A wide range of retailers have already registered to attend Outdoor Retailer Summer as the OR team makes a big push to bring the industry’s best buyers to the show as part of its new hosted buyer program.
The program is designed to help build relationships between brands and buyers as well as boost show ROI for exhibitors.
So far, over 500 buyers have registered to attend from both independent specialty and high-volume chains alike, including Alpine Shop, Academy Sports, High Country Outfitters, L.L. Bean, Backcountry, River Sports Outfitters, Christy Sports, Piragis Northwoods Co., Bass Pro Shops, Vail Resorts Retail, Title Nine, and Anaconda, which operates more than 70 outdoor stores in Australia. Also attending: buyers from Macy’s, Zappos, and Hibbett’s
Qualified retail buyers can apply for travel support to attend OR. Buyers who are interested in participating can contact OR for hotel and flight assistance.
Outdoor Retailer Summer takes place at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 17-19.
An Opportunity for Discovery
DeLana Forsberg, gear buyer for Piragis Northwoods Company in Ely, Minnesota, said one of the main reasons she’s participating is to discover new brands in the market.
“It’s important to be exposed to new, upcoming, and innovating brands,” she added. “OR is a great place to find those diamonds in the rough.”
For Brian Mildelstein, owner of Fin & Feather in Davenport, Iowa, OR also presents an opportunity to find new products, proving to him that attending trade shows is worth it.
“I was a little apprehensive about going to the Summer 2023 show, as I knew it was going to look different than shows have looked historically,” he said. “I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of new product that I found, which is the main reason that I attend any trade show. I am excited to return to Salt Lake City and Outdoor Retailer again this year to build upon that momentum.”
Sampling of Notable Buyers Registered Thus Far
Academy Sports – Katy, TX
Alltrails Inc. – San Francisco, CA
Alpine Shop – St. Louis, MO
Als Sporting Goods – Hyde Park, UT
American Land & Leisure – Pleasant Grove, UT
Anaconda Stores – Victoria, Australia
Arfmann’s Four Seasons – Salmon, ID
Backcountry.com – Park City, UT
Bass Pro Shop – Springfield, MO
Bering’s – Houston, TX
Big 5 Sporting Goods – El Segundo, CA
Big Sky Brewing Company – Missoula, MT
Boy Scouts of America – Wesley Chapel, FL
Boyne Resorts – Traverse City, MI
C.C. Filson – Seattle, WA
Canyon Sports – Salt Lake City, UT
Costco Wholesale Corp. – Oak Brook, IL
Crown Enterprises (Sportsman & Ski) – Kalispell, MT
Crystal Lake Adventure Sports – Frankfort, MI
Desert Rock Sports – Las Vegas, NV
Discovery Land Company – Beverly Hills, CA
Dunham Sport’s Corp. – Troy, MI
Fin & Feather – Davenport, IA
Garage Grown Gear – Saint Paul, MN
Grand Teton Association – Moose, WY
Hibbett’s – Birmingham, AL
High Country Outfitters – Roswell, GA
In My Element – Fairbanks, AK
Indigo Highway –- Park City, UT
Ken’s Bike Ski Board – Davis, CA
L.L.Bean – Freeport, ME
Lake & Company – Grand Rapids, MN
Lake Chelan Sports – Chelan, WA
Lake Gaston Outfitter – Littleton, NC
Lee’s Clothing – Petersburg – AK
Level Nine Sports – Salt Lake City, UT
Macy’s – New York, NY
Mel’s Trading Post – Rhinelander, WI
Mt. Hood Meadows Retail – Mount Hood, OR
Mudbelly Outdoor Supply – Huntington, TX
Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort – Gatlinburg, TN
Ouray Mountain Sports – Ouray, CO
Ozark Outdoor Supply – Little Rock, AR
Piragis Northwoods – Ely, MN
Play It Again Sports – Minneapolis, MN
Prospector Outfitter – Valdez, AK
Pure Stoke Sports – Hood River, OR
River City Supply Co. – Wisconsin Rapids, WI
River Sports Outfitters – Knoxville, TN
Rock ‘n’ Roll Sports – Gunnison, CO
Ross Stores, Inc. – Los Angeles, CA
Russell Marine – Alexander City, AL
Ruze Shoes – Montclair, CA
Salt Lake Running Company – Salt Lake City, UT
Sandal Factory – Key Largo, FL
Sears – Huntley, IL
Shoe Fly Shoe Inc. – Tyrone, PA
Ski ‘N See – Salt Lake City, UT
Sportsman’s Warehouse, Inc. – Midvale, UT
Sun Diego – Vista, CA
Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop – Lawrence, KS
Target – Minneapolis, MN
Terra Running – Cleveland, TN
The Sportsman – Logan, UT
The Spot Bouldering Gym – Boulder, CO
The TJX Companies – Boston, MA
Tooth of Time Traders – Cimarron, NM
Triple Crown Outfitters – Inyokern, CA
True Outdoors – Kamloops, B.C. Canada
Uloha – Honolulu, HI
United States Sales Corp. – Virginia Beach, VA
Uphill Pursuits – Bozeman, MT
Usmes.org – Burlington, LA
Vail Resorts Retail – Broomfield, CO
Velocity Newaygo – Newwaygo, MI
Walmart – Bentonville, AR
Zappos – Las Vegas, NV
