Branded sports goods show resilience to the cost of living crisis as consumers opt for known brands that offer quality and functionality. Sportswear will continue to blend into day-to-day fashion, although less trendsetting than we saw during the pandemic.
- Sports retailing size: Mintel forecasted that consumer spending on sports goods will reach over £15,000 million in 2023.
Sports Goods Retailing Market: Challenges and Opportunities
Growth of the private-label
With sportswear now a firm part of everyday fashion, clothing retailers have branched into sports goods and threaten to take a corner of the sports goods retailing market. While sports goods buyers have an affinity to well-known brands, they are not exempt from economic squeeze, and can easily trade down.
- Sports retailing trend: 76% of consumers prefer to purchase from well-known brands than from lesser-known brands.
Build connection through guidance and advice
The pandemic highlighted the importance of both physical and mental wellbeing, and this awareness has remained heightened ever since. Consumers will continue to look to brands for fitness and wellbeing guidance, offering sports retailers opportunities to be there for consumers while promoting a brand’s values.
- Sports goods analysis: 53% of women agree that wearing branded sportswear makes them feel like they’re part of a community.
Purchase our UK Sports Goods Retailing Market Report to receive a five-year forecast, consumer behaviour analysis, and recommendations for market opportunities. Readers of this report may also be interested in our UK Sports Participation, or our range of Sports Market Research.
Topics Analysed in this Report
- The short, medium and long-term impact of the cost of living crisis on the sports goods retailing market.
- Sports goods purchased, channels to purchase, and favoured retailers.
- Attitudes towards sports goods purchasing and interactions with sports goods brands
- Interest in innovations from sports brands, including loyalty schemes and sustainable products.
Expert Insights from a Retail Analyst
This report, written by Fiona McDonald, a leading research analyst, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight trends in sports goods retailing and add expert context to the numbers.
The sportswear trend is far from over, giving sports goods brands further opportunity to expand collections to suit daily life.
Fiona McDonald
Retail Analyst
Collapse All
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- Key issues covered in this Report
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Executive Summary
- Opportunities for the sports goods market
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Graph 1: activity levels in English adults aged 16+, 2015-22
- Graph 2: factors most important when choosing a leisure activity, 2022-23
- What Consumers Want and Why
- Graph 3: sports goods purchased in the last 12 months, 2023
- Graph 4: channels used to purchase sports goods, 2023
- Graph 5: where consumers have worn sportswear the most in the last 12 months, 2023
- Graph 6: attitudes towards sports goods, 2023
- Graph 7: attitudes towards sports goods, 2023
- Graph 8: “I exercise in the same sportswear that I wear on casual occasions”, by age group, 2023
- Graph 9: interest in sports goods innovations, 2023
- Retailer activity
- Graph 10: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on sports goods, 2019-23
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Market Dynamics
- Market size
- Graph 11: estimated consumer spending on sports goods, 2018-23
- Market forecast
- Macro-economic factors
- Graph 12: CPI inflation rate, 2021-23
- Graph 13: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-23
- Graph 14: the financial confidence index, 2016-23
- Social, environmental and legal factors
- Graph 15: activity levels in English adults aged 16+, 2015-22
- Graph 16: factors most important when choosing a leisure activity, 2022-23
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What Consumers Want and Why
- Sports Goods Purchased
- Graph 17: sports goods purchased in the last 12 months, 2023
- Graph 18: sports goods purchased in the last 12 months, 2023
- Graph 19: sports goods purchased in the last 12 months, 2023
- Graph 20: sports goods purchased in the last 12 months, by gender, 2023
- Channels used to purchase sports goods
- Graph 21: channels used to purchase sports goods, 2023
- Graph 22: retailers used to purchase sports goods, 2023
- Where sportswear is worn
- Graph 23: where consumers have worn sportswear the most in the last 12 months, 2023
- Attitudes towards sports goods
- Graph 24: attitudes towards sports goods, 2023
- Graph 25: “I prefer to purchase sports goods from well-known brands (eg Nike, Adidas) than from lesser known brands”, by gender, 2023
- Graph 26: “Wearing branded sportswear makes me feel like I’m part of a community”, by gender, 2023
- Graph 27: “I exercise in the same sportswear that I wear on casual occasions”, by age group, 2023
- Graph 28: attitudes towards sports goods, 2023
- Graph 29: “I think in-store workout classes would be a good way to try a new sports good brand”, by age group, 2023
- Graph 30: “I look to sports goods brands for fitness/wellbeing guidance”, by generation, 2023
- Graph 31: “I look to sports goods brands for fitness/wellbeing guidance”, by gender, 2023
- Interest in sports goods innovations
- Graph 32: interest in sports goods innovations, 2023
- Graph 33: consumer interest in sustainable sportswear/sports goods products, 2023
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Retailer Activity
- Leading retailers
- Launch activity and innovation
- Advertising and Marketing Activity
- Graph 34: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on sports goods, 2019-23
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Brand Research
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Appendix
- Market Forecast Data and Methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Methodology
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