Now more than ever the outdoor industry’s biggest brands are recognizing the significance of an audience that is increasingly located in cities, and increasingly diverse. The narrative of equipping adventurers (almost exclusively white, largely male) to concur nature no longer resonates. It’s time to embrace the lighter side of outdoor recreation, to celebrate car camping and mellow day hikes, and to encourage more of our neighbors to get outside and try something new. The quicker brands recognize this, the better off our space will be for it (and the more money they will make, admittedly).
With the number of “lifestyle” lines being introduced each season continuing to grow, the shift has been underway for some time now. Watching each brand navigate the waters is especially interesting—going full Poler (RIP) may boost initial sales but also alienate core consumers and risks diluting brand identity, which has taken decades to build, while ignoring urban demos completely may leave a brand feeling out of touch and irrelevant.
REI introduced its first ever lifestyle line as recently as fall 2018, and it has done very well for the brand. While others, namely Columbia Sportswear, have been engaged in ingoing—and at times questionable—collaborations with such fashion entities as KITH and Opening Ceremony for years. While that has nothing to do with car camping, it's fun to note.