They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

A graph is worth millions of people.  113.6 million walkers 42.8 million enthusiasts, 21.4 %   72.2 million Cyclists 33.6 million enthusiasts, 45.8%   47.7 million Hikers 14.1 million enthusiasts, 29.6%   15.2 million Back packers 1.3 million enthusiasts, 8%

The outdoors continues to grow as a place where people will spend their time and dollars, but both retailers and services must be able to quantify who’s out there and what they're doing out there. 

There are two ways to do this:  (1) By the numbers and (2) by real time observation.  You can get a handle on who’s doing what outdoors simply by looking in your own parking lot, what are your customer's lifestyles? 

These individuals no longer drive VW micro buses, they drive Volvos, BMWs and other $30,000+ vehicles.  They want a service that will fill their expectations, which allow them to enjoy their activities with minimal hassle.

Listen to what your customers want to do and what services they are requesting.

Business, family and more activity options have changed our focus.  Our customers are no different.  We may still see ourselves in one way, but, in reality, many of us are living a whole different life.

We all have to be careful to learn from our customers and not let our own opinions get in our way.  Here's what they have to say: