Overall sales for the entire winter sport market (including specialty and chain stores) were flat, up 0.5% in dollars to $2.06 billion for the August 2004 through February 2005 period, compared to $2.05 billion reported for the same period last year, according to the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Retail Audit. Unit sales were down 9.4%. Sales at chain stores were up 3.4% compared to last season. In dollars, that translates to $465.5 million in sales compared to $450.3 million for the same period last season. Unit sales were down from last season 17.7%. “Customer traffic at chain stores remained healthy for the month of February and finished on an impressively strong note. Late-month equipment and apparel sales managed to give the snowboard category a much needed boost,” said Christine Martinez, market research manager for SIA, the not-for-profit industry trade group that represents manufacturers and distributors of snow sports products. The SIA Retail Audit tracks and reports sales in all snow sports product categories. This is the fifth report of six that look at sales through March 31, 2005, the end of the winter season.


INTEGRATED SKI SYSTEM SALES REACH $12.1 MILLION
Overall equipment sales (alpine, snowboard, Nordic, Telemark and Randonee/AT) were up 1% in dollars as compared to last season with season-to-date sales totaling $136.8 million. Alpine equipment sales (including skis, systems, boots, bindings and poles) were flat as compared to last season ending February 2005 with $64.7 million in sales.

Alpine skis, excluding integrated systems, fell 16% in dollars as integrated ski systems rose 23% in dollars over last season. This February, the average retail price for an integrated system was $336, down from $399 in February 2004. Add alpine skis to integrated ski systems and total ski dollar sales fell 3% this season.

Though still a small category, fat ski sales jumped 6% in dollars. Season-to-date average retail prices for carve skis moved from $224 last season to $294 this season. The result was a 39% jump in dollars. Leisure Trends Group has changed the carver max width definition to 69mm, reflecting the wider carver skis that are being produced.

From August – February of this season, alpine boots picked up 11% in dollars thanks to higher retail prices this season over last. High performance boots performed well with $7.8 million in sales, an increase of 11% over last season. Recreation boots ($168 average retail) grew 39% in dollars while sport performance boots, 27% of all boot units sold this season, were up 5% in dollars. Junior boot sales sank 23%.

All stand-alone binding sales fell 13% in dollars over last season, with season-to-date sales reaching $7.0 million. In dollars, the DIN 8-11 category decreased 6%, DIN 12-14 slid 30% and juniors fell 1%.

Alpine pole sales were down 11% over last season, reaching $3.3 million in season-to-date sales. Adult pole (down 11%) and junior pole (down 24%) sales contributed to the category performance.


NORDIC AND TELEMARK CATEGORIES UNDER-PERFORMING AT CHAIN STORES
Nordic ski equipment sales (including skis, boots, bindings and poles) dropped in February, down 18% in dollars over last season, totaling $5.8 million in season-to-date sales. Nordic skis, at a $110 average retail price, (down 15%), boots (down 30%) and poles (down 4%) all experienced losses in dollar sales over last season.

Telemark ski equipment (including skis, boots and bindings) dollars also showed a decrease, down 24%, ending February 2005 with $1.2 million in sales. Telemark ski, boot and binding sales fell 29%, 25% and 17%, respectively this season over last.


SNOWBOARD EQUIPMENT AND APPAREL SEE DOLLAR GAINS
Through February 2005, snowboard equipment sales were up 4% in dollars as compared to last season with total sales reaching $64.4 million. Snowboard sales gained 2% over last season as average retail prices jumped. This February, the average retail selling price for a snowboard was $187, up from $163 in February 2004. Units of snowboard boots and bindings also fell; however, dollar sales managed small increases, 8% and 5%, respectively. All mountain boards, at an average retail price of $188, grew 10% in dollars while freestyle boards, at an average retail price of $239, jumped 5% in dollars. Freeride boards, accounting for 28% of all board units sold this season, managed a 4% gain in dollars. Season-to-date average retail price increased from $232 to $265.

Retailers did not have a lot of boards left over to sell this season as carryover snowboard sales declined 4% in dollars. Carryover boots and carryover bindings, however, managed to increase sales, up 13% and 15%, respectively.

Snowboard apparel did manage to make some small gains in chain stores, up 8% over last season to $36.8 million. Women drove snowboard top sales with 23% dollar increases compared to the men’s 8% dollar decrease. In February, women’s snowboard tops outsold men’s tops by 3,000 units. Snowboard bottoms were up 15% this season over last.


CONSUMERS EMBRACE SOFT SHELL APPAREL
Chain store apparel sales rose 5% in dollars, with season-to-date sales reaching $182.3 million. The average retail price for an apparel item rose from $70 to $82 comparing this August – February period to the same period last season.

Insulated parkas (up 3%), soft shell parkas (up 125%), fleece (up 29%), vests (up 78%) and soft shell waist pants (up 44%) all experienced dollar increases as compared to last season. Season-to-date, soft shell parkas accounted for 3% of all apparel top dollars sold. Apparel suits, bibs and sweaters did not fare as well, with sales down 46%, 24% and 19%, respectively.

Apparel accessories performed well, with $95.7 million in sales thus far this season, a 7% increase over last season. As in specialty stores, winter boots were again hot in the chain stores this season. Winter boots (up 98%) and base layer (up 24%) drove category dollar growth. Except for auto racks (up 21% in dollars) and snowshoes (up 6% in dollars), most equipment accessory categories were down in the double digits. As a result, the equipment accessory category fell 4% behind last season’s dollars for the same period. Thanks in part to apparel accessories, the entire accessories category was up 3% in dollars with sales at $146.4 million through February 2005.