Poll shows huge opportunity for outdoor clothing and footwear suppliers

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jun 11, 2018

It looks like there are major opportunities for companies making footwear that can stand up to any conditions, and other outdoor gear, as long as it’s on-trend, if the results of a new poll are to be believed.

The survey of 2,000 consumers, by Leaf (which stands for Linking Environment and Farming) was commissioned to support its Open Farm Sunday event that encourages people into the countryside. It found that what’s stopping many consumers spending more time outdoors is that they don’t have to right shoes or clothing.

Some 23% are put off by the effects muddy conditions would have on their shoes/boots and 20% are worried that they don’t have the right shoes or clothing to cope with the conditions outdoors. 

Cold and wet conditions are major turn-offs overall with 51% of respondents disliking the cold and 45% not wanting to venture out in the rain.

But the survey also showed people are motivated by how Instagrammable a location might be and will take its visual appeal into account when deciding whether to visit. And that means they’re also going to be looking for the right clothes and accessories that fit into the Insta-perfect location.

The survey showed that the young are most likely to miss out on the virtues of the countryside with the 18-24 age group spending more time watching TV/movies, eating junk food or visiting social media sites.

In many ways the poll underlines just why brands such as Barbour, Joules, Seasalt and Boden, plus a raft of US and European outdoor brands, are so successful. They’ve all found different ways of conveying the appeal of an outdoor/countryside lifestyle while also creating product that’s robust enough to deal with its conditions but that can also be integrated into an urban lifestyle.