Altitude Sports

Canadian e-commerce clothing company
  • Fashion
  • Outerwear
  • Sports clothing
  • Hiking apparel
  • Outdoor equipment
Founded1984 (as Altitude Sports Plein Air)[1]HeadquartersMontreal, Québec, Canada
Number of locations
e-commerce[2]
Area served
worldwideWebsitewww.altitude-sports.com

Altitude Sports is an outdoor e-commerce clothing company that sells and manufactures a wide range of sports outerwear, outdoor equipment and urban wear, focusing on travel, hiking, and camping.[3][4][1][5] The company was founded in 1984[6] and its headquarters is located in Montreal, Canada.[7]

History

The retailer's first store opened on Montreal's St. Denis Street in 1984.[7][1] The company was known as Altitude Sports Plein Air, selling and renting outdoor equipment and clothing for outdoor activities. The Altitude-sports.com website was created in 1999 and was one of the first online outdoor retail sites in Canada.[citation needed] The Last Hunt, a sister outlet site, opened in 2010. [citation needed] In 2011, the company was acquired by Alexandre Guimond and Maxime Dubois, employees who became majority owners after the purchase.[8][5] 2016 saw Altitude Sports partner with Quartz Co. and Monark to design and produce the world's first parkas insulated with milkweed.[9]

In 2016, revenue from the bricks-and-mortar retail stores made up only 2% of the company's total sales, with most of the business being generated online.[citation needed] The St. Denis Street store closed in 2016, the beginning of a shift to a 100% online retailer.[7] In early 2018, BDC Capital became a minority shareholder of Altitude Sports.[10] In the fall of 2019, with items from 430 brands available, the company expanded, creating an online marketplace.[3][4][11][12] In September 2019, Altitude Sports launched its first ready-to-wear collection, Vallier, which included coats, t-shirts, socks, sweaters. According to a number of sources, the collection is for the most part made from sustainable materials such as organic cotton, Japanese wool and others.[13]

Collections

Charitable endeavors

The company's environmental initiatives included cooperation with The World Wildlife Foundation Canada (WWF - Canada), and Protect Our Winters Canada (POW).[15] Altitude Sports has also partnered with The Trans Canada Trail (TCT) as part of initiatives addressing nature conservation and climate change issues.[16][17]

References

  1. ^ a b c Altitude Sports: What we believe in
  2. ^ Journal de Montreal: Les lauréats de la 3e édition d’eCommerce-Québec
  3. ^ a b La Presse: Commerce en ligne: Altitude Sports à la conquête de la planète
  4. ^ a b Les Affairs: Altitude Sports : de détaillant vieillissant à entreprise techno
  5. ^ a b La Presse: Altitude Sports - Du pignon sur rue à la boutique 100% web | La Presse | March 27th 2018
  6. ^ a b Infopresse: Diversifier ses activités: jouer sa carte Joker (Diversify your activities: play your Joker card)
  7. ^ a b c La Presse: COMMERCE DE DÉTAIL/ALTITUDE SPORTS QUITTE SAINT-DENIS
  8. ^ Devenir Entrepreneur: Altitude Sports: e-Growth Maxime Dubois’s Story
  9. ^ CBC: How a Quebec company used a weed to create a one-of-a-kind winter coat
  10. ^ Cision: Altitude Sports receives a significant minority equity investment from BDC Capital
  11. ^ Business Wire: Altitude Sports Officially Announces Its Marketplace
  12. ^ Financial Post
  13. ^ a b NightLife: Découvrez Vallier : la marque de vêtements montréalaise, urbaine et hauts de gamme
  14. ^ Metro: Vallier: la mode urbaine s’allie au plein air
  15. ^ Protect Our Winters: ALTITUDE SPORTS PARTNERS WITH POW CANADA
  16. ^ Intrado: Altitude Sports announces the return of the Alti Action donation program for Fall 2019
  17. ^ The Great Trail: Altitude Sports helps to raise over $25,000 for TCT through Alti Action campaign