Did you hear?… SNEWS® 2006 Retailer Survey benefits non-profits

This year’s SNEWS® Outdoor Retail Survey did more than simply benefit the industry by giving specialty retailers a voice that most manufacturers listen very carefully to regarding what is and isn’t working in the industry. The survey also provided funding to select non-profits.

Thanks to a check-box option at the end of the survey, retailers had the opportunity to instruct SNEWS® to donate $25 for each fully completed survey to the Conservation Alliance, the Access Fund, American Whitewater or the Outdoor Industry Foundation.

As a result, SNEWS® was pleased to be able to forward checks this week totaling $1,250 — $350 to the Conservation Alliance, $425 to the Access Fund, $200 to American Whitewater, and $275 to Outdoor Industry Foundation. In addition, because of the donation to OIF, Outdoor Retailer will match the funds, meaning OIF will receive $550.

“What makes these donations so meaningful for us, is that retailers were given a choice: Take a discount off a renewal subscription for their time filling out our survey, or pay full price for their SNEWS® renewal and sign away the discount they would have otherwise received in exchange for us sending money to a select list of non-profits,” said Michael Hodgson, president of SNEWS®.

“On the downside, too many retailers who completed the survey still did not select an option at all, and that’s leaving money on the table. We’re going to be working with our retail friends and our non-profit partners to ensure we get 100-percent participation in future years,” added Hodgson.