INSIDERUP FRONT × OR ForecastVersatile shoesfrom Timberlandand Bornpercent set. We’re looking for the 20 percent wewant to play around with now,” he said.Talking StrategySeveral retailers said that finding new brands orcategories at OR will be a priority, in large part tohelp differentiate their stores from the <strong>com</strong>petition.“It’s really important that we set ourselvesapart from the big-box stores. People <strong>com</strong>e to usfor something new that they don’t find anywhereelse,” said Cindy Cast, footwear buyer and storemanager for The Base Camp, which has locationsin Helena and Billings, Mont.Cast said she normally sets aside at least halfan hour each day at the show to look for newproduct, even if it means shopping carefully.“One of my big restrictions is the space in theback room,” she said. “But I’m excited about findingsomething new.”It’s also a priority for MountainChalet’s Foster. “If we findone new vendor, that can make thewhole trip worthwhile,” he said.Anthony Clark, footwear buyer forBackcountry.<strong>com</strong>, said that recent site additionssuch as Jambu for women and Clarks formen have been strong performers. At the show,he plans to check out African-made casual brandOliberté, “The Oliberté stuff is interesting to me,”he said. “And it has an amazing story behind it.”And at City Sports, the buying team is keepingits options open, said footwear manager BrianTrask. “It’s not that we’re going with a ton ofopen to buy,” he said, “but we are going in with aton of open to listen.”While newness is a priority, retailers also aretweaking their strategies in other ways. Great OutdoorProvision Co.’s Zarins said his store has hadsuccess by breaking the habit of always orderingwomen’s and men’s versions of the same shoes tofocus on the best products for each assortment.Backcountry.<strong>com</strong>’s Clark said the unpredictabilityof winter weather has pushed the site toplace smaller, more-frequent orders. “By doingan order every month, we can touch all our producton a [more frequent] basis,” he said.Trend ReportFrom casual looks to hiking boots to color, buyersexpect to see several dominant trends this week.Retailers said the casual category has been agrowth opportunity in the past few seasons, andthey plan to ramp up the mix for fall ’13.“We’ve greatly expanded our casual assortmentover the last two years, and we’re focused[now] on growing a couple of lines that have beenreally good for us,” said The Base Camp’s Cast.“We want to go deep and broad, adding a fewsmall lines.”Backcountry.<strong>com</strong> brought on Clarks andBorn for fall ’12, two brands that have generatedimpressive sales. The site is looking for a few allweatherstyles to round out its offering.“We want to beef up the boot category stuffand the casual shoes that allow us to sell yearround,because the consumer can use it for dailywear,” Clark said.After two winters with disappointing snowfall,Midwest Mountaineering’s Dahlberg saidhiking styles have a new prominence in thewinter mix. “[We’ve seen] hiking boots pick up.[Consumers] will buy them and use them for amild winter,” he said.City Sports footwear buyer Greg Zuckermansaid the chain will up its focus on the hiking category.“Given the mild winter, for fall ’13, we seean opportunity in the multipurpose boot — theall-around hiking boot that can also be used as a<strong>com</strong>muter style.”Color also will be on the minds of buyers, echoingthe trend’s strength in the athletic market.“[A variety of ] color has be<strong>com</strong>e more importantfor women, and we’ve expanded the numberof colors we carry,” said Cast, adding that TheBase Camp already brought in some early springMerrell product in blue, port and purples, andhas seen strong response. “People are happy tosee a little better choice,” she said. “They’re justnot as afraid as they used to be.”<strong>Footwear</strong> Industry Eagerly Awaits Tariff Bill Passageby wayne niemiLOS ANGELES — The footwearindustry — and outdoor players inparticular — are closely watchingWashington, D.C.Congress has yet to pass the MiscellaneousTariff Bill (MTB), whichexpired at the end of the year andreduced import tariff rates on thousandsof products, including shoes.The result is that tariffs on somefootwear are now as high as 37.5percent. In all, 15 existing tariff billswere up for extension, eight of whichdirectly impact the outdoor industry— specifically waterproof footwear,among other constructions.<strong>Footwear</strong> lobbyists said the billhas bipartisan support so passage isall but guaranteed, but when exactlyit will be passed is unknown. Thelast time the MTB was allowed toexpire was in 2009. It eventually wasrenewed with retroactive effect, butwasn’t passed until August 2010.“The MTB got caught up in thefiscal cliff negotiations, but we wentover the tariff cliff,” said Nate Herman,VP of international trade atthe American Apparel & <strong>Footwear</strong>Association.Alex Boian, senior director ofgovernment affairs at the OutdoorIndustry Association, said for thetime being, vendors and retailers areabsorbing the cost increase, bankingon the fact that the bill will beenacted retroactively.Still, the bill’s retroactivity is not acertainty, he added. “I encourage ourmembers to plan conservatively andplan on paying these duties duringthe first half of the year [until the billis passed] — and don’t plan on it beingretroactive,” Boian said.Herman noted that while thebill has broad support, a number ofpressing issues in Congress are likelyto take precedence, making the bill’spassage unlikely prior to summer.“[Coming up in February andMarch, we have] the next fiscal cliff,[plus] the government only hasappropriations through the end ofMarch, and we have the debt ceiling,”he said. “So we’re in a situation whereit’s going to be very hard to get thespace to discuss the MTB for the firstquarter of 2013.”Matt Priest, president of the<strong>Footwear</strong> Distributors & Retailersof America, said he had hopes to addan additional 37 bills to the MTB toreduce import tariffs. However, thesenew bills don’t have the support of theObama administration and are seenas an obstacle to talks regarding theTrans-Pacific Partnership.Still, given the numerous productsand industries involved in the bills’passage, Priest said he is confident the15 bills up for renewal will pass. “It’s apopular bill,” he said. “It impacts everycongressional district. It’s prettyclose to a sure thing.”PHOTO: GEORGE CHiNSEE4 | | JANUARY 21, 2013FN0121P03,04.indd 4011720131915121/17/13 7:14 PM
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