No more Yeti's for me

[Dinsdale]

Not all New Yorkers are from the city or are bad. I and my friends and family will refuse to buy Yeti products anymore as well.

I'd even say there are more than a few hunters I know from the City that aren't bad either.

But its easy to make dumb generalizations on internet forums, actually I think its a requirement.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

Yeti is run by two smart guys who hunt and fish, they know their customer base, they also know the average homeowner going to the beach for a day is not spending $350 for a cooler. But hunters and fishermen do and turning your back on 80% of your business would be suicide. Looking at the situation it comes across to me like the NRA is pouting, but that's my opinion.

Note: I cut out everything but the part I wanted to comment on just so nobody thinks I'm trying to misrepresent what was said.

If the guys who are running YETI really aren't against hunting and fishing then I have to seriously question how smart they are because they royally f'ed up on the PR side of this whole thing.

If what you say is true, then knowing their base how could they have possibly let this happen? The timing was bad as it followed other companies cutting ties with the NRA and the response on YETI's part was not convincing to many people.

On the other hand, whoever runs Rtic is brilliant, regardless of whether their coolers are as good. They were on this immediately, aggressively reaffirmed their support of the 2A (which I don't think YETI has done unless it was really quiet), and aggressively pushed sales and discounts in the wake of this whole fiasco. They've done everything they can to pick up YETI's lost customers.

 

[Divernhunter]

@Divernhunter calling my post BS because I prefer one brand over another is silly. I own several Rtic coolers and I'm just not that impressed with them. but that's my personal preference.

But the threads not really about which cooler is the best. Its about yeti and the NRA, the cortec company is a private investment company, based in NY, NY,and owns a 2/3 stake in the company. Private equity firm investing for growth capitol is a move many companies make. But the headquarters is still in Austin Texas and still run by the Seider brothers.

"Yeti not only ended their program with the NRA-Foundation but also other organizations as well", that is from the NRA press release. An NRA statement also says “YETI has declined to continue helping America’s young people enjoy outdoor recreational activities.” I feel that is a ridiculous statement and was designed and distributed to hurt their business. Because a business decides to end a promotional deal with an entity like the NRA is probably more of a financial move than a political statement. Yeti is run by two smart guys who hunt and fish, they know their customer base, they also know the average homeowner going to the beach for a day is not spending $350 for a cooler. But hunters and fishermen do and turning your back on 80% of your business would be suicide. Looking at the situation it comes across to me like the NRA is pouting, but that's my opinion.

I Stopped donating hunts to several SCI, DU and CCA chapters this year, does that make me an anti hunter? It was based solely on financial reasons and the return on my investment in both time and money.

I called you post BS because you flat out stated that yeti was the best. There are plenty of other people who would disagree. Many of them on this forum. Then you state it is your opinion. Had you said that was your opinion the 1st time I might not have called BS. Read your statement. You flat out said yeti was best like because you said it that it is written in stone fact. Not true. When you say it is your OPINION then I can agree that is what it is. I said my opinion was different and showed results

Yeti did drop NRA and cancelled orders and contracts. When some group owns 2/3 of a company the original founders do not have control. The 2/3 people are liberals and anti-gun/hunting. Those 2 guys got sold out by the 2/3 owners even if they are pro outdoors, hunting, guns and NRA. That is just fact. They can have the headquarters in Texas or any place but the final say is in New York. which is hurting the company.

I have no idea what kind of a hunter you are and do not care as that is not what this is about. Same goes with your donations. Just as you do not care that I am an NRA Instructor and RSO with 1st aid/trauma training that helps teach CCW classes, rifle and pistol instruction and does weekly RSO work at 2 local ranges for free. No need for either of us to break our arms patting ourselves on the back because none of this means squat about yeti and the NRA.

To another poster I did not mean that there are no pro hunting/gun people in New York. My comment was to point out that people in New York were pulling the strings on the company and not the founders and the headquarters in Texas anymore. Just as I am from Ca and that is a shithole democrap, libtard state as a whole. That is because the population centers are southern Ca and the San Francisco areas which politically control the rest of the state. But especially when you get out of those areas the state main land mass is Republican, conservative, pro gun/hunting mostly. The area I live in is very much pro gun/hunting.

 

[BWH]

Why did so many... basically ALL chose to copy/replicate.... and continue to copy at every product, the “yeti”. Kind of embarrassing to me.... anything they come out with, the “competitor”, just attempts to knock off.

 

[Divernhunter]

Some just copy and some try to improve like the lip on the RTIC to make opening easier or having an actual quart size that is advertised be true. Then there is a price difference that is lower for "the same product".
If someone wants to pay for the name I say go ahead. Myself I tend not to

 

[BWH]

And some just bandwagon..... this was about discontinuing a discount program, after 15 years..... all of you wanting to crap on yeti, where do you preferred cooler manufacturers hold up? Hell they weren’t even at the table.... so quit them for not even being connected at all. and if your going to saw off yeti.... quit flying, renting cars, banking, etc....

My simple question is... why can’t a cooler be a cooler, bank be a bank, airline be an airline. You will never find an organization that aligns perfectly as everything as you & don’t expect it.

Chose what you want & support who you want.... maybe some will cross paths.

I own YETI’s & am a proud NRA member. However, I will not get hung up in the blurred lines.

I can get way past that.

 

[wesheltonj]

Why did so many... basically ALL chose to copy/replicate.... and continue to copy at every product, the “yeti”. Kind of embarrassing to me.... anything they come out with, the “competitor”, just attempts to knock off.

Actually the brothers started selling another brands' roto-moulded cooler and then starting selling their own cooler. So really YETI is a knock off too.

And some just bandwagon..... this was about discontinuing a discount program . . . .

Except it was not about ending a discount program and it would be no big deal if that was the case. But the fact is YETI sent a letter to the NRA demanding that the NRA remove their logo from all NRA materials and cancelled all existing orders.

 

[BWH]

Actually the brothers started selling another brands' roto-moulded cooler and then starting selling their own cooler. So really YETI is a knock off too.



Except it was not about ending a discount program and it would be no big deal if that was the case. But the fact is YETI sent a letter to the NRA demanding that the NRA remove their logo from all NRA materials and cancelled all existing orders.

From the discounted program. I am very familiar the process & yetis history.

Where’s the original roto-milled cooler?

 

[wesheltonj]

From Inc Magazine:


"Roy's customized boat called for three coolers that were integral to the fishing itself, especially one that sat in the bow and was supposed to be used as a casting platform. "This boat was kind of well thought out and heavy duty and durable," says Roy, "except for...." Yup, except for the coolers. They were seeking better options when Ryan spotted an import from Thailand at a local retailer during a break from a trade show.

Ryan Seiders spotted a rotomolded cooler at a boat show and called Roy with the news that he’d found what they’d been looking for. Their trip to a Philippines factory proved him right.

Impressed with the cooler's ruggedness, but not its design or finish, Roy bootstrapped an import business to become a distributor for the Thai cooler. He concentrated on the market he knew best, fishing-tackle shops and other independent outdoor-equipment retailers. While he was making progress in sales and distribution, he wasn't making any progress with the product itself. And the cost of addressing warranty issues was mounting. "I started losing sleep about the ultimate cooler and dreaming about, 'What if we did this? What if we did that?'" he says.

Out of frustration, the pair made a trip to Thailand to try to persuade the manufacturer to make some improvements. That effort proved fruitless. They then heard about a plant in the Philippines that seemed promising. "Ryan and I debated whether we should go to the Philippines," says Roy. "We convinced ourselves to go, and we sat down with that factory and quickly realized that these guys were on a different level. They were capable of building a great product for us." When they left, Roy remembers thinking to himself: "Hey, this is now our future. It's time to start our own dealing and our own brand name."

To fund the Yeti prototype, Roy used money from the Thai-cooler importing business. By then, Ryan had sold his fishing-rod business. One of his best customers had kept asking him how much he wanted for the company. "I thought about a high price--it would take me forever to save up that money--and he said, 'Sold,'" recalls Ryan. "And my heart just kind of sank. I was thinking, 'Oh, shit, I should have said double that.'" He was now a cooler manufacturer full time."


YETI built a better mouse trap then what they were selling, and who know what happened to that cooler company. But others have built as just as good or better then YETI mouse trap. Innovation.

 

[BWH]

Yawning

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Yeti went public today. Will be interesting to watch this stock.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/yeti-ceo-people-buying-400-coolers-170523889.html

For starters, Yeti only has one retail store — in its home market of Austin, Texas — and minimal overseas presence. To hawk its pricey coolers and mugs – coolers go for as much as $400 and waterproof leather backpacks for $299 — the company relies on strong relationships with outdoor retailers such as REI, Dick’s Sporting Goods and its own website. The company also has a storefront on Amazon, which CEO Matt Reintjes tells Yahoo Finance has been a real win. To prevent from “cheapening” its high-end image, Yet doesn’t sell at Walmart and Target.

Meanwhile, competing outdoor products brands such as Igloo have tried to copy the look of Yeti’s trademark hard coolers to cash in on the luxury outdoorsy experience trend. Outdoor retailer Cabela’s has dropped its own line of expensive hard coolers under a private-label brand.

The company must also prove it can successfully expand into new product areas and make the brand all-season.

Investors need not worry, though, says Reintjes. The former Vista Outdoors CEO says Yeti’s design prowess is unrivaled. And it has already demonstrated success in new product lines like cupholders.

For the six months ended June 30, sales and adjusted operating profits gained 34% and 100%, respectively, from the prior year. The momentum this year, says Yeti, has come from retailers placing reorders due to strong consumer demand and traction in new products like drink-ware.

And in case you were wondering about what the word Yeti means: ice monster.

 

[CAustin]

Yeti went public today. Will be interesting to watch this stock.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/yeti-ceo-people-buying-400-coolers-170523889.html

For starters, Yeti only has one retail store — in its home market of Austin, Texas — and minimal overseas presence. To hawk its pricey coolers and mugs – coolers go for as much as $400 and waterproof leather backpacks for $299 — the company relies on strong relationships with outdoor retailers such as REI, Dick’s Sporting Goods and its own website. The company also has a storefront on Amazon, which CEO Matt Reintjes tells Yahoo Finance has been a real win. To prevent from “cheapening” its high-end image, Yet doesn’t sell at Walmart and Target.

Meanwhile, competing outdoor products brands such as Igloo have tried to copy the look of Yeti’s trademark hard coolers to cash in on the luxury outdoorsy experience trend. Outdoor retailer Cabela’s has dropped its own line of expensive hard coolers under a private-label brand.

The company must also prove it can successfully expand into new product areas and make the brand all-season.

Investors need not worry, though, says Reintjes. The former Vista Outdoors CEO says Yeti’s design prowess is unrivaled. And it has already demonstrated success in new product lines like cupholders.

For the six months ended June 30, sales and adjusted operating profits gained 34% and 100%, respectively, from the prior year. The momentum this year, says Yeti, has come from retailers placing reorders due to strong consumer demand and traction in new products like drink-ware.

And in case you were wondering about what the word Yeti means: ice monster.

I will pass on buying any of this.

 

[Fred Gunner]

The National Rifle Association has announced Cordova as the official licensed cooler and preferred vendor of the NRA. With the slogan “2A Is In Our DNA,” Cordova offers high-quality coolers built in the United States to meet the expectations of NRA members.

With a lifetime warranty, higher cooling efficiencies, lighter weight and other industry-leading features, Cordova’s coolers are reasonably priced and designed to meet every need—from grab-and-go soft-side coolers and rotomolded hard-side coolers to chest coolers, cooler backpacks and tumblers.

“This is an exciting new partnership for us,” said NRA Executive Director for Advancement Tyler Schropp. “Cordova is a company that has an unrelenting commitment to the Second Amendment and respect for our freedoms. They build a quality American-made product that stands up to the needs and the lifestyles of our members.”

Cordova owner Doug McMaster is proud to have the company be the official licensed cooler of the NRA. “Being selected by the NRA to become the official licensed cooler and preferred vendor of this vital organization is a great honor to all of us at Cordova, and we look forward to helping advance the NRA's mission to ensure [Second Amendment] rights remain intact for future generations of patriotic Americans.”

 

[johnnyblues]

Bottom line...SCREW THEM! They need us we don't need them. And when I say us I mean paying customers.

 

[Rock375]

I’ll never buy another YETI!!

 

[Newboomer]

Never had a yeti because I couldn't justify the high price. There are too many others out there for far less that do the same job. Witness Cordova, the new NRA preferred.

 

[CBH Australia]

Just found this old thread and read a couple of pages. I don’t have Yeti but I’m sure they are in Gunshop’s and camping stores in Australia. Perhaps these shops don’t realise this lack of support for hunters and shooters.
There’re other options in Australia too in fact I think Eva Kool, Engel and others are at least Australian companies or importer branding their own product. There is another company selling quality plastic coolers Techniice I done a hundred mile an hour test on a 60 litre model.
https://techniice.com/60l-ice-box-6.html
Obviously the plastic did show scratches from hitting the Bitumen road and one of the 2 flimsy steel latches did suffer some damage but the esky was intact and did not crack or break.
I just went to their site and I see now they say they are bear proof (Image on site). Interesting if I had photos of the results of my testing I would share it with them. I guess they cannot condone what I done and should in the interest of public safety promote securing loose items in Tray-top vehicles.
This was unplanned and I should have secured the esky but it is testament to the product and I believe it’s an Australian company’s at least for any Aussies requiring a good esky and choosing to purchase the more expensive Yeti brand.

 

[BWH]

Actually Yeti very much supports Hunting, Fishing & the outdoors (hiking, camping, boating, etc.)..... This all started when they separated when they chose to end a vendor program alliance with the NRA. End of story.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I have some Yeti stainless steel coffee tumblers. I like them. Never bought one of their ice chests because they are expensive and HEAVY. All of the Yeti knock off ice chests are HEAVY.

Some interest info on Yeti Holdings, a company with a market cap of ~$2 billion.

 

[wesheltonj]

Interesting to note, that the NYC company that bought and managed YETI, that caused the problem with the NRA, issued an IPO for YETI and is now just a shareholder.