Samantha Luegger loves the outdoors — so much so that she has dedicated her whole business to connecting other outdoor enthusiasts with new brands. 

LUE Outdoors specializes in outdoor gear, including gloves, water bottles, snowboards and camping meals. Earlier this summer, Luegger celebrated the grand opening of the shop’s brick-and-mortar location in the Red Village at the Outlets at Silverthorne. 

“We are excited to get all these small brands in front of people and show that small businesses have products that people can know and love,” Luegger said. “There are small guys breaking into the outdoors industry, and if other small guys don’t help out, it’s much harder for them to grow.”

In the past, LUE Outdoors existed in an online-only format. Luegger said that originally, her business started through an ambassador and affiliate business, which is where the store gets its name.

Just like going to a mall with varying stores, LUE Outdoors introduced visitors to varying companies at that time. When customers clicked the links to go to the company’s website, it would go straight to the product that LUE Outdoors was promoting. While the website still has this feature, the store now carries its own inventory, which is still made by the companies that Luegger partners with.

Then, earlier this year, the store opened as the only pop-up retail store at the Bluebird Market Food Hall. Luegger’s business partners with other small outdoor gear producers to connect customers with small businesses, with most of them based in the state of Colorado. From a clothing brand started by a mom in Montana to a chocolatier out of Denver that creates trail snacks for hikers, Luegger said LUE Outdoors aims to create mutual benefits from small businesses working together. 

“We focus on the little guys,” she said.

Luegger’s son also has his own skateboard brand featured in the shop, Unhinged Skateboards. Luegger said that no matter what brands are being hosted at her store, she wants the public to be able to discover new companies and enjoy a selection of small owners who hope to grow their businesses.  

“We’ve had nothing but compliments,” Luegger said. “We even had some people that followed us over from Bluebird Market, so that was cool. Also, we’ve done events, fundraisers and stuff where we give products for donations for the prizes, so that’s also a way we connect with the community.”