The summer season has felt shortened in the Western U.S. as ski resorts stayed open late, while heavy spring rains in the East delayed people getting out and about.
That means slightly fewer customers have been shopping for typical outdoor summer pursuits such as hiking and mountain biking. Demand for hardgoods such as boats and bikes remains soft post-pandemic, as customers are either well stocked in those areas or are spending their money traveling.
But outdoor specialty retailers are still reporting solid sales as the industry continues to benefit from the COVID-19 pandemic participation boom.
To get a pulse on the outdoor summer sales season, The Daily checked in with specialty outdoor retailers Round House Ski and Sports, River Sports Outfitters, Trail Creek Outfitters, Great Outdoor Provision Company, and Seed People’s Market.
Short Summer at Round House Ski and Sports in Bozeman, Montana
Similar to much of the industry, Round House is seeing softer sell-through compared to peak COVID-19 pandemic sales, but overall sales are still up compared to 2019, said Marrina Merkel, manager at Round House.
“We’re not seeing the same crazy demand that we saw during the pandemic,” Merkel said.
While rafting sales are flat at Round House, apparel and bikes sales are down.
“No surprise there,” Merkel said. “The demand for bikes has definitely changed.”
The ski and snowboard side of the outdoor industry thoroughly enjoyed the long winter across the American West – the resorts in Bozeman stayed open until the end of April, several weeks past their typical closing date.
With a rainy June keeping people from getting outside much, and a dusting of snow in the mountains earlier this week, that makes the summer feel shortened, Merkel said.
Round House Sports Center in Bozeman, Montana. Photo courtesy of Round House.
As for products that worked and those that didn’t, Merkel was disappointed that despite the rainy spring the store didn’t sell through nearly as much rain gear as she expected.
The other category that was softer than expected was sun shirts with ultraviolet protection factor (UPF).
“We haven’t seen the movement there,” she said. “It seems like the consumer isn’t excited about it, unless they’re coming in here specifically looking for that because they’re going on a fishing trip or going to be on the water all day.”
The sales forecast for the rest of the year looks good, according to Merkel. The store’s passion is more on the snow side of the outdoor industry, and they’re anticipating a strong winter season based on the improvement to the supply chain and their ability to receive the products they’ve ordered.
Two brands Merkel has added to their mix that she’s excited about are Stio and Jack Wolfskin. Since both are new to the store, Round House will offer small collections of each and see how they perform.
“I think the consumer is ready for a little bit of a change up,” Merkel said. “COVID also brought in so many new people to the outdoor world. Those consumers are excited to see what there is to offer. We’re expanding our product offering to those new people, keeping our store fresh.”
Mixed Bag at River Sports Outfitters in Knoxville, Tennessee
At River Sports Outfitters, summer sales have been mixed, with higher-end boats doing well and recreational boats sluggish, said Ed McAlister, president of the company. Sales of large packs have declined with fewer people doing multiple-day trips.
“Lots of folks bought during COVID but now have moved on to something else,” he added. “Foot traffic seems to be an issue for many of us as people are not shopping for a variety of reasons.”
McAlister said the fluctuations in weather haven’t helped, and that “the rest of the summer will continue to be sluggish for lots of categories.”
Photo courtesy of River Sports Outfitters.
Sales Up on Travel at Trail Creek Outfitters in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
Summer sales have been generally good at Trail Creek Outfitters, said founder Ed Camelli.
“We had our best April and May ever,” he added. “June was down about 10% from last year and July was ahead of 2022.”
That’s largely due to people returning to travel, according to Camelli.
“Travel is back in a big way, and we are capitalizing on that trend with luggage, packs, and accessories,” Camelli said. “Clothing for travel is up as well.”
Photo courtesy of Trail Creek Outfitters.
Footwear sales have rebounded after struggling early in the summer. Trail Creek customers want lighter and faster footwear, meaning heavy hiking boots have been slow to sell.
The cool, dry weather in May was hard on summer clothing such as shorts, tank tops, and flipflops, but those categories have rebounded since it warmed up, Camelli said.
“I’m cautiously optimistic about the rest of the year because I think people will still be traveling,” he added. “The local economy is strong and recession fears and big price increases are moderating. As always, weather will play a big part in fall and winter sales. Last year, we had a very mild winter with no snow. I am hoping that changes. There will be some pent-up demand for warm clothing and boots.”
Better Than Expected at Great Outdoor Provision Company in Raleigh, North Carolina
This season’s sales are down in single-digit percentages against 2022, said Chuck Millsaps, president at Great Outdoor Provision Company. That’s better than he anticipated.
“Travel continues to soar,” he said. “The technical sandal category is soft, but boating is still punching above its weight.”
Millsaps said none of the categories he’s carrying have been disappointing, but he’s carefully managing his inventory and vendors.
Looking ahead, he’s expecting a soft third quarter but hopes the fourth quarter will be stronger.
Courtesy of Great Outdoor Provision Company.
Steady Sales at Seed People’s Market in Costa Mesa, California
Year-to-date sales have been strong for Shaheen Sadeghi, owner of outdoor lifestyle store Seed People’s Market.
The beginning of the summer saw a slowdown in sales, possibly from lingering, overcast days.
Similar to others in this report, Sadeghi said people are traveling more and the store is seeing a boost in travel-related sales.
“In the travel realm, we’re seeing more customers asking to be fitted for an excursion, like traveling abroad, than for a backpacking trip,” he added.
Patagonia at Seed People’s Market in Costa Mesa, Calif. Photo by The Daily.
The store is successfully selling travel-friendly apparel like Patagonia’s duffel bags, Eagle Creek’s packing cubes, and accessories such as hats, sunglasses, and Smartwool’s socks.
For those staying local, outdoor equipment that crosses over into lifestyle such as Snow Peak’s folding chairs, lanterns, and kitchenware are all doing well.
The trend of outdoor apparel brands improving their women’s apparel lines has led to a 50% increase in sales over last year for Seed People’s Market.
“Customers are continuing to recognize us as a destination for finding good and cool gear for women,” Sadeghi said. “Brands are catching on to the fact that women want more than just the men’s version of things in pink and teal.”
The store has seen sales increase across the board in women’s outdoor from brands such as Patagonia, Picture Organic Clothing, Arc’teryx, Fjällräven, Danner and Hikerkind.
The items that aren’t working well are at higher price points, such as sleeping bags and tents.
Sadeghi expects the rest of the year to remain strong.
“We feel confident that we will continue to strategize and bring in a profitable year, but the road will be bumpy and not consistent,” he said.
Bart Schaneman can be reached at bart@ordaily.outdoorretailer.com.
