Sierra Trading Post is now Sierra. New Ways of Savings at Sierra
Sierra Trading Post has been popular among sporty and outdoorsy people for many years. The store is owned by The TJX Cos. and has a big online and increasing physical store presence. To keep up with times and to stay relevant Sierra Trading Post has recently undergone a full rebranding and will now be known as simply Sierra.
Sierra has not given many details of what kind of changes should customers expect besides the name change, but they did promise to open 10 new stores this year. The company is clearly hoping to expand its brick-and-mortar presence.
The TJX plans to open 230 new stores for its total portfolio, increasing the number of physical stores by 5% this year. The new stores will be open in the US, Europe, and Australia. Such rapid growth is needed to fuel the expansion in all four company’s divisions. The TJX is not going to shrink its physical presence in the world because they believe in maintaining the relationships with suppliers, vendors, and customers that have been built form the ground up during the last 25 years. Such infrastructure and human factor are the two most valuable assets any company can have.
It is clearly the right direction as sales have been higher than expected for the last quarter of 2018 and the beginning of 2019. In fact, The TJX experienced 6% increase this year versus 4% increase last year from the beginning of the fiscal year to February 3rd.
The future for the company and its divisions is looking quite bright with estimated 5-7 percent increase of diluted EPS when compared with the last year. The first quarter ESP growth is expected to be negative 7% due to increased cost of freight, wages, and foreign currency changes, but these setbacks are going to be temporary.
2019 is going to be a start of bullish growth and expansion with economic benefits in mind. The company is known as one of the most stable operators in off-price business and has experienced constant growth with little setbacks year after year. CEO Ernie Herrman is excited about the future and opportunities to serve new communities delivering consistent and time-tested model of service.
The TJX and its renewed Sierra division are very confident that customers will enjoy shopping there and will find new model even more pleasant. The company is socially responsible and focuses on customer service across the board, which helps set them apart from the competition and differentiate. Brand awareness is the key and Sierra definitely delivers here.
As long as the company is in existence, they have changed with times and trends always looking one step ahead. As many other department stores are shrinking their physical store inventory, The TJX divisions are growing to take advantage of these new market opportunities.
Sierra has a large brick-and-mortar presence with future grow, making shopping convenient for all that like that, but at the same time, its online model is also moving forward and improving to serve the category of shoppers who like to shop on their computer. Keeping up with ecommerce giants like Amazon is not taken lightly at The TJX.
Sierra Social Media News
One of the changes that Sierra is implementing is becoming more active on social media. The most recent such project is called “Cliff, Diving”. This is a joke gone viral, where the retailer mocks this extreme sport with videos of ordinary people jumping in the pool. This campaign is a perfect light message the company is sending to its customers – come in without fear and we will set you up with what you need. Sierra is catering to amateur outdoorsmen and taking away the fear of looking foolish when shopping for that first or that twentieth mountain trip. Everybody is welcome.
The video is trending on Twitter and has been watched a few hundred thousand times on YouTube. You can find this video on their website and understand why this retailer is ready to not take itself too seriously. After all, not everybody that comes into the store needs gear to complete a base jump from Mt. Everest. The store is for people who want to go skiing in New Jersey and camping in North Carolina. They have the right brands and the right selection for that. To top that, the prices will make customers happy too.
The social media campaign is giving more electronic exposure to the store, while the shift to more brick-and-mortar stores is taking place, but all that is part of the plan. Future consumers can find out about Sierra online, but they will have extra opportunities to experience the difference in store, which is hard to replicate online.
The merchandise sold at Sierra often requires trying the gear and costumes on, which is why physical store expansion is so welcome after online exposure thanks to social media campaigns like “Cliff, Dive”. Millennials are probably the largest percentage of TJ Maxx and Sierra consumers, learning about stores online and checking them out in person. Young millennials are ready to give something new a try if they hear someone talking about it, 2.5 times more likely than previous generations.
Gen Z is also socially adept and eager to interact with their favorite brands, from contacts on social media, to attending events and participating in design creations. More engagement translates into more sales.
The real effect of this and future social campaigns remains to be seen, but the start looks promising.
Sierra Money Saving Tips. How to Buy Best Outdoor Gear for Less with Coupons
Beginning outdoorsmen often face a big problem – how to get the needed gear for hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering without spending all their savings. We checked Sierra and many similar stores to gather some useful tips for you and your entire family that needs a constant supply of boots and jackets that will be outgrown by the next season.
When you are ready to head out, don’t forget that you don’t have to buy absolutely everything you need in one place and brand new. Always take your time shopping. Take that first trip with minimal supplies before going to Sierra store and taking a second mortgage to be best prepared for a mountain.
Now when you are ready to start accumulating your personal outdoorsy goods, take a look at some tips how to do it best:
Sierra Trading Post Clearance
Sierra is never waiting for all the snow to melt before putting many winter supplies and gear on sale. Comes January and countless items go on clearance to make room for all the new warm weather arrivals. You will find deep discounts on warm coats, fleece jackets, gloves, and other items. The discounts can be as big as 75%.
The brands worthy of your attention are Marmot, Smartwool, and Columbia besides other popular names.
Hurry to the stores or shop online using code SHIP89 for free shipping.
Share your gear with others
At the beginning borrow everything you can, except personal items, some clothes, and boots. You can definitely share a tent with the person you are going with, share a bear canister, and try to share a sleeping bag if you are very tight with that person.
Water filters and portable stoves are also good examples of things to share. Pay them back with carrying those things part of the way.
Borrow
Check out your personal and social networks, work your charm around your neighborhood and you are sure to find somebody you can borrow some gear from. Facebook and NextDoor are great places for borrowing. Sometimes you can get lucky and get something you need gifted to you.
Rent
Renting is one good option if you are not quite ready to buy yet. Sierra and REI often have rental programs with good prices. Renting like that you can try many different brands and models before investing in your own.
Buy old rentals
Most rental places want to sell their gear at the end of the season or every two seasons and offer great prices. Next time you are at Sierra, ask when their rental gear sale is and get shopping then.
Buy used gear from friends
You can visit used gear places all you want and get good deals, but before that try asking friends and neighbors if they happen to have something for sale. You will be surprised how often you will have somebody selling you a brand new gear that they bought and never used.
Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Local Trade Groups, and Amazon Warehouse
All of these are great resources to get stuff from wealthy people who bough all the supplies, went on one trip, and decided they were too cold or too hot to go back ever again. Such sales work for both sides involved!
Resale stores
Many areas have specific resale stores that can be dedicated to outdoor gear resale. If not, you should at least be able to find something right after a season is over at more generic stores, especially if you are cool with whatever color and brand. Get ready for the next season for cheap.
Thrift stores
Think Goodwill type of stores, especially if you live near mountains and lakes, beaches and rivers. If nothing else, every Goodwill store will have fleece jackets and tech jackets. They may have skis and canoes sometimes, if you are lucky.
Buy REI and Sierra garage sale
Those stores allow the gear to be returned for a year after the purchase and then turn around and resell it for much lower prices. All that gear is usually very gently used and can be had for half the price. It’s definitely worth checking out, with patience.
Gear flash sales at The Clymb
You should join The Clymb website and get notifications about frequent 72-hour flash sales, when names like Mountain Hardware, Keen, Black Diamond, and Outdoor Research can go for 70% below retail.
This works perfect if you are not very particular about the brand or exact type of gear. If you are, you might have to wait patiently for a long time.
Closeouts and seconds retailers
Sierra or as it used to be known Sierra Trading Post has stores and website where they sell a lot of closeout lines and ‘seconds’, which are products with a slight imperfections, cosmetic mainly.
Sierra has lots of full retail prices and also lots and lots of great deals.
Also check out campSaver.com and Steep & Cheap.
Defected gear
Don’t be picky and get gear with small cosmetic imperfections. If the color of your backpack is slightly off, nobody will notice, but you. You will also be the only one knowing about the amazing savings you just had.
Take or teach a class
When you take a class at some outdoors clubs and outfitters, you are often eligible for a discount at a partnering store. Instructors get even better discounts. Every 10-15% discount helps.
Sierra and Moosejaw rewards programs
Both of those retailers offer rewards programs, which are free to join and give percentage off on all items and free shipping.
Get Sierra or REI credit card
If you are responsible with your finances, get a credit card form Sierra or REI. They offer bonus points that you can apply towards your future purchases and also refund percentage, so use the credit card often and for large purchases to get significant chunks of cash back.
Join an outdoor club
This might apply for people who live near specific areas only, but it is worth checking out for sure. The organizations like that come with a membership fee, but it’s nothing to compare with 40-60% discounts members can get from some retailers.
Such pro deals are usually final, you have to know what you are getting and not hope return it, and you can’t shop for family and friends. Other than that you will enjoy free shipping and have a wide range of the best brands on ExpertVoice.com or similar places.
Discount codes and coupons
Sierra, REI, Moosejaw, and Backcountry often have coupon codes for discounts of 20-30% off. You can find them in store emails, flyers, Sunday paper, and various coupon aggregation sites.
Buy bigger and neutral color for kids
If you have different age kids on your family, buy gear that is more expensive for the first in line. Pay that extra for the quality to last a few seasons and then pass it down to younger siblings. Buy bigger and don’t buy pink and blue.
