The Grassroots Outdoor Alliance (GOA), an association of independent U.S. outdoor retailers and brands, has announced the cancellation of its spring Connect buying show, originally scheduled for June 7-10 in Knoxville, Tennessee, due to the ongoing Corona pandemic.
“This is an unfortunate but entirely correct decision. We are now focusing on our Fall Connect show in Kansas City (Nov. 8-11) as a time for our community to come together, reunite and move forward together,” said Rich Hill, GOA president. Previously, the GOA had canceled both the June and November 2020 Connect shows. But despite the cancellations, as well as the notable business challenges of 2020, Hill said GOA’s total revenue for the calendar year is down only -0.25 percent, with nearly 30 percent of the group experiencing double-digit growth. This news is even more positive when taking into account the March 2020 shelter-in-place shutdown in many parts of the U.S., which had reduced the total annual operating hours of most retail stores by 10 to 20 percent.
In the absence of the Spring 2021 Connect trade show, the GOA is now encouraging retailers and vendors to stay engaged through its free suite of digital support tools, including the Grassroots ConnectHub for remote shopping and NuOrder, an innovative online platform that allows shoppers to visualize their assortment by any data point. In addition, Grassroots organizers encourage members to consider participating in nearby local or regional sales events during the spring and summer.
