Biolite, LIVSN Designs, Passenger Join Grassroots Outdoor Alliance As Vendor Partners
This month, three new product manufacturers are joining the vendor partner network of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, the national organization dedicated to the health and growth of specialty outdoor retail. New brand partners include BioLite, which makes advanced energy products for off-grid use, LIVSN Designs, which produces outdoor apparel with functional, durable and long-lasting designs, and Passenger, manufacturer of responsibly made, high quality and versatile apparel.
The benefit of being a Grassroots Outdoor Alliance vendor partner is direct and personal access for brands to the Grassroots retailer community, which consists of 100 independent retailers with 216 retail locations in 45 states. Through membership, there are numerous opportunities to collaborate, engage and learn, including customized data reports, facilitated learning events, access to the Grassroots staff, and a guaranteed invitation to Grassroots Connect, the group's super-efficient, twice-yearly buying show, which takes place each June and November.
All three brands cited the importance of the specialty retail community to their business among reasons for becoming a Grassroots Outdoor Alliance vendor partner.
“Specialty retail is the heartbeat of the outdoor industry. These local hubs serve as community gateways to outdoor experiences, where expertise, passion, and personal connection transform everyday outings into meaningful escapism,” said Matt Liddle, U.S. general manager for Passenger. “Passenger is honored to join the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance vendor partner community, and to reinforce our shared commitment to strong outdoor communities and accessible nature experiences for all.”
Passenger was founded in 2012 by Richard and Alexa Sutcliffe while traveling in Canada. The company was created to inspire “meaningful escapism” by offering outdoor clothing that is responsibly made, high quality and versatile. The brand has seen rapid growth in recent years and last year featured in the top 10 of the Sunday Times 100 list of Fastest Growing Companies in the UK. Passenger expanded to the US in 2024.
LIVSN Designs makes versatile, thoughtfully designed clothing that supports both adventures and everyday life. With a full warranty and a lifetime repair program, LIVSN gear is made to last. The brand’s ethos is about living life deeply, not the quantity of things someone owns. LIVSN’s founder’s journey from overcoming a disability to redefining his life after addiction and incarceration shaped a brand built on intentionality and resilience.
“We were invited to attend Grassroots Connect in the Fall of 2022 as a guest and, since then, our wholesale business has grown exponentially — not only in sales but in the relationships we’ve made all over the country,” said Andrew Bounds, LIVSN’s sales director. “Being such a small team of six people, those relationships are the most meaningful and impactful part of this to us. Grassroots and its members have treated us like family from the beginning so we’re excited to officially be part of the family and give back to this great organization.”
BioLite is a social enterprise that develops, manufactures, and markets advanced energy products for off-grid communities worldwide. The company has served over 15 million users with innovative power, lighting and cooking solutions across rural communities without access to modern grid energy. Headquartered in Brooklyn, N.Y., the company was founded in 2009 by Jonathan Cedar and Alec Drummond.
"Given our mission for expanding global access to renewable off-grid energy, the partnerships we make at a local level are the ones that often have the most impact on communities, and those are the partnerships we're most proud to invest in.” said Jonathan Kosakow, director of sales for Biolite. “We're excited to partner with the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance to further cement BioLite as a leader in outdoor electronics, while deepening our partnerships with Grassroots retailers and their communities who we've spent the last several seasons forging deep relationships with.”
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is a retailer-owned network of 100 independently owned outdoor retailers and 67 vendor partners, working together for the health and growth of specialty outdoor retail. Through data collection and analysis, direct member support, specialty events and deep vendor partnerships, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is creating both a vision and roadmap for the long-term success of independent specialty retail. Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is recognized as a catalyst for the success of its retailers and vendor partners; an advocate for specialty independent retail; a promoter of education and community within the specialty channel; and a key influencer of the national outdoor industry. Grassroots Outdoor Alliance also operates Connect, a twice-annual legacy show experience that spans four days, offering an efficient and structured format for retailers to conduct pre-season line showings and business conversations.
