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Stay warm this winter with Patagonia Online deals on sweaters, vests and more—save up to 40% now
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Winters can be tough, but Patagonia has the outdoor gear you need to start adventuring now. Whether you're a hiker, camper or casual outdoor enthusiast, Patagonia Web Specials have all the best deals on apparel and gear so you can explore in style.
Shop Patagonia Web SpecialsRight now you can grab up to 40% off apparel for women, men and kids, as well as gear and packs, which means you'll be fully prepared for your next adventure. Patagonia’s products come with the brand's signature Ironclad guarantee, which means if you’re unhappy with your purchase, you can get a refund, replacement or repair.
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Patagonia made headlines after the company's founder gave his $3 billion company away to help fight the climate crisis. Patagonia's new owners are environmental nonprofit the Holdfast Collective and the Patagonia Purpose Trust, created by Patagonia "to protect the company's values." You can now explore the great outdoors in style, knowing your Patagonia purchase has gone to a worthy cause.
To make shopping Patagonia's sales even easier, we’ve highlighted some of our favorite deals and answered frequently asked questions about the brand below.
The best deals at Patagonia
- Patagonia Women's Active Hipster Underwear for $14.99 (Save $11.01)
- Patagonia Men's Essential Boxer Briefs for $20.99 (Save $14.01)
- Patagonia Men's Back Step Shirt for $33.99 (Save $35.01)
- Patagonia Men's Baggies 5-Inch Shorts for $38.99 (Save $26.01)
- Patagonia P-6 Logo Uprisal Hoody for $52.99 (Save $36.01)
- Patagonia Men's Long-Sleeved Cotton Midweight Fjord Flannel Shirt for $58.99 (Save $40.01)
- Patagonia Middle Fork Pack 30L for $73.99 (Save $75.01)
- Patagonia Men's Better Sweater 1/4-Zip Fleece for $76.99 (Save $52.01)
- Patagonia Women's Nano Puff Vest for $106.99 (Save $72.01)
What is Patagonia?
Patagonia is an outdoor and gear company specializing in adventure-ready goods that are meant to last a lifetime. The company sells a variety of goods ranging from outdoor jackets to fishing gear.
What are the best deals to shop at Patagonia?
Patagonia’s Better Sweater fleece jacket is Reviewed-approved for the way it “feels worn-in, snug, plush and stylishly versatile all in one,” according to our staff. Several versions of the popular piece are featured in the sale, including the men's lightweight Synchilla snap-t fleece pullover for $76.99, saving you $52.01.
Since colder winter weather is here, you can also stay warm with discounts on vests, pants and sweaters. From outdoor gear to fleece favorites for the whole family, you can save on tons of must-have styles when you shop Patagonia's Web Specials.
Does Patagonia have sales?
Yes. Patagonia offers sales throughout the year along with discounted prices in the Web Specials section all year round. The section is stocked with discounted designs even when the brand is not hosting a major sale event, so it’s worth checking back frequently. Selection and sizing availability typically changes every few weeks.
What are Patagonia Web Specials?
In order to make way for new styles, the brand regularly discounts older ones. Many times, you’ll see significant savings on jackets, vests, pullovers, pants, tops, accessories and gear.
Why is Patagonia so expensive?
Patagonia’s products are built to last a lifetime. If you’re ever unhappy with your purchase or if it doesn't work, you can always request a refund, a replacement or repair—this guarantee adds to the price tag.
Where do I find the Web Specials page?
You'll see "Web Specials" linked in the dropdown menu under "Shop" on the homepage. (Alternately, you can bookmark this story!) Note that Patagonia almost never promotes its sales on its main page, so checking the Web Specials section itself is the best way to find deals.
Why shop Patagonia?
Not only is Patagonia one of the best-known outdoor brands in the world, the company has made durability and environmental stewardship cornerstones of its brand identity. Some of the programs include the Ironclad Guarantee, product recycling program Worn Wear and a commitment since 1985 to donate 1% of sales to preservation and restoration efforts through 1% for the Planet.
What is Patagonia's Ironclad Guarantee?
Patagonia has built their product to last. As such, they guarantee any product they make. If you’re not happy with your purchase, you have a few options to choose from: You can return the item to the store or online to get a full refund; you can request a replacement in-store or online; or, for minor damage, you can request a DIY repair kit to be sent to you (or you can take your item into your local store). For larger repairs, you can send it in to the repair center. Please look below for a more detailed explanation about the repair process.
What is the repair process like?
With every purchase, you can get a free repair. (Note that repairs to highly technical items such as wetsuits may incur a fee.). For small tears or holes, Patagonia will send you a patch kit. For larger issues, stores can do minor repairs on site or you can send it in to their repair team in Reno, Nevada—you cover the shipping cost.
..........Read full articlePatagonia Web Specials 2023 Kickoff Outlet Sale: Save Big on Just About Everything Online
PATAGONIA HAS been a favorite menswear brand and online clothing store among outdoor lovers for decades (doubly so with the news that the founder recently gave away the company—yes, really). Their gear is durable, reliable, eco-friendly, and looks great, too. On the downside, you pay handsomely for all that awesomeness. Most of the company’s gear and apparel come at a premium, and it’s rare to find huge discounts on anything in their catalog. But, if you’ve had your eye on something Patagonia-branded, but have been waiting to pull the trigger, now is the time, my friends. Like, right now.
Just in time to kick off the new year, the company’s current list of Men’s Web Specials includes serious discounts on just about every category of outdoor-friendly apparel you can imagine. We’re talking essentials (like base layers and T-shirts), mid-layers (fleece wear and sweaters), and even winter-ready outerwear, including winter jackets, jackets/vests, ski pants, and more. Even hats and accessories are deeply discounted. So, if you’ve been meaning to stock up on apparel for skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, or whatever you’re into, it’s time to go shopping. Not sure where to start? Here are a few of our favorite Patagonia Web Specials available today:
Of course, if winter sports aren’t your thing, or your gear closet is already filled to the brim with everything you need this season, maybe it’s time to start planning for those fair-weather trips. Whether you’re going hiking, camping, kayaking, or more this spring and summer, there’s always one more thing you could use to make your trip better.
..........Read full articleSave Up to 40% On Patagonia's Winter Weather Essentials from Fleece Jackets to Parkas and Vests outlet online
With winter in full swing, now is the perfect time to take stock of your cold-weather wardrobe. Nothing is worse than the frigid cold temperatures other than shivering outside in the arctic air because you don't have a warm enough coat. You don't need to worry about your teeth chattering for the next few months, because we've found the best deals on parkas, fleece jackets, insulated vests and more from Patagonia.
Right now, men's and women's Patagonia styles are up to 40% off at REI. Whether you're going down the slopes or walking around town, we've found Patagonia outerwear on sale that fits the bill. Save on well-insulated puffer coats, plush and soft fleece-lined jackets for brisk days, and extra toasty down-stuffed jackets to prepare you for any winter storms.
See All Patagonia Deals
Sales are rare on Patagonia's site, so the deals at REI are here just in time to be full prepared for your next winter adventure. The sale styles include Patagonia bestsellers like the Classic Retro-X Fleece Jacket and Nano Puff Vest for both women and men. Patagonia's clothes are made to last, so be sure to pick out a jacket in your favorite color before the limited-time deals are gone.
..........Read full articlePatagonia Secret Sale Online: Shop Fleeces, Flannels, and Puffers Up to 60% Off
WINTER ADVENTURES are in full swing, and as you pack jackets, pants, and gear for that upcoming trip, you're likely realizing it's time for an upgrade. Whether you're in the market for a new windbreaker, gloves, or sneakers, the bitter cold of winter is getting warmed up with a hot sale from Patagonia. The brand's trusty outdoor gear is on sale through both the Patagonia site and Backcountry, an online shop for outdoor apparel and gear. During these limited-time sales, you can score Patagonia gear for as low as 60 percent off.
SHOP ENTIRE PATAGONIA SALE HERE
We know and love Patagonia for its versatile, hardworking clothing that lasts. The brand sells outdoor gear, everyday apparel, and even bags and adventure equipment. While it's worth the full-price investment, it's nicer to buy the brand's signature items like puffer jackets, zip ups, and flannels during the sale season, so you can spend the extra cash on aforementioned winter trips.
Read more: Best After-Christmas Menswear Deals
Lots of items included in the sale are already running out of stock in certain sizes and styles, meaning you'll want to act fast if you're looking to stock up before your next trip. These sale prices also make great gifts for winter birthdays, late holiday gifts or to treat yourself to another year well done. Whatever (or whoever) you're shopping for, these on-sale finds are rare low prices you won't want to miss.
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..........Read full articleWhat’s Changed at Patagonia Outlet Store Since the Founder Parted Ways With The Company?
What new sustainable things can Patagonia fans expect to see?
In terms of new materials and products, the brand has some innovative pieces coming in spring 2023. Additionally, the spokesperson tells us both the brand's iconic Down Sweater and Micro Puff collections will be made with Bureo NetPlus fabric, which is derived from discarded fishing nets.
Those looking to stay active in cool conditions can get excited for the upcoming release of the men's Nano Air Light Hybrid Hoody, as well as the women's Cross Strata. Both act as warm-yet-lightweight layers for those trekking through high altitudes, in the woods, or through varying climates, using the most hi-tech design possible.
They aren't available yet, but take a look at what you can expect to get in the photos, below.
Sustainability-wise, what's changed at Patagonia since Earth became its primary shareholder?
Since Patagonia made its groundbreaking announcement, a lot has changed at the company — a spokesperson tells us most of the profits are going to the Holdfast Collective, which will spend it on protecting people and the environment.
"Patagonia’s new structure puts our environmental donations at a new, exponentially bigger level than with our previous ownership model did," they stated.
Genuine Sustainability: a Patagonia Outlet Sale Review
As Colorado College students, love for Patagonia clothing runs in our blood. Patagonia is ubiquitous across campus; I can’t go a day without seeing someone wearing the label. I’m pretty sure the application to CC even includes a box that we need to check certifying that we own at least one piece of Patagonia gear (I’m kidding, but it should). I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence as a fashion columnist if I didn’t write at least one article examining the extent of Patagonia’s sustainability practices.
I must admit that my renewed interest in writing about Patagonia wasn’t because I recognized its prevalence on campus. A month ago, founder Yvon Chouinard gave away the multi-billion-dollar company to a specially designed trust and a nonprofit organization that have committed to donating all the company’s profits towards fighting climate change (we stan an anti-capitalistic, eco-conscious king).
Patagonia has always been outspoken about their sustainability practices and efforts to protect the earth, and now, they are the largest company dedicated to sustainability. Let’s examine how they’re living up to that dedication.
Over a decade ago, Patagonia ran a Black Friday ad that read “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” A confusing marketing tactic, right? Upon first glance, it might look like clever reverse psychology, but it was actually trying to get people to not buy something new. It advocated for customers to think before they buy, and that the best jacket might be the one you already own.
To reduce environmental damage, consumerism needs to be reduced as well, but consumerism is pretty much what every company relies on in order to sell clothes. On their website, Patagonia even admits that “Each piece of Patagonia clothing, whether or not it’s organic or uses recycled materials, emits several times its weight in greenhouse gases, generates at least another half garment’s worth of scrap, and draws down copious amounts of freshwater now growing scarce everywhere on the planet.”
To counter all of the negative effects of clothing manufacturing, Patagonia has developed their Common Threads Initiative. They make it nearly impossible for you not to be sustainable yourself with their gear. They make their clothes much higher quality than competitors do, so you’re less likely to wear something out and need to replace it. If something on your gear breaks, they’ll fix it for you, negating the need to get a new product. If you do decide that you need to buy something new, they’ll also take back your old piece of clothing so that they can reuse it and keep it from ending up in a landfill.
My personal favorite initiative of theirs is their Worn Wear website, where people can shop for secondhand Patagonia clothing. Instead of throwing away your old Patagonia coat, you can send it to them for credit. The site has both new pieces and pieces from a decade ago, so if you’re in the market for discontinued Patagonia, you should definitely check out Worn Wear.
I’m really impressed with how much Patagonia is doing to help protect our planet. I can only hope that what Yvon Chouinard did creates a domino effect or at least inspires other billionaires to pivot to more sustainable business practices. The next time I reach for my fuzzy Patagonia vest on a chilly fall day, I’m going to be wearing it with pride. Not only does wearing it connect me with other CC students, but it creates a greener future.
..........Read full articlePatagonia Jacket Outlet Online - The Best Men's Fleece Jackets Are a Cosy Wardrobe Essential
Are men's fleeces still having a moment, or have we all simply realised that comfort is king? Once a purely practical piece endorsed by hikers, climbers and National Trust membership holders, the cosy, dependable layer has been on the up since the birth of the ‘core’ trends of the mid-Tens (namely dadcore, gorpcore and normcore) that prompted mellowing millennials, like I, to sport semi-ironic, function-first ‘fits – and as the colder months roll in, the fleece quickly becomes a wardrobe essential.Fortunately there are plenty of fuzzy offerings to choose from. In fact, there may be more than ever. Hooded ones, zip ones, light ones, thick ones, striped ones, plaid ones – you name it, it’s out there. You can even cop a true-to-the-original version of the fleece that started it all: the Patagonia Retro Pile Jacket. Prefer something a little more current? Scroll down to get acquainted with the best of the best; exceptional fleeces designed by the likes of Thrudark, This is Never That and Entire Studios. ..........Read full article
This Insanely Popular Patagonia Tote Backpack Hybrid Outlet Online Is 32% Off
Looking for even more great savings? Head over to Today’s Best Deals page to see all our top deals from today and sign up for our Daily Deals newsletter.
From large duffels to lightweight backpacks, Patagonia's Black Hole line is one of its most popular. And, in our opinion, the Black Hole Tote Pack might be the best buy of the whole bunch. A combo tote bag and backpack, the bag has convertible backpack straps and handle straps to easily transform at your convenience. And despite its roomy 27-liter capacity, it's very lightweight, weighing in at only 13 ounces. To seal the deal, right now you can score the tote pack on rare sale at REI in the Coriander Brown colorway, bringing the original $89 price tag down to only $60.
Made of 100 percent recycled nylon, the tote pack is ultra-durable. And despite its no-frills design, it has a few handy features that really make it worth a purchase. The bag has mesh water bottle holders and an easy-access external pocket for your phone, keys and whatever else you might need on the go. Plus, the cushioned back could double as a seat cushion while traveling. And the kicker is, when not in use, the bag folds up into itself for easy storage in your closet or a suitcase.
Patagonia's Black Hole bags rarely go on sale. In fact, they're known to sell out from time to time. So take advantage of this amazing deal before it's too late.
..........Read full articleGORE-TEX Reveals New ePE Membrane: Patagonia Outlet, Arc’teryx & More Buy In
GORE-TEX Expanded Polyethylene debuts for fall 2022, promising long-lasting durability, a lower carbon footprint, and lighter weight.
Outdoor industry giant GORE-TEX is so ubiquitous that even small changes to its patented weather-proofing technology reverberate across countless brands and products.
Because of that, details from an announcement made today by the Maryland-based textile leader regarding its all-new waterproof-breathable membrane — its hallmark technology — will send ripples across the industry and may change performance standards in outerwear.
Lofty claims, to be certain, but the unveiling of expanded polyethylene (ePE) already has other industry titans buying in — including Patagonia, Arc’teryx, and more.
“GORE’s commitment to launching ePE directly supports our initiative to reduce our carbon impact by about 65% by 2030,” Arc’teryx director of advanced research, Greg Grenzke, said.
Grenzke teased that ePE would debut in the Arc’teryx line in its Ralle (men’s) and Coelle (women’s) jackets for fall 2022.
We’ve previously reported on details about ePE’s tech. Here’s what we know about GORE’s latest wünder material, and how brands will use it for the fall 2022 season.
GORE-TEX ePE Membrane
GORE-TEX lauds ePE as “a key milestone in GORE’s ongoing sustainability journey.” And that sustainability element is a significant part of both the impetus behind the innovation and brands’ interest in it.
According to GORE, ePE boasts a smaller carbon footprint than its traditional waterproof-breathable membranes. This is thanks to ePE’s more diminutive profile — it has less mass and less overall material, which translates to less energy input, water usage, and carbon output.
Moreover, the ePE membrane is PFC-free, a goal that has rapidly become an industry-wide standard. This lighter membrane can also bond with selected backers and face fabrics — like recycled, solution-dyed, or undyed materials — to ensure the performance elements integrate with a variety of sustainable product constructions.
“This was an ask and a pressure we put on our friends and partners at GORE for a long time,” said Kristo Torgersen, Patagonia’s mountains brand and business lead. “We saw the future of waterproof breathables being in a non-fluorinated chemistry. We set out to eliminate PFCs from the membrane, but we got so much more.”
In addition to its environmental focus, GORE claims ePE possesses long-lasting garment life, fully windproof protection, high breathability, and durable waterproofing.
Where to Find GORE-TEX ePE
In addition to Arc’teryx’s Ralle and Coelle jackets, Patagonia will employ ePE on its Storm Shift ski and snowboard shell kits.
The new membrane will also appear in a variety of both performance and lifestyle products from adidas, Salomon, Dakine, Reusch, and Ziener.
Stay tuned, as GearJunkie will test GORE-TEX ePE in a variety of iterations to see how it stacks up. Learn more about GORE-TEX ePE.
..........Read full articleBillionaire No More: Patagonia Outlet Founder Gives Away the Company
A half century after founding the outdoor apparel maker Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, the eccentric rock climber who became a reluctant billionaire with his unconventional spin on capitalism, has given the company away.
Rather than selling the company or taking it public, Mr. Chouinard, his wife and two adult children have transferred their ownership of Patagonia, valued at about $3 billion, to a specially designed trust and a nonprofit organization. They were created to preserve the company’s independence and ensure that all of its profits — some $100 million a year — are used to combat climate change and protect undeveloped land around the globe.
The unusual move comes at a moment of growing scrutiny for billionaires and corporations, whose rhetoric about making the world a better place is often overshadowed by their contributions to the very problems they claim to want to solve.
At the same time, Mr. Chouinard’s relinquishment of the family fortune is in keeping with his longstanding disregard for business norms, and his lifelong love for the environment.
“Hopefully this will influence a new form of capitalism that doesn’t end up with a few rich people and a bunch of poor people,” Mr. Chouinard, 83, said in an exclusive interview. “We are going to give away the maximum amount of money to people who are actively working on saving this planet.”
Join Al Gore and John Kerry for a Times Climate Event
Patagonia will continue to operate as a private, for-profit corporation based in Ventura, Calif., selling more than $1 billion worth of jackets, hats and ski pants each year. But the Chouinards, who controlled Patagonia until last month, no longer own the company.
In August, the family irrevocably transferred all the company’s voting stock, equivalent to 2 percent of the overall shares, into a newly established entity known as the Patagonia Purpose Trust.
The trust, which will be overseen by members of the family and their closest advisers, is intended to ensure that Patagonia makes good on its commitment to run a socially responsible business and give away its profits. Because the Chouinards donated their shares to a trust, the family will pay about $17.5 million in taxes on the gift.
The Chouinards then donated the other 98 percent of Patagonia, its common shares, to a newly established nonprofit organization called the Holdfast Collective, which will now be the recipient of all the company’s profits and use the funds to combat climate change. Because the Holdfast Collective is a 501(c)(4), which allows it to make unlimited political contributions, the family received no tax benefit for its donation.
“There was a meaningful cost to them doing it, but it was a cost they were willing to bear to ensure that this company stays true to their principles,” said Dan Mosley, a partner at BDT & Co., a merchant bank that works with ultrawealthy individuals including Warren Buffett, and who helped Patagonia design the new structure. “And they didn’t get a charitable deduction for it. There is no tax benefit here whatsoever.”
Barre Seid, a Republican donor, is the only other example in recent memory of a wealthy business owner who gave away his company for philanthropic and political causes. But Mr. Seid took a different approach in giving 100 percent of his electronics company to a nonprofit organization, reaping an enormous personal tax windfall as he made a $1.6 billion gift to fund conservative causes, including efforts to stop action on climate change.
By giving away the bulk of their assets during their lifetime, the Chouinards — Yvon, his wife Malinda, and their two children, Fletcher and Claire, who are both in their 40s — have established themselves as among the most charitable families in the country.
“This family is a way outlier when you consider that most billionaires give only a tiny fraction of their net worth away every year,” said David Callahan, founder of the website Inside Philanthropy.
“Even those who have signed the Giving Pledge don’t give away that much, and tend to get richer every year,” Mr. Callahan added, referring to the commitment by hundreds of billionaires to give away the bulk of their fortunes.
Patagonia has already donated $50 million to the Holdfast Collective, and expects to contribute another $100 million this year, making the new organization a major player in climate philanthropy.
Mr. Mosley said the story was unlike any other he had seen in his career. “In my 30 plus years of estate planning, what the Chouinard family has done is really remarkable,” he said. “It’s irrevocably committed. They can’t take it back out again, and they don’t want to ever take it back out again.”
For Mr. Chouinard, it was even simpler than that, providing a satisfactory resolution to the matter of succession planning.
“I didn’t know what to do with the company because I didn’t ever want a company,” he said from his home in Jackson, Wyo. “I didn’t want to be a businessman. Now I could die tomorrow and the company is going to continue doing the right thing for the next 50 years, and I don’t have to be around.”
‘This might actually work’
In some ways, the forfeiture of Patagonia is not terribly surprising coming from Mr. Chouinard.
As a pioneering rock climber in California’s Yosemite Valley in the 1960s, Mr. Chouinard lived out of his car and ate damaged cans of cat food that he bought for five cents apiece.
Even today, he wears raggedy old clothes, drives a beat up Subaru and splits his time between modest homes in Ventura and Jackson, Wyo. Mr. Chouinard does not own a computer or a cellphone.
Patagonia, which Mr. Chouinard founded in 1973, became a company that reflected his own idealistic priorities, as well as those of his wife. The company was an early adopter of everything from organic cotton to on-site child care, and famously discouraged consumers from buying its products, with an advertisement on Black Friday in The New York Times that read, “Don’t Buy This Jacket.”
The company has given away 1 percent of its sales for decades, mostly to grass roots environmental activists. And in recent years, the company has become more politically active, going so far as to sue the Trump administration in a bid to protect the Bears Ears National Monument.
Yet as Patagonia’s sales soared, Mr. Chouinard’s own net worth continued to climb, creating an uncomfortable conundrum for an outsider who abhors excessive wealth.
“I was in Forbes magazine listed as a billionaire, which really, really pissed me off,” he said. “I don’t have $1 billion in the bank. I don’t drive Lexuses.”
The Forbes ranking, and then the Covid-19 pandemic, helped set in motion a process that would unfold over the past two years, and ultimately lead to the Chouinards giving away the company.
In mid-2020, Mr. Chouinard began telling his closest advisers, including Ryan Gellert, the company’s chief executive, that if they couldn’t find a good alternative, he was prepared to sell the company.
“One day he said to me, ‘Ryan, I swear to God, if you guys don’t start moving on this, I’m going to go get the Fortune magazine list of billionaires and start cold calling people,’” Mr. Gellert said. “At that point we realized he was serious.”
Using the code name Project Chacabuco, a reference to a fishing spot in Chile, a small group of Patagonia lawyers and board members began working on possibilities.
Over the next several months, the group explored a range of options, including selling part or all of the company, turning Patagonia into a cooperative with the employees as owners, becoming a nonprofit, and even using a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC.
“We kind of turned over every stone, but there just weren’t really any good options that could accomplish their goals,” said Hilary Dessouky, Patagonia’s general counsel.
The easiest paths, selling the company or taking it public, would have given Mr. Chouinard ample financial resources to fund conservation initiatives. That was the strategy pursued by his best friend, Doug Tompkins, founder of the clothing companies Esprit and The North Face.
But Mr. Chouinard had no faith that Patagonia would be able to prioritize things like worker well-being and funding climate action as a public company.
“I don’t respect the stock market at all,” he said. “Once you’re public, you’ve lost control over the company, and you have to maximize profits for the shareholder, and then you become one of these irresponsible companies.”
They also considered simply leaving the company to Fletcher and Claire. But even that option didn’t work, because the children didn’t want the company.
“It was important to them that they were not seen as the financial beneficiaries,” Mr. Gellert said. “They felt very strongly about it. I know it can sound flippant, but they really embody this notion that every billionaire is a policy failure.”
Finally, the legal team and board members landed on a solution.
In December, at a daylong meeting in the hills above Ventura, the entire team came together for the first time since the pandemic began. Meeting outside, surrounded by oak trees and avocado orchards, all four Chouinards, along with their team of advisers, agreed to move ahead.
“We still had a million and one things to figure out, but it started to feel like this might actually work,” Mr. Gellert said.
‘The ideal solution’
Now that the future of Patagonia’s ownership is clear, the company will have to make good on its lofty ambitions to simultaneously run a profitable corporation while tackling climate change.
Some experts caution that without the Chouinard family having a financial stake in Patagonia, the company and the related entities could lose their focus. While the children remain on Patagonia’s payroll and the elder Chouinards have enough to live comfortably on, the company will no longer be distributing any profits to the family.
“What makes capitalism so successful is that there’s motivation to succeed,” said Ted Clark, executive director of the Northeastern University Center for Family Business. “If you take all the financial incentives away, the family will have essentially no more interest in it except a longing for the good old days.”
As for how the Holdfast Collective will distribute Patagonia’s profits, Mr. Chouinard said much of the focus will be on nature-based climate solutions such as preserving wild lands. And as a 501(c)(4), the Holdfast Collective will also be able to build on Patagonia’s history of funding grass roots activists but it could also lobby and donate to political campaigns.
For the Chouinards, it resolves the question of what will happen to Patagonia after its founder is gone, ensuring that the company’s profits will be put to work protecting the planet.
“I feel a big relief that I’ve put my life in order,” Mr. Chouinard said. “For us, this was the ideal solution.”
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