Gore offers consumer-direct clothing sales

CHICAGO (BRAIN) — W.L. Gore is selling its bike and running clothing direct to consumers through its redesigned website, the company announced this week.

The company said the consumer-direct sales will supplement its sales through retailers. The site maintains MSRP pricing and includes a dealer directory feature. Gore said retailers can use the site's content on their own sites, if desired.

“Our aim is to offer the consumer the best possible service without compromising the specialty retailer’s role,” said Jay Herring, the global sales leader of Gore Bike Wear and Gore Running Wear.

“We at Gore appreciate the long-term, close relationship we have with our retailers, and they will continue to remain a very important contact for our consumers.”

The new site, www.goreapparel.com/, allows consumers to order individual clothing pieces or "outfits" tailored for specific uses and in various product families. For example, an Oxygen road bike outfit intended for cool weather includes an underlayer top, long sleeved jersey, 3/4 bibs, socks, gloves and shoe covers. That outfit retails for $482.94.

At the recent MediaCamp in Utah, Gore representatives emphasized the brand's efforts to make sure the various pieces of its product families work together. They noted that the integration allowed consumers to confidently buy parts of an outfit from various sources.

The U.S. site is now live and will be followed by select countries in Western Europe in fall 2012, the company said.