Patagonia Vs. Thundra Outdoors

Patagonia Vs. Thundra Outdoors

1. Explain case and company

The two companies that will be compared throughout this essay manufacture and sell outdoors clothing and gears. The first one is called Patagonia, a privately owned US company founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, and the second one is Thundra Outdoors, a Colombian company founded in 1998. Since the day it was founded, Patagonia has had a close connection with the environment due to the client segment they address, the nature of the products they sell and the commitment their staff has with the environment^[1]. It started as a company that made tools for climbers, and although alpinism still remains as the heart of the business, they provide clothes and gears for other silent sports such as surfing, skiing, snowboarding, running and paddling. These are called silent sports because they do not require a motor^[2]. Patagonia´s aim is to create a positive effect on the environment for three main different reasons: its founder was an outdoorsman even before he founded the company, the products they sell are meant to be used outdoors and costumers are buying the product to enjoy nature^[3]. On the other hand, Thundra is specialized in manufacturing and marketing equipment for adventurous sports, rescues, camping and other outdoors activities. Thundra claims to be committed to the environment and preservation of natural resources in Colombia. Thundra outdoors seeks to satisfy the necessity of people who like sharing time with the environment and are looking for comfort and technology as they practice their outdoors activities. This company strives to provide the best products and services to their clients, starting from choosing the best materials available and best suppliers. Thundra is constantly offering and organizing excursions across Colombia, they promote Colombians getting to know their country and appreciating the natural resources it has^[4].  

1. Practices which are different between companies

Regarding the practices these two companies adopt, both share a common interest and preoccupation for the pollution and negative impact the production and sales process have on the environment. Patagonia for example has the footprint chronicles, which examines Patagonia´s life and habits as a company. Its goal is to use transparency about their supply chain to help them reduce their social and environmental impacts on an industrial scale. Patagonia believes that if they start reducing or eliminating the harm they cause on the environment, other businesses will be thrilled to follow them (Patagonia Inc., 2013)^[5].  Patagonia uses recycled polyester in most of its clothes and only use organic cotton. They are constantly in the search of looking for new ways to reduce their carbon footprints and all the negative impact; they have developed different campaigns throughout their existing life to achieve this. Some of these campaigns are “Our common Waters”, which aims to reduce any unnecessary water pollution harm caused by the textile industry, “Returns, Repairs & Recycling”, “Ocean as a Wilderness”, “The Cleanest line” and “Don´t dam Patagonia. The most important and influential campaign Patagonia currently practices is called 1% for the Planet. Since 1985, Patagonia has donated 1% of sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment; 1% For The Planet is an alliance of businesses that understand the necessity of protecting the natural environment^[6].  Similar to Patagonia´s campaign of donating 1% of their sales every year for the preservation and restoration of the natural environment, Thundra has contributed economically to different campaigns that help preserve the environment, like a campaign against the oil spills in the Caribbean of Colombia and against the illicit drug crops in Serrania de la Macarena and Sierrra Nevada de Santa Marta. The difference with Patagonia is that they don’t to this, constantly, but rather occasionally. Thundra is most likely concern in helping the environmental issues that might affect tourism and ecological trips around Colombia, which might be seen as a personal and egoistic concern regarding they plan and sell the excursions around Colombia.