Inside the Outdoors

Kelly and Patrick review methods for setting efficient prices for products, features, and attributes. How can brands and dealers bundle products and features at an appropriate price to meet the needs of new and existing customers? Which product features are the most important to consider when creating a product? How can profit maximizing outdoor brands and dealers ensure they’re selling products a...

Kelly and Patrick build upon the previous episode’s discussion about research questions and different types of consumer research studies by exploring the many ways that organizations can find the right audience for studies. What are the strengths and weaknesses of a general population research panel? How can we leverage existing customer databases to grow our brand? When are focus groups or discus...

Kelly and Patrick discuss the primary research studies that can help outdoor brands find success in turbulent markets. How can brands understand their current place in the market using brand awareness and sentiment studies? Where are existing and potential customers, and what messages resonate with them? Why do we love MaxDiff and conjoint studies so much? 

Kelly and Patrick are again joined by Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner of  SmartEtailing , for a conversation about ecommerce within the specialty bicycle channel. What interesting trends are emerging in the bicycle ecommerce channel? What are the barriers that dealers will likely face for the remainder of the year, and how can they be overcome?

Kelly and Patrick are joined by Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner of  SmartEtailing , for a conversation about ecommerce within the specialty bicycle channel. How has ecommerce grown over the past few years for independent bicycle dealers? What is important for independent bike dealers to know in order to be successful in today’s market?

Kelly and Patrick are joined by Reese Brown, Cross Country Ski Area Association's Executive Director, for a discussion about cross country skiing. What should everyone know about the cross-country skiing experience? How are weather extremes affecting the market? What are trail areas doing to engage new participants?  Use the following links to access resources discussed in this episode. ...

Kelly and Patrick are joined by Rachel Fussell, PeopleForBikes’ eMTB Policy and Program Manager, for a discussion about electric mountain bikes (eMTBs). How have eMTBs evolved and how has the market grown recently? What's important to know about the eMTBs when buying or riding? What are the barriers facing the eMTB world? Use the following links to access resources discussed in this episode: ...

Kelly and Patrick begin by discussing one of the most interesting emerging sports in outdoor recreation - pickleball! Why has pickleball grown so much in recent years? What lessons can be gleaned from this activity that could be applied elsewhere? Are there additional outdoor recreation activities experiencing significant participation growth?  Use the following link to access a  pickleb...

Kelly and Patrick kick off Season 2 with a discussion about the current state of the US economy and recent events that took place during the mid-summer break. How could back-to-school spending affect the outdoor market? What could continued increased interest rates mean for our customers? Should we be more concerned about perceptions of the economy, or observed economic conditions?  Use the f...

Kelly and Patrick wrap up Season 1 of Inside the Outdoors with a discussion about summer plans and current market conditions.  Access the PeopleForBikes Member Center  for the most recent version of the Global Risk and Opportunity Forecast, produced by S&P Global. And visit  OutdoorRetailer.com  for information about the show. 

Kelly and Patrick discuss newly released participation trends as measured by the  Physical Activity Council . These data describe recent trends in participation rates for individual sports, allowing us to gain a better understanding of how Americans are sticking with, or not sticking with, outdoor recreational activities in the years since COVID-19 began affecting the US.  Follow this li...

Kelly and Patrick resume the conversation with Casey Taylor (Civic Science), discussing their unique approach to quantitative research. How does Civic Science help researchers understand consumers in ways yet to be considered? Are consumer perceptions reality? How do outdoor recreation participants feel about forever chemicals?  Learn more about Civic Science by following  this link .

Kelly and Patrick welcome Casey Taylor from Civic Science to discuss his unique approach to quantitative research. How does Civic Science mitigate response bias? How have estimates of American wellbeing changed recently, and what does this depend on? How many soup dumpling lovers also participate in outdoor recreation activities?  Learn more about Civic Science by following  this link .

Kelly and Patrick discuss the importance of protecting public spaces as these federal, state, and local spaces offer opportunities for outdoor recreation. Which outdoor rec activities take place on public lands? What can be done to ensure we have healthy, vibrant public lands? How can access to public spaces affect the market for outdoor recreation related products?  Use the following links t...

Kelly and Patrick discuss the process of identifying and mitigating biases as a necessary step in consumer research. How can researchers make sure that our biases are not affecting research outcomes? How can we create research instruments that will yield the most powerful and useful insights? 

Kelly and Patrick discuss the current state of the US economy and how current economic conditions might affect the outdoor industry. What would a default on the national debt mean for outdoor? How do the unemployment rate, labor force participation rate, and inflation rate affect spending in the outdoor markets? How is consumer sentiment affecting the US economy?  Use the following links to l...

Kelly and Patrick discuss the importance of how we consider environmental sustainability in our outdoor recreation industry. How do outdoor consumers consider environmental sustainability when making a purchase? Can customers tell the difference between sustainability and greenwashing? What product traits are most important to consumers? Click here to read the article which Kelly refers to - Ident...

Kelly and Patrick discuss trends among Gen Z, unpacking their relationship with the outdoors and discussing ways to market outdoor recreation activities to members of this generation. How do we reach Gen Z? What can outdoor recreation activities offer Gen Z? How can we effectively engage in consumer research efforts to guide our relationship with Gen Z?

Kelly and Patrick discuss one of the most important questions in the outdoor recreation research space: how many people are participating in an activity? The extra nerdy discussion revolves around different methods of measuring participation, as well as the strengths and limitations of each methodology. How can we preserve historic trends while using the most appropriate methodology? What does the...

Kelly and Patrick discuss how interactions with the outdoors can help to maintain mental and physical health. How can consumer research help identify opportunities to promote outdoor recreation activities as a way to take care of our mental health, and find ways to better connect with those who seek the outdoors to care for their mental health?  Follow this link to find the journal article ab...

Kelly and Patrick discuss recently released 2022 participation data for outdoor recreation, generated by the Physical Activity Council. Which activities experienced the most growth? How do we gauge the growth or decline of certain activities when we know that participation rates in 2020 and 2021 were so anomalous? How have Americans shifted from avid (or ‘core’) to casual rates of participation?&n...

Kelly and Patrick continue last week’s conversation with Tobie DePauw (Ride Spot), further exploring new and creative solutions retailers can implement to engage riders in 2023, including methods to boost referrals, increase add-on sales, and build community. How can a better understanding of sales data enhance our sales practices? How can we drive customers to engage with shop activities like gro...

Kelly and Patrick invite Tobie DePauw (PeopleForBikes Ride Spot) to have a discussion about how retailers can find the silver lining amidst challenging circumstances like we’re facing in 2023 and make the most of the opportunities in front of them. Tobie shares his experience as a former retailer, giving glimpses of what’s possible when empathy, humility, and curiosity are driving intera...

Kelly and Patrick discuss ecommerce trends that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, and assess which trends have been ‘sticky’. Why have some ecommerce trends stuck around? Why did some trends stick while others did not? What can brands and retailers do to learn from segments of ecommerce customers who are conducting research and making purchases online?

Kelly and Patrick discuss how the outdoor industry can capitalize on consumers receiving tax refunds this spring. More Americans expect to receive a refund in 2023 than the previous year, and they are thinking of ways to spend it. How can the outdoor industry help potential consumers imagine a great outdoor experience and convert that aspiration into sales? How do brands fit into consumer’s aspira...