Report: Outdoor Voices Weighing Sale | PYMNTS.com

2022-08-13 06:44:05 By : Ms. USAMS SZ

Activewear producer Outdoor Voices is mulling putting itself up for sale, Bloomberg News reported, citing unnamed sources.

An advisor is helping the company explore options and while selling the closely held business is one option, ownership could choose another course, Bloomberg reported. Another option is raising new funds.

Activewear sales soared during the COVID-19 pandemic as workers boosted their stay-at-home wardrobes, Bloomberg reported, but have suffered as consumers responded to recession concerns and declining discretionary spending.

Outdoor Voices was founded in 2013 by Tyler Haney. The company is run by CEO Gabrielle Conforti, formerly president of Urban Outfitters. Investors, according to Bloomberg, include: GV, General Catalyst and NaHCO3.

Haney told PYMNTS in 2019 that part of her vision in founding the company was that working out can be a fun and “social” activity rather than highly competitive.

Read more: Outdoor Voices' Relaxed Approach To Workout Wear

“I was always an athlete growing up­, running track and playing basketball, but never resonated with the credo to be ‘faster, better, stronger’ that so many major activewear brands are built around,” Haney said. “In Boulder, recreational activity is an integral part of everyday life — walking, running, hiking, skiing — and activity isn’t necessarily measured by performance, it’s social and fun. I started Outdoor Voices because I wanted an activewear brand that really celebrated approaching activity lightheartedly.”

Haney founded Outdoor Voices in New York City but moved the company to Austin, Texas, for what she said was the city’s embracing of entrepreneurship. The move, she said afterward, paid off — with sales at an Austin store rivaling those of outposts in New York City and Los Angeles.

NEW PYMNTS SURVEY FINDS 3 IN 4 CONSUMERS WITH STRONG DEMAND FOR SUPER APPS

About: The findings in PYMNTS’ new study, “The Super App Shift: How Consumers Want To Save, Shop And Spend In The Connected Economy,” a collaboration with PayPal, analyzed the responses from 9,904 consumers in Australia, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S. and showed strong demand for a single multifunctional super apps rather than using dozens of individuals ones.

Costs, technical concerns and even just the idea of a payment that cannot be revoked lead some businesses to take a cautious...

Financial institutions (FIs) have an opportunity to boost long-term growth and profitability by tailoring their products to appeal to consumers who have...

B2B payment digitization came to the rescue during the pandemic, but it also can help businesses cope with humanity’s self-induced catastrophe, war....

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

© 2022 What’s Next Media and Analytics™