Outdoor Retailer Show Boycott in Utah

[accadacca]

I say good riddance to them. Agree with Beech. I like companies who care about their customers and not politics. Turns me off.

[accadacca]

I spent the day riding in Colorado. They do have some spectacular mountains. I've been giving everyone here the middle finger after hearing the news yesterday. Lol

[rockgremlin]

Attachment 85930

"Gary's Gas" LMAO

[Iceaxe]

I couldn't care less if they stay or go, but I'll start purchasing from companies that put customer needs first, and personal political opinions last.

X2

[rockgremlin]

The OR folks weren't deliberately targeting their client base....they were targeting the bonehead leadership here in Utah. Their client base was just unfortunate collateral damage.


What I still don't understand is if outdoor recreation is such a multi-million dollar industry, and Herb and the rest of the good ole boys are all about the money....then why didn't they make more of an effort to accommodate the Outdoor Retailers? Why are they dumping all over an industry that is so lucrative? Are they just being obstinate to gratify their own pride, or what???

[Scott P]

For me, I couldn't care less if they stay or go, but I'll start purchasing from companies that put customer needs first, and personal political opinions last.

They'll catch on sooner or later.

Good luck with that, at least if you go mountaineering, canyoneering, or climbing. There isn't a mountaineer, climber, or canyoneer in this country that doesn't own gear from any of those retailers. Try to find one climber or canyoneer that doesn't own something from Black Diamond, just one of the retailers. The only hikers and backpackers that might not are the ones that buy their stuff exclusively from Walmart or K-Mart.

Outdoor companies aren't the only ones who have done this. How to you feel about gun-manufacturers moving their production out of states with stricter gun control than other areas? Several gun manufacturers have done this in recent years:

http://www.gunsandammo.com/network-t...panies-moving/

This was a lot bigger scale than the Outdoor Retailer Show.

Isn't this the same thing?

Then why didn't they make more of an effort to accommodate the Outdoor Retailers? Why are they dumping all over an industry that is so lucrative? Are they just being obstinate to gratify their own pride, or what???

They think that things such as oil and coal are more lucrative. Actually, they are right in this regard, at least for now.

I think Chaffetz blew it with his proposal to sell public lands. Some Utah politicians have been claiming that they have no plans to sell public lands, but when people actually saw the sell of public lands as a bill, it scared them.

[accadacca]

The only hikers and backpackers that might not are the ones that buy their stuff exclusively from Walmart or K-Mart.

High quality gear...lol

[accadacca]

Colorado can bite me. I've never seen so many Subarus. Fake outdoors...

[Scott P]

I spent the day riding in Colorado. They do have some spectacular mountains. I've been giving everyone here the middle finger after hearing the news yesterday. Lol

They probably thought it was because you ride a BMW. BMW drivers and riders do tend to flip everyone off.

[Sombeech]

Good luck with that, at least if you go mountaineering, canyoneering, or climbing. There isn't a mountaineer, climber, or canyoneer in this country that doesn't own gear from any of those retailers. Try to find one climber or canyoneer that doesn't own something from Black Diamond, just one of the retailers. The only hikers and backpackers that might not are the ones that buy their stuff exclusively from Walmart or K-Mart.

You're saying I'll have a tough time buying gear from a company that puts customer needs first, because I've only got these brands to choose from.

At least we can agree these companies don't have our best interests in mind.

That may be true, currently, but thank goodness for capitalism. There will be a customer oriented brand soon enough.

[Scott P]

High quality gear...lol

Exactly. Everyone who makes high quality gear was at the Outdoor Retailer Show. Otherwise, buy your stuff at Walmart or K-Mart. I don't think that they were there.

You're saying I'll have a tough time buying gear from a company that puts customer needs first, because I've only got these brands to choose from.

That may be true, currently, but thank goodness for capitalism.

Basically. Of course you can always start your own line of 'Beech Climbing Gear. If it comes with the famous Sombeech Afro logo, I might take a look.

[Iceaxe]

Exactly. Everyone who makes high quality gear was at the Outdoor Retailer Show. Otherwise, buy your stuff at Walmart or K-Mart. I don't think that they were there.

Not all retailers at the show supported or endorsed the move. If you have been paying attention it's easy to know which manufacturers I'll be avoiding in the future. That I've bought gear from some of these manufacturers in the past has no bearing on my future purchases.

This move is really going to hurt Utah's outdoor gear cottage industry. To bad they will become collateral damage as they are too small to have much of a voice. Also too bad some of the big boys pushing the move have forgotten their roots.

[accadacca]

Here is there newsroom of sorts. They sure moved quickly. Maybe a knee jerk decision or as gremlin said, they had been waiting to make a mockery of Utah.

http://unity.outdoorretailer.com/news/

[Scott P]

Not all retailers at the show supported or endorsed the move.

I agree and I have been paying attention. PS, can you at least send me some of that gear you don't want to use anymore?

Also too bad some of the big boys pushing the move have forgotten their roots.

It is too bad and it is also too bad that some in Utah are becoming more hostile to public lands and protections. I understand the economy part, but I still think that Chaffetz made a big mistake by actually calling for the sale of public lands in a bill. It really did backfire on him.

[Iceaxe]

I agree and I have been paying attention. PS, can you at least send me some of that gear you don't want to use anymore?

Why would I stop using gear I already own? That would accomplish none of my intended goals, but not buying any future products from said companies might.

Here is a good article on the collateral damage I mentioned earlier.

Outdoor Retailer departure draws varying degrees of concern
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=43222229&nid=1070

[hank moon]

There may be a misunderstanding about the OR show here. The "customer base" for OR is not you and me. It's buyers for resale (wholesale and retail). The booths mainly represent manufacturers/producers, with a few large distributors in the mix (e.g. Liberty Mtn.). It used to be a show where a lot of sales business got done - retailers would come, check out the new stuff, and write orders for the next season. Now, it's less a straight sales show and more of a marketing extravaganza (most of the "big" business gets done pre-show).

[middlefork]

Here is a link to the exhibitors.
Everybody should print it out and put on their fridge so it is handy the next time they go shopping for gear.

http://s15.a2zinc.net/clients/emeral...5832&AEID=1234

[hank moon]

Here is a link to the exhibitors.
Everybody should print it out and put on their fridge so it is handy the next time they go shopping for gear.


http://s15.a2zinc.net/clients/emeral...5832&AEID=1234

Excerpt from

https://www.utah.gov/governor/docs/O...tionVision.pdf

The State of Utah Outdoor Recreation Vision

With its beautiful and unique landscapes and world-class facilities, Utah leads the nation in outdoor recreation. Opportunities for outdoor recreation in Utah are as diverse as the people who enjoy them. To some, outdoor recreation is as simple as walking the neighborhood trail or a bike ride around the block. To a child, it may be playing at the neighborhood park. Sportsmen and Sportswomen enjoy hunting and fishing in Utah’s great backcountry. Skiers flock to the “Greatest Snow on Earth.” For others, it’s backpacking, boating, motorized off-road vehicles, climbing, or rock hunting. The list of outdoor activities in Utah is vast and growing as innovative adventurers create new sports.

While Utah’s residents and visitors are having fun in the outdoors, they also feed our economy and improve their health. Utah’s outdoor recreation industry is a significant and growing part of the state’s economy, contributing well-paying jobs for highly skilled workers and a tax base that funds essential state services. Our close access to outdoor recreation contributes to a quality of life that a recent Gallup survey concluded was the best in the United States.1 This quality of life is particularly attractive to companies and their employees looking to relocate. And, as one of the more active states, Utah tops the nation in several health categories.

Pace-setters, however, cannot rest on their laurels. To enhance Utah’s leadership in outdoor recreation, Governor Gary R. Herbert charged the Governor’s Council on Balanced Resources with preparing a vision that emphasizes outdoor recreation as a priority in the state and sets a nationwide standard.

The Council undertook this effort fully aware of the challenges. The broad support for outdoor recreation belies many difficult underlying issues. How do we resolve tension among sometimes-conflicting recreational activities? Will increasing participation harm the very resources on which outdoor activities depend? Can we balance access to existing recreational activities with protecting environmentally sensitive landscapes? How will we fund necessary management and maintenance of recreational facilities in a financially constrained world? What is the appropriate balance between necessary resource development and protection of beautiful outdoor places? Could aggressive efforts to promote tourism diminish the opportunities for locals? Can developed recreation and backcountry recreation coexist? With the high cost of equipment, guides and travel, are popular outdoor activities being priced out of the range of average families? And, of course, there are many other issues.

[devo_stevo]

I have to say I have found this discussion to be pretty enlightening. Business in general is changing. Retail especially is very driven by social and environmental issues because the younger generations are into that. There are plenty of studies out there that show that a company's stance on social and environmental issues have more and more bearing on a person's purchasing decisions than ever before. This is mostly true with the young folks, but it's also true with the more experienced among us. You see it here with the calls to boycott this company or that company.

I didn't really have much of an opinion on this and the whole public lands thing before this, but the more I think of it I hate coming across gates on roads out in the middle of nowhere. I hate the idea of getting ticketed for trespassing in an area that I shouldn't have to worry about that. I hate land owners that block the only access to land that they don't own just because you have to travel through a corner of their land.

I love to mountain bike and for me, the real joy of it comes from being as far away from other people as possible. Utah is a great place for that. There are lots of places to go and not see anyone for a long time around here.

I guess after all this, I'm with Scott. I'm not as worried about the oil drilling or whatever out in these areas. I don't think that's the immediate danger here, but I hate the thought of losing access to them. As was mentioned before, I've also been to the east coast to Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. I don't want to live in a place that I have to pay a fee to go hiking, biking, or whatever else I want to do. They can keep that.

I'll be honest, the Bear's Ears, like the Grand Staircase, has no bearing on my life as far as something that affects me personally, but I fail to see how the monument designation really hurts anyone as is is in an area of the state that is far from large populations and not many folks ever visited there before. Now that it's on the radar, I'm betting people will show up. I would think that Bluff and Monticello could use some extra tourism to help them out a bit. Right now, everyone stops at Moab.

[Scott P]

I like companies who care about their customers and not politics. Turns me off.

Besides,my main critique was the Retailers leaving because a policy, instead of rallying more people to get involved in Outdoor Recreation and swaying public opinion.

For me, I couldn't care less if they stay or go, but I'll start purchasing from companies that put customer needs first, and personal political opinions last.

Not all retailers at the show supported or endorsed the move. If you have been paying attention it's easy to know which manufacturers I'll be avoiding in the future.

I have an honest question for you guys (if you own a gun at least).

Are you guys also going to stop buying from the gun and ammo manufacturers that moved their facilities out of states like Colorado, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, in order to make a political statement?

Magpul Industries, manufacturer of AR 15 parts, moved from Colorado to make a statement about Colorado gun control law.:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...ture-colorado/

Kahr Arms, moved out of New York to make a statement against New York's gun control laws.

Remington, threatening to move out of New York to make a statement.

PTR Industries, moved out of Connecticut to make a statement.

Smith and Wesson, Ruger & Company, Sturm, Remington, and Beretta are all either leaving or threatening to leave states with gun control laws that they disagree with.

Would you buy from any of these companies since you only "like companies who care about their customers and not politics"?

Honest question.