November 2012 was another difficult month for the snow sports marketplace with double digit declines in dollars sold compared to sales in November 2011, but there is hope on the horizon as snowfall in December could provide a needed boost in the market, according to the latest figures from SIA and Leisure Trends Group.
Early season sales were dominated by carryover sales, bringing in the slimmest margins. In fact, 16 percent of alpine skis and 17 percent of snowboards sold in specialty retail shops from August to November 2012 were sold as carryover.
Specialty inventories were swollen at the end of last season so the increase in carryover sales is an expected purge of that inventory. Unfortunately, that leaves retailers with a cash trickle rather than a flow and sets a Spartan stage for the 2013/2014 ordering season that begins to gather significant steam in November.
