The specialist sporting goods market is estimated to have enjoyed a good 2014 with the market growing by 5.6% to £4.3 billion. We expect 2015 to be another good year for the market with growth of 4.2% reflecting a more confident consumer who is more willing to spend on discretionary items.
The market is dominated by two specialists, Sports Direct and JD Sports. Combined the two account for 78% of the total market. Both businesses have grown very strongly in the past few years and have continued to gain market share. We are also seeing growth within the pureplay specialist sports goods retailers, which are estimated to have accounted for around 5% of the total market in 2014. The specialist sporting goods market is also home to a wide range of smaller chains and independents who are facing increased competition from both the major specialists as well as the non-specialists.
Our consumer data in this report highlighted that both price and a wide range of products are two of the most important factors when deciding where to shop for sporting goods. It is no surprise then that Sports Direct and Amazon were found to be the most popular destinations to purchase sporting goods: both retailers place range and price at the forefront of their brand positioning. The popularity of Amazon within our data shows how the non-specialists are putting pressure on the specialist market, with 58% of those who purchased sporting goods in the past year doing so through a non-specialist.
Areas covered in this report
This report is designed to give an overview of the UK sporting goods market. This includes market information, including a specialist sporting goods market size and forecast, as well as consumer research covering a variety of issues within the market.
Mintel defines specialist sporting goods retailers as those specialising in the sale of sports clothing, footwear, equipment and accessories. These categories are defined as:
Sports clothing, e.g. tracksuits, swimwear, hooded sweatshirts, accessories
Sports footwear, e.g. trainers, running shoes, football boots, ski boots
Sports equipment (items necessary for participation in a sporting activity), e.g. tennis racquets, golf clubs and balls, cricket bats
Sports accessories (items not necessary for participation in a sporting activity), e.g. gloves, hats, wearable technology.
For the first time in this series of reports online-only retailers (pureplays) are included within the scope of this report. This has meant that Mintel has revised its market size for the specialist sporting goods market to take into account this new segment.
Excluded from the scope of this report are specialist cycling retailers and outdoor retailers. Although excluded from the market size of this report, these two categories are examined in The Consumer section to give some context to the overall market. Also excluded are retailers specialising in the sale of boats, boating and sailing products, any other vehicle for sporting use and equipment and apparel for horse riding, hunting and shooting.
