California Apparel News

SALT LAKE CITY—The Outdoor Retailer Winter market saw a spike in attendance and exhibitors during its Jan. 20–23 run at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.

According to Kenji Haroutunian, Outdoor Retailer’s show director, the show broke Winter market attendance records, with preliminary attendance figures counting nearly 20,000 visitors. Average Winter markets usually boast 18,000 exhibitors, he said. The show floor expanded to include 100 more exhibitors.

Haroutunian attributes the jump in show participation to a new retailer-outreach initiative and a strengthening outdoor market. “We’ve also built our reputation on being a business-oriented show. More mature companies from other markets, such as the casual-lifestyle footwear market, are showing increasing interest in OR,” he said.

Patagonia, Columbia Sportswear, Merrell and Adidas all reported brisk business, and aisles were packed with buyers.

“Buyer feedback has been extremely positive,” said Stefan Louml;rke, Adidas’ business unit director of outdoor apparel and accessories. “There is a change in the market, a general feeling of optimism,” he said. In the Adidas booth, buyers turned their attention to the brand’s newest products, including the latest version of the “Terrex Feather Jacket,” which wholesales for approximately $247. “Color is becoming more and more important. Buyers are looking for something new.”

Marty Weening, president of Agoura Hills, Calif.–based Gramicci, said retailers were reporting “great” Fall and Holiday 2010 seasons and shopping the show with confidence. “We had a great Fall as well. We sold out of all of our inventory for the first time in two years. It is very encouraging,” he said.

At the show, Gramicci pushed its “Natural Performance Technology” apparel. Made with 55 percent hemp and 45 percent organic cotton, the NPT garments for men and women wholesale for $13 to more than $22.

Columbia—the Portland, Ore.–based maker of active outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment—debuted new shoes and garments showcasing its Omni Heat Electric technology. The battery-operated outerwear and boots feature a web of heating elements that can be set to three heat settings and keep wearers warm for six to eight hours. Omni Dry, a new technology that competes with industry giant Gore-Tex, allows outerwear to be sealed with a super-thin layer that shields the wearer from the elements but allows sweat and moisture to be wicked away from the body.

Ventura, Calif.–based Patagonia launched a new collection of ultra-light down jackets for men and women for Fall 2011 at the Outdoor Retailer show, according to John Shannon, a sales rep. The “obnoxiously warm” line of jackets for men and women wholesales for $249 to $299 and features clean, minimal design.

The Outdoor Retailer show was also the launching pad for Patagonia’s newly reintroduced wool offerings. “We had wool for Fall ’10 but dropped it for Spring ’11,” Shannon said. Stiff competition and price resistance had pushed Patagonia out of the market. “But we found new sources and created a blend of 20 percent synthetic,” he said, adding that the blend not only made for a drop in price but also made the new wool offerings machine-washable and more user-friendly. Retail prices for the new wool collection range from $45 to $129.Outdoor courts new wave

With the demise of Outdoor Retailer’s sister show, Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo in San Diego, surf and skate brands seemed to be testing the waters.

A handful of surf brands participated in the Winter show, including Rusty, Toes on the Nose, Skull Candy, shoe brand Ocean Minded and sandal brand Sanuk. Rusty, which debuted a new premium technical snow apparel series, reported a positive show. Casey Fleming, Rusty’s director of sales and marketing, said Rusty’s inaugural outing at Outdoor Retailer was a success and indicated that La Jolla Group—which licenses and produces Rusty, O’Neill and Metal Mulisha apparel—is considering bringing more brands to the show in the future. O’Neill showed in Outdoor Retailer’s most recent Summer market. “With the exit of ASR, more people are looking at other resources, and Outdoor Retailer, along with MAGIC in Las Vegas, is getting a lot of interest,” Fleming said.

Outdoor Retailer’s Haroutunian said action-sports brands have indeed been showing greater interest in the show. A nucleus of biggie surf and skate brands—including Quiksilver, Billabong and Reef—has participated in the show, but interest levels have reached a new high. “The [upcoming] Summer market will have an increased action-sports presence, for sure,” he said, including an increased presence from Quiksilver.

Haroutunian acknowledged that the relatively mellow outdoor market may be a little surprised if action-sports brands take to the show floor with their trademark antics—but he thinks the effect could be positive. “We love the idea of adding a little bit of that youthful, action-sports vibe on the OR show floor,” he said. “We’re a business-oriented show, but it could make for a healthy mix.”

Executives of major action-sports brands—including Volcom, Quiksilver and Billabong—scouted the show. Tom Ruiz, Volcom’s vice president of sales, attended the show for the first time. The brand is seriously considering participating in Outdoor Retailer’s upcoming Summer show, set for Aug. 4–7, the company confirmed.

Mike Duncan, president of the Board Retailers Association, visited the show for the first time, as did surf/skate retailers such as Mikke Pierson of Santa Monica, Calif.–based ZJ’s Boarding House. Also spotted on the show floor was Shaheen Sadeghi, the developer behind The Lab Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa, Calif., which is home to retailers such as Urban Outfitters and The Hive.

Richard Allred, owner of Newport Beach, Calif.–based Toes on the Nose, said his brand has participated in four editions of the show, always with good results, and he has seen a definite uptick in interest from competing surf brands.

Participating in Outdoor Retailer has allowed Toes on the Nose to diversify its distribution, Allred said, and has pushed the brand to diversify its offerings. At the show, Toes on the Nose showed a slightly heavier jacket and debuted T-shirts with a definite outdoors slant—graphics included a surfboard sprouting elk horns and a lumberjack surfer.