Amazon.com sets 'site' outdoors

SEATTLE While other retailers are scaling back, Amazon.com continues to build its dominating presence on the Web with the launch of its Outdoor Recreation Store (www.amazon.com/outdoors) -- a single shopping destination offering thousands of outdoor gear and apparel items.

The Outdoor Recreation Store will offer items for a variety of outdoor activities including snow sports, active travel and climbing from such merchants as Altrec, Backcountry and Mountain Gear.

Ben Hartman, director of Amazon.com’s Sports & Outdoors Store, stated. “Evidence is emerging that outdoor enthusiasts and casual adventurers alike are turning to outdoor recreation activities now more than ever, and the new Outdoor Recreation Store provides a convenient destination to find and discover a great selection of all things related to exploring the outdoors.”

To encourage consumers to check out the online store, Amazon.com is offering visitors to Amazon.com’s Outdoor Recreation Store the opportunity to receive a free National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass with qualifying purchases of $299 or more on select merchandise. The pass, an $80 value and valid for one year, covers entrance fees at more than 2,000 federal recreation locations across the country, including sites managed by the National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.