What the Casual Market indicates about the state of the outdoor industry

With the July edition of the Casual Market concluded, it’s a great time to take the industry’s temperature and consider what’s coming over the next few months. 

Many exhibitors I spoke with at the market had an excellent turnout. Some, like Lane Venture and Jensen Outdoor, had what they claimed to be their best Casual Market ever in terms of quality of customers and sales. 

While not everyone had their best market ever, those we spoke with were consistently happy with the way the market transpired.

A large part of this is because retailers, having finally worked through a backlog of inventory, came ready to buy new products. Full-line retailers and designers also made up a large number of those who attended the show this summer, though designers still tend to buy from the same companies.

Full-line retailers and those who buy containers had no shortage of new products to choose from, and they were eager to place orders. The early buy, for the most part, has evolved to cater to full-line retailers more than specialty retailers because fewer specialty players buy containers.

We also heard from several sources that specialty retailers had not only come to the July market but are also planning to go in September. This signifies a readiness to buy — which means they are expecting customers to come looking for new product next season.  

So looking at the big picture, here are a few takeaways:

1. Business appears to be picking up, and that’s clear from the number of people buying and selling. With inflation affecting many consumers, middle-tier retailers are filling an opportunity in the market for affordable outdoor furnishings. In addition, the normality of business is getting closer to how it was pre-Covid, which is showing us how the industry will fare beyond the pandemic.
   
2. The presidential election seems to be one of the biggest challenges that’s throwing the industry off this year. Those we’ve spoken with agree that this is typical of an election year, but it still holds uncertainty for the industry, and that means everyone is quietly cautious about what 2025 could hold. Another challenge that’s largely connected to politics is container prices. A new president is likely to take action in some way against freight companies who jack up prices, and it will be interesting to see how each candidate makes that a priority. 
   
3. Looking at the home furnishings industry at large, the outdoor category is in a good place. It’s a fairly recession-proof category that is becoming more widely available across the country. In turn, education on the materials used is also getting noticed more by consumers. Those who have money will spend it, and those who don’t now have many different options.

Overall, things seem to be stable in the casual industry, and September is shaping up to be a strong market. The industry will continue to evolve, but with nonstop changes over the past four years, it would be nice if things slowed down and went back to “normal” for a little while.