Protecting Outdoor Brands in a Growing Market
We help outdoor brands keep your promises intact: trust, pricing, and partner confidence.
Outdoor brands are built on trust.
You’ve earned that trust over years. You offer gear that holds up season after season, warranties that matter, and a community that knows you stand behind what you make. But even the strongest brands face challenges. Gray-market listings, diverted inventory, and unauthorized sellers can undercut the specialty partners you’ve worked so hard to to support and grow. When that happens, pricing drifts, relationships strain, and confidence starts to slip. At Howell & Associates, our team of experts understand the pressure, and we’re here to help outdoor manufacturers like you keep pricing steady and strengthen the partnerships that matter the most.
What we’re seeing out there
It’s an exciting time. More and more people are getting outside, getting in shape, and getting back to nature. That means they’re spending more, and outdoors continues to be a growth market. So, let’s uncover some numbers:
$1.2 Trillion: US Outdoor recreation economy in 2023 (2.3% of GDP, 5M jobs)
176 Million People: Americans who participated in outdoor activity last year, up 4.1%
20-50%: Share of sales gray market channels can represent in some industries
25-40%: Typical discounts below MAP from unauthorized sellers
It’s clear that the outdoors market is healthy and expanding quickly, but we’re also seeing that pricing, and partner relationships, may be getting harder to keep steady without clear enforcement.
How we help Outdoor Manufacturers
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Investigating Unauthorized Sellers
We uncover the truth behind gray market listings, trace them to the source, and shut of their supply.
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Monitoring Marketplaces Daily
Issues don’t wait. Neither do we. We track listings every day so problems are contained early.
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Building MAP Programs That Hold
Policies on paper aren’t enough. We build MAP programs partners respect & hold up under pressure.
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Rebuilding Your Channel Clarity
Once your channels are stable, your partners regain their confidence and their trust in you grows.
Why it matters
People don’t just buy jackets, tents, wakeboards, or harnesses. They buy confidence in the next mile and the next season. Repair programs, trade-in stories, and long product lives means all eyes are on you. Programs like these only work when pricing is stable and channels are clear. If that foundation begins to erode, margin suffers, and so can the credibility that makes customers come back.
How we work with you
We know enforcement is only part of the picture. It’s about partnership, visibility, and clear outcomes. That’s what your partners and customers expect from you. Why would you expect any less from us?
We trace unauthorized listings to the business behind them and shut them down
We enforce with steps that hold - on platforms and in contracts
We tune policies, content and seller rosters so price integrity is visible and durable
We work directly with your team, with actions you can see and results you can measure
We’re honored to work with these outdoor partners, & more
Your brand takes years to earn credibility, but you can lose it on the blink of an eye. Keeping control of your channels means you protect your margins, and you keep the promises you’ve made to the people and partners in your community.