Colorado based startup GetOutfitted brings convenience and affordability to the ski rental industry
Only a few moments after clicking submit I began to panic. After finding out weeks ago I needed to be in Denver for work, I had just ordered lift tickets and ski rentals for my first ski trip out west to Copper Mountain in Colorado. But as the confirmation e-mail landed in my inbox, I suddenly wondered how the hell I was going to bring all of my ski clothes out with me. I was scheduled to be in Denver for a work trip from Monday to Thursday, but I would be skiing the weekend before which meant I’d be traveling for nearly a week. Equipped with just a backpack and a standard carry on bag, I barely had enough room for work and casual clothes, let alone full ski gear. I turned to almighty Google to address my problem and within a few searches of “ski gear rental” and “ski apparel rent”, I found my answer in the form of a Colorado based tech startup GetOutfitted.
Founded by Stanford grad Julian Flores, GetOutfitted is a ski and snowboard e-commerce site that delivers heavily discounted apparel and accessories rentals right to your door. Having moved out to Colorado from California 9 years ago, Julian was eager to take advantage of all the great outdoor activities his new home state had to offer. But time and time again, Julian’s plans to develop a passion for skiing and snowboarding were thwarted by expensive price tags for both apparel and equipment. He was frustrated by the high costs associated with outdoor sports, but Julian noticed his wife had rented a designer dress at a discounted price through the mail for an upcoming event. “She accessed luxury at a fraction of the cost, with no intimidation and a lot of joy,” Flores recalls. “I realized right then, I could do the same for the outdoor sports industry, allowing people like me to get outside and try something, save money, and feel like a big spender.” Julian quickly built out an online prototype to acquire customer validation and hasn’t looked back since.
Founded by Stanford grad Julian Flores, GetOutfitted is a ski and snowboard e-commerce site that delivers heavily discounted apparel and accessories rentals right to your door. Having moved out to Colorado from California 9 years ago, Julian was eager to take advantage of all the great outdoor activities his new home state had to offer. But time and time again, Julian’s plans to develop a passion for skiing and snowboarding were thwarted by expensive price tags for both apparel and equipment. He was frustrated by the high costs associated with outdoor sports, but Julian noticed his wife had rented a designer dress at a discounted price through the mail for an upcoming event. “She accessed luxury at a fraction of the cost, with no intimidation and a lot of joy,” Flores recalls. “I realized right then, I could do the same for the outdoor sports industry, allowing people like me to get outside and try something, save money, and feel like a big spender.” Julian quickly built out an online prototype to acquire customer validation and hasn’t looked back since.
A look at GetOutfitted's website. Garments cost roughly $10-$14 per day while accessories are $3-$7
The company offers high quality gear for all sizes When I first landed on the website, I was impressed with its slick, professional layout and easy to use interface. After creating an account in a few clicks, I set out to fill my cart by searching through an impressive selection of high-quality gear. I went with a Dakine Atmos jacket and a pair of Obermeyer Recon pants. I then scheduled my rental period (the site gives you the option to select between 3/5/10 day rentals) and entered my buddy’s Denver apartment as the delivery location. GetOutfitted also gives its customers the option to pay extra to get your gear sooner.
As my ski trip grew closer, I started to wonder if there was a way to track my order to ensure my gear would get to Denver on time for my ski trip. Fortunately, a few days before I was all set to leave, I got shipping confirmation e-mail from GetOutfitted including tracking details and links to the FedEx shipping status on my items.
Having started GetOutfitted just a year ago, Flores, a former founder of a nonprofit consultancy and a Charter School in Colorado Springs, has been managing the steady growth of the e-commerce company thanks to effective SEO and search ad campaigns. He has also invested considerable time trying to address the challenges faced by those searching for alternatives to current rental options. Flores has obviously set out to build an experience that aims to please its renters from the moment they make an order until the time they ship the products back (free of charge). “We track our customer facing-metrics, which are incredibly important to a consumer service like ours. These include customer satisfaction, delivery reliability, sizing and fit accuracy of the apparel, and referrals from customers.
As my ski trip grew closer, I started to wonder if there was a way to track my order to ensure my gear would get to Denver on time for my ski trip. Fortunately, a few days before I was all set to leave, I got shipping confirmation e-mail from GetOutfitted including tracking details and links to the FedEx shipping status on my items.
Having started GetOutfitted just a year ago, Flores, a former founder of a nonprofit consultancy and a Charter School in Colorado Springs, has been managing the steady growth of the e-commerce company thanks to effective SEO and search ad campaigns. He has also invested considerable time trying to address the challenges faced by those searching for alternatives to current rental options. Flores has obviously set out to build an experience that aims to please its renters from the moment they make an order until the time they ship the products back (free of charge). “We track our customer facing-metrics, which are incredibly important to a consumer service like ours. These include customer satisfaction, delivery reliability, sizing and fit accuracy of the apparel, and referrals from customers.
When I landed in Denver Friday afternoon, I learned my order had arrived safely and on time, so I headed out with a couple of college friends to enjoy my first ski trip out west. Both the pants and jacket did a stellar job of keeping me warm and comfortable (I quickly realized that although I might have looked the part, having spent most of my time on the bunny slopes in the Poconos, I was a little in over my head in terms of the quality and difficulty of skiing out west. Returning the apparel to GetOutfitted was as simple as tossing the gear in the prepaid return envelope included in the box and finding the closest mailbox to drop it off. Despite being sore from head to toe from a full weekend of skiing, I was thankful that I didn’t have to lug around my jacket and pants the rest of the week and back to the airport. I vowed to return to ski out west at the next available opportunity in order to enjoy the fresh powder as much as this bro.
Flores will be the first to admit that competition does exist in the seasonal yet lucrative business of snow and ski apparel sales; however, the fantastic customer experience provided by Get Outfitted puts them in a position to win out against current alternatives for those heading to the mountains on a budget. “Few resorts offer apparel out of their rental shops, and none offer the ability to put together a custom, current look that will allow skiers to look and feel great on the mountain,” explains Flores. “We offer a luxury experience for a fraction of the cost, with a fantastic unboxing experience, great customer service and a dead-simple return process.” With a passionate founder leading the way and a group bent on creating a seamless rental experience from start to finish, GetOutfitted is a great option for anyone looking for great value during their next trek to the mountains.
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