- Diamond Brand OF’s: Arlo Tarr
- Sunrise Mountaineering: Ted Skedzielewski and Phil ierpont
- Midwest Mountaineering: Emily Rose, Jordan Nelson, Nancy ord and Rubens Modell
- Massey’s Professional OF’s: David Woodard and Dane Faucheux
- Pack Rat Outdoor Center: Samantha Farrell and Adam
Higinbothom - Summit Canyon Mountaineering: Miren Yanci and Ryan Fulton
- Appalachian Outfitters: Kevin Leffler and Nicole Chrusciel
- Mountain Chalet: Matt Chmielarczyk and Ron Leasure
- Alpine Shop: Steve Worthy
The intent of the University was to improve the partnership between Superfeet and Grassroots retailers that support their brand by:
- Sharing the history, culture and experiences of Superfeet
- Visiting their facilities, including Northwest Podiatric Lab
- Demonstrating products and explaining their form and
function - Discussing how to sell Superfeet, making them part of the
fitting process - Sharing how Superfeet can increase overall sales in both
insoles and footwear - Discussing the footwear industry, including sales methods,
problems and solutions - Introducing attendees to biomechanics of the foot and how it relates to various sports and activities
“I think it was beneficial on many levels,” said Jeremy Davis, co-owner of Summit Hut. ”Not only did the Superfeet University provide a great deal of information on biomechanics of the foot and how Superfeet and Northwest Podiatric work hard to improve the performance of everyone’s stride and efficiency, but it also provided insight into a company culture that mirrors the ideals of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance.
Alan Kissell, West Regional Sales Manager for Superfeet shared how having Grassroots retail members helped Superfeet, “We were thrilled to have this group of retailers at our Superfeet University because of their knowledge, experience and understanding of the Outdoor industry a critical channel for us. We hope that everyone left not only knowing more about our products, but also our company and culture. We had some great conversations over the three days and certainly learned more about what is important to them as specialty retailers and members of Grassroots.”
It’s this kind of creative thinking that builds long-term, successful partnerships between outdoor retailers and vendors.
