Walmart and Moosejaw lines aim to encourage diversity and inclusivity
Walmart and Moosejaw have teamed up on a line of outdoor apparel and equipment aimed at addressing “key barriers that stand in the way of more inclusive backpacking participation – price, intimidation, and exposure”.
Together, the companies have launched Lithic and Allforth, brands intended to provide enthusiast-grade products with approachable pricing, supported by beginner backpacking content and easily understood product descriptions.
Allforth is an outdoor apparel brand with technical hiking shirts, trousers and shorts in regular and extended sizes, while Lithic offers backpacking equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, packs and cookware.
In a message posted to social media, Eoin Comerford, general manager of outdoor at Walmart eCommerce and CEO of Moosejaw, explained why addressing barriers matters:
“First, price is an issue because of the huge gulf that exists between mass market gear and specialty gear. For example, the average sleeping bag sold on Walmart.com is $23. On Moosejaw.com it’s $181. That’s a pretty big step for people to take – especially those new to the outdoors.
“Second, many car campers are intimidated by the idea of going out into the outdoors far from a store or potential help. Also, prospective backpackers may be intimidated by the technical jargon frequently associated with backpacking gear or even walking into a backpacking store.
“Third, car campers are typically not exposed to backpacking where they buy their gear — big box sporting goods stores or mass merchants like Walmart.” Hiking and backpacking have historically been the pastimes of “the same ethnicity, gender and demographic”; however, he pointed out, non-white active camper householders increased from 12% of the total in 2012 to 31% in 2018 and, also in 2018, people of color made up 51% of new campers.
“It is our responsibility as an industry to find ways to welcome and nurture these new participants,” Mr Comerford wrote, “so they stay long into the future”.
The launch of these brands is not about “taking a sliver of the current outdoor industry pie,” he wrote; “it’s about growing the pie for everyone in the industry”.
New customers, he said, will eventually move on to more specialty products.
“Our industry will not grow without attracting a more diverse customer base, and diversity will not happen without inclusivity. Our step is just one of many that we must take as an industry to be more inclusive to people of all ethnicities, genders, sizes and economic backgrounds.”
