After making the decision to relocate from the East Coast to the West Coast, the founders of Arrive Outdoors had to go through the difficult process of deciding which of their belongings to take with them, and unfortunately, their beloved outdoor gear just couldn’t be accommodated in the move. Confronted with the limited options and steep cost to procure gear, this husband and wife duo decided to found Arrive Outdoors, the rental company for premium, outdoor equipment that can deliver an assortment of outdoor gear straight to a consumer’s door. Arrive Outdoors offers rentals for camping equipment, footwear, apparel, outdoor cooking, and sleep equipment from over 40 brands. Arrive Outdoors also offers winter equipment rentals for ski and snow activities so you’re covered year-round.
LA TechWatch caught up with CEO and Cofounder Rachelle Snyder to learn more about Arrive Outdoors and how it fills a gap in the market, how the company is making the exploration of the outdoors more accessible, and the company’s recent funding round.
Who were your investors and how much did you raise?
We raised $4.75M in Seed funding led by Freestyle Capital with participation from Science Inc., AVG Basecamp Fund, Corigin Ventures, Pine5 Ventures, and James Reinhart and John Voris (CEO and former COO of thredUP).
Tell us about the product or service that Arrive Outdoors offers.
Arrive Outdoors offers gear rentals like tents, coolers, sleeping pads, cookware, camp furniture, and outdoor apparel and footwear from top brands. Arrive Outdoors makes it easy and sustainable for everyone to experience outdoor activities by dramatically lowering the entry cost, increasing access through delivery, and extending the life-time use of products. Reservations are free to make and can be canceled any time before shipment, free of charge. Gear is delivered to your home, hotel, or any FedEx shipping center.
What inspired the start of Arrive Outdoors?
Ross Richmond (cofounder & COO) and I had moved to Los Angeles from Boston and our outdoor gear didn’t make the cut in the move. When we arrived in Los Angeles, we realized we could do so many outdoor activities – camping, backpacking, surfing, etc. but didn’t own any of the gear anymore. We went through the process of trying to rent gear but found low-quality options. We tried to borrow from friends but that was inconvenient. Eventually, we found ourselves at a retailer with $2,000 worth of gear in our cart and felt extremely overwhelmed. This experience drove us to start a company that offered premium gear when and where you needed it.
How is Arrive Outdoors different?
Instead of purchasing costly outdoor gear that may only get used once or twice a year. We make it easy and sustainable for everyone to experience outdoor activities by dramatically lowering the entry cost, increasing access through delivery, and extending the lifetime use of products, ultimately offering a much more sustainable option.
What market is Arrive Outdoors targeting and how big is it?
Our target audience is experience-driven consumers, those who prefer to do many different types of activities throughout the year and would rather focus on the experience rather than the ownership of the products. By offering different types of gear and recommendations based on the activity and where you’re traveling, we make it easy for people to get outdoors and plan outdoor travel.
What’s your business model?
We offer premium outdoor products for rent starting at 10% the retail price to ensure outdoor travelers have access to the gear they need. To keep prices low, we partner with around 40 premium brands to acquire gear. Our robust operations and logistics teams meticulously maintain the gear to ensure that every customer experience is an 11-star experience. Once the gear is past its prime, we resell or donate the gear to groups in need.
How has COVID-19 impacted the business?
When COVID hit it was a low point for us in March and April, but then rentals started increasing significantly. We’ve grown significantly this summer and we’re now focused on expanding our inventory, operations, and customer service teams to ensure we can serve everyone who wants to experience the outdoors with Arrive Outdoors. It’s a challenge we feel very fortunate to be faced with.
What was the funding process like?
We feel very fortunate to have found wonderful investors who see our vision for outdoor travel. Our funding process was focused on finding like-minded investors who were interested in helping us disrupt a market that hadn’t been changed in decades. We focused on finding a cohort of investors who had a robust set of skills that we could tap into to cut our learning skill – e.g. operations, engineering, e-commerce best practices.
What are the biggest challenges that you faced while raising capital?
Our biggest challenge was helping investors understand the size of the market. The outdoor industry isn’t a traditional industry for investors to tap into, and we did a lot of groundwork to show them the potential.
Our biggest challenge was helping investors understand the size of the market. The outdoor industry isn’t a traditional industry for investors to tap into, and we did a lot of groundwork to show them the potential.
What factors about your business led your investors to write the check?
We developed an incredibly strong plan for operations and logistics that supported our bottom line. Additionally, we deployed a strategy that allowed us to secure strong partnerships and establish unique distribution channels.
What are the milestones you plan to achieve in the next six months?
We’re planning to use our funding to grow our team.
What advice can you offer companies in Los Angeles that do not have a fresh injection of capital in the bank?
Test, test, test to learn as fast as possible and keep going!
Where do you see the company going now over the near term?
Right now, we’re starting to look ahead a few months to what ski season will look like amid COVID, and how we can best accommodate our customers who are looking to rent gear for winter activities.
What is your favorite restaurant in LA?
We love Pine and Crane in Silver Lake!
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