STATE OF THE INDUSTRM REPORT - Outdoor Industry Association

“the focus is changing from the activity to the
customer and their lifestyle.” — rob mitchell of SmartWool
Many new consumers don’t subscribe to the same vision that has long been the
Industry’s postcard image: snowcapped peaks, alpine streams and the honest
sweat that comes from hauling your home on your back. “The focus is changing
from the activities to consumers and their lifestyles,” says Rob Mitchell, Vice
President of Marketing and Product at SmartWool. Today’s evolving definition
of recreation sits closer to home and closer to family and friends. It is about
the active lifestyle; whether that means yoga, rock climbing, jogging through
the neighborhood or canoeing at the local lake. Many new consumers are
less “core” than before, compounding the Industry’s challenge to be relevant.
But these people represent opportunity. “It’s very harmonious,” Mitchell says.
“New relationships add dimension and help build dialog and conversations with
people who aren’t familiar with the Industry.”
It’s the common themes that our Industry represents that may bring disparate people
together: taking control of one’s health or fitness level, conserving and supporting
local greenways and parks and engaging in meaningful social interactions. Though
not necessarily healthier, Americans are more health-aware than ever before, and
they find value in the active outdoor lifestyle. To encourage participation and Industry
growth, we must rally as an industry around key areas: availability of land/waterways
upon which to recreate, strong outdoor ethos in the next generations and integration
of a variety of activities into the active outdoor lifestyle.
“people appreciate the outdoor look. outdoor apparel
and accessory companies are hot commodities
on the open market because investors think
outdoor style is going to grow.” – mark martin of marmot
// www.outdoorindustry.org
what will the outdoor industry
look like in 2010?
Industry professionals see a variety of activities
from yoga to surfing becoming a part of an outdoor
recreationalists lifestyle. Participants are beginning
to morph activities together—kayaking and sport
fishing, for example, or backpacking into a wilderness
destination and practicing yoga. People who lift weights
in the gym are getting their cardio on local trails.
Source Outdoor Industry Association online survey of 210 industry
professionals from member companies conducted December 2005.