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Covid Pandemic Drove Surge In Sales Of Camping Gear

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Published Date

May 24, 2021

There's been much written about the rush to get outdoors last year during the coronavirus pandemic, and one of the big winners of that rush were the companies that make and sell camping gear.

According to Pattern, a company in the ecommerce intelligence sector, the surge really kicked off last Memorial Day Weekend, with gear purchases jumping from a monthly 13 million in sales to more than 19.5 million in sales for all camping and outdoor equipment. That demand remained steady through the summer before tailing off in the fall and into the winter, the Utah-based company found.

However, the demand for outdoor gear has returned this year.

"Americans planning to get out and camp this Memorial Day weekend may find it difficult to find a spot alone. Consumer demand this spring for camping tents is up 97 percent compared to the same period in 2020 and up 85 percent compared to 2019, indicating consumers should be bracing for what might be the busiest camping season ever," said Dallin Hatch, Pattern's head of corporate communications.

According to Pattern's analysis, sales on Amazon.com for freeze-dried food jumped 147 percent in 2020 vs. 2019, while camping and hiking hydration flasks were up 101 percent.

"Items like signal whistles, emergency fire starters, shelters, and showers also point to the uncertainty and anxiety that came with last year’s pandemic. (Also notable, of course, is the 57 percent bump that hygiene and sanitation products received)," the company reported.

This year, demand is continuing high. Higher, in fact, than both last year and 2019, said Pattern.

"With vaccination rising and casecounts falling, we expect to see demand to continue to trend upward as the camping season kicks into full gear and Americans start hitting the road again after a socially distant year," the company noted.

Hatch said an email that "the data science team at Pattern tracked consumer demand (or the number of people shopping for a given item during a given period) for camping gear during every day of 2019, 2020, and 2021 (so far) to understand how Americans might be planning to spend their Memorial Day weekend."

Here’s what they found:

  • Monthly demand for camping gear, overall (like tents, lanterns, backpacks, and camp stoves) is up 25 percent this spring compared to the same period in 2020 and up 86 percent compared to 2019.
  • Demand for sleeping bags is up 73 percent this spring compared to the same period in 2020 and up 201 percent compared to 2019.
  • Demand for camping chairs is up 128 percent this spring compared to the same period in 2020 and up 123 percent compared to 2019.

You can find a more detailed breakdown of what the company learned here.

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Comments

Submitted by Alain Quinto on August 17, 2021 - 2:13pm.

"Items like signal whistles, emergency fire starters, shelters, and showers also point to the uncertainty and anxiety that came with last year's pandemic. (Also notable, of course, is the 57 percent bump that hygiene and sanitation products received)," the company reported.

Last year's pandemic?  I had no idea the pandemic was over.


Submitted by Nathan Pearl on October 9, 2021 - 3:39pm.

I expect the increase in sales of camping gear and shelf stable food is related to people who may be prepping for eviction from their homes, not for leisurely camping.


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