BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Sales of outdoor products picked up steam last month as outdoor footwear, apparel and hardgoods sales increased 6.8 percent to $1.18 billion in the five-week fiscal month of June, according to a report released by the Outdoor Industry Association.
The growth trend for June accelerated the trend in the earlier part of the year, which saw low-single-digit growth, according to the SportScanInfo for OIA VantagePoint report. Fiscal year-to-date sales through June were $4.37 billion, up 2.7 percent compared with the comparable period last year.
“The surge in outdoor product sales runs counter to the broader shift some analysts saw in preliminary estimates of June retail sales released by the U.S. Census Bureau,” said James Hartford, CEO and chief market Analyst at The SportsOneSource Group, which manages the OIA VantagePoint program. “Historically, the outdoor industry sees less negative impact from the influences that hinder growth in the discount and general merchandise markets such as stagnant wages and higher fuel and food prices.”
For the second time, Outdoor Apparel average selling prices grew the most in the Specialty Internet channel in June, increasing by more than 33 percent. Outdoor Apparel selling prices were up nearly 10 percent in the Independent Outdoor Specialty channel.
The Internet garnered 15.6 percent of outdoor product sales in June, up from 14.1 percent in May 2013, but down from the 19.4 percent share in the four-month year-to-date period through May. Internet represented 9.1 percent of Outdoor Footwear sales in Fiscal June versus 8.7 percent a year ago, and 24.4 percent of Outdoor Apparel sales compared with 21.4 percent in June 2013.
Final results for the month are published monthly in the OIA VantagePoint trend report, available free for Outdoor Industry Association members.
More information: outdoorindustry.org.
