Groove Life Goes to Outdoor Retailer
Ever wondered what it would be like to have all of your favorite outdoor brands under one roof with access to exclusive new products, giveaways, and more?
Our Groove Life® team recently booked a flight to Denver to attend the largest trade show in the outdoor industry, known as Outdoor Retailer. We sat down with Lana Miller, our Director of Wholesale, to learn more about their recent trip and how our team brought Groove Life’s amazing company culture to OR.
GL: So what exactly is Outdoor Retailer?
LM: Outdoor Retailer (OR) is a business-to-business outdoor show that happens twice a year where brands, store owners, sales representatives, designers, and manufacturers can connect and grow their businesses together. People purchase products for their stores, launch their brand, learn the latest and greatest in the industry, and have a really fun time!
GL: What was Groove Life’s primary purpose and goal in attending?
LM: Groove Life attends OR twice a year to share our brand with the industry, see our existing retailers face-to-face, connect with other brands, and generate new business. It’s a MUST for us because our products are premium outdoor accessories, and our demographic are the people that are at OR!
This year, we wanted to create more buzz and really show the industry what Groove Life is all about. As employees of Groove, we get to experience a super fun culture and a family-like atmosphere every day at work, so we wanted to bring that to OR. 
GL: Who were some of the other brands and retailers who attended?
LM: There were not only brands and other companies like us who attended, but retailers (stores we sell our Groove Life products to) as well. Some of the other amazing brands who attended were Solo Stove®, Danner, Hydro Flask®, Fjällräven, Puffin Drinkwear, GOT BAG, Garmin, Osprey, Rambo Bikes, Pirani, and many more! In terms of retailers who could sell our products, we saw Sportsman’s Warehouse, Backcountry, CAL Ranch, Canadian Tire, and a lot of our independent retailers!
GL: Was this Groove Life’s first time to attend OR?
LM: Nope! We have been exhibiting at OR for the past five years, and we will continue to attend both the summer show and the snow show.
GL: Which of our products were most popular with attendees?
LM: We were able to show off the new Groove Wallet™, which was a HIT. Everyone was also a fan of the Black/Black Groove Belt™. We also had some special Groove Life hats that were a big hit as swag!
GL: Tell us some of the most amazing things that happened at the Groove Life booth this year.
LM: Oh man, what DIDN’T happen? One of the things that we do at Groove Life HQ is something called mandatory fun – it’s fun that’s mandatory. This year, we brought our “Wheel of Misfortune” so those who stopped by our booth could spin the wheel and win prizes. Prizes included everything from a puzzle piece, to a gum ball, to a Groove hat, to a Groove Belt. (Shout out to those who got excited over a floss pick!)
We also were fortunate enough to give away some awesome prizes: Four Groove Life swag bags, three Yeti Coolers, a BOTE SUP, Transition Mountain bike, a GOT BAG, a Solo Stove, a Groove Life x Backou e-bike, and an Oru Kayak. Oh, and the best one of all – five, all inclusive trips to the Groove Life Lodge in Alaska for summer of 2023.
GL: So how many people visited our Groove Life booth this year?
LM: Well, people drank at least 1,500 beers, so we had more than that visiting our booth!
GL: What was your biggest takeaway from this year’s OR?
LM: The most exciting thing about OR this year was really being able to show who Groove Life is and what we’re all about as a brand. It was fun and full of energy. We can’t wait to go back!