There are few things more inspiring than the longstanding success of a family owned business; and Massey’s outfitters is just that. Massey's was founded in 1972 by outdoor enthusiasts and father & son team of Darrell and Larry Massey. The original store catered to a wide cross section of both adventurous and team sports, plus competitive non-team sports like running and swimming. During the 70s and early 80s, Massey's grew at an unprecedented pace to 5 regional locations. The business catered to amateur, collegiate, and professional athletes and operated as a retail outlet for the public and a distributorship for many growing companies such as Nike.
In the mid 1980s, facing increased competition from national firms, the decision was made to discontinue all athletic and team sports and instead focus on growing, non-competitive recreational sports such as snow ski and outdoor adventure. Two company stores and one franchise were closed and more effort was devoted to growing brands such as Patagonia and North Face. This refocused business approach paid off, and in 1985, Massey's opened began selling ski hardgoods like ski boots and skis. Massey’s opened a ski repair shop, and began offering simulated skiing and lessons on an indoor ski deck. The first pair of ski boots sold was a Salomon SX80.
Seeking to expand beyond just outdoor apparel, Massey's begins selling backpacking and camping gear and camping gear. The first gear was well received ...and that Spring their first sale was a Lowe Alpine Contour pack, a Sierra Designs Meteor Light tent, and a Sierra Designs Lite Loft sleeping bag. With a full service ski shop and the wide assortment of ski gear and other outdoor equipment, Massey’s quickly became a leader and authority in outdoor recreational gear.
Continuing to expand our outdoor gear selection, Massey’s sold their first Mad River canoe and Perception kayak in 1993. Today Massey’s still stocks and sells hundreds of canoes and kayaks from a large variety of boat manufacturers. The first sale was a Perception Swing that was delivered to Mobile, AL. In 1997, Massey's opened the doors on the first new location in over 10 years in Mandeville. This smaller store was opened to better serve the needs of the growing population north of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. This location has since closed and moved to a larger location.
From 2000-2001 sadly, after almost 30 years of loving care, both founders (father and son) pass away in a relatively short time period. The business is taken over by the remaining family members, Sally Massey, Mike Massey, and Bobby Johnson. It is run with the same attention to detail and customer centric philosophy that the original founders had envisioned in the late sixties and early seventies.
In 2002 the original Mandeville location is shuttered and moved to a more visible location in Covington, LA. Massey's enters e-commerce with their first site; masseys.net. In 2005 Massey's opens a brand new, state of the art outdoor store in Baton Rouge at the Towne Center mall. The 8500 sq/ft new store features brand departments assembled, designed, and maintained by many of our vendor-partners. The store is instantly successful and meets the needs of both Baton Rouge residents and LSU students.
In 2006 Massey's launches two new websites... theflipflopper.com specializing in (you guessed it) flip flops and gear for a casual lifestyle... and 800-SKI-SHOP.com specializing in JUST alpine ski gear. The websites are designed to feature many LESS products than is now typical with mega-sites that feature tens of thousands of items.
In 2007 Massey's opens a third specialty site; wegotyourpack.com The site specializes in footwear, gear, and clothing for hikers and backpackers. Also that year, masseys.net turns into MasseysOutfitters.com and is redesigned substantially. Late that year, Massey's begins construction on their new headquarters based in the center of New Orleans. The 25,000 sq/ft location will feature a 7000 sq/ft retail store, central distribution and warehouse facilities and loft-style offices for our growing staff. The site will also feature a state-of-the-art patagonia theme shop. In the Spring, the site will serve as Massey's paddlesports activity shop will rentals, demos, lessons, tours, and numerous events.
During April of 2008, Massey's opened a new store, warehouse and distribution center in the heart of Katrina flooded New Orleans. Massey’s has been a loyal and committed partner and contributor to the New Orleans community. Building on a growing product mix, and capitalizing on a newly funded Rails to Trails project next to the New Orleans HQ, Massey's expands into bikes and skateboards (Felt and Sector9). Both quickly become fast growing categories.
What's new in 2011? In clothing, we are re-introducing a clothing line we pioneered in Louisiana; Arc'Teryx. We are also greatly expanding our women's selection with Carve Designs and Splendid. In gear, we will add stand up paddling to our boat selection and 2-3 new bike brands. In footwear, we are doubling our selection in all stores and adding many new brands.
Directly from New Orleans, we took some time to speak with Mike Massey of Massey's Outfitter to discuss the best brands, and when to find the sales and clearance items at http://www.masseysoutfitters.com. We loved the family-based business and their authenticity in genuinely wanting to help their customers get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. Here are some other highlights of our interview with Massey’s will help you know when to shop for the best deals, and why Massey’s Outfitters is better than other online retailers.
How does Massey’s outfitters measure their success? "Customers having good trips and telling us about it." Think kind of authenticity and genuine love of the outdoors is what inspires us about Massey’s. With that kind of attitude and commitment to helping people get out and experience the horizon, you can bet they are just as passionate about finding the best deals on outdoor gear to share with their customers.
When is the best time to find new products at Massey’s/800-ski-shop? "Masseysoutfitters.com stocks seasonal gear for all adventures all year. winter sports in Q4 and Q1 and summer stuff in Q2 and 3. 800-SKI-SHOP.com primarily focuses on winter clothing and gear in Q4 and Q1."
When are the best times to find sale products and deals on products for various seasons? "We offer in season sales and discounts through avantlink (to affiliates) or email (to customers). Closeouts are available starting near the end of each season."
Why should someone buy from Massey’s/800-ski-shop over another online retailer? "We have a unique selection of products. Since we are in New Orleans, the clothing and gear we sell is probably more oriented to southern travel. Our ski selection is huge though during the winter. Via special relationships with vendors, we have one of most (if not the most) comprehensive selections of Patagonia, Marmot, Osprey, lowa, Deuter, Ecco, Horny Toad, Prana… and more. We have price matching...and no automated call answering. We pick up the phone."
What excites you about the industry and what are the future plans for products, brands and Massey’s/800-ski-shop? "Helping people get outdoors. Hanging out with other outdoor stores."
What brands do you love to sell and why? "We have a huge selection. We sell almost every brand. Our favorite brands are Patagonia and Marmot."
How does Masseys/800-ski-shop measure accomplishment and growth? "Customers having good trips and telling us about it."