When PPORA attends the Outdoor Retailer Shows, we promote the Pikes Peak region as an ideal place to work, visit, and play at our booth. But we also take advantage of the opportunities to learn from industry experts at some of the educational offerings. One such session we attended in June was presented by The NPD Group entitled,”Retail and Consumer Trends in the Outdoor Market. Here are a few takeaways and slides from what we learned…

 

 

  • The outdoor market grew from 2020 to 2022 by $6.8Billion to a total of $28.3 Billion
  • All categories were above the 2019 levels
  • Consumers are skewing toward beginners much more than experienced outdoor enthusiasts
  • Consumers are returning to brick and mortar stores vs online
  • Consumers are looking for products to augment their high dollar outdoor gear that they purchased during the pandemic
  • Apparel and footwear are key in outdoor sales and lean heavily toward comfort, as so many are not returning to the business suits and corporate apparel they purchased prior to the pandemic
  • Categories that saw all time highs, such as bikes, are seeing a decline now because people have them now so the focus should shift to helping consumers use and better enjoy these products – look to add-on products
  • Bottle and insulated containers were a stand-out – up over 30%
  • First aid and body care was up 40% – sunscreen was a big part of this
  • We are seeing more sales related to backyard activities
  • Telling the unified story works – such as grills with coolers and plates merchandised right with them
  • Consumers have more in savings now to weather tough economic times
  • Consumers are looking for:
    • Activities they can do with others to create social connections
    • Family activities
    • Something new to try

 

To see the photos of slides taken from this session, Click Here.