51.5 F
Laguna Hills
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
-Advertisement-

Outdoor Retailer Winter Show Sees Warm Weather for Once

Outdoor Retailer Winter Show Sees Warm Weather for Once

By JENNIFER BELLANTONIO

There was no ice blanketing the parking lots at this year’s Outdoor Retailer Winter Market,not with temperatures hovering in the high 70s in Anaheim.

The Laguna Beach-based trade show, which showcases the latest in outdoor apparel, footwear and hardware for activities such as climbing, paddling and trail running, was held for four days last week at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The venue was a big switch for Outdoor Retailer, which typically is held in frosty Salt Lake City and will be again in the future. But show operator Chantilly, Va.-based VNU Expositions Inc. made the one-time change (and moved show dates up a little) because of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, which are being held in Salt Lake City from Feb. 10 to 23.

The swap put a bit of a damper on foot traffic at the show, which was noticeably lighter than at the past few years’ shows in Utah.

“(The show is) usually at the end of January, so that threw people off,” said John Bacher, designer at San Clemente-based S.W. Partners Inc., the exclusive U.S. distributor for Boreal mountaineering footwear. Still, he said, his company was able to “pick up some sales.”

The Outdoor Retailer show had about 640 exhibiting companies and saw a total of 10,915 attendees, with more than 1,900 stores represented by 3,248 buyers. While show operators said this “reflects a decline in retailer attendance” compared to last year, “the attending retailers still represented the vast majority of the buying power” in the outdoor market.

Orange County exhibitors, which comprised a small portion of booth operators, used the time to track down leads.

“For being so slow, the people that are coming in are high quality,” said Chris Watt, owner of Capistrano Beach-based Aussie Dogs, which makes sheepskin boots and shoes. Watt said he caught up with a sales rep he had been wanting to hire for years and finally struck a deal.

The buzz at the show revolved around its future. In years to come, Outdoor Retailer’s winter show dates will overlap with SnowSports Industries Association’s winter show held annually in Las Vegas.

There was some speculation the two shows may merge, which created some grumblings. Directors from both shows said they are meeting to discuss the issue, but as of last week nothing had been decided.

The Outdoor Retailer show will at least see one change. Show director Dieter Tremp reported a few weeks earlier that he will leave the show to move to Northern California. He’ll continue to work with VNU Sports Group, which operates the show, on a project basis.

And, of course, there was lots of talk about the latest innovations, with “soft shell” technical apparel (a stretchable, breathable woven fabric used for high-aerobic movement) as the newest craze.

Here’s a look at what some OC companies were up to:

n One of Boreal’s high-end leather climbing boots is getting sniffs from the U.S. military’s special forces, which may order them for winter use. Several outdoor-gear companies have supplied troops in Afghanistan with high-tech winter-specific products.

n Aussie Dogs, which is concentrating on more fashion-forward designs, has unveiled a few new products, including a new European-style clog. Watt said business was still up 15% in 2001 despite the Sept. 11 attacks and economy. Five hundred to 600 pairs of boots a week were air-freighted to his San Clemente warehouse for distribution, but Watt said he was unable to keep up with demand during the holidays. “Our whole warehouse was wiped out,” he said.

n Asics Tiger Corp. in Irvine, which makes athletic shoes, technical active sports apparel and accessories, introduced some new terry-lined “after-sport” shoes for fall and warm-up apparel in retro styles. The company also has plans to resurrect and reintroduce athletic shoes that were popular in the 1960s in a few months.

Want more from the best local business newspaper in the country?

Sign-up for our FREE Daily eNews update to get the latest Orange County news delivered right to your inbox!

-Advertisement-

Featured Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-

Related Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-