SNEWS® LLC and FabricLink enter partnership

SNEWS® LLC — parent company of SNEWS® (www.outsidebusinessjournal.com), GearTrends® magazines, and GearTrends.com — has entered into a partnership agreement with FabricLink (www.FabricLink.com) — an innovative online educational resource and communication link developed for the textile/apparel/retail industry and its consumers.

“It is an ideal partnership,” says Michael Hodgson, co-publisher of SNEWS and GearTrends. “We’re considered the best source of trade news and information for the outdoor and fitness industries, and FabricLink has established itself as the leading source of information specific to fabrics, mills, manufacturers and fiber producers.”

FabricLink.com, a site that sees more than 70,000 unique visitors each month, provides education and information for retailers and consumers to help them make the best and correct choice for their needs when purchasing textile products. In addition, FabricLink’s Technical Center (www.TheTechnicalCenter.com) was recently launched as an industry resource for new product developments and trends.

In addition to prominent co-branding through the placement of logos with links throughout the GearTrends.com, FabricLink.com and SNEWSnet.com sites, FabricLink and GearTrends will co-brand a “Manufacturers Connection” feature in FabricLink.com. This feature will contain groupings of manufacturers by sport, with direct links to the GearTrends Retail Directory and links to the GearTrends Buying Guides and SNEWS Product Reviews. Manufacturers will be listed under each sport along with their product categories with a link from each featured manufacturer’s name to that manufacturer’s GearTrends company page.

“By creating the ‘Manufacturers Connection,’ visitors to our site will be able to quickly access the excellent product and buying information on GearTrends,” says Kathy Swantko, co-founder and president of FabricLink. “Our consumers have also been asking us to also provide links to retailers where they can buy the products we talk about, and now we’ll be able to point them directly to the GearTrends Retail Directory.”

To assist users of GearTrends.com in finding essential fabric and materials information, Hodgson said GearTrends will provide links from supplier pages in GearTrends as well as links from manufacturer product pages highlighting fabric information directly to FabricLink.com pages.

“No one does a better job of providing or presenting fabric technology and trends information than FabricLink,” said Hodgson. “So by providing quick and easy access from GearTrends to FabricLink, we’re meeting the information needs of our retailers and consumers in the best way possible when fabric questions need answering.”

In addition to co-branding, information support, and the co-development of special fabric information and trends pages in GearTrends magazines, the two companies have established programs that will provide benefits for suppliers who participate as members and advertisers in both GearTrends and FabricLink.

“FabricLink and GearTrends are a perfect match,” said Swantko. “As we blend and interweave our content together, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and consumers of the outdoor, adventure and fitness industries will have unique access to the product knowledge, current trends, and timely articles they’re looking for.”