Today on The Rock Fight, Colin, Eoin, and Producer Dave are joined by Darren Bush, longtime owner of Rutabaga Paddle Sports in Madison, WI, to talk about his decision to close one of the most beloved specialty outdoor retailers in the U.S.
Here is the full rundown for today's episode:
- VF sells Dickies for $600m 8 years after acquiring the 103 year old workwear brand for $820m. How does this benefit VF and what does it mean for the outdoor industry? (03:10)
- Is an increase in participation driving fresh M&A actitivity? Capstone Partners says that is. The Rock Fight's consigliere weighs in. (11:25)
- Support this weeks partners of The Rock Fight! Ibex, Fjallraven, Royal Robbins, Lems Shoes, and Conatus Counsel! (22:12)
The Monday Boys are then joined by Darren Bush to talk about the following topics (26:22):
- Why Darren is closing Rutabaga after more than 25 years of ownership.
- How his personal journey, from epidemiologist to retailer to chaplain, shaped his outlook.
- The state of specialty retail, from margins to customer service.
- Why experiential opportunities like paddling schools and Canoecopia still matter.
- The challenges of succession planning and selling independent shops.
- What the closures of Rutabaga, Summit Hut, and Next Adventure say about the industry.
- Darren’s proudest moments and the thousands of hugs he’s received from grateful paddlers.
Finally for The Parting Shot, Colin thinks the outdoor industry may be a little too concerned with that 'seat at the table' and could stand to be a little louder in the face of recent events. (43:40)
Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.
Sign up for NEWS FROM THE FRONT, Rock Fight's semi-weekly newsletter by heading to www.rockfight.co and clicking Join The Mailing List.
Please follow and subscribe to The Rock Fight and give us a 5 star rating and a written review wherever you get your podcasts.
Want to pick a fight with The Rock Fight? Send your feedback, questions, and comments to myrockfight@gmail.com.
Popular Podcasts
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com