Billboard Women in Music 2025
After seeing a surge during the pandemic, the outdoor category reached new heights with performance brands aiming to meet the needs of the consumer seeking new experiences for physical and mental health. The category, while not quite as prevalent as the world returned to a “new normal,” continues to hold meaningful opportunity today, with a savvy consumer and heightened demands.
A new research report from Yotpo, which aimed to help brands better understand consumer feedback, took a deep dive into the product reviews left by more than 51 million consumers across several categories including outdoor. With so much data, Tomer Tagrin, chief executive officer of Yotpo, told WWD that the report shows how “AI has completely changed how brands can listen to their customers,” which importantly advances “the ability for them to act based on the data to increase website conversion and drive meaningful business impact.”
“Brands can now analyze millions of real customer reviews to shape everything from product development to marketing and customer experience,” Tagrin said. “With AI, reviews are a goldmine for brands. The data proves that customers want to be heard, and the brands that act on that feedback are the ones that will earn long-term loyalty.”
One of the more surprising finds within Yotpo’s data, said Tagrin, is that consumer behavior for outdoor category has notable shifts from season to season — not only in what activity they are shopping for, but the level of detail needed in a product description. While winter outdoor shoppers indicate that they want to see detailed performance reviews, summer shoppers rely more heavily on visuals.
“Brands must adjust their marketing strategies seasonally, with customer photos and detailed testimonials to showcase performance and features in different weather conditions,” Tagrin said.
Overall, Yotpo’s analysis found that today’s outdoor consumer is prioritizing functionality and durability with details making a huge difference.
For example, backpacks — a product type that generally scores very high in reviews — when pockets are added the product hits a 97 percent positive sentiment rate. The authors of the report said the finding shows the need for retailers to clearly list the number and location of pockets for the consumer to win, adding that shoppers react well to details like these.
“One of the most compelling insights from our [report] is how practicality shapes purchasing decisions in outdoor products,” Tagrin said. “For example, backpacks with multiple pockets [prove] that shoppers prioritize organization and convenience over purely aesthetic factors.”
Yotpo’s data highlighted several areas for opportunity specifically for outdoor apparel including innovative textiles that provide UV protection — scoring an average of 4/5 stars from consumers with 80 percent positive sentiment in reviews. For retailers, this emphasized the need to educate shoppers on sun safety for apparel in addition to beauty and the clear benefit to consumers when a product includes detailed descriptions for lightweight and breathable features.
Green, or eco-friendly, products also typically score well with an average 3.5 out of 5 star rating and shoppers continue to praise environmental elements in reviews. Pickleball also continues to score well among consumers as the sport maintains popularity. Seventeen percent of all outdoor reviews reference Pickleball gear.
“The key lesson for brands is that small design choices, like extra pockets or storage, can significantly influence customer satisfaction and loyalty,” Tagrin said. “Consumers today expect outdoor gear that enhances their experience, from waterproof ratings to true tent sizes.”
