Who is Grassroots?

Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is a cohesive community of independent outdoor specialty retailers and brands that drives evolution within the outdoor industry.

104 retailers strong, we build relationships with each other, and our vendor partners, through ideas, insights, shared data, exclusive buying opportunities, education, and a passion for creating memorable experiences for outdoor enthusiasts.

Most importantly, we are a collaborative team, a thriving community, influencers in the industry, and a united voice as stewards of honorable business and preservation of the environment we all enjoy. 

Our Mission

We act as a catalyst for the success of Grassroots retailers and brands. We advocate for specialty, independent retail within our industry. We foster education and community, and influence the outdoor industry to maximize the opportunities for outdoor specialty businesses.

Why Does Grassroots Matter?

Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is about building relationships. And there are some big benefits to that. Our networks create a community of trustworthy peers collaborating and functioning together to support each other and the outdoor industry. From retailers and marketers to vendors, sales reps, and buyers; being part of our network is a key perk to working with us. Find out how you can be part of our alliance.

It Matters to Retailers

Grassroots is an example of  the strength that comes through collaboration and trust. If you’re interested in contributing to the collective knowledge of our 98 specialty retailers, and you’re excited about benefitting from best practices and shared data, then you may be the right fit for our organization.
 

it matters to Vendors

Our vendor partners are passionate about specialty retailers, understanding that they are key to a healthy outdoor industry. The collaborative nature of Grassroots helps our vendors understand how to best serve our intimate community of retailers with profitable, mutually beneficial programs and processes developed through their 1% contribution to the group.

Why we matter to Reps

Participation in Grassroots can give sales reps a national understanding of the state of specialty, and access to information that is only available through our organization. We are just starting to build out our programs that support reps, as guided by our member stores who feel strongly that great sales representation is a big part their success.
 

Grassroots Connect

With insight from both our retail members and vendor partners, we’ve simplified the typical tradeshow, and created Connect- a streamlined, invitation-only, buying show for the specialty outdoor industry.

Scheduled as early as possible in the buying cycle, Connect provides a highly-efficient opportunity for retailers, reps and vendors to present, discuss, plan and collect pre-season orders. Cost-effective and collaborative, Connect is an incubator and testing ground for ideas and product innovations, and its community atmosphere is suited for building relationships or finding a new climbing partner.

Invited retailers receive a per attendee reimbursement to offset their travel costs. To request a retailer or vendor invitation, please visit our Grassroots Connect site.