By: SIA
April 8, 2013

Snow Sports Market Steady in February

Washington, DC (April 5, 2013) — SnowSports Industries America (SIA) and Leisure Trends Group have released SIA RetailTRAK™ numbers for August – February 2012/2013. Total market projections are based on data collected from the point of sale systems of more than 1,200 snow sports retailers. Through February this season, snow sports retail sales reached $3.1B, up 2 percent when compared with dollars sold from August to February last season.

Retailers struggled to make up for slow sales in December due to the late start of the season’s snowfall. Although sales in January and February are healthy compared with the past four seasons, it has not been sufficient to make up for relatively lackluster sales earlier in the season.

Source: SIA RetailTRAK™ Data Produced by Leisure Trends, includes carryover sales

Specialty shops have sold through $1.7B in snow sports equipment, apparel and accessories and continue to be the widest distribution channel in the snow sports market. Sales in specialty shops are 1 percent lower or $18M less compared to Aug – February sales last season. The second widest channel is the Internet; consumers have spent $737M online for snow sports gear this season, about $68M more than they did August–February last season. Chain store sales are about even with last season’s sales at $694M. More than half (55 percent) of the dollar sales in chain are for apparel, 36 percent are for accessories like hats and gloves, and just 8 percent were spent on equipment.

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By: SIA
March 6, 2013

Snow Brought Consumers Back to Snow Sports this January

SnowSports Industries America (SIA) and Leisure Trends Group have released SIA RetailTRAK™ numbers for August–January 2012/2013, with total market projections that are based on data collected from the Point of Sale systems of more than 1,200 snow sports retailers. Momentum continued in the snow sports market in January as the snow kept falling in critical regions and skiers and riders headed back to resorts and shops. Consumers spent $550M at snow sports retail shops in January alone, 7 percent more dollars than average in January. Since the beginning of this season, consumers have spent $2.6B on snow sports apparel accessories and equipment, about 1 percent more than they had spent by January 31 last season.

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By: SIA
January 11, 2013

December Snow Could Halt the Slide

Washington, DC (January 9, 2012) — SnowSports Industries America (SIA) and Leisure Trends Group have released SIA RetailTRAK™ numbers for November 2012, collected from the Point of Sale systems of more than 1,200 snow sports retailers. November 2012 was another difficult month for the snow sports marketplace with double digit declines in dollars sold compared to sales in November 2011, but there is hope on the horizon as snowfall in December could provide a needed boost in the market.

The snow sports market had an uphill battle to fight in the pre-season and it showed. Season-to-date sales in all stores fell 8 percent in units sold and 7 percent in dollars sold as inertia from last season, recovery from Hurricane Sandy and “fiscal cliff” concerns put multiple dents in the market. Conditions in the snow sports market from late November to the end of the winter season typically depend upon current snow conditions.However the August to November sales pace is predicated on variables like snowfall in the previous season and consumer confidence in general. This season, all of the variables were working against the early season snow sports market.

Early season sales were dominated by carryover sales, bringing in the slimmest margins. In fact, 16 percent of alpine skis and 17 percent of snowboards sold in specialty retail shops from August to November 2012 were sold as carryover. Carryover sales refer typically to gear that sat in retail inventories over the summer months but technically, in the Leisure Trends data, the term “carryover” represents gear that was sold at or below average retail cost. Specialty inventories were swollen at the end of last season so the increase in carryover sales is an expected purge of that inventory. Unfortunately, that leaves retailers with a cash trickle rather than a flow and sets a Spartan stage for the 2013/2014 ordering season that begins to gather significant steam in November. The December Snow Sports Market RetailTRAK™ data is scheduled for release on January 30th just before the opening of the 2013 SIA Snow Show in Denver, Colorado.

The market data presented in this report comes from the Snow Sports RetailTRAK™ produced for SIA by Leisure Trends Group. Leisure Trends Group gathers RetailTRAK™ data directly from the Point of Sale systems of more than 1,200 snow sports retailers. For more information about snow sports retail sales, market data and other SIA Research products including the Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report, the SIA State of the Industry Videos, Snow Sports Participation Study and other exclusive industry reports, please contact Kelly Davis, SIA’s Director of Research at KDavis@snowsports.org or visit snowsports.org/research.

SIA releases the topline results for snow sports retail seven times each season from November to May covering results of retail sales made between August 1 and March 31 each season. Topline/category retail sales data for the snow sports market is available as a member benefit to all SIA members. In addition, members gain free access to topline data for the Running, Outdoor and Paddle Sports when you register. The topline data is accessible on a 24/7/365 basis on Leisure Trends Cross-Industry RetailTRAK™ data portal. Non-SIA members may subscribe to the topline portal for just $375 per year.

SIA RetailTRAK™ Data 2012/2013 Season Release Schedule

1. New This Season - November 7, 2012 August – September
2. December 7, 2012 (est.) August – October
3. January 5, 2013 (est.) August – November
4. January 31, 2013 August – December
5. March 5, 2013 (est.) August – January
6. April 5, 2013 (est.) August – February
7. May 6, 2013 (est.) August – March

By: SIA
October 16, 2013

Washington, DC (October 16, 2012) – SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is pleased to announce the release of the 2012 Women’s Market Intelligence Report, which provides an in-depth look into women’s spending in the snow sports marketplace. Women’s spending habits are important to track as they buy for themselves and influence family member’s purchases as well. Last season was difficult for everyone and sales were noticeably affected for the entire industry. Women’s-specific sales were down 6% in units and 3% in dollars, bringing in over $973M.

SIA breaks all this down and more in the 5th annual edition of the Women’s Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report, giving companies an accurate snapshot of what/where/how women were buying in 2012.

Women can be a tough market to crack, but SIA Research has worked hard to pull together this data for companies to better understand the women’s market and adjust brand strategies accordingly. The easy to follow report, includes charts and numerical breakdowns, gives companies a competitive edge. Below are samples of findings in the 2012 Women’s Market Intelligence Report.

2012 Women’s Intelligence Report Highlights:

• Eighty-two percent of female snowboarders are under age 34
• Sixty-one percent of female cross country skiers have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher
• Women’s AT/Randonee boots saw a 16% increase last season
• Alpine ski equipment represents 71% of women’s snow sports equipment purchases
• Women can fully outfit themselves for skiing or riding for less than $2,000
• Snowshoeing brings in the most female participants, making up 43% of the category
• Women prefer to shop in specialty shops, where they spent $529M last season

The Women’s Market Intelligence is available at no cost to SIA members and $425 for non-members. The 2012 Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report, a wide-ranging report of activity in the snow sports marketplace during the 2011/2012 season, is also available. Make sure to look out for the 2012 Juniors Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report, coming soon.

SIA provides research that covers all aspects of the snow industry, including demographics, consumer opinions and behavioral patterns, weather patterns, snow sports participation, overall market analysis, and more. Learn more about SIA Research here. If you have any questions or need research assistance please contact Kelly Davis, SIA’s Director of Research at KDavis@snowsports.org or by phone at 703-506-4224.

By: SIA’s Market Research Associate,
Emily O’Hara
October 11, 2012

What skis and snowboards were most popular amongst women last season? What sport brings in the most female participants? Find answers to those questions and more in the 2012 SIA Snow Sports Women’s Market Intelligence Report out on Tuesday, October 16. The Women’s Report is designed to give you a full perspective on what is happening with the market that brought in $973M in sales last season, beyond what you can saw in the Full Market Intelligence Report, released September 2012.

Here’s a taste of what you will find:

• Women are catching onto the fat ski trend, women’s 95-100mm flat skis were up 16%.
• More women participate in snowshoe than any other snow sport.
• Women’s freestyle snowboards were popular this season, up 14%.

Keep an eye on your inbox this Tuesday for the link to download the report, which is free to members and $425 to non-members.

10/1/2012

Washington, DC (October 1, 2012) – SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is pleased to announce the release of the first annual 2012 Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report with Euro Currency Conversion. The report provides a detailed review of the 2011/2012 season, likely to be remembered as one of the most difficult on record for the snow sports industry. The Euro Currency Conversion allows for more convenient and comprehensive comparisons with the global snow sports marketplace and provides an easier to use version for suppliers who conduct business in the E.U. SIA converted all dollar amounts to Euros based on the exchange rate of €.8022 for every $1USD.

Celebrating its 35th annual update, the 2012 SIA Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report, with Euro Currency Conversion, provides valuable insight into retail sales, participation trends and demographics for snow sports participants as well as analysis of the season’s weather and an overview of the economic health of the snow sports industry. The 2012 SIA Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report is available at no cost to SIA Members and at €381 to non-members.

Sample Report Highlights:

• Reverse/mixed camber ski sales continued to grow in popularity this season; reverse/mixed camber flat skis were up 47%, while systems grew an impressive 333% in unit sales.
• Core skiers struggled with the poor conditions on the mountain this winter and it showed with a 10.2% drop in core skier participation.
• Snowboard equipment inventories are up 23% compared to 2010/2011, but 9% leaner compared to 2008/2009.
• 4.3 million Americans participated in cross country skiing during 2011/2012, down 5% from the 2010/2011 season.
• Apparel sales brought in €1B, accessories sales €1B, and equipment sales €679M.

2011/2012 Business Trends:

• Specialty shops kept prices and margins high through season’s end.
• Online retailers dropped prices and increased turns, finishing the season in the green.
• New consumer trends provide opportunities during difficult times.

Additionally, the report provides answers to questions such as:

• Where are consumers going for the lowest prices on apparel?
• What’s the average household income of an alpine skier?
• What were the bestselling models of snowboard boots last season?
• Where did snow sports inventories finish last season in comparison to this season?

The 2012 Report with Euro Conversion covers a variety of retail channels including snow sports specialty, chain and the Internet. The easy-to-follow analysis also features stand-alone chapters for alpine, snowboard, cross country, telemark, backcountry-randonee/AT, snowshoe, equipment/apparel accessories and apparel categories.

Full reports on the women’s and juniors-specific snow sports market will also be available in October. Stay tuned.

The 2012 Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report with Euro Currency Conversion is available at no cost for members. To receive a copy of the report or for more information about snow sports retail sales information and other SIA Research products including the Snow Sports Participation Study, Revisiting Growing the Snow Sports Industry, State of the Market, Model for Success, and more, contact Kelly Davis, SIA’s Director of Research, at KDavis@snowsports.org or by phone at 703-506-4224.

2012 SIA Snow Sports Participation Study
According to the most recent Physical Activity Council Participation study, more than 60 million Americans are inactive and snow sports participation is down 6 percent in the 2011/2012 season. SIA Snow Sports Participation data comes from the larger Physical Activity Council Participation Report. SIA is one of the founding members of the Physical Activity Council (PAC), made up of seven of the leading trade associations in sports, fitness and recreation and a driving force behind the collaborative effort.

Participation is highly related to snow conditions in the U.S. and that relationship was clear this season. Alpine skiing participation declined 11% in the 2011/2012 season and snowboarding participation declined 8% despite heavier participation among core snow sports participants. Total participation in snow sports is down about 6% to 20M with another 11M who consider themselves skiers or riders but did not ski or ride in the past two seasons, up from 10.5M last season. The full 2012 SIA Snow Sports Participation Report will roll out in later this month.

Snow Sports Participation Trends 2007/2008 – 2011/2012

Source: 2012 SIA Snow Sports Participation Study, data Produced by the Physical Activity Council

The size of this participation study allows SIA to report participation with higher accuracy and with full crossover data with all 119 different activities studied. In addition, the data includes full participation and demographics for casual and core snow sports participants including age, income, geographic location, education levels, gender, and full participation and demographics for casual and core participants. SIA members can use this information in product development, strategic marketing and distribution decisions.

The PAC collaborates to conduct the country’s largest and most comprehensive study on sports participation and recreational habits for all Americans ages six and older. The Physical Activity Council is made up of seven of the leading organizations that are responsible for encouraging participation in 119 different sports, fitness and recreational activities. The member organizations of PAC are the National Golf Foundation (NGF), SnowSports Industries America (SIA), The Outdoor Foundation (OF), Tennis Industry Association (TIA), United States Tennis Association (USTA), International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA).

By: Reddy Kennedy
SIA Rockies/Central US & Canada Sales & Marketing Manager
May 11, 2012

As we all know the winter of 2011-12 will go down as one of the least memorable in the last 20 years based on the SIA RetailTRAK Numbers and the NSAA Skier Day numbers just announced at their annual meeting. People bought less apparel and gear and purchased fewer lift tickets.

Here at our house we did buck the trend when it came to outfitting the family; two of us got new ski boots, everyone got new outfits (tops and bottoms) plus there were some goggles and gloves in the mix as well.

As for getting out on the hill, I got to more resorts in Colorado than I might usually have but had no out-of-state trips this winter. I had good days in Aspen, Breckenridge, Winter Park, Steamboat and Vail for work trips and additionally with the family to Keystone, Eldora and back to Winter Park plus Steamboat for Presidents Weekend. We missed the big dump by a day; they hadn’t had snow in over two weeks and then got over two feet the afternoon/night we left. Oh well guess that’s the way the winter went.

We got out on the hill about 7 days less than usual this season; when it’s in the 70’s on the Front Range of Colorado it’s really hard to get a 6 and 9 year old in the car to drive up I-70 when their friends want to ride bikes or go play at the park.

With all that said though when we got out on the slopes it was great. The members and shops I visited all had as good an attitude as you could; yes there is inventory on the racks and orders are off for next season. Shops were saying “well it will be a shorter mud season and summer will start that much sooner”.

The winter of 2011-12 is behind us, summers’ around the corner and before you know it, it will be snowing in the High Country.

By: Boardistan
April 10, 2012

The International Association of Skateboard Companies will host their 2012 Skateboarding Summit at the Doubletree Hotel in Orange, California May 10-11, 2012. And now, through April 16, you can get an “early-bird” registration discount.

The IASC Skateboarding Summit is a two-day event that gives the leaders in skateboarding a chance to come together in a non-competitive atmosphere to educate themselves on topics meant to broaden their perspectives, connect them with their peers, and to inspire and further their business. . . . This year’s summit will host three special events: The Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Icon Awards, as well as special screenings of the new Bones Brigade Documentary by Stacy Peralta and the new Danny Way documentary Waiting for Lightning by Jacob Rosenberg.

For more information follow the jump or click here to register. REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2012 IASC SKATEBOARDING SUMMIT AND SKATEBOARDING HALL OF FAME AND ICON AWARDS

Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., (APRIL 2012) – The International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC) is excited to offer early-bird registration discounts now through April 16 for the 2012 IASC Skateboarding Summit on May 10-11, which will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Orange, California. The IASC Skateboarding Summit is a two-day event that gives the leaders in skateboarding a chance to come together in a non-competitive atmosphere to educate themselves on topics meant to broaden their perspectives, connect them with their peers, and to inspire and further their business.

Speakers will include Mike Lewis, Editor-in-Chief of Transworld Business, giving the results of the State of Skate Industry Survey; David Ingemie, President of SnowSports Industries America (SIA), discussing the importance of industry research and what it can do for your business; Oliver Percovich, Executive Director of Skateistan talking with Tiffany Montgomery from Shop-Eat-Surf.com about creating hope through skateboarding in Afghanistan; and Chad Mihalick, Founder of Malayke.com on how to hire people smarter than you. Other session topics include the global economy, global branding challenges and solutions, e-commerce and communications strategy in the age of social media.

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