Backcountry’s Bold Pivot: Loyalty, Acquisitions, and Retail Growth
4/27/202640 min
This episode of Outdoor Unfiltered dives deep into the shifting landscape of tariffs and retail strategy.
Host Eoin Comerford breaks down why the White House pivoted on IEEPA tariffs, offering a guide for brands to claim their share of the potential $166 billion in refunds through the CBP’s CAPE portal. We also celebrate Lowa’s record-breaking 2025 sales and growth in the trail running sector.
The headliner features Kevin Lenau, President of Backcountry, who reveals the strategic transformation of the outdoor e-commerce giant since its acquisition by CSC Generation. From the launch of the Summit Club+ loyalty program and a new digital ad network with AllGear, to the acquisitions of Level Nine Sports, VeloTech, and CoalaTree, Kevin shares how Backcountry is prioritizing "pursuits" like bike, climb, and ski to win in a competitive market.
Topics and Timecodes:
0:00 – Introduction Host Eoin Comerford introduces the episode’s agenda: Trump’s pivot on tariffs, Lowa’s record year, and an exclusive interview with Backcountry President Kevin Lenau.
0:44 – The Tariff Turnaround Analysis of the administration’s decision to accept a court order to refund IEEPA tariffs and what it means for outdoor brands.
3:20 – How to Claim Your Refund A practical walkthrough of the CAPE (Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries) portal and the 60-to-90-day refund window.
6:17 – Lowa’s Record Success Celebrating Lowa’s 242 million Euro year and their 5% increase in shoe sales despite a tough retail climate.
8:18 – Interview: Kevin Lenau on the "New" Backcountry Kevin Lenau discusses the "post-COVID whiplash," inventory management, and the transition following the CSC Generation acquisition.
13:17 – Pricing Strategy: E-commerce vs. Brick and Mortar A look at the pressures of Google PLA and why the "sales cadence" online differs from physical stores.
15:05 – The Summit Club+ Loyalty Program Kevin breaks down the 10% cash-back model, the $50 annual fee, and how it compares to competitors like REI.
19:28 – Building a Digital Ad Network Backcountry’s partnership with AllGear and the focus on "native" brand advertising for tourism and high-end gear.
21:18 – Strategic Acquisitions: Level Nine Sports, VeloTech, & KoaTree The rationale behind buying specialized retailers to bolster Backcountry’s authority in skiing, cycling, and sustainable apparel.
28:09 – The Garage Brand Incubator How Backcountry is helping emerging brands through streamlined onboarding and marketing support.
30:58 – The Future of Physical Retail and Private Brands Why Backcountry is focusing on "experiential retail" and the evolution of the Backcountry Gear & Apparel line.
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Outdoor Unfiltered is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsEoin Comerford· Host0:01
Welcome to Outdoor Unfiltered. Today, we'll be covering why Trump is changing his tune on tariff refunds, some good news from Lowa, and then later in the show, I'll be joined by Kevin Lanau, the new president of Backcountry, to talk about changes at the online outdoor behemoth since its acquisition by CSC Generations in September of '24. This is Outdoor Unfiltered, where we dig beyond the PR speak to see what's really going on in the outdoor industry, not just what happened, but why it happened and why it matters. I am Owen Comerford, a former CEO, advisor to outdoor brands, and consigliere to The Rock Fight. Okay, let's get into it. So a couple of months ago, on the very first episode of this pod, I talked about the Supreme Court striking down the IEEPA tariffs, and I laid out what I thought was going to happen next. Based on quotes from our pugilistic president that we'll end up being in court for the next five years, I predicted that refunds were gonna be slow, messy, and, and that most brands were probably gonna end up selling their claims to financial firms at sixty to eighty cents on the dollar rather than wait years in court. Then last week, the administration quietly accepted a court order to refund the money. No appeal, no five-year court battle, just here's a portal, submit your claim, you'll get