A Topman Does Not Go To Chik-fil-A

 

osprey, topman
“Osprey is quite popular when it comes to camping gear and travel gear. As for Topman, I think it’s nicer than H&M and still trendy but not too expensive. It fits someone my age, out of college”.

Name: Glenn

Age: 25

Gig: Customer success manager at a tech startup

Living in: San Francisco (“but I’m from New York”)

Last TV show, movie, podcast enjoyed: Planet Earth II

Main source of news: CNN.com

Can you name some of the brands you have on now?

Actually I can only name one, Topman. They’re kind of a nice version of H&M. I got this jacket in Manhattan. Oh yeah, this bag is Osprey.

Why did you choose those brands?

Osprey is quite popular when it comes to camping gear and travel gear. As for Topman, I think it’s nicer than H&M and still trendy but not too expensive. It fits someone my age, out of college.

Osprey is in the same general ballpark as REI or Patagonia. Do you feel especially strongly about Osprey?

For backpacks I do. Overall I would put Osprey slightly below Patagonia. It’s a little cheaper. I bought this Osprey backpack because it’s their flagship product.

Patagonia is known for getting involved in certain social issues, like their recent Black Friday deal. What did you think of that? (On Black Friday, Patagonia donated 100% of sales to grassroots organizations that defend the world’s climate, air, water, and soil.)

I thought it was pretty cool, considering what’s going on right now. It’s a bold move to make at such a time, with Donald Trump. Efforts to protect the environment are going to be cut down pretty soon, and Patagonia gave up a lot of revenue—something like $10 million. For a lot of retailers, that’s the golden day. They set up everything in advance for that. To take that day as a wash is pretty astonishing.

So if Patagonia packs were exactly the same as Osprey packs, would their support for the environment convince you to go with Patagonia?

Not really. I already know that when I buy Patagonia I’m buying an emblem that says something about who you are. It says that you’re an outdoorsy person. You like high-quality stuff.

Are there any brands that you would never buy?

I can’t think of any but there are some, more based on the quality than on the ethics of the brand. But I’ve thought twice about going to Chick-fil-A.

Do you do any charity work?

Yes. At my company you get five days to do charity work that are separate from vacation days. We help with environmental efforts, cleaning up parks and stuff like that. I hope to do more. Well, they’re paid days, so it’s only kind of charity, but you don’t have to take them. I like to.

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