History

Planning for the Future

An ambitious Keith Richardson wants to be his own boss, so he selects a career in accounting and attends San Jose State University.

Rise to the Top

Keith begins a promising career at Sportif USA. Within five years he is promoted to president.

Career Detour

Shortly after receiving a sizable pay raise and bonus, Keith is unexpectedly asked to step down from his position as president of Sportif USA to be replaced by the company owner.

An Idea Becomes Reality

Keith decides to quit his lucrative position with no other job to pursue. Two days later, the idea of Sierra Trading Post becomes clear.

Diving In

Keith makes his first product purchase. "I bought all of the slippers from Acorn that were closeouts or seconds," he recalls. "It was a $10,000 order, and I could not sleep that night. David Quinn, the founder of Acorn, is still a close friend, and we are still the first people he comes to with his list of closeouts."

Grand Opening

Sierra Trading Post leases a 3,000 sq.ft. warehouse. The first 16-page catalog is produced with 44 hand-drawn illustrations by Keith's son Ron. It is mailed to 100,000 customers. The response is overwhelmingly positive. The formula works!

Expansion

Keith leases a larger space. With still no retail store, customers actually prefer to wander the vast aisles of the 11,000 sq.ft. warehouse and pick their products from giant canvas bins.

Going Green

Instead of styrofoam packing peanuts, Sierra Trading Post switches to eco-friendly sheets of crimped packing paper.

Technology Arrives

A computerized system of inventory management is introduced to the customer service department, and representatives are easily able to check the availability of items even as they continue to place phone orders with paper and pencil.

Brick and Mortar

Keith's wife Bobbi uses her retail expertise to open the first Sierra Trading Post retail store in Sparks, NV.

Techno-Logic

STP customer service ditches the pencils and starts taking orders by computer. Efficiency continues to fuel growth. The fan base grows.

STP Gets an Upgrade

Sierra Trading Post outgrows its new location, moving its main headquarters to a snazzy new 30,000 sq.ft. warehouse in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Thank You for Calling

A toll-free number, 1-800-713-4534, is set up for customer service

Baby Steps

Sierra Trading Post expands its retail presence in Reno, NV. This proves to be the turning point for Sierra Trading Post's outlet store success.

Canine Compatriots

Sierra Trading Post is living proof that German Shorthaired Pointers make great company in the office. Greta, the matron of STP's GSPs, is given free reign of the offices, and works diligently to boost employee morale.

New Motto, New Catalog Titles

Sierra Trading Post adopts the tagline "Your In-Home Outlet Mall" and introduces new catalog titles, including Sierra Woman, Sierra Outdoors, Sierra Shoes, Sierra Travel, and Sierra Adventure Edge.

Making eHistory

STP brings Great Deals on Great Brands to the World Wide Web, launching a website in late 1998, becoming one of the first catalog companies in history to have an online presence.

Bigger, Better, Bolder

The Sierra Trading Post warehouse and retail store expands to 157,000 square feet to make room for 400 employees in Cheyenne. The first full-color catalogs are mailed, and STP introduces product photos alongside Ron's hand drawings, further enhancing the catalogs' appeal.

Retail Expansion: Cody, Wyoming

Sierra Trading Post opens its third outlet store in Cody, Wyo., just outside of Yellowstone National Park.

Digital Age

Realizing how accessible the web is and how much easier it makes shopping for customers, Sierra Trading Post invests in online innovation and creates new web positions.

Photo Goes Modern

STP photographers adopt new technology when digital cameras are introduced. Productivity hits a new high.

STP Couture

Sierra Trading Post adds name-brand designer clothing and men's better casual apparel to the product lineup, all at 35-70% off retail.

500 Jobs "Fulfilled"

The Cheyenne warehouse expands into a new 348,000-square-foot facility dubbed the "Fulfillment Center." STP employees now number more than 500.

Web Updates

STP updates its website with an entirely new look, offering more features to improve the online shopping experience.

Catalogs in the Mail

Even with advances in web technology, Sierra Trading Post stays true to its roots and produces 62 catalog titles, with each book ranging from 35-72 pages. Circulation tops 60 million.

Hot Catalog

"Hot Deals" catalog title added to the lineup of catalogs, and boasts of Sierra Trading Post's best offers and highest possible discounts.

Email Deals

Sierra Trading Post offers a new email subscription service: DealFlyer. Customers sign up and access exclusive discounts, free shipping offers and special sale alerts. The savings reach epic proportions!

Gettin' Classy

STP adds the Women's Classics catalog to the lineup, which features better casual, career and dress clothing for discerning women with indisputably good taste. Magnifique!

Roaring 20s

Sierra Trading Post celebrates 20 years of offering Great Deals on Great Brands.

Top-Notch Retailer

Eight years after launching the first generation of SierraTradingPost.com, STP is named a Top 100 Internet Retailer by Internet Retailer magazine.

Retail Expansion: Boise, Idaho

With the opening of an outlet store in Meridian, Idaho, Sierra Trading Post adds a fourth store to its retail operation.

Getting Social

The Sierra Blogging Post is unveiled to provide thousands of active professionals with a great resource for pursuing the adventure lifestyle and engaging with a community of like-minded enthusiasts.

Getting More Social

STP logs onto Facebook and Twitter for the first time. Like!

Social Expansion: YouTube

Seeing a need to have more fun with product education and run a video contest, Sierra Trading Post creates its first YouTube brand channel.

Shopping On the Go

Sierra Trading Post launches its first, and continuously evolving, mobile web site to accommodate shoppers who use mobile phones and tablets to check out Great Deals on Great Brands.

Award: Sierra Wins Best in Class for Customer Service

High-fives abound when Sierra Trading Post is named "Best in Class" for customer service in a study by Satmetrix®, which compared online retailers. The commitment to high quality customer service is celebrated companywide, but especially at the brand's two call centers in Cody and Cheyenne, Wyo. According to the study, Sierra Trading Post representatives resolved customer issues in a single live chat session 90 percent of the time and phones were answered by a real person in 30 seconds.

Ring Us Up!

STELLAServices recognizes excellence in customer service when it reports that Sierra Trading Post agents answered phone calls in just six seconds on average in 2010.

Happy 25th Birthday

STP celebrates 25 years of Great Deals on Great Brands! There's no cake, but the coupons and giveaways are phenomenal, including trips to Cody, Cheyenne and Jackson, Wyo.!

Movin' Up in the World

The Reno outlet store moves to a new location on South Virginia Street. With an additional 6,000 square feet, there's even more room to roam Great Deals on Great Brands.

Social Expansion

STP rolls out the Sierra SocialHub, featuring an all-new blog and becomes one of the first brands to join Google Plus.

G4: The Next Generation Website

The all-new SierraTradingPost.com premieres. With a fresh new look, advanced search options and enhanced shop-ability, finding Great Brands gets easier, but innovation continues with plans for new features to be regularly rolled out through 2012.

Survey Says: STP Answers Email Fast!

A STELLAServices study reports Sierra Trading Post responded to email inquiries in just 48 minutes on average in the last quarter of 2012. Cheers erupt for and from STP's customer service team!

New Look to Traditional Sales

Sierra Trading Post unveils a new look to its catalogs, highlighting product detail and lifestyle shots, affirming the Top 100 Internet Retailer's commitment to catalogs.

Office Expansion: Technology Campus Opens

Recognizing a need to draw top tech talent, STP leases space in Fort Collins, Colo., the Sierra Trading Post Fort Collins Technology Campus. The new space is filled with new hires and loyal employees who once commuted 45 miles north to the company's headquarters in Cheyenne. Google Hangouts and other forms of video chat are leveraged to keep teams up to date and projects on track. At the same time, Sierra Trading Post renames its Cody Call Center the Sierra Trading Post Cody Call Center & Technology Campus, reflecting a commitment to innovation and growth in web design and usability. Sierra Trading Post now has more than 750 employees, more than 500,000 square feet of office space and relationships with more than 3,000 brands.

Social Expansion: Pinterest

With the advent of Pinterest, Sierra Trading Post dives in after realizing users already are sharing their favorite product picks.

December 2012

STP Welcomed to the TJX Family!

Sierra Trading Post is acquired by The TJX Companies, Inc., the leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the U.S. and worldwide.

2013

Action! STPLive, an interactive video program focused on enjoying the great outdoors, premiers and quickly becomes a weekly feature. Produced live by the Sierra Trading Post social media team every Wednesday afternoon, fans watch, learn and tweet with us!