HydroFlask has changed it's policy for the worse

[DisneyKevin]

Hi Folks,

You know that the DisUnplugged, Dreams and The DIS have been huge proponents of HydroFlask and it's products. We've talked about it often enough that the owner of HydroFlask once called me to thank me for the bump in sales.

We have sold them at their mandated cost at the Welcome Center, we have awarded then as prizes and we have touted their charitable donations.

As we are running out, we tried to place a re-order and we were told no. I am told that we no longer fit their business model and they will not sell product to us. I have talked with supervisors and such and have been turned away. We were great business partners when they were new and struggling, but not so much anymore.

I will share the email we received and the gentleman's phone number and email address. You can let him know whether you think this is good business practice or not.

Hi ,
Thank you for your interest in doing business with Hydro Flask. As our company continues to grow, and our brand evolves, we face tough decisions on how to best present our brand in the marketplace.

In order to convey our brand clearly, we have limited our distribution channels to the key markets that most closely align with the Hydro Flask brand. As a result, we are no longer distributing our products through some channels. Dreams Unlimited Travel falls among those channels through which we will not be distributing.
Please note that this decision is not personal to your company or a reflection of your business. Rather, it is a brand decision based on what is best for Hydro Flask. We appreciate your interest and support.

Thank you,
Matt Jones
Hydro Flask®

561 NW York Dr.
Bend, OR 97701
Phone: (888) 584-9376 ext.8605
Fax: (888) 276-0851
info@hydroflask.com
mattjones@hydroflask.com


I know how I feel about it. Let him know what you think

 

[debsters41]

I just sent him how I feel, too! Wow, the foolishness of some people will never cease to amaze me!

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Unbelievable. To be honest though, if this is how they treat those who have helped them grow, I rather not do business with them in the future. I'll share my thoughts, but if they decide that we are "worthy" enough to align with the company again, my money will not go to them. This is a slap in the face.

 

[Kimberle]

They are walking a slippery slope. Look what happened to Abercrombie when the CEO said their brand was only for the "cool" kids. You can't give their stuff away now. Teens are staying away. Their stores are constantly having 70% off sales.

I bought a couple Hydroflasks and find them to heavy anyway.

 

[EDuke98080]

I won't buy any more, tell anyone about them and will find it hard to use mine any more.

 

[Cyrano]

I purchased Hydro Flasks on the basis of the recommendation from you Kevin and Dreams and extended the reach to the UK.

I have told others about this product.

I concur with Nikki that if they have little value for their friends and supporters, they do not deserve our money

 

[Ali]

I just bought more for Christmas gifts, this makes me sad.

 

[sweetpeama]

I have used Klean Kanteen since finding them in a health food store in my area back in 2008. Behavior like this from companies is another reason that I will never switch. Plus upon looking at the company web sites and comparing the 18 oz size (one of the only sizes sold by both Hydroflask and Klean Kanteen) the cost is $25.99 vs $18.95. Lowest cost for shipping to my zip code is $7.99 vs $3.22.
I have had my water still cold even 2 days later (ones found hidden by a certain small child who thinks putting stuff in strange places is a fun game to play-extra challenge because small child is non verbal).
Since it looks like a few of my fellow Disers will not be giving business to Hydroflask in at least the near future I thought I would let everyone know of this alternate company.

 

[chattadisser]

Does anyone think this has anything to with the fact that they are now available in LL Bean? I mean, wouldn't you want your product to be in as many places as possible to grow your business? So why not sell to everyone...small and large businesses? I have to say the last time I ordered from them, I had to call twice (apparently the first time I called the order person was on a break and no one else had a pen and paper) and they took forever to get here. Sounds like they might end up as one of those companies that has a great product but awful customer service which becomes their downfall.

Christine

 

[Anonny]

If you like the quality of the bottle and want to sell them at the Welcome Center, can't you just buy a bunch from Amazon and re-sell them?

Or, is it that Hydroflask not let you put the Dreams logo on the bottle?

Interesting.

 

[DisneyKevin]

If you like the quality of the bottle and want to sell them at the Welcome Center, can't you just buy a bunch from Amazon and re-sell them?

Or, is it that Hydroflask not let you put the Dreams logo on the bottle?

Interesting.

When you purchase in the thousands, you don't want to pay retail.

We also felt that we had found a good product that had a strong charitable bent and filled a need for guests that were looking for something with the DIS logo on it.

We never got to the discussion of customization.

You can't customize what you can't buy.

 

[GAN]

You probably already went down this avenue, but did you ask who their distribution partners are going to be? It sounds like the goal is to reduce distributors -which makes sense, especially for a business with rapid growth. So instead of buying direct, you'd be buying through someone else -maybe you can negotiate through them.

 

[disneysteve]

While I have never purchased a Hydro Flask, this struck me as an incredibly stupid decision on their part. I just sent Mr. Jones an e-mail expressing my thoughts on this matter. Thanks for bringing it to our attention Kevin. I hope many more DISers will write to him as well.

 

[MODisFan]

I've sent a letter of disappointment to Mr. Jones.n thank you for sharing Kevin.

 

[Disneybridein2k3]

What a disappointment. It seems they have got too big for their britches and don't seem to appreciate the people that helped to make them a success. Like the others, I have the small and large one and told everyone about them. Now I'm so disappointed, I don't want to even use them anymore so as not to "advertise" by using their products.
Thank you for sharing this. I sent my email to the CEO scottallan@hydroflask.com.

 

[mytripsandraces]

I got the impression that they're going for niche marketing (camping, maybe) and are trying to focus their attention in that direction. They're not a big company and may not have the capacity to produce more than those markets can sustain, especially if the DIS wants to buy in the thousands. You're not prohibited from buying Hydroflasks; you just won't be able to buy them from the DIS.

 

[SamSam]

Wow, just wow! Bad business decision, I won't be buying from them again, or recommending them.

 

[DisneyKevin]

You're not prohibited from buying Hydroflasks; you just won't be able to buy them from the DIS.

This has never been a question.

When Good Morning America had an offer of "buy one get one free", we promoted that and pointed people toward the link to get a better deal.

in my mind...the issue is customer loyalty. The owner called me personally to thank me for promoting his product and to tell me that we had made a huge difference in his sales.

We have gone from that to "we're not selling them to you".

You are absolutely correct. You can still buy them. I won't and I will tell everyone I know why not but....they are still available other places.

 

[Tink rules]

Sent my two cents worth...I also said you'd probably mention it on next week's show...or whenever you're back on the air....so please don't forget....

 

[Tink rules]

Also...just so you know...They have a BIG contact now...LL Beans flasks are now hydroflask...even though it is not listed that way...I saw them in the store