Mossy Oak Revamps Treestand

That Mossy Oak is bringing a new camo pattern to the SHOT Show is certainly no surprise. What is surprising is the manner in which the company is doing it. The camo behemoth is taking advantage of a new industry trend—the pre-release of a company’s pattern to licensees before the show. The new Treestand camo pattern hits the SHOT Show floor in full force for 2008 with vendors ready to sell goods this week, not next year.

This is, in fact, a sea change in the way Mossy Oak does business. Rather than the usual fabric samples of years past, retailers at SHOT will find hundreds of finished hard goods in every nook and cranny of the show.

“This is the first year we took our pattern to our licensees before SHOT,” says Tack Robinson,

public relations director of Hass Outdoors. “Bringing presold, finished goods to the show not only demonstrates to our dealers and licensees that we are committed to this pattern, but also demonstrates that we want to make sure our partners will see profits.”

Treestand is a product name that branded one of the company’s patterns more than 17 years ago. This season, it takes on a completely new digital three-dimensional look that encompasses a combination of sharp and softer colors. The pattern is designed to replicate what a deer sees when looking up into a tree.

“This pattern is for the whitetail hunter. Its shelf appeal motivates hunters to purchase products, and the performance after the sale keeps consumers hungry for more,” says Robinson.

More than 20 licensees have brought Treestand goods to the show in an array of parkas, boots, binoculars, blinds and firearms. In total, hundreds of SKUs are on the show floor—camoed up and ready to sell. Booth #6341. (662-494-8859; mossyoak.com)