Outdoor Insight

August 2017 • Outdoor Insight • 25 outdoorinsightmag.com H eadlines tout standup paddling as the latest "hot trend on the water." Whitewater kayaks appear in commercials for the newest SUV, fishing kayaks cap- ture magazine headlines. While other paddlesport segments may dominate media attention, the canoe market continues to thrive. According to The NPD Group, Inc./Retail Tracking Service, canoe sales have increased 15 percent to $26.5 million in the 12 months ending April 2017. Northstar Canoes, in Princeton, MN, is breaking ground on a new building to help meet demand. "We're still growing fast. When it comes to the overall canoe market, there's steady growth, but it's not going through the roof," says general manager Bear Paulsen. "For Wenonah, the market is and has been on a slow increase. We've continued to grow year over year," says Bill Keuper, VP at Wenonah Canoes. "The market is slowly trickling up and up and up. We see positive signs and new people getting into the sport. It's a very solid canoe year and it will continue to be a strong category. It's not a trend, it's a true category," addss David Hadden, brand director–watercraft for Johnson Outdoors. A New Paddling Generation Marketing campaigns to promote standup paddleboards and whitewater segments typically use young men and women. Canoe paddlers tend to be seen as older men. But while older paddlers continue to add canoes to their collections, product managers are seeing increases in sales to families with younger paddlers, as well as sales to Millennials. "We used to have a bell curve of ages, with the main part of the curve showing an older demographic. Shortly after the recession, we started to see interest from young families. They wanted to get the family together on the water," says Keuper. "Talking to our consumers and dealers, we're seeing more young families with children under 10 embracing canoes over other paddle craft and other sports as a way to get the family outside together," says Paulsen. Parents who may have used child carriers on hikes now find toddlers have little stamina for long walks in the woods. Canoes offer an alternate way to play outside. "These new buyers may have had previous paddling experience. They have responsibilities now and don't want anything too crazy or too wild," says Keuper. "They can take the family out with creature comforts like chairs and a cooler. A canoe is a perfect solution." Canoes are also attracting attention from single Millennials. "Hipsters are also embracing canoes. Maybe that's a retro thing. Canoeing is an iconic activity that seems to be attracting their attention," says Paulsen. "We don't want to underestimate the new Millennial buyer. They tend to rent and borrow. They aren't as interested in purchasing yet. They are living in an apartment. Where do you store a canoe?" says Hadden. "We have to continue to support canoeing as a popular activity. As long as we can show the fun, we will bring new buyers in." No Water Required Conventional thinking says the best way to sell a canoe is through on-the-water demonstration events. "Typically at an on-water demo it's easier to create a common language after a consumer gets into a boat and you ask them to describe their experience," explains Keuper. "If we are not on the water we have to talk about models that we can both relate to. We focus on educating the floor staff at the retailer and getting them on the water so they can get a sense for how it feels on the water. It's easier to guide them to the final decision if you have the same reference points." Internet access, time constraints and a willingness to accept recommendations from experts has reduced the importance of paddling a boat before purchase. With so many designs, hull lengths and configurations, narrowing the brand and canoe model choices can be challenging. "Once they've made a decision to buy a canoe there's some homework involved. There is certainly a con- tingent of buyers who purchase boats based on staff recommendations and online reviews and don't feel a need to paddle the canoe first," says Paulsen. "Buying habits are chang- ing. It was all about 'try before you buy.' Since there are so many good reviews and more data online, they are using the information on the Internet to sway their decision," says Hadden. "People don't want to take a Saturday morning to attend a demo event. They are really for more immediate gratification in their purchases." Differentiating canoe brands and models, buyers look for a consistent set of features across options. Durability, weight and price top the list. "Durability in materials is very important. If a boat is going to be around for 10-12 years, that canoe has to well made. It's amazing how many canoes we hear about being passed on to kids and a new generation," says Hadden. "We value efficiency, glide and lightweight features. We start with those attributes and have hulls that work in a REFRESH *Source: The NPD Group, Inc. / Retail Tracking Service (U.S. Outdoor Sports Equipment TMM), 12 months ending April 2017 Paddlesports Sales* Canoes $26.5M, +15% Canoe Paddles $6.8M, +9% Recreation Kayaks $392.1M, +8% Standup Paddleboards $72.2M, +7% Water Sport Car Racks $22.0M, down -2% Water Sports PFD $141.9M, +14%

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