REI Co-op reveals to FN that it will make and sell its own outdoor footwear in 2021. Here’s what you can expect from the retail giant.
Source: Exclusive: REI Co-op Is Making Its Own Outdoor Footwear — Here’s What You Can Expect
While I don’t often dig deeply into outdoor retail, I do consider it an important branch of the sports industry. Most of my research is on the marketing aspect and the absence of African-Americans in the outreach being done by companies. This post isn’t on that topic. It’s about an issue I’ve written about extensively since 2015. It’s one of the reasons I stopped accepting the information from NPD’s Matt Powell as the primary source for discussion on the sportswear business and I began to truly focus on my own research.
L2 Just Updated Their Report on Amazon Private Labels | Will Nike, UA and adidas Pay Attention Now?
In 2017, I wrote the post above. I discussed how Amazon launching private label was problematic. The article also highlighted a series of ideas I had begun to deliver; which culminated in the book Nike’s Consumer Direct Offense, Amazon and StockX: The Disruption of Sneaker Retail. I released the book in 2019. The book, overall, is about retail outlets becoming media companies who need to consider launching their own private labels. As DTC by brands becomes more prominent, and expedited due to COVID-19, retailers will inevitably find themselves in the difficult position of battling the brand who supplies them with inventory. The only means of offsetting this is by functioning… like a brand.
Footwear News lists the products being released and they have interview points that you can read by using the source link above. I wanted to write this post because FN doesn’t really move beyond the surface of the discussion and go into greater detail.
REI is playing offense and it’s a playbook for chains who are encountering the loss of Nike accounts in the next year. The question becomes, are those chains capable of paying attention and working with the correct parties to help them accomplish what the billion dollar REI brand is about to do?
