Cross country skiers are excited about the holidays and they’re in the thick of their holiday shopping right now. They are planning on spending about the same amount this year as they did in 2021, but inflation running at 8% means the same amount buys less this season.

In partnership with the Outdoor Industry Association, we looked at CivicScience data to learn more about what cross-country skiers were planning for the holiday season. We looked at data that compared all consumers with consumers who hike, paddle, bike, fish, ski, and/or run to find out if outdoor consumers are different. Turns out that they are a bit different; outdoor consumers are more likely to shop for gifts, and more likely to shop in December. The outdoor consumer is no different than any other consumers in their plans to spend about the same amount on gifts this holidays season.

Outdoor shoppers are slightly more excited about the holiday season and are getting prepared in early December. Looks like there’s more “bah humbug” in the general public, 42% say they aren’t doing anything to prepare for the holidays.

There isn’t much difference between the general public and outdoor consumers’ spending plans this holiday season. Spending plans favor no change from spending last season. However, with inflation running at about 8%, that means 8% less in the budget even though the amount spent will not change.

Outdoor participants are more likely to buy you a gift this holiday season. Outdoor participants are more likely to shop in December than the general consumer. In fact, overall, outdoor consumers are more likely to shop for any gifts than the average consumer.

Categories: Research