Outdoor Industry Associations’s 2025 Outdoor Retail Sales Trends Report reveals shifting consumer behavior and sales patterns
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOULDER, CO (April 15, 2025) — Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) today released its 2025 Outdoor Retail Sales Trends Report, showing a modest 1% rebound in outdoor retail sales in 2024, totaling $28 billion. The report reveals that casual consumers, not core outdoorists, are driving the majority of growth, signaling a continued shift in purchasing behavior and product demand.
While participation in outdoor activities continues to grow, data from the new report indicates a market in transition. Apparel sales stayed flat, equipment sales dipped slightly, and the strongest gains were seen in accessories and footwear, particularly in lifestyle-oriented products. Casual outdoor consumers are prioritizing versatile gear, higher-value footwear, and sustainable accessories, like tote bags, over technical equipment. In 2024, large retailers in the athletic specialty and sporting goods (ASSG) channel maintained steady growth, independent specialty retailers saw slight declines but showed positive momentum late in the year, and the retail e-commerce channel continued a multi-year decline.
“The center of gravity in the outdoor industry has shifted. Growth isn’t being driven by core users anymore. It’s the casual outdoorists: the weekend hikers, the car campers, the folks who wear trail runners to the office and a puffy to the coffee shop who are showing up in the numbers,” said OIA president Kent Ebersole. “Casual consumers are driving growth in new ways, and that presents big opportunities. But we also need to keep investing in our core community. The long-term health of our industry depends on both. At OIA, we’re helping our members make sense of these shifts with data and intelligence, so they can navigate market trends, focus their strategy, and stay ahead.”
Key findings from the report include:
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Outdoor market retail sales totaled $28 billion in 2024, up 1% compared to total sales in 2023.
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Footwear and accessories saw the strongest gains in 2024, while equipment declined, and apparel stayed flat.
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Casual product categories are driving more sales than technical gear, reflecting a broader shift in consumer behavior.
OIA provides trusted research and market intelligence, including consumer insights, participation trends, retail sales data, and industry benchmarking, to help outdoor brands and retailers make data-driven decisions and stay ahead of change. This report features exclusive data from OIA’s partnership with Circana (formerly NPD), offering a detailed look at retail sales trends across chain, e-commerce, and specialty channels in key outdoor categories like apparel, footwear, equipment, and accessories.
An executive summary of the Outdoor Retail Sales Trends Report is available free to download here. Gain access to the full 2024 Outdoor Retail Sales Trends Report, along with all member benefits and resources, when you join OIA. OIA also invites the industry to join its free live webinar this Thursday at 1:00 PM MT to hear report findings and what the data means for outdoor retail and brand strategy in 2025.
