Spring - InsideOutdoor Magazine

Spring 2011 

www.insideoutdoor.com 

INTO THE 

CLOUDS 

CLOUD COMPUTING AND 

THE FUTURE OF RETAIL 

OutDoor Europe 

Product Showcase 

CAMPING’S 

RECOVERY 

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Printed on 100% 

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C O N T E N T S 

Spring 2011 

14 

Departments 

DATA POINTS 

8 NUMBERS WORTH NOTING 

Mobile’s message; social roles; ads with impact; advancing 

LP; cries for help; and more 

RETAIL TECH BYTES 

20 eBay in-store; Geigerrig plays tag 

21 Google’s big wallet; outdoor surveillance 

23 QR decoded; Carhartt gets SaaS 

24 

BACK OFFICE 

36 TAKE IT TO THE BANK 

Improving your banking relationship 

GREEN SHEETS 

38 MATERIAL GAINS 

Eco updates from NWAFMA 

By Ernest Shiwanov 

FEATURES 

42 THE GREEN GLOSSARY 

Defining the movement 

6 Letter from the Editor 

12 Rep News and Moves 

46 Advertiser Index 

14 CLOUD FORMATIONS 

Cloud computing provides specialty retailers with a cost-effective and 

infinitely scalable path to launching new capabilities and rebuilding infrastructure 

at a time when existing IT systems are becoming dangerously obsolete. 

By Martin Vilaboy 

24 CAMPING’S RECOVERY 

A rebound in camping participation wrought by a recessionary pull back leaves us 

with some encouraging news and a few slivers of opportunity, as well as some 

interesting and less-expected challenges. 

By Martin Vilaboy 

28 FRESH IN FRIEDRICHSHAFEN 

Whether or not you will be making the journey to Germany, 

here’s a small preview of what will be on display this summer 

at the OutDoor trade show in Friedrichshafen. 

4 | InsideOutdoor | Spring 2011

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Editor’s Letter 

Talking Tech 

It used to be that specialty retail owners and c-level executives could get by with 

minimal knowledge of retail technology systems. Sure, technology could create 

efficiencies and automate time-consuming processes, but it hasn’t always been 

inherent to a retail organization’s success or failure. 

If decision-makers knew their respective markets, and assuming most elements 

of the core business were properly managed (inventory, assortment, customer 

service, employee resources, balance sheet, etc.), a working knowledge of IT 

by and large could be left to a trusted IT department. In many cases, that simply 

meant a trained employee or two with some understanding of computer and POS 

systems. It’s one of the reasons why the retail vertical has been among the lightest 

spenders of technology dollars. 

This distant understanding among line-of-business departments was sufficient 

when technology, for the most part, was a back-office concern, a means to building 

efficiencies into existing processes rather than a driving force in revenue creation. 

When technology moves out of the back office and into the hands of customers, 

however, it suddenly becomes everyone’s business. 

You don’t have to be an IT consultant to know that your customers are adopting 

Internet protocol-based (IP) and digital technologies at unprecedented rates, and 

that’s fundamentally changing the way you communicate and transact with those 

customers, as it re-shapes their behavior and expectations. There’s little reason 

to believe the trend won’t continue, and as consumer technologies grow more 

ingrained into everyday life, retail technology no longer can be treated as an internal 

matter. In other words, IT investments and strategies no longer are driven by the 

wants and needs of IT departments. Consumers simply are moving too fast. 

As many readers likely are aware, the staff here at Inside Outdoor, along 

with covering the outdoor retail market, also produces technology titles. More 

specifically, we offer print and online resources for Internet, communications and 

other technology solutions providers. When people first here of our dual role, the 

typical reaction usually includes comments on how telecom and outdoor must 

differ dramatically or how simultaneously working in those seemingly disconnected 

worlds must be like exercising both sides of the brain at once. 

Such notions used to be easier to support. During the past few years, however, 

we have seen more and more crossover between these once-distinct universes. 

We see outdoor retailers, such as Moosejaw and REI, leading the digital commerce 

transformation, and we see technology solution providers increasingly focusing on 

the technological challenges facing retailers large and small. Consider, for example, 

one recent survey of mobile industry executives who were asked to name the 

business vertical that would be most impacted by mobility in 2011. Retail was 

named more than twice as often as all other choices, picked number one by nearly 

50 percent of respondents, show the findings from Chetan Sharma Consulting. 

Witnessing this convergence of retail and consumer technologies first hand, 

it only makes sense for us to further leverage our expertise in areas such as 

communications and Internet applications, networking, mobility, system integration 

and the like into the pages of IO. So, moving forward you can expect to see 

increased coverage of these and other technologies as a means of assisting 

readers with the challenges they face in the mainstreaming of e-commerce and 

m-commerce and the subsequent emergence of “everywhere commerce.” 

It’s your customers, after all, that now are dictating the pace of your technology 

adoption, and we firmly believe no other publication in the outdoor market is in 

better position to help outdoor retail companies keep pace. –MV 

Martin Vilaboy 

Editor-in-Chief 

martin@bekapublishing.com 

Percy Zamora 

Art Director 

outdoor@bekapublishing.com 

Ernest Shiwanov 

Editor at Large 

ernest@bekapublishing.com 

Berge Kaprelian 

Group Publisher 

berge@bekapublishing.com 

Jennifer Vilaboy 

Production Director 

jen@bekapublishing.com 

Suzanne Urash 

Ad Creative Designer 

suzanne@cre8groupinc.com 

Beka Publishing 

Berge Kaprelian 

President and CEO 

Philip Josephson 

General Counsel 

Jim Bankes 

Business Accounting 

Corporate Headquarters 

745 N. Gilbert Road 

Suite 124, PMB 303 

Gilbert, AZ 85234 

Voice: 480.503.0770 

Fax: 480.503.0990 

Email: berge@bekapublishing.com 

© 2011 Beka Publishing, All rights reserved. 

Reproduction in whole or in any form or 

medium without express written permission 

of Beka Publishing, is prohibited. Inside 

Outdoor and the Inside Outdoor logo are 

trademarks of Beka Publishing 


Data Points 

Numbers worth noting 

by Martin Vilaboy 

Mobile Experts Pick Retail 

Still wondering if and to what extent mobility will 

impact your business model? Well, the folks driving the 

mobile revolution seem pretty confident the change will be 

dramatic. When a group of mobile company executives and 

insiders were asked to pick the business vertical that would 

be most impacted by mobile technologies, retail was the 

overwhelming number one choice, says telecom analyst 

Chetan Sharma. Indeed, it was pegged for change about 

three times more often than the next-closest responses. 

Which enterprise segment will mobile 

impact the most? 

prevention equation. What’s more, “we are starting to see 

radio frequency (RFID) gain some traction as part of an instore 

LP program,” says RSR. 

Budgeted or Planned Loss Prevention 

Technology Projects 

Real-time alerts on POS overrides 32% 

Automated returns processing 29% 

Workforce management systems 22% 

Computer-based training 21% 

Returns and void management 20% 

Statistical fraud detection/analytics 18% 

Retail 

Sales 

Health 

Field Force 

Education 

Others 

Energy 

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 

Source: Chetan Sharma Consulting 

Women are from Facebook, 

Men from LinkedIn 

According to a new Empathica study, men and women 

use social media differently when interacting with a retail 

brand through social channels, with more men citing looking 

for information as a primary goal (36 percent) than women 

(28 percent). The gender split Other among staff members those looking do to stretch 

less work than I do 

their budgets was even greater: 47 percent of women say 

searching for Little coupons time to help and promotions customers because is their of primary use, 

pressure to get other tasks completed 

compared with 33 percent of men. Women also are more 

likely to recommend Manager a is brand, not aware product of all the or service things 

I do during my shift 

through a 

social network, with 35 percent doing so, compared with 28 

Finding out I need to replenish product 

percent of men. after getting complaints, instead of 

knowing ahead of time 

When customers can’t find what they’re 

looking for, it’s hard for me to get the 

To Catch information a Thief I need to help them 

Retailers, Checking by and the large, price of are items using for the customers same familiar 

methods to fight shrinkage: video surveillance, audits, cash 

and return 

Inability 

and void 

to easily 

management, 

communicate 

etc. 

with 

But 

other 

associates or my manager to ask for 

analysts 

help 

at Retail 

Systems Research are seeing greater interest in automated 

Customers with smartphones who have 

tools as part of an more effort information to take people about products out of the loss 

and prices than I have 

8 | InsideOutdoor Boredom and 

| 

too Spring much downtime 2011 

Procedural reviews 15% 

Exception analysis reporting 13% 

Radio frequency shoplifting prevention systems 13% 

Source: Retail Systems Research 

During a typical shift on the retail floor, what are the biggest 

frustrations you experience in doing your job? 

TV Ads Still Worth Watching 

Though some prematurely have sounded its death knell, 

TV is still the king of all media, especially when it comes to ad 

messaging and purchasing influence. Deloitte found that 71 

percent of American’s still rate watching TV programing among 

their favorite media activities, while 83 percent of Americans 

said TV advertising still has the most impact on their buying 

decisions. Conversely, the ability of ads on Web sites to 

move traffic to other sites has dropped from 72 percent to 59 

percent over the past three surveys. And while on the topic of 

legacy media, more than half of consumers (60 percent), and 

even 64 percent of Millennials, claim to pay more attention 

to magazines ads than any form of online advertising. 

Advertising with Most Impact on Buying Decision 

Media Type 

TV 83% 

Magazines 50% 

Online 47% 

Newspapers 44% 

Radio 32% 

Billboards/outdoor advertising 13% 

In-theater advertising 11% 

Source: Deloitte, March 2011 

% of Respondents

Permanent, temperature-regulating 

fiber technology with odor control 

and softness that never washes out.

Health 

eld Force 

ducation 

Others 

Data Points 

Field Force 

Education 

Others 

Energy 

Energy 

Employee Pain Points 

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% Source: Chetan Sharma Consulting 

Source: Chetan Sharma Consulting 

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 

The Parent Trap 

The best way for the outdoor industry to attract a 

What’s bothering your staff the most? According to a 

survey of North American retail employees, top frustrations younger audience, it turns out, may have less to do 

During a typical shift on the with retail hip floor, imagery what and are urban the biggest outreach 

frustrations you experience programs in doing your and more job? 

During a typical shift on the retail floor, what are the biggest 

to do with Mom 

frustrations you experience in doing your job? 

and Dad. According to findings from The 

Other staff members do 

less work than I doOutdoor Foundation, three-quarters of 

Other staff members do 

children ages 6 to 12 are influenced in 

less work than I do 

Little time to help customers because of 

pressure to get other tasks completedtheir participation in outdoor activities by 

Little time to help customers because of 

Manager is not aware of all the things 

pressure to get other tasks completed 

their parents. As children age, of course, 


Manager is not aware of all the things 

Finding out I need to replenish producttheir parents’ role in their participation 


after getting complaints, instead of 

knowing ahead of timediminishes, and friends gain an 

Finding out I need to replenish product 

after getting complaints, instead of 

When customers can’t find what they’reincreasingly influential role. But why wait 

knowing ahead of time 


information I need to help themuntil the teenage years when distractions 

When customers can’t find what they’re 


Checking the price of items for customersfrom team sports, dating, text messaging 

information I need to help them 

and social networks are more abundant? 

Inability to easily communicate with other 

Checking the price of items for customers 

associates or my manager to ask for help 

Inability to easily communicate with other 


associates or my manager to ask for help 

more information about productsCustomer 



more information about products 

Boredom and too much downtimePain Points 


Your employees aren’t the only ones 

Boredom and too much downtime 

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 

frustrated by time management and 

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% accountability Associate issues. When Manager asked about 

the impact of different aspects of the 

Associate 

Manager Source: Motorola Solutions 

shopping experience to overall satisfaction, 

Source: Motorola Solutions 

+7% 

Please rate your overall satisfaction with each of the following 

center on accountability and time management. Meanwhile, aspects of you shopping experience during the past four weeks. 

about a third Please of employees rate your feel overall they lack satisfaction the adequate with each of the following 

% Not satisfied 

respondents 

information aspects to serve of customers. you shopping Managers, experience in particular, during feel the past four weeks. 

(excludes NA) 

Ease of finding 

% Not satisfied 

20% 

the pressure of out-of-stock complaints. 

correct prices 

respondents 

(excludes NA) 

Ease 

INTER- OR of finding 

INTRA-CHANNEL 

Availability 20% of the items 

I wanted in stock 

When most Availability people of talk the items about cross-channel retail, they Availability of information 

are referring to activities I wanted that in stock 

you could find 25% on your own 

cross physical and online stores. 

in the store 

But many retailers Availability increasingly of information face a cross-channel problem 

Time spent waiting in 

you could find on your own 

line and pay/checkout 

28% 

that lives completely in the store digital space, without touching 

25% 

28% 

33% 

stores at all, show Time spent findings waiting from in 

Availability of coupons 

RSR Research. From 2009 to 


and 33% discounts 

35% 

2010, the number of retailers reporting that they only operate 

Availability of 

one online site Availability fell from of coupons 45 percent to 34 percent, and the 

35% staff/sales 

37% 

and discounts 

associate help 

number of retailers reporting that they operate two to four 


sites increased from 30 percent to 40 percent. 

37% 

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 

staff/sales 


Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Does not apply/Does not matter to me 

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% In between Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 

Unique Online Sites Operated Today by Retail 

Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Does not apply/Does not matter me 

Company, by KPI Breakdown 


In between Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 

Winner Plus Winners Average Laggards 


More than 4 50% 11% 21% 11% 

consumers surveyed by Motorola Solutions similarly 

Two to four 13% 48% 42% 11% 

expressed the greatest dissatisfaction over the availability of 

One 25% 33% 32% 56% 

help from store associates. A lack of discounts and coupons, 

None 13% 7% 5% 22% 

Visitor Growth at OutDoor 

not surprisingly, also was high on the list. 

+6% 

Source: Retail Systems Research 

+12% +2% 


+6% 

+7% +2% 

10 | 

+12% +2% 

InsideOutdoor 

+2% +8% | Spring 2011 

itors 

itors 

itors 

itors 

itors 

itors

Rep moves and news 

Throughout the first quarter of 

2011, a slew of outdoor manufacturers 

honored their top-producing indirect 

sales forces with 2010 reps of the year 

awards. Our congratulations go to all 

these well-deserved road warriors. 

Starting in no particular order, 

Mountainsmith said Sanitas Group 

has won its 2010 Anvil Award for Agency 

of the Year. In a flat market, the group, 

headed up by industry veterans Keith 

Reis and Andy Anderson, led a surge 

in sales and market share in their Rocky 

Mountain territory to secure the honor. 

In the two years that they have been 

in sales with Mountainsmith, they 

have grown the region by 40 percent 

and exceeded their 2010 sales goal 

by nearly 30 percent. Both Reis and 

Anderson had held prior positions within 

Mountainsmith, which gave them a head 

start when they took over the territory, 

said the company. 

Over at Buck Knives, 2010 Sales 

Rep Agency of the Year went to Upper 

Canada Sports of Toronto, while co- 

Sales Reps of the Year were awarded 

to Al Belhumeur of Pro Line Sports 

in British Columbia, and Lynn Tackett 

of Tackett Brothers in Dallas. Upper 

Canada Sports, Pro Line Sports and 

Tackett Brothers are independent 

manufacturer’s representatives with 

long standing relationships with Buck 

Knives. “All of these men and women 

representing these groups understand 

the importance of providing good 

service before and after the sale. They 

truly understand what Buck Knives is all 

about,” said CJ Buck, president of Buck 

Knives. 

Cascade Designs, meanwhile, 

bestowed its 2010 Rep Agency of 

the Year award to Summit Sales of 

Bainbridge Island, Wash. Summit Sales, 

led by principal David Fitzgerald and 

including Patrick Cook, Rob Birzell, 

Justin McGregor, Anna Baze and Kris 

Stahl, has been representing Cascade 

Designs’ brands for 10 years. This award 

recognizes their consistent and growing 

performance, year after year, with 

investments made in their agency to 

offer outstanding support and service to 

their customers in Washington, Oregon, 

Idaho and Montana. 

Awards were given out at 

Longworth Industries, as well, the 

parent company of Polarmax, XGO, 

and AYG 365’s branded technical base 

layers. Robb Sports took home the 

Agency of the Year award, while Patti 

Fisher was named Rep of the Year for 

2010. In their first year representing 

Polarmax, Rob Robinson, Dan Williams 

and Bill Kendall of Robb Sports opened 

many new doors and increased sales 

across their Southeastern U.S. territory, 

while Smith set the bar high for 2011 

with tremendous increases in Polarmax 

sales in December alone. Fisher’s 

territory includes Southern California, 

Arizona and parts of Utah and Nevada. 

Turning for a moment to internal 

sales teams, Cutter & Buck recently 

SuperFabric 

material 

® 

by HDM, Inc. TM 

brand 

® 

HDM 

HDM, Inc. 

570 Hale Ave. 

Oakdale, MN 55128 

(651)-730-6203 

email: outdoor@superfabric.com 

www.SuperFabric.com 


announced its annual sales awards 

with Scott Cunningham taking top 

honors as the 2010 Salesperson 

of the Year. Cunningham has 

been with Cutter & Buck for 

nearly 20 years, serving as a 

sales representative since 1991. 

He came to Cutter & Buck at the 

beginning of its second season and 

has been instrumental in building 

relationships with customers while 

bringing on new accounts, says 

the company. He serves as one of 

five team leaders within the company, 

“adding tremendous value as a 

mentor and industry veteran to his role.” 

Cunningham now calls Arizona home 

but has worked in California and other 

regions since joining the company. 

Hardware also was handed out at 

Chaos Headwear. Rocky Mountain 

region-based Best and Associates, 

which had taken the title for the 

previous two years and came in a close 

second last year, returns back to the 

top as Chaos’ Sales Agency of the Year 

2010. The award, based on set sales 

criteria such as most new accounts, 

From left to right: Dominic Shenelia, Chaos sales 

director; Mary Anne & Brent Best of Best and 

Associates; Gary Supple, Chaos U.S. director 

most pre-season orders and re-orders, 

co-brands, branding and merchandising, 

includes a monetary bonus, a plaque 

and one oversize check. In line for the 

second highest sales was last year’s 

winner, Sam Adams of Western 

States Sales Marketing, who has 

built the Pacific Northwest territory 

(Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, 

Montana) into one of the top territories 

in the country for Chaos. 

And KNS Reps of the Rocky 

Mountain region had such a strong year 

that it was honored by two separate 

outdoor companies in 2010. Despite 

having just three representatives 

in the field, KNS received Rep of 

the Year honors from SCARPA 

NA, while Big Agnes named Kirk 

Haskell and Scott Sutton of KNS 

Reps as winners of its Sales Reps 

of the Year award. The KNS reps 

yielded more than a 20 percent 

overall growth in spring and fall of 

2010 for SCARPA in their region 

as well as a 16 percent increase 

in pre-season bookings for Fall 2010 

and a 34 percent increase for Spring 

2011. The two KNS Reps also lead all 

Big Agnes sales territories in terms of 

highest growth percentage, pre-season 

participation and future commitments. 

They also procured the most new dealer 

bookings for 2010. 

Big Agnes also acknowledged 

runner-up sales agency, Three 

Mountain Associates Inc., including 

Tom McCarthy, Mike Cullerot and 

George Lesure, for their strong sales 

performance in 2010. 

Once again, a deserving pat on the 

back goes to all these winners. 

Spring 2011 | InsideOutdoor | 13

Cloud 

Form 

Cloud computing and 

the future of retail 


Partly because of the inherent complexities 

and partly due to overzealous 

marketing, any discussion of “the 

cloud” should probably start with a 

clarification of what exactly “cloud 

computing” means to technology decision 

makers. Some have said the cloud is simply a euphemism 

for the Internet. Others argue that it’s really 

nothing new but rather just a return to “centralized” 

versus “distributed” computing, made accessible now 

by the ubiquity of high-speed data networks. 

As much truth as there may or may not be in 

these oversimplifications, neither should be used as 

an excuse to disregard the importance of what the 

cloud is and can do, particularly when it comes to 

the retail business. As it turns out, many of the benefits 

wrought by moving IT components to the cloud 

directly address the daunting challenges and macro 

trends facing retail IT departments today. In fact, it’s 

even possible that the retail segment, at least in the 

short term, has more to gain from the cloud trend 

currently sweeping the IT world than most any other 

industry vertical. Indeed, many retail analysts and experts 

believe that a transition to the cloud could prove 

necessary to individual retailer’s survival long term. 

Getting back to the beginning, The National Institute 

of Standards and Technology, for its part, defines 

cloud computing as, “a model for enabling convenient, 

on-demand network access to a shared pool 

of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, 

servers, storage, applications and services) that can be 

rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management 

effort or service provider interaction.” 

NIST’s definition may or may not clear things 

up. If not, most specialty retailers can think of cloud 

computing as a model by which computing and IT 

services and capabilities can be accessed anywhere, 

on any device, through the Internet. That differs 

from the traditional IT delivery model, whereby 

hardware, such as servers and storage devices, as 

well as software purchased through a license, would 

reside at the physical location at which they are being 

used. In the cloud, on the other hand, equipment and 

business applications are housed on servers in large 

data centers where a paid or “for-free” provider hosts 


Ongoing concerns about solution 

vendor or service provider stability 

and longevity 

We don’t like sharing our 

innovations with outsiders 

Source: RSR Research 

18% 

5% 

16% 

9% 

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 

ations 

How much do each of the following factors influence how 

your company’s technology portfolio will change? 

We want to spend less time on “catch up” 

investments in IT, and spend more time 

differentiating with IT-enabled capabilities 

52% 

48% 

We need to shorten the lead time 

to customer demand fulfillment 

47% 

48% 

and manages the solutions, as well 

Rapid 

as 

consumer 

cloud 

adoption 

or engage 

of new 

a third-party provider at Retail Systems 47% 

technologies such as “smart mobile”, 

Research, with the 

the user’s experience with “social them. media”, Cloud etc. is forcing to host us and to “go manage faster” it – either on site or user having 34% no knowledge or concern of 

services ranging from raw infrastructure off. A private cloud provides restricted where any individual piece resides. 

We need to overcome an ingrained “not 

41% 

to complete business processes invented (email, here” attitude access and take to the advantage computing capabilities and “This is different than a simple hosted 

of what’s commercially available 

31% 

accounting, CRM, scheduling, forecasting, 

resources to be shared only by employ- 

application accessed remotely,” says RSR. 

as examples) are purchased and ees or external partners, such as distrib- 

“Parts could well reside on a local device. 

We need to reduce ongoing maintenance 

41% 

accessed through Web interfaces. costs associated with utors owning and manufacturers. 

solutions 

It’s completely location 45% agnostic.” 

That might sound a lot like how 

Most retailer deployments up to this 

we’ve come to know and use the Internet, 

point, suggest findings from 

Winners 

Accenture, involve 

OthersCut and Paste 

you might say. In many ways, this 

is precisely how routed networks based 

on Internet protocol (IP) work, and the 

pervasiveness of high-speed access is 

largely what makes cloud computing so 

powerful. But before you start cringing 

over the idea of placing your customer 

data or communications services on the 

either a private cloud or some type 

of Source: “hybrid RSR model,” Researchthe managed combination 

of both private and public clouds. 

“So, for example, low level data and 

access may well be suitable to go onto a 

public cloud infrastructure service with 

simple password access, whereas ultra 

The primary promises of the cloud 

include enhanced flexibility and speed 

at significantly lower costs, and few 

vertical markets need to drive such advantages 

out of their IT infrastructures 

during the next several years more than 

retail/wholesale. 

wild and open Internet, it’s first important 

to have an understanding of the 

differences between the “public cloud” 

The shopper is better connected to consumer information 

than store associates. 

(Percentage of responding retail employees) 

and a “private cloud.” 

According to executives at IBM, the 

Completely 

Agree 

Neutral Disagree Completely 

Agree 

Somewhat 

Somewhat Disagree 

infrastructure in a public cloud is owned 

and managed by an organization selling 

cloud services and is made available to 

the general public. In this model, computing 

capabilities typically are accessed 

17% 37.5% 26.1% 15.3% 4.1% 

by multiple subscribing clients on a flexible, 

pay-per-use basis. 

Most people associate the public 

cloud with “community-based” offerings 

0% 


50% 100% 

accessed over the public Internet, 

such as Google Apps, explains Joe 

Corvaia, vice president of solution 

engineering at cloud services provider 

Broadview Networks. 

secure data may require dedicated secure 

servers housed in ultra-secure data centers 

with strong authentication required 

for access,” explain Accenture analysts. 

Cloud computing also differs somewhat 

For starters, the retail industry 

doesn’t like to spend a lot on technology. 

Retail IT operating budgets, as a percentage 

of revenue, are typically among 

the lowest of all the major industries, 

from for the Using purely the “centralized Cloud com- 

The infrastructure in a private Initial cloud, Opportunities 

and we don’t expect that many retail 

on the other hand, is operated solely puting” model in that pieces and parts CFOs are anxious to shake this dubious 

distinction. By moving IT resources 

for a particular user organization. Easy This of an application and its associated data 

New Busin 

organization can either own the private can reside anywhere, explain analysts to the cloud, retail IT departments 

• 

can 

Provide IT support fo 

Business Continuity (storage) 

• Extensive storage 

• Back up & recovery 

Spring 2011 | InsideOutdoor | 15 

Batch and data intensi 

• One-off applications that don’t r


invented here” attitude and take advantage 


31% 

41% 


continue 

costs associated 

to do 

with 

more 

owning 

with 

solutions 

less by all but 

eliminating the cost of servers, software 

licenses, maintenance fees, IT labor and 

data center space and the electricity to 


power and cool them. IT cloud solutions, 

rather, can be purchased on-demand, 

only as needed, replacing large upfront 

investments with a monthly recurring 

cost or a pay-per-use operating expense. 

“The no-obligation, month-to-month 

subscription allows retailers to fine 

tune their IT spend,” says Jim Saffron, 

than store associates. 

president of GreenAppX, a Charlotte, 

N.C.-based reseller of cloud-based communications 

and business services. 

And replacing opex Completely 

Agree 

for capex is just 

the beginning. According to one IBM 

study, 70 percent of retail IT budgets, on 

average, is spent maintaining current 

infrastructures, with annual operational 

costs (such as power, cooling and 

management) of distributed systems and 

networking often exceeding double their 

acquisition costs. Source: What’s Motorola more, Solutions these 

costs continue to increase. 

In the cloud computing model, 

however, the management, maintenance, 

housing of equipment, software updates 

Winners 

41% 

and system upgrades all are handled 45% by 

the cloud provider as part of the service 

at a flat or Others per-use fee. In addition to 

eliminating variable support cost, this 

also allows the retailer to focus on its 

core business while maintaining minimal 

in-house staff and expertise. 

Then there’s the issue of utilization. 

Studies by IBM suggest that utilization 

rates of commodity servers, for example, 

hover around 5 percent to 15 percent. 

In other words, “as much as 85 percent 

of retail computing capacity sits idle in 

distributed environments,” argues Vish 

Ganapathy, solutions architect for the 

retail industry at Neutral IBM. Disagree 

Somewhat 

This is one area in particular that 

retailers are attacking early on through 

a cloud strategy, says Don Douglas, 15.3% 4.1% 

president and CEO of Liquid Networx, 

a San Antonio, Texas-based provider 

of network managed services and IT 

lifecycle management. 

“We see retailers using the cloud to 

minimize footprint at remote locations, 

which reduces costs, provides flexibility, 

speeds advances to market and usually 

enhances security,” says Douglas. 

The shopper is better connected to consumer information 

(Percentage of responding retail employees) 

Agree 

Somewhat 

17% 37.5% 26.1% 

0% 50% 100% 

“These benefits can be achieved fairly 

quickly by implementing a private cloud 

that is supported at headquarters and 

by having the different locations utilize 

those resources.” 

As Douglas suggests, arguably as 

important as the IT cost savings are the 

elements of “speed” and “flexibility.” 

While retail is not the first and only 

industry to feel the disruption of the 

digital revolution, few verticals face 

the types of transformational shifts that 

retailers face in terms of changing consumer 

behaviors and expectations. From 

smartphone-enabled shoppers, mobile 

Completely wallets and geo-location campaigns 

Disagree 

to Groupon and social networking to 

QR codes and RFID to localized assortments 

and personalized promotions, the 

move online has come to represent lots 

more than a new sales channel. Indeed, 

a pervasive Internet and its “anytime, 

anywhere, any device” digital technologies 

have ramped up the level of 

competition for everyone, subsequently 

squeezing margins and forcing retailers 

to re-evaluate every aspect of their businesses. 

Success moving forward, at least 

Initial Opportunities for Using the Cloud 

Easy 

Ease of Implementation 

Business Continuity (storage) 

• Extensive storage 

• Back up & recovery 

Desktop productivity 

• Web 2.0 applications 

• Workgroup applications 

• Office suites 

• Email and calendaring 

Software development and testing 

• Development and testing environment 

• Performance testing 

• Non production projects 

• R&D activities 

• Reduced time to market 

Geographic expansion 

• Replicate standard processes in new 

locations and branches 

New Business 

• Provide IT support for new ventures 

Batch and data intensive applications 

• One-off applications that don’t rely on real-time responses 

• Data and high performance intensive applications 

(financial risk modeling, data compression, 

graphic rendering, simulation, etc.) 

• New back office applications 

Peak load demands 

• New business activities 

• Applications with peak loads 

• Seasonal Web sites 

• Applications with scalability needs 

Hard 

Legacy 

• Specific existing infrastructure 

• Complex legacy systems 

Sensitive applications 

• Mission critical applications 

• Regulation-protected data (PCI, SOX ...) 

Source: Accenture Technology Labs 

Value to the Enterprise 

High Value 

2 


as far as any trend- or fashion-based 

retail goes, likely will require shorter 

cycle times, more specialized inventory, 

tighter supply chain integration, 

faster and more effective execution of 

sales and marketing and more efficient 

resource planning. 

“Business conditions and cycles have 

sped up dramatically,” warn analysts at 

Retail Systems Research, “the consumer 

is stunningly technologically savvy, and 

business departments, most especially 

marketing, must respond.” 

“In general, total disclosure is available 

to anyone, anywhere from any 

device,” says Saffron. “Retailers need to 

use the same tools that the smart consumers 

use to improve infrastructure, 

delivery and support of their products.” 

Unfortunately, the IT infrastructures 

of most outdoor stores, and across the 

greater specialty retail market, simply 

aren’t ready to take advantage of the 

opportunities, and those that C aren’t will 

find it increasingly difficult 

M 

to compete 

in the consumer driven reality of omnichannel 

commerce and fulfillment. 

Y 

CM 

“IT can no longer dictate the pace,” 

MY 

say RSR researchers, “and so it has no 

choice but to move faster.” CY 

When asked to name the impediments 

to improving IT effectiveness, 

retail IT decision makers repeatedly cite 

slow and outdated infrastructures that 

aren’t able to keep up with consumer 

capabilities and emerging business 

needs, show surveys by RSR. The top 

technical inhibitor is ongoing maintenance 

of legacy infrastructures, named 

among the top three by 64 percent of 

respondents. Retail IT directors also say 

they must spend less time on “catch up” 

investments, more time differentiating 

with IT-enabled capabilities and need 

more speed to shorten the lead time to 

customer demand fulfillment. 

“We see retailers constantly exploring 

new business models and adding new 

capabilities to their application portfolios, 

which in turn increases the complexity of 

IT infrastructure and volume of data and 

demands more computing power,” says 

Ganapathy. But through the efficiencies of 

shared resources, automation, on-demand 

scalability and by leaving the development, 

service delivering and maintenance 

of solutions to the IT and communications 

experts, “cloud computing can reduce the 

IT costs of managing existing and new 

systems,” he continues. 

CMY 

Components of the Cloud 

K 

Although cloud computing is still an 

emerging model with many of the rules 

yet to be written, the general consensus 

within the IT industry is that there are three 

primary categories of cloud services. Below 

we provide a brief description of each one 

and how retailers can benefit from each, 

courtesy of IBM. 

Software 

as a Service 

Software as a service (SaaS) is the 

distribution of software hosted by a provider 

in a central and remote location and made 

available to consumers over a network. 

SaaS uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model, 

which decreases or increases the number 

of software licenses based on need, without 

having to procure, install or maintain 

software or hardware or incur ongoing 

maintenance costs. When retailers use 

the SaaS delivery model, they can access 

business applications, such as accounts 

payable and customer loyalty, virtually. 

Platform 

as a Service 

With platform as a service (PaaS), the complete 

application development and deployment 

platform (both hardware and software) can be 

delivered as a service, typically over the Internet. 

Developers can create, test, deploy and host 

applications quickly without having to bear the 

cost and complexity of buying and managing the 

underlying software and hardware. PaaS is often 

referred to as “cloudware.” In some cases, Web 

services, Web 2.0 capabilities and middleware 

are offered as an integrated platform on which 

applications can be built, assembled and run. 

Infrastructure 

as a Service 

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) provides 

hardware components such as servers, network 

equipment, memory, CPUs and disk space. With 

IaaS, a retailer could run all operations without 

installing and maintaining in-house data 

centers. The approach to the delivery of these 

services varies from provider to provider. 

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“Cloud computing opens the door to 

new capabilities including new business 

processes and new application solutions 

that are retail industry specific at 

a price point that is remarkably lower 

than traditional solutions implemented 

only one to two years ago,” Accenture 

analysts concur. 

Whereas the development or expansion 

of services and applications 

traditionally required large upfront 

investments in hardware and in-house 

expertise, cloud customers can purchase 

only what they need and pay 

only while they need it. A company can 

utilize a dozen servers on Monday and 

a hundred on Tuesday, for example, or 

take advantage of a cloud provider’s 

free or low-cost development tools. 

Capabilities such as scenario modeling, 

forecasting, pricing optimization 

and real-time inventory management 

– which tend to be “lumpy,” time-consuming 

and data-intensive processes – 

therefore can be done more quickly and 

cost-effectively, say cloud proponents. 

At the same time, software solutions 

that are bought on a pay-per-use basis 

can be quickly and easily integrated 

into existing IP platforms. 

“A wide variety of business applications, 

with unified sales, support, 

transaction and provisioning, can 

be accessed under one secure single 

login,” says Saffron. “From this Webbased 

dashboard, a small business can 

order product, initiate a support ticket, 

collaborate with colleagues, lock down 

and protect all of their computers, back 

up critical data, and even manage their 

customer relationships all from the 

cloud. That type of tight technology 

integration ultimately increases efficiency, 

reduces redundancy and lowers 

the cost of sales.” 

“Think about the Y2K conundrum 

and how much work businesses had 

to do to update their systems,” says 

Douglas. “If those businesses were 

properly utilizing the cloud at that 

time, the scope of their projects could 

have been significantly reduced to 

the point that it may have been just a 

service migration project.” 

One area where the cloud is particularly 

efficient is in the handling of 

data. Every retailer knows that POS 

Maintenance of our Top legacy Three portfolio Technical Inhibitors to Improving IT 

64% 

of IT solutions prevents the company 

from addressing Effectiveness new needsand Responsiveness 

73% 

Past under-investment in IT infrastructure 

61% 

prevents us from moving fast enough now 

Maintenance of our legacy portfolio 

64% 73% 

of Our IT solutions IT development prevents methodology the companyis 

rigid and takes from too addressing long. Business new needs needs 

43% 

73% 

change by the time we get a new 

Past under-investment solution in IT infrastructure 

implemented 

55% 61% 

prevents us from moving fast enough now 

The company under-invests in staff 

34% 

73% 

Our IT development training when methodology business is or 

rigid and tech takes changes too long. are Business implemented needs 

36% 

43% 

change by the time we get a new 

solution implemented 

55% 

A “not invented here” mentality within IT 

20% 

The company under-invests in staff 

18% 34% 

training when business or 

The tech IT changes organization are implemented 

is resistant to 

20% 36% All Respondents 

relinquishing control of development 

efforts to business leaders 

18% 

A “not invented here” mentality within IT 

20% 

Revenue > 1Billion/Year 

Ongoing concerns about solution 

18% 


The IT organization is and resistant longevity to 5% 20% 

All Respondents 

relinquishing control of development 

efforts We don’t to business like sharing leaders our 

16% 18% 

Revenue > 1Billion/Year 

Ongoing innovations concerns about with outsiders solution 9% 18% 


and longevity 0 5% 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 

We don’t like sharing our 

16% 

innovations Source: with RSR outsiders Research 

9% 

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 


We want to spend less How time much on “catch do up” each of the following factors influence how 52% 

investments in IT, and your spend company’s more time technology portfolio will change? 


48% 

We want We to need spend to less shorten time on the “catch lead time up” 

investments to customer in IT, and demand spend more fulfillment time 


Rapid consumer adoption of new 

technologies We need to such shorten as “smart the lead mobile”, time 

“social media”, to customer etc. is forcing demand us to fulfillment “go faster” 


invented Rapid here” attitude consumer and adoption take advantage of new 

technologies of what’s such commercially as “smart available mobile”, 

“social media”, etc. is forcing us to “go faster” 

We We need need to to reduce overcome ongoing an ingrained maintenance “not 

invented costs here” associated attitude with and owning take advantage solutions 



costs associated with owning solutions 


Top Three Technical Inhibitors to Improving IT 

Effectiveness and Responsiveness 

How much do each of the following factors influence how 

your company’s technology portfolio will change? 

systems and loyalty programs generate 

massive volumes of 

Source: 

customer 

RSR Research 

data, and 

the management of that data, currently 

vastly underutilized, will be increasingly 

crucial to delivering personalized 

that make it more timely and affordable 

to capture and utilize customer 

data. Many retail-specific cloud providers 

also will have the ability to 

track performance of products and 

service. Of course, real-time The shopper and actionable 

is better brands connected in comparison to consumer to previous information time 

analyses of customer than store data can associates. periods, identify trends and seasonal- 

require lots of time and (Percentage huge capital of responding ity components, retail employees) monitor performance 

and operating expenditures, The shopper often is unaffordable 

to retailers. than Completely store associates. Agree retailer, improving their Neutral ability Disagree to Complete 

better and connected provide to analytical consumer results information to the 

Cloud providers, (Percentage Agree 

on the other of hand, responding Somewhat 

forecast retail customer employees) 

Somewhat 

behavior. And since Disagree 

possess the massive computational the data is centralized and accessible 

power and statistical Completely modeling 17% tools Agree by 37.5% the ubiquitous Internet, Neutral 26.1% data Disagree can 15.3% 4.1% Completel 

Agree 

Somewhat 

Somewhat Disagree 

18 | InsideOutdoor | Spring 2011 

17% 37.5% 26.1% 15.3% 4.1% 

Winners 

Winners 

Others 

Others 

34% 

47% 

52% 

48% 

48% 

47% 

47% 

48% 

41% 

47% 

31% 

34% 

41% 

41% 

45% 

31% 

41% 

45%

e more easily shared among internal 

departments, as well as external partners 

and suppliers, thereby improving 

inventory management. 

Meanwhile, cloud computing helps 

retailer better manage the peaks and valleys 

of seasonal and unexpected demand. 

“In a typical IT environment, retailers 

need to scale fixed datacenter resources 

in advance of demand spikes,” says 

Fred Bentfeld, general manager of U.S. 

distribution and services sector at Microsoft. 

“This leads to wasted capacity and 

increased costs.” 

Even worse, it can mean an under 

supply. But by taking advantage of cloud 

computing, retailers can dynamically 

adjust to the very dynamic nature of demand, 

says Bentfeld. “Retailers only have 

to pay for the level of service they need, 

without the costs of unused capacity or 

under-supply of capacity.” 

Likewise, emerging technology platforms 

such as social media, e-commerce 

engines, search optimization and mobility 

solutions already exist “in the cloud,” 

so this emerging IT model “can enable a 

retailer to engage with its customers in 

unique and novel ways without the level 

of capital investment typically required 

to build and support a new channel,” 

say Accenture analysts. 

In short, cloud computing provides 

retailers with a cost-effective and infinitely 

scalable path to launching new 

capabilities and rebuilding architectures 

at a time when existing systems are 

becoming dangerously obsolete. 

Of course, moving to the cloud 

doesn’t have to be an all or nothing 

affair. IT systems and capabilities can 

be cherry picked for cloud adoption in 

order to allow existing investments to 

adequately run their course. Similarly, 

it’s understandable that retailers would 

be reluctant to hand over confidential 

customer data or POS systems to a 

third-party provider. 

With that in mind, cloud proponents 

and consultants recommend retailers 

start by migrating low-hanging 

fruit, such as workgroup applications 

or non-mission-critical, non-integrated 

applications. Then be ready to scale 

once the benefits are proven and concerns 

alleviated. 

Not that it will be easy. Ongoing integration 

with existing systems has proven 

a sticking point for some, as has security. 

As with most technology, overcoming 

these hurdles will require the expertise 

of a trusted advisor. 

“Any retailer that uses cloud-based 

services needs to make sure that all 

their vendors follow strict and contractual 

guidelines on privacy policy, 

use a secure SSL to safely access their 

services through public networks and 

have a firm policy about data ownership,” 

Saffron warns. “If a provider of 

cloud-based services is fuzzy about 

who owns the data and how it can be 

affordably moved to another vendor, 

move on and find another.” 

“The more sensitive the data, the 

more important it will be to validate 

where the data resides and how it is being 

protected,” Douglas concurs. “Transparency, 

vendor management programs 

and strong service level agreements 

(SLAs) will be paramount.” 


Retail Tech 2011 

eBay, GSI and In-Store Payments 

When eBay announced its intention 

to acquire e-commerce and interactive 

marketing solutions provider GSI 

Commerce for $2.4 billion, some industry 

observers saw the move as an attempt 

to keep pace with online giant Amazon, 

which boast a substantially more robust 

suite of retail services. It’s possible, 

however, that eBay’s intention isn’t to 

keep pace with Amazon but rather to 

break a barrier that so far has eluded the 

online giant: alternative in-store payment. 

For a few years now, Amazon has 

been courting major e-tailers to adopt its 

one click platform but so far has made 

very little in-roads, most likely due to 

the perceived competitive threat. In 

other words, “Retailers don’t want 

another Amazon – they want cheaper 

payments in-store,” argues Frank Hayes 

of StorefrontBacktack.com, “That’s what 

eBay seems to have figured out.” 

Consider, for example, that GSI already 

has long-term e-commerce services 

relationships with some 180 retail partners 

such as Toys ‘R’ Us, Dick’s Sporting Goods, 

Ace Hardware, Ralph Lauren, RadioShack 

and Sports Authority. Most of those GSI 

clients already use eBay’s PayPal for 

online transactions, Hayes points out, so 

backend processes and infrastructure, at 

least to some degree, are already in place, 

making the move from PayPal online to 

in-store more feasible. And unlike many 

other alternative payment schemes that 

have been developed, “PayPal won’t have 

All Geigerrig hydration packs shipping 

this spring will have a new hangtag, 

positioned front and center, that contains 

a toll free number offering consumers, 

retailers and retail sales staff a brief product 

tutorial for the company’s award-winning 

Hydration Engine, in-line filtration system 

and specific pack models. The purpose of 

the interactive hangtag is to provide further 

support to the growing Geigerrig dealer 

base by facilitating an additional opportunity 

20 | InsideOutdoor | Spring 2011 

to sell these retailers on a speculative 

business model or convince banks and 

payment-card companies to play along,” 

comments Hayes. PayPal has a large 

existing customer base and a long and 

reliable history. 

“Combined with eBay Marketplaces 

and PayPal, we believe GSI will enhance 

our position as the leading strategic 

global commerce partner of choice 

for retailers and brands of all sizes,” 

said eBay CEO John Donahoe, upon 

announcement of the acquisition. 

At the same time, eBay seems 

to have taken steps to alleviate 

concerns about competing with 

current and future retail partners. 

As part of the transaction, eBay will 

divest 100 percent of GSI’s licensed 

sports merchandise business and 

will also divest 70 percent of the 

consumer-facing private sale Web sites 

ShopRunner and Rue La La, saying 

these businesses are not core to its 

long-term growth strategy. These 

assets will be sold to a newly formed 

holding company to be led by GSI 

founder and CEO Michael Rubin. 

Not that convincing retailers to 

abandon traditional payments schemes 

will be easy, and eBay has provided 

little indication of how exactly it intends 

to move in-store. It should be noted, 

however, that just prior to the GSI 

announcement, PayPal hired prepaid 

gift card veteran and former Blackhawk 

for retailers and consumers to gain ever 

greater familiarity with the company and its 

products while still on the retail sales floor. 

“With all of the energy around 

Geigerrig and our new hydration packs, 

it is important to manage the pace of 

growth and interest in our products,” 

says Curt Geiger, president of Geigerrig. 

“Adding a brief phone-tutorial to each 

hydration pack will help us to keep the 

information flowing proportionately to 

Network CEO Don Kingsborough as it 

new vice president for retail and prepaid 

products. Kingsborough was brought 

on “to help us bring PayPal offline and 

into traditional retail stores,” said Scott 

Thompson, PayPal CEO, upon the hiring. 

About the time of Kingsborough’s 

hiring, Thompson, a former Visa 

executive, told Reuters how PayPal’s 

approach in-store would involve “a 

whole new experience that is different 

than the tradition card-like experience. 

That requires us to rebuild the whole 

infrastructure around point-of-sale.” 

No word yet as to what that 

infrastructure will entail, but it’s safe to 

assume that retailers won’t be too hot on 

another POS technology sitting alongside 

the existing ones. And since PayPal 

payments still must go through a traditional 

payment card account, accepting PayPal 

simply adds another middleman to every 

transaction, says Hayes. 

“That won’t encourage retailers 

to make the jump beyond plastic,” 

he continues. 

“The only way for eBay to make 

PayPal truly worthwhile for retailers is 

to significantly cut the cost, and that 

means cutting Visa and MasterCard out 

of the loop,” Hayes concludes. 

Considering the ongoing debate 

between large retail groups and the 

major credit card companies, such a 

notion may actually appeal to many 

shopkeepers. 

Geigerrig Hangs Interactive Tags 

the aggressive flow of Geigerrig product 

entering the market place. 

“While not a silver bullet solution, 

this new hangtag will help alleviate 

some of the pressure for more and more 

information at every level in the supply 

chain,” he continued. 

Geigerrig hydration packs picked up a 

2011 IN-NEW-VATIONS Award for best new 

product at the most recent Outdoor Retailer 

Winter Market in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Google Stakes 

Out Mobile 

Payment Space 

Google is joining forces with 

MasterCard and Citigroup to embed 

technology in Android mobile devices 

that would turn those smartphones into a 

type of mobile wallet, according the Wall 

Street Journal, which cited people familiar 

with the matter. The payment system, 

which is still in early development, would 

allow consumers to make purchases by 

waving their smartphones in front of a 

small reader at the checkout counter, the 

Journal reported. 

According to the sources cited by 

WSJ, Google’s eventually updated mobile 

operating systems would be able to offer 

retailers more data about their customers 

and help them target ads and discount 

offers to mobile device users near their 

stores. Along with getting targeted ads 

and discount offers, which Google hopes 

to sell to local merchants, users also will 

be able to manage credit-card accounts 

and track spending through an application 

on their smartphones, according to reports. 

The venture also involves VeriFone 

Systems, makers of credit card readers 

for cash registers. VeriFone reportedly 

would roll out more of its contact-less 

devices, which enable consumers to pay 

with a wave of a credit or debit card. 

The readers also would allow people 

to pay by tapping their smartphones, 

according to the Journal. The creditcard 

readers involved all use near 

field communication technology that 

is already in place at thousands of 

merchants nationwide. 

“A phone is a lot smarter than a 

card,” Doug Bergeron, VeriFone’s chief 

executive told the national paper. “It 

opens the door to a rich experience 

at the point of sale that retailers 

really covet.” 

At least at this early stage, 

Google isn’t expected to get a cut of 

the transaction fees but expects to 

generate revenue from the targeted 

ads and promotions delivered to the 

Android-loaded phones. 

IP voice and video solution 

provider Grandstream Networks 

recently introduced a high-definition IP 

surveillance camera built specifically to 

stand up to any conditions that might 

be encountered in an outdoor storage 

area, boat dock, loading zone or any 

other outside retail space or demo area. 

The new weather-proof, vandalresistant 

and tampering-proof 

GXV3662_HD IP Camera features multistreaming-rate 

H.264 and motion JPEG 

(MJPEG) real-time video compression 

(up to HD720p resolution) and advanced 

megapixel CMOS sensor with wide 

dynamic range and high-quality lens. 

Other highlights include day/night mode 

with light sensor and mechanical IR cut, 

alarm input/output, audio input/output, 

integrated power-over-Ethernet (802.3af), 

built-in heater and fan and SDHC interface 

for local storage. Sold with three optional 


Outdoor-Worthy Video Surveillance 

mounting kits, the GXV3662_HD also 

offers support for the ONVIF standard as 

well as HTTP API for easy integration with 

various video management systems. 

Additionally, the vandal-resistant 

outdoor camera offers bi-directional 

SIP/VoIP audio and video streaming 

capabilities to mobile phones and 

video phones, from anywhere in the 

world. A built-in high performance 

streaming server allows for more than 

10 simultaneous viewers. For a unified 

audio plus video plus surveillance 

solution, Grandstream’s entire family 

of IP video cameras is fully compatible 

with Grandstream’s GXE IP PBX as well 

as various other SIP-based IP PBXs and 

service provider networks. 

The GXV3662_HD is available 

immediately for purchase through 

Grandstream’s worldwide distribution 

channels at a MSRP of $499. 


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Nau Gets 

Behind QR Codes 

Urban and outdoor apparel maker Nau 

is proving that its progressive attitude is not 

limited to its sustainability initiatives. Working 

with mobile marketing solutions company 

Indigitous, the eco-brand has labeled some 

key styles with ExtraTags, an advanced 

mobile marketing solution that employs 

QR Codes, or two-dimensional barcodes, 

to store a URL on a product hangtag. After 

scanning the ExtraTags barcode with a 

smartphone, consumers will be presented 

with an interactive mobile display designed 

to motivate in-store purchasing. 

“Rapid advancements in mobile 

technology are enabling consumers to 

become better informed regardless of 

their location,” said Larry Pluimer, CEO at 

Indigitous, the maker of ExtraTags. “Some 

dramatic implications of mobile adoption 

are already beginning to play out in the 

retail environment, and we want to make 

that an advantage – not a liability.” 

ExtraTags was developed to put the 

brand in control of the mobile message, 

and give the retailer a break from 

competitive threats, says Pluimer. “We like 

to say that ExtraTags is ‘retailer-friendly’ 

because it’s a tool that can help retailers 

close the sale in their store – not lure 

consumers online or across the street.” 

The dynamic content available via 

ExtraTags includes product details in 

multiple languages, brand information, 

videos, reviews, social media sharing 

options and more. Coupons also can be 

programmed and delivered instantly to the 

consumer. And because ExtraTags can 

access location coordinates from mobile 

devices, it’s possible to tailor a unique 

message for the consumer based upon 

the retail store where she is shopping. 

ExtraTags is compatible with many 

price comparison apps, yet gives brands 

100 percent control of the message, 

says the company, staying true to its 

promise not to compete with retailers. 

“The Nau brand is synonymous with 

the modern mobile lifestyle and is an 

ideal beta partner for us,” says Pluimer. 

Carhartt to Use iVendix 

Carhartt brand and CenterStone 

Technologies, an international developer 

of Web-based B2B e-commerce 

software, announced an agreement by 

which CenterStone will provide Carhartt 

the iVendix software-as-a-service (SaaS) 

application. When the B2B solution goes 

“live,” Carhartt will provide a business-tobusiness 

on-line ordering solution for their 

North American retail accounts, sales 

reps and customer service professionals. 

Carhartt’s new capabilities are 

expected to provide users with the 

ability to view automated catalogs, check 

product availability, place orders and 

track and monitor the status of those 

orders 24/7 via the Web. 

According to Katrina Agusti, Carhartt’s 

manager of business transformation, the 

company was in the process of installing 

a new enterprise resource planning 

(ERP) platform and was looking for a 

B2B partner that had experience with 

their particular solution. 

“CenterStone demonstrated to us 

that they not only had the most widely 

adopted solution by retail and rep users 

in our markets, but that they had the 

knowledge and experience to implement 

and support our new internal solution 

over time,” said Agusti. “We join a list 

of leading brands that have selected the 

iVendix solution.” 

“Carhartt has been honoring the 

worker for more than 120 years,” said 

Dave Mathias, vice president of sales 

and marketing at CenterStone. “We are 

humbled by their tradition and honored 

to help grow their business in the 

wholesale channel.” 


Camping’s Recovery 


As counterintuitive as it might sound 

to the unfamiliar, a bad economy 

seems to have been good for camping 

participation. After about 15 years 

of mostly declines in the number of 

tent camper visits to National Park 

Service’s properties, for example, things turned around 

right as the recession settled in after 2007. Falling from a 

peak of about 4.24 million in 1994 to 2.8 million in 2006, 

tent camper visits to NPS sites climbed back above 3 

million (to 3.18 million) in 2009, in what some would 

say were the deepest days of the recession. Campground 

stays at state parks, meanwhile, were up 7.9 percent in 

2009 compared to 2008, show findings from the National 

Association of State Park Directors. 

Camping’s value card, as well as its “back to the 

basics” sentimentalities appeared to have played well 

during down times. Results from 2010 are still coming in 

but so far are mixed. Camper visits to NPS sites continued 

to climb, but camping visits to State Park facilities dipped 

4.9 percent, to 52.7 million, says NASPD, so it’s not 

entirely clear how camping performs during a recovery, 

assuming one is firmly underway. 

For the upcoming summer camping season, the price 

of gas once again will play a part in vacation budget plans. 

According to Deloitte, for example, 71 percent of consum- 


ers anticipate that the cost to fill up their 

tanks will affect their ability to spend 

in the coming months, but the ultimate 

impact on camping participation is 

somewhat unclear. On one hand, a long 

weekend at the local start park certainly 

would seem a lot more appealing than a 

day’s drive to the nearest beach. On the 

other hand, 60 percent of car campers 

surveyed by the Outdoor Foundation in 

2010 said they traveled two or more hours 

to reach their destination on their last 

in-season camping trip. More than a third 

traveled four hours or more, so it’s likely 

prices approaching $5 a gallon will alter a 

significant number of campers’ plans. 

Regardless of the macro economic 

environments and commodity market 

fluctations, however, the rebound in participation 

experienced during the past 

few years provides some encouraging 

news and slivers of opportunity, suggest 

findings from the Outdoor Foundation, 

as well as some interesting and lessexpected 

challenges. 

For starters, participation rates for 

backyard, RV and car camping among 

6- to 12-year-olds rose to 25.2 percent in 

2009 from 23.2 percent in 2008, representing 

the highest rate of growth shown 

for any age group. While the increase essentially 

is incremental, it still represents 

good news to an industry concerned 

about an aging user base. Indeed, the 

rise in participation of younger children 

helped hold the median age of all camping 

participants at 33 years old after 

three consecutive years of back-to-back 

increases, says the Outdoor Foundation. 

Median age had crept up from 29 in 2006 

to 30 in 2007 and 33 in 2008. 

What’s more, 8.2 percent of respondents 

who participated in camping in 

2009 were doing so for the first time. The 

median age of this group was 25 years 

old – well below the 33-year-old average. 

Speaking of first-timers, incidentally, 

news was particularly good for retailers 

and destinations in the beleaguered 

South Atlantic region. Generally, camping 

participation declines as we move 

across the country geographically from 

West to East, suggest Outdoor Foundation 

figures. Participation rates are the 

highest in the Pacific and Mountain 

regions, at 18.5 percent and 26.9 percent 

of those respective populations, moving 

to the lowest in the Mid-Atlantic and 

South Atlantic regions (11 percent and 12 

percent, respectively). 

In 2009, however, the South Atlantic 

region (West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware 

down through Georgia and Florida) 

accounted for 21.9 percent of first-time 

campers throughout the entire U.S., placing 

it well ahead of the other eight regions 

as defined by the Outdoor Foundation 

study. Coming in second was the West 

South Central Region (Texas, Louisiana, 

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Their 

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Arkansas, Oklahoma), which accounted 

for 15.9 percent of first-time campers. 

Perhaps the most encouraging statistics 

found in the Outdoor Foundation’s 

camping study involve the micro-burst 

in minority participation. According 

to the findings, more than a quarter 

(25.8 percent) of new campers in 2009 

are described as “ethnically diverse.” 

That compares to the 14.1 percent of all 

campers who are classified as ethnically 

diverse, says the foundation. 

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“Because it is the first time the survey 

sought to indentify first-time campers, it’s 

now known whether or not or how many 

of these percentages changed in 2009,” says 

the report. The rise in diverse first-timers 

also might simply be a product of the 

changing face of the American population. 

“However, the higher level of participation 

of minorities is certainly encouraging given 

the industry’s deep concern over the lack of 

people of color in outdoor participation,” 

says the foundation. 

6 to 12, agree that “outdoor activities are 

difficult or scary,” show Outdoor Foundation 

figures. 

One way to combat such sentiments, 

suggests the Children and Nature 

Network study, is through developing 

“targeted media communications that 

link the value of nature experiences for 

children with a story that ‘nature is all 

around you.’” This can be done by focusing 

on urban nature, for example, such as 

the resilience of plant life or the ubiquity 

of birds. Perhaps the goal here is to 

remove the feelings that the outdoors are 

distant or somehow mysterious. 

The good news is an underlying 

positivity concerning nature and the 

outdoors does exist. 

“In spite of adults’ varied experiences 

with nature in the past,” says the C&NN 

report, “most parents in this study were 

more likely to prioritize nature and feel that 

the benefits slightly outweigh the risks.” 

So, let’s go camping. 

The Fear Factor 

Moving from those who did participate 

to those who don’t, it turns out one of the 

largest barriers to attracting new campers 

may have less to do with race, age or any 

other demographic grouping and more 

to do with human emotion and cultural 

stigmas. In a study of American adults’ 

attitudes toward children’s experiences 

in nature, researchers at the Children and 

Nature Network and the Institute for 

Learning Innovation noted a perceptible 

fear among respondents of letting children 

play in outdoor places. Whether its due to 

the somewhat aggressive imagery of extreme 

sports, the prevalence of TV shows 

about “surviving” outdoor experiences 

gone wrong or the overblown perception 

that child predators are lurking in every 

dark place, such fear cut across ethnic 

boundaries and were surprisingly consistent 

whether folks lived in cities, suburbs 

or small towns of more than 5,000 people. 

The perception of danger even existed 

among parents who firmly believe 

in the developmental benefits of nature 

contact and was apparent despite past 

outdoor experiences. 

“Of all those who had personal opportunities 

for nature play as children in 

wooded areas, near creeks and streams, 

or mountains and wild places, only 62 

percent would allow their children the 

same opportunities today,” says the 

study. On all the other criteria, (at a 

friend’s home, indoor sports center, after-school 

club, in the street near home, 

among many others) adults were just as 

likely to allow children to have the same 

access they had as children, says the 

Children and Nature Network. 

Perhaps it’s not surprising, in turn, 

that about 17 percent of youth ages 18 to 

24, as well as 17 percent of children ages 

You’re always 

in the green 

with Coghlan’s 

Coghlan’s Outdoor Accessories offer quick delivery, full margins and fast turn-over 

on over 450 outdoor products that are packaged with the environment in mind. 

For activities like camping, fishing, hunting, backpacking, boating or just a 

backyard picnic, we offer a huge selection of accessories that will sell. 

Call 1-877-264-4526 for a catalog or visit us online at www.coghlans.com 

The Outdoor Accessories People 

facebook.com/coghlansgear 


Product Market Showcase summer 2011 

Summer 2011 

Please rate your overall satisfaction with eac 

aspects of you shopping experience during th 

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correct prices 

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I wanted in stock 

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Friedrichshafen 

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OutDoor Europe 2011 Product Showcase 


0% 20% 40% 60% 

The organizers of OutDoor Europe expect another 

record-breaking event this July in Germany, as the 

green trend continues to grow and more and more 

people around the globe discover the pleasures and 

benefits of heading outdoors. The international trade 

fair is reporting an “unprecedented demand for exhibition 

space,“ and expects to see a 6 percent increase in 


registered exhibitors over last year’s all time high of 868 companies. 

+6% 

Meanwhile, demand for space in the climbing halls has been 

+12% +2% 

“remarkably strong this year,” says OutDoor project manager Stefan 

+7% +2% +8% 

Reisinger. “Trade visitors can look forward to an expanded offering in 

the areas of climbing and alpinism.” Trade visitors also can take part in 

the OutDoor Conferences, which took place for the first time last year, 

ensuring a lively exchange of information in the conference rooms as 

well as at the exhibition booths. 

In 2008, Inside Outdoor made its first trip to Friedrichshafen, and 

attendees this year again will be able to pick up a copy of IO as they browse the aisles. For those U.S.-based retailers also 

heading to Germany this summer, following is a small selection of items set to be on display at OutDoor. For those unable 

to make the trip overseas, it’s a little taste of what you’ll be missing. Genießen Sie! 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

15,158 Visitors 

Very satisfied 

In between 




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Somewhat dissatisfied 



Does not a 

Very dissa 

Brunton 

Icon are Brunton’s new highend 

binoculars coming with 44 

mm objective diameter and either 

8-fold or 11-fold magnification. 

These binoculars are positioned as 

top-of-the-range models with SK 

nano-coated prism glass, ED objective 

lens and super fast focus. The 

Interchangeable Eyecups System, 

including glare reducing flared 

eyecups, ensures interference-free 

glassing. Steadfast shock, water 

and fogging resistance keep the 

view sharp and pristine. The field 

of view covers 356ft/314ft at a distance 

of 1000 yards (8-fold/11-fold). 

Source: Messe Friedrichshafen 

All Icon binoculars are covered with Brunton’s Halo warranty: 

for any reason and anywhere, any Icon will be replaced immediately. 

www.brunton.com 

Easton Mountain Products 

Breaking away from the conventional aluminum poles with 

shock cord system, the new Kilo tent uses Easton carbon 

poles and the new AirLock technology to make it one of the 

lightest free-standing, two-person tents 

on the market. Through AirLock 

technology, each pole works 

independently of the other 

and is simply connected 

by the AirLock 

connectors. Each 

AirLock segment 

contains a 5-inch 


summer 2011 

Product Market Showcase 

monofilament tether, a floating ferrel made of high-strength 

aluminum wrapped in carbon and two pressure-molded delrin 

connectors for each pole end. This high-strength, low-weight 

connection system eliminates the long shock cord that most 

tents use and is 56 percent lighter than other two-person pole 

systems, says Easton. The whole tent at trail weight, including 

tent, fly, pole system and stakes, weighs in at 910 grams, less 

than 1 kilo. Offering 26 square feet of floor area, suggested 

retail for the Kilo is $399.99 (USD). 

elete 

The new elete CitriLyte Add-In is a patent-pending 

electrolyte concentrate 

formulated to help individuals 

stay hydrated, support muscle 

function, heat tolerance, 

energy conversion and 

replace a complete 

balance of 

electrolytes lost in 

sweat and during 

exertion. The new 

add-in formula 

contains original 

elete Electrolyte- 

Add-In with 

the electrolytes 

sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride with the added 

benefits of zinc and citric acid. In keeping, too, with the 

original formula, elete CitriLyte does not contain sugars, carbs, 

artificial colors or flavors. And like original elete Add-In, elete 

CitriLyte can be used worry-free in hydration packs, bottles 

and coolers without staining or leaving a lingering color and 

flavor residue. Indeed, elete CitriLyte will not leave a sticky, 

syrupy mess that requires soapand-water 

clean up after each 

use. 800.669.1297 or www. 

eletewater.com 

Gregory 

The expedition-inspired 

Gregory Alpaca roller series 

combines the roomy capacity 

of a burly duffel with the 

ease of use of a roller bag, 

but the heart and soul of this 

wheelie is Gregory’s new 

custom-designed chassis. This 

revolutionary design allows for 

more efficient packing, better 

control over the bag while 

walking and protects the contents 

more effectively than other rollers. An extrawide 

handle that retracts into the chassis frame on either 

side of the bag means better stability and a more natural gait 

while walking with a roller. Because the handle doesn’t take 

up interior space when stowed, that also means flat packing 

of clothes and a more efficient use of critical internal space. 

Finally, the chassis design offers better protection of internal 

contents, while the handle self-locks without a button/cable 

mechanism, which means there aren’t mechanical parts that 

can fail over time. The Alpaca series has TPU coated 1,200 

denier ballistic material exterior and alternate carrying options, 

because hauling a bag should never be the most challenging 

part of an adventure. Available in two sizes (22 inches and 28 

inches), suggested retail is $299 and $349 (USD). 

GSI Outdoors 

The new Halulite Minimalist 

is a one-person system for 

packing, cooking, eating and 

drinking that weighs just 6.3 

ounces. The package includes 

a 0.6-liter pot, insulated 

sleeve, pot gripper, dual-use 

lid and telescoping foon. 

Water is boiled in the 

pot and handled with 

a compact silicone 

gripper. The gripper 

is bright orange 

and has a magnet 

built in so that it can 

be attached to the 

stove canister to prevent 

loss. When boiled water is used for a beverage, the pot slips 

into the insulated sleeve, the Sip-it lid is added and the whole 

thing is transformed into a mug. 

KIALOA Paddles 

KIALOA’s new IKAIKA Series draws its strength from 

revolutionary continuous 

fiber reinforced thermoplastic 

(CFRT) technology, 

which adds the performance 

benefits of carbon and glass 

fibers to the strength of 

thermoplastic polymers, creating 

amazingly lightweight 

yet virtually indestructible 

stand up paddles at incredible 

prices. The Pupu ($149 

USD), an excellent paddle 

for beginners, features a 

solid blade utilizing CFRT 

technology, a 100 percent 

fiberglass shaft and a 

comfortable fiberglass palm 

grip. The Hapa ($199 USD) 

is a mid-range paddle that 

features a cored CFRT 

blade which enhances 



strength-to-weight ratio, a carbon and fiberglass blended shaft 

and a fiberglass palm grip. The Lau Lau ($259 USD) is the 

premier paddle in the line, featuring a cored CFRT blade 

engineered with a blend of carbon and glass fibers for ultimate 

strength-to-weight ratio, a 100 percent carbon fiber shaft and a 

carbon T-top. 541.382.5355 or www.kialoa.com 

Kiva Designs 

More than an ordinary messenger 

bag, the new Kiva Tour 

Messenger Brief allows users to 

zip through airport security lines 

via the side-access laptop pocket 

that fits up to a 16-inch laptop. A 

back zippered smart pocket can 

slip over the roll-aboard handle 

for hands-free carrying. A front 

zippered pocket provides quick 

access to other essential items, 

and the file pockets in the zippered 

main compartment organize reading materials. 

Other highlights include a dual-adjust, no-slip shoulder 

strap and a front, under-the-panel organizer pocket. With a capacity 

of 1,352 cubic inches, suggested retail is $69.95 (USD). 

707.748.1614 or www.kivadesigns.com 

Klymit 

Representing the first NobleTek 

insulated piece for women, Klymit 

introduces the Caldera, featuring a 

more feminine shape, four-way stretch 

material, moisture-wicking lining and 

NobleTek, the only adjustable insulation 

on the market. Harnessing the 

insulative properties of Argon gas, 

the Caldera offers the warmth of a 

500-fill down jacket with the press of 

a button. Alone or under a shell, the 

Klymit Caldera offers all the insulation 

necessary for the changing 

weather conditions of a day on the 

slopes. Available in sizes small to 

extra large, MSRP is $224.99 (USD). 

Klymit also recently introduced the Inertia XL 

Frame, its first-ever full-size 

camping frame. Like the warm 

weather Inertia X-Frame, the 

Inertia XL provides maximum 

comfort for minimalist campers. 

www.klymit.com 

Mad Water 

Mad Water launches a new 

Action Sports Pack System so 

unique, the company says it 

can’t be matched anywhere. 

Each backpack has a hydration compartment (2-liter bladder 

included) and a separate 10-liter waterproof compartment. 

And by “waterproof,” Mad Water means completely submersible. 

Not that anyone needs to hydrate at the bottom of 

the river, but Mad Water understands extreme enthusiasts 

require extreme performance. And waterproof performance 

is just one feature on a list of features that led to Mad 

Water being named the official pack of the United States 

Adventure Racing Association. 706.955.0245 or 

jay@rocgear.com 

Marker-Völkl 

Marker-Völkl is launching a new line of “sticks” 

for the 2011/12 ski season. The new line, called 

Phantasticks, offers a diverse selection of ski poles 

designed to offer superior performance as a standalone, 

Völkl-branded product, going beyond simply 

offering matching poles for the company’s skis. The 

Sticks collection includes five distinctive types of 

poles available in an array of materials, color combinations 

and lengths: Phantastick, available in adult, 

junior and kid sizes, with unique colors and graphics designed to 

add pop on the retail floor; Puristick, featuring pastel and metallic 

finishes with soft-touch, white grips, offering a feminine look and 

feel; Speedstick, offering soft grips and a resilient shaft in both 

adult and junior sizes, while meeting the needs of competitive 

racers; Tricstick, available in a range of 

short lengths for all types of freeskiing; 

and Magistick, composed of carbon 

graphite to be the lightest 

pole in the range. Suggested 

retail prices range 

from $29 to $89 (USD). 

www.volkl.com/ski 

Mountainsmith 

Designed as a 

lightweight Kevlar 

reinforced ripstop 

nylon stowaway piece 

for travel or backcountry 

pursuits, the Daylite sports a zippered interior pocket that cleverly 

converts to a “stash and dash” storage pocket for on-the-go 

travel. The bright yellow pocket ensures that it is easy to find in 

a pack or suitcase. Side mesh pockets and a 

zippered front panel pocket provide additional 

storage. The removable shoulder strap offers 

an alternative way to carry the pack, while 

3M reflective highlights increases visibility. 

Meanwhile, nine returning lumbar packs are 

now offered in seven colors and are made from 

recycled ReDura fabric. This is the company’s 

next step in the evolution of utilizing recycled 

or sustainable materials for the majority of their 

products. www.mountainsmith.com 


EXPLORE THE 

GLOBAL SHOW 

The annual summit of the outdoor industry. 

With innovative side events for the business community. 

July 14 – 17, 2011 

Friedrichshafen, Germany 

www.outdoor-show.com 

For trade visitors only


Nemo Equipment 

Nemo enters the tipi-style tent 

category with the new Pentalite 

after coming to the conclusion 

that “five sides are better than 

four.” The pentagonal shape 

allows a near rectangular 

sleeping area, ideal for four 

people, and a roomy additional 

triangular vestibule area, says the 

company. Convert the Pentalite shelter 

into a full tent by adding the optional Wedge inner tent. 

To minimize weight, the Wedge mesh wall zips to the Pentalite 

shell while the floor attaches along the three remaining 

sides to make a bugproof shelter with a high bathtub 

floor. Trekking poles lashed together or a kayak paddle can 

be used instead of the included pole. Side guy out vents 

increase ventilation and interior volume and both vestibule 

doors can be tied back to further increase ventilation or create 

a sunshade. Suggested retail is $369.95 (USD) for the 

Pentalite and $139.95 (USD) for the Wedge. 603.881.9353 

or www.nemoequipment.com 

PrimaLoft 

PrimaLoft recently conducted the bluesign screening and 

was subsequently awarded compliance with the bluesign 

criteria. Effective immediately, PrimaLoft’s ONE, SPORT and 

ECO insulation products manufactured in Nantong City, China 

will carry bluesign certification to ensure brands, retailers 

and consumers that the products can not only be 

counted on for stellar performance but also are 

safe for the environment and human beings. Furthermore, 

brands and retailers seeking to become 

bluesign members with certified bluesign products 

are required to use bluesign approved raw materials 

and fabrics from suppliers and textile mills that 

are certified bluesign system partners, such as 

PrimaLoft. www.primaloft.com 

Proof 

All models of Proof 

eyewear come in three different 

wood species that are 

harvested from sustainable 

sources: ebony, zebrawood and 

bamboo. Different wood species and 

grains in each frame make every pair of shades unique – no 

two pairs are alike, says the company. To make the shades 

even more unique to individual style, Proof offers a few different 

lens options: a non-polarized fade lens, polarized 

lens and two mirrored finishes (fools gold, indigo). 

Because these are made of wood, the sunglasses sit 

very comfortably and light on the face. Proof offers 

four models: The Buds, The Boise, The Birds (pictured) and The 

Sleep Well. 

Play Hard. 

Available at Outdoor & Travel Shops Nationwide 

W W W . C O C O O N U S A . C O M | 1.800.254.7258 


summer 2011 


Cake. All of which are uni-sex, besides The Cake model, which 

is a little something more for the ladies. 801.835.3875, taylor@ 

iwantproof.com or www.iwantproof.com 

Saxx 

Developed and designed 

to fit better, every pair of Saxx 

men’s underwear features a 

patented Ergonomic Comfort 

Pouch, consisting of parallel 

stretch mesh side panels with 

an articulated front pouch that 

has no inner seam, which eliminates 

contact between 

a man’s package 

and inner thigh. 

Crafted to fit the natural contour of a man, Saxx are 

available in four fabric options. 24-Seven is the company’s 

original medium weight, soft-stretch cotton, 

designed for everyday comfort. It’s available in boxer 

brief and trunk cuts. Pro Elite is a high-performance, 

stretch polyester that breathes and wicks away moisture. 

Integrated support and added compression keep 

everything in place. Pro Elite is available in boxer brief 

and long leg cuts. Ultra models, in boxer brief and 

trunk cuts, feature a soft stretch viscose made from 

natural fibers for a fabric that’s lighter weight, breathable, 

moisture wicking and comfortable. And, last but not least, 

Luxury models sport an advanced blend of modal and staple 

cotton to create a soft, sleek wearing experience for those that 

are worth it. Luxury styles are available in boxer brief and trunk 

cuts. 888.409.7299 or www.saxxunderwear.com 

Schoeller 

Optic effects that could previously only be achieved through 

laborious handcrafting can now be industrially produced without 

losing any of their fascination, says Schoeller, thanks to a new 

ecological dyeing process called “One of kind.” The appearance of 

every meter of this specially dyed One of a kind fabric arises by 

random chance, making every garment a distinctive, unique item. 

The One of kind dyeing 

process can be applied in 

various color combinations 

and to different fabrics. Individual, 

exclusive one-offs 

can be created. Schoeller 

will be showing a durable 

textile with a NanoSphere 

finish dyed in the One of 

a kind process at Out- 

Door. This abrasion resistant 

fabric is perfect for trousers 

or pants that will hold their 

good looks and functions 



indefinitely. Pictured here is a distinctive, inspirational snapshot 

captured on fabric by this completely new, dyeing process. www. 

schoeller-textiles.com 

ShedRain 

After more than 64 years 

in business, ShedRain continues 

to improve its best-selling 

umbrellas. Featuring Teflon 

fabric protector, it means the 

end of folding up a wet soggy 

umbrella. Rain beads and rolls 

off with one shake. Umbrellas 

treated with Teflon fabric 

protector come in a full range of 

sizes. Compacts, great for one 

person up, ranging to golf/sport 

umbrellas, perfect for a family. 

www.shedrain.com or www. 

teflon.com/insideoutdoor 

Stansport 

The new H.D. Camp Table with Folding Bench Seats is 

a rugged table made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). 

HDPE provides greater tensile strength than lower-density 

polyethylene, while the table and bench seats are supported 

by steel telescopic legs. Accommodating four hungry 

campers, table and 

benches set up in a 

matter of seconds. 

Benches fold and 

fully nest inside the 

table’s interior making 

this unit versatile 

and very mobile for 

camping or tailgating. 

Also check out the new 

Star Lite Back Pack Tent with 

Full Fly. This is the lightest twoperson, 

three-season tent in the Stansport 

line. This new two poled cross design creates a 

strong ultralight tent with generous interior volume 

requiring very little set up time, says the company. 

800.421.6131 or www.stansport.com 

Stoneman Sports/ 

SpareHand Systems 

For use on a boat dock, 

patio, home, garage or store 

demo, the G-300 SS C-Deck 

features built-in anchor points 

for easy mounting and is the 

perfect height to be used as 

a work stand. The upper level 

of the rack can accommodate 

kayaks with drive systems, 

and an exclusive Multi-Stage Rust Prevention system makes 

it suitable for all weather climates. Offering flat placement 

of a boat on both upper and lower levels, the rack provides 

easy access for adults and children. Made of stainless 

steel, it features easy assembly with no moving parts 

and excellent portability. Suggested retail is $349 (USD). 

626.338.8998 or rcortez@stonemansports.com 

Sunday Afternoons 

A classic sun fedora style, the 

new Charter hat sports a lightweight 

shaped crown for a crisp, distinguished 

look. Many technical 

details include an internal 

Anchor Lock sizing system, 

UPF 50+ mesh panel and breathable 

nylon sun fabric on top, 

slipstream venting, chinstrap with 

cord lock, security pocket and 

stain resistance. Targeting 

men 40 years and older, the 

Charter hat is packable, quick 

drying, lightweight and floats. Available in two sizes, suggested 

retail price is $49 (USD). www.sundayafternoons.com 

Vaude 

Vaude is using spundyed 

raw materials for its 

new Lemniscate Collection 

rather than conventional 

bath dye techniques. The 

advantage is an ecologically 

optimized process 

in which the raw materials 

are dyed before they are 

woven. This reduces water consumption by nearly 90 percent 

because the need to dye and rinse the product is eliminated. 

Secondly is energy conservation as C02 emissions and the 

use of chemicals are each reduced by about 60 percent, says 

the company. This Vaude material is called “ecolour” and it 

features comparable levels of light resistance, water resistance, 

colorfastness and overall quality. This comprehensive 

collection features 21 products, with all Lemniscate models 

based on a horizontal figure 8. This mathematical symbol for 

infinity is used as a unifying design element throughout the 

collection – be it a small waistpack, practical shoulder 

bag, laptop bag, sport bag, daypack or trolley. 

+49 (0)7542 5306-130 or www.vaude.com 

Wenger 

Wenger and professional mountaineer 

Ueli Steck have unveiled the Ueli Steck 

Special Edition Swiss Army Knife with tools 

designed for climbers or any outdoor 

pursuit that requires 

in-action equipment adjust- 


summer 2011 


ment. One of three knives in the new Titanium Line, made 

from lightweight titanium and thick, high strength steel, was 

developed and tested by Steck, who holds world records for 

speed ascents of the famous north faces of the Alps: Matterhorn, 

Eiger and Grandes Jorasses. The locking blade can be 

opened with a single hand, while the blade securely locks in 

position and, even with gloves on, can be disengaged by depressing 

the Wenger cross or shifting the liner lock. It boasts 

2.6-mm thick partially serrated blade, three hex keys and a 

plateau on the reverse side of the blade to act as a very powerful 

flat head screwdriver. A quarter-inch bit adapter is built 

into the handle casing to attach hex, Philips and flat head bits 

or any other bit that might fit one’s specific equipment. The 

tool also features a metal saw and file, can 

opener, locking screwdriver and lightweight 

pouch. www.wengerna.com 

Wilcor 

The new Hiker 35 Day Trip internal 

frame backpack is a panel-load style 

pack designed to hold gear and supplies 

for a day hike or climb. With a 

35-liter capacity main compartment, 

medium-size front load compartment 

and a small easy-access pocket, 

the Hiker 35 features heavy duty 

zippers with protective flaps, metal internal backpack frame 

for stability and comfort, adjustable padded foam shoulder 

straps with extra foam and mesh ventilation for comfort and 

to keep you cool and dry and an adjustable chest belt to 

stabilize the pack. Other features include an adjustable waist 

belt with ventilated mesh and foam, webbing daisy chain to 

attach extra gear and a hydration pack pocket that fits most 

water bladders (water bladder not included). 800.346.2345 or 

www.wilcor.net 

WRSI 

Long trusted as one of the leading whitewater helmet companies 

in the world, Whitewater Research and 

Safety Institute has released its first composite 

helmet. The new Trident carbon 

composite helmet uses 

the same multiple density 

liner and Interconnect 

Retention System 

that WRSI has come 

to be known for in 

a composite look 

and performance. 

435.901.2571 or 

www.whitewater 

helmet.com 


Back Office 

Take it to the Bank 

Improving your banking relationship 

by Ritchie Sayner 

Until the fall of 2008, obtaining or 

extending a line of credit with a bank or 

even getting a small business loan was 

a relatively painless process. But as we 

entered 2011, the banking environment 

continued to pose challenges for 

retailers looking for financial assistance. 

With that in mind, I recently spent 

some time talking with bankers as well 

as retailers to find out why banks have 

been reluctant to extend credit to even 

the most creditworthy retailers. 

As for the retail perspective on these 

matters, I had one retailer tell me he 

“hasn’t felt much like a customer lately,” 

when describing his long-term banking 

relationship. I also heard from retailers 

who have had their credit lines reduced 

by as much as 30 percent even if they 

weren’t currently being used. In yet 

another instance, a bank wanted sevenfigure 

life insurance policies on both the 

owner and his wife in order to secure 

financing for a particular project. 

One store I spoke with shared with 

me that his bank wasn’t even interested 

in his inventory as collateral and would 

only take real estate. Perhaps the 

most disturbing case involved a bank 

demanding more collateral from a retailer 

or risk having the note “called.” In the 

eyes of this bank, more collateral meant 

more inventory, since inventory to the 

bank is an asset. This was a slow turning 

store that kept inventory levels way above 

optimum levels. They also resisted taking 

markdowns on old goods for fear the bank 

would get nervous when lower gross 

margin figures were discovered. The store 

felt they were actually being forced into 

making bad business decisions. Talk about 

being in a no-win situation. 

After likewise speaking with bankers, 

it’s apparent that even though there 

have been recent indications that banks 

are becoming somewhat more willing 

to lend to small businesses due to a 

gain in economic momentum, a retailer 

should expect more reluctance than in 

previous years. The reasons are several, 

but they mainly stem from the increased 

requirements of bank examiners, 

declines in financial strength in some 

institutions, rise in past due and troubled 

assets, erosion of consumer confidence 

and an uncertain outlook for the future. 

What You 

Can Do Now 

If you have intentions of ending up 

with more than a cup of complimentary 

coffee and a free logoed pen from the 

next visit to your local banker, consider 

the following suggestions: 

• Communicate effectively and often. 

Bankers don’t like surprises. 

• Provide the banker with the information 

requested in a timely fashion. There are 

reasons behind every request. 

• Bankers look for positive trends. If you 

can deliver good news, do so. 

• Bankers are constantly looking to show 

management and examiners areas that 

will reduce the level of risk to the bank 

going forward. If you have a line of 

credit that can be reduced due to lack 

of use, consider reducing it. 

• Bankers are working harder because 

of increased scrutiny across many 

levels. Be prepared to supply more 

frequent financial data. 

• Don’t be combative or adversarial. 

Banking is a relationship business. 

Work with your banker not against him. 

• Strive to become the “A” customer, 

even though you may not always 

feel like one. This doesn’t mean 

that you have to have the best 

balance sheet or the highest volume 

store. Being responsive, truthful, 

timely, reasonable, available and 

cooperative will go a long way 

toward strengthening your banking 

relationships. 


Continued uncertainty most likely 

will challenge retailers throughout 

2011. In order to cope with an everchanging 

economic and financial 

climate there are steps you can take 

now. For starters, negotiate the 

longest payment plan you can with 

vendors. Try to sell at least half of 

what you are buying before you have 

to pay the invoice, and buy what you 

can from vendors that offer you the 

best terms. 

Consider the merits of the 

following strategy. Assume for 

a moment, that you are able to 

negotiate 60 day terms with a few 

key vendors and that you turn your 

inventory three times. 

For example, three turns 

equals 121.6 days of supply (365/3), 

so approximately half of the 

merchandise is sold by the time the 

invoice is due. 

Would 3.25 it ever in. be possible to sell 

all of the merchandise prior to paying 

for it? If you can get 90 day terms 

and turn the inventory four times, 

for all practical purposes, the entire 

inventory will be sold by the time the 

invoice is payable. (Four turns = 91 

days of supply or 365/4.) 

Simple math will show that two 

turns equals 26 weeks of supply, 2.5 

turns equals 20.8 weeks of supply, 

and three turns equal 17.3 weeks of 

supply. An improvement of only one 

week in annual sell through increases 

cash flow by approximately 1 percent 

of annual sales. This point alone 

makes the case for all retailers to 

strive for increased turnover. 

Use of personal credit cards also 

is becoming a very common practice 

when paying for merchandise. I 

know of a retailer that prefers to use 

a credit card when possible. This 

practice not only provides for longer 

payment options, “but an additional 

big benefit is hundreds and hundreds 

of dollars of free airfare,” says the 

Back Office 

retailer. This merchant also takes 

advantage of the points he gets to 

obtain gift cards, which are used as 

employee rewards. 

Just because credit is more 

difficult to come by now than it was in 

the past need not suggest that today’s 

retailer abandon all hope and adopt a 

“management by crisis” mentality. 

It does, however, mean that creative 

ways to finance growth be considered 

with improving inventory turnover 

being number one. 

Ritchie Sayner 

is vice-president 

of business 

development for 

RMSA, a national 

retail consulting 

company 

specializing in 

sales and inventory forecasting. He can 

be reached at rsayner@rmsa.com or 

816-505-7912. 

PART PLUS 

INFO 

GETTING 

PART 

IDEA 

SHARING 

Equals total government connecting. 

Get info. Find answers. Share 

ideas. Your connection begins 

at USA.gov – the official source 

for federal, state and local 

government information. 


Green Sheets 

Material Gains 

Teijin’s CSR and Better Foam Technologies 

by Ernest Shiwanov 

I attended the 36th Semiannual 

Northwest Apparel and Footwear 

Materials Show (NWAFMA) with a 

familiar mission: find innovative, low 

carbon footprint materials and processes. 

More than 150 exhibitors showcased 

their wares on March 16 and 17 in this 

conveniently sized, well-run and less-thantwo-days 

format, one of two identical 

shows surgically focused on bringing 

suppliers in the footwear and apparel 

industry face-to-face with designers and 

product developers. The Northeastern 

version of this show is usually held a 

week earlier, in Danvers, Mass. This 

show is held in Portland, Ore. 

Since I help outdoor companies 

that are considering using 

eco-friendly methods in their 

product development cycle, 

green is always high on my list. 

Green, that is, with the same or 

better performance characteristics of 

petroleum-based resources. After all, 

most outdoor manufacturers used 

petrochemical materials to initially 

forge their legacies. So it is of utmost 

importance to attain the no-compromise 

performance demanded by the brand’s 

product heritage. 

Unfortunately, due to the worldwide 

economic recession, adoption and 

evolution of low carbon footprint 

technologies have slowed throughout 

all industries. Yet at the core of this 

implementation lies a corporate culture 

that either faces the inevitable challenges 

or continues to procrastinate until it is 

required by international policy. The bulk 

of the manufacturers I spoke with at the 

show are somewhere in between those 

two mindsets. A prominent connector 

manufacturer not exhibiting at the show 

candidly told me his company is marketdriven 

with no plans to alter its business 

model. Other suppliers, however, are 

motivated by opportunities. Qualifying 

as a Nike’s Considered Design vendor 

carries a definite cachet amongst the 

anointed, many of which were not shy 

in making sure we know. Considered 

Design is a Nike program aimed at using 

sustainable development practices in 

their designs, processes 

and supply chain, in 

order to “lessen 

our impact 

on 

the environment and society,” say Nike 

executives. 

Nevertheless, of all the exhibitors 

I spoke with at the NWAFMS, it was 

reassuring to see early adopters and 

innovators alive and kicking. 

The Familiar Face 

of an Early Adopter 

No partnership has affected as much 

change in the outdoor textile landscape 

as Teijin Cordley Ltd. and Patagonia. 

Eighteen years ago, Teijin Cordley, part 

of the Teijin Group, started a program 

with Patagonia to build fleece apparel 

with PET (polyethylene terephthalate) 

recycled from soft drink bottles. Back 

then, Teijin was the only large scale 

company manufacturing recycled PET 

fiber for fleece. Today, many companies 

now offer some recycled or renewable 

fabrics within their product offerings. 

However, Teijin did not stop there. 

In 2005, Teijin and Patagonia entered 

into an agreement establishing a 

New Balance Tao sandal made with PLUSfoam and PLUSfoam’s FUSIONfoam. 

garment take-back recycling program. 

The first of its kind on a global 

scale, Patagonia’s Common Threads 

Recycling Program effectively closes 

the recycling loop giving consumers 

real cradle-to-cradle (see Green 

Glossary page 42) options for worn 

apparel. In 2007, the Teijin Group, as 

part of its corporate social responsibility 

(CSR), established design guidelines 

and a timeline to accomplish its 

environmental targets. The year 2009 

saw all PET-based fibers (save Aero 

Top) manufactured by Teijin switched to 

recycled PET, with costs, performance 

and physical characteristics similar to 

virgin polyester. Teijin has built upon 

its environmental goals in 2010 with 

its Earth Symphony initiative, a seal 

the company imparts to products it 


Green Sheets 

makes that meet its 2007 Design for 

Environment (DfE) guidelines. 

Ever a step ahead, the Teijin Group 

has imbued an “‘oil-free’ recyclingoriented 

business model” in its textile 

division, says Shigeo Ohyagi, president 

and CEO of the Teijin Group. Witness 

2011: the Teijin Group has taken another 

step toward that aspiration. They joined 

the United Nations Global Compact. 

The UN Global Compact is both a 

policy platform and a practical framework 

for companies that are committed to 

sustainability and responsible business 

practices, according to the initiatives 

Web site. As a multi-stakeholder 

leadership initiative, it seeks to align 

business operations and strategies 

with 10 universally accepted principles 

in the areas of human rights, labor, 

environment and anti-corruption and to 

catalyze actions in support of broader UN 

goals. With nearly 5,200 signatories in 

more than 130 countries, it is the world’s 

largest voluntary corporate responsibility 

initiative, says the United Nations. 

Better Foams 

& Garden 

Another bright spot in an otherwise 

monotonous sea of trade show white 

noise was some promising news on 

more eco-friendly foams, spurred 

by improvements in polyurethane 

chemistry. Petroleum-based foams have 

proved to be doggedly resistant when it 

comes to finding suitable replacements 

that are comparably priced, bio-based 

and with a low carbon footprint. The 

technologies exhibited at the show by 

PLUSfoam and Merquinsa clearly show 

the game-changing environmental 

potential. Before I dive into these 

new technologies, let’s start with a 

primer on foams with an emphasis on 

polyurethane. 

Today, most of the foams the outdoor 

industry uses have some serious 

problems: 1) they do not biodegrade 

easily, 2) it takes lots of energy or time 

for them to decompose, and 3) when 

they do, they have a host of toxins in 

tow. Polyurethane (PU), in particular, the 

most ubiquitous of all foams (you are 

probably sitting on a chair cushioned 

with polyurethane foam right now), 

has all these issues. Unfortunately (or 

fortunately), its low price and functional 

versatility has almost no equal. The 

problem with polyurethane lies in its 

chemistry. In its most basic form, it 

is composed of two components: 

isocyanates and polyols. Both chemicals 

are derived from petroleum. 

In recent years, with the price of a 

barrel topping out at more than $140, 

motivated researchers have been 

thinking of ways to eliminate PU’s 

dependence on oil. Around 2004, soybased 

polyols became commercially 

available and can constitute up to 95 

percent of the polyols’ half of PU. 


Green Sheets 

Typically, the renewable polyol content 

in PU foams is less than 30 percent. 

The Ford Motor Company has more 

than two million vehicles on the road 

with 25 percent bio-based polyol foam 

content, says Ford. So there has been 

some progress on lowering the carbon 

footprint and use of non-renewable 

resources on PU’s polyol component. 

and a wide functional temperature and 

hardness range. 

The early adopters are starting to 

line up. Smith Optics’ Evolve goggle 

line features Pearlthane ECO, with 44 

percent bio-based content. Merquinsa 

also is working with Brooks Sports on 

running footwear. As you might recall, 

Brooks, way back in 2008, launched its 

FUSIONfoam is recycled PLUSfoam compressed with heat and pressure to create 

the multicolored foam between the recyclable PLUSfoam topsheet and outsole. 

As you can guess, the foam 

component with the problem is the 

isocyanates. There is no real solution as 

of today that effectively deals with this 

component. It can be very irritating if 

inhaled or absorbed though unprotected 

skin. High heat or fire can produce highly 

toxic gases including carbon monoxide, 

carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and 

hydrogen cyanide. 

Hard at work on the polyurethane 

front is Merquinsa. They have commercialized 

several products such as 

Pearlthane and Pearlbond ECO to 

create a family of thermoplastic PUs 

(TPU). Pearlthane and Pearlbond ECO 

not only feature renewable polyol 

content, but as a thermoplastic, it is 

now possible to break it down and/or 

recycle it. Pearlthane ECO has other 

great properties. It can be extruded and 

injected and has great tear, abrasion, 

oil, solvent and chemical resistance 

first biodegradable midsole, BioMoGO. 

Dennis Lauzon, vice president 

Merquinsa North American, emphasized 

the fact that the TPU business is a 

“commodity business.” As the cost 

of oil goes up, in the next two to four 

years, bio-based polyol TPUs will be 

on “parity with today’s non-renewable 

technologies.” 

Even much more exciting, Lauzon 

said the industry should have “drop-in 

molecules” or “component building 

blocks,” including isocyanates, that are 

100 percent bio-based within a decade. 

When that happens, as Lauzon assures, 

Merquinsa will be there to play its 

strategic upstream role. 

Another exciting technology 

gathering momentum is PLUSfoam 

and FUSIONfoam. Co-founders, Brett 

Ritter, CEO, Jason Stanson, COO, and 

Ken Wong, CFO, have cobbled together 

a proprietary TPE (thermoplastic 


Green Glossary 

elastomer). TPEs were originally 

developed by the automotive industry 

looking for a material that could handle 

wide temperature fluctuations and was 

tougher than typical polyurethanes. 

PLUSfoam, unlike Merquinsa’s 

Pearlthane ECO, has one distinctive 

difference: it does not contain urethane. 

As a TPE, it has many of the 

characteristics of EVA (ethylene vinyl 

acetate – commonly used in running 

shoes) such as compression set and 

hardness (durometer). Even the price 

will be comparable to good quality EVAs. 

However, it has a wide assortment of 

production options such as extrusion, 

“sheet formed, vacuum formed, drape 

formed, cut and buffed, skived, split, 

cold press molded, compression 

molded and injection molded,” says the 

company. In addition, PLUSfoam’s own 

manufacturing scrap or used PLUSfoam 

in consumer goods can be easily broken 

down and made into “new” products. To 

remind consumers of the environmental 

benefits of PLUSfoam, products are 

hang-tagged with PLUSfoam’s California 

recycle center address. Similar to the 

Patagonia Common Threads Recycling 

Program, the consumer can take an 

active role in closing the recycle loop by 

sending their used PLUSfoam goods to 

PLUSfoam reprocessing. 

“We provide a full environmental 

platform for marketing the benefits of 

PLUSfoam including a back end solution,” 

states Stanson. PLUSfoam already has 

garnered the attention of O’Neil and 

New Balance, both of which are large 

consumers of foam. So substituting even 

a small amount of their current foams 

with low carbon footprint foams will be 

a significant move toward conservation 

of non-renewable resources – not to 

mention the money and energy everyone 

will save from reusing all scrap during 

manufacture or re-manufacture. 

As the economy shows signs of 

a rebound and with petroleum costs 

going nowhere but up, conditions are 

moving in the direction of a perfect 

storm. For the savvy manufacturer, 

that means more research and 

development monies for finding ways 

to opt out of oil dependence. 

Investing in this position early on will 

not only save long-term energy costs, 

but a mature technology is a lot easier of 

a sell than a new one, or not having one 

at all. More importantly, it also shows 

a corporate citizen’s commitment, like 

the product’s lifecycle, to more than 

just a quick buck. 

Ernest Shiwanov, IO’s editor-atlarge, 

focuses on environmental issues 

as they relate to the outdoor retail 

industry. He also works with outdoor 

industry companies incorporating low 

carbon footprint technologies in product 

development and R & D cycles. He can 

be reached at ernest@bekapublishing. 

com or ernest@adrenalinshots.com. 


Green Glossary 

The Green Glossary 

by Ernest Shiwanov 

Buzz words like sustainability, compostable and cradleto-grave 

are regularly bandied about by authorities and spinmeisters. 

Many use terms interchangeably or incorrectly. So 

Inside Outdoor decided to parse the greenwash lexicon and 

take a stab at a short glossary of definitions. The following 

definitions are as organic as the topics they address. They are 

more operative than definitive, with the underlying subtext 

being about the discourse that we hope to continue. Indeed, 

these definitions are “alive,” and we expect them to evolve as 

new standards are set, technologies are developed and our 

industry grapples with the “sustainability” (see below) of our 

businesses. A la Wikipedia, we welcome anyone who would 

like to add, change or modify definitions to submit their insight 

to ernest@bekapublishing.com. The Green Glossary will 

continue to appear in future issues of IO. 

3P (People, Planet, Profit) 

See Triple Bottom Line 

Biodegradable 

Aerobic decomposition of a organic matter through the 

action of microorganisms or aerobes. There are no standards 

for eco-toxicity or length of time before degrading to biomass 

and, in some cases, eco-toxins. 

bluesign standard 

Launched in 2000 as an initiative by Albers Group/Schoeller 

Technologies AG, among others, the bluesign standard is 

a certification scheme for textile ecology. Using OECD’s 

(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) 

test methods for determining the various ecotoxicological 

data needed for the standard, it strengthened its global 

marketing and technical reach when 50% of bluesign was 

purchased by Société Générale de Surveillance in 2008. SGS’s 

business model is built around ocean-going cargo inspection, 

raw material testing and testing of products from exporting 

companies or governments worldwide. 

Cap and Trade 

See Emissions Trading. 

Carbon Neutral or Carbon Offset 

To offset or neutralize net greenhouse gas emissions. This 

can be achieved by planting trees, using renewable energy, 

energy conservation and emissions trading. Critics contend 

there is no definitive evidence that carbon offsets work since 

there are no models or standards that clearly demonstrate 

the equilibrium. 

(Carbon) Sequestration 

See Uptake 

Compostable 

The biodegradability of an organic material, mostly 

to biomass, water and carbon dioxide. Compostable 

environments include industrial settings and common 

garden or open space locations. All standards agree on a 

six-month period for the organic matter to degrade. Most 

standards support these tests: 

• Does it biodegrade to carbon dioxide, water, biomass at the 

rate paper biodegrades? 

• Does the material disintegrate leaving no distinguishable or 

visible residue? 

• Are there any eco-toxic materials left, and can the remaining 

biomass support plant growth? 

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6400- 

99 says to be considered compostable, materials must undergo 

degradation by biological processes during composting to yield 

carbon dioxide (CO2), water, inorganic compounds and biomass 

at a rate consistent with other compostable materials, leaving 

no visible, distinguishable or toxic residue. 

The EN (European Committee for Standardization or Comité 

Européen de Normalisation) standard is even more specific. 

EN13432 states that a material is deemed compostable if it will 

breakdown to the extent of at least 90 percent to H2O and CO2 

and biomass within six months. 

There are other standards as well with DIN V49000 from 

the German Institute for Standardization being the strictest in 

the allowance of heavy metals. Many might be familiar with 

DIN standards for their safe release ski bindings. 

Cradle-to-cradle 

The life cycle of a product from manufacture to re-manufacture. 

Cradle-to-gate 

The life cycle of a product or process from manufacture 

to end user. Also known as environmental product 

declarations (EPD). 

Cradle-to-grave 

The life cycle of a product from manufacture to end-of-use 

disposal (see table on page 41). 

Degradable 

A material that undergoes chemical change and a loss of 

original characteristics due to environmental conditions. There 

are no requirements for time, process or toxicity for this method. 


Emissions Trading (Cap and Trade) 

A practice in which businesses are given an emissions 

cap, in the form of credits, that allows them to pollute up 

to a maximum credit level. Businesses that exceed their 

cap must purchase (or trade) credits from a company that 

has not exceeded its cap or from trading platforms such as 

the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), the European Climate 

Exchange (ECX) and/or Montreal Climate Exchange (MCeX). 

Problems with the Cap and Trade concept include where to 

set the initial levels of the caps, retiring old credits, resetting 

caps and regulatory/compliance standards. 

Environmental Product 

Declarations (EPD) 

The life cycle of a product from manufacture to end user. 

Also know as cradle-to-gate. 

Gate-to-grave 

The life cycle of a product from the end user to endof-use 

disposal. 

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 

The Global Reporting Initiative, based in Amsterdam the 

Netherlands, is a registered, not-for-profit organization. It is funded 

by donations from all over the world including the Bill and 

Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Finance Corporation 

(IFC) and the Organizational Stakeholders. 

Considered the de facto world standard 

in sustainable development reporting, the 

GRI uses a global network of stakeholders 

to form a consensus-based process in 

shaping and revising its accounting structure. 

GRI encourages reviewing of the 

report outcomes by third-party assurance 

providers. However, there is no mechanism 

in place requiring these audits. 

institutional projects as of 2008 has gone to the Green Building 

Certification Institute (GBCI). Regardless of the LEED project, all 

must undergo third-party verification in order to receive LEED 

ratings of certified, silver, gold and platinum. 

Life cycle assessment (LCA) 

A comprehensive environmental assessment of the 

impact of a product or process, from inception to the end 

of its “life.” The assessment includes transportation of raw 

materials to the manufacturer, manufacturing of materials, 

transportation of materials to the product manufacturer, 

manufacturing of product, transportation of product to end 

users, impact of product by end user including disposal of 

product at its end of life. 

The assessment has been used as a tool to evaluate a 

product’s or company’s eco-performance, which in turn can be 

used to improve it. 

There are three different methods used in lifecycle analysis: 

1. process or bottom-up LCA using ISO 14040-2006 and 14044- 

2006 protocols; 

2. economic input output or EIO-LCA; and 

3. hybrid LCA, a combination of process LCA with economic 

input output LCA. 

LCAs are used as a tool to evaluate a product or company’s 

eco-performance, which in turn can be used to improve it. 

LEED Green Building 

Rating System 

Leadership in Energy and Environmental 

Design (LEED) is a certification 

rating system for structures designed and 

built with the goal of water efficiency, 

good indoor air quality, energy savings 

and an overall reduction in its carbon 

footprint. LEED is an open source tool 

created by a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, the 

US Green Building Council (USGBC). The 

USGBC, headquartered in Washington 

D.C., finances its activities by conducting 

educational programs for builders, 

designers, suppliers and operators, 

selling publications, accepting donations 

and sponsoring conferences. This allows 

the USGBC to revise LEED and conduct 

research. Third-party verification to 

assure compliance on commercial and 


Life Cycle Management (LCM) 

An integrated approach to sustainable production and 

consumption through the management of a product’s or 

process’ life cycle. 

Life Cycle Energy Analysis (LCEA) 

The total life cycle energy input. Criticism in utilizing LCEAs 

include the argument that different energy sources have 

different potential value (exergy). Additionally, critics contend 

that LCEAs’ energy currency cannot supplant economic 

currency as the determinant in business. 

Montebello Agreement (see REACH) 

The Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) also is 

known as the Montebello Agreement, so named for the 

city in Quebec where the summit was held. The SPP Web 

site states that this is a Bush Administration, White Houseled 

initiative to increase security and economic prosperity 

in North America. Part of this voluntary framework is to 

establish risk characterization by 2012 of over 9,000 chemical 

substances produced in the U.S. in quantities over 25,000 

pounds per year. By 2020, Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will 

“strive to achieve…inventories of all chemical substances 

in commerce.” Many view the Montebello Agreement as a 

North American reaction to REACH, the European Union’s 

Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of 

Chemicals, which went into EU law last June. 

Oeko-Tex 

International Association for Research and Testing in 

the Field of Textile Ecology or Oeko-Tex, was established in 

1993 by the Austrian Textile Research Institute, the German 

Hohenstein Research Institute and the Swiss Textile Testing 

Institute Testex. Today it has evolved into a group of 14 test 

institutes throughout Europe and Japan. Its certification 

programs, Oeko-Tex 100, Oeko-Tex 100plus and Oeko-Tex 

1000 focuses on what they term the four parts of textile 

ecology: production, human, performance and disposal 

ecology. Verification of Oeko-Tex 100, 100plus and 1000 

submissions are achieved through the ISO 14000 suite of 

environmental protocols, ISO laboratory testing protocols, 

DIN EN, and IEC standards. Oeko-Tex’s standards also exceed 

the current best practices as defined by the EU’s REACH (see 

REACH). The testing institutes forward their results to the 

Oeko-Tex Secretariat, which evaluates the applications, issues 

certificates to passing applications and tests for compliance 

during the issued period. 

Organic 

In textile technology, organic refers to standards ensuring 

sustainable practices during all phases of fiber production. 

Beginning with every aspect of cultivation under the National 

Organic Program (NOP) guidelines, post-harvest wet 

processes such as dying and bleaching, textile fabrication, 

manufacturing of goods, transportation, worker environment, 

labeling/compliance, packaging, exportation and importation 

are comprehensively addressed. 

Presently, there are no processing standards for organic 

fibers from the U.S. federal government beyond cultivation 

ending with the consumer. 

For standards related to organic food, please see: http:// 

www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm. 

SPI Resin Identification Code 

Recycling No. Abbreviation Polymer Name Uses 

1 PETE or PET Polyethylene Terephthalate 

Recycled to produce polyester fibres, thermoformed sheet, strapping, soft 

drink bottles. 

2 HDPE High-Density Polyethylene 

Recycled to become various bottles, grocery bags, recycling bins, agricultural 

pipe, base cups, car stops, playground equipment and plastic lumber. 

3 PVC or V Polyvinyl Chloride Recycled to become pipe, fencing and non-food bottles. 

4 LDPE Low-Density Polyethylene 

Recycled to become plastic bags, various containers, dispensing bottles, wash 

bottles, tubing and various molded laboratory equipment. 

5 PP Polypropylene Recycled into auto parts and industrial fibers. 

6 PS Polystyrene 

Recycled into a wide range of products including office accessories, cafeteria 

trays, toys, video cassettes and cases, insulation board and expanded 

polystyrene products (e.g. styrofoam). 

7 OTHER 

Source: The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. 

Other plastics, including acrylic, 

polycarbonate, polylactic acid, 

nylon and fiberglass. 

PLA or Polylactic acid plastics at 100% content are compostable in a 

biologically active environment in 180 days. 


Oxo-biodegradation 

A two-step process that begins with degradation by 

oxidation, followed by biodegradation. 

A variation of this developed for polymers, such as 

polyethylene, add a degradability component during the material’s 

manufacturing. The added component allows the polymer to 

thermo- (heat), photo- (light) or hydro- (water) degrade within 90 

days in a commercial composting environment. 

It is purported that in non-commercial composting 

environments, the biodegradation will take place but at a much 

slower rate. 

The Precautionary Principle 

The EEB (European Environmental Bureau 1999) defines 

the Precautionary Principle as follows: 

2.1 The Precautionary Principle justifies early action to prevent 

harm and an unacceptable impact to the environment and 

human health in the face of scientific uncertainty 

2.2 Precaution places the burden of proof on the proponents 

of the activity. 

2.3 Precaution applies the substitution principle, seeking safer 

alternatives to potentially harmful activities, including the 

assessment of needs. 

2.4 Precaution requires public participation in decision-making. 

REACH (See Montebello Agreement) 

Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of 

Chemicals (REACH) 

The European Union’s REACH EC 1907/2006 regulation was 

established on December 18, 2006 and became law on June 

1, 2007. The regulation’s intent “should ensure a high level of 

protection of human health and the environment as well as the 

free movement of substances, on their own, in preparations and 

in articles, while enhancing competitiveness and innovation. This 

Regulation should also promote the development of alternative 

methods for the assessment of hazards of substances.” 

This law is the most comprehensive legislation ever 

completed regulating all chemical substances. A full 401 

pages of this 849 page document are 10 appendices that 

mostly call out carcinogens, mutagens and substances toxic 

to reproduction. The rest of the document outlines and defines 

the requirements of compliance. 

REACH will affect chemical industries worldwide by 

requiring testing and registration with the European Chemicals 

Agency on any imported chemical substance over 1,000 kg in 

weight. Chemical substances manufactured in the European 

Union are subject to the same regulation. 

Recycling 

The U.S. Department of Energy defines recycling as “the 

process of converting materials that are no longer useful as designed 

or intended into a new product.” 

Renewable Energy 

The U.S. Department of Energy defines renewable energy as 

“energy derived from resources that are regenerative or for all 

practical purposes cannot be depleted. 

“Types of renewable energy resources include moving water 

(hydro, tidal and wave power), thermal gradients in ocean water, 

biomass, geothermal energy, solar energy and wind energy. 

“Municipal solid waste (MSW) is also considered to be a 

renewable energy resource.” 

Reservoir 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change defines 

reservoir as: “A component of the climate system, other than 

the atmosphere, which has the capacity to store, accumulate 

or release a substance of concern, for example, carbon, a 

greenhouse gas or a precursor. Oceans, soils and forests are 

examples of reservoirs of carbon. Pool is an equivalent term 

(note that the definition of pool often includes the atmosphere). 

The absolute quantity of the substance of concern held within 

a reservoir at a specified time is called stock.” For example, 

uptake or (carbon) sequestration, adds greenhouse gases to 

rainforests (reservoir) and their soils (reservoir). 

RoHS 

An acronym for Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive 

(the lead-free directive). 

Although not a law, the European Union passed this directive 

in 2006, limiting the use of six materials in any part of 

electronic and electrical products. The six materials limited 

by RoHS are: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium 

(chromium VI or Cr6+), polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and 

polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE). PBB and PBDE are 

flame retardants used in some plastics. 

Similar standards have been adopted in China, Japan, Korea 

and California. The U.S. federal government currently has no 

plans to adopt a similar directive. 

Sink 

“Any process, activity or mechanism that removes a 

greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas or 

aerosol from the atmosphere” is considered a sink, according to 

sources at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. A sink 

removes a greenhouse gas, for example, from the atmosphere, 

then by uptake or (carbon) sequestration, the greenhouse gas is 

added to a reservoir (see Reservoir and Uptake/Sequestration). 

Stakeholder(s) 

The online Business Directory describes this as, 

“Person, group or organization that has direct or indirect 

stake in an organization because it can affect or be affected 

by the organization’s actions, objectives and policies. Key 

stakeholders in a business organization include creditors, 

customers, directors, employees, government (and its 

agencies), owners (shareholders), suppliers, unions and the 

community from which the business draws its resources. 

Although stake-holding is usually self-legitimizing (those 

who judge themselves to be stakeholders are de facto so), 

all stakeholders are not equal and different stakeholders are 

entitled to different considerations. For example, a firm’s 

customers are entitled to fair trading practices but they 

are not entitled to the same consideration as the 

firm’s employees.” 


Sustainable development 

Economic, social (political) and environmental development 

that is harmonized for the good of all interests. 

Many, including the United Nations, use the definition from 

the Brundtland Report Our Common Future that “sustainable 

development is development that meets the needs of the present 

without compromising the ability of future generations to 

meet their own needs.” 

Others contend that this is not an operational definition and 

that the concept is best defined as “a socio-ecological process 

characterized by ideal-seeking behavior on the part of its human 

component,” which is adapted from the work of Russell Ackoff 

and Fred Emery, among others. 

Nevertheless, there are some that consider the phrase a 

greenwash oxymoron. To many, the concept of growth and depleting 

non-renewable resources are mutually exclusive. 

Triple Bottom Line (TBL or 3BL) 

The addition of social and environmental metrics within 

full cost financial reporting. In 1994 John Elkington coins 

the phrase and in his 1997 book, Cannibals with Forks, he 

elucidates this concept. “The idea behind the TBL idea was 

that business and investors should measure their performance 

against a new set of metrics – capturing economic, social 

and environmental value added – or destroyed – during the 

processes of wealth creation.” He also authored the term 3P 

for people, planet profit. 

Uptake (Sequestration) 

“The addition of a substance of concern to a reservoir. 

The uptake of carbon containing substances, in particular 

carbon dioxide, is often called carbon sequestration,” says the 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Most trees and 

certain crops such as potatoes, rice and soybeans, uptake more 

CO2 than other plants and crops. 

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) 

VOCs as they relate to environmental concerns refer to 

compounds with high vapor pressures (a vapor at room temperature 

and pressure) that can be potentially harmful and therefore 

regulated. VOCs occur naturally but can also be synthesized. In 

recent years, the roll of VOCs in new home or building construction 

and their contribution to sick building syndrome has heighten 

awareness of indoor air quality. The Environmental Protection 

Agency maintains a list of regulated VOCs. 

Zero Waste 

An approach to the cradle-to-cradle concept that includes reduction 

of product or process waste and consumption, plus advancing 

the notion of reuse, repair or return to the environment. 

Ad index 

ASF Group (www.asfgroup.com) 39 

Balconi (www.balconigear.com) 2 

Body Glide (www.bodyglide.com) 30 

Cam Commerce (www.camcommerce.com) 19 

Cocoon by Design Salt (www.designsalt.com) 32 

Coghlan’s (www.coghlans.com) 27 

CORDURA (www.cordura.com) 3 

Cre8 Group (www.Cre8groupinc.com) 26 

Durapeg (www.durapeg.com) 40 

ecco (www.ecco.com) 11 

Fisher Space Pen (www.spacepen.com) 17 

Glacik (www.stonemansports.com) 35 

High Gear (www.highgear.com) 5 

Injinji (www.injinji.com) 13 

Kiva Designs (www.kivadesigns.com) 21, 23 

Mad Water (www.madwater.com) 32 

McNett (www.mcnett.com) 41 

Optimer (www.drirelease.com) 9 

OutDoor Europe (www.european-outdoor.com) 31 

Outdoor Retailer (www.outdoorretailer.com) 22 

Outlast (www.outlast.com) 47 

Overboard (www.ROCgearWholesale.com) 37 

SpareHand Systems/Stoneman Avenue (www.sparehandsystems.com) 35 

SuperFabric (superfabric.com) 12 

Teflon (www.teflon.com/fabricprotector) Back cover 

Treksta (www.trekstausa.com) 25 

Wilcor (www.wilcor.net) 7 

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222 days of drizzle 

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100 unhindered strolls 

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