Total retail sales in the Outdoor Industry increased 1.2% during the month of February to $481 million from $475 million during the same month last year, according to OIAs recently released Monthly Topline Retail Sales Report. The 10 page Executive Summary reviews sales trends in Outdoor Industry, segmenting the market by specialty shops, outdoor chain stores, which includes sporting goods chains and national specialty chains, and Outdoor Internet. The report found that Internet sales are continuing at a double-digit growth rate. Apparel sales have started the year aggressively. After a slow start equipment sales and sales overall have recovered at specialty stores.
Sales at Outdoor Specialty stores increased 4% in dollars in February over the year-ago month, which helped sales increase 7% for the running year. Equipment sales fell 5% in the month in units, but a $4 increase in average retail price aided a 17% increase in dollar sales for the month and a 5% increase for the 12-month period.
Equipment seeing significant increases included briefcases/messenger bags (50%) and mid-sized packs (17%).
Outerwear tops, 90% of all outwear dollars sold, increased 13% in units and 11% in dollars year-over-year. In dollars, insulated tops grew 17%, softshell tops 22%, fleece tops 14%, and shell tops 2%.
For the past 12 months, total footwear sales increased 16% in units and 10% in dollars. The sandals category lead the way with sales up 38% in dollars, followed by casual shoes up 21%, multisports up 15%, and trail runners up 8%. Hiking boots, however, fell 8%.
In Outdoor Chain stores, total sales fell 3% in dollars February, but increased 8% over the 12-month period.
Equipment sales for the 12 months remained even in units and declined 1% in dollars. Comparing February this year to last, equipment dollars decreased 13%. Tents, up 14% in dollars, were the fastest growing equipment category in the last 12 months. Recreation tents, 67% of all tents sold, jumped 30% in dollars. While all sleeping bags were down 32% in dollars for the 12 months, synthetic fill mummy bags ($82) and down mummy bags ($167) increased 13% and 2%, respectively.
Comparing the past 12 months to the previous rolling year, total pack sales declined 8% in both units and dollars. Positively, mid-sized pack dollars increased 31%, travel packs 3% and briefcase/messenger bags 16%.
For the 12-month period, apparel dollars grew a healthy 16%. Comparing February 06 to 05, total apparel sales increased 5% in both units and dollars. Outerwear, 32% of all rolling years apparel dollars sold, increased 26% in units and 22% in dollars. In dollars, tops jumped 20% and bottoms 36%. For the 12 months, insulated and softshell top dollars surged 36% and 77% respectively. Growing more modestly, fleece tops picked up 13% in dollars while shell tops gained 4%.
Comparing the past 12 months to the previous rolling year, sportswear dollars moved up 17%. Sales increased to $26 million, a 12% increase from February 2005 to this year. Sportswear tops, 56% of all rolling year sportswear dollars sold, increased 33% in units and 28% in dollars. Bottoms increased 6% in both units and dollars.
Base layers remained strong (up 23% in dollars), but apparel accessories were even with the previous 12 months.
Total footwear sales slipped 1% in units and 5% in dollars when comparing this February to last, but over the past 12 months sales were up a solid 14% in units and 15% in dollars. In the past year, dollar sales for hiking boots increased 12%, winter boots 47%, trail runners 24%, and multisports 18%.
The Internet segment has seen the largest growth of any of the three with sales increasing 9% in units and 21% in dollars for February over the same month last year. For the year ending February 2006, sales in the channel totaled $647 million. The average selling price was also higher for Internet retailers than in the other channels in the 12-month period at $44, compared to $31 in specialty stores and $24 in chains. The 12-month average retail selling prices for tents, sleeping bags, packs, and equipment accessories are more expensive online than in specialty stores.
By category, sales of apparely accounted for 43% of the business in the segment, with equipment accounting for 23%, equipment accessories 22%, and footwear 12%.
Interestingly, equipment buyers are turning to the Internet as the 23% share of sales posted in the category online is nearly double the 12% share in specialty stores and the 13% share in chains.
Total paddle ports sales in all three channels increased 3% to $388 million over the previous 12-month period. For the same time frame specialty sales were down 14% in units and 2% in dollars, but chain stores were up 2% in units and 5% in dollars. Sales for February 2006 were $10.4 million-just 3% of 12-month sales.
Specialty stores accounted for 75% of all paddlesports dollar sales, chains accounted for 19% and Internet 6%. Boats represented 53% of total dollars for the 12-month period. Among boats, recreation kayaks accounted for 56% of sales in the year, wiht touring kayaks at 24%, canoes at 13%, and whitewater at 7%. Totals exclude carryover.
Over the past rolling year 318,000 boats were sold, 473,000 PFDs, and 451,000 paddles. Accessories represented 24% of dollar sales, apparel 12%, and paddles 11% in the past 12 months.
