D. Tighe
Research expert covering consumer behavior, sporting goods retail, and the global toy industry.
Outdoor recreation & sporting goods in the United States - statistics & facts
From climbing and camping to fishing and skiing, there are many examples of outdoor sports and recreation. Many people in the United States take part in activities like these: specifically, about 55 percent of the U.S. population said they had partaken in outdoor sports at least once in 2022. During the mid 2010s, this percentage was closer to 60. One of the country's most popular open-air activities was hiking, which was enjoyed by nearly 60 million people that year. In 2023, total U.S. expenditure on recreation (e.g., spending on membership, sports centers, theaters, etc.) was expected to reach over 550 billion U.S. dollars.
Total sporting goods store sales across the entirety of the United States reached almost 64 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, a slight drop compared to the previous year.
The outdoor goods market
Given the large number of people interested in staying active in the great outdoors, there is naturally an outdoor equipment industry, dedicated to the production and sale of specific outdoor recreation and sporting gear. The U.S. outdoor equipment market, which is part of the over-arching sports equipment market, generated some four billion U.S. dollars in 2023 and is projected to grow to about five billion annually by 2028. The total U.S. sports equipment market generated about 37 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.Total sporting goods store sales across the entirety of the United States reached almost 64 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, a slight drop compared to the previous year.
Major retailers and brands
In the world of outdoor goods, there are many well-known brands and retailers. With an awareness level of about 80 percent, Columbia and Bass Pro Shops are some of the best-known outdoor brands among online shoppers in the United States. VF Corporation, which is an American enterprise responsible for outdoor recreation and footwear brands like The North Face and Timberland, generated over five and a half billion U.S. dollars from its outdoor segment in its 2023 financial year.
