May 2010 Retail Sales - Outdoor, Paddle, Run, Athletic Apparel, & Dive

Boulder, CO (July 6, 2010) - RetailTRAK™

RETAIL MARKET -  MAY OVERVIEW

Outdoor stores continued positive momentum into May, gaining 12% in overall dollars across all three channels (chain, internet, specialty). Highest sales and steepest growth came from chains this month, with essentially across-the-board double-digit growth over May 2009 and healthy gains over May 2008 as well. Meanwhile, online sales gained high-single-digits in most product categories. Specialty stores saw unit sales slip, but retail prices increase in most product categories and ended the period with flat sales overall.

Outdoor Overview: (NOTE: REGIONAL TOPLINE DATA IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR OUTDOOR SPECIALTY!)

Specialty dollar sales were up 2% in the Midwest and 1% in the Northeast, with healthy increases coming from apparel and footwear in both regions. While the South and West both saw overall sales declines compared to last May, there were plenty of product categories with positive momentum in both regions this month. In the South, camping gear such as tents, packs, camp accessories, softshell jackets and multisport shoes all outpaced May 2009. Woman-specific sportswear categories such as dresses, skirts, sports bras casual shoes also performed well for Southern retailers this May. While lifestyle and camping items sold well in the South this month, technical items sold well out West. Products that outperformed May 2009 in the West included sleeping bags, day packs, medium packs, climbing gear, softshell jackets, fleece jackets, multisport shoes, hiking boots, trekking poles and various camp accessory categories. The West accounted for 32% of all May dollars sold in outdoor specialty.

Paddlesports Overview:

Total paddlesport sales were up 1% in dollars compare to last May. However, growth came from accessories and apparel, as both boats and paddles were down for the month. Also, while chain stores saw nearly across-the-board double-digit dollar growth off of a small base, both specialty brick and mortar stores and online sales were down compared to last May.

So far this year, all paddlesport sales were up 7% in dollars compared to the same period in 2009. Boats, paddles, accessories and apparel all contributed to the sales growth. At the end of May, approximately 55,000 kayaks sold through paddle specialty retail and approximately 103,000 remained in inventory; retailer sell-through stood at 58%, up from 56% at the end of last May.

While still a small category, stand-up paddleboards have created quite a stir in the paddle industry this year. So far in 2010, about 1,000 SUPs sold through specialty paddlesport stores, at an average retail selling price (ARSP) of $1,298. As a comparison, about 40,000 recreation kayaks have sold (ARSP $887), 5,000 white water kayaks (ASRP $892) and about 5,000 canoes (ARSP $1,191).

Running Overview:

Total running industry retail dollar sales were up 7% from May 2009, on an 8% jump in retail selling price and flat unit sales.

Running shoes, the heart of the running specialty business, continued positive growth; compared to last May, sales of all running shoes (road, race and trail) were up 5% in units and 7% in dollars. Sales growth came from stability and neutral/cushion road shoes, road racing shoes and trail runners this month. The multisport category continued to see triple-digit growth, thanks to Vibram Five-Fingers and their increasing popularity.

Running sportswear saw some positive movement this month, with spring-ready categories such as shorts, skirts, capris, short sleeve shirts and bra tops leading the way. Women’s products accounted for 67% of all sportswear dollars sold in May.

Runners purchased products designed to improve their performance and their experience in May; as electronics, nutrition and hydration all saw double-digit growth over last May.

Dive Overview:

Retailers eked out a 1% increase in dive merchandise units sold this month. However, average retail selling price dropped 9% for the period, dragging total dollars sold down 8% compared to last May. The drop in selling price was heavily influenced by a shift in product mix, suggesting that while dive consumers may be purchasing again, they are doing so selectively.

Products that sold well in May included entry level, or snorkeling categories such as fins, masks, snorkels and snorkel sets while big-ticket items such as BC’s, regulators and dive computers continued to lose ground. Photo equipment got a boost from accessories and add-on sales, in spite of a decline in actual dive cameras.

On the services side of the store, retailers saw a directional increase in items rented, and although the amount of service and repairs decreased compared to last May, they were, on average, more expensive services then last year at this time and still well above the amount of services in May 2008. Meanwhile, the number of trips booked through dive shops increased this month, but the average price dropped significantly, suggesting that consumers were booking more trips than last May, but they were booking less-expensive, closer and/or shorter trips.

*Dive Service numbers are directional only, as services are not always tracked via the same POS system as merchandise.

Athletic Apparel Overview:

Athletic apparel dollar sales were up 13% over last May, with increases coming from all product categories. Key categories in May included short sleeved shirts, women’s sport and bra tops, capris and shorts.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Topline Access is Available To You! Register Now!

The widest view anywhere of retail sales data is now FREE in 2010 to anyone who signs up for access. Click here to register for free 2010 access. This data is available from Leisure Trends Group and thanks to the generous sponsorship of SnowSports Industries America. Topline access will give you all industry/category/class/sub class/channel access to the following industries:

• Outdoor
• Run
• Snowsports (Ski, Nordic, Telemark, Snowshoe & Snowboard)
• Athletic Apparel
• Scuba Dive
• Paddle (Canoe and Kayak)

All data includes three years of continuous history, and vital measures such as units and dollars sold, average retail selling price, inventory units and dollars, sell-through and retailer margin.

Reports are delivered via the TRAKView™ - a new, dynamic reporting platform including dashboards, interactive reports and online data-mining capabilities, including our RetailTRAK™ point-of-sale key metrics • Size of retail dollars and units • Growth in unit and dollar sales at retail • Average retail selling price • Key price points • Gender splits by category • Gaining categories and losing categories • Margins • Inventory and sell-through

About Leisure Trends Group - LTG is the leading provider of consumer research, retail market intelligence (retail sales tracking) and integrated CRM/Direct Marketing services for the sports, recreation, hospitality, travel and entertainment industries. Suppliers, retailers, associations, resorts and financial analysts rely on Leisure Trends Group for actionable consumer insights, accurate retail sales data that includes margins and inventory, and innovative targeted marketing solutions. Leisure Trends Group is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. For more information, contact Julia Day, 303-786-7900 x107 / jday@leisuretrends.com or visit www.leisuretrends.com.

Share This Link