Retail sales for all core outdoor stores combined (chain, internet, specialty)* declined 4% compared to last September, moving from $350M to $336M, according to the most recent edition of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) Outdoor Topline Report. Select equipment, accessory, outerwear and footwear categories continued their positive momentum in September. Year-to-date sales (January September 2009) totaled $3.2B, down 5% from the same period a year ago.
Labor Day fell on September 7th this year. That later date pushed the entire Labor Day Weekend, and the associated retail sales, into the month of September. The traditional Labor Day Weekend sales boost was captured in September’s Point of Sale data, not August’s as it was in 2008. Combined, August and September sales totaled $661M, a 5% decline from the same two-month period a year ago. All three channels saw slight declines for the combined August/September period.
Outdoor Specialty
With that Labor Day Weekend bump, specialty stores’ dollar sales grew 3% compared to September 2008. Equipment, equipment accessories and footwear all had healthy gains. In dollars, sleeping bags increased 11%, tents 19%, and packs 13%. Equipment accessories performed well in September with mattresses, cookware, coolers, first aid kits, and camp furniture all having significant double-digit gains. In dollars, multisport shoes surged 60% and hiking boots gained 15%.
Outdoor Chain
Chain dollar sales were down 9% in September with declines in each of the four major product categories. There were bright spots, however. Several sportswear categories performed well with short-sleeved shirts, sleeveless shirts, dresses and skirts/skorts all outperforming September 2008. In footwear, winter boots, casual boots and multisport shoes turned substantial gains. Energy food continued to light up the registers.
Outdoor Internet
Total internet unit sales were down 12% in September but the 10% jump in average retail prices kept dollar declines to just 3%. Sleeping bags and climbing gear both grew in dollars this September. All equipment accessory dollars grew 8% on the strength of luggage, instruments, eyewear, mattresses, water purification, stoves and other miscellaneous camping accessories. The “cash for clunkers” program may have played a role in the 22% jump in sport rack dollars this month. Bright spots in apparel included insulated tops, shell bottoms, dresses and base layer. Hiking boots jumped a healthy 31% in units and 45% in dollars.
Paddlesports
Core paddlesport stores (specialty, chain, internet) brought in $26M in September and $302M year-to-date, up 2% for September but still down 8% for the YTD period. Positively, boat sales did perk up in September; no doubt assisted by the shifting Labor Day Holiday. In all channels, recreation kayak sales increased 12% in units and 15% in dollars compared to September 2008. Those gains, however, were not enough to erase the year-to-date 11% unit and 5% dollar declines for the category.
