New data from SIA on snowboard equipment and apparel sales through February confirm what retailers have been telling me – that sales of snowboards fared better than outerwear, relatively speaking, in what is shaping up to be one of the worst seasons on record.
According to SIA, snowboard equipment sales are down 10% in units and 6% in dollars compared to last season.
SIA Director of Research Kelly Davis pointed out that snowboard specialty dealers showed restraint in buying last season so are not stuck with as much excess snowboard equipment inventory as some other snow categories.
For example, alpine ski inventories are up 40% through February, but in snowboarding, inventories are up 17% in boards, 10% in boots, and 29% in bindings.
“Not fantastic, but not bad for such an anemic snow year,” Kelly wrote in an email. “Snowboard retailers cleaned their inventories over the past three seasons, did not jump on the La Nina bandwagon this season and it looks like snowboard will come out of this better than any other equipment category because of that effort.”
Snowboard equipment margins declined to 34.1% vs. 35.5% last season.
Outerwear woes
The snowboard apparel category was harder hit. Sales declined 12.9% in dollars at specialty stores, and apparel inventories are up 35% compared to last year.
According to the data, snowboard apparel sales are at their lowest level in four years.
By comparison, snowboard equipment sales are at their lowest level in three years.
Channels and regions
The internet was the only distribution channel that posted positive results, with sales in dollars rising for snowboards, bindings and boots.
The West was the only region that showed positive results in dollars, growing 1.2%. In units, sales fell 9.3% in the West.
The Northeast fared the worst, with sales falling 10.8% in dollars and 18% in units.
