
US outdoor industry ponders growth amidst change
With US outdoor specialty store sales up by 5.2% to US$3.8bn, and sales of outdoor apparel up 7.9% to $3.2bn (according to NPD Leisure Trends), the outdoor industry had reason to celebrate at the recent Outdoor Retailer (OR) Summer Market, held earlier this month in Salt Lake City. But despite the strong sales figures, the industry is facing an array of challenges brought on by changing demographics, new sales channels, and unprecedented growth, as Debra Cobb reports.
