In preparation for the membership-wide introduction of OIA VantagePoint at Outdoor Retailer next week, the Outdoor Industry Association has released a sample of a monthly report that demonstrates the extent to which the new point-of-sale (POS) data tool can be useful to members. The aptly-named “Outdoor Industry Monthly Trend Report” focuses on POS data collected for the month of May and showcases the type of information and focus that will be part of every monthly report going forward. May and June trend reports will be available online by the beginning of next week and the July report, representing data through July 31, will be added by mid-August at the latest.


OIA VantagePoint Monthly Trend Reports will become a staple for member companies, as each report synthesizes the timely weekly data into a narrative of where sales trends are headed.


Each report details sales trends, identifying shifts in consumer spending by product category and channel. For example, the May report shows sales of outdoor products rose 7.5 percent to $823.7 million in May and were up 5.7 percent for the first retail quarter. Sales growth of the outdoor specialty channel – both independent and chain – continued to outpace that of the larger discount/mass channel and even the Internet/catalog channel. The report also sheds new light on the size and growth at two other channels – athletic/urban/mall retailers and family/independent footwear – never before tracked for the industry. POS data from these two channels show growth of outdoor footwear sales is outpacing growth of the overall outdoor market thanks in part to widening distribution by outdoor footwear brands and a general shift in consumer tastes toward brown shoes with active outdoor silhouettes that should favor outdoor brands and retailers.


Excerpts from the May report, which is typical of the information and narrative that OIA members can expect from OIA VantagePoint going forward, show that:



  • Overall sales of outdoor product during May rose 9.8 percent to $143.7 million in the Independent Outdoor Specialty channel; 14.2 percent to $94.8 million in the Independent Outdoor Specialty channel and 6.9 percent to $238.4 million in the Sporting Goods Retailers channel.

  • Sales of outdoor footwear product rose 11.8 percent to $182.7 million during May, with double-digit growth in six of the nine channels monitored. Sales rose 15.9 percent to $30.9 million in the Independent Outdoor Specialty channel, 21.5 percent to $21.9 million in the Outdoor Chain Specialty channel, and 12.7 percent to $41.6 million in the Sporting Goods Retailers channel. Internet/catalog sales rose 44.9 percent to $6.1 million.

  • These channels were dwarfed, however, by the family/independent footwear channel where sales of outdoor product rose 18.4 percent to $51.9 million. That growth accounted for 42 percent of the dollar growth of outdoor footwear for the month, or $8.1 million in sales. While the growth reflects how retailers in the channel are shifting their designs in response to a growing consumer preference for more brown footwear with active outdoor silhouettes, it also reflects widening distribution by outdoor footwear brands. Overall, the OIA VantagePoint Monthly Trend Report for May indicates that the fashion trend should benefit outdoor brands.

  • Closed-toe outdoor footwear outperformed sandals during the month, with hybrid/water shoes experiencing the strongest growth rate, driven by big sales of Keen and Vibram FiveFingers.

  • Outdoor apparel product sales declined in every channel except Independent Outdoor Specialty and Outdoor Chain Specialty, where they rose 2.5 percent to $35.9 million and 29.5 percent to $26.9 million respectively. Sales declines in the other six channels contributed to an overall decline in outdoor apparel sales of 1.7 percent.

  • Sales of hardgoods rose 9.2 percent to $487.9 million, driven in part by double-digit growth in the larger channels. Sales rose 11.2 percent to $76.9 million in the Independent Outdoor Specialty channel and 10.6 percent to $133.1 million in the sporting goods retailers channel. Internet sales rose 4.9 percent to $42.7 million, while sales in the Discount/Mass stores rose 9.7 percent to $187.8 million.

  • While there was a decline in sales of high ticket family camping equipment and larger tents, sales of kayaks rose thanks to a shift toward higher-end and higher price-point merchandise. Sales of entry level sit-on-top kayaks and general purpose canoes fell considerably during the month, while sales of higher priced kayaks rose in the double digits.

Each Monthly Trend Report looks at geographic region breakdowns as well. “Cool, wet spring weather drove outerwear sales in the Western states,” reads the report. “At the same time, the larger population centers in the East were experiencing some of the warmest spring temperatures on record, driving stronger sales in Spring/Summer sportswear and activewear.


The May report also includes a forward look at expectations to come and industry snapshots, including estimates of market share by brands, on the sandal, raingear and tents, shelters and related accessories categories. The full report will be available beginning next week or can be picked up at the OIA booth (#56000) during Outdoor Retailer.


OIA VantagePoint being is being introduced membership-wide at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City next week. The tool was designed for OIA members by the Outdoor Industry Association and SportScanInfo, a unit of The SportsOneSource Group that tracks weekly POS data from more than 10,000 retail doors and websites, including more than 350 outdoor specialty doors. To learn the definitions of all channels included in the tracking data and to learn how to use the tool, OIA members are encouraged to attend either of two seminars at OR. A series of webinars will also begin later in the year.