What you need to know

Growth in the sportswear market in the UK is being driven by a trend for sporty clothing and footwear being worn both for sports and as leisurewear. Women are also showing more interest in the market and brands are responding by designing more stylish female sportswear.

The sportswear market is seeing increased competition as sports brands open stores and clothing retailers including New Look, Topshop and Boohoo all look to grab a share of the sector.

As young people are the biggest sportswear buyers and the most interested in innovation, there are opportunities for sports specialists to stand out in the market as being innovative by selling sports clothing and footwear that incorporates wearable technology. While the market for wearable technology is still niche, there is rising interest in technology that is less visible than a wrist-worn device and doesn’t get in the way.

Products covered in this report

This report examines the sports clothing and footwear market and includes:

  • Sports clothing, eg tracksuits, joggers, hoodies, T-shirts, leggings, football kit, etc

  • Sports footwear, eg trainers, running shoes, football boots, ski boots, etc

All items of clothing and footwear that are specifically designed for sport are included, whether these items are worn when participating in a particular sport or worn as casualwear, as well as sporty styles of clothing such as hoodies. This includes items carrying a well-known branded logo and items produced under a clothing retailer’s own-label.

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