Retail sales for all core outdoor stores combined (chain, internet, specialty) rose 15% during October versus the year-ago month, according to the most recent edition of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) Outdoor Topline Report. Year-to-date sales (January – October 2009) totaled $3.6B, down 3% from the same period a year ago.


 


October 2009 was the third coldest in 115 years and the wettest on record, according to the NOAA National Climatic Data Center.  The cold, wet weather spurred sales in the outdoor channel, as all outdoor sales increased 15% over October 2008.  Chain and specialty stores were each up 12% for the month, while Internet sales were up 27%.  Increases were driven by all four product categories (equipment, equipment accessories, apparel, footwear), with biggest gains coming from apparel and footwear, specifically outerwear, base layer and boots.


 


Outdoor Specialty


 


Specialty stores' dollar sales grew 12% compared to October 2008.  The cold-weather effect was particularly apparent in specialty stores, as growth in the channel came from winter-appropriate categories such as outerwear, base layer, apparel accessories, winter boots and winter equipment. Typically nearly 63% of a typical year's outerwear sales occur in specialty stores in Q4. October, the first month of Q4 2009, saw all outerwear dollar sales surge 16% in units and 23% in dollars for a total of $60M, a very positive sign for the remainder of the calendar year.  Base layer dollar sales grew 8%, winter boots jumped 60% and cold-weather apparel accessories such as hats, gloves, socks and leg gaiters each posted double-digit sales gains for the period.


 


Outdoor Chain


 


Chain dollar sales were also up 12% in October, with a total of $140M for the month.  Cold weather appropriate products also sold well in chains this month.  Outerwear, base layer, apparel accessories and winter boots each posted double-digit gains over last October.  Shoppers may have returned to the chains for cold weather gear, but they left with more than just warm clothes.  Packs, hiking boots, trail running shoes, multisport shoes, sportswear and multiple equipment accessory categories all saw healthy sales increases this month as well.


 


Outdoor Internet


 


Total internet unit sales increased 6% over last October, but average retail-selling price jumped 20%, buoying dollar sales up an extremely healthy 27% over October 2008.  Unlike brick and mortar stores, Internet sales gains came from nearly every category, including equipment which, with $17M in total sales for the month, comfortably outsold equipment in chain and specialty stores.  Most major product categories enjoyed double-digit dollar gains this month.  Increases were fueled by nearly across the board double-digit jumps in retail-selling price. That double-digit bump in selling-prices, paired with the fact that carryover (old/discontinued or sold below cost) product sales dipped 10% in October, suggests that consumers were more willing to purchase new, full-priced items this month, another positive sign moving into the holiday selling season.




Paddlesports


 


Colder than average weather may have been a much-needed shot in the arm for outdoor products, but it did not do paddlesports any favors.  Core paddlesport stores (specialty, chain, internet) brought in $13M in October and $315M year-to-date, down 1% for October and down 7% for the YTD period. Positively, specialty stores, with 83% of all paddlesport dollars sold in October, saw plenty of healthy categories for the month.  Recreation kayaks gained 36% in dollars, whitewater kayaks jumped 42%, PFDs 19% and helmets 30%.