Roads Rivers and Trails, a Milford, Ohio, independent specialty outdoor retailer and member of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, the national organization dedicated to the health and growth of specialty outdoor retail, achieved status as a B-Corp this month, making it the only independent speciality outdoor store in the U.S. to achieve this milestone.
Becoming a B Corp is a rigorous voluntary process that certifies for-profit companies who commit to balancing both purpose and profit. B Corps must meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
Roads River and Trails, which is also a member of 1% for the Planet, embarked on the effort to become a B Corp because owners Emily White and Bryan Wolf saw the process as an extension of their store’s mission — to better their community through education, stewardship and positive outdoor experiences.
“We use the phrase ‘going beyond retail’ because we see our retail sales simply as a mechanism for our mission,” Wolf said. “There isn’t a facet of our business that this process didn’t improve, from employee development to customer engagement. The B-Corp journey really provided us with a roadmap for current and future decision making.”
The process started two years ago with the B-Labs self-assessment tool, a free assessment that analyzes every aspect of a business, from community, customers and governance to workers and the environment. This tool made White and Wolf realize that they were already hitting many of the B Corp benchmarks, but with some slight changes and policy tweaks they could be an even more proactive business.
“Some of the most meaningful moments were in learning what we didn’t know,” White said. “It’s really easy to hit cruise control and pat yourself on the back but being open to new ideas or even criticism of your business is what ignites positive change. Ultimately, that’s why we respect the process and those who are committed to it — because there is a clear effort toward progress.”
For instance, Wolf said the B Corp process showed his team how to measure first and then manage results. That became a huge benefit in understanding and setting goals to improve waste and emissions, but also charitable giving and employee compensation and benefits. As a result, Road Rivers and Trails added paid volunteer time off for all staff and tracked volunteer hours, setting standards for community stewardship and employee engagement.
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance recently covered Road River and Trails’ B Corp Journey through its B2B publication Grassroots Stories as an example of a way that one of their members worked to stand out not only in their region, but nationally. Wolf also said that Grassroots Outdoor Alliance vendor partner Oboz, which had already been through the B Corp certification, was instrumental in providing guidance around the process.
“This is an excellent example of how specialty retailers really go above and beyond to serve not only their employees but their wider communities, and how information sharing in our network — thanks in this case to Oboz — makes everyone better,” said Gabe Maier, President of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance. “We applaud the two-year effort that Emily and Brian put in to hit this milestone, and we look forward to them sharing the knowledge of their journey with other retailers in Grassroots who might be interested in the B Corp process.”
About Grassroots Outdoor Alliance
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is a retailer-owned network of 104 independently owned outdoor retailers and 67 vendor partners, working together for the health and growth of specialty outdoor retail. Through data collection and analysis, direct member support, specialty events and deep vendor partnerships, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is creating both a vision and roadmap for the long-term success of independent specialty retail. Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is recognized as a catalyst for the success of its retailers and vendor partners; an advocate for specialty independent retail; a promoter of education and community within the specialty channel; and a key influencer of the national outdoor industry. Grassroots Outdoor Alliance also operates Connect, a twice-annual legacy show experience that spans four days, offering an efficient and structured format for retailers to conduct pre-season line showings and business conversations.
