Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
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Northwest<br />
Much like <strong>the</strong> rest of <strong>the</strong> nation, retailers<br />
in <strong>the</strong> Northwest rely on distributors for small<br />
accessory items and <strong>the</strong> benefi ts of quick<br />
turnaround and low-to-no minimums.<br />
“We use almost all of <strong>the</strong> major<br />
distributors,” says Bill Davis of Idaho Mountain Touring in Boise,<br />
Idaho. “The key is <strong>the</strong>re’s usually no minimum order, and we can<br />
get one-offs of small accessories, unlike going directly through<br />
manufacturers that may have a minimum quantity requirement.”<br />
One downside is that <strong>the</strong> margins sometimes aren’t as good as<br />
<strong>the</strong>y are with manufacturers, says Davis. “But <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r bottom line<br />
benefits of service and availability more than make up for that.”<br />
“Sometimes customers come in wanting a very specifi c small<br />
accessory that we don’t carry, and <strong>the</strong>y’ll accept no substitutions,”<br />
says Mari Friend of Sport Townsend in Port Townsend, Wash. “We<br />
know right where to go for <strong>the</strong> quick special order. If one distributor<br />
doesn’t have <strong>the</strong> item, ano<strong>the</strong>r usually will. Basically we can order<br />
as little or as much as we want, which is a big benefit for us. You<br />
can’t always do that when you buy accessories directly from <strong>the</strong><br />
manufacturer.”<br />
Staff at U.S. Outdoor Store, in Portland, Ore., say <strong>the</strong>y rely on<br />
Liberty Mountain because <strong>the</strong>y like Liberty’s customer service and<br />
product mix.<br />
Incidentally, industry sales reps often turn down manufacturers’<br />
requests to represent small-accessory lines, mostly because reps feel<br />
<strong>the</strong>y can’t compete with big distributors that also carry <strong>the</strong> products<br />
and already have relationships with <strong>the</strong> rep’s accounts. B.H.<br />
SKUs in <strong>the</strong> View<br />
A forecast of top sellers for 1Q05, as seen by <strong>the</strong> folks at Liberty Mountain<br />
Rockies<br />
1. PIEPS DSP and DSP Advanced avalanche beacons<br />
2. Outdoor Designs fl eece gloves in WindPro and<br />
Windstopper<br />
3. Nalgene bottles<br />
4. Princeton Tec Aurora and Scout LED headlamps<br />
5. YakTrax<br />
6. Singing Rock Zenith climbing harnesses<br />
7. Pedometers<br />
8. Motorola radio two-packs<br />
9. Katadyn Hiker or Guide Micro water fi lters<br />
10. Atwater Carey Backpacker fi rst-aid kits<br />
Southwest<br />
1. Outdoor Designs Perma Gaiters<br />
2. LekiSport Firn trekking poles<br />
3. Nalgene bottles<br />
4. Katadyn Hiker<br />
5. Singing Rock Zenith climbing harnesses<br />
6. Edelweiss Axis climbing rope<br />
7. Princeton Tec EOS headlamps<br />
8. Motorola T5500 radio two-packs<br />
9. Atwater Carey Backpacker fi rst-aid kits<br />
10. Brunton digital pedometers<br />
Sou<strong>the</strong>ast<br />
1. Alcohol stoves<br />
2. Titanium fl atware and tent pegs<br />
3. BodyGlide skin protectant<br />
4. Granite Gear Air series stuff sacks<br />
5. Mountain House and Backpacker’s Pantry freeze<br />
dried foods<br />
6. Dermatone and Aloe Gator sunscreen<br />
7. Edelweiss Axis climbing rope<br />
8. Nalgene bottles<br />
9. New Guyot Designs Gription handle adapter for<br />
Nalgene bottles<br />
10. Princeton Tec LED headlamps<br />
Nor<strong>the</strong>ast<br />
1. Outdoor Designs Alpine and Tundra gaiters<br />
2. Outdoor Designs fl eece gloves in WindPro and<br />
Windstopper<br />
3. Nalgene bottles<br />
4. YakTrax<br />
5. Princeton Tec Aurora and Scout LED headlamps<br />
6. PIEPS DSP and DSP Advanced avalanche beacons<br />
7. Katadyn Hiker or Guide Micro water fi lters<br />
8. Motorola T5000 series radio two-packs<br />
9. Pedometers<br />
10. Atwater Carey Backpacker fi rst-aid kits<br />
Midwest<br />
1. Nalgene bottles<br />
2. Princeton Tec Scout LED headlamps<br />
3. Lea<strong>the</strong>rman Juice series tools<br />
4. Montane windshirts<br />
5. Power Gel, Gu and Elete energy supplements<br />
6. Nalgene Radius hydration packs<br />
7. Katadyn Hiker water fi lters<br />
8. KAVU strapvisors<br />
9. Outdoor Designs Powerstretch hats<br />
10. Granite Gear Air series stuff sacks<br />
West Coast<br />
1. PIEPS DSP and DSP Advanced avalanche beacons<br />
2. SOS F1-ND avalanche beacons<br />
3. Nalgene bottles<br />
4. Edelweiss Axis climbing rope<br />
5. Advanced Base Camp Huevos nut set<br />
6. Liberty Mountain screwgate carabiners<br />
7. Liberty Mountain emergency blankets<br />
8. Outdoor Designs Windstopper softshell gloves<br />
9. Nalgene Travel kits<br />
10. Liberty Mountain Lexan cutlery<br />
Source: Liberty Mountain. Projections are based on a syn<strong>the</strong>sis of top-selling SKU data, by account and state reports, for<br />
<strong>the</strong> same period in 2004, similar data from <strong>the</strong> previous quarter for non-seasonal items and an analysis of new items<br />
available for Q1 that have quickly established momentum. For more information, write to sales@libertymountain.com.<br />
10|IO<br />
IO Issue14.indd 10<br />
1/10/2005 5:07:25 PM
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