Upstarts: WhiskeyMilitia.com
mike lewis
- June 04 2008
- 8,073 views
- 58 comments
I recently received a press release with some pretty mind blowing numbers for sales on WhiskeyMilitia.com. If you haven’t heard about it, you aren’t alone, but its sales and devoted base of shoppers are growing exponentially as word gets out about its “One-Deal-at-a-Time” (ODAT) model and crazy deals.
At this time I’d like to throw out a few stats to quantify the sales and deals of which I speak:
• On December 24, 2007 they sold one Nixon The Kink Watch every 4.44 seconds
• On March 12, 2008 sales of Burton Customs grossed $87,836 in 200 minutes
• On April 4, 2008 they sold one Volcom Men’s Coyote shirt every 9.71 seconds until all 529 were gone, grossing $7,401.
• On April 8, 2008 they sold 50 Burton Vapor Snowboards for $419.99, down from $999.95.
Now that I’ve got your attention, here’s the model behind WhiskeyMilitia and ODAT sales. The concept is pretty simple. As ODAT implies, Whiskey’s website pushes one product at a time at more than 60% off until it’s gone. WhiskeyMilitia’s parent company, Backcountry.com, the largest online retailer of outdoor equipment, has designated buyers for WhiskeyMilitia who focus solely on purchasing skate, snow, and surf goods, lifestyle apparel, and accessories for the site and other Backcountry ODAT sites that focus on different market segments.
“ODAT is not an overstock thing,” says WhiskeyMililtia’s PR Rep Marit Fischer of Base Camp Communications. “They sell only top-line products, which are programmed to change frequently so there’s very limited exposure. The aggressive pricing gets people to pay attention, and actually gets customers to experience brands that they otherwise may not have ever tried. It’s great marketing for the brands.”
It’s also very effective for Backcountry.com’s core sites, which have higher margins. “Backcountry has found that WhiskeyMilitia drives traffic back to Dogfunk (the company’s boardsports store) so they actually promote sales for the company overall,” continues Fischer.
WhiskeyMilitia was launched in April, 2007 and went from napkin sketch to operational in less than a month, and has seen solid growth ever since. “On day one we had 9 unique visitors, on day two we had 12, on day three we had 2,180, on day four we had almost 4,000,” says Backcountry’s ODAT Brand Manager Luke Cudney. “You get the idea. Traffic and sales growth have been insane ever since with no signs of slowing down. We currently get about 60,000-70,000 unique visitors to the site every day.”
Given the model, margins are very thin on these products, but the traffic and related benefits are huge for both Backcountry and manufacturers. “We work with some vendors pre-season, planning buys in advance so they can raise their minimum production runs, get a better price, and then hold that surplus inventory for us until it’s off-season,” says Cudney. “We take a lot of the risk out of pre-season forecasting for vendors, because now they have a place to unload that extra inventory quickly without losing money or damaging brand integrity. We’re not a closeout shop in the traditional sense. When we move product it goes to the right customer and it’s a blip on the radar. It’s not gathering dust on the shelves of a clearance shop, watering down the market, or killing the vendors’ brands by getting sold to some kooks at TJ MAXX.”
Backcountry.com ODAT brand manager Luke Cudney.
Whiskey focuses on up-to-date, solid product to keep up its image and keep people coming back like crack fiends. “Our buyers are out there securing the best proddy,” says Cudney. “They don’t buy for any other sites and they know the core market. If the product is whack and not a fit for the market, we won’t bother bringing it in.”
Transworld Business attempted to contact several manufacturers that work with WhiskeyMilitia but none of them had any comment about the site.
The business model for Backcountry’s ODAT sites is actually heavily based on WOOT!, an online emporium that sells one heavily discounted item at a time. “Before we launched these two sites, we didn’t see anything else, besides Woot!, like them out there,” says Cudney. However, since the launch of Backountry’s ODAT sites, competition from retailers like Summit Sports, Inc. through TheDailySteal.com and Sierra Trading Post has been growing. “We’re now seeing a lot of competitors cropping up trying to bite the biz–which we take as a huge compliment.”
Here’s the remainder of the numbers WhiskeyMilita’s press release contained:
Fastest-selling Units
• Jan. 4, 2008 – Burton P1 Snowboard Binding – sold one unit every 7.53 seconds (154 units sold, $12,010 in gross sales)
• Apr. 4, 2008 – Volcom Men’s Coyote Short-Sleeve Polo Shirt – sold one unit every 9.71 seconds (529 units sold, $7,401 in gross sales)
Biggest Discount, by Percentage
• May 4, 2007 – Nixon Ticket Watch – 83% off retail (sold 313 units, customer savings of $52,093)
• Mar. 6, 2008 – Gravis Arrow Duffel Bag – 80% off retail (sold 186 units, customer savings of $11,897)
Biggest Discount, By Dollar Amount
• Dec. 3, 2007 – Burton Lancaster Down Jacket – price: $246.83, down from $882, a savings of $635 (sold 23 units, customer savings of $14,609)
• Dec.18, 2007 – Surftech Yater Hot Dog Surfboard - 7 ft. 2 in. – price: $419.99, down from $747, a savings of $327 (sold 6 units, customer savings of $1,962)
Units that Generated the Most Money
• Jan. 8, 2008 – 686 Smarty Uzi Snowboard Jacket - Men’s – generated $24,969 in gross sales in 156 minutes
• Dec. 17, 2007 – Technine Split Snowboard with MFM Combo Binding Package – generated $19,799 in gross sales in 140 minutes
To check out the site go to whiskeymilitia.com
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June 4th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
I admit I’m one of the crack fiends you talk about in here, but I think this site is pretty crappy for retailers out there. Maybe the manufacturers didn’t want to talk to you about this because it’s basically a way for them to dump overstock, oversaturate the market, and basically slam their biggest partners in the game?
June 4th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
it helps if you spell the URL correctly, no offense
June 4th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Aren’t these guys owned by Trinity Media that owns QVC? Talk about core. What’s next Jake Burton on QVC selling Customs for 4 easy payments?
June 4th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Interesting - it’s actually Liberty Media, which does own QVC. They bought backcountry.com in May of ‘07.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:02 am
Fantastic….the anti-christ of the mechanics of pricing and how it effects sustainability. Thanks Backcountry for making as many consumers as you possibly can have incredibly warped perceptions on price, and value. I have been a devout consumer of your’s for a long time. Now that I know the games you play, I say goodbye.
June 5th, 2008 at 7:17 am
you guys are making it so everyone wants to buy it off price. soon no one will buy volcom full pop or what not. I see you guys with things that are current selling still full pop on other sites and 60% off on yours. You are flooding the market and destroying the full price current season sales.
June 5th, 2008 at 7:35 am
You’re complaining about getting discounts on current-season items?! You must be a retailer lol.
June 5th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Lame: Retailers on generic hard/soft goods for expert buyers (who know what they want) need to get with the times. If you can’t offer superior service to justify the full retail price you will die in the market. Many people (myself included) are isck of walking into ‘core’ shops and getting attitude from the loser shop rats that think they are pro riders (and don’t know squat about the product). I’d rather not pay full retail to support that garbage.
If you are a retail shop, you better compete on top notch service or you will be out of business shortly to online retailers.
June 5th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I couldn’t have said it better JoeBlow. At first I couldn’t understand what the hate of the original commentors was about, but the more I thought about it I realized they must be retailers.
It’s funny because brick-n-mortar retailers had similar complaints when internet retailers first popped up. ?They are stealing our market. They are ?cheating? us by stealing our customers.? Instead of seeing opportunity, they saw defeat. Instead of recognizing the inevitability of this change in the market place, they fought against it and struggled to maintain their archaic business model. Years later, there is plenty of research to indicate that online retail shops actually STIMULATE sales in brick stores. The truth is that more people go online to research a product but prefer to still buy it in a store. If you look at brick stores? sales trends without the influence of ecommerce, they are nearly flat over the past few years. If you factor in people who purchase offline after researching online, there is a healthy growth that happens in offline shops. Many of those shops still don?t see the benefit of online stores. They are those ?core? shops that make everyone who shops there feel uncomfortable ? not cool enough?to shop there.
I would bet that the introduction of sites like Whiskey Militia will also have a long term positive effect on the market. These types of shops aren?t catering to people who want a specific item, because you can?t pick and choose. You take what you can get. They cater to impulse buyers. That?s a different customer mindset than one that enters a brick OR a click shop. The advantage that I see for traditional shops, is the exposure of brands to people who might not otherwise buy them. Say you introduce some kid to a brand or product they wouldn?t otherwise buy, but it was such a good deal, they couldn?t pass it up. Then they realize, hey this sh!t is pretty tight. Now they will actively seek these products or brands in traditional retail environments. The Whiskey site has created a new customer for traditional retail.
I struggle with the idea of any shop/site having the power to ?flood? the market. That?s the vendors? jobs to control how much is made. If the kids want volcom, they are gonna buy volcom. Volcom in particular is a brand that touts its customers uniqueness yet the irony is they all want Volcom. They all want the >Same Thing<. They are followers. They want to wear what their friends are wearing. Selling a bunch of volcom really fast on Whiskey can?t realistically reduce demand of volcom anywhere else. Can it? Once it?s sold out on whiskey it won?t come back right? So then you?re left wanting to get it from a retail shop. At least?that?s my impression.
June 5th, 2008 at 9:54 am
This whole thing is simple:
Board riders; have been replaced by board members.
Greedy publicly held manufacturers pressured by the motto; “Grow grow grow!” “Margins, margins, margins”
Loose distribution to retailers who have no place being in the industry;and who don’t back the lifestyle.
It has become a joke;with a money hungry; sell out philosophy.
Bring back the sole of action sports.
Long term success to manufacturers who keep their sales channels clean; who remember who and what this industry was founded on………lifestyle..the exact opposite of where it is now.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I love that quote, it could easily be any of the public companies mantra.
“So & So Corp, committed to replacing board rider’s with board members!”
June 5th, 2008 at 11:08 am
uh, thats s-o-u-l, soul, Joe Sideliner…
June 5th, 2008 at 11:12 am
That is all you got?
A typo?
Almost worth the trouble.
June 5th, 2008 at 11:13 am
i agree - this type of sale is kinda kooky - will it really impact the core audience? actually the REALLY core audience gets everything bro-form anyway…
after 20+ years of riding - the last thing I want to do is roll into a “core” shop and get the ‘tude - I usually just laugh and walk right out. I try to support my local retailers in many aspects of my retail purchases, but I would say the attitude factor is really getting ramped up and a MAJOR turnoff.
June 5th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Attitude behind the counter is a side track.
That is an internal retailer management problem.
Any good retailer is going to nip that BS in the bud!
I am referring only to “where the industry is at” now.
June 5th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Agreed on the attitude thing. I support one core shop in my town because the owner is awesome and supports local events, plus there is no stupid bro-core attitude. I buy softgoods there and get service work done all the time. For the other shops with lame core attitude, I want to walk in and try on goggles/helmets/boots etc. then buy them online just to spite them (but I haven’t, yet).
June 5th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
yeah well, then there are no good retailers in my NW town full of riders…
I agree with you - this is a fucked way to sell - we’re on the same page
June 5th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I recently bought shoes from that place. I figured they sold over stocked items. Because most of their stuff is wack. But sometimes you get a gold nugget. The shoes i bought cost 22 dollars the TNT 2 Neck face edition. Theres good deals out there for people who cant afford 50+ dollar shoes. That site is good and bad. Depending on where your coming from.
June 5th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
right - this is where I’m at but it seems to get worse each season w/ the new crop of fekken retard groms - but this will impact sales - it comes up in conversation when I ride and hang w/ friends - now soon when I need shit for my kids to get rolling, guess where i’m not gonna drop a small fortune? not my local retailer w/ the sh!t attitude and no service…
June 5th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
my business is the same way - grow grow grow, or die - OR offer the BEST customer service and thrive w/ high pricepoints…
June 5th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
I still don’t get it Joe Sideliner?…how is selling something at almost no margin selling out to the corpo goons? or selling out the core lifestyle? That’s archaic reactionary logic. Do you wish the boardsports industry to revert to it’s days when everyone scraped for meat from one tiny bone? When snowboarding was banned at 99% of resorts? What’s the benefit there for anyone other than the selfish haters who want to keep others down so they can look big?
I think a site like this just stimulates impulse shopping, and it offers stuff that peeps otherwise can’t afford…so more than other shops, it seems to be giving something back to the community and supporting the “lifestyle” that you’re talking about. It’s not vibing anyone. It’s not pricing itself out of the “core” boarder market. Why doesn’t it belong in the industry? How does it not back the lifestyle?
And have you read some of the copy on Whiskey Militia? That sh!t is funny man. It hardly seems like it’s run by a bunch of suits.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
uhm that comment above:
“still don?t get it Joe Sideliner??how is selling something at almost no margin selling out to the corpo goons? or selling out the core lifestyle?…”
is from me - not anonymous
June 5th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
If you are intimidated going into a cool shop with trendy employees, why not buy some of their trendy clothing and you won’t be intimidated.
June 6th, 2008 at 10:47 am
FYI, its much more complicated than simply “a way for them to dump overstock, oversaturate the market, and basically slam their biggest partners in the game”.
Often times, the inventory that ends up on WM is inventory that was sent back by the very vendors that are our “biggest partners”. They couldn’t or wouldn’t sell it and can strong arm their manufacturers to take it back. So, it is a reality of business that this product needs to go somewhere. And better here than TJ Maxx, etc.
I don’t really pay attention to everything they are selling on WM, but, the product for sale from our brand is NEVER current season product. We would never allow current items to be discounted like that, and if they were and we found out, there would be serious hell to pay by Backcountry. Not sure about the products from Burton, Volcom, etc.
As far as oversaturating the market, I am completely missing your point on that one. The quantities available on WM are small–ie. take Burton’s down jacket (23) or the Surf Tech boards (6!). Doesn’t look like saturation to me.
June 6th, 2008 at 11:34 am
tude giving shop guy
What you wrote doesn’t even make sense. Intimidation is not the issue. The “Wanna Be Pro” attitude is the issue at many Shops.
June 6th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
If I was making 8 bucks an hour at one of those shops I might have some ” tude” as well. bad joke…
June 8th, 2008 at 7:33 am
Most kids dont pay attention to current season gear or last seasons gear. They see price. They buy that volcom shirt or jeans or what ever at marshalls, TJ Max, then come into your core, mom and pop store with the “tude” and spout off ‘man i got this volcom shirt for 12 buck down the street at Marshalls” as they look at your 20 dollar shirts. No wonder some shops employees get tudes.. there tired of the pretentious shopper that has no idea what there thrifty shopping does to the local board shop. Of course we are in the south, the land of the walmart mentality….cheap cheap and cheaper. haha i should move..
June 9th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Hell Ya For WHISKEY MILITIA!!!
These Guys Save Me So Much Money And Every Tells Me I’m The Sickest Kid On The Block.
June 11th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
ha, ha
June 19th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
shrinkus, I completely agree with you!
BTW, I was one of those “9 unique” visitors on the first day whiskeymilitia.com opened. I’d came by from SAC. SAC, which by the way, had already been running for a few years and was excellent.
People say, why don’t you support the core-shops this, brick-and-mortar that. Well I say I’d now prefer to shop online because (1) I don’t want some a–hole employee staring at me in the store because they don’t like the way I look. (2) I’m tired of getting garbage service from the 29 y/o idiot who works there who doesn’t even know what custom service/interaction is. And (3), a lot of the store priced stuff is too inflated for what I think its worth. With that being said, the internet shops aren’t necessarily dirt cheap compared to a brick and mortar store. But many times being able to snag a great item, at a great price, knowing that it’s only available for a dew hours at a time, is much more enjoyable than driving 1 hr to the mall just to find out they don’t even have what you want and/or get treated by some chump with an attitude. In addition, by being online and shopping there, I can conveniently research product info and comparable prices in mere moments; I don’t need to drive to a store to only find out they still charge full price for a product that was last season. Plus, why should I pay them full price when their service doesn’t even warrant it?
In addition, it’s an enjoyment shopping online and receiving a sweet parcel a few weeks or days later. (Note: The SAC and WM goods have always been well packaged in my experience.) This is one of the main reasons I shop online more than I shop brick-and-mortar. Of course, getting great deals online is just a sweet, but legit bonus.
Good luck to all you angry core shops. You’ve done nothing to improve your service, but instead, have made excuses and bitched and moaned how online stores have taken your business. The truth is, no one has taken your business away. It’s just that the online experience (at least mine) has been much more enjoyable than seeing your goateed a– face staring me down at the store because I don’t look core enough, and therefore you didn’t give a crap about as a long term potential client.
July 22nd, 2008 at 11:15 am
Tude giving shop guy. In my local town (C.B.) There is a shop that has a punch of pro ho’s and wanna be cool guys who cant pop a back 5 if they wanted to. Once you get through the bull you find chill ass people. It sucks that employees can ruin the vibe for a shop. As far as to the haters on W.M.. I personally think this is a much better oppurtunity for both the retailers and manufacturers than black market diverted product. I know some shops who are trying to get ahold on this for South America.
August 18th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Take care of your customers, because if you don’t someone else will.
I made my first purchase from Backcountry.com in December of 2005. I wanted an Oakley Fire Lens for my crowbar goggles. I made the rounds around Salt Lake City; Salty Peaks, Milo, Technique, Surface, Marine Products, etc…
Not one of those shops had them and only Salty Peaks made the effort to call Oakley to see if one could be special ordered. I then ventured online and typed Oakley Fire lens into google and Backcountry.com popped up.
I called them to verify that they actually had it in stock as the guys at Salty told me it was sold out and they couldn’t get any until the fall. I consider myself an Oakley buff and tested the employee on the other end and he def. knew what he was talking about.
I then proceeded to ask for a discount and was told by the employee that due to their vendor agreement with Oakley, they couldn’t discount the lens, but would upgrade me to UPS Ground shipping for free.
The package was on my doorstep the very next afternoon. This experience led me to continue shopping with Backcountry and I love using their live help service. You can have a conversation with someone that is just as into snowboarding as you are. I read this stuff about them not being core and owned by Liberty etc… The people I’ve dealt with are 100 X more into riding then any of the shop guys locally.
And they are honest to boot, if you get an employee that isn’t a snowboarder they will tell you and transfer you to someone who is. You get to have a conversation without feeling pressure to buy, or stupid for not knowing something about a product.
I still get more board tuned and by accessories and the occasional item you can’t find online (Burton Coalition, Ride DFC, etc…) But after multiple poor experiences locally, I do the majority of my gear shopping online.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
serious, anyone working at shop in slc is into snowboarding. You can’t get a job at one unless you do. When do backcountry employees ride, on their lunch break.
Its a bummer so many people are intimidated by specialty stores. I think once a conversation is started they can really help people get on the product, or “proddy” as wm says. So many people make bad decisions from these discount site. Just cause you get a big discount doesn’t make it the right product from you. Like the vapor , it for those idiots driving ferrari’s. They can’t rev it up.
Its sad people are caught up in the discount.
Its a losing situation for everyone
August 18th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
I worked for Backcountry.com for over 3 years. I now do not work for them anymore. It is very true that they are monetarily driven. This was not always the case. I worked for them when they were the Mom and Pop online retailer that was kicking everyone’s butt because they were not publicly traded and it was all privately owned. The service was grassroots, and if you had a good online experience it was a good chance back in the day that I helped you. Then last year, they sold to Liberty Media who owns QVC and Match.com. It changed the whole structure inside and the lust for power began. They are all about making the bottom line, which before it was about the end user. I know business is about gains and losses, but it was truly amazing to see before the buy out, the ownership pitching in during our busy time, and being hands on with the crew. It made you proud to work there. Pride in your workplace is essential. I never was in love with a job like I was at Backcountry.com. But that has all changed now, and the infrastructure is corrupt, boards not the owners are making all the decisions now, and employee’s do not feel like family now and they feel like they an expendable statistic. I am very happy to have worked there when we were a core group of Gearheads, people who actually use the gear that was in the store that we sold. Whenever you steer everything in one direction and you drive the market in a certain way, no one wins. Because if you always have to discount, how can your’s or anyone else’s business grow for that matter. It will be up to the companies selling these items to sites like Steep and Cheap and Whiskeymilitia to squash these kinds of retail trends to protect market share for all of their clients or it will have a trickle down effect. I will never forget the good times of how it was to be there back in the good old days, but I am also glad that I dont have to be a part of this new monster anymore. Remember, what goes up, must come down.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:50 am
Wow, you sound a little bitter… or jealous. Apparently you didn’t read the full article above, because there’s a whole section that talks about how items selling on WhiskeyMilitia are sold in limited quantities. If WM was selling 10,000’s of each product, you’d never see those dreaded red “SOLD OUT” icons (visible under the various sizes/colors of the item) just minutes after a new product was posted. Everyone jumps on the posted product as fast as possible because THEY KNOW THEY SELL FAST! And ohh yeah, I don’t recall ever seeing in-season product selling on WhiskeyMilitia… perhaps thats because it’s never in-season product. And even if it was, the limited quantities being sold are so small that they can’t really hurt demand for the product. Please, lame… I beg you. Show us one example of WM hurting anyone else’s in-season business.
P.S. Obama is a tax & spend socialist. Please educate & inform yourselves!
August 19th, 2008 at 12:56 am
Thank God for free-market capitalism! Competition is what makes all the different retailers step up their game. Like the previous example of the brick-&-mortar stores complaining about the new wave of online retailers… If the brick-and-mortar shops want to stay successful, they need to figure out a way to compete with the online shops . Sure enough, most shops have added an online store as well, which is more convenient for the consumer and it increases that shops exposure.
August 19th, 2008 at 1:10 am
Umm, yeah… you said “they were the Mom and Pop online retailer that was kicking everyone?s butt because they were not publicly traded and it was all privately owned.”
I seriously doubt that backcountry was successful because “they were not publicly traded and it was all privately owned.” Thats absurd. WTF does that have to do with anything? The bottom line is this: if backcountry.com didn’t provide amazing service and products, and a complete experience, then they would be just another mediocre online retailer that would soon become extinct. I’m sick and tired of you anti-capitalist know-nothings who just regurgitate their trendy anti-business, anti-profit “opinions.” Please, tell me… why is profit such a horrible thing? If corporate America didn’t profit from what they provide or sell, there would be no reason to be in business. Profit & growth ensure that jobs continue to be created and that retailers can continue to innovate and invent and bring new ideas to the marketplace. Do yourself a favor and inform yourself, and try to look at the BIG picture and the cause-and-effect before you spew your liberal nonsense.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:34 am
If you don’t like is Joe, then make a better business model and beat backcountry in sales. If this business idea was a bad one then they wouldn’t constantly make profit and crush goals when other retailers are dying because of our this so called “recession.” If they weren’t making money then they wouldn’t do it and if your “core” companies didn’t believe in them or their idea then they wouldn’t sell to backcountry in the first place. That’s common business sense.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:52 am
Thank you Capitalist pig, thank you.
There’s no reason to be in business if it’s not for money. Backcountry sells everything (excluding semi annual sales and random 10-15% offs) at retail price on their main sites like backcountry.com and dogfunk.com. If a customer didn’t get amazing customer service or gear advice then they would be complete idiots to shop there over and over again.
It’s kind of the opposite as far as price goes, but similar in idea, to shopping at Wal-Mart. Customers shop at Wal-Mart because they value lowest (or lower) prices over customer service. This is true when buying sheets, or a bag of chips. However, the value is reversed when buying higher end outdoor gear. Customers value the price, sure, but once they know they can trust a retailer’s word (backcountry has a 100% return policy) then they will value customer service and the quality of gear a more than finding the lowest price.
Buying a car from CarMax is another great example…
August 19th, 2008 at 8:36 am
I think “Guy who has…” hit the mark on his comment. It’s Backcountry.com’s customer service and company culture that propels them above the rest. Yes, they have great deals too, but I believe that having a positive buying experience also weighs heavily on a customer’s mind - getting real-time answers to product questions, a product review, hassle-free shipping, and a killer return policy. Backcountry truly does support its employees who live and breathe the gear they sell (yes, before and/or after work). This culture of first-hand product knowledge sets this online retailer apart from the rest. Why go to the local shop when you can get an even better customer experience through this site ALL while saving gas, time, and money?
August 19th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Neither Technique nor Surface carried Oakley back in 2005, but it’s sweet you found your lens on Backcountry. Good job!
August 19th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Backcountry is successful because of selection and service. There’s no competing with them unless you can come up with that combination. There’s also no faulting them for having a successful business model.
It’ll be interesting to see how things shake out over the next few years as sites like Zappos begin offering more and more of the goods we all like.
August 19th, 2008 at 11:52 am
So,
I’ve been reading everyone’s comments on here and would like to give everyone a perspective from someone that has worked for Backcountry for the last 2 years.
The majority of the people that work in our customer service department are former shop employees at “core” shops all around the country. Most of them absolutely loved their jobs but got tired of the hours and crummy pay that you experience working in a shop.
Everyone has their specialties and loves to be in the outdoors. Someone asked where BC employees ride on their lunch break. Those in our Park City office ride at the Canyons, Park City & Deer Valley daily as we have free transferable passes that everyone can use. Our employees in Salt Lake also have use of those passes and those that are passionate and want to ride/ski as much as possible have schedules where they either work early and leave or ride in the am and work the evening shift. We have a lot of employees that ride 75+ days a season and still work 40 hours a week.
I know who I R Pizzdaff is and can confirm that he/she did work for Backcountry but that is all I will say about them. I have to completely disagree with that user’s statement, I haven’t noticed a negative difference in how the company operates on a daily basis since the merger.
-We have been infused with a revenue stream to provide our customers with a more efficient warehouse that gets orders out faster because of them.
-We’ve been able to hire more passionate employees at better wages because of them.
-We’ve been able to expand our offices, opened new locations and offer work from home programs for employees because of them.
-Our Health/Dental Insurance benefits have been improved greatly because of them.
-Our employees benefit from a employee demo closet that has tons of gear to try for free and become knowledgeable about.
-Everyone has a voice, no matter where you are in the company, and some amazing ideas have come from our internal suggestion box.
Jim and John are still in the office on a daily basis running things like they always have.
I worked for 3 different Snowboard Shops before joining Backcountry in 2006. I love working for this company and want to keep growing with them as they are not a typical online retailer.
August 19th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
that’s pretty much it.
August 19th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Haha! I know that guy!
August 21st, 2008 at 8:08 am
I like that ” the majority ride” That means alot don’t. But thats the web biz. A bunch of posers, hiding behind a screen. I think the funny thing about this company is you either pay full pop, or you get it for free. One of the biggest problems with this online biz is most of these people buying online can’t mount their set up properly. In turn it doesn’t work that well and they quit riding. Why else is the retention rate so bad. Its really amazing how many people have mounted their set ups wrong. Whenever I am in the lift line I check it out and its a major problem. Probably not to noticeable in slc, but go to tahoe and other places and its bad. Its a shame.
August 24th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
This is pretty cut and dry really. Either you like them or you don’t.
No one cares about going corporate, no one cares about grassroots. Simple business model is and always has been customer service and value. There will always be someone who has been “chaffed” by the big bad corporate monster and someone who got “blunted” by the grassroots.
Freewill is your power. If you don’t like them, go else where. If you like them, utilize them. I can talk sh!t on anything and anyone, and in the same respect, i can give “mad props” for the same opposite reasons.
Opinions are like @$$ cracks, pick your own and run with it.
August 25th, 2008 at 5:13 am
This is pretty cut and dry really. Either you like them or you don?t.
No one cares about going corporate, no one cares about grassroots. Simple business model is and always has been customer service and value. There will always be someone who has been ?chaffed? by the big bad corporate monster and someone who got ?blunted? by the grassroots.
Freewill is your power. If you don?t like them, go else where. If you like them, utilize them. I can talk sh!t on anything and anyone, and in the same respect, i can give ?mad props? for the same opposite reasons.
Opinions are like @$$ cracks, pick your own and run with it.
August 25th, 2008 at 7:43 am
thats cold “slaw”
I’d say the industry is on crack with all the wacked out choices being made. Are these people really educated. I think they were all on the high school debate team, and justify their actions with those skills. I mean really!
August 25th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Word!
September 4th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Word Word!
September 4th, 2008 at 10:57 am
This is true, Whiskey doesn’t saturate the market–it expands the market. Many Whiskey customers would be considered financially precluded ‘noncustomers’ by traditional shops (even online).
Some poor kid out there is getting his first snowboard, bindings, and boots, or his first set of cool clothes which might even lead to him getting laid… and some ignorant, (having no business savvy) loser, (having a skinny weiner) shop owner is going to complain about market saturation? Lucky for him the market expansion created by whiskey will actually benefit him despite his pissing and moaning.
Rock on Whiskey!
February 11th, 2009 at 8:25 am
My butt smells
November 7th, 2009 at 1:15 am
I've loved Whiskey for a long time now and have bought a bunch of stuff off of them. Ive found a few other sites pull on the same chords… but none that really stand up as much as one that just launched. Check it out if you get a chance and you love Whiskey and what they sell. http://www.Selloutz.com Hope you enjoy!
November 7th, 2009 at 1:49 am
The entire family of Backcountry sites are just sick! Killer deals, awesome customer service… you can't really ask for much more. Other than more sites like them, right?!? Check out http://www.Selloutz.com Hope you enjoy!