Repeat winners and new entrants won this year’s Outdoor Sports Retail Performance Awards, which consumer behavior and data analysis company Circana announced on Monday at Outdoor Retailer & ODI in Salt Lake City.
Snowsports brand K2 Â and Stanley Outdoor were both repeat winners from last year’s awards, while new brands unseated previous winners in the other five categories.
The top brands were selected based on sales data collected across both retail stores and e-commerce sales, Circana’s Executive Director Business Development, Sports Julia Day said.
Here are the fastest growing brands in the outdoor channel between April 2023 and March 2024 and details about which models and products are resonating the most.
Accessories: Cotopaxi
Salt Lake City-based Cotopaxi and its bright, offbeat colorways won the accessories category this year because of the brand’s massively popular backpacks, Day said. WIth their sleek, contemporary design in both black and eye-catching colors, the brand’s ALLPA travel packs – specifically the 42L, 28L, and 35L models – were the company’s top-selling items.
Last year’s winner: Thule
Apparel: Arc’teryx
The ubiquity of the Arc’teryx jacket is undeniable, and the Beta LT for both women and men was by far the British Columbia-based brand’s most popular model in 2023 and 2024. That’s because it combines functionality with a sleek design that isn’t boxy, Day said, and the brand balances fashion and utility.
Previous winner: Picture Organic
Camping: Mountain Summit Gear
Mountain Summit Gear by Washington state’s Caddis Sports won the camping category, largely due to its ultra-portable heavy duty roll-top table that creates a functional outdoor kitchen. Consumers also love the brand’s loveseat, a family-friendly novelty that can be used to snuggle up at a campsite or anywhere else outdoors, Day said.
Previous winner: Rumpl
Equipment Accessories: Stanley Outdoor
After winning the category last year as well, the frenzy created by Stanley cups is well-documented. But the sales data for the brand’s colorful, functional, and enormous Quencher and Iceflow cups is jaw-dropping. Sales of the 40-oz Quencher increased by 572% from April 2023 to March 2024, and sales of the Iceflow flipstraw tumbler rose by more than 247% over the same time period. Sales of the 30-oz Quencher increased by more than 1200% over the course of the year.
Previous winner: Stanley
Footwear: Asics
Overall sales of road running footwear increased by 16%, Day said, and Asics won the competitive category with two sought-after designs: the Gel Nimbus 25 and the Gel Kayano 30. Like many top-selling items, the brand mastered the art of balancing fashion with function in many colorways.
Previous winner: On
Snow Sports Equipment: K2
While the snow equipment category overall is down by double digits for the 2023/2024 season compared to the year-ago season, K2‘s sales were up by double digits in dollars sold across all equipment, Day said. Their top eight equipment items for the year were all boots, with the men’s BFC 90 boot, the Recon 100 MV ski boot, and the Recon 110 Boa boot topping the list.
Previous winner: K2
Water Sports: Current Design
The water sports category is still challenged after seeing massive demand through the pandemic, with overall sales declining by 30% through the year. But consumers want kayaks by Minnesota-based Current Designs, particularly the Vision 140 and 120 models, the Kestrel 120, and the Prana, Day said.
Previous winner: Liquidlogic
