The 2011 major show season for the outdoor market officially kicked off with a bang last week as the two largest venues serving the two ends of the outdoor spectrum both posted stellar results despite overlapping dates and the accompanying hassles for retailers, brands, reps, vendors and suppliers.

 

The Las Vegas-to-Salt Lake City mid-week jet shuttle was essentially packed with the outdoor crowd as many put time in at the first two days of the SHOT Show, which covers the hunting and shooting sports markets, and then flew off to the 2011 edition of the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, which is the key show for the hiking, camping, backpacking, backcountry snow sports and running markets – and increasingly other areas of general active lifestyle products. Both markets had their challenges over the last two years-SHOT retailers and vendors dealt with the challenge of having to anniversary against very strong firearms sales in early 2009 following the elections that swept a Democratic administration into office.

 

OR, as it is known to most people, had challenges of its own over the last two years as specialty retailers took a hit from a reluctant consumer hurt by shrinking 401(k) portfolios and home equity. Both markets look to be on a rebound this year, with the two shows a clear reflection of the business represented by each.

 

While most in attendance did not see a complete return to the healthier pre-recession days, there is certainly enough evidence that the outdoor market has started to put the tougher times behind it. The U.S. consumer is still reluctant to dig deep into the mattress and spend the money squirreled away over the last two years, but there is some evidence that this consumer is starting to move beyond functioning primarily on a “need” basis (wet feet = buy boots) to more “want” type purchasing over the last year as consumers — at least those that are not in the near-20% under-employed column — started to feel a bit more secure. If all it takes to keep it going is politicians sitting together at the SOTU, it will be a good year.