When shopping for outdoor apparel, footwear and/or gear, how do you feel about what Amazon offers when it comes to selection, price and quality?

“Not for things I trust my life on. I pick up my climbing gear in person.” Male 35

“I have checked Amazon for stuff, but I never find the outdoor gear I want So, I end up going to REI, Cabela’s, Backcountry.com or similar stores instead.” Male 39

“Very hit or miss.” Female 41“Amazon’s selection and prices are good, but the quality is often questionable. When it comes to outdoor products, quality is important.” Female 36

“I don’t trust it as much as REI or my local brick-and-mortar store, and I wish I had a reason why, but I honestly don’t. I feel like people reviewing the products on Amazon may not have as much knowledge as a local shop employee would.” Female 31

“They offer a reasonable selection of items. I typically only shop for gear on Amazon if I know exactly what I want — item, brand, size, etc.” Male 33

“Selection is great on Amazon. Some of it good, some bad.” Male34“Their prices are fair and the quality is good, but I’d rather go to an outdoor store.” Male 44

“They have a lot to offer, but not always the best price.” Female 29

“Great selection. Their prices fluctuate based on your internet searches, which I think sucks. You can literally search for the same product on different devices and get different prices. Quality depends on the product, but Amazon sells quite a bit of low quality products from overseas.” Male 46

“Love Amazon! Great online reviews and ships instantly!” Female31“Sometimes their price is way better, but it lacks in quality. I’ve also found that sometimes the item is described entirely wrong. I tend to buy my higher-priced outdoor stuff at a brick-and-mortar store becauseI can touch it and examine it before spending all the money on it.” Female 37

“They have a lot to offer but not always the best price.” Female 29

“I look to Amazon for a lot of things but never outdoor gear or footwear. I would never buy an off-brand item on Amazon for cheaper. The stuff I do like to buy isn’t any less on Amazon as it is at an outdoor retailer. Take MSR for example. Their product costs the same everywhere, same with Thule.” Male 34

“Good variety, reviews and price.” Male 18“I used to buy a ton of stuff from Amazon, now I rarely do. I feel like Amazon is full of counterfeit products. If I am going to pay full price for an item, I’m probably going to buy it from a small, local shop.” Female 50

“Amazon is not my first choice of online retailer, but price and quality seem to be on par with other retailer’s offerings.” Male 27

“Sometimes I will go with Amazon when I know a specific product I want to get if there is a better price. I don’t usually search for gear on Amazon if I don’t know exactly what I need.” Male 33

“I never shop Amazon for outdoor gear because the price is always different and selection usually isn’t great.” Female 33

“I will only purchase products on Amazon that are brands that I know and trust from a verified Amazon retailer.” Female 32

“I only buy apparel, footwear and gear from Amazon that I physically have seen, touched or tried on at a store, and only if it has a discounted price from store prices. I don’t like to have to return items toAmazon, so I try to be informed on sizing and fit before ordering from Amazon.Prices are pretty good, usually lower than full price at outdoor stores. I know when Amazon buys in bulk, it allows them to offer products at a lower price.I’ve only had to return one item to Amazon, so I think the online shopping choice is good when an outdoor store is too far away to shop at.” Female 45

“I use Amazon to compare options, features and prices. My final decision regarding the purchase depends on price and product availability.” Female 45

Amazon is okay. The shipping is what keeps me away. Sometimes it arrives when expected. Too frequently I’ll get an email after my purchase informing me that my package is shipping later than I was told upon check out.” Male 39

Quotes

How important is a “Made In America” product label in your decision making process?

SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT / 63%

“I prefer to buy American but knowing that many products are sourced elsewhere and only assembled in the US has decreased my interest in shopping this way.” Male / 30

“Love to support local companies, but not a decisive factor in my decision-making.” Male / 28

“If it is comparably priced to a product that isn’t made in USA, I’ll pick the one made in USA.”
Female / 36

“While Made in America is nice to know, price is also important.” Female / 37

“More importantly would be what state it is made in. Made in America feels quite general.” Male / 27

“It is more important when purchasing items online. If I can determine quality (and fit) for a product in a brick-and-mortar store, where it is made does not matter.” Female / 45

“The assumption is a USA made product will be quality but that does not always hold true.” Male / 28

“As long as the company treats their employees fair, it doesn’t matter what country it comes from.” Female / 30

“I generally do not think about where a product is made before grabbing it, but if I happen to notice two products side-by-side and one clearly states that it’s made in the USA, I’ll get that one, depending on the price difference.” Male / 27

VERY IMPORTANT / 22%

“I prefer Made in America to help our own economy grow and because I believe our quality is second to none.” Male / 31

“It will be the decider between two similar items.” Male / 18

Because we make a good quality products Female / 39

“I enjoy most when a product is made here in the U.S. We have all the resources and talent.” Male / 38

“Giving back to American is very important to me.” Female / 38

NOT IMPORTANT AT ALL / 22%

“There is no clear benefit to ‘Made in America’where product quality is concerned, and price is usually higher regardless.” Male / 32

“I’m more concerned about the brand than where it’s made.” Female / 37

“Things made in America are usually more expensive and not always better quality.” Female / 29

“Great quality products are made [all over] the world. I would love to keep the money in the American economy because I live here but it would not affect my decision to purchase a product.” Male / 31‍

Quotes

Do you relate the concern about plastics to your wardrobe products made with polyester?

YES / 34%

“I recently washed a sweater then dried it by mistake. The way it feels and ‘sounds’ makes me wonder what it really is!” Female / 49

“Natural items sound better.” Female / 56

“I do know this is a bi-product, but its synthetic nature outweighs the plastic concern.” Male / 38

“I worry about toxins in all areas of the environment, including my clothes!” Female / 48

“I try and limit plastics both in my housewares and my clothing (like polyester) as they can harm sea-life.” Male / 31

NO / 66%

“I’ve never thought of this before. I think I should.” Female / 41

“I had not considered that before, but it’s a good point that probably gets overlooked due to water bottles and grocery bags getting most of the press.” Male / 30

“I hadn’t thought about clothing being part of the growing plastic accumulation on our planet.” Male / 41

“I haven’t yet, however after reading this question I will be.” Female / 38

“I never really thought about plastic being in polyester. That’s a really great question.” Male / 29

“I’ve never really thought about that to be honest since polyester is so ingrained in the outdoor community. This is something I’m going to have to research more.” Male / 42

Surveys by publication

When shopping for outdoor apparel, footwear and/or gear, how do you feel about what Amazon offers when it comes to selection, price and quality?

How important is a “Made In America” product label in your decision making process?

Do you relate the concern about plastics to your wardrobe products made with polyester?