Major Retailers Focus on Different Niches of the Outdoor Market
From the CT Courant:
The crowded field raises one big question: Are there enough "outdoorsy" shoppers in tiny Connecticut to support so many retailers? Industry experts say yes.
Last year, sales at specialty outdoor stores, not including hunting- and fishing-related sales, rose 8 percent to $4.5 billion over the previous year's figures. And though Connecticut is geographically small, in 2006 it ranked 14th in per capita sales at outdoor stores in the U.S., according to the Outdoor Industry Association in Boulder, Colo.
Finding a niche is the key to survival, retail experts say. And outdoor retailers know it, so they're quick to differentiate their products from the competition's.
Shoppers won't find rifle scopes, ammunition or Mossy Oak camouflage at an REI store. The environmentally sensitive retailer's products target "self-propelled" enthusiasts: kayakers, mountain climbers, hikers, snowboarders, skiers and bicyclists.
"We're a toy store for grownups," said Castle, who bicycles to work because he doesn't own a car.
Cabela's, on the other hand, appeals to the "hook and bullet" crowd, said Sam Moulton, senior editor of Outside magazine. "Hunting and fishing is really their forte," Moulton said.
Comments