Outdoor industry shows ‘underlying resilience’, EOG says
Industry representative body the European Outdoor Group (EOG) has carried out market research of more than 100 sports and outdoor companies in Europe that show combined sales of 240 million products in 2021 with a wholesale value of more than €6 billion. These products spanned apparel, footwear and hardware categories in 19 European markets.
“The outdoor sector has bounced back strongly following the height of the covid pandemic,” EOG said.
Many of the businesses featured in the research reported high double-digit growth in 2021, with an average increase in value of 18.7% compared to 2020. There was also growth of 7.5% on average compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
Apparel and footwear were both up by 20% in value, both of which were badly affected in 2020. Apparel was up by 20% in value and by 18% in volume in the study, while footwear grew by 22% in value and by 16% in volume.
Tents and outdoor accessories continued to perform well, owing to sustained strong consumer demand for activities such as camping. These markets were affected less in 2020 as some countries allowed travelling within borders, and citizens embraced the ‘staycation’ trend.
EOG head of market insights, Pauline Shepherd, commented: “It is clear that the outdoor sector has excellent underlying resilience. In 2021, this allowed brands to benefit from the public’s increased appetite for getting out into nature, which was prompted by lockdowns around Europe. Our industry adapted very well to rapidly changing circumstances and overall, reaped the rewards as restrictions eased.”
Image: Lowe Alpine
