The demand for outdoor goods, including tents and sleeping bags, has grown significantly in Russia over the past summer, according to AliExpress, an online retail platform that enables small businesses to offer products to online shoppers internationally.
“During spring and summer, we have seen a soaring demand for goods for tourism and outdoor activities in Russia,” the company stated. For instance, from May to August, the cash flow in the camping furniture segment jumped by a factor of 15.8 times compared to the same period the previous year, for travel kits – by 7.1 times, for camping cabinets – by 2.6 times, for sleeping bags - by 59 percent, for tents - by 23 percent, for camping utensils - by 19 percent, for survival kits - by 15 percent, according to the company’s estimations.
From May to August, all-season tents, family self-opening tents for 5-6 people, hiking gas stoves, and hiking bandanas were among the most popular goods among Russian customers. The demand for other outdoor activities was also on the rise. For instance, in the skateboarding segment, sales jumped by 53 percent, in water and cycling - by 44 percent and 28 percent, respectively, fishing - by 15.5 percent, horse riding - by 13 percent. The growth was exceptional for knee pads and fishing lines.
AliExpress has attributed the growth to the quarantine restrictions embarked on in most Russian regions to slow down the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic. Most Russian hotels resumed operations only in July-August, while borders remain closed.
Aliexpress was founded in 2010 and belongs to the Chinese Alibaba Group.
Photo: © Nikita Karimov on Unsplash
