Consumers still want to get outdoors as temperatures plunge

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Over the summer, people looking to get out of the house snapped up boats, bicycles and patio furniture, figuring they were safer socializing and being active outdoors than inside. Now that temperatures are dropping, they’re buying snowshoes, skis, boots and winter coats, boosting the beleaguered retail sector.

“People want to get outside in the fresh air,” said Jay Rock from Arlberg Ski and Surf Shop in Portland. “I feel like people are not too concerned about spending money."

When shoppers aren't looking for ways to stay active many are looking to stay comfortable, meaning sales of items like slippers and warm pajamas have also skyrocketed.

Hot sellers tend to fall into several categories — products promoting a healthy lifestyle, working and learning from home, and entertaining from home, said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at the NPD Group.

“The cozy comfort business continues to thrive because we’ve now worn slippers every day” since the pandemic hit, he added.

For outdoor gear, cross-country skiing equipment was up 202% and snowshoes were up 221% from August to October, the latest data available, and are still going strong, according to the Snowsports Industries America.

In the comfort segment, slippers are up 70% and the sleep category is ahead of last year, when nearly $8.5 billion worth of pajamas were sold, NPD Group said.

In fact, sleepwear is just about the only area of the clothing sector that’s seeing growth this year, Cohen said. An NPD survey on stay-at-home behaviors indicated about half of Americans reported wearing activewear and loungewear and pajamas all day as more people work from home.

The trend is a continuation of what began in the spring and summer.

People are canceling travel and staying home...