We know outdoor executives have access to plenty of instantaneous information. But one thing decision makers overwhelmingly tell us they can’t get enough of is thoroughly researched and highly scrutinized news and analysis that can be applied directly to improving day-to-day operations.

Now entering our sixth year, IO’s staff of seasoned outdoor journalists represents decades of experience in specialty retail, product manufacturing, business analysis and living the outdoor lifestyle. We believe this mix of backgrounds is a key component to complementing your marketing message with the business modeling, cost-margin analysis, trend forecasting and quantified operational advice that’s already proven to capture loyalty and engage readers, and studies now show how reader engagement with media and advertising can drive sales. (From media kit)

FEATURES:
12 RETAIL ODYSSEY 2015
In the coming retail landscape, the emphasis behind technology investment continually will shift away from its capability to increase operational efficiencies to becoming a key asset for customer acquisition, retention and business success.
By Martin Vilaboy

20 HEEDING THE CALL OF IP TELEPHONY
Phone and data services typically aren’t a top-of-the-mind issue for specialty retailers, but new capabilities and cost savings made possible through IP-based communications are well worth hearing about.
By Martin Vilaboy

24 TEVA’S HIGH-TECH TOUCH POINT
Internet connectivity and interactive media are making their way onto the retail sales floor, and Teva’s new touch-screen program is an early example for outdoor specialty.
By Martin Vilaboy

26 POS SOFTWARE DIRECTIONS & DIRECTORY
POS software is handling more and more functions, from the back office all the way to the sales floor. Turn to our detailed POS software directory for help with any upgrade, replacement or migration strategies that might be in the works.
By Martin Vilaboy

Download Inside Outdoor Magazine, Spring 2008

PDF format, 7.5MB, 52Pages

Editor's Letter: Technology and Tent Stakes

“Challenges and opportunities:” those two words summarize the retail technology landscape as succinctly as any two words can. And in many ways, they also encapsulate the state of the outdoor industry.

With the former, the big challenges for specialty retailers involve taking the final steps in the migration off of legacy systems and completing the long-coming shift to “next-generation“ platforms, namely digital and Internet technologies. That final leap will demand justifying new investments; retiring existing assets, some before the end of their natural lives; and supporting some level of IT functionality at every individual store front.

Indeed, the Internet has democratized technology, so it’s no longer just the CIOs and IT staffs of large chains and high-dollar retailers that have to consider its implications.

Just about everyone in the more mainstream segments of retail will need to leverage increasing levels of retail technology just to keep pace with the opex reductions and boost to customer relationship management that will be enjoyed by most contestants on the playing field. With that in mind, Inside Outdoor’s coverage of retail technology is not limited to this special annual issue. Rather, examining the ways that technology can help retailers operate more efficiently and touch customers more creatively will be regular points of emphasis in every coming issue.

Likewise, outdoor is facing some shifts, as well. As in the tech sector, legacy revenue streams are being pushed by new and emerging opportunities. Since the Outdoor Industry Association began tracking participation rates in 1998, for instance, the most popular outdoor activities -- camping, hiking, biking, canoeing -- have experienced virtually no periods of sustained year-over-year growth. Yet outdoor retail sales somehow have managed to grow at rates that exceed the annual growth rates of the overall U.S. non-auto retail sector. That seems to suggest other sales drivers are at play, and they are not hard to find: fitness, competitive events, trail running, climbing gyms, sustainability, nutrition, Web services.

Still, the sagging participation rates of primary activities should not be taken lightly. As far as we can see, getting current customers outside more often -- where they discover new needs and wear out old gear -- remains the most reliable force behind the sales of outdoor product. Some would suggest the outdoor lifestyle being pushed further into the mainstream or “outdoor as fashion” are trends that can make up for flat sales in core sports participation. We’re just not so sure relying on what are essentially trend-driven movements is the best long-term business strategy moving forward, particularly when the lifecycle of fashion and cultural trends seem to grow shorter and shorter, while consumers seem to grow increasingly fickle. Fitness enthusiasts, for their part, also can be rather fickle, with the endless litany of “new and better ways” to get fit.

That’s certainly not to suggest that new opportunities shouldn’t be pursued and embraced. Quite the contrary, and the outdoor industry can be commended on its collective willingness and adaptability during the past several years when it comes to discovering and integrating new sources of revenues and customers.

Rather, the point is that the outdoor industry cannot forget those customer bases and legacy activities that reside deep within its foundation. “Rip and replace,” after all, is even harder to do with customers than it is to do with technology platforms.

Visit Inside Outdoor magazine Website

Inside Outdoor is a publication of Beka Publishing.

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