Iceaxe
08-10-2007, 11:46 AM
Outdoor retailers find wooing youth a challenge
By Tom Harvey
The Salt Lake Tribune
The president of the Outdoor Industry Association tells the story about a focus group conducted with youths to find out why they engage in outdoor activities less often than the baby boom generation.
"There was this one girl who sat there," said Frank Hugelmeyer, "and we said, 'Why don't you go up into the mountains.' And she said, 'Because I can't get cell phone service and talk to my friends.' "
For those attending that U.S. outdoor recreation industry meeting in Salt Lake City for its annual summer trade show, that girl represents an alarming trend. Those 25 and under are participating in outdoor recreation at a much lower rate than the post-World War II generation.
"This is a challenge," said Joe Butler Jr., of Bullcreek Outfitters. "I think it's actually more important than access issues that we as an industry take so much time trying to push."
Unlike the baby boomers who make up the core of the industry's customers, the Millennial Generation is shunning many outdoor pursuits. More than half of those under 25 do not participate in such activities at least once a week, according to industry research.
Another recent survey has found that U.S. anglers spent $40.6 billion last year on trips, equipment, licenses and other items, down 16 percent from 1996. The number of anglers declined 12 percent from five years earlier and 15 percent from 1996, which the industry says can be traced to the fact that its enthusiasts are aging and not being replaced by younger anglers.
Mark Damian Duda of the outdoor research group Responsive Management in Harrisonburg, Va., said the nation's demographic shift away from rural locations to urban ones is the biggest reason for the change, with a related decrease in easy access to fishing spots.
''Thirty years ago, people would get up and go fishing,'' he said.
''Now you get up and you have a soccer game at 9, a baseball game at 11, a team picnic at 1 - it's much more structured time. Video games also are part of it.''
Although many teens and younger kids do bike and skateboard, there's a precipitous fall in such activities once kids become young adults, according to Michelle Barnes, vice president of the Outdoor Industry Foundation, an organization created to increase participation in outdoor recreation.
As the girl in Hugelmeyer's anecdote illustrates, one of the challenges for the industry in reaching a potential younger audience is their use of technology.
"The big difference is the boomers got into the market . . . because they were trying to get away from it all," he said. "The millennials are not trying to get away from it all. They want to stay connected."
For the industry, that may mean trying to meld technology and recreational equipment. Bullcreek Outfitters' Butler points to smaller vendors at Outdoor Retailer show displaying cameras imbedded in helmets so someone out mountain biking, for example, can record their experiences and show them to friends.
Hugelmeyer said the industry needs to promote what he calls "gateway activities" close to where people live. Getting youngsters to walk or bike in parks, for example, can lead later in life to hiking and camping in national parks or wilderness areas, he said.
Another challenge, though, is more complex. Barnes points out that Latinos and blacks participate in outdoor activities at lower rates than whites.
"It may take a little bit more effort to engage them in those activities . . . but once you get them interested in outdoor recreation, they can be a huge consumer for you," she told a conference session.
By Tom Harvey
The Salt Lake Tribune
The president of the Outdoor Industry Association tells the story about a focus group conducted with youths to find out why they engage in outdoor activities less often than the baby boom generation.
"There was this one girl who sat there," said Frank Hugelmeyer, "and we said, 'Why don't you go up into the mountains.' And she said, 'Because I can't get cell phone service and talk to my friends.' "
For those attending that U.S. outdoor recreation industry meeting in Salt Lake City for its annual summer trade show, that girl represents an alarming trend. Those 25 and under are participating in outdoor recreation at a much lower rate than the post-World War II generation.
"This is a challenge," said Joe Butler Jr., of Bullcreek Outfitters. "I think it's actually more important than access issues that we as an industry take so much time trying to push."
Unlike the baby boomers who make up the core of the industry's customers, the Millennial Generation is shunning many outdoor pursuits. More than half of those under 25 do not participate in such activities at least once a week, according to industry research.
Another recent survey has found that U.S. anglers spent $40.6 billion last year on trips, equipment, licenses and other items, down 16 percent from 1996. The number of anglers declined 12 percent from five years earlier and 15 percent from 1996, which the industry says can be traced to the fact that its enthusiasts are aging and not being replaced by younger anglers.
Mark Damian Duda of the outdoor research group Responsive Management in Harrisonburg, Va., said the nation's demographic shift away from rural locations to urban ones is the biggest reason for the change, with a related decrease in easy access to fishing spots.
''Thirty years ago, people would get up and go fishing,'' he said.
''Now you get up and you have a soccer game at 9, a baseball game at 11, a team picnic at 1 - it's much more structured time. Video games also are part of it.''
Although many teens and younger kids do bike and skateboard, there's a precipitous fall in such activities once kids become young adults, according to Michelle Barnes, vice president of the Outdoor Industry Foundation, an organization created to increase participation in outdoor recreation.
As the girl in Hugelmeyer's anecdote illustrates, one of the challenges for the industry in reaching a potential younger audience is their use of technology.
"The big difference is the boomers got into the market . . . because they were trying to get away from it all," he said. "The millennials are not trying to get away from it all. They want to stay connected."
For the industry, that may mean trying to meld technology and recreational equipment. Bullcreek Outfitters' Butler points to smaller vendors at Outdoor Retailer show displaying cameras imbedded in helmets so someone out mountain biking, for example, can record their experiences and show them to friends.
Hugelmeyer said the industry needs to promote what he calls "gateway activities" close to where people live. Getting youngsters to walk or bike in parks, for example, can lead later in life to hiking and camping in national parks or wilderness areas, he said.
Another challenge, though, is more complex. Barnes points out that Latinos and blacks participate in outdoor activities at lower rates than whites.
"It may take a little bit more effort to engage them in those activities . . . but once you get them interested in outdoor recreation, they can be a huge consumer for you," she told a conference session.