Overall, snow sports sales from August to November were about even with the same period last season, despite a significant drop in equipment sales, according to a retail audit released last week by Snowsports Industries America. Still, many retailers are selling through their inventories earlier in the season because of low preseason orders.


 

Snowboard equipment sales declined 7% in units and 8% in dollars and alpine ski equipment sales declined 5% in units but increased 1% in dollars, SIA reported. Specialty shop sales were down 8% in units and 6% in dollars. Internet sales, however, grew 19% in units and 21% in dollars. In fact, online equipment sales accounted for 20% of all equipment sales through November.

 

Despite flat overall sales, overall, inventories were 5% lower in units and 3% lower in dollars compared to the same time last season.  Inventory declines in units included alpine ski equipment, down 8%; snowboard equipment, down 4%; alpine apparel, down 3%; snowboard apparel, down 8% and apparel accessories down 6%. Inventory levels increased in just two categories of snow sports products compared to last season; Randonee/AT equipment inventory units were up 15% and cross country ski equipment inventory units were 5% higher. These two categories tend to be dominated by outdoor rather than ski and snowboard shops.

 

If sales picked up in December, as appears to be the case, low inventories at retail could limit consumers' choices in the mid- and late season, SIA speculated. Rocker snowboards, mega fat skis, shell and insulated parkas and helmets may become hard to find this month and continue to be scarce for the remainder of the season.

 

Dealers contacted in early December by The B.O.S.S. Report said they entered the season very clean after discounting aggressively late last winter. Furthermore, some equipment vendors imported less than dealers ordered and beefed up enforcement of MAP policies in a bid to avoid a repeat of last season’s rampant discounting. This kept early season discounting to a minimum this year in northern New England despite one of the latest first snowfalls in recent memory, one dealer reported.

 

Traditionally, snow sports sales in the month of November account for just 14% of the season’s sales. Sales from August to November represent about 30% of total season sales and indications for December, which typically accounts for 30% of the season’s sales, are very positive. That puts the industry on track to beat last season’s total sales of $2.8 billion.