Our business model is founded on two principles

We want to be transparent with our clients about our business model and competitive strategy. Zenith Research is founded on two principles:

1. Don’t Own Inventory

Our main competitor operates a very similar model and manages their own inventory. When clients ask for recommendations, their specialists only receive commission if they sell from their inventory. This can lead to disingenuous recommendations in order to secure a sale, dependent on stock availability. After purchase, this can also lead to complicated and costly returns and warranties. Our mission is absolute: we want to recommend the best gear possible without concern of commission, while saving both sides the hassle of third-party returns and repairs.

2. Rely on Our Existing Retailers

Retail is an expensive and labor intensive business model that REI and other shops execute effectively. We don’t need to add another retailer into the mix - we just want to get the right gear into our clients hands. Zenith Research strives to provide the best recommendations for our clients, and then empower clients to source the sale from their retailer of choice. The retailer handles shipping, returns, and warranties directly with the customer.

Our Competitive Strategy

So, how does Zenith Research make money? Our recommendation links include affiliate commissions. This means that if you purchase the recommended product through the link we share, Zenith receives about 5% commission on that sale from the retailer. We have no incentive to recommend one product over another. This business model is triple-beneficial: the client receives unbiased industry-wide insights and recommendations; the retailer gets the purchase; we receive a commission.