"From Green to Court, Back to the Mountains"… Outdoor Brands Climb Peaks Following MZ Trends

MZ Generation's Hiking Craze, 인증 Shots at Mountain Summits
Lotte, Shinsegae, Hyundai Department Stores Outdoor Sales Up 40%
Outdoor Trends Adding 'Function' and 'Style'
New Brands Launched, New Products Emphasizing Everyday Use

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] ‘#hiking’ 5.03 million, ‘#hikingstagram’ 1.35 million, ‘#hikingfashion’ 97,000, ‘#hikinglook’ 36,000….

Following golf and tennis, hiking has established itself as the ‘main trend’ among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z). Despite living in a busy modern society, enjoying exercise in spare moments and taking care of oneself is recognized as a stylish way of life. As a result, posts with hiking-related hashtags on social networking services (SNS) such as Instagram have exceeded 7 million.

Compared to golf and tennis, which expanded their user base to people in their 20s and 30s after COVID-19, hiking has a lower entry barrier and is relatively free from the need for prior practice, venue reservations, or equipment preparation. The MZ generation, with fewer distractions, focuses on ‘fashion’ when preparing for hiking. Wearing a ‘hiking look’ and sharing certification shots of reaching the summit on SNS completes this hobby activity. This MZ generation ‘hiking craze’ has recently led to a significant increase in department store outdoor sales. Outdoor brands are also launching highly practical new products tailored to the tastes of the MZ generation one after another.

Off-Road 2022 Fall/Winter (F/W) Lookbook.

◇Department Store Outdoor Sales Jump 40%

According to the distribution industry on the 24th, since social distancing measures due to COVID-19 were lifted and outdoor activities began in earnest from May to the 21st of this month, Lotte Department Store’s outdoor sales rose 40% compared to the same period last year. During this period, outdoor sales at Shinsegae Department Store and Hyundai Department Store also increased by 41.8% and 39.5%, respectively.

While brightly colored outdoor wear was a trend among the 50s and 60s generations emphasizing ‘function’ in the past, recently, outdoor products that add ‘style’ to function have become popular mainly among people in their 20s and 30s. Among the practicality-focused MZ generation, products that are clearly hiking clothes but can be worn comfortably in daily life, not just for hiking, are gaining attention. This preference is a continuation of the ‘one-mile wear’ trend during the COVID-19 period, when formal outings were rare and comfortable clothes suitable for wearing near home were popular. In fact, brands emphasizing ‘lifestyle outdoor’ wear that can be worn in daily life, such as Discovery, National Geographic, and Patagonia, saw sales increase by more than 70% during the same period at Lotte Department Store, greatly surpassing the overall outdoor sales growth rate. One out of three customers who purchased these brands were in their 20s and 30s.

K2 2022 Fall/Winter (F/W) Lookbook.

◇Distribution Industry Reflects MZ Trends, Adapts Accordingly

The distribution industry is also moving quickly to reflect these MZ generation trends. Ahead of the autumn hiking season, department stores are launching new outdoor brands and are considering expanding the outdoor category reflecting hiking trends in future store renovations.

Lotte Department Store is exclusively launching the outdoor brand ‘Offroad’ for the autumn hiking season, sequentially introducing it at six stores nationwide. ‘Doknipmun,’ a 75-year-old fashion specialist company, has partnered with Lotte Department Store to newly launch this contemporary outdoor brand. Following the grand opening at Suwon store on the 23rd, it will open at Jamsil store on the 25th. It will also be introduced at Ulsan, Incheon, Dongtan, and Busan main stores by September 1. Lotte Department Store stated, "We will target the MZ generation, who value natural usability in daily life, by simultaneously offering an ‘outdoor line’ equipped with functions necessary for outdoor activities such as hiking and camping, and an ‘urban line’ featuring sophisticated and stylish designs characteristic of contemporary fashion."

Brands are also targeting the MZ generation by strengthening functionality while introducing new products with designs that are ‘outdoor-like but not obviously outdoor,’ suitable for various situations. K2 recently reflected MZ generation trends by incorporating two concepts?‘relaxed mood in everyday spaces’ and ‘vibrant outdoor scenes’?into their fall/winter catalog featuring new products such as Bichon fleece down and Thin Air down. The North Face emphasized that its new fall product, the Novelty Eco Gore-Tex Mountain Jacket, can be used not only for outdoor activities but also as a fashion item in daily life. Black Yak’s Macaron Fleece, available for pre-sale until the 12th of next month, uses durable Cordura material, making it suitable for outdoor activities or as a hooded casual outfit for everyday outings.

A distribution industry official said, "As we passed through COVID-19, a trend emerged among the MZ generation that comfortable and natural attire is rather stylish, leading outdoor brands to prefer natural designs that break boundaries while maintaining functionality. With camping followed by hiking becoming popular among the MZ generation, this trend is expected to strengthen further."

The North Face 'Novelty Eco Gore-Tex Mountain Jacket' Photoshoot.

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