against us. Access to recreation is getting more and more difficult and because of this, a lot of people don't even try to get out and paddle or backpack anymore. The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is doing a great job of organizing our industry nationally, but locally there are some major challenges for retailers. While these external trends are tough and require some long-term strategies, the internal challenges are much more immediate. We are facing a rapidly changing online retail environment that is impacting outdoor shops more than ever before. Customer acquisition costs are too high and margins are too low for smaller, local retailers to really compete online anymore. Some brands are protecting their online distribution as carefully as they protect their brick-and-mortar distribution, but there are still many out there that are basically allowing anyone to sell their products online. It's sad to see some brands brag about limiting their distribution when it comes to big box sporting goods stores but have dozens of third-party resellers driving prices down online What can reps do to create better relationships with retailers? It's simple. Show up. Just spending time in the store helps cement relationships with staff and it helps us understand our retailers' customers. What can retailers do better to get the most out of their reps? Ask for help. Our brands give us a wide variety of tools to help with marketing. Retailers understand their market and customers better than anyone and they can put these tools to better use at a local level than a marketing team that is focused on the national or global picture. How do you live the brands you rep? What do you get out and use that you rep? I actually use every brand I rep. I try to run five to six days a week, and Hoka Speedgoats or Bondis are always on my feet with Drymax socks. Hüma and Picky Bars are always in my pack for longer runs. Backpacking was my gateway sport into the outdoors and today I'm always carrying a Granite Gear Crown2. Any last words of advice for retailers looking to succeed in the current outdoor industry climate? Tastes and trends are changing faster than ever. Your top-selling brand this season may not even get a full turn next season. Keep your eyes open and try something new. O.R. RORY BOSIO ENDURANCE RUNNER FREE YOUR RUN WITH TRUE WIRELESS MUSIC True Wireless Sport Headphones SECURE-FIT | SWEAT-PROOF | CUSTOM SOUND JAYBIRDSPORT.COMhttp://www.JAYBIRDSPORT.COM http://www.JAYBIRDSPORT.COM