ABSTRACT: According to the Multistate Grant-funded license sales dashboard, license sales only achieved a net 1% increase from 2016 through 2021. For nearly all age groups, license sales fell. Sales to 18-24- and 25–34-year-olds fell 4% and 3% respectively, while 45-54-year-olds purchased 5% fewer licenses. The real surprise is 35-44-year-olds, whose license purchases grew 9%. This growth is organic as very few R3 efforts are systematically targeting the 35-44-year-old age group. Why are sales growing among this Gen Y/Millennial age group? Is this growth related to factors faced by 35-44-year-olds today or were they exposed to the outdoors in their youth and now finally have the opportunity to go on their own? Can any reasons driving this growth be harnessed by R3 professionals to further expand participation? This project connected with license buyers using qualitative and quantitative methods to identify reasons for this spike. Investigators developed recommendations for actions and strategies R3 professionals can implement to fuel further growth within this demographic.
