Backcountry.com Launches New Discount Site
mike lewis
- November 11 2009
- 14 comments
Backcountry.com announced the launch of a new closeout site for outdoor gear called “The Department of Goods.” The store, Backcountry’s fifth new launch this year, kicks off with $58 million worth of bike, board, surf, skate, travel, and outdoor gear.
Currently in its beta testing phase, the site is invite only for the time being, and according to Backcountry: “One in 10 orders over $50 will be comped during the beta rollout of the new Department of Goods site. Fully comped, meaning that your order will arrive at your door but the charge will never show up on your credit card. Also, $200,000 worth of free gear will be given out to early adopters. Basically, you order a pair of sandals and you might get a snowboarding jacket, tent, or an extra small sweatshirt thrown into your order.”
The site features overstock inventory from over 400 vendors sold on Backcountry.com’s other full price retail stores.
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November 12th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
How do I get an Invite?
November 12th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
yeah right, if this is supported by manufactures, then I need to close my store. This proves how retarded it is to do biz with these guys. How will this affect dogfunk?
November 12th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
It's just the web.0 version of a broform.
November 12th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Retail is dead. its about big box and discount stores now. the ''core'' store is dead and the only ones that will remain soon will be professional rider owned and/or company big box owned ''core'' stores (since they will get heavy discounting). if companies actually cared about the core, mom and pop store i think this issued would of been squashed already but it hasnt - its been a topic for over two years now.
November 13th, 2009 at 1:07 am
I don't know about that, How well do you think a pro rider will run a store, and the box guys are hurting to. Probably worse than we are
November 13th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
As a 'core' retail store owner, this is really going to affect which vendors we do business with in the near future. Hopefully if we all adopt this mentality, it will either force the manufactures to "sell-out" and be done, or stay true and remain relevant to their industry. Read 'The Tipping Point' to see what happened to Airwalk when they abandoned their core market.
November 17th, 2009 at 12:57 am
backcountry is a cancer on the industry just like big box was 10 years ago , but today with the internet intensifying reach and message it is big box on steroids !
those who bought back country are using preditory pricing to put other retailers out of business so that they can enjoy bigger margins in the future when other competition is eliminated.
they plan on looseing money till the competition is gone then raise sales prices and make grater margin , have you read thier return policy?
return anything for any reason EVEN IF ITS 20 YEARS OLD?
most retailers cant afford to flush COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS WORTH OF GEAR DOWN THE TOILET TO DEAL WITH BOGUS RETURNS UNLESS THE MANUFACTURES ARE GOING TO STEP UP AND TAKE IT BACK .
THIS IS JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF THE BIGGER PICTURE OF GLOBALIST CONSOLIDATION GOING ON IN AMERICA
November 18th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Backcountry sucks!!!
November 18th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Easy. No receipt no return.
December 9th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
got to keep in mind that its gear from 1-3 seasons ago. its easy to get an invite. i just checked it out. still good gear, but nonetheless, its nothing current. you asked about manufacturer support? if you were a manufacturer, would you rather receive that returned merch that didn't sell at the shops and then have to liquidate in canada or a third world country for pennies, or would you prefer to have a better option like a discount site that still keeps your brand messaging relatively intact? i'd take the latter.
December 9th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
i agree with you in a lot of ways, but the internet is, in fact, a global marketplace. that's just the reality of it. i remember approaching several core shops in SoCal 6-7 years ago about launching websites for them, getting 100 sku's online, etc. Every single one of them scoffed at the idea. now those same shops are bitching about those who are successful online??
Even though I agree with a lot of what you're saying above, i still blame a lot of core shops for not staying ahead of the technology curve. some say the two don't go together (technology and surf/skate), but if you are a core shop and your core audience is now communicating and shopping more and more online, then you as a businessman or businesswoman owe it to your business and to your audience to adapt to the times and accommodate your audience. Do you really think that brands would sell to Amazon and Zappos if there was a bigger, more core site to sell that same volume? Hell no. The only reason why Brands turn to the big box sites is because they 'get it' in terms of the net. They know how to reach middle america via the web and still represent the brands appropriately. if the core shops weren't so naive and slow to take advantage of the internet, then we wouldn't even be having this competition. innovate or die. its really that simple.
December 9th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Easy solution, Internet tax. flat 4-5% tax on all internet purchases will be bring all those sales of inline products right back to local economies. Lets see how many feathers this ruffles….
December 9th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
do you really think backcountry didn't pay pennies on the dollar? Please don't be so naive, they are like ross. Also my solution is to spread the love around, then those people will hold a higher value. You are obviously a web designer, who wants volume, over margin. Where I feel its better to reduce production and have higher margins. The country just got screwed for the last year on this over production. Maybe you should be a banker.
The reality is, at least with hardgoods is, you need someone who knows what they are doing to select the right gear, you cannot do this online. I don't care if you have live chat , or read all the reviews in the world. There are thousands of people out there buyint the wrong things, and certainly mounting them improperly. To prove my point, go up to the mountains and start looking at set ups in the lift lines, and take a couple single line rides. Its a huge problem and a big reason the retention rate is as low as it is.
December 9th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
we are bitching about the discounting online, also most core shops who try to be online and core just end up losing focus on their in store biz. Its a slippery slope