Backcountry's Latest Acquisition & Retail's AI Future with Anne Mezzenga

This week on Outdoor Unfiltered, Eoin Comerford breaks down Backcountry's acquisition of Velofix and what it means for online bike sales, mobile bike service, and parent company CSC Generation's value-driven playbook.

Then, it's a footwear industry roundup covering the haves and have-nots: On's plan to hit $7 billion by 2029 with category expansions into football, golf, and premium sportswear; Salomon's target of $5 billion within five years and plans to quadruple North American brand stores; Under Armour's new hybrid store concept; JD Sports' 20% profit decline amid North American softness; and Academy Sports adding Hoka alongside Nike and Jordan. In the Unfiltered Upside, a look at GearTrade's explosive 47% year-to-date growth in the used gear market under Aaron Provine.

Eoin is then joined by Anne Mezzenga, retail technology expert, former OmniTalk Retail co-host, and founder of Retail Field Report, to discuss her store "staging" series working retail shifts through the Reflex gig work app, the real and unsexy applications of AI in retail, like AI agents negotiating wholesale prices, the rise of agentic commerce, and practical AI advice for independent outdoor specialty retailers.

SHOW NOTES

[0:00] Welcome to Outdoor Unfiltered -- Eoin Comerford previews Backcountry's Velofix acquisition, a footwear industry roundup, and a deep dive into retail tech and AI with Anne Mezzenga.

[0:39] Backcountry acquires Velofix -- what the deal means for online bike sales, mobile bike service, CSC Generation's playbook, and how it follows Backcountry's earlier Beeline Bikes investment.

[4:35] Sponsor: Crux Retail -- bold retail displays for bold outdoor-active brands, featuring work with Wahoo.

[5:30] Footwear roundup: On targets $7 billion by 2029 -- category expansion into football with Mbappe, golf, and premium sportswear as the running brand leans into "premiumization."

[8:19] Salomon plans to reach $5 billion within five years -- quadrupling North American brand stores from 8 to 40 and what that means for independent specialty retail.

[10:15] Under Armour launches hybrid store concept -- premium storytelling in the front, broader price points in the back, or as Eoin puts it, brand business in the front, clearance party in the back.

[11:28] JD Sports reports 20% profit decline -- margin pressures, 2.8% same-store sales drop, and US as the worst-performing region across Hibbett, DTLR, and Finish Line.

[13:05] Academy Sports adds Hoka -- following expanded Nike and