Good Morning! 

Solo Brands released earnings this week and they weren't good. They are working with a consulting firm to create a complete rebuild strategy. In the meantime at Solo Stove they are getting rid of their marketing agency that they feel doesn't offer them support for the full marketing funnel. They are also looking to upgrade their talent at the company and create a more robust innovation pipeline.

In part of the analyst call about Solo Brands financial results they were asked about the effectiveness of the viral Solo Stove x Snoop Dogg ad from late last year. The CEO clarified that the ad was a success, having gone viral, but in their key selling season they needed marketing that leads to conversions not top of funnel. That was a strategic miss for Solo Stove in planning the campaign.

Recteq released two new grills this week. The first, the Flagship XL, is a larger version of a grill they released last fall. The more noteworthy grill they released is the E-Series, which is a built-in pellet grill. At $3,499 it's the most expensive grill at recteq and plays in a whole new market.

Sponsored By Franklin Barbecue Pits

Franklin Barbecue Pits, designed by famed Pit Master Aaron Franklin are built from heavy duty USA steel and made by craftsmen right here in the USA. For BBQ beginners and pros alike, its design and construction make it one of the best offset smokers for the backyard. And it will last for generations. Get yours at a BBQ dealer near you, or direct from Franklin if you don’t have a local dealer near you. We love and support local businesses, so if you’re a BBQ dealer that wants to carry Franklin BBQ Pit, please reach out!

TIKI Brand has added a new small fire pit to their smokeless fire pit line-up. It's called Social, and what's great about it is it isn't just the same as the other fire pits, but smaller. It takes advantage of its stature with new design features like handles and a removeable body to access an ash pan.

Traeger CEO Jeremy Andrus had some more comments this week about the direction of the company. He doesn't see normal growth returning to the grill industry until 2025. He also noted that the high interest rate environment is hurting growth. This relates to the overall economy and because many Traeger grills are financed.

Popular consumer brand BLACK + DECKER has entered the outdoor pizza oven space with their new oven, vera. It's a 12" wood fired oven with a rotating stone. It's a good looking product with a competitive retail price of $299. 

Finally, on the retail side a big acquisition has been announced between two co-op hardware store chains. Do-It-Best is merging with United Hardware (home of Hardware Hank), which will put the combined company at around 4,200 stores, ignoring attrition.

Have a Fun Saint Patrick's Day!

Wes Wright

Founder and CEO

Key Events Next Week

• Academy Sports + Outdoors reports earnings on Thursday

If you enjoy this newsletter, please share it with other fans of outdoor cooking. If someone shared it with you, please click to subscribe. It helps us to keep bringing you the CookOut News each and every week.

Sponsored By Big Green Egg

At Big Green Egg, we’re not just the best Kamado grill on the market; we are a lifestyle brand dedicated to enhancing outdoor entertaining. The Big Green Egg believes in bringing families, friends and neighbors together to cook over live-fire. Our “EGGhead” community of loyal fans create memories with the delicious and diverse food they can prepare on their Eggs. 

With a rich 50-year history and a strong presence as an iconic brand in the outdoor kitchen industry, we are committed to providing our customers with premium products and a seamless experience, both online and offline. And we are now hiring for our headquarters location in Atlanta!

We offer a fun work environment, with lots of food and BBQ (of course!), as well as competitive benefits, including a 401(k) match, medical and life insurance, to name a few. More detail on open roles in links below and/or click on this link to apply. 

CRM/Loyalty Strategist; Culinary Engagement Strategist; Senior Accountant;