The snow sports market is big business, and according to numbers from last week’s Snowsports Industries America trade show, which took place in Denver, more than $1 billion (with a B) worth of equipment apparel alone, and reached $2.1 billion season-to-date.
So while the evening news may be complaining about the falling snow, and cities on the East Coast continue to dig out, this has been a boom time for those who partake in winter sports. This is also the first time that in history that snow sport sales have topped a billion dollars for sales in a single month. Sales this season are also 16 percent higher than last year, suggesting that despite a still sluggish economy winter sports are taking on the winter blues.
Here are some highlights of early season trends:
- Alpine ski systems sales are up 30% in units sold and 35% in dollars sold.
- AT/Randonee equipment sales are up more than 90% overall led by boot sales that increased 150% to $5.9 million in sales.
- Reverse/Mixed camber ski sales are up an astounding 168% in units and 165% in dollars and represent 10% of all alpine skis sold so far this season.
- Reverse camber snowboard sales are up 54% in units and 58% in dollars sold. Reverse camber is the new norm in snowboard, 61% of all snowboards sold are rocker/reverse camber so far this season.
- Snowboard sales are up 5% in units and 14% in dollars sold, a solid turnaround from last season’s relatively dismal sales.
- Snowboard apparel tops up 16% in dollars sold.
- Insulated parka sales surged 22% in units sold and 23% in dollars sold through December as La Niña conditions pounded most of the U.S. with cold temperatures and snowfall.
- Goggles sales surge up 32% in units sold to 360,000 pairs.
- Consumers are buying current season equipment and carryover sales are down 24% overall in the snow sports market