Virtual Tech "Snow Peak Apparel, Sales Boosted by Increased Demand for Hiking and Camping"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] VirtualTech announced on the 26th that its subsidiary DevGroo, which launched 'Snow Peak Apparel' in February, is receiving positive responses in the market.

According to the company, as the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has prolonged recently, citizens feeling fatigued have started turning to outdoor activities such as hiking, golf, and camping, which are less affected by social distancing compared to enclosed spaces. Consequently, contrary to concerns that the outdoor industry would suffer sales declines due to reduced outings caused by social distancing measures after the COVID-19 outbreak, the industry has achieved good performance.

A company official stated, "According to domestic outdoor companies on the 24th, sales of outdoor clothing and equipment increased by up to 60% this month," adding, "Sales of footwear products such as hiking shoes by K2 surged 50% in April compared to the same period last year, and Black Yak's sales of hiking equipment increased by 60% from the 1st to the 11th of this month compared to the same period last year."

Additionally, according to the Bukhansan National Park Office, the number of hikers increased by 25% in February, 67% in March, and 78% in April compared to the same periods last year, and as of the 20th of this month, it exceeded 234,000, a 15% increase. This is interpreted as not only the existing 40s and 50s who used to hike but also people in their 20s and 30s, who felt frustrated due to the closure of sports centers caused by COVID-19, turning to the mountains.

The camping industry also saw an increase in population. According to Gmarket, in the recent month (April 22 to May 21), sales of tents usable indoors increased by 39%, folding tables by 49%, and folding camping chairs by 48% compared to the same period last year. Furthermore, analyzing sales of camping products at Emart Traders from last month 1st to this month 14th, camping goods such as tents, sleeping bags, and wagons increased by 147.6%, and barbecue products by 90.2% compared to the same period last year.

Amid this unexpected boom in the outdoor industry due to the impact of COVID-19, VirtualTech announced that its Q1 2020 sales increased by approximately 600% compared to the same period last year, influenced by the outdoor brand 'Snow Peak Apparel'. A company official said, "The recently opened official online store coincided with COVID-19, and along with the effect of contactless consumption, sales expanded due to increased demand for hiking and camping products," adding, "Not only online but also major stores such as Shinsegae Centum City recorded sales beyond expectations."

He said, "We are steadily expanding stores including major department stores in the metropolitan area, and including department stores and agency stores scheduled to open additionally, we plan to establish more than 70 distribution channels by the end of this year," adding, "The recently launched ugly shoes 'Tracker' are also receiving good responses, and as a newly launched brand this year, both distribution channels and sales are showing a smooth start, raising expectations for continuous sales growth."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.