Overall sales for the entire winter sport market (including specialty and chain stores) were down 1.3% in dollars to $1.33 billion for the August through December period of 2004, compared to $1.35 billion reported last year, according to the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Retail Audit. Unit sales were down 8.2%. Sales at chain stores were up 3.2% compared to last season. In dollars, that translates to $298.4 million in sales compared to $289.0 million in 2003. Unit sales were down from last season 14.9%.

“Apparel and accessory sales were up in December despite a lack of snow in the Midwest, too much snow in the West and warm weather in the East,” 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 third report of six that look at sales through March 31, 2005, the end of the winter season.

INTEGRATED SKI SYSTEMS SHOW DOLLAR AND UNIT INCREASES

Overall equipment sales (alpine, snowboard, Nordic, Telemark and Randonee/AT) were down 1% in dollars as compared to last season with season-to-date sales totaling $88.2 million. Alpine equipment sales (including skis, systems, boots, bindings and poles) were down 4% over last season ending December 2004 with $39.3 million in sales.

Alpine skis, excluding integrated systems, fell 17% in dollars as integrated ski systems rose 13% in dollars over last season. This December, the average retail price for an integrated system was $372, down from $428 in December 2003, a 13% decline. Add alpine skis to integrated ski systems and total ski dollar sales fell 7% this season. In December 2003, alpine skis outsold integrated systems 3.9 units to 1. This December that ratio fell to 2.5 to 1.

Every alpine ski category was down in units with the exception of fat skis. Though still a small category, fat ski sales jumped 16% in dollars. Season-to-date average retail prices for carve skis moved from $215 last season to $277 this season. The result was a 24% jump in dollars. Leisure Trends Group has changed the carver max width definition to 69mm, reflecting the wider carver skis that are being produced.

In August-December of this season, alpine boots picked up 6% in dollars thanks to higher retail prices this season over last. High performance boots performed well with $4.9 million in sales, an increase of 17% over last season. Recreation boots ($163 average retail) grew 19% in dollars while sport performance boots, 26% of all boot units sold this season, declined 1% in dollars. Junior boot and soft boot sales also sank, down 24% and 4%, respectively.

All stand-alone binding sales fell 4% in dollars over last season, with season-to-date sales reaching $4.5 million. In dollars, the DIN 8-11 category decreased 10%, DIN 12-14 slid 27% and juniors inched up 1%.

Alpine pole sales were down 12% over last season, reaching $1.9 million in season-to-date sales. Adult pole (down 11%), junior pole (down 17%) and carryover pole (down 20%) sales all contributed to the category performance.

LACK OF SNOW AFFECTS NORDIC CATEGORIES

Nordic ski equipment sales (including skis, boots, bindings and poles) dropped in December, down 14% in dollars over last season, totaling $3.9 million in season-to-date sales. Nordic skis, at a $106 average retail price, (down 9%), boots (down 26%) and poles (down 2%) all experienced losses in dollar sales over last season.

Telemark ski equipment (including skis, boots and bindings) dollars also showed a decrease, down 21%, ending December 2004 with $751,000 in sales. Telemark ski, boot and binding sales fell 28%, 18% and 15%, respectively this season over last.

SNOWBOARD EQUIPMENT AND APPAREL SALES UP

Through December 2004, snowboard equipment sales were up 2% in dollars as compared to last season with total sales reaching $43.9 million. Snowboard sales fell 1% over last season as average retail prices jumped. This December, the average retail selling price for a snowboard was $212, up from $175 in December 2003. Units of snowboard boots and bindings also fell; however, dollar sales managed small increases, 5% and 3%, respectively. All mountain boards, at an average retail price of $187, grew 11% in dollars while freestyle boards, at an average retail price of $238, jumped 16% in dollars. Freeride boards, accounting for 27% of all board units sold this season, slipped 1% in dollars. Season-to-date average retail price increased from $230 to $262.

Retailers did not have a lot of boards left over to sell this fall as carryover snowboard sales declined 15% in dollars. Carryover boots and carryover bindings, however, managed to increase sales, up 2% and 9%, respectively.

Snowboard apparel did manage to make some small gains in chain stores, up 4% over last season to $22.1 million. Women drove snowboard top sales with 20% dollar increases compared to the men’s 6% dollar decrease. In December, women’s snowboard tops outsold men’s tops by more than 5,000 units. Snowboard bottoms were up 10% this season over last.

APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES SALES STRONG IN DECEMBER

Chain store apparel sales rose 5% in dollars, with season-to-date sales reaching $117.0 million. The average retail price for an apparel item rose from $71 to $84 comparing this August-December period to the same period in 2003.

Insulated parkas (up 3%), soft shell parkas (up 159%), fleece (up 30%), vests (up 77%) and soft shell waist pants (up 54%) all experienced dollar increases as compared to last season. Season-to-date, soft shell parkas accounted for 5% of all apparel top dollars sold. Compare this to only 2% of the sales last year at this time. Apparel suits, bibs and sweaters did not fare as well, with sales down 48%, 25% and 23%, respectively.

Apparel accessories performed well, with $60.5 million in sales thus far this season, a 12% increase over last season. As in specialty stores, winter boots were again hot in the chain stores this season. Winter boots (up 74%) and base layer (up 34%) drove category dollar growth. Except for auto racks (up 27% in dollars) and snowshoes (up 12% in dollars), most equipment accessory categories were down in the double digits. As a result, the equipment accessory category fell 6% behind last season’s dollars for the same period. Thanks in part to apparel accessories, the entire accessories category was up 5% in dollars with sales at $93.2 million through December 2004.