REI stopped carrying Hennessy?

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11-09-2011, 16:15
mikeyboy

REI stopped carrying Hennessy?

Anyone notice that REI is not carrying Hennessy stuff anymore. There online selection has trickled down to just the large Hex Fly. Just a few months ago they had the hyperlight, the Expedition, Explorer and Scout. Last week they just had old bottom entry style explorers. Today no Hennesy hammock at all.
:confused:

http://www.rei.com/search?query=hennessy+hammock

Anyone know if this is just temporary, or is REI done with selling Hennessy?

I hope not, because I was going to use my next year's dividens to buy my first Hennessy.
11-09-2011, 16:18
peanuts

the best way to find out, is to contact REI directly. costumer service # may have the answer
11-09-2011, 16:26
te-wa

website only shows the hex fly? looks like they are being phased out!
ENO still there!
11-09-2011, 16:28
Southpaw

yup, the classic expedition is $109 at the Brentwood TN store.
11-09-2011, 17:03
Catavarie

I think I read somewhere on here that Tom Hennessy wanted to pull out of retail locations and only sell through the hennessy site.
11-09-2011, 17:13
Sidewinder

Could be a seasonal thing too
11-09-2011, 17:17
Southpaw

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catavarie

I think I read somewhere on here that Tom Hennessy wanted to pull out of retail locations and only sell through the hennessy site.

Why on earth would someone who sells outdoor gear, not want REI to carry it?
11-09-2011, 18:10
Fronkey

I heard about this a few months ago. But, what I heard was that they weren't selling that well in REI stores. You gotta remember that hammock camping is a very very small group of people. It really is a shame though.

Fronkey
11-09-2011, 18:10
MacEntyre

Quote:

Originally Posted by Southpaw

Why on earth would someone who sells outdoor gear, not want REI to carry it?

Margins...
11-09-2011, 18:26
nothermark

Quote:

Originally Posted by Southpaw

Why on earth would someone who sells outdoor gear, not want REI to carry it?

30-40% margin plus maybe eating too many stupid returns may have made it not worth the effort when he can just sell word of mouth off his web site.
11-09-2011, 18:44
Trailblazer007

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothermark

30-40% margin plus maybe eating too many stupid returns may have made it not worth the effort when he can just sell word of mouth off his web site.

let's not speculate...just sayin' :)
11-09-2011, 20:06
Law Dawg (ret)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fronkey

You gotta remember that hammock camping is a very very small group of people. It really is a shame though.

Fronkey

Yup and it is a camping system with a pretty steep learning curve. UQs, TQs, Tarps, SRLs, suspension systems for both hammock and tarps (even hang angles), different options for pads, and the challenge of places with no trees etc etc. Your average outdoorsman is not going to want to fuss with it when they can just grab a pad, bag, and tent/tarp. A smart REI store would have a full kit (hammock, TQ, UQ, tarp) for their hammocks and some training material with the HF address on it.:D
11-09-2011, 22:23
nothermark

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trailblazer007

let's not speculate...just sayin' :)

which part?

I have seen several smaller canoe companies go this way specifically for the reasons stated. I know of 1 former large canoe company that was put under for trying to do business through a major retailer. (Sawyer). In a different forum I would lay out a lot more information but I don't think folks running this one want it.
11-09-2011, 22:52
MedicineMan

wouldn't it be interesting if suddenly REI started to carry Warbonnets! Yeah I doubt it to but wouldn't that be supreme justice.
11-09-2011, 23:44
enoorange

Of course REI carries ENO hammocks.
11-10-2011, 12:22
Law Dawg (ret)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MedicineMan

wouldn't it be interesting if suddenly REI started to carry Warbonnets! Yeah I doubt it to but wouldn't that be supreme justice.

I would travel to buy one there even though it is not needed and the ride is 120 miles one way...just for the giggle of it. Well that and the Fresno REI is a fun place to go and spend more cash than you planned to...:laugh:
11-10-2011, 13:36
ExPXGUY

Does this qualify? Not an explorer though

http://www.rei.com/product/814263/he...ym-zip-hammock
11-10-2011, 13:37
nothermark

Quote:

Originally Posted by MedicineMan

wouldn't it be interesting if suddenly REI started to carry Warbonnets! Yeah I doubt it to but wouldn't that be supreme justice.

Not really. I think he might have learned a few things when he tried to outsource fabrication.

In order to have a successful relationship there has to be enough sales to justify the shelf space. They need to sell it and he would need to make it. Setting up to do that volume production is a different skill set than making and selling your own product. By the time you allow for margins there has to be a large increase in sales so a large increase in manufacturing capacity just to keep making the same income as one can make selling something like 1/5 to 1/10 as much product via direct sales. Those numbers are probably off, it may be more.

I'm not trying to be judgmental or controversial but one also has to figure in competition. The barriers to competition are patents and high dollar investment in the physical plant. Patents are expensive and relatively hard to come by. Anybody not in those category's that gets their price structure up too high finds another cottage supplier can start grabbing market share. Get a couple of them and the big guy is in trouble as volume drops below sustainable levels. There are many areas where that is easy to do. What's it cost to go into the Hammock business? ;-)
11-12-2011, 11:02
Deadphans

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fronkey

I heard about this a few months ago. But, what I heard was that they weren't selling that well in REI stores. You gotta remember that hammock camping is a very very small group of people. It really is a shame though.

Fronkey

True. I bet in a few years when more people are exposed to the idea and some more convert to hanging the word will get out. Snowball affect :) I doubt this will be the end of hammocks in chain camping stores.
11-12-2011, 12:06
cardo

I think we ought to be happy that hammocking is a niche market and set of users. If hangers start showing up everywhere, then the other kind of tree huggers will be out in force. Parks will start planting 4 x 4's in nice neat rows for us to hang from in between the RV parking and the outhouses, etc.
11-12-2011, 12:23
DaleW

Quote:

Originally Posted by Law Dawg (ret)

Yup and it is a camping system with a pretty steep learning curve. UQs, TQs, Tarps, SRLs, suspension systems for both hammock and tarps (even hang angles), different options for pads, and the challenge of places with no trees etc etc. Your average outdoorsman is not going to want to fuss with it when they can just grab a pad, bag, and tent/tarp. A smart REI store would have a full kit (hammock, TQ, UQ, tarp) for their hammocks and some training material with the HF address on it.:D

That is pretty much my take of it. I'm sure REI is getting hit as hard as any other retailer and they may be getting leaner and meaner. It looks like they are dropping GoLite products as well-- only four packs left on their web site and those are on clearance.

With all the outdoor equipment manufactured and sold in Seattle, there isn't one store with a hammock on display as used, and you can't buy anything other than a basic hammock or some tree straps-- you can't buy insulation or tarps or bug screens anywhere. The "Flagship" REI store has a handful of Hennessy hammocks and some ENO's. I noticed that the Outdoor Research company store had a ENO rack the last time I was there, but hammock bodies only--- no other accessories. I doubt there aren't more than a couple sales people in the region who know anything about hammock camping, let alone actually using one on a regular basis.

With the Internet and all the shipping options, a cottage maker can live wherever they like and have no middlemen and better overhead costs. It takes a lot of cash and inventory to take on large retail chains. People think that having a product manufactured offshore is cheap and easy, but it isn't and you need to be tough on quality control and the possibility of counterfeiting. The offshore factories can take you to the cleaners if you aren't on them 110%.
11-15-2011, 10:49
mikeyboy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sidewinder

Could be a seasonal thing too

That was REI response to my inquiry E-mail

Quote:

Thank you for the inquiry regarding the Hennessy Hammocks being offered from REI.

We currently offer only one model from Hennessy Hammocks, the Hennessy Hammock Ultralite Backpacker Asym Zip Hammock item #814263. Once we get back to the warmer time of the year, we do have quite a few more options.

Generally in March, is when we start to have more warmer items appearing in our stores and on the website as well.

If we can be of further assistance, please contact us.

REI Online Customer Service

Its funny because ENO stuff is always available at REI online, regardless of the season :confused:
11-15-2011, 10:54
Southpaw

I bet you that too many people (like me) returned them because of CBS. It wasn't until after I did that, that I found this site and learned about using quilts.
11-15-2011, 11:04
Alamosa

When I go to the REI website, I see 5 hammocks and the hex fly. The UL backpacker is the only zip model, but they have the others in classic entry.