How Outdoor Retail Chain Maintains Its Sharp Edge With Innovation, Expertise And Inspiration – Forbes

Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports began 85 years ago in a small shop in Manchester, England and now has a chain of retail stores across the United Kingdom. From print to online plus retail fascias, embracing innovation in products, sales and marketing has been the Ellis Brigham brand signature from the social media initiative #livebreatheoutdoors to its Wild Ski Weekend for all things backcountry. It was the first UK retailer to place an eight-meter Ice Wall in its London and Manchester stores and has begun trialing Augmented Reality on some of its products.

In 2017, learning from international trends observed as far away as the USA  and Japan, the business opened the outdoor lifestyle  store Outsiders in Liverpool, describing it as ‘where retro-nostalgia meets 21^st century cool and communication’ stocking ‘our considered collection of apparel & goods for the modern outsider.’ Its new Surefit Boot Lab drills down into the wealth of expertise enjoying in specialist outdoor and plays a key role in maintaining the character of the outdoor recreation sector.

It’s a move that reflects two key observations on retailing in the UK in 2018. British Retail Consortium Chief Executive Helen Dickinson observed this Spring, ‘The retail environment is changing and retailers are investing in innovation and technology adaptations in response to this.’ KPMG’s 2018 Annual Retail Report noted, ‘Retailers who are focused on delivering a strong customer experience are leading the pack.’

Despite retail consolidation, DTC and the pressures on margin, plus fierce competition, the family-owned business has maintained a clear specialist independent focus throughout its steady expansion. Its catalog collections have achieved an almost legendary status with skiers, snowboarders, climbers and outdoor enthusiasts and always feature the latest developments in apparel, footwear and equipment. Similarly, its easily navigated website majors on advice and inspiration.

The first Ellis Brigham Boot Lab has opened in Bristol, next door to existing Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports store, offering one of the largest ski and boot ranges in the UK and dedicated to custom-fitting ski boots. Combining an online booking facility, expertise with state of the art boot-fitting devices and a heli-skiing Virtual Reality experience, it raises the bar in specialist retailing – and even offers free coffee.

The store team is skilled at modifying existing or new boots to achieve a perfect fit through stretching, grinding or softening to anticipate and rectify potential problems for a precise fit and improved comfort whatever the level of skiers’ experience. Marketing Director Mark Brigham said, “So much of what we do is aimed at making people’s experience of the mountains more enjoyable and this is another way to help customers embark on their ski trip with the confidence of knowing they have the right product to help them ski in comfort.”

In a collaboration with UK-based heli-ski expert Pure Powder and Canada-based CMH Heli-skiing, the mountain sports retailer has been offering a virtual reality (VR) ‘Immersive Instore Experience’ to customers in its Bristol and Covent Garden stores and has plans to roll it out across its 24 stores nationwide. The VR experience features the film ‘Lines Of Sight’ made by award-winning Sherpas Cinema and uses cutting-edge cameras by Google to replicate the feeling of heli-skiing in Western Canada.

Brigham added, “Through our collaboration with Pure Powder and the use of this cutting-edge VR technology we can (virtually) bring the mountains to our customers and stir those snow sports senses in the process! I’d challenge anyone not to be buzzing about their next ski or snowboard trip after experiencing this!”