One recurring theme that has been touched on in WON editorials several times over the course of this year has been how one positive thing to come out of 2020 is the huge spike in interest in outdoor pursuits (for obvious reasons). As this year of year comes to a close, hard evidence of that demand is becoming more tangible.
In mid December, Johnson Outdoors announced its lofty sales and earnings for the 2020 fiscal year. This following a fourth quarter which typically is when outdoor recreation companies are ramping down.
Per the announcement: Due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Company experienced increased demand during the final months of fiscal 2020 as consumers continued to look for ways to recreate outdoors. As a result, each of our Fishing, Camping and Watercraft Recreation segments experienced strong demand in the latter half of the current fiscal year, and total Company net sales in the quarter increased 58 percent year over year to $164.7 million.
Johnson Outdoors is just one of many examples, but it’s a solid one as they’re involved in a wide range of outdoor activities including fishing, camping, watercraft and even diving. Its stable of brands includes Minn Kota, Humminbird, Cannon, Ocean Kayak, Old Town, Eureka! and Jetboil.
