BEND, Ore. (March 20, 2019) — Cairn, the leaders in outdoor product curation, today introduced the outdoor industry’s first highly-personalized online retail experience: Kitted™ by Cairn. Launching initially as a beta program, Kitted’s data driven model delivers each member a curated product selection well-suited for their outdoor needs and aspirations based on the member’s provided profile.
“Consumer habits have evolved, driven by younger generations who not only want curation, but who also desire a custom shopping experience,” said Jared Peterson, Cairn co-founder and co-CEO. “Kitted by Cairn brings a custom experience to the outdoor industry already seen in so many other industries such as fashion, food, and beauty.
Kitted pairs members with their own Gear Guru to curate and advise on individual product selections. Members have the opportunity to select and test the products in their Kit before they commit to the purchase. Then they keep what they want and send back what they don’t. With each Kit a member receives, the more personalized the product curation becomes.
Kitted’s beta members begin their experience by completing a profile about sizing, budget, activities, preferences and skill level. From there, Cairn will present a custom Kit Shop featuring a selection of apparel and gear suited for the individual member to unlock online. Members have five days to review and select up to five products they want in their Kit, and a customized collection is then shipped to the member for a 14-day testing period. Members pay a curation fee of $25, which is then applied to any purchase from the Kit that exceeds $100. Any unwanted products, as well as pre-loved contributions for the Gear Up, Give Back program, can be returned with a prepaid shipping label at no additional cost to the member.
“The response to Kitted from brands in the industry has been very positive,” notes Peterson. “Brands recognize that Kitted removes a number of barriers they face in connecting with today’s consumer. Consumers will be excited to see brands such as Black Diamond, Marmot, Osprey, Big Agnes, MSR and many more in the initial launch.”
Cairn has worked to address sustainability concerns that are prevalent in the industry by connecting their Gear Up, Give Back™ program to Kitted. Receiving new gear and apparel from Kitted may mean that older items get retired to a bin in the garage or a landfill. Kitted members will be able to use Kitted packaging to send in any pre-loved outdoor gear and apparel to the Gear Up, Give Back™ program where it will be repaired and sold through The Gear Fix, with net proceeds donated to The Conservation Alliance.
Kitted will be limited to 300 members at the time of its beta launch, and Cairn will roll out the program with a product assortment for car camping, backpacking, and hiking with additional activities phased in over time.
For more information on Kitted, or to sign up for the waitlist, please visit www.kitted.getcairn.com.
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About Cairn
Cairn is changing the way outdoor enthusiasts discover new products and ideas that inspire them to connect and explore. Cairn was built by a group of entrepreneurs who saw an opportunity to bring positive disruption and give back in their area of passion, the outdoors. In 2018, Cairn launched its Gear Up, Give Back program in partnership with The Gear Fix to repair and resell used gear, with net proceeds matched by Cairn and The Gear Fix and donated to The Conservation Alliance. Since the company founding as a monthly subscription box service, Cairn has evolved to be a market leader and fast growing community of thousands who love the outdoors and look to Cairn for pro . In 2015, Cairn was chosen among all development stage companies in Oregon as the winner of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Entrepreneurship Award, and in 2017, Cairn was named to Outside Magazine’s “100 Best Places to Work”. Cairn is headquartered in Bend, Oregon – a fast growing town that offers an outdoor mecca, high quality of life and thriving entrepreneurial community.