TENTS SECTOR SPOTLIGHT SECTOR SPOTLIGHT Tents The tent market is experiencing a boom in sales and a boom in technological developments like never before. We examine the current trends and the forecast the areas where you could be most likely to strike up a meaningful and productive cooperation in the tent market. Photo: Glen Jackson (Unsplash) 48 | www.campingtradeworld.com
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT TENTS T ■he humble tent is how camping began. Without it, it’s doubtful whether we would have moved on to trailer tents, caravans, motorhomes and beyond. The simple act of sleeping outside under a canvas shelter hasn’t changed too much since it’s early days <strong>–</strong> humans have been doing it for a long time <strong>–</strong> and it is perhaps that ancient pull that makes it appeal to so many people today. The modern tent market is vibrant, diverse, and innovative. Many, many companies have turned their hands to making tents, and many more have become national and international successes. Popularity in tents has increased steadily over the last decade, receiving a particularly stark shot in the arm in the era during and after the COVID-19 pandemic <strong>–</strong> for some, a tent was a more affordable way to try camping, for others it represented a way to get back to nature, and for a few more it was simply a new way to travel in a safer way. Whatever the effects recent global events have had on the tent market, things are certainly looking positive once again. The only real issue, which seems to be across almost every industry, is that of supply chain problems. So far, the camping and outdoor industries seem to have been able to navigate these with some success. One of the truly great things about the tent market is that there are relatively little regional or national restrictions or barriers in terms export. With RVs, there can be issues from country to country regarding whether a vehicle meets the standards of each nation’s road rules. With tents, in very simple terms, a tent is a tent. The same tent that caters for the needs of hardcore hikers patrolling somewhere in deepest, darkest British Colombia in Canada would be just at a home on a quiet campsite in the English Lake District, or a coastal retreat on the Italian island of Sardina. Producers of tents generally find them a relatively easy item to export around the world, with the right connections of course. The same can be said for retailers looking for their next best-seller <strong>–</strong> it could come from a brand in any corner of the world. The increasingly global nature of the tent market can be seen with the likes of American giant Big Agnes recently establishing a European headquarters to better serve the continent, or New Zealand brand Zempire establishing subsidiary or partner companies in the USA and the United Kingdom. Evidence of the global appeal of tents can be seen by the many retailers who have started up their own tent brands to sell directly to the entry-level customers they have. Tents are a product that can cater to all price points. You can spend literally thousands on a high-end family tent that can sleep eight to 10 people <strong>–</strong> or you can spend $100 on a cheap pop-up tent for a festival. The spectrum includes almost every conceivable level between these two extremes, but a sweet spot that many tent brands have been aiming for is the priceperformance ratio that allows newcomers to be able to afford their products at the lower end of the price spectrum, but still enjoying an excellent camping experience with them. One thing that can easily be achieved with tents is a customer journey. Most people start off with something inexpensive to dip their toe, but they quickly realise they need something bigger, better designed, or of better quality. Because of how many different levels of tents there are, you could conceivably take a consumer on a journey with your brand throughout their entire life if they stick with the hobby and you have the right products. Identifying which demographics are generally at which stages of the journey has proved to be an effective way for tent brands to market their products. Young couples will often start small but maybe move onto more technical or lightweight tents more quickly than families, who are more concerned with space rather than technical features. THE STATISTICS US$2.8bn Estimated value of global camping tent market 10,000+ Tents sold annually in the United Kingdom (estimated) US$80 to $250 Estimated mean RRP of a camping tent 9.1m First-time camper households in the USA in 2021 56% Of new campers in 2021 said they prefer tent camping 61.3m Projected number of households that will be camping in North America in 2022. Global interest in Google search term ‘tent’ in the last year 100 75 50 25 23 MAY 2021 10 OCT 2021 27 FEB 2022 Top five countries with highest Google search interest for the term ‘tent’ in the last year Australia New Zealand United Kingdom Netherlands Canada www.campingtradeworld.com | 49
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