Outdoor Retail Is Moving Beyond Traditional Camping

Camping remains an important part of outdoor retail, but the broader outdoor market includes many other activities and lifestyles.

Customers may move between:

• Camping
• Hiking
• Cycling
• Travel
• Backyard living
• Beach
• Road trips
• Everyday outdoor activities

This creates opportunities for retailers to broaden their assortment.

Outdoor Becomes More Accessible

Not every customer wants technical equipment.

Some simply want:

• A comfortable chair
• A portable light
• A useful backpack
• A hydration product
• A hammock
• A practical travel accessory

These products can provide an entry point into outdoor retail.

Retailers Can Connect Categories

A portable light can connect camping and backyard.

A backpack can connect hiking and travel.

A hydration product can connect cycling and day adventures.

A storage product can connect camping and road trips.

The categories become interconnected.

The Importance of Scenario-Based Merchandising

Traditional categories answer:

“What is the product?”

Scenario collections answer:

“What can I do with it?”

Both are useful.

A strong outdoor ecommerce experience can allow customers to shop by product category when they know what they want and by scenario when they are still exploring.