Washington, DC – If you’re on the hunt for a good deal on ski or snowboard equipment or apparel, this spring may be the time to take the plunge and head for the cash register. The trade group SnowSports Industries America (SIA) and market analysis firm The Leisure Trends Group on Friday released the most recent sales numbers for January 2012, collected from the point of sale systems of more than 1,200 snow sports retailers that brought little relief to a market suffering from lack of snow. Overall, the snow sports market is down 12% in units sold and 4.5% in dollars sold.
Chain store sales are taking a significant hit this season particularly because they reduced the amount of equipment they offer to consumers; overall, chain store sales are down 17% in units sold and down 11% in dollars sold.
Specialty shop sales are down 16% in units sold and 7% in dollars sold, but they brought in 59% of the $2.7 billion in total snow sports sales through January this season. By contrast, the online sales channel is doing quite well, increasing unit sales by 10% and dollar sales by 12% through January. In fact, alpine ski equipment sales online are up 24% in units and 22% in dollars sold.
Total sales through all snow sports retail channels August through January total $2,657,342,955, down 12% in units, down 4.5% in dollars sold. Separated by segment, equipment sales are down 9% in units and 5% in dollars sold, apparel is down 2% in unit sales and flat in dollars, while accessories are down 16% in units and 9% in dollars sold.
Specialty shop inventories are up significantly, including 35% equipment units in retail stock which doesn’t bode well for orders or for hopes of strong pricing at the end of this season and the beginning of the 2012-13 season. Sell through is, of course, down significantly as well.
On the trend front, flat skis (skis sold without bindings) with waist width greater than 80mm are up 22% in units sold and 19% in dollars sold to $36 million through January this season. Adult twin tip flat skis and ski systems sales are up 25% in units sold and up 34% in dollars sold to almost $50 million on 102,400 units sold August through January. Reverse camber skis are flying out of retail despite a lack of fresh pow; sales are up 75% in units to 106,346 compared to 60,674 through January last season.
Nordic equipment sales are suffering acutely from lack of snowfall; sales are down 30% in units and 26% in dollars sold. Sales in February and March should pick up as snow falls across the Rockies, Midwest and Northeast regions.
Reverse camber/rocker snowboard sales continue to rise. Unit sales of rocker boards are up 9.5% in units and 7% in dollars sold. In fact, 73% of all snowboards sold through January have reverse camber. Alpine tops sales are healthy this season, particularly women’s insulated parkas up 13% in units and 11% in dollars sold, and men’s shell parkas up 13% in units sold and 10% in dollars sold.
Accessories sales are showing the weather pattern, particularly for items normally purchased when preparing for an imminent trip to the slopes, including goggles and wax. Goggles sales are down 24% in units sold and 16% in dollars sold and wax sales are down 26% in units sold and 18% in dollars sold.
Regionally, snow sports specialty shop sales are tracking with the weather with the West holding steady and the Northeast suffering the most. Overall, sales in the Western U.S. are down 2% to $529M while sales in the Northeast are down 12% to $530 million.