Profile of the Sample





Net Promoter Score Study

February 2007

Prepared for

Dustin Robertson and Jill Layfield

By

BYU-Idaho

Integrated Marketing Emphasis

Table of Contents

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Objectives and Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Key Findings

Profile of the Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Net Promoter Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Promoters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Backcountry .com Passives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

detractors ……… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

NPS and promoters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

PS and promoters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

NPS and Promoters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Appendix

Verbatims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Executive Summary

has a positive net promoter score of 39 within their opt-in customer list. This may be inflated given the opt-in nature of the sample. Those with 4 or more purchases were more likely to be promoters.

An excellent first experience at is strongly associated with promoter status. Given the critical nature of the first customer experience, care must be taken that any efforts to reward repeat consumers does not detract from service given to first time customer.

In addition to the brand/product selection identified in the omnibus study, key loyalty drivers are services related issues such as handling complaints or problems, fair return policy, fast shipping, excellent product selection at a fair value. Backcountry received more positive unaided comments related to service than their closest competitor,

Several verbatim comments identified the handling of a problem as either the reason for their promoter status; if handled well they become more loyal; if not, they become less loyal.

There is an association between level of passion for hiking, camping, backpacking and climbing and promoter status. Promoters are more likely to be heavily involved in one or more of these sports.

Promoter status is not a function of level of intensity, I.e. risky/close to the edge activities. Promoters come from all levels of intensity, from safe but challenging activities to risky activities.

Passives and detractors mention lower prices as the best way to increase their promoter score; other suggestions deal with very specific product selection issues, isolated customer service failures, or a belief that there is nothing special about vs. other sites.

, also received a positive Net Promoter score, although lower at 13. promoters, in addition to similar mentions of strong product selection and good service, often mention the convenience of the brick and mortar option – free shipping, etc. One out of four specifically mention the REI COOP membership program

promoters mention the personality of the website as a differentiator.

Objectives

1. Determine net promoter Score for

2. Identify key loyalty drivers for promoters

3. Identify main cases for passivity among passives

4. Identify main issues for detractors

5. Test the hypotheses that the first experience is a key determinant of repeat/loyal purchase behavior.

6. Identify any demographic or behavioral tendencies of the promoter Identify key loyalty drivers for competitors’ promoters

7. Identify key loyalty drivers for competitors’ promoters

Methodology

The data was collected from February 14-23.  The e-mails were randomly drawn from ’s opt-in customer e-mail list. Actual # of purchases was included along with the e-mail to allow us to compare attitudes and behavior.

A total of 6,137 invitations were successfully sent for the Net Promoter Score survey, with 428 accessing the survey and 394 completed surveys.

Profile of the Sample

The opt-in customer base is almost ¾ male, with a broad age distribution esp. 26-54

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The most common income level is >$ 100,000; strongest regions include the Northeast and the West.

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Outdoor Activities – Involvement and Intensity

Hiking and Camping, Backpacking and Skiing are the outdoor activities the opt-in consumers are most involved in

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. The level of intensity with which they engage in activities looks like a standard bell curve, with the most common answer being challenging but not very risky.

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Purchases from

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Purchases from Competitors

Nearly ¾ of the sample also has purchased from . [pic]

Net Promoter Score

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53.3% Promoters - 13.9% Detractors = 39.4

Best Predictor of Promoter Status: First Experience with

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80% of promoters had an excellent first experience with . Note that no one in the sample said their first experience was negative. But To earn promoter loyalty, excellence is required.

Promoters: Why are you likely to Recommend (unaided, open-ended)

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Confirming our findings from the aided loyalty question in the omnibus survey, Good selection was the number one reason given for Promoter’s likelihood to recommend to a friend. Good value was second and Fast Shipping was third. Adding all service related categories (friendly, knowledgeable, handle problems and general service), Service is actually the #1 reason – 65.4%.

Some of the more descriptive comments are provided here; all are provided in the appendix:

• Fantastic website that includes gear reviews from other customers, competitive pricing, live help feature and extremely fast shipping.

• The customer service was excellent they helped me a great deal with a shipping problem.

• Fast shipping. Good customer service (fix problems with orders). Often good prices.

• Good service, great collection of gear, helpful reviews, ease of returns, reasonable pricing, easy to navigate site.

• Quick shipping, great prices, and I actually called one of your gear experts and got great advice about the fit of a shoe.

• They seem to always have what I am looking for, and I am consistently impressed by the customer service I receive.

• Customer reviews. Selection of quality gear. Possibilities of sales. Change of return policy to similar to REI.

Backcountry Promoters: Demographics/purchase behavior

Backcountry Promoters skew toward under 45); detractors are more likely to be 45+.

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Promoters have purchased more from

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Promoters are more active backpackers, campers, hikers and climbers.

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Promoters: Level of intensity of Outdoor activities

Promoters come from all levels of intensity. There is a slight skew towards edgier, but it is not statistically significant.

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Backcountry Passives: What Could do to increase their likelihood of recommending to a friend? (unaided, open-ended)

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Not surprisingly, the moist commons response from passives was to reduce prices. The next most common response was that there was nothing to improve. These people have no complaints but aren’t as motivated to pass the word along. Some verbatim comments for each of the specific areas for improvement:

Improved Selection/inventory

• The climbing harness I got was out of stock, when a new shipment got in, I had the wrong size, and there was no more of any other sizes. It made it hard to exchange, and I had to have the money refunded.

• More variety of inventory, particularly sizes - I have a hard time finding the size that I want.

• better size selection, talls

• What I originally wanted was not in stock at the time of my order, so I had to order something else.

• Have more variety in climbing equipment. I once had a problem about an item not being a stock and a very complicate mix-up afterwards. But well... you should sell more variety of climbing hardware and shoes.

Better Search/navigation within site:

• Better pics. More detailed, maybe different views of items.

• site somewhat difficult to navigate

• better search interface

• It would be great if on the website there was a better way to compare products without having to go to each individual page

Improved Marketing

• Be more like , They recycle boxes, etc are generally very fun to deal with and have OK prices.

• I would have to remember it... The little goat sticker is cool and will help me.

Detractors: Why aren’t you likely to recommend ?

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The most common reason given by detractors was pricing. About ¼ of the detractors protested that they would indeed recommend backcountry, but they score they gave was under 7, so they are classified as detractors. Other said they generally don’t recommend anything, or their friends don; t buy online.

Other than pricing, the common concerns were related to product availability, service, or the feeling that competition is better:

Product Unavailability

Many items are not available to Canada so it's difficult to buy gear from them

You don't carry items that we use for guiding and packing.

limited choices

Service

Not as good return policy

I had trouble with a customer service person who didn't understand the discount being offered. He wouldn't admit to being wrong

Competition

There are many retailers of outdoor gear; is nothing special.

Prefer REI and Eddie Bauer

Too many choices

Net Promoter Score

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41.7% promoters – 18.8% detractors

Given this sample was taken form an opt-in customer list, this NPS is understated. The purpose of running this analysis was to look at the open-ended comments from their promoters – to understand their strengths.

Promoters – Reasons Why

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Similar to , product selection is the most common reason why they would recommend to a friend. Good service, Good prices and the advantages of a Brick and mortar store nearby were also key drivers. There were, however, fewer total service mentions here compared to . (42.5% REI vs 65.4% backcountry)

Their Membership program was mentioned by 25.8% of the promoters.

Some comments from promoters:

• great service, they have a store close so I don't have to pay shipping I can pick it up

• They have an amazing return policy. It seems they care more about the customer than making money. I appreciate that, so do a lot of shopping there.

• REI membership. Receiving a yearly dividend based on purchases is great. Also, REI's return policy is second to none.

• Easy to use website, cost, selection, and as always, the unmatched level of customer service

• Extensive selection of goods, physical stores nearby, free shipping to stores, excellent return policy.

• All same reasons as . Plus, I can go into the store, try stuff on, and get instant exchanges. Their no questions asked return policy is awesome. They seem to have bigger sales on brands like Mountain Hardware and Black Diamond.

• Off brand/rei products are similar quality and more reasonably priced. Also have an REI store in area. I like to see and feel the gear before purchasing

• Membership is inexpensive and members get dividends. REI always has sales and always offers discounts. REI has an excellent return policy. REI has a reasonably broad selection of gear.

• The gear from REI has a lifetime warranty. Any problems, just bring it back to the store. REI has a very good customer service policy.

Net Promoter Score

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Only 22% of the sample had purchased at Moosejaw – only those with purchase experience were asked the NPS question. Among this opt-in list of customers, moosejaw has a negative NPS score:

28% promoters – 39% detractors.

Promoters – Reasons Why

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promoters (24 people) cite pricing as the most common responses as to why they would recommend to a friend. Product selection and service follow. A significant 37% specifically mention the personality of the site in some way.

Personality comments

• They do a great job and have a fun site. Good gear and deals. Entertaining ads and info.

• Funny friendly good price

• Very fun company, great catalog with witty ads and copy. You should work with ubiquity design to help you gain more success.

• Their brand, and their customer experience has a great personality.

• Fun, upbeat, fast, competitive, great website

• A great sense of humor! I enjoy the attitude the site and employees convey. Decent pricing with good promotions.

Net Promoter Score information

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18% Promoters – 49% Detractors

Only 29% of the sample had ever purchased at Altrec, and of that group, only 18%, or 20 people, are promoters. Selection, Service and price were the common reasons given by promoters.

Here’s a verbatim that captures most everything:

free shipping on orders over $45 which is easy to obtain with my level of purchases; easy returns for NO CHARGE -- fantastic. I will often buy something which I am not sure about keeping just because I could return it for free. Often, I keep the item anyways!; Good sale prices and promotions

Conclusions

• has a positive net promoter score of 39 within their opt-in customer list. This may be inflated given the opt-in nature of the sample. Those with 4 or more purchases were more likely to be promoters.

• An excellent first experience at is strongly associated with promoter status. Given the critical nature of the first customer experience, care must be taken that any efforts to reward repeat consumers does not detract from service given to first time customer.

• In addition to the brand/product selection identified in the omnibus study, key loyalty drivers are services related issues such as handling complaints or problems, fair return policy, fast shipping, excellent product selection at a fair value. Backcountry received more positive unaided comments related to service than their closest competitor,

• Several verbatim comments identified the handling of a problem as either rthe reason for their promoter status; if handled well they becomemore loyal; if not, they become less loyal.

• There is an association between level of passion for hiking, camping, backpacking and climbing and promoter status. Promoters are more likely to be heavily involved in one or more of these sports.

• Promoter status is not a function of level of intensity, I.e. risky/close to the edge activities. Promoters come from all levels of intensity, from safe but challenging activities to risky activities.

• Passives and detractors mention lower prices as the best way to increase their promoter score; other suggestions deal with very specific product selection issues, isolated customer service failures, or a belief that there is nothing special about vs. other sites.

• , promoters, in addition to similar mentions of strong product selection and good service, often mention the convenience of the brick and mortar option – free shipping, etc. . 1 out of four specifically mention the REI COOP membership program

• Moosejaw promoters mention the personality of the website as a unique differentiator.

Recommendations:

• Future NPS surveys should be conducted as part of operations – surveys sent randomly after purchases, to get a more valid benchmark and an ongoing measure of NPS improvement. This would be a more accurate read given they would be sent to all purchasers, not just opt-in.

• Backcountry should analyze the profitability of the members of this sample based on their purchase history (did they only buy specials, etc.) and re-run the numbers after segmenting the sample based on profitability of prior purchases. Our hypothesis is that the passives and detractors are less profitable in that they are more likely to seek deals; therefore efforts to attract them with points systems, etc could erode profitability.

• ’s structural advantage of having brick and mortar could be offset by liberal shipping/return policies. Backcountry might consider special shipping status for

qualifying loyal customers to deflect the REI benefit of free shipping to the store.

• In considering a possible membership program, emphasis should be on special treatments rather than free merchandise. Many current promoters feel they are getting a good value already. These special treatments should not be at the expense of the first time buyer. The goal would be to build a sense of community; the other study run concurrently indicated that even repeat consumers do don’t feel much of a sense of community with .

• Future promotions should bear in mind the varied level of intensity of the promoters. Not all of them want to throw themselves off a cliff. Rather they want to get out as often as they possibly can. Given the “every chance I get” nature of the promoter, the marketing department should consider what can do to cater to this extremely active group.

• Some consideration should be given to the isolated comments given in the verbatims from the passives. Consideration should be given to availability of sizes. Relatively few positive comments were elicited about the website itself. Perhaps some improvements can be made.

APPENDIX

Promoter verbatims.

|great product |

|selection |

|Service is good, friendly, and fast. They also have good deals. |

|QUALITY,PRICING |

|Nice stuff. Good prices. |

|Fast shipping. Good customer service (fix problems with orders). Often good prices. |

|quick delivery&LF;high quality items |

|reliable gear. Friendly staff. |

|Quick shipping, great prices, and I actually called one of your gear experts and got great advice about the fit of a shoe. |

|My purchase was as expected and received in a timely manner. |

|good products, good service |

|Good service, prices |

|great organizational interface, easy to browse, good search engine, decent prices, able to see stock available, free shipping, |

|customer service response is very quick |

|#1 Selection&LF;#2 Desent prices |

|good sales, good service, good selection, website is easy to navigate. seems to be run by people who enjoy the outdoors and the |

|products they are selling. |

|I bought an avalanche gear combo many years ago and I remember getting a great deal on it, fast shipping, and good advice and |

|support regarding the beacon. |

|vast selection, good prices, ships quickly |

|Large selection of products, web-site very user-friendly, product reviews, good customer service. |

|Choice, price and ease of use of the site |

|I called the store directly from overseas to place a large order, the person I spoke with took everything down verbally, helped |

|me with alternative choices, and I received my exact order within days |

|service |

|Easy and good price |

|good selection, service. good sales |

|Great selection and proces |

|price and service |

|The price, quality, service (phone salesperson was excellent)and selection. |

|good selection&LF;sale prices&LF;good service |

|Great service and good prices |

|Good prices on items that are hard to find in retail stores. |

|Good service, easy website to explore and great exchange/return policy |

|Backcountry has excellent service. I purchased items using their free :10-14 day" shipping and received them with 3 days. Their |

|prices are a little higher than though. |

|Great service and free shipping over $50.00. Large selection of items to choose from. |

|good deals, large selection, good web interface |

|good service&LF;free shipping&LF;competitive prices&LF;good selection |

|The product, Big Agnes sleeping bag was awesome, and reasonably priced. |

|Easy access, good product information, inspirational site, good variety of gear. Easy to navigate the site. ALL good... |

|Good products, good price and sales. Fast delivery. |

|You can buy items, which are sometimes hardly to find in europe. |

|Because when things have gone wrong (either wrong size/color sent or USPS messed up order) Backcountry was very helpful in |

|resolving the problem. |

|Cheap and quality. |

|they are active in outdoor sports and would probably purchase something from the web site. |

|selection and quality in merchandise,&LF;good customer service |

|good products&LF;good prices&LF;quick delivery |

|good cust service. competitive prices, variety of products that are in stock (at least by the quantity on hand) |

|Selection&LF;Price |

|Great prices on good quality products. Easy transaction, fast shipping. |

|good products&LF;great shipping&LF;great advice&LF;good prices |

|Price- since it was the cheapest when searched in the internet.&LF;Delivery and exchanging of products. |

|Gear selection and availability. Pricing and ease of ordering. |

|Service was good and fast and the price was nice. Most important for me is the free postage to APO addresses and the deals on |

|Steep and Cheap |

|Great selection, excellent customer service. |

|it has all of the things that I use and like for the sports I participate in. its all in one place and is easy to find. |

|Very extensive inventory of products. Quick shipping procedures. |

|great place to get info and the support is great. |

|good selection, easy to shop and price. |

|Large selection of products, good customer service |

|Large selection; Easy web interface; good prices; international delivery. |

|Good selection. Free shipping option. |

|a very careful service at each purchase level. |

|low shipping costs |

|great prices and service |

|excellent selection including harder to find items, reasonable prices and regular sales |

|Good selection of quality gear. Great pricing and service. |

|Relatively cheaper than competitors |

|Fantastic website that includes gear reviews from other customers, competitive pricing, live help feature and extremely fast |

|shipping. |

|Good price, good selection, last time there was no sales tax for purchases in Utah, product delivered on-time, used to be able |

|to go to the warehouse to make purchases and see gear before buying it. |

|user friendly, great service and products. |

|good valve&LF;superior service&LF;semi local to where I live&LF;quality products |

|fast, efficient, competitive prices |

|The customer service was excellent the yhelped me a great deal with a shipping problem. |

|Excellent selection, knowledgable staff, fast service. |

|Knowledgeable staff...EXCELLANT SERVICE. |

|good webpage, good prices, easy buying experience |

|Fair price, good products, free shipping. |

|they work well with you |

|Excellent products with excellent service |

|Good prices, good customer service, excellent selection. |

|I think that they have great prices and selection and I had a good experience shopping with them. |

|Good service, great collection of gear, helpful reviews, ease of returns, reasonable pricing, easy to navigate site. |

|Good gear; honest opinions; timely service; decent prices. |

|They have the gear I want, usually at a better price than others, and shipping is quick, and not too overpriced for handling. |

|Great service, great products, great support, speedy delivery. |

|Very good products and service |

|Great prices and selection |

|Service, quality, price and knowledgeable staff. |

|huge selection, great prices, fast shipping |

|They seem to always have what I am looking for, and I am consistently impressed by the customer service I receive. |

|Good gear, good prices, good shipping, no problems. |

|Good selection and Value. Easy to navigate web site. Quick and consistent. No problem on returns. |

|each time i ordered i had a question about the item and was answered very nicely and knowledgeably (spelling). |

|Competitive prices, great service, easy return policy & wide selection of goods |

|Sometimes you have a good sale and free shipping.&LF;You service and shipping are efficient. |

|I like the selection of merchandise and the value |

|SELECTION, EXCELLENT WEBSITE (ONLY DOWNSIE FRO EUROPEAN CUSTOMERS : HIGH SHIPPING COSTS) |

|First class outdoor clothing and equipment |

|The attendents were very freindly, the costs are ok and the delivery was done just on time. |

|I would recommend because of the products carried, customer service, and reasonable prices. |

|Customer reviews. Selection of quality gear. Possibilities of sales. Change of return policy to similar to REI. |

|Excellent experience with all my purchases. Knowlegeable and accessible staff through the online chat feature. |

|Top quality brands/gear; low prices; easy to find what I want (web site is intuitive, I particularly appreciate the "related |

|products" recommendations so I can explore the market more thoroughly, without having to determine which products are in the |

|same class); easy returns (I have done this once); thorough explanations of products and lots of pictures of each product; I |

|could go on but I should be working |

|good service, good gear selection, quick |

|They carry the best gear and there are always deals. |

|quality products, good customer service, reliable shipping, safe website |

|Had a problem with my last order (Dakine bag sent was used)- rectified within 24 hours (new bag delivered Sat). Excellent cust |

|service |

|I have had excellent experiences. Good prices, fast shipping. |

|High quality merchandise and excellent service. |

|I can get nearly everything i want and what i would not get in austria |

|quality goods and service! |

|Easy website. Refunded tax in Utah. Good sales. |

|, which is associated with backcountry, sells gear for really cheap, and they shipped it very quickly. |

|I have had a very good experience with everything I have purchased and the prices are very reasonable |

|They have in stock: only the best brands. They realize order in the shortest time, no matter you are. You receive purchased good|

|only in excellent condition. You can feel unstress buying in ! |

|ski helmet |

|Staff is friendly,knowlegable, speak perfectly good English plus they are couteous. Not like Dell Computer! You don't get to |

|talk to a call centre from Patistain where you cannot understand what they are saying and they don't what you are saying. To me |

|I will not buy any products where they have call centers in far off places etc India or where ever. |

|great products and good prices, customer service was helpful |

|Selection, price, good experience |

|Good selection and good sale prices |

|Excellent selection of merchandise, quick shipping convenient returns |

|1. Prices&LF;2. Huge selection&LF;3. Online chat with a gear specialist who obviously uses the gear I ask about. &LF;4. Return |

|Policy. If I get a pair of ski boots and they don't fit, I can send them back. My local ski/outdoor shop won't even do that |

|for me. &LF;5. Telemark skiing selection, and user/buyer comments. |

|good prices, selection and service |

|the site is very easy, good selection, cheap prices |

|price, service, shipping |

|great service&LF;great inventory - high quality |

|Very good selection, great prices, fast friendly service |

|merchanidise offered&LF;extremely fast shipping |

|na |

|Great customer service and support&LF;Great products and prices |

|I have bought all of my running/hiking shoes from over the past 4 yrs. Good selection of product, super-fast |

|delivery (I live in Colorado, which may help, website is easy to navigate. |

|Good prices and customer service. Website is easy to navigate and research gear. |

|Excellent selection, excellent service and good prices. I like the feel of the site and know right away the people behind it |

|are passionate about the outdoors and actually use this stuff. |

|They offer great service and free shipping on most items. They have a great selection and range of outdoor gear and some of the|

|best sale prices on the market. The website is layed out in a clean and easy to navigate format. |

|Good People, fast shipping, good quality equipment. |

|I got what I wanted in a timley fashion |

|I bought a great pair of snowboard boots and being from chicago the selection is very limited. Backcounty gives me access to a |

|great selection of gear. |

|good service, good price |

|Good selection, good reviews, and extra fast turn-around time |

|Great deals and selection, free shipping ($50+), and the absolute best customer service around! |

|I have found some very good deals on , often the prices are significantly less than other web sites. |

|I got everything I ordered quickly. And the website is fun to search for gear on. |

|They were correct with the order and quick to send it. |

|good selection&LF;good website&LF;free shipping |

|Good prices, good selection, quick shipping. |

|great service, you can speak to a human if you have a question |

|They have all the name brand gear that I want and expect a store to have. Plus they are reasonable in price with fast |

|turnaround service. |

|good prices the gear i need (backcountry sking) great service |

|Good service and prices. Pretty good selection. |

|Good selection, fair prices, fast shipping. Reliable service and easy returns. |

|Excellent service, good price, easy to browse and look for items on . |

|Close, right here in valley. Good service. Good value. Ability to visit showroom and try items on, save on shipping, |

|etc.&LF;Great staff, good product offerings. All around excellent. |

|The selection is excellent, the prize is verey good and you get your delivery fast. What could you possibly want more? |

|great website & customer service is second to none |

|You offer great prices, free shipping at a certain point and have great experts to answer questions. I also like the reviews, |

|which help me make my final decision./ |

|great prices&LF;quick shipping&LF;superb customer service |

|friendly staff, helpful, online support, free shipping, SUPER return/exchange program, customer review option...all in all my |

|go-to online store. |

|1. very good Offers&LF;2. fast and excellent supply&LF;3. good prices |

|good service on the phone&LF;easy return in one case&LF;fast delivery |

|good service, good stuff |

|1) Wide selection&LF;2) Personal experience with trouble/hassle free refunds&LF;3) Efficient website&LF;4) Reasonable |

|prices&LF;5) Good sales prices |

|The brands they have are really good and they have good prices and good sales. The gear arrives soon even if when the shipping |

|is free. |

|great customer service, online chat is helpful, SteepAndCheap |

|I got what I wanted fast and the one time I had to exchange an item it was no hassel. |

|service selection |

|Great prices&LF;Great service&LF;Reliable website |

|Good gear selection excellent prices, good desciption of products. |

|Fast at sending the gear to me |

|Good choice, website friendly, great prices, efficient and cost effective shipping, friendly customer service |

|variety of merchandise, ease of ordering |

|Good prices, fast service, friendly and informative website and followup emails. |

|Reliable&LF;Good tech help&LF;Good when needed to return item |

|Good prices, great selection, quick shipping and very helpful customer service. |

|I found everything I was looking for at a great price. Everything was shipped to me very quickly, and I found that |

| was very helpful. |

|Good and easy website. Great selection & inventory. |

|I am happy with the one purchase that I've made. I've shopped for other things without making a purchase but the selection of |

|products is good. You did not have the ski bindings I wanted to go with the ski's I was going to but so I made this purchase |

|elsewhere. I did recommned the sit to a friend yesterday because you had both the skis and bindings he was looking for. |

|large selection. |

|Great gear, great prices, helpful customer service |

|free shipping on orders over $49&LF;good sales&LF;excellent customer representatives who are knowledgeable and offer practical |

|advice&LF;Easy returns, but you have to pay for shipping back. Therefore, I order only what I really think I will keep -- no |

|extras or maybes. |

|Excellent price with prompt delivery |

|great service, delivery and price |

|The service was excellent, delivery prompt and no hassle with exchange. |

|selection is tremendous; pricing is fair |

|wide selection, good prices especially when on sale, and it has equipment/clothing for serious trips, not just recreation, like |

|REI. |

|The products have delivered on my expectations, and with good value. |

|Good service plus merchantdise |

|Customer service is excellent. Fair prices, and fast shipping. |

|Always have had what I was looking to buy. |

|The prices were excellent. The selection is good. The customer service also excellent. I had items I had to return for refund |

|and those for exchange and both were handled very quickly and effeicently. |

|great customer service - returned an item and they split the shipping fee to get it to me in time. |

|lots of selection and deals. great customer service & knowledge. and they started Steep& which is the great thing |

|ever! |

|Easy to navigate website, great prices, great selection, easy ordering. |

|same as altrec...and sales are very good. |

|Great products, prices and people! |

|easy fast service, great products, helpful assistance, easy returns |

|great shipping, quick and free |

|good products...fast delivery |

|good service, easy.. |

|The selection is excellent, prices are great, shopping is quick and convenient. |

|Reviews, prices |

|Deliver to outside U.S is very fast. |

|They have great stuff!!!! |

|easy website to browse. Quick turnaround time from order to receive date. |

|VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, EASY TO DEAL WITH ESPECIALLY THE RETURNS |

|Great quality products, excellent descriptions, and very useful sizing charts. |

Passives Verbatims – what could bc do to improve their likelihood to recommend?

|The climbing harness I got was out of stock, when a new shipment got in, I had the wrong size, and there was no more of any |

|other sizes. It made it hard to exchange, and I had to have the money refunded. |

|Probably nothing except perhaps lower prices than competitors. |

|I do not know, it was awhile ago for the purchase and I cannot remember much about it. |

|the occasion rarely arises |

|start sending out more home catalogs more people like ot see it in a calalog then going to the internet all the time. |

|Not sure |

|faster delivery |

|Better pics. More detailed, maybe different views of items. |

|more free shipping |

|lower prices or other incentives to frequent shoppers |

|Can't really specify any one thing |

|I am not sur, but there must be room for improvement |

|I am still a touchy, feely shopper and have not become totally comfortable with not being able to touch products prior to |

|purchase. Getting better! |

|site somewhat difficult to navigate |

|I was not told of the customs duty added onto my Salomon boots... making them much more expensive than if I had just bought them|

|in Ontario. If I had known that, I wouldn't have purchased the boots via |

|I love Backcountry but it is expensive.&LF;I can usually shop around on the web and find things cheaper. |

|more sales |

|don't really have many friends that buy outdoor wear/gear |

|More variety of inventory, particularly sizes - I have a hard time finding the size that I want. |

|Have more deals! |

|More student-friendly prices; the return of deal of the day |

|nothing in particular |

|be local |

|What I originally wanted was not in stock at the time of my order, so I had to order something else. |

|more brands/models , more friendly web page. |

|If I had a catalog friends might pick it&LF;up, or if they asked my opinion of a&LF;good website, I would suggest backcountry. |

|Most of my friends are less&LF;interested in camping than I am. |

|prices are somewhat higher than other web sites....have to wait for sales |

|More discounts or closeouts. |

|Include a few how-to articles, like how to choose the right tent, pack etc. |

|More promotional deals. |

|Nothing. I just haven't had much experience with the store. |

|Free shipping for Canada customer. Same rules than US customer. |

|More personal purchases would give me a larger sample to determine the consistency of the service. So far... so good. |

|It depends on what they were looking for. |

|nothing - I think that is pretty good- I actually have recomended you to a friends and realtives and was turned on to you in the|

|same manner. But I am not going to take out an ad in the local paper for you either. |

|Increase the selection. |

|I do not have any meaningful input to this question.&LF;My purchasing decisions are based on price, product |

|selection/manufacturer and availability. |

|Lower prices, ie..."campmor", "sierra trading post" |

|Even lower prices |

|Nothing really, it is that I am in New Zealand and the shipping can be expensive to get gear to NZ, so not as likely as a local |

|reseller. |

|more competitive prices |

|Shippment tracking. |

|Not sure. |

|Try to lower the price for shipping overseas... |

|I would have to remember it... The little goat sticker is cool and will help me. |

|lower prices |

|Less expensive prices |

|beat Sierra Trading Post prices. I recommend them as well |

|Not your problem...I live in Canada so thre are access problems. |

|Offer more coupons |

|free return shipping for product exchanges/returns. |

|some gear is always exempt from discounts and sales,, |

|? |

|nothing |

|Better sales. |

|Well I would suggest SAC higher because of the great deals. SAC is your store so it's really a 10. |

|expanded product lines. This was several years ago so things have improved from what I can tell |

|better search interface |

|Just more experiences/interactions/exposure with the company and website. |

|Nothing |

|Prices need to come down |

|It is not very usual to buy stuff from USA, when you live in Norway. Many would consider this risky. I am refering to |

|creditcardtranactions on web. |

|Nothing, I guess. Just not super exceptional or different then most other online retailers I Have dealt with. |

|faster shipping, better pricing |

|It would be great if on the website there was a better way to compare products without having to go to each individual page |

|selection - pricing |

|Nothing really, but I don't expect anyone to ask me for a recommendation. If they do, I would recommend . |

|lower Price |

|Prices |

|Free shipping for returns. |

|offer more coupons |

|8 |

|lower prices |

|not your fault. I take my friends' financial situation into account. You carry high quality gear, but some is pricey. |

|better size selection, talls |

|Improve Pricing. |

|I have not had any bad experiences. I would need to have purchased more things to be more enthusiastic |

|lower prices |

|lower shipping rates |

|occasionally, I look for fringe market items, and relationships with some of those cottage producers would have me look at |

|backcountry first before other retailers. |

|lower prices, discount merchandise |

|lower prices |

|lkfjg;adkf |

|Bicycling paniers |

|Have more variety in climbing equipment. I once had a problem about an item not being a stock and a very complicate mix-up |

|afterwards. But well... you should sell more variety of climbing hardware and shoes. |

|increase in product lines carried |

|trouble with my last order, credit card not going thru |

|I believe that their service and support is very high. My score only reflects a single purchase event and therefore don't have a|

|stronger baseline to score any higher at this time. My purchase event was timely and error free. |

|Be based in UK! |

|Discount more prices. |

|It's really a question of the competition. I often buy from suppliers such as REI, EMS, STP, locally Bentgate and Neptune |

|Mountaineering, and regard them highly as well. &LF;Service is excellent from all, so purchase decisions depend on timing, |

|price, selection. |

|Offer free return shipping. Have better reviews and more info on gear. |

|Japanese language support in web. |

|Better sales??? |

|They just have the gear you sometimes can't find elsewhere. Plus I love free stickers!! :-) |

|I had a fairly standard order, no special action required of backcountry. I guess i reserve excellence for when you are required|

|to go the extra mile and you do. Im not saying you dont - I just never have had to experience it. |

|More variety of sizes. |

|Better pricing |

|Providing more information like a buyer's guide to XXX would be helpful. If you know what you're looking for, great. But if |

|the friend who was just getting started, I'd recommend going to a local place first just so that they better understand what |

|they need to look for in a specific purchase. |

| is fine, but most of my friends would not be able to afford the high quality gear offers. I am |

|in college, so money is tight for a lot of people. |

|nothing |

|Nothing, I guess I should have picked a 9 or 10. Received exactly what I wanted. May be purchasing something again in the near|

|future. |

|Just need more experience with your store... |

|faster shipping |

|the product that I am interested in is not always available. It seems there is a lack of stock. |

|lower price |

|I received an email once from regarding an ongoing sale. I was in the process of ordering a pair of shoes for |

|20% off. During the checkout I noticed the discount was not 20% off the price. |

|carry more companies of snowboard stuff |

|Not much more...I'm not overexuberant when I rate things. |

|n/a |

|Tailored my preferences or let me personalize the site. |

|Be more like , They recycle boxes, etc are generally very fun to deal with and have OK prices. |

|I've found better prices at other web retailers. Lower prices would increase the rating to a 9 or 10. |

|the info and the knowlegde they have is great the price is a little hight at times |

|more competitive pricing |

|don't know |

|prices are close to retail and I would like to see more sails |

|It took a bit longer than expected for my merchandise to arrive. |

|Better overseas delivery services and if possible in a way that will by-pass danish VAT = neutral, private goods packaging. |

|Beat other local prices. |

|free shipping specials. |

Backcountry Detractors Verbatims

|I don't know very many outdoorsy type people anymore. |

|Most friends are not campers. |

|You don't carry items that we use for guiding and packing. |

|overpriced |

|price |

|Selection does not match other retailers. |

|Distance |

|just not a site i go to alot. i check it out every once in awhile for deals, but most of my outdoor gear is bought in concrete |

|stores. |

|My friends and I don't have a lot of money. |

|the price point isn't always there |

|I don't remember |

|lower prices are usually available from other suppliers. The only reason I would buy again from is if the item |

|is only available through them. |

|Easy, whatever has, I can find it a lot cheaper on 's outlet store or at , which is my |

|favorite. Backcountry and Altrec are really for people who don't care about overpaying. |

|a little too polished, a little too much "push" marketing |

|Theree are many retailers of outdoor gear; is nothing special. |

|Too many choices |

|lots of competition |

|i would recommend it |

|Prefer REI & Eddie Bauer |

|In the case of the overseas country, we must pay a special P&P price.&LF;And we have also some ploblems that are maintenance, |

|repair and so on... |

|I had trouble with a customer service person who didn't understand the discount being offered. He wouldn't admit to being wrong |

|No reason not to recommend. Good selection, good prices. Nothing stood out as incredibly positive (but everything was smooth, no|

|problems either) |

|limited choices and not as good return policy |

|no reason why not. |

|Many items are not availble to Canada so it's difficult to buy gear from them |

|I tend not to recommend any retail location to friends |

|NA |

|Price |

|nothing specific |

|I didn't say that I wouldn't recommend. |

|most friends are lame |

|I am likely, but also likely to recommend other sources. |

|It is a good place to search for products, but other sites usually have the items at a lower price |

|just because it is online |

|Shipping was quick, web pages were fairly easy to navigate. |

|Most have acquired all necessary gear. Any additional would be purchased locally. |

|n/a |

|I think the prices are good but some online retailers are better |

|I would recommend |

|n/a |

|Gear is as expensive as other retailers such as . If you offered more SIGNIFICANT discounts, I'd recommend |

| more. |

|i entered a value of 6 actually. |

|Price. Lack of ability to fit items. |

|The only reason is not being able to try on the product before buying if cloths, shoes, certain gear. |

|REI is in the area. Just don't remember. |

|not sure |

|I am very likely to recommend if I think my friend will order from an online retailer. |

|I would recommend it but prices are not as good as Sierra Trading Post. |

|I think I must have answered wrong--sorry |

|I would tell my friend that I have had a good experience with service, answers, shipping and the such. No complaints what so |

|ever, but my friend has to make his own decission with whom he is going to buy. |

|NOT APPLICABLE |

|selection |

REI Promoter’s Verbatims

|Good products, good company |

|Diversity of products and price |

|I think the sales prices and outlet prices are really good. |

|They have an amazing return policy. It seems they care more about the customer than making money. I appreciate that, so do a lot|

|of shopping there. |

|fast delivery good quality |

|large selection, member rebate |

|They have stores located all over, and you can order online and have it delivered to the store to pick up, for no shipping |

|charges. |

|When I lived in Chicago, I would visit the store in Oakbrook. There were two people I always spoke with, one was a ranger in |

|the summertime and another was a world-wide hiker. They gave excellent advice from their real world experience. |

|Wide selection. |

|They have a store near my house and easy return policy. They will ship for free to the store. |

|prices and selection and outlet store |

|? |

|easy search and in-store pickup |

|member of REI, one is nearby so can pick up gear + browse in person, staff are very friendly and helpful |

|their return policy, they have a retail store close by, and the yearly dividend. |

|Free shipping (to a nearby store where purchases can be picked up)&LF;Great customer service! |

|25 years of experience with them.&LF;Great deals through the co-op.&LF;Local stores (Denver, Boulder, CO). |

|Good service, good selection, good customer service. |

|The gear from REI has a lifetime warranty. Any problems, just bring it back to the store. REI has a very good customer service |

|policy. |

|large selection in store and easy to use internet store |

|great discounts |

|products, reputation |

|The benefits of membership make them a strong contender for my money. |

|Very large product selection, good prices, helpful advice on how to select products, good customer service. |

|price |

|Coolest stuff for outdoorsy people if that is what you like...I have old stuff but when I go into an REI store, I kinda drool. |

|return policy&LF;good selection&LF;good service |

|Good service, easy website to explore, can have it deliveried to store (so no shipping fees) and great exchange/return policy |

|i bought a very good TNF tent, which was on sale & not distributed to europe. |

|good products&LF;their brand is good stuff |

|Local stores so you can touch the products and feel the quality or lack there of. Local pick-up through internet puschasing |

|price |

|REI is a great company. They are expensive so I recommend shopping around first. But they offer a lifetime guarantee on all |

|products they sell, they have great service, and their staff are incredibly knowledgeable. It's also a well-managed company. |

|good prices&LF;good products&LF;good advice |

|Basically in this case, because I have had the chance to visit one of the real stores, so I was able to see the products. But I |

|must say they provide a good service and do have lots of sales. |

|I only purchase from the outlet but they do have good and fast service. They are too expensive if not on sale |

|Very good selection and sale items through . |

|Very large selection of products, good customer service, good advice on how to choose products |

|free shipping with in store pickup, easy returns |

|Purchased many times, always good selection and usually knowledgable sales staff. |

|REI has good products but not the absolute best brands, and their selection is often limited (for no apparent reason). They do,|

|however, have that handy dividend situation, so if they do carry a product I really want, it is often worthwhile to buy it there|

|for the dividend return. |

|Good service |

|Off brand/rei products are similar quality and more reasonably priced. Also have an REI store in area. I like to see and feel |

|the gear before purchasing |

|It's the box store that is around the corner were you get to try on stuff that your unsure of. i.e. new brand or shoe. |

|REI coop member so I receive earned rebates.&LF;First outdoor store I bought from, and they have been reliable; returns easy for|

|me when I go to a store. Free shipping with store pick-up.&LF;Sales and coupon deals over the internet |

|price, selection, ability to return to the local store. other services such as travel. commitment to the community and the |

|environment |

|return policy & dividend |

|Extensive selection of goods, physical stores nearby, free shipping to stores, excellent return policy. |

|I've been a member of REI since 1975.&LF;There are stores all aver the country.&LF;Quality and selection are |

|excellent.&LF;Dividends can add up quickly. |

| is a coop, offers excellent selection and deals at their outlet store, quick website, friendly service, well documented |

|product information. |

|I've belonged to REI for over 30 years, and like their service and selection. |

|Good Service, good selection, good wesite with good deals. |

|I like their gear a lot. |

|I use REI because they have free shipping to the store which is right across the street from my work. The outlet also has great |

|deals. |

|1. Membership is inexpensive and members get dividends.&LF;2. REI always has sales and always offers discounts.&LF;3. REI has an|

|excellent return policy.&LF;4. REI has a reasonably broad selection of gear. |

|You can go to an REI store to try things on if needed and REI has a great return policy if needed. Also, you can order online |

|and have delivered to the store for free. |

|Good products. Free shipping to local store. Excilent return policy. |

|I have shopped for over 20 years with REI, and have had nothing but positive experience with . |

|Easy to use website, cost, selection, and as always, the unmatched level of customer service |

|i love that store and i can not help me self to it. they have grate sales and the products that rei makes are unbeleable. |

|I've been a member for almost 15 years, great product lines, great sales, REI branded products are very good and cost effective.|

|Member dividends are also a great incentive. Being able to shop at any one of the stores and online, free shipping if you send |

|it to the nearest store. |

|They have an extensive outlet of reduced price merchadise due to their company size, which is usually where I show. They also |

|are based upon a coop system, so as I spend, I earn. |

|Good product selection, as a member I receive dividends and they often have specials and sales. |

|excellent return policy...REI stores everywhere. I have no second though about purchasing items knowing that if it does not fit,|

|I can return he item to the store in minutes. |

|Price point and customer care help with special orders like TUBBS snow shoe carry bags |

|REI member. Excellent return policy and yearly dividend. |

|I like how you get free shipping to closest REI store. |

|reliable gear. Friendly. I am a member |

|Great selection, good pricing. |

|Good service and great selection. Local stores where I live. |

|Coop&LF;Good Selection&LF;no shipping cost if shipped to a store&LF;Good prices on REI-Outlet |

|great service, they have a store close so I don't have to pay shipping I can pick it up |

|very convenient stores everywhere decent prices membership benefits and good selection of goods. |

|REI membership. Receiving a yearly dividend based on purchases is great. Also, REI's return policy is second to none. |

|Good website for clearance items, can ship to local REI store for pickup at no charge, year-end rebate, selection. |

|easy to work with |

|Stores are local, good merchandise at good prices. |

|Had a good experience. Was very pleased with the products I ordered. |

|Good variety, good catalog and good service |

|Knowledgeable staff, value, support, and product diversity. |

|Local store. Easy returns, good gear, great sales. |

|Long term coop member. Good quality and value. Never a problem on repairs or exchanges. Have a local REI retailer also. |

|wide selection of goods, good prices, membership discount, easy return policy |

|They are good with particular items and located in town. |

|SELECVTION, WEBSITE |

|Broad selection, good customer servic e, and quality gear |

|All same reasons as . Plus, I can go into the store, try stuff on, and get instant exchanges. Their no |

|questions asked return policy is awesome. They seem to have bigger sales on brands like Mountain Hardware and Black Diamond. |

|They have tons of gear for all outdoor sports and have many stores to visit if I need gear advice. |

|love, love, LOVE REI, FAB products, great service fast shipping and super prices and selection (love reioutlet!!) |

|Good experience with REI. |

|High quality merchandise and excellent service. |

|service and quality merchandise |

|good sale items |

|price, product selection, service |

|Very good selection, great prices, fast delivery |

|na |

|Free shipping to REI stores, excellent selection of products, and I am an REI Dividend member. |

|got what I ordered |

|Great selection, good prices on "sale" items. |

|great service I like the coop\dividend enviromentaly freindly. |

|Prices, I like their own brand because it's affordable. |

|Same reasons as for Backcountry. REI's local store is an advantage when it comes to eliminating shipping costs and for returns. |

|I also factor in their dividend when comparison pricing. |

|best customer service of any store, no questions asked with returns |

|selection price |

|U can pick it up at the store |

|variety of merchandise, ease of ordering on line |

|Good products, dividend system, local store, convenient. |

|Good selection&LF;Rebate |

|order and free delivery if p/u at local store |

|same same; selection, and....ability to get free shipping; "returnability" at nearby store |

|REI does have a wide selection of grear, and great product descriptions/specifications on their website. You can educate |

|yourself by just going to their website, or store. |

|They have a great reputation |

|I've been a member of REI for almost 20 years. The selection customer service are all excellent. |

|big selection for the most part. local retailers. good namesake clothing as well. |

|love rei and the retail store availability. easy access on-line or in person - a unique combination. and the outlet. |

|good products...reliable service |

|They have great stuff!!! |

|Great products (REI brand). Membership points! |

|good and well tested products, easy purchase on line or at a local outlet |

|They have a good line of clothing and equipment |

Promoters verbatims

|their brand, and their customer experience has a great personality. |

|Prompt service, good prices. |

|good selection&LF;fast delivery |

|I visited their store in Chicago. All the sales reps had real life experience. |

|service and delivery |

|Generally for the same reasons as for Backcountry. However, working against Moosejaw is a slow website that makes you go to |

|multiple pages. Their catalog is entertaining. |

|same as Backcountry......selection, pricing are very good |

|its just another great source on the internet for outdoor equipment and clothing, that is generally cheaper (and tax free |

|usually) than a local store or REI |

|funny friendly good price |

|selection & price & service |

|Very fun company, great catalog with witty ads and copy. You should work with ubiquity design to help you gain more success. |

|They do a great job and have a fun site. Good gear and deals. Entertaining ads and info. |

|fun and easy to shop, good prices |

|fun, upbeat, fast, competitive, great website |

|Same as |

|See previous answer. |

|A great sense of humor! I enjoy the attitude the site and employees convey. Decent pricing with good promotions. |

|Same - good gear, good prices, good shipping, no problems. |

|service, price, product selection |

|na |

|#1 selection&LF;#2 Easy of use&LF;#3 Fun&LF;#4 only the best products |

|Item's instock...no back orders |

|Excellent service, quick respondance, very good price. |

|very freindly and fun service. |

promoter verbatims

|good selection and return policy |

|Good selection for what I was looking for (The North Face Nuptse mittens) and they were on sale!! |

|selection, shopability of website |

| |

|Easy and good price |

|They have good prices and selection and have a no cost return policy |

|Good service, easy website to explore and great exchange/return policy |

|Price and then I had to return and exchange the size of a down jacket that I ordered, it worked great. |

|GOOD PRODUCTS |

|Great customer service. |

|free shipping on orders over $45 which is easy to obtain with my level of purchases.&LF;easy returns for NO CHARGE -- fantastic.|

|I will often buy something which I am not sure about keeping just because I could return it for free. Often, I keep the item |

|anyways!&LF;Good sale prices and promotions |

|Very fast service and good products |

|good selection and deals. |

|Pricing |

|Great customer service and support&LF;Great products and prices |

|good service |

|SELECTION, WEBSITE WELL PRESENTED |

|High quality merchandise and excellent service. |

|good variety, quick delivery, customer-friendly site (trackability, etc.) |

|Excellent service, returns policy, they even pay for return shipping! |

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