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Can an outdoor brand unseat Samsonite as frequent fliers’ preferred carry-on? Yeti’s trying to find out—it added new duffel bags and backpacks to its portfolio last week.
Yeti’s journey: The brand’s 2006 launch line-up—luxury, vacuum-insulated coolers and tumblers—mostly catered to outdoor enthusiasts. They’ve remained core customers, but Yeti has eyed expansion for several years.
- In 2017, it introduced duffels targeted at both its superfans and travelers in need of tougher bags.
- Bags and luggage make sense for Yeti, because its customers often travel to reach their outdoorsy destinations, CEO Matt Reintjes told Fortune.
Quality ➡️ quantity: Yeti’s influence has only grown during the pandemic. Late last year, it crossed $1 billion in annual sales for the first time.
- In other firsts, more than half (53%) of the company’s revenue came from its DTC channel, with a boost from Amazon.
The takeaway: Yeti likely anticipates people can’t wait to travel once lockdown measures are eased. Competition will be fierce, as luggage brands like SteamLine have the same idea.