Surge in Campground Reservations Creates Opportunities for Outdoor Businesses

More evidence is emerging that Americans are turning to the outdoors for a respite from tough economic times, or perhaps because of them. Advance reservations for nearly 89,000 campgrounds on federal lands were up 26.1% for the period of January 1 to March 22 compared to the same period last year, according to data from the National Recreation Reservation Service. The overwhelming majority of the reservations came in online via reserveamerica.com.

The spike in reservations prompted a report by CNN, entitled “In a Slump, Camping Comes Into Vogue.” The article reports that reservations to state parks in California are also trending up. Of course it’s still too early to say whether media reports will translate into stronger sales of camping gear this spring.

Regardless, marketing gurus are urging outdoor retailers to start promoting close-to-home adventures now to both core outdoor enthusiasts and their more casual shoppers while both groups are planning their summer vacations.

A survey of Leisure Trends Group’s Most Active American Panel conducted between February 15 and March 10 found that 78% plan their summer vacation one or more months ahead of time. More than 50% plan three to five months out, in large part because they are hunting for deals. Among this group, 11 percent said they are considering doing more camping. Skiers, by contrast, often booked their trips this winter only one or two weeks out in hopes of getting the best airline and resort promotions as the economy weakened.

“If I was a specialty retailer, I would institute a program that would show people what they could do within 50 miles,” said Leisure Trend Group’s Julia Day Clark. “People are thinking about this. They are planning and what if retailers could show them something really cool?”

With that in mind, here are some ideas for luring folks into your store:

Blog: If you don’t already have one, you could start by publishing the top 25 local adventures for the spring and summer on your web site. If you have time, post directions, advisories, photos, maps, suggested provisions, GPS coordinates, etc. For an example, check out Dave Baker’s blog for Tucson’s Summit Hut.

Build community: Offer to post customers’ own photos and observations of their experiences on the blog. Contributors can become eligible for a $150 gift card drawing.

Point of sale: Print your top 25 list with a link to your website on fliers for your store. Laminate a few for your sales staff, who can use them on the floor to show customers just how easy it is to hike, climb, cycle, paddle and camp nearby.

Map room: Set up a trip planning area in your store where customers can browse maps, books and maybe even cruise the Internet. Blow up a map of the area and stick push pins into the sites on your list.

Newsletter: E-mail your top 25 list out to your customers as soon as possible with a link to your site. Or break up the list for a series of newsletters.

Events: Feel free to fold your store events into the list. Outside Hilton Head will celebrate “30 Weekends of Adventure” as part of its 30-year anniversary starting this summer. The events will include demo days, speakers and other community events. It’s all part of the outfitter and retailer’s expanded marketing this year despite a double-digit drop in sales. “I think you’ve got to really work harder for customers, but I also think there is a real opportunity for when things get better to get more market share,” said owner Mike Overton