Adventure business hikes away with excellence award. (Thunder Bay).Walk into Diane Petryna's outdoor sporting goods Noun 1. sporting goods - sports equipment sold as a commodity commodity, trade good, good - articles of commerce sports equipment - equipment needed to participate in a particular sport store in Thunder Bay Thunder Bay, city (1991 pop. 113,946), SW Ont., Canada, on Thunder Bay inlet of Lake Superior. The city was created in 1970 by the amalgamation of the twin cities of Fort William and Port Arthur and two adjoining townships. and you will not be bombarded by thumping testosterone-laden rock music or acres of rack space that cater almost exclusively to men. There are soothing sounds of nature being played, murals of blue skies and mountains adorning the ceiling and walls, and a staff of six employees that have developed a sterling reputation for taking customer service to another level. Take A Hike!...the Outdoor Adventure Company recently took home the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award for micro businesses (one to six employees). In launching her venture in 1996, Petryna wanted to create a relaxing and family-friendly store atmosphere with an unparalleled level of service that would treat the female customer the way she would want to be treated. "A lot of women would .share the same experiences I have had," says Petryna, 45, "that we feel rather intimidated in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. going into traditional sporting goods store, and that footwear options for women are limited. "We don't feel welcomed; we feel ignored." Petryna vowed to change all that after reading a magazine article entitled en·ti·tle tr.v. en·ti·tled, en·ti·tling, en·ti·tles 1. To give a name or title to. 2. To furnish with a right or claim to something: "Take A Hike." It was about the growing popularity of outdoor sports such as hiking, backpacking backpacking Sport of hiking while carrying clothing, food, and camping equipment in a pack on the back. In the early 20th century backpacking was primarily a means of getting to wilderness areas inaccessible by car or by day hike. , canoeing canoeing, sport of propelling a canoe through water. John MacGregor, an English barrister and founder of the Royal Canoe Club (est. 1865), is generally credited with being the initiator of modern sport canoeing. and kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking is differentiated from canoeing by the fact that a kayak has a closed cockpit and a canoe has an open cockpit. They also use a two bladed paddle. Another major difference is in the way the paddler sits in the boat. , and how women were participating as equally as men were. The trouble was the sporting goods industry was not adjusting to those changes and catering to the needs of women, the article noted. So Petryna put her masters degree in recreational administration and background as a small business adviser and market research consultant to use, developed a business plan and opened a store front. Situated on the corner of Brodie and Victoria Avenue, Take 'A Hike offers a wide variety of top-quality clothing, footwear and outdoor gear as well as gifts for the home, garden and cottage. "It's a store that acknowledges that men and women are equal, women aren't marginalized," says Petryna. The largest growth market in water-based activities at present is sea kayaking A Sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the ocean. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spraydeck. , she says, especially among the 40 and over age category, which is her main customer base. "I can very much understand my prime customer because I'm one of them. "If we're going to be astute as·tute adj. Having or showing shrewdness and discernment, especially with respect to one's own concerns. See Synonyms at shrewd. [Latin ast retailers we have to acknowledge that women spend more money than men so we're targeting those people." Her unhurried staff members take the time to explain how products work and encourage customers to try out snowshoes snowshoes, footgear enabling the wearer to walk on soft snow without sinking. A snowshoe consists of a light frame of tough wood or aluminum, roughly the shape of a large tennis racket, which is strung with caribou skin or other material and is attached to the shoe and backpacks by renting them out for the weekend. "We're getting people middle-aged and up in the store and we're building their confidence." Very much a community activist, Petryna organizes an informal sea kayak group of friends and customers who gather on summer evenings twice a week to paddle An input device that moves the screen cursor in a back-and-forth motion. It has a dial and one or more buttons and is typically used in games to hit balls and steer objects. See joy stick. Paddle - A language for transformations leading from specification to program. area rivers. She also planned a spring sea kayak conference for late-April at the Nor'Wester Resort Hotel, billed as Canada's first sea kayak conference featuring workshops and seminars for both novice and experienced paddlers. Her goal is. to build her company into the "L.L. Bean for the north" and place central Canada Central Canada (sometimes the Central provinces) is a region comprised of Canada's two largest and most populous provinces: Ontario and Quebec. Central Canada, with the four Atlantic provinces, form Eastern Canada. and Superior's north shore on the map for kayaking and other outdoor pursuits. The store's Web site acts as a promotional vehicle for outdoor community events and provides links to area parks and conservation areas. But Petryna spurns the idea of becoming a mail-order catalogue store or watering down the product by opening a chain of franchise stores. Instead she says she is committed to growth in Thunder Bay and finding ways to improve on what she already has. "I've decided to put my energies in Thunder Bay," says Petryna, who volunteers with many Thunder Bay organizations "We have great people who can compete with anyone m the world. "I want to see how much we can do from this location and impact in a positive way the lives of our employees, our customers and the people in our community." She finds many aspects of her business rewarding. "From the moment we've opened the door We've had terrific word of mouth. Our customers have become our biggest fans and promoters. "We build relationships and become friends with 80 per cent of the people who walk in the door and we've gotten involved in the community in championing some causes. "So many people want to see us succeed. They see us doing things differently, setting new standards and see us committed to the community and they like us." www.takeahike.on.ca |
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