Cold weather inspires outdoor sales growth
26/03/2013
Winter weather across much of the country and comparisons to the spring-like year ago helped fuel the double-digit increase.
Outdoor apparel and hardgoods had double-digit gains as the late and consistent arrival of snow across much of the US helped push sales higher. Sales of hardgoods rose 14.4% to $278.9 million for the month.
Though February is traditionally a clearance period for outdoor apparel, sales grew 19.6% to $307.7 million. Average selling prices were up more than 12% at retail, both on growth in individual categories and a shift in category penetration.
The outdoor footwear business had another tough month as sales fell 7.1% to $182.9 million. Trail running was up in double-digits, while sandals turned in a mid-single-digit performance. The big winner was the functional outdoor footwear category, up nearly 20% for the month. Even light hiking staged a comeback, posting the category’s first positive month in a year.
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