Staycation Britain: sudden surge in camping gear sales as weather hots up

· PriceSpy.co.uk reports a 77% uplift in popularity of camping equipment
· Staycation plans on the up as uncertainty over quarantine continues
· Interest in bikes has increased 113% compared to 2019
· 410% year-on-year surge in popularity of electric scooters
· Golfing slower to return to 2019 levels

With a question mark hanging over foreign holidays this summer, plans for the great British getaway are on the rise, with interest in buying camping equipment soaring in recent weeks. These findings come from new research by impartial price and product comparison service PriceSpy.

 

Figure 1: Rise in clicks on camping equipment compared to previous 14-day period

Getting active
The gradual relaxation of lockdown guidelines, and recommendations from the government on commuting, also seem to be affecting the exercise choices shoppers are making. Interest in bikes has risen by 113% compared to last year; 50% up on the last 14 days. And perhaps pre-empting hinted changes to legislation, there was a 410% year-on-year increase in clicks on electric scooters; 164% up on the last 14 days.

 

Stay alert or stay home
While golfers are now allowed back on the course, and runners are free to pound the pavement, there are some interesting quirks in these areas. Interest in golf clubs has gone up over the last 14 days, with 39% more people viewing these items, but remains 75% lower when compared to the same period last year. And although interest in treadmills is gradually slowing, it is still 617% higher than 2019. Board games remain popular, with a 72% increase in clicks during the last 14 days.

Olof Karp, PriceSpy UK managing director, said: “As the weather improves, UK consumers are looking to make as much of sunshine as they possibly can. While overall interest in many products remains supressed compared to last year, there has been an obvious shift in the last two weeks. It seems likely this is coupled with recent government updates on lockdown measures and temperatures staying consistently high.

“With the shops and pubs shut, the parks, gardens and beaches are full with Brits seeking to stay fit, spend time with family and friends, or even venture into the great outdoors.”

 

ENDS

Notes to editor:
PriceSpy’s data includes product popularity statistics from May 2019 compared to May 2020 and pricing data May 8th to May 21st 2020.

Media enquiries
For more information or to request any imagery:
Ailene Barr / 07964 192 349 / ailene@milkandhoneypr.com Lizzie Elkin / 07824 832 106 / lizzie@milkandhoneypr.com

About PriceSpy
PriceSpy is a comprehensive price & product comparison service used by millions of consumers every month. It helps consumers find, discover, research and compare products.

PriceSpy has 5,520,000 indexed prices, 829,000 products, 6,910,000 product properties, along with hundreds of thousands of product and shop ratings. Providing a fully impartial comparison service for consumers and a deep depository of price data for retailers. Prisjakt launched in the year 2000 and is Sweden's largest price comparison service. The service is known in Sweden and Norway as Prisjakt, and in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand as PriceSpy. 

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