Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Welcomes Backcountry Essentials as a Retail Member
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Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is pleased to announce that Backcountry Essentials has joined our organization as a Retail Member.
Backcountry Essentials (BCE) is Bellingham Washington’s outdoor specialty shop. Their primary focus is to cater to the outdoor community, specifically: climbers, backcountry skiers, hikers, campers, kayakers, and people who enjoy the culture of the Northwest and Bellingham. Backcountry Essentials began with the intention of being a gathering place for the local outdoor community. Their business philosophy recognizes that, while they have to sell a certain amount of gear to remain open, they ideally want to be a resource and meeting place where people can find out the latest information on trails, routes, and conditions, swap stories about where they have been, or learn about the pros and cons of the “latest and greatest” in gear. Since they love to test gear, they can give any customer the “real dirt” on everything they sell – how functional it is, how well it holds up, and how it compares to other products in its category.
Roanne Miller, President of Grassroots, shared why BCE is such a great addition to the Grassroots membership, “Backcountry Essentials has proudly helped sponsor events to benefit local environmental, conservation, education, and recreational groups such as Conservation Northwest, Whatcom Land Trust, the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center, and ASAP(Alpine Safety Awareness Program). They have also worked with business marketing students from WWU as they applied theoretical principles to real situations.”
“Their dedication to great customer service and expertise while helping local youth groups, hosting seminars and classes on avalanche safety show their obvious commitment to their community. They are a natural fit for Grassroots.”
Chris Gerston, co-owner of BCE had this to say about joining Grassroots, “Backcountry Essentials is very excited about joining Grassroots. I’m particularly interested in learning from all the people who have been doing this retail thing so well for so long. This will be a great opportunity for us to grow.”
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance unites 47 independent outdoor retailers with nearly 100 doors, as a strong voice to protect and promote the experience of outdoor enthusiasts across the United States. To learn more about Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, visit our website at www.grassrootsoutdoors.com
