Cotopaxi Drops New Products Every Other Day Ahead of BFCM

Cotopaxi will release limited-edition products every other day from Nov. 1 to Nov. 11, a drop strategy the backpack brand has never used before in the outdoors category. The campaign, called "Cotodays," puts new items on Cotopaxi's website and in its 20 U.S. retail stores, each one built to sell out fast.

The lineup includes a Del Día Tasra Shoulder Bag, a Funky Fuego Down Hooded Jacket, a Light Mode Contiguo Encima Fleece Pullover and an instant camera from Fujifilm Instax. Drops land Nov. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, with free shipping on Nov. 11. Some products are net new. Others are existing items in fresh colorways.

CEO Lindsay Shumlas, who joined Cotopaxi in 2024, told Modern Retail the goal is to "keep that sustained consumer interest, product discovery and engagement around newness earlier in the month, [versus] this holiday time period where you are competing in the promotional window."

What does this change for the brand?

The drops give Cotopaxi four concrete levers: drive revenue, grow its customer count, clear room for new products and build anticipation for its Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale. "There's this opportunity to have consumer engagement during the first part of the month, with limited inventory, before we move into the second half of the month," Shumlas said.

Many of the products — including a Viaje 9L Shoulder Bag and an Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack — come from the Del Día line, which uses deadstock fabric strips. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and treated as a collectible. That scarcity fits a brand Shumlas describes as "rarely promotional." She said Cotopaxi balances holiday newness with "offering them a good deal, but we think it's all about striking that balance."

The Instax bundle anchors the campaign

On Nov. 1, shoppers can pay $175 for a giftable kit: a Del Día Todo 1L Shoulder Bag, a Del Día Accessory Bag, a Del Día Camera Strap, an Instax Mini 13 camera in Frost Blue, Instax mini film and stickers. Shumlas calls the partnership especially exciting.

"But not only that — it ties to who we are authentically as a brand," she said. "This is about getting outside. We've got so much [happening] right now across technology. You've got midterms this year. You've got AI. The opportunity to step away and create memories with a camera that's not on your phone is something unique and different."

The tie-in rides a real trend. Hands-on activities like crocheting, crossword puzzles and vinyl collecting are resurging. Pinterest searches for analog activities and "dumb phones" have more than doubled. Anthropologie is adding tabletop games to meet demand.

Drops go mainstream

Cotopaxi joins a widening field. Supreme built the playbook in streetwear. PopSockets now runs limited-edition drops via print-on-demand; its "Bejeweled Heirlooms" drop launches Nov. 5. Harry's has used drops for body wash to acquire customers. Independent artists sell everything from pottery to paint this way.

Mary Ann O'Brien, CEO of advertising agency OBI Creative, said: "We're seeing drops expand well beyond fashion, because every category is competing for attention, not just sales. Brands are realizing that a limited release creates a reason for people to pay attention today, instead of 'someday.'"

Marketing and stores do the heavy lifting

Cotopaxi will tease "Cotodays" on social media, email and SMS. Some materials will feature photos taken with the Instax camera. Instax and Cotopaxi are collaborating on creator content with micro-influencers. The brand is also debuting a physical catalog and gift guide alongside the campaign, and holding in-store events.

The events matter because Cotopaxi is pushing its physical footprint. The brand plans to double its U.S. store count by 2029. Stores currently account for less than 20% of sales, a number Cotopaxi wants to grow. It also sells through its website and retail partners like REI and Dick's Sporting Goods.

If Cotodays works, expect other outdoor brands to copy the calendar: sell scarcity in early November, then compete on price when BFCM arrives.