Moosejaw started out as a simple outdoor retail shop and now is a huge online retailer that sells the best of the best outdoor gear available. As is common with most outdoor retailers today, Moosejaw is now producing its own clothing and apparel to sell alongside the top-name brands in the industry.
In 1992, Moosejaw opened up its first store in Keego Harbor, Michigan. It was only two years later that their second store opened up nearby, and it has been a slow, but consistent expansion ever since. The website didn’t come into fruition until 1995, but this is when it all started to really take off.
Link to Moosejaw
Main Website: Moosejaw.com
Is Moosejaw a good brand?
They’ve topped lists as the best online retailers, which isn’t too surprising since most outdoorsy folks have heard of the company and bought plenty of their gear from them. Everyone from the New York Times to Outside Magazine raves about how great of an online retailer Moosejaw is. What exactly is it that makes the brand so popular? Most users say the site’s simple design and wide availability of products are to be credited for their love of the company.
Most people know Moosejaw as the online retailer that sends along a sticker with a funny phrase or slight comical effort on it. They’re a brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously, which fits the persona of most outdoors folk pretty perfectly.
Overall, Moosejaw is a good brand. They don’t make the most sought-after apparel on the market, but it’s affordable and relatively well-made. You won’t spend eight or nine hundred dollars to get a rain jacket like you can easily do with Arc’Teryx, but you also might not have it for the rest of your life. So, if you’re looking to sacrifice a little bit of quality for price, look no further.
What is the most worrying is the new ownership of Moosejaw. The entire outdoor industry was confused when it happened, especially the cult following that Moosejaw had before they shifted ownership. There’s a lot of potential mistakes and downfalls to be had with being owned by such a large corporation that isn’t well-loved by a lot of the world.
Where are Moosejaw products made?
Moosejaw has its roots in Michigan and continues to keep its base there. Moosejaw has an entire line of products that are Michigan-made. They have a lot of hometown pride, and it shows. The company tries to stay inside the country for everything they do. They aren’t big enough to need to outsource yet, but the company is definitely growing and it’s possible there will be changes made in the near future.
It’s hard to say for sure where every piece of Moosejaw clothing is made after they were bought out by Walmart. On top of this purchase, the brand uses a high level of sarcasm on its website that can lead to an inability to discern some important information. Regardless, they make it fun to look around the site and discover what you can when you need to look for information on them.
Is Moosejaw an American company?
From the day of its inception, Moosejaw has always been a truly American company. They started out in Michigan and have stores in Illinois, Colorado, Missouri, and Arkansas. Their expansion isn’t happening quickly, but it’s steady. The company hasn’t even set foot outside of the country. We may see more production move to a separate country as the ownership is transferred away from a small and private company to a much, much larger one.
Is Moosejaw owned by Walmart?
Most people that are involved with the outdoor industry will have something to say about Walmart as a whole. They aren’t the most environmentally-friendly company in the world, seeing as they create every single product ever and take full advantage of cheap production in China. It’s almost a threat to what we love to do the most. Everyone was in disbelief upon finding out that Moosejaw made the decision to sell out to a company like Walmart.
In 2017, Walmart made a decision to work towards opening a premium online outdoors shop. They wanted to bring in a higher paying, higher class customer base and expand their clientele with one simple move. Therefore, they purchased Moosejaw for $51 million. Soon after, they are opening new stores and announcing new product lines.
The product lines that Walmart and Moosejaw are putting out are designed for people who aren’t fully accustomed to the outdoor lifestyle. It’s meant to be an introductory series of clothes that help people transition into becoming more “outdoorsy”. Seemingly, it’s just another way for Walmart to load up on money from anyone who’s willing to pay the price.
Walmart launched its “premium” outdoor apparel store that is paired up with Moosejaw, but also seemingly separate. Moosejaw is still stationed in Michigan, doing its own thing. The fact that Walmart owns the company isn’t seen much on their site or in their products, but it’s curious to think about where the company will head under a massive corporation.
Why is it called Moosejaw?
The only guess about why the outdoor retailer is named Moosejaw is to do with the small town of Moose Jaw in Canada. The name there is derived from a Cree word meaning “a warm place by the river”. Maybe the original founders of Moosejaw thought it was relevant to their hometown, or was simply a place they liked. Most likely, it has nothing to do with the small town in Canada.
Is Moosejaw a legit website?
Moosejaw is completely legit. It’s been up and running for almost 30 years and has built a solid reputation amongst everyone in the outdoors. They’re well-known for having a great level of customer service with a magnificent return policy.
Not only is the site legit, but the deals are also legit. They find ways to sell a lot of great gear at a pretty low price. It’s a great spot to head to when looking for something that normally costs hundreds and you don’t want to spend that much on a single item.
You’ll look around on the site and might think that it isn’t legit simply because of the language the marketers use. Remember that this brand is sold as the “fun” outdoors brand. They want to be sarcastic and comedic in everything they do, which is why they say they specialize in “hiking, skiing, backpacking, and french kissing.” Don’t let the jokes fool you, this site is the real deal, with real deals.
Where does Moosejaw ship from?
Moosejaw ships straight to your home from their home in Michigan. As the company is expanding, with stores as far as Colorado and Arkansas, it’s likely that we’ll see them shipping from further out places as they expand.
How do you use Moosejaw rewards?
Moosejaw rewards come from a simple system that keeps all of the money inside of the company, but lets you get more discounts and potentially free items of gear. When you buy a full-priced item, you get 10% of that purchase put into your account in the form of Moosejaw dollars. As you put more and more away, you can apply your well-earned savings the next time you make a purchase.
Discounted items only provide you with a 2.5% Moosejaw dollar reward, but is still better than nothing. The one catch with the system is that you need to spend all of your Moosejaw dollars within two years of receiving them, otherwise they’ll disappear. So, if you’re saving up for a big Arc’Teryx jacket, you need to make a lot of purchases first. At 10% back, you’ll need to spend about $8,000 to get that $800 jacket for free.
How does Moosejaw make money?
As an outdoor and online retailer, Moosejaw relies heavily on their shopping centers for income. The company also makes their own gear which helps add to their revenue. It’s also likely that as Walmart now owns them, they are making money through a bigger source that will bring in a lot more money. That means you can buy stock in Walmart and have a piece of Moosejaw.
Does Moosejaw have a credit card?
The Moosejaw rewards system is the closest thing that the retailer has to a credit card. Maybe as we see the brand grow even more, we can see a credit card similar to the REI credit card. It’ll be a few years before that’s even a possibility as a lot of growth will be required to take it to that size.
