Not long ago, outdoor brands primarily catered to “core” enthusiasts—those who hike, fish, hunt, or climb every weekend. However, in 2025, casual adventurers are driving significant growth in the industry.

A record 176 million Americans participated in outdoor activities in 2023, marking an all-time high and expanding the customer base. These ‘casual adventurers’ contribute substantially to adventure sports, and their shopping behaviors and expectations from outdoor brands have shifted dramatically.

The Rise of Everyday Adventurers in Outdoor Ecommerce

Millions of people who got into outdoor hobbies during the pandemic are still out there, even if less frequently than the hardcore crowd. In fact, as many as 15 million new U.S. outdoor participants since 2020 are fueling a boom in everyday outdoor products. 

For instance, insulated drinkware sales jumped 84% in 2023 to $630 million, alongside spikes in casual outdoor apparel and running shoes. These consumers may not be scaling Everest, but they do want products that blend outdoor functionality with everyday life. 

Successful brands have taken notice, shifting focus to casual lifestyle gear over ultra-technical equipment, which experienced declines last year. This mainstreaming of the outdoors is also generational: 67% of young people now consider themselves “outdoorsy,” and 80% of Gen Z and Millennials desire to spend more time outdoors. 

Brands like Cotopaxi and Hoka have capitalized on this trend by offering colorful, stylish gear that performs on the trail and fits into day-to-day fashion.

Key Takeaway: Outdoor brands embracing the “casual adventurer” with approachable products, modern style, and inclusive marketing are capturing a broader audience. This growth strategy is transforming formerly niche players into mainstream success stories. It’s essential not to cling solely to the traditional core; the new outdoor consumer is here to stay and ready to shop.

Online and Offline – the Key Is To Be Everywhere

Many DTC outdoor brands are proving that owning your sales channel is a recipe for rapid growth. By selling direct-to-consumer (often via their own e-commerce sites), outdoor companies can control their brand story, gather customer data, and enjoy higher margins. 

Brands like Cotopaxi, Arc’teryx, and Stanley, all strong in DTC, have reported double or triple-digit growth recently. They’ve built robust online storefronts and social followings that drive sales without relying solely on third-party retailers.

In 2025, the most savy brands blend online and offline into an omnichannel experience. Despite the digital surge, 85% of consumers still crave the tactile in-store shopping experience for certain products. Forward-thinking outdoor brands are complementing their DTC websites with physical touchpoints: pop-up shops, experience-driven flagship stores, or strategic wholesale partnerships. 

Even digitally native brands like Cotopaxi have opened brick-and-mortar stores as “experience centers” to build community and let customers see products in person.

The new reality is that successful outdoor brands meet customers wherever they are, seamlessly integrating online and offline experiences.

Social Commerce is Today’s Outdoor Storefront

A recent survey by Statista indicates that in 2025, 69% of Gen Z consumers discover new products via social media influencers – a staggering shift highlighting the power of the social feeds. In the outdoor sector, where visuals of stunning vistas and epic adventures reign, platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are goldmines for customer engagement. 

Short-form video now dominates content marketing, delivering both visibility and ROI. 8 in 10 consumers prefer to see more videos from brands, and companies are seeing great returns on these snackable clips.

Successful outdoor brands are embracing this trend, flooding social channels with trail running clips, fishing how-tos, hunting gear demos, and behind-the-scenes looks at athletes and ambassadors. The result? Massive organic reach and viral moments that translate to e-commerce sales.

For example, Stanley’s quencher tumbler became a TikTok sensation when a video showed it surviving a car fire unscathed. The ensuing craze boosted Stanley’s annual sales from about $75 million to $750 million by 2023, proving just how explosive social buzz can be. 

Brands that create shareable moments can capture lightning in a bottle. Outdoor companies in 2025 are actively collaborating with influencers to showcase their products authentically. These partnerships foster trust and authenticity–crucial because outdoorsy consumers value credibility. Micro-influencers, in particular, can have outsized influence in niche communities, providing peer-like recommendations that drive followers to purchase.

Beyond influencer posts, social commerce features are taking off. Instagram and Facebook Shops, Pinterest Product Pins, and TikTok’s shopping integrations let customers buy the cool hiking jacket they just saw without ever leaving the app. And with nearly 40% of Gen Z using social media as a search engine over Google for product searches, outdoor brands treating social media as both a top-of-funnel discovery tool and a viable sales channel are seeing the most success.

Action Point: Engage fans with genuine storytelling—not just ads—and make it effortless for inspired viewers to become customers. If your brand isn’t leveraging social commerce and influencer communities, you are missing out on a huge tribe of digitally native outdoor enthusiasts.

E-commerce Innovation: Personalization and Immersive Tech

Selling outdoor apparel and equipment online in 2025 goes far beyond posting product photos on a webpage. Leading brands are investing in e-commerce innovations to bring the in-store experience to the customer’s screen. A big part of this is personalization. 

Shoppers expect brands to know and cater to their interests, overwhelmingly favoring personalized experiences. Top outdoor retailers are harnessing customer data to deliver tailored recommendations and content. Many brands are using AI-driven engines to analyze browsing and purchase history, so the climber sees climbing gear first, and the camper sees camping gear. This level of curation simplifies shopping and boosts conversion rates—effective personalization can lift e-commerce revenues by over 10%. 

Additionally, the rise of AR/VR and interactive shopping is helping outdoor brands position themselves uniquely. Imagine virtually “trying on” a backpack or pair of hiking boots to ensure the fit, or using your phone’s AR to project a 3D tent into your backyard to gauge its size.

Hunting and fishing gear companies are leveraging VR to let consumers virtually test equipment in lifelike environments. Augmented reality allows a hunter to visualize how a tree stand or blind would set up on their property, or a kayaker to see a kayak at scale in their garage before buying. These experiences aren’t mere gimmicks; they address real customer pain points:

• Will this fit me?
• Will it work in my space?

By reducing the uncertainty of buying gear online, these technologies enhance customer confidence. 

Furthermore, live shopping events and AI chatbots are emerging as e-commerce game-changers. Forward-thinking outdoor brands host live-streamed demos—for example, a camping gear brand might run a live YouTube or TikTok session showcasing a new tent’s features, with viewers able to ask questions in real-time and purchase on the spot. When customers have questions at 10 PM on your website, AI-powered assistants can provide instant answers (“What temperature is this sleeping bag rated for?”) and guide them toward a purchase.

Objective: The end goal of these innovations is to make the online shopping journey as engaging, informative, and confidence-inspiring as walking into a well-stocked outdoor store—if not more so. Successful brands in 2025 are using technology to remove friction and add delight to the buying process, turning curious browsers into satisfied buyers.

Building Outdoor Communities That Convert

The outdoor lifestyle inherently fosters community—hiking clubs, climbing gyms, hunting buddy groups. Top outdoor brands are tapping into this camaraderie by building communities around their products and missions. In 2025, marketing transcends transactions; it’s about cultivating relationships.

Community-building has become a cornerstone of outdoor brand growth strategies because loyal fans are invaluable. Brands are fostering connections through social media groups, ambassador programs, and loyalty clubs that make customers feel part of an insider tribe.

Smart brands are also implementing loyalty programs and membership perks to reward repeat buyers. Whether it’s points, discounts, or VIP early access to new fishing lures or hunting accessories, these programs encourage customers to remain engaged. 

REI’s Co-op Membership is a textbook example—offering annual dividends, member-only sales, and exclusive events that keep fans coming back. When people feel appreciated, they’re more likely to refer friends and family – and personal recommendations remain marketing gold. In fact, community and word-of-mouth are often more persuasive than any ad campaign.

Crucially, building community requires authenticity. It means engaging back: responding to comments, highlighting customer stories, and sometimes even co-creating products based on community feedback. By encouraging user-generated content and conversations, outdoor brands create a virtuous cycle – customers inspire each other, which drives more interest and sales.

Bottom line: In 2025, the strongest outdoor brands don’t just sell gear—they foster belonging.

Now Is Your Moment

The outdoor industry in 2025 is thriving—but not by sticking to old playbooks. Successful brands are:

• Welcoming casual adventurers with inclusive, lifestyle-oriented products
• Offering a blended, omnichannel shopping experience—both online and in person
• Embracing social commerce and influencer partnerships for authentic engagement
• Innovating with personalized content, AR/VR tools, and interactive shopping
• Cultivating tight-knit communities that fuel long-term loyalty

Outdoor ecommerce isn’t just about selling a jacket or a kayak—it’s about connecting with real people who crave freedom, exploration, and authenticity.

In 2025, brands that lean into this mindset are finding more than just growth—they’re building something that lasts.

The good news is, it’s not too late for your brand to do the same. Adapting to these trends might feel daunting, but that’s where the right partner can make all the difference. Join Algofy today, and we’ll help your outdoor brand harness these strategies — blending passion with data-driven execution to elevate your ecommerce performance.