What you need to know
The sports and outdoor fashion market continues to grow, with an estimated increase of 5.9% to £7.2 billion in 2018, showing that the desire for sports clothing has not waned. As more retailers enter the market it is becoming increasingly clear that sports and outdoor fashion, or athleisure as it is often known, is not so much a trend but a permanent fixture and popular category in its own right, particularly as most purchased sports items are as fashion items rather than for sports use.
Sports Direct continues to be the market leader, but JD Sports is quickly catching up – as are non-specialist retailers, such as Amazon and fashion retailers, many of whom (including Amazon) now have an own-brand range of sportswear. Furthermore, although sports and outdoor fashion shoppers still prefer to purchase in-store, online purchasing is catching up. There is an opportunity for specialist retailers and brands to play to their strengths as specialists and bring customers in-store by providing excellent advice and customer service, as well as continuing to offer interactive events.
As the market is becoming saturated with so many different players, ranging from specialists to supermarkets, those wanting to do well must do more to stand out. There is plenty of opportunity for this, as the sports market has not embraced many aspects of diversity in the same way as the general clothing market. Most brands and retailers still do not offer plus-size sportswear, and unlike general fashion, it is currently a market skewed towards a male shopper. Additionally, there are not any sports and outdoor brands that do a lot to cater to an older customer. There is plenty of scope in this sector to attract a new type of customer and gain customer loyalty whilst doing so.
Products covered in this report
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions for sports and outdoor fashion:
Sports clothing (eg tracksuits, leggings, sports kits, etc)
Sports footwear (eg trainers, running shoes, etc)
All items of clothing and footwear that are designed for sport are included, regardless of whether these items were worn when participating in a sporting activity or worn as casualwear. This includes items from well-known brands as well as high street sportswear.
