Macpac is a New Zealand based brand specialising in outdoor recreational equipment. It is best known for camping and travel equipment including backpacks, sleeping bags and technical clothing. Macpac was originally a New Zealand company but is now owned by the Australian company Super Retail Group. Macpac was founded by Bruce McIntyre in 1973.
As of 2016, Macpac had two e-commerce stores, 27 New Zealand and 17 Australian retail stores. Macpac's international distribution is through third party companies in Europe, United Kingdom, Japan and Chile.[1]
History
Macpac's roots can be traced to New Zealander Bruce McIntyre, who began designing his own outdoor gear after he left university aged 19 in 1973 and started making his first packs in his parents' garage in Christchurch. In 1975, he was involved with developing gear for a group of young men from the Canterbury Mountaineering Club who were heading to the South American Andes. The result was New Zealand’s first internal frame climbing pack – the Torre Egger.
McIntyre extended the Torre Egger concept to suit trampers and travellers as well. He focused on customer service and product quality. By 1978, sales were growing at 100% a year and Macpac was unable to keep up with demand. Nevertheless, McIntyre headed to Australia to develop the company’s first export market. In 1987, he began exporting to the Netherlands and Switzerland, soon followed by Germany and the UK.