Outdoor Industry Association, in conjunction with Sports Marketing Surveys, is conducting a survey of retailers to help provide valuable information for the industry. This is a three-part survey on general information, outdoor retailing, and operational cost. The report will give outdoor specialty retailers a useful view of best practices and average operating costs and margins among industry businesses.

All survey responses are highly confidential. Only the aggregate results from a large sample will be transparent. OIA is looking for the largest sample that they can capture. The survey needs at least 40 to be statistically valid, but OIA would like to capture many more in order to further segment the data into type of store, size of store, etc.

The end goal of the survey is to improve the operations of specialty retailers and hence the success of the outdoor industry. Knowing industry best practices can help operational management. If you’re a retailer, OIA is asking for contributions to this valuable resource by taking part in the survey. Participants will be presented with a summary of the results and entered into two drawings for two nights at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2006.