According to the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) Outdoor Topline Report, October retail sales rose 8% in dollars compared to October 2007. All four major product categories – equipment, equipment accessories, apparel and footwear – grew in October.
The largest increases came from apparel and equipment. Performance was not nearly as consistent across the channel however, with specialty stores continuing to lose market share. Sales rose 9% in the chain channel and 33% online, but fell 3% at specialty stores and 5% at paddlesports stores.
In specialty stores, equipment, equipment accessories and footwear each lost ground compared to last October. However, apparel sales, which generated 64% of all specialty dollar sales in October, rose 7% in dollars. Outerwear, water bottles and winter boots showed the largest gains in specialty stores.
Core chain stores grew 9% in total unit and dollar sales this October, with dollar growth coming from all four major categories. As in specialty stores, apparel was by far the biggest seller. Apparel accounted for 48% of October sales in core chains, while equipment accounted for 10%, equipment accessories accounted for 26% and footwear 18%.
Outdoor Internet stores grew 31% in units and 33% in dollars from last October, moving from 19% of all core outdoor retail dollars in October 2007 to 23%. Online retailers enjoyed across-the-board growth as all four major product categories and most sub-categories saw healthy unit and dollar growth for the period.
While early predictors indicate a decline in specific outdoor channels starting in November 2008, outdoor industry sales have remained fairly robust since the nation officially entered a recession in December 2007; posting a healthy 9.6% increase overall and outpacing traditional retail markets.
