VF Corp. announced that some of its brands, including The North Face, Timberland, Icebreaker, Smartwool, Eagle Creek and Altra, will donate 15 percent of their Outdoor Retailer Summer Market refund to Outdoor Industry Association (OIA).
The funds will directly support OIA’s small business members by providing the necessary tools, resources, and advocacy to help them get through the COVID-19 crisis, as well as help sustain OIA’s core mission-driven work.
“While no company is immune to the impacts of COVID-19, we recognize there are disproportionate impacts on non-profit organizations like OIA,” said Jen McLaren, brand president, Smartwool. “OIA is important to our industry and the work they do directly supports small businesses. We believe it’s important to support those who support our industry, and we want to make sure OIA can continue doing great work.”
Due to the ongoing safety concerns over the COVID-19 virus, the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show was canceled, creating a critical funding gap in OIA’s traditional revenue stream. As a result of the cancellation, hundreds of would-be exhibitors received refunds, including several of VF’s Outdoor brands.
“We are extremely grateful that VF is stepping up to support the important work OIA does by providing a voice for the industry, resources, tools and guidance that help our 1,300 member companies, including many small businesses that depend on us for support,” Lise Aangeenbrug, OIA executive director. “VF and its brands are true pillars of purpose-led leadership in our industry. We hope other brands will follow their lead and support us as we continue serving the outdoor industry.”
