outdoor sales trend up
By most people’s standards I fall in the middle of America, I’m a four year college graduate in a professional career with a wife and three young children. After 36 years on earth, I’d say I’m inching towards middle age. So I wrongly assumed my own personal response to an increase in gas, groceries and just about everything used daily, would equate to a reduction in money spent on hobbies and non-essentials. It just made sense to me. When the economy takes a downward dip, costs increase and income doesn’t climb, we all make decisions. Like it or not the priority in terms of spending money, the donations and memberships to clubs are obvious targets to reduce spending while earnings fail to match the increased cost of living. I hear from others in similar family situations and while they continue to give to charitable organizations and remain a part of Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and other conservation groups, they have consciously put on hold plans to replace decoys, buy new fishing setups and other non-essential upgrades.
Boulder, Colorado, July 16th, 2008 - Consumers geared up to get out in May, snapping up products such as tents, sleeping bags, packs, climbing gear, water bottles, camp accessories, shell jackets, hiking boots, trail running shoes, multisport shoes and sportswear, all of which made significant gains over May 2007 and contributed to the fifth straight month of overall sales growth in 2008 for core outdoor retail channels.*
full post at outdoornewsguy.com
