Evo (stylized as evo) is an American sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is led by founder and chief executive officer Bryce Phillips.
 | |
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Founded | 2001 in Seattle, United States |
| Founder | Bryce Phillps |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington , United States |
Number of locations | 18 (2022) |
Area served |
|
Key people | Bryce Phillips (founder, CEO) |
Number of employees | 750 (2022) |
| Website | www |
Company overview
editEvo is an American sporting goods retailer and outdoor recreation company headquartered in Seattle, Washington.[1][2][3] Evo generates about 70% of its business from online sales.[4][5]
Evo operates nine stores in the United States and Canada and seven in Japan as Rhythm Japan.[6]
Physical locations also offer equipment retail, repair services, and rentals.[2][7][8] The company operates hotels in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.[3] Evo offers travel packages via its evoTrip division.[9][10]
History
editPhillips, a former professional skier, founded Evo in 2001 as an online retailer for used ski equipment.[9] The company opened its first brick and mortar location in Seattle in 2005.[11]
Evo expanded its physical presence in 2014 by opening a store in Portland, Oregon, and again in 2016 when it purchased Edgeworks & Bicycle Doctor in Denver, Colorado.[12][13]
In 2018, Evo continued a series of acquisitions, starting with the purchase of independent retailer Whistler Village Sports in Whistler, British Columbia, including its five stores in Whistler Village, for an undisclosed sum.[14] In 2021, the company acquired Callaghan Country Wilderness Adventures in Whistler, and with it a backcountry lodge called the Journeyman Lodge.[15] In 2022, Evo purchased Rhythm Japan, a Japanese sporting goods retailer based in Australia, and its seven stores.[3][6] Rhythm was founded in 2005 by Australian businessmen Matthew Hampton and Mick Klima and operates locations in Niseko, Hakuba, and Furano, Japan.[7]
As part of its expansion into hospitality, in 2022 Evo opened a location in Salt Lake City including a hotel, bouldering gym, skatepark, and additional retail space.[16] In July 2022, the company announced plans to build a similar complex in Tahoe City, California.[17]
Evo purchased a city block in Seattle in 2022 for $17.5 million with plans to develop it into a mixed-use space that includes office space, sports facilities, and retail stores.[18][19]
Community initiatives
editEvo has designed its physical locations to serve as gathering places as well as retail stores.[20] The company's larger locations host events such as movie premieres and art galleries, include sports facilities such as skateparks and climbing gyms, and have additional retail spaces for local businesses and restaurants.[21]
In 2021, Evo pledged to donate $10 million over the next 10 years to nonprofits that enable underrepresented communities to participate in outdoor activities.[22]
Evo outdoors
editEvo outdoor was founded in 2001 as was expanded to operate outdoor retail stores and hotels specializing in winter sports in five U.S. states, Canada, and three prefectures in Japan. It is also based in Seattle, Washington.[23] Evo was founded in Phillips’ garage near its now located in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. In February 2022, Evo opened Campus Salt Lake after spending $42 million developing the multi-experience facility in the Granary District.[24]
References
edit- ^ Duryee, Tricia (December 19, 2014). "In the shadow of Seattle's retail giants, Evo's ski and snowboard business is killing it online". GeekWire. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ a b See, Jen. "How Niche Adventure Outfitter Evo Thrives In the Shadow of Amazon". Men's Journal. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ a b c Thompson, Joey (February 22, 2022). "From retail to real estate, Evo CEO eyes an 'ecosystem' of outdoor businesses". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Rosenberg, Joyce M. (August 23, 2017). "Focus for independent retailers _ make shopping easy and fun". Associated Press. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Jennifer (May 24, 2021). "Warehouses Look to Robots to Fill Labor Gaps, Speed Deliveries". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Greiner, Wolfgang (January 12, 2022). "U.S. retail and experience brand Evo acquires snowsports retail and rental chain Rhythm Japan". Outside Industry Compass. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ a b Dorgan, Neil (January 17, 2022). "Australian-owned Rhythm Japan acquired by leading North American snowsports retailer". Business News Australia. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Scruggs, Gregory (December 8, 2021). "Offering food, retail and more, this century-old firehouse hopes to become Snoqualmie Pass' new front porch". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Arvesen, Amelia (February 10, 2020). "Evo is paving a new kind of future for outdoor retail". Outside Business Journal. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Berman, Samantha (May 31, 2022). "The First-of-Its-Kind evo Hotel in Salt Lake City Focuses on Action Sports and the Outdoors". Ski. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Davies, John Clary (May 21, 2015). "He's not a businessman. He's a business, man. The unlikely story of Bryce Phillips, the most influential skier in the Pacific Northwest". Powder. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Skinner, Marjorie (November 5, 2014). "Just in Time for Winter Sports: Evo". Portland Mercury. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
- ^ McCrimmon, Cyrus (May 26, 2016). "Seattle e-retailer evo buys Denver's Edgeworks / Bicycle Doctor shop". The Denver Post. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Korstrom, Glen (October 22, 2018). "Seattle retailer evo buys Whistler Village Sports". Business in Vancouver. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Chang, Jiakai (October 7, 2021). "Evo acquires lodge in British Columbia to expand hospitality business". Outside Business Journal. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Bancroft, Kaitlyn (June 8, 2022). "How 100,000 SF of warehouse space became an outdoor recreation hub". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Brown, Julie (July 23, 2022). "Lake Tahoe town is seeing new development — and locals are pleased". SFGate. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ^ Wilkes, Bella (January 14, 2022). "Evo spends $17.5 million on land for new Seattle development project". Outside Business Journal. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Schlosser, Kurt (January 6, 2022). "Office space with an active twist: Founder of Seattle outdoor retailer Evo has big plans for new campus". GeekWire. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Carver, Robbie (July 3, 2019). "Evo's Bryce Phillips Is the Guru of Outdoor Retail". Outside. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Dalrymple, Rachel (April 22, 2022). "The evo Campus in Salt Lake City is the next "it" hangout for outdoor enthusiasts". Utah Business. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Talbott, Chris (November 22, 2021). "Seattle outdoors retailer evo pledges $10M to outdoors groups with diverse leadership". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ "Seattle Times". Seattle Times. March 3, 2024.
- ^ "Forbes Outdoor Gear Retailer Evo Opening Brick and Mortar Experiential Locations". Forbes.