TSG Consumer looks to grow Backcountry.com by following Revolve playbook

  • Buys Backcountry.com from Liberty Interactive Corp
  • Joins Revolve, which TSG purchased in 2014 
  • Eyes growth at both companies

Backcountry.com already ranks as one of the largest online specialty retailers of outdoor gear and apparel. But TSG Consumer plans to expand it further by tapping into its playbook for Revolve, which it acquired in 2014.

Since then, Revolve has booked healthy organic growth and strong profitability, while making a number of acquisitions, said Jennifer Baxter Moser, managing director at TSG Consumer.

”We have a lot of learning from our Revolve experience in backend infrastructure and in developing in-house brands,” Moser said in a phone interview. ”We see many opportunities that we realized at Revolve that could be replicated at Backcountry.”

Jamie O’Hara, president, said TSG Consumer sees an opportunity to grow Backcountry.com organically, by investing in e-commerce and loyalty marketing activities, as well as through potential acquisitions. The company is eying expansion into adjacent categories and international markets. It will also look to build up its marketing and branding efforts.

Another appeal of Backcountry.com: The company fits the TSG Consumer model of acquiring companies that do well even in potentially weak economic times, the firm said.

“Backcountry.com is the online destination for outdoor enthusiasts, and the core consumer is highly loyal to the site and the brand,” O’Hara said.

Backcountry.com reaches customers through a portfolio of websites under its flagship Backcountry brand, as well as Competitive Cyclist, MotoSport, Bergfreunde, Steep&Cheap and Whiskey Militia

TSG Consumer paid an undisclosed sum to Liberty Interactive Corp for Backcountry.com in a deal that closed over the summer. The company’s founder, Jim Holland, continues to own a stake in the company.

Greg Maffei, president and CEO of Liberty Interactive, said Backcountry.com “has performed nicely” over the past eight years, and its Goat logo “has come to symbolize authenticity and excellence in the outdoor industry,” according to a prepared statement.

Guggenheim Securities served as financial advisor to Liberty and Backcountry.com on the deal.