Outdoor Retailer - Winter 2019 - 22

IDEAS

THOUGHT LEADERS

The New Kid
Whitney Connell only first learned about the
outdoor industry at a job interview in 2012.
Six years later, she owns that shop and is fully
dedicated to making a difference for the planet.
Name: Whitney Connell
Company: Hays Co. Outfitters
Opened: 2012
Title: Owner
Location: San Marcos, Texas
Downlow: Talk about finding your path: Whitney Connell didn't know

The people and brands in this industry actually believe in something. They are making products for the better and not just because.
I feel like I am a very independent person normally, but I have had
to start relying on other people because I have realized that I cannot do
it all alone.
"Outdoors" means something different to every single person.
Some think outdoors is sitting on their porch and drinking a glass of
wine; others think it's an extreme sport.

22 OUTDOOR RETAILER

/ Winter 2019

People who are not in this business don't always "get it."
If you have the opportunity to network with other outdoor retailers, take it! Being able to talk to someone who is in the same situation
you are and dealing with the same ups and downs is always good.
We are in this business to be profitable, to provide for our families,
to give back to our communities and still be here for years to come.
If we aren't getting decent margins on what we are selling, none of
this is possible.
The number one thing that keeps me going every day is the support
of my family and friends. Without them, I would not be where I am
today. The number two thing that keeps me going every day is my Spark
energy drink.
Our consumers need to know that we stand for something, that we
stand for the greater good of the outdoors.
I truly enjoy what I do. Most days it doesn't seem like work. O.R.

Photo courtesy Whitney Connell

anything about the outdoor industry in 2012 when she applied for a
store manager position at the newly opened Hays Co. Outfitters in
San Marcos, Texas. Her retail experience got her the job-and she
fell in love with the passion and progressiveness of the customers,
the lifestyle, the brands she sold, and the ethics of the people behind
them. Her newfound career took off: She grew into the positions
of buyer, inventory manager (for three stores), and "everything in
between." In May 2017, she bought the store. "We are in the middle
of the Texas Hill Country," she says of the shop that has moved from
downtown San Marcos to an extremely accessible location right off
of Interstate 35 in a busy shopping center. "We are in a college town,
a tourist town. We have one of the largest outlet malls in the country
right across the highway from us as well as two rivers flowing through
town." Her customers are a combination of students and locals who
range in age from 15 to over 50. That diverse clientele makes for an
outdoor lifestyle store with a little bit of gear that appeals to everyone-and that's just how she likes it.

Outdoor Retailer - Winter 2019

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