Many good friends have shared this fact with me and asked my opinion, which is this: I will continue to shop local and buy quality brands I trust. To think my money doesn't trickle upwards in a cascading reverse waterfall that will eventually mix with the currency spent on guns and ammo is naive, absolutely. However, at the end of the day I am more focused on supporting my local businesses rather than the labels.
In between writing articles about this latest controversy, industry journalists are likely looking at every brand in their mud room and digging into the background of each one. I would theorize that many of the outdoor brands you hold dear are distantly connected to guns. Look at Rapha; One of the most boutique and respected cycling apparel brands in the world was recently sold to Wal-Mart heirs for 200 GBP. Wal-Mart also dabbles heavily in gun sales.
Obviously, folks are calling for a boycott of any brands related to Vista Outdoor. This is alongside massive conglomerates distancing themselves from the NRA and gun companies, so the prevailing thought seems to be: do the same on a local level. Your money speaks louder than words. Now is the time for action. Show them what you think. Pull these brands off shelves, don't give them your business. All valid.
But, don't be so quick to pull your dollars away from, or judge, local businesses. In fact, let's not be quick to villify the brands themselves. If you want that Camelbak bottle, then buy it. If you just bought the cool Giro helmet, don't ask for a refund or throw it in your closet. Giro research and development into the Vanquish helmet didn't make its way into some sort of aerodynamic gun. They just happen to be owned by the same parent company.
These brands are not shell companies or gun-money laundering fronts. They are bike brands. Giro sponsors the massively popular Grinduro event, while Blackburn empowers the adventures of riders around the world through the Ranger Program. You will often see prize donations from these labels at your local events. Bell is a helmet company that, alongside Giro, is leading the way for industry helmet safety standards. These initiatives are more reflective of where your money really goes.
The people who represent and work for these brands are definitely feeling the pressure right now, and conflating the work they believe in with death and destruction is an unfair accusation. They just want to get people on bike trails, or keep people safe and hydrated. This article, shared by a good friend, says it quite well: "We've got these brands people have loved — and they are very, very good brands; they just happened to have been acquired by this company," Chandler said. "Unfortunately, it is their employees, who are our close associates and friends, who would suffer more than the wealthy, socially irresponsible parent company." It continues, "Small retail businesses are fighting as it is to stay afloat because of the threats of internet sales," he said. "Something like this — while not the nail in the coffin — doesn't help."
On the front lines it is unreasonable to expect your local shops to bear the brunt of this issue and pull everything off the wall. In many shops, these will result in bare walls... and then, what? The stock you see at your local level does not belong to the company any more. If your local store doesn't sell it, then Savage Arms (the gun company at issue here) are not the ones on the line financially. They won't even feel it. Your local shop will. When this blows over ('cause it will), and your local retailer puts the old stock back up, it will be harder to sell. The cool new thing will be out, and you'll want to buy that instead.
Of course, I applaud any business who may take such a stand. It's their choice to make. What I am saying is, any attempt to hold your money hostage until local shops meet your ethical demands is in itself an unethical course of action.
Okay, sure. The notion that tight financial returns will send a louder message to these companies isn't wrong. I would argue, however, that emailing, phone calls and social media callouts to the parent company are ultimately more effective in this day and age. Again, orders have already been made and the money has already changed hands. What you see in store has been paid for.
In light of this, it's disappointing to see Mountain Equipment Co-Op waffling on the issue. Why the double standard towards them? Well, they're worth several hundred thousand more to these companies, and Vista Outdoor. They are not pulling the associated brands from shelves, but selling them through and suspending upcoming orders. So, they're still going to make money, then turn around and spend less. It may send a loud message, but the brands and their employees will now take a stronger hit for the transgressions of their distant cousin.
This is especially interesting in light of the fact that Mountain Equipment Co-Op continues to carry Black Diamond. The Black Diamond brand is owned by Clarus (formerly Black Diamond Inc.), which acquired Sierra Bullets in August of 2017. I only address this because, let's be honest, your vitriol with Vista Outdoor's brands is based on the issue-du-jour. Such quick actions will only affect the neighbors who run your local shops. Savage Arms won't fold because you didn't buy a hydration pack.
Raise your voice where you feel it is needed, but be wary of who your bandwagon hopping will directly affect. It very well may result in some irreversible collateral damage.
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