COVID-19 ushers in 'extremely busy' winter for outdoor retailers

If you're looking for skis, snowshoes or fat bikes on P.E.I. this winter, you may already be too late.

The Island's outdoor goods retailers are continuing to experience firsts and set records as the pandemic presses on. While the province experienced a shortage of bikes and kayaks in the summer, that shortage has now extended to winter sports as well.

"Things have been extremely busy in the snowsports and winter sports. We had an inkling early on in early September when customers were asking for nordic skis and snowshoes, and we typically don't sell that product that time of year," said Wes Slauenwhite, general manager of Sporting Intentions in Charlottetown.

"To sell before Halloween is kind of a, you know, a bonus. So this year, we sold more snowshoes in October than we sold all year last year."

Sporting Intentions hopes to get a new shipment of snowshoes in the coming days or weeks, but Slauenwhite said nordic skis are pretty much completely gone for the season, while the alpine ski stock is picked over.

'It's a global issue'

The problem is not limited to P.E.I. shops, which are at the mercy of global suppliers. Across Canada, there has been a demand for outdoor gear and more people are getting outside and getting active in an otherwise inactive period.

"Many of those winter products are actually manufactured in Europe, so a lot of the alpine skis and a lot of the nordic skis come out of factories in Europe and then they're shipped to Canadian distributors, and so it's a global issue," Slauenwhite said, adding that his store is already making orders for 2022.

"Most of our suppliers are telling us that they're confident that they'll be able to manufacture ... the orders that they receive, but I think, you know, common sense and logic would dictate that that's going to be difficult.

"If most retailers even increase their booking orders by 20 per cent to kind of make up for lost sales this season, do the manufacturers have the capacity to increase their production by that amount?"

Across town, Outer Limit Sports is having the same problem. Owner Brett Doyle said his suppliers are sold out of items like skis and snowshoes and the store is not able to order any more.

If we were to get 10 bikes in, often five of those bikes are pre-sold— Brett Doyle, Outer Limit Sports

"What we have in stock is what we will have for the year," he said. "This is absolutely unheard of."

Outer Limit currently has a single fat bike — bikes with thick, wide tires that can be used in rugged conditions like snow — in stock, and only because it was traded in last week.

"Fat biking was really a continuation of cycling and they sold out instantly. I mean, in some cases, before we received the product into the store, that model fat bike was sold out because there was people waiting for them," Doyle said.

"Right now you're probably looking at next year for a fat bike." 

And it's not just fat bikes. Doyle's shop has a running list of other bikes ordered into next year, and he said the list is longer than ever before.

"If we were to get 10 bikes in, often five of those bikes are pre-sold," he said.

"We will have bikes in stock, but if you came in and you wanted a red bike and we only had a blue bike in stock, the next date that we will be able to get you with that bike, it will be in 2022, which is hard to believe."

No stock for holiday exchanges

The lack of stock added an additional challenge to the holiday retail season. Doyle said they knew early on that if people bought sized items, like snowboard boots, and they were the wrong size, the chance of being able to get another size was slim.

"Typically what our response is after Christmas is 'No problem.' If we don't have the boot or whatever it is in stock, we'll just order that boot from our supplier," he said. 

"Right now, the suppliers are sold out and we knew that the suppliers would be sold out because they were sold out back in October."

Doyle encourages prospective outdoor enthusiasts not to be discouraged by the low stock.

"We may have to move up or down a model or look at a different colour, but, you know, our job as retailers is to make sure that we can get you into a product and introduce you to that sport," he said.

Another change Doyle noted was that it's not people coming in alone.

"Maybe it's a husband that was active in cross-country skiing when he was in university or high school, and now he's getting back into it, but he's not getting back into it alone," he said. 

"He's getting his whole family into it."

New avenues for leisure time

That keen desire to get active is also being noticed by the owner of Source for Sports in Summerside.

"A lot of times you hear 'Well, it's all I can do,'" said Dwayne McNeill.

"Our footwear business has been stronger this fall and winter than it ever has been just because people are still trying to stay outdoors."

McNeill said he usually only sells snowshoes when the snow lands on the ground, but by the time snow fell this weekend, he was already down to just four pairs in stock. Hockey skates have also been a popular request and a lot of the cheaper models are in short supply.

"We were very busy and I attribute it most to people being cognitive that they want to shop local and support local because it's been tough times, and then with the bubble being closed, you can't go off-Island."

Overall, the retailers said that despite some frustrations, they are grateful for the business.

"We are fortunate to be one of the industries that have benefited from the pandemic. And, you know, obviously there are many who have not," Slauenwhite said.

More from CBC P.E.I.