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1970 -
Keith wants to be his
own boss, so he selects a
career in accounting.
He attends San Jose State
University to get the ball
rolling. |
1980 -
Keith begins a promising career at Sportif USA.
In 1985, he is promoted to president, which fueled his
entrepreneurial spirit for six years. |
1986 -
On a cold January morning, 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. Read Keith's Testimony |
1986 -
Keith is struck with a God-inspired idea to
quit his lucrative position through a giant leap of
faith, and no other job to pursue. Only two days
later, God presents the idea of Sierra Trading Post.
Keith sets his "golden rule" beliefs, and the pieces
begin to fall into place. |
1986 -
Sierra Trading Post
leases a 3,000 sq. ft. ware-
house. Premiere catalog is
produced with 44 hand-
drawn illustrations by the eldest
Richardson son, Ron. With
only two colors and sixteen
pages, this catalog is mailed
to 100,000 customers,
earning a phenomenal
response - beating the odds. |
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1986 -
Sierra Trading Post
opens a new office in Reno,
NV. Socks and other items
are displayed in a glass
case in the storefront. |
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1986 -
Sierra Trading Post is run by Keith, his family,
and a handful of other employees. Son, Ron,
continues to illustrate products by hand for the
catalog, as other son Mark and family friend Woo
ship catalogs manually. |
1987 -
A larger warehouse is
leased. With still not retail
store, customers actually
prefer to wander the vast
aisles of the 11,000 sq. ft.
warehouse and picking their
products from giant canvas
bins. "In the winter it's 15 degrees in here, and we
bundle up in sweaters and gloves, and you can see
your breath!" |
1988 -
Instead of styrofoam packing peanuts,
Sierra Trading Post switches to environmentally-
friendly sheets of crimped packing paper. |
1989 -
A computer inventory management system
is introduced to the customer service department.
Representatives are easily able to check inventory,
though they continue to enter orders by hand. |
1990 -
Sierra Trading Post, co-owner, Bobbi
Richardson, applies her prior retail knowledge
from her career at Macy's to the rapidly expanding
company, and opens a retail store in an outlet mall
in Sparks, NV. |
1991 -
Customer service representatives are
now able to use computers to place orders. No
more pencils in hand - just keyboards! Efficiency
weaves its way into the life of Sierra Trading Post,
and allows even further expansion than
originally anticipated.
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1992 -
Sierra Trading Post
outgrows its new location,
moving its main headquarters
to snazzy new 30,000 sq. ft.
warehouse in Cheyenne,
Wyoming. A toll-free number,
1-800-713-4534, is set up for
customer service. |
1994 -
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. |
1998 -
Lots of rumors are floating around about
pet therapy in the workplace, but one thing Sierra
Trading Post will tell you is German Shorthaired
Pointers make great company in the office. Every
once-in-awhile, employees discover a brown
speckled stalker waiting patiently for a treat.
Studies have
shown that by
bringing pets to
the job, stress
is reduced,
and employee
productivity is greatly increased. Employees look
forward to the gentle beasts, and appreciate the
alternative to "aroma therapy." |
1999 -
The Sierra Trading Post motto develops as
"Your In-Home Outlet Mall" with a family
of fresh catalogs to browse: Sierra
Woman, Sierra Outdoors,
Sierra Shoes, Sierra
Travel, and Sierra
Adventure Edge. |
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2000 -
Sierra Trading Post's third store opens in
Cody, Wyoming, near the geysers at the gate to
Yellowstone National Park. |
2000 -
Customer response drives online innovation,
creating new web positions in the company. |
2001 -
Modern digital photography techniques are
implemented to enhance product detail and clarity. |
2002 -
Sierra Trading Post
adds a new catalog,
Sierra Traditions For Men,
which offers name brand designer clothing. |
2002 -
The Cheyenne warehouse, in need of
expansion once again, moves into a new 284,000
sq. ft. facility dubbed the "Fulfillment Center". Sierra
Trading Post's Cheyenne employees number over 500. |
2003 -
Sixty-two catalogs mail in 2003 ranging from
35-72 pages apiece to a circulation of over 60 million. |
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2003 -
Sierra Trading
Post updates its website
once again, adding more
features and improving
customers' online
experience. In 2004,
the website's graphics
and layout are
completely redesigned,
offering a new, clean
look for its web-savvy
shoppers. |
2004 -
The new "Hot Deals" catalog is added to the
mix, letting users shop our highest discounts. |
2005 -
Sierra Trading
Post offers a new
email subscription
service - DealFlyer. |
2005 -
Sierra Trading Post introduces Sierra Woman
Traditions to the catalog family. |
Sierra Trading Post is a long way from being finished!
Coming soon are home & garden items, new retail
outlet locations, and more customized catalogs. |
"We've come a long way since our beginnings
in Reno, when we started Sierra Trading Post
with just 500 square feet of space and a lot
of prayer. As we look back on the amazing
change and growth, there's no question in our
minds that we owe the company's phenomenal
success to our deeply-held beliefs...and the
strength of our relationships with customers,
vendors, and employees."
- Keith & Bobbi Richardson |
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