Snow sports retail sales are off to a strong start this season and equipment is leading the charge, according to retail sales data released by SnowSports Industries America.
 
Overall, snow sports retail receipts are up 14 percent in dollars sold and 7 percent in units sold August – October (pre-season) 2011. Total snow sports pre-season sales increased from $565 million through October 2010 to $644 million through Oct 2011.

“We entered this season with inventories full of 2011/2012 gear after last season's epic conditions that kept participants on the slopes and in the shops well into spring. Consumers began this season with uninterrupted enthusiasm for the coming La Nina repeat and it is definitely showing up in equipment sales,” commented Kelly Davis, SIA's Director of Research.

Pre-season sales in the snow sports market traditionally serve as opportunities for consumers to get discounts on items left in inventories over the summer, but this year consumers were buying snow sports gear at full price at the Labor Day and Columbus Day sales. This phenomenon is most apparent in alpine equipment where buxom sales led the pre-season market. Apparel and accessories sales also gained over last season and strong prices seen at the end of the 2010/2011 season continued into the early 2011/2012 season.

Trends to watch in 2011/2012:


  • Reverse and mixed camber ski sales doubled compared to pre-season sales a year ago to 32,000 pairs.
  •  The fatter, the better – flat skis with waist widths 95mm-110mm are up 60 percent in units sold to more than 20,000 units in the first months of 2011/2012.
  • Rocker/Reverse camber snowboard sales continue to rise; now 70 percent of all boards sold are rocker.
  • Bargain hunters will notice that snowboard apparel average prices are down 4 percent from August – October 2010.
  • Helmets sales continue to grow, unit sales are up 12.5 percent so far this season.
  • Sales of beacons, probes and shovels, necessities for the backcountry experience, are up 19 percent in units sold.

Consumers are looking for snow sports gear in every sales channel and all three retail channels measured experienced growth in the early season. Online sales are up 12 percent in units sold and 19 percent in dollars, while chain store sales are up 10 percent in units and 10 percent dollars sold. However, specialty retail continues to dominate the snow sports market with 70 percent of all retail equipment sales and almost 50 percent of all retail sales overall.

Specialty shop sales reached $319 million, a new record for the August to October time frame; up 12 percent in dollars sold, driven by big gains in equipment sales. Equipment sales in specialty shops increased 12 percent in units sold and 19 percent in dollars sold. Chain stores sell about 25 percent of all snow sports apparel and accessories but just 6 percent of all equipment. It's very clear that core snow sports participants, particularly those that purchase equipment enjoy the distinctive expertise that snow sports specialty shops offer to savvy consumers.