Tag Archives: Susan Viscon

Posted on by

REI recognized top vendor partners during the 2018 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market trade show

NEMO, NRS, Osprey and Oboz recognized for their leadership and innovation

DENVER, 2018-Jan-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — Each day, leading outdoor retailer REI offers top gear and apparel from thousands of established and up-and-coming outdoor brands. During the 2018 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market trade show this week, REI recognized vendor partners who have made a significant impact to the co-op’s mission with its Vendor Partner of the Year awards. This year, the co-op also recognized the second winner of the REI Root award, which celebrates industry-leading sustainable product design.

REI Vendor Partner of the Year Awards
NEMO Equipment, headquartered in Dover, New Hampshire, received the co-op’s overarching Vendor Partner of the Year award.
“With products like the Stargaze™ Recliner, NEMO continues to bring innovative product design to the outdoor industry,” said Susan Viscon, REI senior vice president, merchandising. “Not only did NEMO have one of the most popular products on the shelf in 2017, they kept up with increased customer demand and showed amazing leadership throughout our partnership.”

The following vendor partners were also named divisional winners for the year:

  • Action sports: NRS (Moscow, Idaho)
  • Outdoor wear: Oboz (Bozeman, Montana)
  • Camp/travel: Osprey (Cortez, Colorado)

The Vendor Partner of the Year awards program was established by REI in 1993. Each year, companies are nominated by the co-op’s three merchandising divisions – camp/climb, Action sports and outdoor wear – for partnering with REI to meet customer needs, raise the bar for product quality and drive sustainable business practices.

REI Root Award
The co-op’s Root Award was created in 2016 to celebrate the gritty, below-the-surface determination that drives sustainability innovation in the outdoor industry.

This year, REI recognized the La Sportiva Mythos Eco climbing shoe for its use of 95 percent pre-and post-consumer recycled materials (including the sole, laces and webbing) and its reduced impacts in manufacturing (including metal-free leather tanning and water-based adhesives). In addition, the Mythos Eco can be re-soled, allowing customers to use them for an extended period of time.

“The Root Award honors outdoor products that break down barriers and move the industry toward more sustainable ways of making gear,” says Alex Thompson, REI brand stewardship and impact vice president. “La Sportiva has shown it’s possible to make a climbing shoe almost entirely of recycled materials, and to use a lower-impact process for manufacturing leather, all while maintaining excellent performance and durability.”

About the REI Co-op
REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation’s largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of more than 16 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 152 stores in 36 states. If you can’t visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI.com/rei-garage.com or the free REI shopping app. REI isn’t just about gear. You can take the trip of a lifetime with REI Adventures, a global leader in active adventure travel that runs more than 170 custom-designed itineraries worldwide. The REI Outdoor School is run by professionally-trained, expert-instructors who teach beginner-to advanced-level courses about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to—and steward—the outdoor places that inspire us all.

Media Requests:

For more information or to request an interview, please contact REI Public Affairs at
(253) 395-5958, prrequests@rei.com

Source: REI

Posted on by

REI launched a comprehensive effort to advance gender equity in the outdoors

  • Long-range effort will advance gender equity outdoors
  • Women will be front and center in REI storytelling for rest of 2017
  • $1M will support nonprofits that create opportunities for women in the outdoors

SEATTLE, 2017-Apr-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Outdoor co-op REI today (03.30.2017) launched a comprehensive effort to advance gender equity in the outdoors, encouraging millions of its members to embrace the outdoors as “the world’s largest level playing field.” From gear to experiences and from nonprofit partnerships to powerful women-first storytelling, Force of Nature aims to ensure that women are just as inspired and equipped as men to embrace life outside. Force of Nature features four components: a comprehensive effort to change the male-dominated imagery of people in the outdoors; a $1 million commitment in 2017 to support nonprofits that create opportunities for women in the outdoors; a stepped-up effort to develop and offer high-quality technical gear and apparel for women; and the launch of over 1,000 events designed for women, beginning May 6.

Force of Nature is a public-facing effort that builds on nearly eight decades of REI work to create more access to the outdoors for women. The co-op has a balanced leadership team. Women hold more than 40 percent of senior leadership roles, including the current chief financial officer, chief information officer, and the heads of human resources, merchandising and strategy. One third of the REI board of directors are women.

Current CEO Jerry Stritzke, who succeeded previous CEO Sally Jewell, has publicly led the effort to advance women’s leadership across the outdoor industry. One of his first acts as CEO was to launch a five-year, $1.5 million effort with Camber Outdoors that sparked women’s innovation and leadership in the outdoor industry.

REI board chair, Cheryl Scott, said:

“The leaders of REI have been pushing to change the way things are done in the outdoor industry since I got on the board 12 years ago. This moment makes me proud to serve REI because it’s not about putting women above men – it’s about creating equal opportunity and levelling-up in areas where there are still obvious gaps. I hope millions of REI members will embrace this because more balance outdoors means our kids, our families and our society will benefit.”

REI president and CEO, Jerry Stritzke, said:

“At REI, we believe a life outdoors is a life well lived for all. That means we support equality from the backcountry to the boardroom. As a man and a CEO, I believe it is important for every leader in an organization, regardless of gender, to champion equality and we are doing the hard work here at REI to make that happen. This isn’t about elevating one group above another or pivoting REI to serve one gender over another. This is about ensuring women are just as inspired and equipped as men to embrace life outside. Everyone should expect to get the same level of expert service, gear and experiences, and we need to get better as an industry at doing that.”

REI senior vice president of merchandising and board chair of Camber Outdoors, Susan Viscon, said:

“Strong women leaders have helped REI thrive since 1938. Force of Nature is rooted in that proud heritage. We’re taking an even harder run at ensuring women have access to the same high-end gear men do, which I’m particularly proud of. That’s been a consistent part of my mission here at the co-op ever since I joined 20 years ago, and it’s inspiring to see how our vendor partners have stepped up.”

Today, REI also published a national study commissioned to better understand the role the outdoors plays in women’s lives and how the outdoors is perceived today. The study revealed that 7 out of 10 women believe that women are under more pressure to conform than men, and that they also view the outdoors as an antidote to that pressure. Additionally, the study found that more than 85 percent of women see the outdoors as key to better physical and mental health, and overall well-being, and 73 percent say they would like to spend more time outdoors.

Changing the Male-Dominated Imagery of People Outdoors
The co-op has committed to putting women first and foremost in all of its storytelling for the remainder of 2017. The effort will “take over” REI’s digital marketing, social media content and media partnerships, and storytelling across member communications, REI Adventures, Outdoor School, REI Adventure Projects and internal communications. REI will host a film festival this fall focused on women in the outdoors, and partnered with Outside magazine to help them create their first ever all-women’s issue, due on newsstands April 11.

$1M to Support Community Organizations that Create Opportunities for Women Outdoors
As part of its annual commitment to create access to the outdoors for all, the co-op will invest over $1 million in community organizations that create more opportunities for women and girls to get outside in 2017. Roughly $500,000 will support organizations such as Camber Outdoors, GirlTrek and the YMCA’s BOLD/GOLD initiative. REI also unveiled a new $500,000 fund, available through an open call submission process, for additional organizations that create opportunity for women and girls in the outdoors. Up to $300,000 of this fund will be fueled by a custom-designed bandana, an artist collaborative T-shirt and member-exclusive REI Flash pack.

Outfitting Women for Outdoor Adventure
REI will continue to work with its partners to elevate and invest in companies that are creating the world’s best outdoor gear for women. For decades, REI has pushed the outdoor industry to put the “pink-it-and-shrink-it” philosophy aside and offer high performance women-specific outdoor gear. Women-specific product has improved dramatically, but in certain product categories, there remains a gap between the quality of high end men’s and women’s gear available. Several brands have stepped up as partners with an increased focus on world class women’s gear, particularly in women-specific fit and assortment, including Osprey, GHOST, Oiselle, Arc’teryx, Terry, Oboz, Darn Tough, Outdoor Research and prAna.

Over 1,000 Events Designed to Get Women Outside
Beginning today, REI opened registration to hundreds of REI Outdoor School classes and experiences across the country designed for women. On May 6, the co-op will offer a full day of Force of Nature experiences and programs hosted by its Outdoor School’s expert instructors and community partners. These events will continue throughout the summer, with more than 1,000 events, many of them happening weekly on “Force Wednesdays” in select markets.

The co-op will also host three REI Outessa retreats at breathtaking mountain settings. These immersive, three-day outdoor adventures enable women to find their outdoor community, do what they love and try something new in the country’s most beautiful outdoor playgrounds. Retreats are scheduled at Kirkwood Mountain Resort in California from July 14-16, Mt. Hood in Oregon from August 18-20 and Waterville Valley Resort in New Hampshire from September 22-24.

REI Adventures has also launched a collection of 19 Women’s Adventures in Africa, Europe, Latin America, New Zealand and North America. These extraordinary journeys are designed specifically for all-women groups and led by female guides.

About REI
REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation’s largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of more than 16 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 147 stores in 36 states. If you can’t visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI.com/REI-Garage or the free REI shopping app. REI isn’t just about gear. You can take the trip of a lifetime with REI Adventures, a global leader in active adventure travel that runs 170 custom-designed itineraries on every continent. REI’s Outdoor School is run by professionally-trained, expert-instructors who teach beginner- to advanced-level courses about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to–and steward–the outdoor places that inspire us.

Contact:

REI Public Affairs
(253) 395-5958
prrequests@rei.com

Source: REI

Posted on by

REI announces its second REI Outessa retreats — a three-day outdoor adventures designed to connect women with the outdoors

Three summer events in California, Oregon and New Hampshire

SEATTLE, 2017-Feb-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — REI, the outdoor co-op and national specialty retailer, announced its 2017 REI Outessa retreats with three immersive, three-day outdoor adventures designed to connect women with the outdoors in a supportive learning environment. Now in its second year, the getaways are filled with activities and inspiration, offer access to coveted gear and products, serve up great food and wine, and create the environment for making new friends and lasting memories. Registration is now open at www.REI.com/Outessa.

“Whether you are an experienced outdoors person or someone who’s thinking about trying new activities, Outessa is about getting away from it all and reconnecting with the outdoors,” said Susan Viscon, REI senior vice president of merchandising and board member of Camber Outdoors. “We heard some amazing stories from participants last year and we are expanding the retreats in 2017. This fun environment is designed by – and for – a supportive community of women who like adventure.”

More than 20 of REI Outdoor School’s top female instructors will partner with leading outdoor brands to host a full range of adventures, including hiking, trail running, mountain biking, rock climbing, trail photography, paddle boarding, kayaking, climbing, yoga, backpacking, wilderness survival training, outdoor cooking and more.

Registration for REI Outessa is $799 per person, which includes classes led by REI’s professional guides, use of on-site gear, chef-prepared meals, wine and beer, evening entertainment, inspirational speakers, and a goodie bag packed with products and gear.

2017 REI Outessa events will be held at three breathtaking mountain playgrounds. Destinations were chosen for their inspirational alpine environments, sweeping views, pristine lake, and adventure-ready terrain with miles of trails for running, hiking and mountain biking. Each offer resort hospitality and proximity to major airports, making travel easy for participants. The dates and locations are:

  • July 14-16: Kirkwood Mountain Resort in Kirkwood, California near South Lake Tahoe
  • August 18-20: Mt. Hood Skibowl in Government Camp, Oregon and 12 miles from the Mt. Hood National Forest
  • September 22-24: Waterville Valley Resort in Waterville, New Hampshire in the White Mountain National Forest

Customized Retreats
REI Outessa attendees will customize their weekend from start to finish. They will choose accommodations from three options: resort rooms or condos; “fancy camp” deluxe camping with fully-outfitted canvas tents, amenities and a concierge; and DIY camping at Camp REI, where guests bring their own gear. Participants will also select their daily schedules from more than 200 activities based on personal interests, outdoor goals and skill levels.

Each morning, women will start their day with a full breakfast before heading out on the trail, crag or water for small group adventures. Evenings are filled with chef-prepared meals and fire-side relaxation complete with s’mores, wine and beer, inspirational speakers, and conversations that reflect on the day.

“Last year, REI Outessa was a transformational experience for hundreds of women. Together with our brand partners, we helped women tap into an emotional and profound connection to the outdoors,” said Sally Johnson, the events manager for REI who helped create the Outessa series. “The beauty of these weekends is that every women discovers something about herself – physical or emotional. Women leave with a supportive tribe to draw boundless inspiration and encouragement from and a new appreciation for living a life outside.”

REI will again be joined by more than 20 companies that represent some of the best outdoor brands and lifestyle products. Major sponsors include Big Agnes, Hydro Flask, Igloo, KEEN, Leatherman, Nuun, OluKai, Osprey, Petzl, Pro Bar and Salomon. Every company at the three-day weekend will engage with participants through experiences, product samples and brand ambassadors who share their passion for the outdoors.

To learn more about the retreats and locations of the epic weekends, visit www.REI.com/Outessa.

About REI
REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation’s largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of more than 6 million active members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 149 stores in 36 states. If you can’t visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI-Garage.com or the free REI shopping app. REI isn’t just about gear. You can take the trip of a lifetime with REI Adventures, a global leader in active adventure travel that runs 170 custom-designed itineraries on every continent. REI’s Outdoor School is run by professionally-trained, expert-instructors who teach beginner- to advanced-level courses about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to–and steward–the outdoor places that inspire us.

Contact:
REI Public Affairs
(253) 395-5958
prrequests@rei.com

Source: REI

Posted on by

REI announces Vendor Partner of the Year awards recipients and the inaugural winner of the REI Root award

Brooks, GHOST, Oboz, Petzl and Columbia recognized for their exceptional contributions 

SALT LAKE CITY, 2017-Jan-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — Each day, leading outdoor retailer REI offers top gear and apparel from thousands of established and up-and-coming outdoor brands. During the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market trade show, REI recognized vendor partners who have made a significant impact to the co-op’s mission with its Vendor Partner of the Year awards. This year, the co-op also recognized the inaugural winner of the REI Root award, which celebrates industry-leading sustainable product design.

REI Vendor Partner of the Year Awards
Brooks, headquartered in Seattle, Wash., received the co-op’s overarching Vendor Partner of the Year award for its partnership to consistently provide best-in-class product, superior customer service and support across the co-op’s many programs.

“Brooks’ partnership with the co-op stood out all year. Their efforts to support and collaborate with REI’s teams consistently went above our expectations,” said Susan Viscon, REI’s senior vice president of Merchandising. “Its commitment to the co-op is evident throughout the organization; whether visiting our store teams for training clinics or events, or partnering with us on larger integrated marketing campaigns like OptOutside, Brooks’ partnership is second to none.”

The following vendor partners were also named divisional winners for the year:

  • Actionsports: GHOST-Bikes GmbH (Waldsassen, Germany) in partnership with Accell North America (Kent, Wash.)
  • Outdoorwear: Oboz (Bozeman, Mont.)
  • Camp/Climb: Petzl (Salt Lake City)

The Vendor Partner of the Year awards program was established by REI in 1993. Each year, companies are nominated by the co-op’s three merchandising divisions – Camp/Climb, Actionsports and Outdoorwear – for partnering with REI to meet customer needs, raise the bar for product quality and drive sustainable business practices.

REI Root Award
The co-op’s Root Award was created in 2016 to celebrate the gritty, below-the-surface determination that drives sustainability innovation in the outdoor industry. This year, REI recognized the Columbia OutDry Extreme ECO Jacket, a high performance, waterproof, breathable jacket made without perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) or dyes. The OutDry Extreme ECO is made from 21 recycled plastic bottles and is a bluesign® certified product, further lowering the jacket’s scientifically measured environmental footprint. To learn more about the OutDry Extreme ECO story, please visit http://blog.columbia.com/preview-outdry-extreme-eco/.

“Sustainability is a core value for REI and our members. We have a unique opportunity to recognize sustainable product breakthroughs and to scale how these breakthroughs impact the broader outdoor industry,” said Vik Sahney, REI’s divisional vice president of Sustainability. “We applaud Columbia for taking a scientific life-cycle based approach to designing a classic outdoor product—the rain shell—and creating a breakthrough in sustainability performance.”

About REI
REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation’s largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of more than 6 million active members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and   outstanding customer service. REI has 149 stores in 36 states. If you can’t visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI.com/REI-Garage or the free REI shopping app. REI isn’t just about gear. You can take the trip of a lifetime with REI Adventures, a global leader in active adventure travel that runs 170 custom-designed itineraries on every continent. REI’s Outdoor School is run by professionally-trained, expert-instructors who teach beginner- to advanced-level courses about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to–and steward–the outdoor places that inspire us.

Contact:
REI Public Affairs
(253) 395-5958
prrequests@rei.com

Source: REI