After the weather turned warmer, business for outdoor gear has also boomed.
Finding a spot in the suburbs to pitch a tent, lay out a mat, soak up the sun, enjoy the scenery, have a bite to eat, and connect with nature has become a popular leisure activity. As city dwellers step out of their homes, it has also created business opportunities for outdoor gear stores, with tents and mats becoming hot-selling items.
At an outdoor goods store near Shengli Road in Lishan District, the reporter saw a wide variety of outdoor equipment, including camping tents, sleeping bags, and lights for overnight stays, as well as backpacks, trekking poles, and hydration bottles for hiking.
Yu Danni, who was shopping for outdoor gear, plans to go on an outing with her family in the suburbs this weekend. She’s looking for a lightweight, easy-to-set-up tent. “In the past, when we went to the suburbs, I had to think about where to eat at noon and where my child could nap in the afternoon — a half-day trip felt really rushed. This year during May Day, I got inspired watching others set up tents in the park. With a tent and a mat, the elderly and kids have a place to rest, and we don’t have to worry about wind or sun.”
The store clerk told the reporter that outdoor moisture-proof mats have been hot sellers in recent years, with nearly a thousand units sold each month from April to July. All kinds of tents are also selling well, with the most popular foldable two-person tent selling over 400 units in a single month. In addition to various outdoor clothing items, other bestsellers include sleeping bags, folding chairs, tent lights, and air mattresses — all have been popular items in the store recently.
Besides physical stores, if you log onto Taobao and search for outdoor gear, you’ll find a dazzling array of products. It’s fair to say that as long as you want to go on an outing, “there’s nothing you can’t buy, only things you haven’t thought of.” Many websites also offer a guidebook with tips and a list of essential outdoor travel items. The owner of an online outdoor gear shop said, “Spring came late this year, but after April, sales of mats, tents, and windproof jackets have been very strong. We were shipping out forty or fifty orders a day, and recently we’ve been shipping over a hundred a day. Business has been booming.”