NSGA: Consumer Purchases of Outdoor Products Remain Strong

MOUNT PROSPECT, IL – Despite a current decline in participation in hunting, camping and fishing, 10-year trends indicate strength in all three areas. According to an analysis of data in the just-released “Sporting Goods Market in 2008,” published annually for nearly 30 years by the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA), the “outdoor sportsman” product segments remain a vital part of the overall sporting goods market.

Consumer purchases of shooting sports equipment grew the most in the 10-year period 1997-2007, 55.2% to more than $3.9 billion last year. Fishing accounted for an 18.8% increase to $2.2 billion in 2007, and camping equipment sales grew 26.2% to $1.5 billion last year.

Combined, these categories grew 37.0% in those 10 years to $7.7 billion. They grew faster than the overall sports equipment category, which reached $25.3 billion in 2007, a 32.8% increase versus 1997.

Even more significantly, hunting, fishing and camping equipment purchases accounted for 30.4% of all equipment purchases in 2007, up from 29.4% of the $19.0 billion in 1997.

“This data indicates that outdoorsmen and sportsmen are very much committed to their leisure activities,” said NSGA Vice President of Information & Research Thomas B. Doyle. “Increased sales of products in activities that are experiencing declines in participation indicate that the participant base for those activities is strong and viable.”

“The Sporting Goods Market in 2008” is a copyrighted NSGA consumer study that projects 2007 purchases of sporting goods products based on a survey of 100,000 U.S. households. National Family Opinion, Inc. (NFO) maintains the consumer panel used in the survey, which is balanced to parallel actual American household distribution as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Census, so that the data can be projected nationally.

The report comes in both printed and electronic formats.

“The Sporting Goods Market in 2008” is available for $290 for retailer/dealer members of the Association and free to manufacturer and sustaining members. For non-members, the cost is $340. For additional information, contact Thomas B. Doyle, NSGA, 1601 Feehanville Drive, Suite 300, Mount Prospect, IL 60056-6035. Phone: (847) 296-6742, E-mail: info@nsga.org, or fax: (847) 391-9827.

About NSGA:
NSGA, which has served the sporting goods industry since 1929, organizes and hosts the annual NSGA Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit, the sporting goods industry’s premier educational and networking event (Next: May 3-6, 2009, at the Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, Texas).

For more information on NSGA member services, visit the Association home page (www.nsga.org); call Rhonda Onuszko at NSGA, (847) 296-6742, Ext. 131; e-mail: ronuszko@nsga.org; or fax (847) 391-9827.