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[interview]:
sherpa adv. gear
[launch]:
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[research]:
backbone media
has big ideas
[cover story]:
what's up
with down?
[collections]:
new from prana
putting the "style" in lifestyle
16
[showroom]:
A LOOK AT KEY FW'14
COLLECTIONS
23
34 // JANUARY 2014 // OUTDOOR USA MAGAZINE
Cover Story:
BY JOSEPH GOMEZ
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The rising price of goose and duck down is fueling the birth of new technologies
In the outdoor industry, we revere down for
its unmatched warmth-to-weight ratio, com-
fort and durability, but our infatuation with
down insulation is a complex relationship, of-
ten bitter sweet. As most are aware, down has
a technical Achilles Heel. It loses its insulative
properties when wet, which is why synthetic
alternatives were developed and are typically
preferred in environments where there is a lot
of moisture.
Only in the last couple of years has the
outdoor industry seen a rise in hydrophobic
treated down, as well as more recent hybrid-
synthetic blends, which often claim the best
of both worlds. These technologies are hitting
the market at a time when the price of down
is increasing year-over-year. As the discussion
at the retail level shifts from just weight and
ll power to nano-coatings, number of washes
and dry rates, Outdoor USA Magazine reached
out to suppliers, brands and retailers to nd
out whats up with down. It turns out, its a lot
more than just price. But, price is a good place
to start.
THE MORE YOU EAT
In 2012 the Wall Street Journal reported that
in the world of obscure commodities, down is
the new up. The play on words is a reference
to the steadily increasing price of goose and
duck down, a trend that continues today.
The rise in price is a matter of macroeco-
nomics. Down is a natural insulation that
comes from the under plumage of ducks and
geese; therefore, down supply is tied to the
consumption of ducks and geese. Duck and
goose meat is more typical of Asian and Euro-
pean diets, and as countries develop, diets can
shift toward other meats like pork and beef,
which offsets the harvesting of foul. There are
also other unforeseen variables that affect
supply such as a bird u that hit Asia last year.
Additionally, down supply is limited even
further due to ethical constraints. Practices like
live plucking and force feeding are deemed in-
humane in many cultures, and companies are
taking measures to ensure their down is har-
vested responsibly. Naturally, this all comes at
a cost, which is reected in the price tag of
down products at retail.
Meanwhile, as supply is constrained, de-
mand for down has grown considerably, de-
spite having slowed more recently as the
market responds to price. Daniel Uretsky, COO
at Allied Down and Feathera down distribu-
tor out of Vernon, Calif.explained that in the
past years the outdoor and apparel market
surpassed the home furniture and bedding
market as the largest users of down, with the
outdoor industry being the largest consumer
of goose down.
In my opinion new styles and more fash-
ionable garments are whats contributing to
the increased usage and broader appeal of
down in apparel, especially in the outdoors.
Before, you had these big puffy jackets that
werent always so attering, and now we have
much thinner, sportier styles that utilize higher
ll powers, said Uretsky.
Uretskys perspective consists with the
growth of down garments in the high-end
fashion world. Brands like Montclair, Canada
Goose and Fjallraven are penetrating that
market with styles more typical of the outdoor
industry. And while it is arguable that the out-
door industry itself is selling more down prod-
ucts typical of fashion and lifestyle apparel, we
are also seeing a new emphasis on down in-
novation that is more in line with the technical
heritage of the outdoors.
THE ROYAL TREATMENT
Since Eddie Bauer patented the rst down
jacket in 1940, the classic insulation has gone
relatively unchanged, and why should it? No
manmade alternative can match Mother Na-
tures design. However, in the outdoor industry
there are a series of market forces that are
prompting innovation. The strongest is likely
the increase in the price of down. For example,
several retailers told us that a hydrophobic
technology story or a commitment to fair trade
and animal rights helps justify the higher pric-
es of down products to the consumer.
About three years ago, I would say treated
down wasnt even part of the discussion, said
Uretsky. Its something weve offered long be-
fore it made its debut at Outdoor Retailer, but it
was never in high demand until now.
While treated down only makes up ten per-
cent of Allieds total distribution, that number
has gone from almost zero to ten in just three
years. In fact, the company has increased its
capacity for treated down in anticipation of
continual growth.
We upgraded our home facility here, and
we just nished constructing a new facility in
China, said Uretsky. Those developments
include extra designated capacity for treating
down. While the chemical treatment itself isnt
costly, the time and labor adds to the equa-
tion. We didnt want that to offset our regular
production.
Also increasing capacity for 2014 is Down-
Tek, one of the premiere hydrophobic down
technologies in the outdoor industry. DownTek
is a brand of Ohio-based distributor Down D-
cor, and Outdoor USA Magazine reached out to
President Daniel Guigui to get an idea of how
consumers are adopting the technology now
that it has been on the market for a couple of
years.
Guigui told us that DownTek is announcing
Eddie Bauer as a new partner for 2014, which
is kind of interesting seeing as Eddie Bauer
patented the rst untreated down jacket. Oth-
er brands using DownTek for 2014 include Big
Agnes, Go Lite, LL Bean, Mountain Hardwear,
Nemo, Stio, Brooks Range, EMS, Khatmandu
and Salewa.
We develop the processing equipment for
treating down, and we are expanding capac-
ity here and at our partner factories in Asia.
Right now, 60-70 percent of what we supply is
treated down, and the remainder is untreated,
said Guigui.
As far as marketplace adoption, he claimed
that sell-through for the DownTek brand was
better than expected and that many of its
products are sold out. He also
noted that the bigger players
are embracing treated down,
citing Marmots Down De-
fender technology as an ex-
ample that is already on the
market.
Guigui also afrmed what
retailers had been telling us
about the conversation on
the sales oor. One of the
things weve seen is a sig-
nicant added value that is
helping to mitigate the in-
crease in price, he said.
BLENDING OR DILUTING?
One of the hottest topics at the 2014 Out-
door Retailer Winter Show is down-synthetic
blends and hybrid constructions. Both Allied
and DownTek are working on hybrid products,
and brands are following suit.
Its a beautiful story; the comfort and weight
of down combined with the water resistant/
quick drying properties of polyester to create
the ultimate insulation. This may be the direc-
tion we are heading, but for now hybrids seem
to be much more a function of price.
At some point, the market rejects the price
increase. Its cyclical, said Uretsky. The
brands are saying we cant control the price of
a natural resource, so lets nd an alternative
thats more predictable, which is why we at Al-
lied are working on products to ll that need.
He mentioned that Allied is looking to do a
blend of down and synthetic that is within the
loft and separate from the fabric. The problem
he hopes to solve is the clumping and dead
spots that can form in the bafe as synthetic
and down bers intertwine over time.
The beauty of down is uniformity, he said.
What were trying to do is source the proper
ber that when mixed with synthetic doesnt
clump during washing and can still hit that
lower price point. The goal is to do all of that
in-house to custom produce according to de-
mand.
Of course, Allied isnt the rst to approach
the incompatibility of down and synthetic -
bers. Guigui noted that the home and bedding
industry had run into this problem years before
outdoor, and that many brands have been test-
ing the waters with limited success.
Its possible that these synthetics and
blends are bad for downs self-esteem, said
Guigui. But, there is no question that they
are a direct result of brands combating price,
which we encourage. As a supplier, we dont
like to see the price of down getting out of
control.
Guigui informed us that DownTek is working
on blended products but not for 2014, and that
the brand hopes to combine natural down -
bers with other natural bers, so the approach
should be different than what is currently on
the market.
REMEMBER FLEECE
While down suppliers are adapting to er-
ratic price trends, its been interesting to see
how brands are innovating around those same
market forces. For example, Black Diamond
is launching its rst-ever collection of down
insulated apparel for Fall/Winter 14. Outdoor
Daniel Guigui, president DownTek Daniel Uretsky, COO Allied Down
Companies say synthetic lls and blends are more about price than performance Suppliers anticipate growth in hydrophobic-treated down, despite cost increase
OUTDOOR USA MAGAZINE // JANUARY 2014 // 35
[cover story]
USA Magazine spoke with Tim Bantle, Black
Diamonds director of apparel, to get a fresh
perspective on the strategy behind launching
down garments for the rst time.
Bantle explained that each of Black Dia-
monds down products is developed in col-
laboration with Primaloft and uses Primalofts
blended technology. So now, not only are tra-
ditional down suppliers experimenting with
blends, but their synthetic counterparts are
entering the space as well.
Its a down/synthetic hybrid70 percent
DWR treated goose down and 30 percent ul-
trane Primaloft bers that also have a water
resistant nish on them, said Bantle.
Black Diamonds roots are in alpine environ-
ments where adventurers typically opt for syn-
thetics over natural downs, so the merchan-
dising team approached the new product line
with that mindset. The decision to work with
Primaloft had several advantages. They were
already an ingredient partner, and the hybrid
product offered a competitive solution to the
issues in sourcing down. But, ultimately, the
decision had much more to do with Bantles
own perception of what is happening in the
marketplace more generally.
The way I look at the down business today
is not far from what happened to eece in the
90s when I rst started working in this indus-
try, said Bantle.
He explained that twenty years ago, eece
was an iconic product of the outdoor industry
among core users; it was perceived as techni-
cal and advanced. It had a multi-decade run
with an apex in the 90s.
All of a sudden, Old Navy entered the
market and the mass appeal put a negative
pressure on price and value, said Bantle. In
other words, eece went mainstream and lost
its technical authenticity. The industry had to
respond, and that response was through in-
novation.
Thats when we saw the introduction of
power stretch, wind stopper technologies, high
loft eeces, sweater eeces and the regulator
technology from Polartec, said Bantle. Those
innovations revived eece.
Bantle sees the exact same dynamic at play
with down as big players like Japanese ap-
parel brand Uniqlo and other staples of fashion
like Gap adopt conventions of the outdoors.
You cant blame them, but they take core
outdoor industry silhouettes and mass distrib-
ute them with a very short margin; the cycle
devalues the product as we know it, said
Bantle.
The strategy for Black Diamond moving for-
ward is choosing engineering driven partners
who can devote the most amount of time and
resources to improving technologies. This can
also be easier than developing something in-
house.
The North Face, who worked in conjunc-
tion with Primaloft to develop the hybridized
ll technology, offers an interesting contrast to
Black Diamond.
Weve spent an inordinate amount of time
looking at what makes down do what it does
so well, The North Face VP of Global Product
Joe Vernaccio told Outdoor USA Magazine.
Weve studied the specic gravity of each of
the three branches on every beral of down,
every aspect of it.
The North Face is motivated by the same
issues that are driving this new era of down
innovationchallenges in sourcing down (e.g.
price and animal welfare), as well as the fact
that down loses its insulative properties when
wet.
Thats why were setting a path for our-
selves to gure out how to enhance down or
come up with a sustainable way to produce
those benets and maybe even help some of
its deciencies, said Vernaccio.
While The North Face introduced some wa-
ter resistant down product last year, this isnt
the direction the brand plans to head.
We dont see a lot of demand for it, and
we dont feel that people are choosing treated
down over non-treated, said Vernaccio.
Instead, Vernaccio is more of a believer that
consumers are interested in having options,
as opposed to one full package. This makes
sense for a large brand with a strong reputa-
tion and a history of down product, whereas a
smaller company might take more of a niche
position.
Over the years The North Face claims to
have made many attempts at enhancing and
replicating down insulation, but none to date
had met the brands criteria for entering the
market, until Thermoball. Thermoball is a syn-
thetic insulation done in collaboration with Pri-
maloft. It mimics down using small, ball-like
clusters to trap heat in the air pockets and
retain warmth. This is different from a continu-
ous ber structure found in many other syn-
thetics.
Its not our rst attempt, but this is our best
effort for a commercial product. We arent say-
ing Thermoball is better or worse than down
or that it has a specic end use. We just think
its important for the consumer to have the
choice said Vernaccio.
LOFTY CLAIMS
With so many down technologies on the
rise, it can be hard to differentiate, which is
ultimately one of the biggest challenges for
brands. Retailers are also telling us there is a
lot of confusion, so what argument is going to
sell? Is it a discussion about specs and perfor-
mance claims? If so, what independent orga-
nization can validate those claims?
While there are institutions like the Interna-
tional Down and Feather Testing Laboratory
(IDFL) located in Salt Lake City, Utah, many
brands are seeking ways to avoid a discussion
that will encourage what Black Diamonds Tim
Bantle refers to as Our industrys narcissism
of minor difference.
Bantle is referring to a landscape where
there is an abundance of hydrophobic down
technologies from multiple suppliers and
brands, and each has an incrementally differ-
ent effect on the down itself. He believes that
situation can lead to a highly technical debate
similar to the competition between water-
proof-breathable technologies. This doesnt
serve the consumer well at a time when the
industry is aiming to be more inclusive.
I just dont think its a debate a particular
brand is going to win, said Bantle.
His strategy then is to sidestep that con-
versation and focus communication on Black
Diamonds ingredient partner, Primaloft.
When you trust a brand, its more impor-
tant than whether a garment can last 20-30
washes or 50, or who can achieve the highest
ll number, said Bantle. Its also much sim-
pler to communicate to the consumer that our
partner is the global leader in insulation.
With this in mind, retailers are saying they
have no problem selling a $300-$400 down
piece as long as the technology story is there.
For example, Bob Greenly, owner of Minne-
sota-based TrailFitters, told us, When the
customer is looking at a premium price, that
person wants to know who made the prod-
uct; where it's made; and that it is technically
superior to the alternatives. That's when the
message about the type of down, the grams
and ll is important.
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The outdoor consumer being more socially aware and having an
appreciation for environmental issues wants to know that down prod-
ucts are manufactured in accordance with those values.
With all of the innovation around treatments and blends, the con-
sumer can be distracted from how natural of a product untreated
down is, explained Daniel Uretsky of Allied Down and Feather.
His point is that down is a waste product of the food industry, so
even if its treated or combined with a synthetic, you are still taking
waste and turning it into a high-ticket item. Thats a cool message
for the consumer, he said.
He also thinks its important to communicate that you cant use
harsh chemicals when processing down because it ruins the natural
structure. And, down by itself reduces the need for synthetics, which
are petroleum based and have a higher environmental footprint.
Obviously much of the concern is around the types of durable wa-
ter repellent (DWR) treatments applied to a resource that is so natural
by itself. Greenpeace just published an update to a report released
last year that found harmful Peruorinated carbons in outdoor cloth-
ing, which helped cast light on the issue.
Thats why you see some hesitance to adopt the coating because
people think well down is so natural, why tamper with that? said
Uretsky. So then the issue is nding the right chemicals and pro-
cesses so you dont harm the down or the environment, which would
defeat the purpose of using a natural product in the rst place.
The solution for Allied, and many other outdoor industry brands,
has been to work with a supply chain certication system like Blue-
sign to identify what is an acceptable application or treatment.
The other hot topic with down insulation is the animals welfare,
and there will be a lot of communication for 2014 that addresses this.
Two of the leaders in building accountability and transparency into
the down supply chain are The North Face and Patagonia.
Patagonia recently announced that the company has moved to 100
percent traceable down across its entire collection of down products
starting in the Fall 14 season. The press release reads:
The company authenticates its down supply chain by utilizing a
holistic traceability audit consisting of a physical inspection of the en-
tire supply chain, from farm to factory, performed by an independent,
third-party traceability expert.
We were able to speak with The North Faces Joe Vernaccio about
the subject. The North Face, similar to Patagonia, has partnered with
an accredited 3rd party certication body, Control Union Certica-
tions, which specializes in auditing animal welfare and farming prac-
tices. The brand has also joined forces with a nonprot organization,
Textile Exchange, that has expertise in sustainable textile develop-
ment and management across the globe.
The partnerships have allowed The North Face to conduct what
it claims is a comprehensive evaluation of the entire animal welfare
landscape. This research has led to the development of a third party
auditing and certication system, and for 2014, the system will be
shared with the outdoor industry as a full-scale application or tool
called the Responsible Down Standard.
We spent an immense amount of resources, and this is extremely
important to us, said Vernaccio. Were trying to get to a place where
everyone who sources down can utilize what weve learned.
He was hesitant to use absolute language like 100 percent trace-
able or veriable because he believes, if the industry is going to con-
tinue sourcing vast quantities of down and go as far as manipulating
that down, then weve only scratched the surface in managing the
supply chain.
I dont think people appreciate how complex and nuanced it is to
bring down to market, said Vernaccio. Its not something thats obvi-
ous when you walk into a store or call up an order from a supplier. Its
an extremely complex process.
Tim Bantle, apparel director BDE Live plucking is a serious concern in sourcing down Joe Vernaccio, VP Global Product The North Face
An image of an industrialized geese farm taken during the The North Face's trip
to Europe for evaluating its supply chain
36 // JANUARY 2014 // OUTDOOR USA MAGAZINE
[cover story]
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Sunlight Sports // Cody, Wyoming
Wes Allen, co-owner
Wes, does your store carry
any products with treated
down?
We've got them in sleeping
bags, and we've got a couple of
apparel pieces that use hydro-
phobic down. We didn't go all in
on the treated down because one
of our biggest vendors hasn't re-
ally come out with it yet, but we
do give our customers the option
with a few products.
What down products are doing well?
Patagonia's Ultralight collection tends to
lead the way for us. We've got some Sierra
Designs pieces that have the hydrophobic
treating on it, and that sells okay. I think down
hoodies and sweaters have become a bit of a
commodity piece, so the percentage of hard-
core technical users coming in and looking
for a down sweater is fairly low in our store. I
would say the same amount of technical users
are looking for down; it's just that there are so
many more players in the down market.
Is the consumer embracing the new
treated technologies?
I think when you get into sleeping bags, it
can really make a difference. Our experience
with the sleeping bags has been that if cus-
tomers are choosing between two bags with
similar price, design, wight, etc. the tie often
goes to the treated down bag.
Are those technologies also a decision-
maker for apparel?
There was that rst season that Sierra De-
signs came out with the hydrophobic technol-
ogy, and it got everyone talking about it, but by
the time it came to market, all of the sudden
there were a lot of competing technologies
around us. There was so much noise, it was
really hard for the consumer to hear a clear
message.
How do you make that message more
clear for the customer?
With down we can simplify it to: 'You're
focused on lightweight? Okay, here's some
bags to look at...the additional benet of this
Trailtters // Duluth, Minnesota
Bob Greenly, owner
Bob, what does your down offering look
like?
We sell Patagonia down sweaters and down
jackets, as well as, quite a bit of The North
Face, but only the Summit Series. And then
we have a very extensive line of Arc'teryx and
Rab with a little bit from Mountain Hardwear
mixed in.
Do any of those products feature
hydrophobic, treated down?
Our Arc'teryx and Rab garments have the
treated down. We've also brought in a few
pieces from The North Face.
How have your down sales been in
The Trail Head // Missoula, Montana
Erin Warren, buyer
Erin, walk us through your down offering.
We have a good size of down from Patago-
nia, Rab and Arc'teryx, and then on the more
casual side, we carry a few pieces from Prana
and Nau. We have two stores. Our downtown
store is a core outdoor specialty store with a
more tech focus. And then we have a women's
specic store thats all lifestyle. So we see both
sides of down.
Are the treated down garments selling
well?
We had excellent success this year with the
Rab Neutrino Endurance jacket, which has the
hydrophobic down and also a Pertex face fab-
ric; it's super durable. I think we did well with
those because there was a cold snap here, and
it was brutal.
What else is selling well in down?
Patagonia down sweaters are really strong.
Where we are it's not terribly cold, and it's
a really dry climate, so we see a lot of peo-
ple wearing those pieces for layering or as
around-town jackets. We also did a bit of lower
tier price point down with Montbell that went
really fast. It was priced around $189.
Is the rising price of down turning
customers away?
Well, we've seen most of our down prices
increase this year, as well as the year before,
and it looks like those prices are going to con-
tinue to rise for 2014. Selling a less expensive
down piece is always great, but I think the
customer understands that if you're looking
for high quality down, it's in the $200-$400
range. I don't know where the ceiling is, but
right now the most expensive down product
we carry is a technical Rab jacket for 340$.
Has the treated down been an effective
selling point?
We rst saw people getting excited about it
in the sleeping bag realm. I'd say we've seen
a steady adoption in hard goods. It also can be
a selling point when you are trying to justify a
premium price point. A lot of people especially
with that Rab piece are taken aback by the
price, but once they listen to the technology
story, they buy into it.
bag is that the down one won't absorb water
at nearly the rate that this one will.' Most of
our customers aren't asking super technical
questions beyond that. In fact,
my own opinion is that the ad-
vanced, technical consumer is
doing a lot of that research and
purchasing online.
Is the rising price of down
affecting sales?
It's denitely moving up-
wards. I think that we are seeing
good synthetic insulation really
make a strong comeback be-
cause those products can look
the same. For a lot of the fash-
ion customers, that's the decision maker right
there. When you start talking about a $100
difference in jackets, the synthetic is winning
because prices have really increased.
How are your customers responding to the
different brands of insulation?
I think we're headed down the same path
as we are with water-proof breathable tech-
nologies. Some people are just going to want
a synthetic lled jacket, but then you have to
trust that the brand is using really high-quality
stuff.
Do you think consumers are trusting
synthetic alternatives?
It's kind of funny. The premium brands, like
Patagonia and Marmot, they could probably
get away with using a house-brand synthet-
ic ll because of the trust they've built, but I
think there is a lot of risk in doing thatthe
consumer has already been exposed to a lot
of poor product out there. The North Face has
been able to have some success with their
Thermoball synthetic ll. But, it's much more
difcult for a smaller brand to achieve that be-
cause they don't have the recognition.
Are there any down design or construction
trends that are on the rise?
The hybrids that are stretch softshell pieces
under the arms and have the insulation laid out
over the rest of the body did really well this
year. I think that's a combination of things. The
price points tend to be a little bit less; they still
fulll the fashion demand; and they're a trim-
mer silhouette.
general?
Our down sales are up about 41% this fall.
Both Arc'teryx and Rab are leading the way
on the technical side. We have also had very
strong sales of both Lole and The North Face in
the women's long down coats. Up here in the
upper Midwest we had a very cold/snowy start
to this winter, which in turn has really helped
drive business.
Why do you think Rab and Arc'teryx are
doing so well with down?
We have quite a younger crowd in town,
so they are drawn to the hooded Rab and
Arc'teryx styles. The more mature crowd tends
to gravitate toward The North Face and Pata-
gonia. Our customers also love the European
t of the Rab jackets, and that brand also has
a great piece for layering and throwing under-
Do your customers bring up ethical issues
in the down supply chain?
We do get questions every now and then,
but it's really only a few who are highly edu-
cated o the issue. The average customer is
unaware of the welfare of the ducks or geese.
That being said, when our vendors do a good
job of calling that stuff out, it really tips the
scales. Our customers eventually hear about
it and appreciate it. It inspires condence in
a purchase. It also makes me feel good as a
buyer to know I'm supporting a positive manu-
facturing practice.
Does a responsibility message help justify
price?
Totally. As prices continue to increase, when
we can say that the reason this product has
gone up another $20 from last season is be-
cause now the brand is getting all its down
from farmers that don't pluck or force feed,
it's greatthe customer gets it.
Have you noticed any down design trends
on the rise?
I think the ultralight silhouettes are good for
really hardcore customers because they can
throw them in a pack and get a really warm in-
sulated jacket. They do tend to be more expen-
sive because of the face fabric. On the lifestyle
side of things, the longer down jackets that
cover a women's bottom and come mid thigh
are doing great. Women love that extra cov-
erage. Also, hybrid blends of down and syn-
thetic are a new trend we are hearing so much
about. While the functionality and performance
specs aren't clear yet, our customers seem in-
terested in the combination of insulation.
neath a shell as a system.
Is the higher price point of down an
obstacle for the customer?
Quite honestly, we have no problem sell-
ing a $300-$400 dollar goose down jacket,
as long as the technical story is there to go
with it. When looking at that price range, our
customers want to know who made the prod-
uct; where it's made; and that it's technically
superior to the alternatives. That's when the
message about the type of down, the grams
and ll is really important.
How are you communicating the value of
down to the customer?
Our staff is extremely well trained. Also, our
reps do a really nice job. Our Arc'teryx rep just
came up recently and put on a several-hour
clinic. Up here in Minnesota, our staff need
to know the difference between all types of
downs and technologies, so they can repre-
sent the guy who is doing some ice climbing
versus a guy who is standing outside ice sh-
ingtwo totally different products.