Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2017 - 48

Feature .02

"We
create a
shopping
experience
that
celebrates
the active
outdoor
lifestyle
with the
goal of
championing the
environmental
causes
our customers
treasure."

WHATWISDOM WOULD YOU IMPART ON SOMEONE OPENING A SPECIALTY OUTDOOR RETAIL SHOP TODAY?
To those considering opening a specialty outdoor retail
shop, I would recommend reflecting on what draws you to
the industry. There are great days, filled with laughter and
excitement as someone returns from a trip of a lifetime and
your shop is one of the first return stops they make. However,
there are many hard days. Unfortunately, we are living in
the age of the 'low-price game.' Some brands and retailers
are just trying to make a quick buck, which cheapens our
industry that was built on quality. Instead, I encourage you
to seek out the companies that are still trying to do business the right way. Rather than compete against you, they
work with you, enforcing their pricing and offering retailer
support. They value the hard work put into making a great
product and creating a respectable brand. At the end of the
day their goals are in line with yours-to create a quality
outdoor experience for your customers that helps connect
them with the world.

-Chuck Millsaps

CRAFTYVETS
Both Chuck Millsaps
(left) and Ed McAlister
(right) have been in the
outdoor retail business
since the 1980s.

Chuck Millsaps
▼

Current Title: The bank refers to me as "President" but I
prefer Minister of Culture
Store Name: Great Outdoor Provision Co.
Location: North Carolina and Virginia
Founded: 1972

WHAT WAS THE GENESIS OF YOUR SHOP?
Our roots as a business go back to 1972, but our DNA
can be traced back to the boyhood of our founder, Tom
Valone. The outdoor life influenced Tom at an early age
and it inspired him to launch his own outdoor shop from
120 square feet in the back of a bicycle shop in Carrboro,
North Carolina, with a stack of Svea 123's, a rounder of
Mountain House Turkey Tetrazzini, and a broken size
run of Pevetta Muir Trail boots. It was fun, with lots of

48 OUTDOOR RETAILER

/ Summer 2017

interesting customers going on far out trips, really cool
gear, and Christmas every morning when the UPS man
brought new inventory to the store.

HOW DID YOU COME TO OWN THE PLACE?
The outdoors gets inside your blood at an early age and fortunately never fades. My summers in college were spent
working in Yellowstone. After graduation, I took a position
with GOPC in 1985. Over the past 30 years, I've had the opportunity to work in several positions alongside so many
talented staff, many who are still with us, including my three
colleagues Molly, Bill, and Travis, with whom I now share
ownership in the company.
WHAT MAKES YOUR SHOP UNIQUE? WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE
HERE RATHER THAN ONLINE OR TO A BIG BOX?
Our staff. Our managers have been with us an average of
18-plus years and they do a fabulous job of hiring folks who
love introducing others to the outdoors. We create a shopping experience that celebrates the active outdoor lifestyle
with the goal of championing the environmental causes our
customers treasure. We want to serve as an exponent of the
community as it takes care of the open space that provides
the playground as we use the gear. Because of this mission,
our shop is often abuzz with trail groups, Scout events, film
screenings, and local musicians. The atmosphere is one that
welcomes all, knowing that a shared passion for the outdoors makes a community stronger.
WHAT POSSIBILITIES DO YOU SEE FOR POSITIVE
GROWTH MOVING FORWARD?
Over the past four years, we have been encouraged by the
dramatic growth of our GetHiking! program. We have
nearly 5,000 folks that share in this experience across
North Carolina and Virginia. Getting outside with our
customers allows us to extend that relationship into the
recreational areas that we hope to protect for future generations. We are also experimenting with technology.
Though we do not sell online, we want to provide our customers with access to our staff and resources. Our most recent project is a widget that will allow boat customers the
ability to set up an appointment in the shop with specific
staff who are experts in their area of their interest. So the
kayak fishing customer can be assured that he will engage
with the best resource when he comes in the shop and that
our time will be fully committed to his experience. People's
lives are busy. We want to provide a solution to make their
use of time more valuable.
WHATWISDOM WOULD YOU IMPART ON SOMEONE OPENING A SPECIALTY OUTDOOR RETAIL SHOP TODAY?
Think about your most rewarding backpacking trip or
multi-day paddle. That trip probably didn't go as planned
and neither will this.

Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2017

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