More people have discovered a fondness of the outdoors during this period of forced isolation and will continue to explore once life normalizes, a recent survey revealed.
According to a survey conducted last week by communications and public relations firm CGPR, 80.6% of the people polled throughout the U.S. stated they have spent time outdoors during the coronavirus crisis. Of the participants, 32.5% admitted they were novices, which was measured by having their first outdoor experience during this time.
Of the novices, 82.4% answered they will continue to explore the outdoors when forced isolation comes to an end.
“The silver lining is that new people discovered the peace and sense of balance that outdoor activities may bring,” CGPR founder Chris Ann Goddard said in a statement. “During the past few weeks, we saw unprecedented numbers of people enjoying a wide variety of past times including activities such as taking walks, flying kites, riding scooters, going on bike rides, walking their dogs or running on the beach. Getting outdoors, as we have seen, is as simple as walking out your back door. The fresh air and sunshine that has lifted us all will continue to do so. This gives us optimism for the future.”
The survey also uncovered why the admitted novices did not explore the outdoors pre coronavirus, with 58.8% of people stating it was due to “lack of time” and 29.4% saying it was “lack of knowledge about what to do outdoors.”
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For both novices and enthusiasts, the survey revealed if the coronavirus will change how they recreate (70.1% said no) and if they are likely to spend more time outdoors away from their local destinations as coronavirus cases lessen, with 67.7% saying yes.
At the end of April, an Outdoor Recreation Roundtable survey revealed how the coronavirus has wreaked havoc on outdoor market. Key findings include 89% of the businesses are experiencing difficulty with production and distribution, 79% have laid off or furloughed a portion of their workforce (including 11% laying off most of or all of their staff), 89% of outdoor industry businesses are experiencing a decrease in sales (including 39% seeing a decrease of 50-75% or greater) and 80% of outdoor industry trade associations are seeing a decrease in revenue (with 30% seeing a decrease of 50-75% or greater).
On May 5, The NPD Group senior sports industry adviser Matt Powell explained in a blog post the things retailers and brands in the market need to do immediately as stores start to reopen throughout the U.S. The list includes cash generation and preservation, brand equity, brand purpose, empathetic marketing, addressing the oversaturated brick-and-mortar landscape and to seize this opportunity to reinvent your business.
