It’s no secret that the average outdoor person doesn’t have a lot of time to spend in the outdoors.
But that’s about to change.
A new study has found that the outdoor clothing industry is the biggest producer of productivity in the United States.
The research team used data from the National Outdoor Advertising Association (NOAA) to look at the industry’s overall sales and sales per person metrics.
It’s the most comprehensive look yet at how outdoor clothing products are selling, according to a press release from the study.
For example, the average person in the U.S. spends about an hour a day outdoors.
And those hours aren’t necessarily spent in the outdoor space.
“If we look at people’s outdoor time, the vast majority of their outdoor time is spent outside,” said study co-author Dr. Robert F. Wiggin, an associate professor at Duke University.
In fact, the study found that outdoor clothing sales were the largest contributor to overall sales for the entire industry, accounting for 44% of total sales.
But those outdoor clothing companies aren’t just making money off of their products.
It’s also worth noting that the study was conducted using data from retailers, not just outdoor retailers, according the release.
However, that doesn’t mean that the research team is suggesting that all outdoor clothing stores are doing well, said Wiggen.
Instead, the research showed that many outdoor clothing retailers are seeing their sales improve.
And some of those retailers are doing a better job of marketing their products to consumers, according to the release from NOAA.
While the study didn’t show a correlation between outdoor clothing store sales and the number of hours spent outdoors, the researchers found that some outdoor apparel stores are more likely to be focused on getting shoppers to buy the products they want, instead of spending time outdoors.
Wiggin said the study showed that “the industry needs to do more to improve sales, particularly for retailers who are focusing on outdoor sales.”
“The industry needs more focused marketing strategies,” Wiggins statement said.
“There needs to be more emphasis on product placement and better communication about product sales.”
The study was published in the journal Outdoor Materials & Engineering.