Megatrend: Consumer Lifestyle Shift to Urban Outdoorsmen

Of the many trends accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic in the US and Europe, the sharp increase in city-dwellers seeking outdoor experiences presents a notable opportunity for brands. As urban and outdoor lifestyles coalesce, young urban consumers now seek to integrate a growing interest in outdoor activities with their city lifestyles for a cohesive urban-outdoor lifestyle. After a year of COVID-19 restrictions, early claims of permanent urban flight are now largely contested. More significant than people moving away from cities are the extended visits to natural settings and the rise in popularity of activities like hiking, bird watching, and biking. Further, the rippling impacts of the global Black Lives Matter movement provoke a reconsideration of traditionally whitewashed spaces like climbing, fishing, camping. A campaign to “Diversify the Outdoors” sees the widespread advocacy of People of Color in outdoor spaces with community groups like Team Onyx, the first all-Black professional expedition team. With a mission to make adventure sports more inclusive of BIPOC and LGBTQ communities, Team Onyx competes in expedition races in all areas including swimming, surfing, rowing, climbing, running, and biking. Another notable group is Hike Clerb, an intersectional womxn’s hike club in Los Angeles. Their mission is to make hiking more accessible and approachable for womxn of all backgrounds and abilities, emphasizing group healing of a community hike. Groups like these exemplify that Millennials and Gen Zs are increasingly demanding diversity and inclusivity as a core element of cultural identity. Diverse and accessible narratives and influencers liberate consumers to openly explore their passions and expand their identities—making outdoor spaces more accessible to new consumer cohorts. As demand for wellness gains omnipresence, post-pandemic consumers will seek activity, connection, and healing in nature without surrendering their interests and aspects of identity rooted in urban life.