EVO: Seattle store receives local business awards

Blitz marketing, corporate focus groups, pre-teen advertising—all the nauseating components that go into the branding of “cool,” the branding of success. Together, they can make it difficult to answer the question, ‘Which came first, the business or the lifestyle?’

But for Evo, the Seattle-based outdoor retailer/purveyor of lifestyle and all around artistic/creative steeze, the answer’s always been clear.

“We’ve never had to sit down and ask ‘Who are we? What is our brand?’” says Bryce Phillips, the founder of Evo, member of the K2 Factory Team, and slayer of Pacific Northwest powder. “You always have to evaluate the realness of a brand. It was always right in line with our own interests.”

Beating out competitors, like the giants over at REI, Evo won the 2007 NWsource People’s Pick in the coveted ‘Outdoor/Sports Gear Shop’ category. While earning the title was great news for Phillips and the rest of the Evo crew, with all the company’s recent success, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Evo was also ranked the 24th fastest growing company in Washington State by the Puget Sound Business Journal.

Six years ago when evogear.com launched, the outfit resembled more of a tent sale than a legitimate business, dealing primarily in closeout hard goods online. Local lore has it that Phillips sold product out of the back of his truck after convincing curious customers on chairlifts throughout the PNW. Since the opening of its flagship store two years ago in Seattle’s urban hub and now more than 40 employees strong, Evo has been totally reinvented. While still dealing heavily in skis, snowboards and other hard goods, the brand has seamlessly integrated hip lifestyle components—fashion, music and art. In addition, many urban lifestyle brands surrounding skate, wake and ski/snowboard culture, has Evo continuously broadening its scope.

At Evo, it’s all about the space that’s created and the space that’s shared; it’s what separates Evo from the other outdoor retailers, Phillips says.

“We have a venue-style space that allows us to do things you can’t do at your normal store. People come to us for an art exhibit, a movie premier or a music event. It’s where we develop our vision and connect people to our employees, everything to make the experience more real.”

“Timesinfinity” is the name of Evo’s gallery that has featured the works of artists like photographer Mark Gallup and exhibits by brands like Armada and K2.

By reaching out to the community with these and other events, for many in the Seattle area, Evo is a bridge. Focusing on the collaboration between culture and sport, where other retailers have failed to accommodate the needs of the community, Evo has found a niche.

“Living here in Seattle, loving the mountains and what the city has to offer, I know there are tens of thousands more that are just being missed by your ‘ma and pa shop’ or stores like REI,” says Phillips. “Where are those interested in music, art, and the mountains being represented?”

Despite all of Evo’s recent achievements, Phillips says the there are no immediate plans to open any new stores.

“What’s happened in the last two years has been amazing—putting together a team that’s not only going to run the business at this level, but 10 levels up. We still have a long way to go and a million things to do to make a stronger connection with the customer. We haven’t even scratched the surface yet.”

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