Switchback Spring, June 16-18, 2026 in New Orleans, LA
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Switchback at TRE, December 1-3, 2026 in San Antonio, TX
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many outdoor brands prioritized direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales; however, retail has since re-emerged as an indispensable channel for manufacturers. The reason is simple: The in-store experience remains irreplaceable. Specialty shops have become a critical ‘place of discovery and education,’ notes Circana analyst Beth Goldstein.
As companies pivoted to D2C post-pandemic, retail remained a cornerstone for Sea to Summit. Now, the company is pouring even more resources into its wholesale operations. “For us, it’s not a shift, it’s just a reinvestment,” says Aaron Baker, Sea to Summit’s senior director of sales for North America. “We have not been servicing wholesale appropriately for the last couple of years, and we want to make sure that we get back to being the best partner we can be.”
To better serve dealers and the outdoor community, Sea to Summit has refined its pricing strategy, modernized its digital infrastructure, and restructured its sales force.
“Making it easy to do business with us is our primary drumbeat right now,” Baker adds.
That drumbeat resonated clearly in June 2025, as Sea to Summit reduced suggested retail prices on key products by as much as 22%.
“We recognized at the time that we were not priced right for the market, not priced right for the consumer,” says Baker.
The decreases primarily affected core items, such as dry bags, cookware, liners, and camp kitchen essentials.
To further support brick-and-mortar stores, Sea to Summit is limiting its presence on Amazon. “We currently do not have any authorized sellers on Amazon except for ourselves,” Baker notes. “We have a limited amount of SKUs on the platform, and we are not looking to expand our presence on Amazon or any other digital platform.”
By lowering prices while promising not to undercut dealers with D2C discounts, Sea to Summit is making the brand more competitive in retail without eroding retailers’ profit margins.
Beyond pricing and distribution, Sea to Summit is empowering its partners by replacing outdated manual processes with modern digital tools and expanded boots-on-the-ground support.
“We just launched our first-ever B2B website to make ordering and reordering much easier for our retail partners,” says Baker, noting that the website will reduce the workload for busy shop owners. “Prior to that, it was all manual; it was all Excel spreadsheets.”
The digital overhaul isn’t just about making ordering easier; it’s about making selling easier, too. To drive digital traffic into physical stores, Sea to Summit is partnering with Locally.com to integrate real-time inventory data into its online marketing. This system directs shoppers to the nearest brick-and-mortar location where their desired product is currently in stock.
Sea to Summit is providing retailers with more than just digital support. The brand is also significantly expanding its field presence by restructuring its sales force to ensure every dealer receives dedicated, localized attention.
“In the last six months, we’ve added a lot more horsepower to our sales rep force,” says Baker, explaining that Sea to Summit expanded from four independent rep groups to eight across North America. The expansion creates more manageable territories, enabling reps to provide retailers with a higher level of dedicated service. Reps are able to focus and curate customized assortments for every shop, ensuring inventory is tailored to the local customer base rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach.
The expanded field support is designed to bolster what Baker sees as the brand’s greatest asset: the retail sales floor. Since many consumers aren’t aware of the full breadth of the line—including “creature comforts” such as wilderness wipes or clotheslines—shoppers often discover Sea to Summit products while browsing a physical shelf.
“You don’t really discover those online because you’re not necessarily searching for that specific product,” says Baker.
While digital sales remain a factor, Sea to Summit continues to prioritize the in-store shopping experience. As Baker notes, physical interaction and human connection are fundamental to the outdoor community. By championing these face-to-face engagements, Sea to Summit leans into a broader movement that recognizes the retail floor as a premier venue for consumers to encounter the brand. “I think the industry as a whole is seeing a good, healthy shift back to brick and mortar,” says Baker.
From its efforts to lower prices to its development of digital resources and a robust rep force, Sea to Summit is investing heavily in a sales channel that has always been the foundation of the industry.
To learn more about Sea to Summit and its products, visit their booth at Switchback Spring 2026 and discover other exhibiting brands on the show floor this June 16-18 in New Orleans, LA.
