Outdoor Retailer trade show debuts in Minneapolis

Catch up quick: For decades, “OR” has been the golden opportunity for outdoor gear-makers to convince retailers to carry their products.

• The show decamped for Minneapolis after a bumpy final few years in its longtime home, Salt Lake City, where major names like REI and Patagonia led a boycott of the show over Utah’s conservation policies.

State of play: Some 275 exhibitors are setting up booths at the Minneapolis Convention Center, and 550 retail buyers are expected, Explore Minnesota said in a statement.

Between the lines: It’s a smaller and shorter show — just three days — than it was a decade ago, when there were roughly 1,000 exhibitors in Salt Lake; or two decades ago, when the biggest brands erected three-story booths.

• Outdoor Retailer group show director Matthew Mathiasen tells Axios the smaller footprint is meant to elevate the “emerging” and “mid-tier brands that are currently killing it, but need that next next push,” he said.

The big picture: The smaller convention reflects the upended economics of the outdoor industry, which has a long history of catering to the most avid consumers buying lots of high-priced, specialized gear.

• But as the post-pandemic boom in outdoor spending wears off, retailers now want to reach a more casual consumer: “She wants a good pair of hiking shoes that she might use three to four times a year,” as Mathiasen put it.

What’s happening: OR was drawn to Minneapolis because of its central location, but also hopes to put the state’s outdoor culture on display.

• OR attendees can attend hiking, trail running, paddling and orienteering excursions in Theodore Wirth Park on Thursday and Friday.

What we’re watching: Local powerhouse Target is among the retailers expected to send buyers to the event.