Outdoor Sports Equipment Sales on the Rise During Pandemic

While the world waits to see the full impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on the global economy, some outdoor and adventure shops and stores that were forced to close their doors during the quarantine period and beyond have reopened to find their gear is now in high-demand.

Families Looking for an Escape

Part of the reason for this boom in popularity is due to the impact of the quarantine period that forced UK citizens to stay home for an extended period of time. While stuck at home, many families were keen to explore new ways to keep their minds and bodies active and stimulated. Now that the quarantine has been lifted, the great outdoors offers some of the best ways to escape the confines of home without the risk of exposure in a highly-populated area like a shopping mall.

What Outdoor Activities Have Seen the Biggest Impact?

According to a report by IBISWorld, activities such as cycling have seen a huge surge in popularity with the Department of Transport stating that cycling during the week has seen an increase of 100%, with weekend cycling increasing by 200% compared to pre-pandemic levels. When speaking with the BBC, Brompton bike company Chief Executive Will Butler-Adams attributed the increase in cycling to people’s desire to reclaim their independence following the lifting of the strict quarantine measures that were put into effect at the start of the pandemic.

In addition to bicycles, indoor and outdoor exercise equipment has also seen a surge in popularity as people adapt from being regular gym-goers to exercising at home.

Other outdoor sports that are typically solitary or only involve small groups of people have also seen a boost in popularity, and across the UK, sales in items such as paddleboards, camping gear, and kayaks have soared. Items such as the perception outlaw 11.5, a simplistic and hassle-free fishing kayak, have become more popular than ever as more and more people embrace the outdoors in a bid to escape the confines of their homes where they had been forced to wait out lengthy quarantine periods and restricted travel. Aside from the perception outlaw, websites such as PaddlingSpace help us during our decision making when we are looking to purchase a canoe or kayak, which are great options if you are considering to escape for a weekend outdoors.

Expect Shortages in the Months to Come

For a lot of outlets that sell outdoor equipment, post-quarantine sales have enabled them to pull through what has been a death sentence to many other industries. The result of this surge in sales is shortages of some of the most popular gear as supply chains struggle to keep up. While this is good news for outlets looking to make back some of the money they lost during periods when they were forced to close, it does mean there is a backlog of orders for some high-demand equipment.

So, if you were hoping to pop into your newest outdoor adventure store to pick up the latest camping, kayaking or fishing equipment, you, like many others, may be disappointed to learn that you may have to wait in order to satisfy your need to be in the great outdoors agai