To Win in Every Channel, Start with Specialty: Why Local Brick-and-Mortar is the Foundation of Brand Growth

In an increasingly-dynamic retail landscape, every brand wants to win across channels—whether that’s DTC, brick-and-mortar, or online marketplaces. But increasingly, the most successful brands are doubling down on one specific channel as their foundation for long-term growth: local, specialty brick-and-mortar stores.

Recent insights from leading outdoor and active brands shared by Shop-Eat-Surf show a consistent trend—brands that invest in their specialty retail partners are seeing stronger performance, deeper consumer loyalty, and healthier, more balanced channel growth.

Specialty Retail is Driving Performance and Building Credibility

When Shop-Eat-Surf’s Jennifer Ernst spoke with Altra President Jen McLaren, she made the brand’s strategy clear:

“[We are] continuing to lean into our specialty channel partners and continue to support the run community.” (Shop-Eat-Surf Outdoor Executive Edition, April 2024).

Altra recognizes that grassroots support through local running stores not only drives immediate sell-through but builds lasting brand trust with the community that matters most—core athletes and early adopters.

The same theme emerged in Shop-Eat-Surf’s report on Black Diamond. The brand saw strong wholesale growth in Q4, with U.S. and Canadian outdoor retailers leading the charge.

“Black Diamond’s wholesale revenue in North America grew 10.6% year over year,” highlighting the ongoing vitality of the specialty channel as a growth engine (Shop-Eat-Surf Outdoor, March 2024).

Mountain Hardwear, too, is seeing the benefits of investing in local retail. Its recent rebrand didn’t just refresh its image—it reenergized its specialty retail relationships.

“The energy we’re feeling from specialty retailers is tremendous,” Mountain Hardwear’s sales leaders told Shop-Eat-Surf. That response, they noted, is translating into real results at the register.

Local Retailers Are the First—and Most Trusted—Touchpoint

No matter how strong a brand’s e-commerce strategy is, shoppers often discover and connect with new products in-store.

Caroline Brown, President of The North Face, explained in her interview with Shop-Eat-Surf that the brand is prioritizing “a holistic go-to-market approach that includes specialty outdoor retail.” The in-person experience builds emotional connection—and that translates into sales across all channels.

Nike, a company historically aggressive about its DTC strategy, is even recalibrating to refocus on wholesale collaboration.

In a Shop-Eat-Surf Executive Edition interview, new Nike CEO Heidi O’Neill said the brand is “reigniting wholesale relationships” to ensure broader reach and better alignment with where customers are. That includes aligning with retailers that offer strong product education and service—hallmarks of specialty stores.

Locally Helps Brands Fuel Local Growth That Powers All Channels

If brands want to grow everywhere, they must start by growing where it matters most: in communities, on the floor of specialty retailers, with staff who know the product and use it themselves.

Locally provides the infrastructure to make that strategy scalable. Its Product Locator and Store Locator tools allow brands to connect online discovery with in-store purchase, showing shoppers exactly where nearby they can find the item they want. It’s a seamless bridge between digital intent and local availability—and it empowers local experts to close the sale.

Even more critically, Locally’s tools help brands support their specialty partners by driving foot traffic and tracking demand. That visibility helps both the brand and the retailer optimize their assortment, promote collaboratively, and respond to shopper behavior in real-time.

Long-Term Loyalty Starts at Street Level

When shoppers get great advice and personalized service from a specialty store, they don’t just walk away with a product—they walk away with a brand they trust. Those experiences drive repeat purchases, referrals, and long-term customer value. And because Locally makes it easy to scale those experiences online, brands can use that momentum to power sales in every other channel.

To win in every channel, start where brand loyalty is born—in the aisles of your local specialty shop.