As the weather warms up rapidly, recently,reportershave noticed that outdoor gear sections in many Hangzhou malls are drawing noticeably more attention than other sports brands. At the same time, some malls are keen on promoting items like backpacks, water bottles, and towels for spring outings as key promotional giveaways.
With the approach of the Qingming and May Day holidays, all kinds of outdoor gear have entered a full-blown sales peak season. According to outdoor gear retailers, the period around Qingming each year is the best time for outdoor gear sales. The industry has been growing at a rate of 50% annually, and this year the trend is particularly evident.
Stylish casual-style tents
are selling the best
Every year before Qingming, many outdoor gear shops stock up heavily, with inventory levels reaching several thousand or even tens of thousands of units, without any worry about unsold stock. Some stores pile their goods up like small mountains, a scene often seen near Shihuqiao Road off Wulin Road in Hangzhou.
Yuan, the manager of Hangzhou Jiahe Outdoor Gear Store, also confirmed this to reporters. He said that stock for the period before August has basically been secured, and with the recent improvement in Hangzhou’s weather over the past couple of weeks, outdoor gear sales have risen noticeably. “It’s quite normal to stock up on tens of thousands of sport T-shirts or thousands of pairs of sports shoes, because Qingming and May Day mark the first major sales peak of the year, so there’s no worry about not being able to sell them.”
According to Manager Yuan, breathable sweaters, sports shoes, UV-protective and sun-shading hats, waterproof windbreakers, and tents are currently the hottest sellers.
The same is true at “Fengxue Outdoor,” located near “Jiahe Outdoor.” The day before yesterday, when reporters visited the store, they saw a fair number of customers, many of whom were either gathered around the tents or eyeing outdoor backpacks. A girl wearing a floral headscarf was busy discussing with a clerk which tent to buy, while her friend offered suggestions, discussing what other outdoor gear they needed for their Qingming trip.
A young clerk told reporters that nowadays non-outdoor enthusiasts are increasingly visiting outdoor gear stores, and the gear they buy is mainly for leisure purposes. For example, customers don’t demand highly specialized tents; what matters most is that the style looks good. They mentioned they just plan to set them up on the grass in the park.
Gao Zhiyao is the owner of a 5-diamond-rated Taobao store called “Green Field Footprints,” which has been selling outdoor gear online for six or seven years. “Online business started picking up last week, as the weather improved and people’s enthusiasm for going out increased.”
He said that tents, backpacks, picnic and barbecue gear, and sun-shading hats are the bestsellers. “Nowadays, many people buy tents not for camping but just to sit around in the park, so they opt for casual types rather than professional ones, usually priced between 200 and 300 yuan. Among my peers, the best-selling stores can sell over 200 tents a day, whereas half a month ago, the best daily sales were only about fifty or sixty.”
Gao Zhiyao recalled that when he first started in the outdoor gear business, there were only seven or eight sellers online, but now there are over a hundred stores that are doing well. “The entire outdoor gear industry has been growing year by year, with an increase of over 50%, and casual outdoor gear has seen the most significant growth.”
Popularity of outdoor brands in malls
overshadows sports brands
Manager Yuan of “Jiahe Outdoor” said that because outdoor gear stores are more targeted and professional, many non-professional consumers choose to shop in malls.
At the sports hall of Jiebai Mall, reporters observed that outdoor brands are significantly more popular than sports brands. Not only that, but counters for outdoor brands like Columbia and North Face almost occupy half of the sports hall.
According to insiders, aside from brands like Nike, Adidas, and Li-Ning, even widely known sports brands such as Reebok and Xtep are showing signs of gradually being edged out of the mall sports halls.
A customer surnamed Li, who was shopping for a backpack at the North Face counter, told reporters that outdoor gear is more casual—like a water bottle with a strong outdoor vibe—which feels particularly fitting when heading out for a spring outing. “The most important thing is, everyone around me is buying outdoor gear, it’s like a fashion trend, and I’m just following along.”
It is understood that many traditional sports brands are developing outdoor product lines, such as quick-dry pants, UV-protective hats, and hiking shoes. Many sports brands are getting involved, and this trend of “generalized outdoor-ization” is becoming increasingly evident.
Outdoor gear is not only in high demand in malls but is also selling exceptionally well in many supermarkets. Items like camping backpacks and barbecue tools are particularly hot. Products such as grills, charcoal, and skewer sticks, which rarely attracted customer inquiries or purchases in the past, are now experiencing a sales boom, directly linked to the current trend of spring outings and park visits.