Columbia Sportswear Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, sources, markets, and distributes outdoor and active lifestyle apparel, footwear, accessories, and equipment in the United States, Latin America, the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Canada. The company provides apparel, accessories, and equipment that are used various outdoor activities, such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, climbing, mountaineering, camping, hunting, fishing, trail running, water sports, yoga, golf, and adventure travel for men and women under the Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, SOREL, and prAna brands, as well as for youth under the Columbia brand name. It also offers footwear products, including hiking boots, trail running shoes, rugged cold weather boots, sandals, and casual shoes for men, women, and youth under the Columbia and SOREL brands. The company sells its products through wholesale distribution channels, direct-to-consumer channels, independent distributors, and licensees, as well as directly to consumers through its network of branded and outlet retail stores, and online. As of December 31, 2017, it operated 105 outlet retail stores and 24 branded retail stores in the United States; 119 concession-based, branded, outlet, and shop-in-shop locations in Japan; 162 concession-based, branded, outlet, and shop-in-shop locations in Korea; 24 outlet, shop-in-shop and concession-based locations, as well as 1 branded retail store in various locations in Western Europe; and 6 outlet retail stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.
