U.S. outdoor industry sales slid 1 percent in dollars (-4 percent in units) in the 12 months through April to total $28 billion, Julia Clark Day, Circana’s executive director of business development, Sports, said in a presentation she gave at the Outdoor Retailer Summer 2023 show.

A modest gain in outdoor apparel did not offset declines in footwear and equipment.

The comparatively higher dollar growth versus unit growth reflects an increase of 2 percent in average selling prices (ASP) on average over the 12 months. The research firm changed its name to Circana last year following the merger of NPD and IRI.

Among categories, footwear sales were down 5 percent in dollars in the 12 months through April to about $5 billion, while equipment was off 9 percent to about $5 billion in sales. Apparel, the largest category, was up 2 percent in dollars to $16 billion.

Accessories, the smallest category, delivered the strongest gain, up 4 percent in dollars, to $1.4 billion.

Apparel represented 58 percent of the U.S. outdoor industry’s sales during the 12 months through April; equipment, 19 percent; footwear, 18 percent; and accessories, 5 percent of sales.

Outdoor Specialty Brick & Mortar Pace Channel Gains
By channel, sales in the athletic specialty/sporting goods channel (sporting goods retailers and large format national outdoor retailers, including e-commerce/brick & mortar sales combined) were down 1.7 percent in the twelve months through April, reaching $20 billion.

Outdoor specialty brick & mortar channel sales grew 2.8 percent to reach $4.7 billion, while the outdoor specialty e-commerce channel sales were down 5.7 percent to reach about $3 billion in revenues. When combining brick & mortar and e-commerce results, outdoor specialty sales were nearly flat, dipping .07 percent, in the 12 months ending April 2023.

Outdoor Equipment Sales Fell 9 Percent
The decline in outdoor equipment of 9 percent reflects declines across channels, down 8 percent in the athletic specialty/sporting goods channel, off 9 percent in the outdoor specialty brick & mortar channel and down 12 percent in the outdoor specialty e-commerce channel.

The top sellers across equipment categories included

  • bottles/insulated, up 10 percent in dollars (ASP up 16 percent);
  • camp chairs, down 1 percent in dollars (ASP up 4 percent);
  • hard-sided coolers, down 2 percent in dollars (ASP up 19 percent);
  • soft-sides coolers, up 1 percent in dollars (ASP up 8 percent);
  • sleeping bag accessories, up 2 percent in dollars (ASP up 15 percent);
  • portable power packs, up 5 percent in dollars (ASP up 12 percent);
  • climbing shoes, up 12 percent in dollars (ASP up 8 percent);
  • energy food, up 2 percent in dollars (ASP up 16 percent);
  • dehydrated food, down 6 percent in dollars (ASP up 11 percent);
  • Lg/H2O Coolers, up 10 percent in dollars (ASP up 27 percent); and
  • sunglasses, down 5 percent in dollars (ASP down 3 percent).

Outdoor Accessories Climb 4 Percent
Outdoor Accessories’ 4 percent growth in the twelve months ended April was led by an increase of 14 percent at the outdoor specialty brick & mortar channel. Accessories sales were up 2 percent in the athletic specialty/sporting goods channel and flat in the outdoor specialty e-commerce channel. 

Product highlights in the accessories category in the twelve months ended April included:

  • fanny packs, up 22 percent in dollars (ASP up 6 percent);
  • handbags, up 25 percent in dollars (ASP down 7 percent);
  • duffle, ahead 16 percent in dollars (ASP up 18 percent);
  • totes, up 32 percent in dollars (ASP up 12 percent); and
  • backpacks, up 3 percent in dollars(ASP up 3 percent).

Outdoor Apparel Sales Gained 2 Percent.
The 2 percent outdoor apparel gain on a dollar basis in the twelve months ended April was led by the outdoor specialty brick & mortar channel, with growth of 5 percent, followed by the athletic specialty/sporting goods channel, up 2 percent. Sales through the outdoor specialty e-commerce channel slipped 1 percent.

Categories that stood out in outdoor apparel in the outdoor specialty brick & mortar channel included:

  • Outerwear tops: Sales grew 3 percent to $846 million (ASP down 4 percent);
  • Outerwear bottoms: Sales were down 6 percent to $285 million (ASP down 2 percent);
  • Sweatshirts: Sales were up 17 percent to $217 million (ASP was flat);
  • Woven shirts: Sales advanced 17 percent to $93 million (ASP grew 3 percent):
  • Shorts: Sales ran up 17 percent to $89 million (ASP down 2 percent);
  • Pants: Sales were up 14 percent to $146 million (ASP up 1 percent); and
  • Knit shirts: Sales were up 10 percent to $223 million (ASP up 1 percent).

Outdoor Footwear Sales Declined 5 Percent
The 5 percent decline in outdoor footwear in the twelve months ended April was due to a decline of 7 percent in the large athletic specialty/sporting goods channel. Sales grew 10 percent at the outdoor specialty brick & mortar channel and declined 8 percent at the outdoor specialty e-commerce channel.

In the outdoor specialty brick & mortar channel, sales highlights in the twelve months ended April included:

  • Running: Sales jumped 29 percent to $284 million (ASP up 4 percent);
  • Cold Weather: Sales up 1 percent to $73 million (ASP gained 2 percent);
  • Sports Slides: Sales surged 47 percent to $4 million (ASP up 13 percent);
  • Fashion Shoes: Sales were up 1 percent to $40 million (ASP down 7 percent);
  • Slippers: Sales were up 1.5 percent to $14 million (ASP down 12 percent); and
  • Insoles: Sales grew 10 percent to $42 million (ASP up 2 percent).

Other data during Circana’s presentation showcased the industry’s gains over the pandemic:

  • U.S. outdoor industry sales have reached $28 billion on a twelve-month basis, up 24.4 percent versus $22.5 billion in 2019;
  • Overall, running footwear sales in the outdoor specialty brick & mortar channel grew 117 percent over the last three years to reach $284 million. In the outdoor specialty brick & mortar channel, road running sales grew 31 percent year over year and have gained 143 percent over the last three years. In the outdoor specialty brick & mortar channel, trail running shoe sales were up 22 percent year over year and ahead 44 percent over the last three years.
  • In equipment categories, pandemic winners include camp chairs, up 100 percent over the last three years; climbing footwear, ahead 61.8 percent over the last three years; and campfire equipment, up 157.5 percent over the last three years.

Photo courtesy Mystery Ranch