Yeti the maker of unreasonably expensive coolers decided to cut ties with the NRA.

“Suddenly, without prior notice, YETI has declined to do business with The NRA Foundation saying they no longer wish to be an NRA vendor, and refused to say why. They will only say they will no longer sell products to The NRA Foundation. That certainly isn’t sportsmanlike. In fact, YETI should be ashamed. They have declined to continue helping America’s young people enjoy outdoor recreational activities. These activities enable them to appreciate America and enjoy our natural resources with wholesome and healthy outdoor recreational and educational programs.”

This seems shocking as the short history of the Yeti company really focused on hunting, fishing, and outdoor sports.

Clearly, this is not your grandmother’s ice chest.

“Yeti reinvented a major part of this category and treated the cooler as more than a disposable product,” said Corey Maynard, VP-marketing for Yeti, which was founded in 2006. The company cast the cooler “as a thing that was meant to last, meant to be used, and was built as tough as it possibly could be. The price didn’t really matter.”

The brand grew by going after niche markets like the hunting and fishing communities. In 2013, Yeti’s sales were up more than 50% from the previous year, reaching $100 million – a milestone for the young brand. “It’s been an absolute rocket ship,” said Mr. Maynard.

The biggest challenge for Yeti in conquering new markets is convincing consumers to pay hundreds of dollars for a cooler. The brand pushes performance and relies heavily on professional endorsements from the hunting, fishing and barbeque communities. It also uses endemic marketing for magazines and TV to take Yeti’s message directly to the markets it wants to reach.

Yeti’s coolers are “grizzly proof,” which is an actual certification by Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, not just marketing jargon. And they’re designed to keep ice cold for long periods of time, sometimes days, depending on the temperature and preparation. But Yeti says most of its consumers will never actually use those benefits.

I can’t walk into Cabela’s without running into a Yeti display.

The company had been doing quite well with this business model too.

The cup was one of the best-selling items at outdoor and sports retailers during the holidays. It appealed to shoppers because it keeps drinks cold or hot for long stretches and offers a way for consumers to grab some of the Yeti prestige without spending big bucks, retailers said.

Last year, Yeti’s earnings rose to $74.2 million from $14.2 million the year before, and its sales increased to $468.9 million from $147.7 million. The company said its products are sold by about 6,000 independent retailers and online. They also partner with retailers that include Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

That’s $500 million in sales for a cooler for your venison that costs as more than the rifle you bagged the deer with.

Even Forbes focused on the hunting and outdoors aspects of the Yeti product line when they reviewed them.

As you can imagine, the buzz on social media against Yeti by hunters and the pro-gun community has been pretty intense.  The consensus is that they will no longer buy Yeti products.

https://twitter.com/JesseKellyDC/status/988121295891156993

Adding insult to injury, this announcement caused Shannon Watts to jump for joy.

https://twitter.com/shannonrwatts/status/987711660902133767

I don’t know what the management of Yeti were thinking but this company just fucked itself to death.

I just don’t see a bunch of soccer moms buying $250 pink coolers or $35 pink insulated cups.

Sure, there are some people on Shannon’s twitter feed that sound like they are going to boost Yeti sales, but I just don’t believe them.

https://twitter.com/smstyles/status/987720235406020608

The cheapest “cooler” that Yeti sells is still $200, which means this woman has spent at a minimum $800 on coolers and wants to spend upwards of $1,400.  Really?

Or maybe she’s just taking about the cups, which makes her like this shrew.

This is soooo awesome @YETICoolers!

Now I can unpack the $300 worth of tumblers I took away from my family. They were not happy about it, I can tell you that.

— Pam McKim ?? ? ?? (@pgmckim) April 21, 2018

Now, I’m cheap.  I don’t feel compelled to buy $300 worth of drink cups.  If I have to spend $35 dollars on cup, it better come pre loaded with a single malt that is at least old enough to buy a gun.

I think a lot of this “I’m going to run out and buy a Yeti” is going to end at the cash register.

If the anti-gun crowed really bought more than the loss of revenue from a pro gun boycott, well.  Tweets like this:

I need 2 new coolers this summer. Perhaps I shall buy 2 yetis from Dick's.

— Liz Zimmermann (@whyiamcrazy) April 21, 2018

Wouldn’t result in earnings losses.  But they do.

The death knell for Yeti will be if Cabela’s/Bass Pro Shops can’t move their products and have to reduce their inventory or even drop the product line.  Especially since the Cabela’s brand cooler is less expensive and just as highly rated – and it doesn’t hate the NRA.

It’s an amazing thing to see a company’s management offend and reject the their core customer base and the demographic that built their brand.

Personally, I don’t get why after watching Delta, Dick’s, Field and Stream, and other companies lose money this way, a company like Yeti which entered the mainstream BECAUSE of hunters would do this.

But in this day and age, I guess being management is more about being Woke on social media than making money.