 |
 | |
| Type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Ecommerce, Outdoor Industry |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | West Valley City and Park City, Utah |
| Products | Outdoor gear |
| Owner | TSG Consumer Partners (81%) |
Number of employees | 1200+ |
| Website | Backcountry.com |
Backcountry.com is an online specialty retailer that sells clothing and outdoor recreation gear for hiking, camping, road biking, mountain biking, rock climbing, winter sports, fly fishing, kayaking, rafting, road and trail running, and more.[ citation needed ]
Backcountry.com was founded in 1996 by Jim Holland and John Bresee. The two started the online business with a sparse collection of avalanche gear and began selling gear from their garage in Park City, Utah under the domain names BCstore.com and BackcountryStore.com. [1] The store's first sale, a Pieps 457 Opti-finder avalanche beacon, happened in February 1997. [2] The company purchased the domain name backcountry.com for $75,000 in 2004. [3]
Backcountry.com quickly became one of a very few profitable retailers and competed with REI for the lead in this category. REI never lost the lead. After rapid product growth Backcountry began to court other categories including discount and One Deal At A Time (ODAT) [4] In an attempt to regain focus and target bargain-seekers, the company added niche websites such as SteepandCheap.com and outlets such as the now-defunct BackcountryOutlet.com and Tramdock.com. Deeply discounted product was eventually moved to an Outlet section accessible from the Backcountry.com homepage.
On May 7, 2007, it was announced that a controlling stake in Backcountry.com was sold to Liberty Media Corporation, which also controls QVC and other e-commerce companies. [5] This transferred effective ownership of the company to billionaire John C. Malone.
On Dec 5, 2013, Backcountry announced its acquisition of German online outdoor retailer Bergfreunde.de. [6] Bergfreunde was founded in 2006 in Kirchentellinsfurt, Germany where the business first sold clothing and gear for climbing and mountaineering. Bergfreunde has since expanded its product selection to include gear for hiking, camping, snowsports, and avalanche safety.
On July 1, 2015, TSG Consumer Partners purchased Liberty's stake in Backcountry. [7]
On December 11, 2015, Backcountry CEO Jill Layfield resigned from her position as Backcountry.com CEO after working for the company in various capacities for 11 years. [8]
In October 2018, Backcountry.com filed for trademarks protecting the word “backcountry", then proceeded to file lawsuits against smaller companies with the word "backcountry" in them, such as Backcountry Denim (now known as BDCo), Backcountry eBikes (now known as Backcou eBikes), Backcountry Babes (a female avalanche education clinic), and Marquette Backcountry Skis. [9] [10] This slew of lawsuits has caused huge controversy with backcountry enthusiasts around the world, leading to a current social media backlash in late October 2019. [11] On November 6, 2019, the company dropped one of the lawsuits and apologized for starting the controversy. [12]
Backcountry.com launched a non-traditional athlete sponsorship program in 2008, which requires that the athletes promote themselves and the brand they represent through social media. [13] [14] Backcountry.com-sponsored athletes are responsible for actively driving traffic to Backcountry.com through YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and blogs. [13]
The program also acted as an affiliate marketing program in which Backcountry.com provided athletes with tools to track and measure their online impact and athletes got a percentage return on each sale that is referred through their community presence. That program is no longer running. [13]
Best Buy Co. Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebranded under its current name with an emphasis on consumer electronics in 1983.
Recreational Equipment, Inc., doing business as REI, is an American retail and outdoor recreation services corporation. It is organized as a consumers' co-operative. REI sells camping gear, hiking, climbing, cycling, water, running, fitness, snow, travel equipment, and men, women and kids clothing. It also offers services such as outdoor-oriented vacations and courses.
The North Face is an American outdoor recreation products company. The North Face produces outdoor clothing, footwear, and related equipment. Founded in 1966 to supply climbers, the company's logo draws inspiration from Half Dome, a distinct rock formation rising over 8,700 feet above sea level in Yosemite National Park. By the late 1990s, the label had expanded beyond outdoor enthusiasts by focusing on street couture and since the 2000s it is regarded as a streetwear style symbol label. In 2000, it was bought by VF Corporation.
Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. is an American chain of sporting goods stores founded in 1948 by Richard "Dick" Stack. It is the largest sporting goods retailer in the United States, and is listed on the Fortune 500.
Sports Authority, Inc. was an American sports retailer. At its peak, Sports Authority operated 463 stores in 45 States and Puerto Rico. The company's website was on the GSI Commerce platform and supported the retail stores as well as other multi-channel programs. A joint venture with ÆON Co., Ltd., operates "Sports Authority" stores in Japan under a licensing agreement.
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is an American retailer headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri that sells teddy bears and other stuffed animals and characters. During store visits, customers go through an interactive process in which the stuffed animal of their choice is assembled and tailored to their own preferences including varying scents, sounds, and outfits. Build-A-Bear Workshop is the largest chain that operates in this style. The company's slogan was "Where Best Friends Are Made" from 1997–2013 when it was changed to "The Most Fun You'll Ever Make." As of April 2019, the company's president/CEO is Sharon Price John.
K·B Toys was an American chain of mall-based retail toy stores. The company was founded in 1922 as Kaufman Brothers, a wholesale candy store. The company opened a wholesale toy store in 1946, and ended its candy wholesales two years later to emphasize its toy products. Retail sales began during the 1970s, using the name Kay-Bee Toy & Hobby.
Ollie's Bargain Outlet is an American chain of discount closeout retailers. It was founded in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1982 by Morton Bernstein and Mark L. Butler with backing from Harry Coverman and Oliver E. "Ollie" Rosenberg; the latter of whom is the namesake of the company. As of February 2023, the chain has 468 locations in 29 states. Its selection of merchandise comprises a variety of discounted household goods, apparel, pet supplies, kitchen pantry staples, and seasonal products ; a majority of these items are unsold or overstocked merchandise that is purchased in bulk from other retailers and sold at discounted prices.
Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. is an American discount closeout retailer consisting exclusively of supermarket locations that offer deeply discounted, overstocked, and closeout products from name-brand and private-label suppliers. The company has stores in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Moosejaw.com is an online and brick and mortar retailer specializing in outdoor recreation apparel and gear for snowboarding, rock climbing, hiking, and camping. The company was founded in 1992 by Robert Wolfe and David Jaffe, two longtime friends who chose to sell camping equipment instead of becoming wilderness guides. Moosejaw is known for its nonsensical marketing called "Moosejaw Madness".
Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc., colloquially known as and stylized as SPECIALIZED, is an American company which designs, manufactures and markets bicycles, bicycle components and related products under the brand name "Specialized", as well as the premium and professional oriented "S-works".
Outdoor Research is a Seattle-based manufacturer of technical apparel and gear for outdoor sports, including alpinism, rock and ice climbing, backpacking, paddling, and backcountry skiing and snowboarding.
Skins, stylized SKINS, is an Australian manufacturing company founded in 1996 that designs and produces compression garment for athletes and sports enthusiasts. After filing for bankruptcy in 2019, the company was acquired by Hong Kong-based holding Symphony, which owns rights over the "Skins" brand.
Vista Outdoor Inc. is an American designer, manufacturer, and marketer of outdoor sports and recreation products. It operates in two markets: shooting sports and outdoor products. It is a "house of brands" with more than 40 labels and subsidiaries. It trades under "VSTO" on the New York Stock Exchange. Vista Outdoor is the parent company to many ammunition makers, including Federal, CCI, and Remington. In mid 2022, Vista Outdoor announced its intent to split into different companies with new names and stock symbol; One company will focus on sporting goods while the other will focus on ammunition and firearms accessories.
Mountain Project is a website which serves as a guidebook to more than 170,000 climbing routes across the world. The website is operated by Adventure Projects Inc., a Boulder, Colorado-based company, founded by Nick Wilder and Andy Laakmann in 2005 and purchased on June 11, 2015 by REI. Adventure Projects, Inc. subsequently became independent and has since been acquire by onX.
Advanced Sports International (ASI) is an American bicycle company whose flagship brand is Fuji Bikes. It also owns smaller brands including triathlon-focused Kestrel USA, component maker Oval Concepts, Breezer bikes, Tuesday Cycles and BMX maker SE Bikes. ASI is headquartered in Philadelphia and was led by Patrick Cunnane until filing for bankruptcy.
Troy Lee Designs (TLD) is an American action sports apparel and custom paint company founded in 1981 and headquartered in Corona, California. Troy Lee Designs is a privately held company run by the eponymous founder Troy Lee and co-owned by investment partners SBJ.
Figs is an American clothing company based in Santa Monica, California. The company sells scrubs and other products for healthcare professionals. It was founded in 2013 by Heather Hasson and Trina Spear, who are co-CEOs.
Shein is an online fast fashion retailer headquartered in Singapore. Founded in Nanjing, China in October 2008 as ZZKKO by entrepreneur Chris Xu, Shein grew to become the world's largest fashion retailer as of 2022.
An outdoor retailer or outdoor store is a retail businesses selling apparel and general merchandise for outdoor activities.