Zumiez

Zumiez began in 1978 when Thomas Campion and Gary Haakenson opened a mall store near Seattle called Above the Belt; the company was renamed Zumiez in the mid-to-late 1980s. It grew into a national retail chain centered on action-sports culture - skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX and motocross - selling apparel, footwear and hardgoods from third-party brands rather than manufacturing its own core line. Stores are deliberately designed around an 'organized chaos' aesthetic, with couches and video games meant to encourage customers to linger and socialize. From 2000 onward, the company ran the Zumiez Couch Tour, a free annual multi-city tour combining live music and skateboarding demos.