1. RIDE THE WAVE
Good surfers know that in order to ride a wave,
they need to see the wave before it appears, and
catch the wave before it breaks. Within the out-
door industry, the women’s market stands as an
avenue with a large potential for growth. Cur-
rent trends suggest a wave of young, adven-
turous females moving into decision
making roles could dramatically
change the outdoor industry.
RISE OF THE
SHE-VENTURERS
Although men still outnumber
women in participation in out-
door recreation, in recent years,
overall female participation
has seen a steady increase. From
2009-2014, women’s participation
grew by 3%.2
But, what is more compel-
ling is an analysis of the millennial generation.
Females aged 19-24 now far outnumber their
male counterparts by 18% and are the fastest
growing sector of outdoor enthusiasts.3
In the
next five years, these women will become deci-
sion makers in their households; they will enter
the workforce, they will control the majority
of family purchases, and they will be responsi-
ble for raising the next generation of outdoor
enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, many outdoor companies rely
on the simple and ineffective “shrink it and
pink it” approach— a strategy where products
and services are only superficially adapted for a
women’s needs. If the outdoor industry hopes
to “catch the wave” of millennial women, it
needs to adapt now.
In the US,
women decide
85% of consumer
purchases. This
amounts to
$7 trillion spent
annually.1
To remain competitive, outdoor companies
need to design better products and engage
female customers in unique ways. And, if the
industry wants to accelerate growth, it needs to
hire more women.
“NO MORE BARBIE GEAR”4
Attracting women consumers starts with prod-
uct design. The market for women’s clothing
and equipment has grown immensely—from
2002 to 2004 sales for women’s-specific cloth-
ing and equipment jumped by 60%. In compar-
ison men’s and unisex clothing grew by a mere
4%. 5
Designing products for women is a balancing
act. Women consumers present a unique chal-
lenge because they want products to be both
functional and fashionable. To best meet the
needs of female consumers, designers should
keep in mind two principles. First, functionality
stems from making changes that fit a woman’s
body. For example, Tubbs Snowshoes saw a
300% increase in its women’s market after mak-
ing two simple changes: (1) modifying
bindings to better fit women’s boots
and (2) changing the frame shape to
allow for women’s shorter strides.6
Second, “fashionable” does not
always equate to more feminine
prints or colors. Companies
like Lululemon have
excelled in the wom-
en’s market
because of a
focus on more
relevant modifi-
cations includ-
Figure 1. Examples of the “shrink
it and pink it approach.”13
HOW ADVENTUROUS FEMALE MILLENIALS WILL CHANGE THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY

2. ing flattering clothing cuts, high quality fabrics,
and attention to detail (stitching, fasteners, and
zippers). These elements make Lululemon’s
products appropriate for both an early morning
workout or a night out on the town.
Companies that skillfully combine fashion with
functionality will acquire a loyal following of
female customers.
GIRLS DAY OUT
Meeting the needs of female consumers doesn’t
end with product design. Companies can engage
female customers by providing opportunities
for women to use the products they sell.
The Outdoor Industry Foundation found that
one of the key barriers to women’s participa-
tion in the outdoors was inexperience. Thir-
ty-four percent of women felt they didn’t have
the know-how needed for outdoor activities.5
To help women feel confident participating in
the outdoors, companies like REI and L.L. Bean
offer “Women’s-Only Adventures.” Their events
include courses in stand-up paddleboarding,
fly fishing, rock climbing, mountain biking, and
shotgun sports.
These programs help women learn valuable
skills and meet inspiring mentors. But, more
importantly, the events help build brand equity
and develop a base of loyal female customers.
HIRE MORE WOMEN
Ultimately, to make lasting changes, companies
will benefit from hiring more female profes-
sionals. Women working in the outdoor indus-
try can provide the insight necessary to reach
the powerful sector of women consumers.
In an article published in SGB Weekly (an out-
door retail journal), president of Burton Snow-
boards Donna Burton Carpenter highlighted the
lack of women leaders in the outdoor industry.
She remarked, “90 percent of the resumes we
get are from men. Even at Roxy [a female-spe-
cific outdoor apparel company], the president
and the VP of marketing and sales are all men.
Columbia’s entire senior management team is
men. As an industry, we are
pretty male-dominated.”7
Yet multiple studies
show that
companies with
more women in
leadership
positions have
superior
financial
performance.
Catalyst, a nonprofit
organization that
promotes women and
business, studied 353 Fortune 500 companies
over 5 years. Companies with the most
women in senior management positions had a
35% higher return on equity.9
Researchers from
Carnegie Melon and MIT studying teamwork
had similar findings—the highest performing
groups were also those with the most women.10
The outdoor industry is moving in the right
direction. In 2013, a team of female manufac-
turing engineering students at Brigham Young
University designed a line of women’s-specific
outdoor lighting products for Black Diamond,
which specializes in rock climbing and back-
country ski gear. Bryan Howell, the professor
How big is
the outdoor
industry?
It generates $646 billion in
annual sales—nearly double
what Americans spent on
gasoline, household utilities,
and pharmaceuticals in
2010.8
Figure 2.: Women’s -only adventures build confidence and brand equity.13

3. ACTION TIP
To join other leaders in the
outdoor industry in furthering
women’s leadership visit:
http://www.oiwc.org/page/pledge
directing the project explained that Black
Diamond is a traditionally “testosterone-driv-
en” company. Howell said the “estrogenized”
designs showed the innovation, quality, and
creativity that come when products are de-
signed for women, by women.11
More recently, in January of 2015, the CEO’s of
14 outdoor retailers including REI, Backcountry.
com, and Patagonia signed a pledge to “accel-
erate women’s leadership in their companies.”
The pledge was accompanied with a $1.5 mil-
lion grant from REI to the Outdoor Industries
Women’s Coalition to carry out pledge objec-
tives.12
RIDE THE WAVE
The steps companies take now to prepare for
the flood of female consumers could determine
whether outdoor companies “ride the wave”
or get sucked into the surf. Improving wom-
en’s-specific product designs and developing
unique approaches to engaging female consum-
ers will help companies get ahead of the tide.
Hiring more female professionals will further
solidify industry efforts to suceed in the out-
door women’s market.
References:
1) ) Daniela Yu, Linda Lyons, Amy Adkins, “Unleashing the Power of the Purse,” Gallup
Business Journal, October 17, 2014, www.gallup.com/businessjournal, accessed October
2015.
2) Compiled from: “Outdoor Participation Report” 2009-2014, The Outdoor Industry
Foundation, www.outdoorfoundation.org, accessed October 2015.
3) “Outdoor Participation Report 2014”, The Outdoor Industry Foundation, 2014, www.
outdoorfoundation.org, accessed October 2015.
4) Meaghen Brown, Axie Navas, “No More Barbie Gear,” Outside, March 13, 2015, www.
outsideonline.com, accessed December 2015.
5) “Getting<Women<Active,” The Outdoor Industry Foundation, www.outdoorfounda-
tion.org, accessed November 2015.
6) Lisa Johnson, “Beyond Pink Thinking,” Outdoor Industry Special Edition, www.
outdoorfoundation.org, accessed November 2015.
7) Cara Griffin. “Don’t Stop Now,” SGB, March 2015, Business Source Premier, accessed
November 2015.
8) “The Outdoor Recreation Economy,” Outdoor Industry Association, 2012, www.
outdoorindustry.org, accessed October 2015.
9) “The Bottom Line: Connecting Corporate Performance and Gender Diversity,” Cata-
lyst, 2004, BMO Financial Group, www.catalyst.org, accessed December 2015.
10) Anita Woolley, Thomas W. Malone, Christopher F. Chabris, “Why Some Teams are
Smarter than Others,” New York Times, January 16, 2015, www.nytimes.com, accessed
December 2015.
11) Alisha Gallagher, “Industrial design students light the future for female adventur-
ers,” BYU News Release, April 10, 2013, www.news.byu.edu, accessed October 2015.
12) “CEOs Sign OIWC Pledge to Advance Women’s Leadership in the Outdoor Industry,”
news release, January 23, 2015, on REI Co-Op Website, www.newsroom.rei.com,
accessed December 2015.
13) Image Credits--waves drawings: http://www.alschutzman.com/2010gsigirls/Images/
Waves.png ; Fig, 1: http://www.rhythmsnowsports.com.au/2015-volkl-one-pink-skis.
html, http://www.luggagepros.com/mfgr_High--Sierra/classic-2-series?cat26=260,
http://www.backcountry.com/mammut-mtr-201-trail-running-shoe-womens;
Fig. 2: http://www.llbean.com/llb/event/83618?page=womens-only-introduc-
tion-to-stand-up-paddleboarding-course.
Mallory Reese is a pre-marketing major at Brigham Young
University. She’s an avid outdoorswoman with a passion for
business. She can be reached at malloryrun@gmail.com