Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) it's all about outdoor specialty retail! Specialty retailers play a crucial role in the outdoor industry, serving as community connection points and acting as tastemakers essential for brand legitimacy and consumer engagement. Today on THE ROCK FIGHT Gabe Meyer, president of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, joins Colin to talk about the about the evolving landscape of specialty retail in the wake of direct-to-consumer trends and larger retail competition. As the industry navigates these transitions, Gabe emphasizes the importance of specialty shops, driven by their unique value and the experiences they offer to customers. The pair wrap things up with a discussion on trade shows and national gatherings. Chapters: 02:52 - Why Specialty Retailers Matter07:10 - Challenges Facing Specialty Retail12:24 - Do brands understand the value of specialty?22:38 - The Role of Trade Shows Hurricane Helene Relief Links: Fuel GoodsGoFundMe for Bubba O'LearysWestern North Carolina Hurriance Helene Resource GuideEast Tennessee Foundation Relief Fund Head to www.rockfight.co and sign up for News From the Front, Rock Fight's weekly newsletter! Please follow and subscribe to THE ROCK FIGHT and give us a 5 star rating and written review wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to and follow Gear & Beer! The newest show on the Rock Fight Podcast Network. Have a question or comment for a future mailbag episode? Send it to [email protected] or send a message on Instagram or Threads. Thanks for listening! THE ROCK FIGHT is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.