It’s been a tough time for outdoor gear stores in the region.
A record surge of new outdoor participants helped grow gear sales for a few years, but 2023 proved to be rough.
A report from the Outdoor Industry Association earlier this month found that sales of outdoor gear, apparel and accessories was down 3%. Sales at independent stores fell 10%.
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Colorado Sun reporter David Krause joined KUNC's Michael Lyle, Jr. to discuss the decline and which retailers have been impacted.
Krause said one reason could be that people are prioritizing their financial and basic home necessities in light of the current economic situation.
"As people really look to tighten their budget, when you talk about essential things, is outdoor gear really one of them when you're comparing it to rent, groceries or medical bills?" Krause said. "But there's a lot of people who go out and they really want to buy the gear because, as you know, outdoor gear can really last a while."
Mountain Outfitters was among of the top retailers that saw a decline in sales for 2023. The Breckenridge-based independent store closed its doors for good last fall after 40 years because of financial challenges it faced after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Krause said they were not alone as several other independent retailers found themselves struggling financially as well.
"A lot of those places saw a lot more than a 10% decline, especially in mountain towns," said Krause. "They said housing is an issue because that's pushed out a lot of some of their longtime loyal customers who are kind of getting forced out of the market and can't afford to live up there."
Krause said the outdoor industry is working to improve their sales by getting more diverse, young and different consumers to join the business or simply just experience the outdoor life.
