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In the past, in developed countries such as Europe and the United States, there was a tradition of outdoor activities such as camping and adventure. However, the inability to go out at will during the epidemic has increased their demand for outdoor activities. Nowadays, with the gradual unblocking of many countries and the restoration of life in nature, more and more people hope to relax outdoors.

Many people feed their bodies and souls by participating in various activities such as trail running, hiking, camping, fishing and biking, so as to get more respite from the long-term restricted days and offset the "home The feelings of loneliness and anxiety generated under "epidemic prevention".

u3000u3000 From the beginning of the epidemic to the post-epidemic era, how hot is outdoor activities in the United States? Perhaps the data from the US National Park Service can explain everything more:

u3000u3000 From April to May 2021, visits to Acadia National Park in Maine increased by 74% year-on-year compared with 2019; during the same period, the number of visitors to Canyonlands National Park in Utah increased by 30%.

u3000u3000Of course, outdoor activities are not limited to visiting national parks, but also include other outdoor sports. NPD said that the growth rate of some outdoor product categories is surprisingly high. For example, from May last year to May this year, sales of kayaks increased by nearly 30%, backpack tents increased by nearly 50%, and sleeping bags increased by 28%. In the final analysis, this is also because the epidemic has really changed people's habits and increased people's interest in the outdoors, leading to explosive growth in the sales of outdoor sports related categories.

u3000u3000 Will this kind of outdoor sports and outdoor activity habits in the United States continue to be popular?

u3000u3000 In January of this year, NPD and Civic Science surveyed the exercise habits of more than 1,000 consumers. The results showed that almost every exercise habit and demand has increased substantially. 48% of consumers said they would increase more hiking or walking activities; 32% said they would do more activities at home (cycling, treadmill, weightlifting); 13% said they would do more Outdoor riding, 11% of people said they would play more golf.

u3000u3000 In fact, whether it is hiking, walking, cycling, running, or weightlifting, high-performance sports shoes are inseparable.

u3000u3000 NPD Group data shows that from January to September this year, US footwear revenue increased by 28% compared with last year, and increased by 8% compared with 2019. Even in this year's situation where the average price of footwear has risen due to comprehensive factors such as supply chain issues, labor, and global capacity imbalances, the income of footwear in the United States is expected to be higher than 2019 levels by 202316 %about.

u3000u3000 Among the many footwear categories, the leading category will be outdoor footwear with both performance, such as running shoes, walking shoes and hiking shoes. The growth of this category is better than other categories in the American footwear market. NPD said that in the first three quarters of 2021, sales of performance running shoes in the United States increased by 19% compared with the same period in 2019, and increased by 29% compared with 2020.

u3000u3000 NPD sports industry consultant Matt Powell said that after years of continuous decline, high-performance footwear will lead the growth of the footwear market in the next two years. Technavio, a technical research and consulting company, also predicts that the potential growth difference of the sports footwear market from 2021 to 2025 is 8.36 billion U.S. dollars.

u3000u3000 Powell added that high-performance shoes will return to the public's vision as streetwear and maintain a steady growth trend, while running shoes will be a key area. Of course, it is expected that by 2023, the income and unit sales of hiking shoes will continue to maintain a healthy growth trend.

u3000u3000 However, the performance footwear industry such as running shoes and hiking shoes is facing challenges that may hinder development momentum, namely port congestion and continuous supply chain difficulties. Therefore, relevant domestic sports brands and retailers must not only handle the problem of product origin, but also try to retain new customers with cost-effective products as much as possible.

u3000u3000 The general manager of BRITT OLSEN North America also said that since the running boom has just begun, many sports brands will meet new runners, so brands need to establish good connections with new consumers.