Quality outdoor clothing isn’t just for adults anymore: the younger generation also needs functional clothing, maybe even more than their parents. Manufacturers and retailers are increasingly recognising that clothing and equipment made for the great outdoors is getting more and more popular with children. From outdoor fabrics for children, to shoes and child-sized sleeping bags, visitors will be able find everything a child’s heart may desire at the OutDoor 2011. The leading trade show, open to visitors from industry and the press, takes place from 14th to 17th July.
Kids are considered the true outdoor experts. No other age group spends as much time outside and no other age group demands as much from their clothes: romping, sliding, crawling, hiding, climbing, wrestling and jumping. With all this activity, the advantages of waterproof, breathable, abrasion-resistant, quick-drying materials quickly become apparent. Although parents once bought cheaper, non-functional clothing, Kai Steinbach, CEO of Yeti, sees an increasing change in buyer behaviour, which he calls “mini-me”. The “mini-me” trend means that the same level of attention is increasingly being given to details and quality of workmanship in children’s outdoor clothing and equipment as it is in adult products.
Demand for other outdoor brands’ clothing for children is high: “For Jack Wolfskin, children’s clothing is indispensible and demand is rising steadily” says Ingola Metz, press spokeswoman of the company based in Idstein, Germany, near Frankfurt. A similar story can be heard from the Scandinavian producer Bergans: “We have decisively expanded our children’s and youth collections and now offer the same spectrum of products for this age group as we do for adults”, explained Christoph Centmayer. Laura Hoppe of clothing manufacturer Patagonia sees still more potential for growth: “Our children’s clothing line is distributed primarily via our retail stores and our online shop, because this segment does not yet play a significant role for all retailers. But that is certain to change”.
But children’s clothing is just the beginning. At the OutDoor 2011, Yeti will be presenting the first sleeping bag which grows with the child. The novelty here is a docking system which makes it possible for the parents to start out with a small sleeping bag, and enlarge it as needed. Switzerland’s Mammut is also bringing new children’s products to market, like a sleeping system comprised of a child’s sleeping bag and matt.
Little hikers’ feet are also being taken care of: The “mini-me” trend is apparent here too. Keen’s classic “Newport” sandals have long been available in children’s sizes. For next summer, large portions of the adults’ collection will be intentionally “shrunk” – from the patchwork trainer “Sula” to the lightweight hiking shoe “Alamosa”. Lowa is also betting on footwear for the next generation: The Spanish company is making the “little ones” one of their main marketing themes. In Switzerland, the children’s market is being specifically targeted in an attempt to raise the number of units sold from the current figure of 34,000 up to 50,000, a 30 percent increase.
Adidas also wants to transfer its positive track record in footwear to the clothing market. “We already very successful in the kids’ footwear market”, says Adidas Outdoor’s Marc Fischer. “Our next step will be to complement our existing product range with kids’ textiles”. Adidas isn’t alone. The German family-owned company Schöffel has had its own children’s projects team for some time. “Starting in 2012 we will be offering a serious outdoor and skiing collection for kids, which we will hold to the same high quality standards as the adult collections”, explained Corinna Umbach, Schöffel’s head of marketing.
The outdoor industry’s newest products for children are waiting to be discovered at the OutDoor 2011.
