Outdoor Retailer PostShow 2019 - 26

The Pulse

B I G

P I C T U R E

The North Face's panel
on youth and conservation was one of many
Show events that supported diverse voices.

"It is financially irresponsible to not
support diverse communities."

Adapt or Sink

As the population of the U.S. grows more diverse, outdoor retailers and brands can either
adapt to a new market demographic-or fail.
By Sonya Pevzner
IN A PROMISING NARRATIVE

shift, the Outdoor Retailer Show
moved from Salt Lake to Denver
last year, in part as a response
to concerns over public lands in
Utah, and the 2018 Show also
marked the first time that an
all-indigenous panel was given a
platform to discuss the challenges
of intersecting environmental,
social, and historic identities.
Thanks to years of tireless efforts
by diversity and equity leaders,
this January's Show saw a continued inclusion of panels and
workshops dedicated to diversity.
This change reflects a growing
awareness that there's a connection

/ SNOW SHOW 2019

between diversity and financial
bottom line. "If we do not align
ourselves with diverse communities, business is not going to
succeed," said Victoria Payne, CFO
and vice president of Mountain
Khakis, during a Show luncheon
designed to bring together leaders
in the fields of diversity and equity
in the outdoors. "It is financially
irresponsible to not support diverse communities," said Payne.
For brands, realizing that a
changing market necessitates
growth and adaptation may be the
final catalyst for diversity. Minorities hold a greater purchasing power than ever before. Asian-Ameri-

cans, Native Americans, and Black
Americans combined have a $2.2
trillion buying power, with Hispanic Americans following closely
with $1.4 trillion purchasing power
in 2016. The LGBTQ+ community
rivals other groups, with nearly $1
trillion in purchasing power.
While some brands, nonprofits,
and organizations have aligned
their values and core mission
statements with serving and
supporting a diverse population
base, many are just discovering the
importance of diversifying their
leadership and customer pool.
"Use empathy as a guiding strategy
and lean into learning," suggested Katie Thompson, industrial
design manager at Quality Bicycle
Products, who presented alongside
vendor sales manager Kimberly
Marek at the diversity luncheon.
"We have to meet employees and
partners where they're at, because
learning is a never-ending journey," she said.
Chris Winter, executive director
of the Access Fund, offered the
audience an advocacy and nonprofit
perspective. "We can't realize the
vision of sustainability without conversations and listening to the people who face challenges to climbing." Historically, this has meant
physical access, but that definition
is changing to include other barriers-financial, social, and systemic.
"We have to ask, 'What does access
mean to people?'"
For an industry that is full of
environmental lovers, the outdoor
industry has a long way to go in
recognizing its true roots. Despite

the majority of outdoor recreation
taking place on public lands, few
outdoor brands have publicly
stated their support for native
tribes and nations. The contradiction that modern day "public
lands" were essentially stolen from
indigenous people was hammered
home by nearly every speaker at
diversity events during the Show.
On Thursday, The North Face's
booth was packed with Show attendees for its panel titled, "How
Youth are Redefining the Conservation Movement," which was
headlined by six diverse young
leaders in the environmental field.
"Succeeding at [diversity] looks
like not [having to] think twice
about embedding justice into every project," said Shaandiin Cedar
of Natives Outdoors. The panelists
went on to describe easy ways for
brands to get involved and change
their narratives by reaching out to
small rural communities, focusing on youth-led programming,
reaching out to lawmakers, and
voting with your dollar. Jackelin Treviño, Rio Grande Valley
activist and Sierra Club volunteer,
offered advice to brands who
want to align themselves with
controversial stances: "Sure, you
will probably lose some customers
initially, as well as their money.
But those changes are short-term.
I truly believe that this loss will
be gained back several-fold with
the support you will gain." In
other words, the world is moving
toward diversity, and the money is
going with it. The message: Adapt
or sink.

S COT T M A R T I N

-CFO AND VICE PRESIDENT OF MOUNTAIN KHAKIS, VICTORIA PAYNE

Outdoor Retailer PostShow 2019

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