Table of Contents
Overview
-
- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
-
- The issues
- Obesity worsens in an aging society
-
- Figure 1: Percentage of adults 20 or older* who are overweight or obese, 1999-2002 and 2011-14
- Are brands getting lost in an activewear abyss?
-
- Figure 2: Correspondence analysis – Favorite brands, July 2016
- Market is saturating
-
- Figure 3: Reasons for buying activewear, July 2016
- The opportunities
- Focus on the most active: young affluents
-
- Figure 4: Purchase incidence, by exercise frequency, July 2016
- Understand the role of branding
-
- Figure 5: Attitudes toward activewear brands, by custom groups, July 2016
- Tie clothing back to an experience
-
- Figure 6: Store preferences, by generation, July 2016
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
-
- Population growth expected among key buyers
- Apparel is down in a stable economy
- Obesity rates are going in the wrong direction
- A more health-conscious America?
Market Factors
-
- Population growth expected among 25-44-year-olds
-
- Figure 7: Population by age, 2011-21
- Opportunity to grow penetration among multicultural segments
-
- Figure 8: Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2011-21
- Economy stable; consumer confidence remains high
-
- Figure 9: Consumer confidence and unemployment, 2007-August 2016*
- Apparel industry at large seeing softness
- Nearly three out of four Americans are overweight or obese
-
- Figure 10: Percentage of adults 20 or older* who are overweight or obese, 1999-2014
Market Perspective
-
- Global and societal shifts boost the industry but is saturation imminent?
Key Players – What You Need to Know
-
- So many brands
- Staying alive and relevant
- Sporting goods retailers stuck in the middle
- Activewear gets smarter and fancier
What’s Working?
-
- Nike a clear favorite; Lulu who?
-
- Figure 11: Correspondence analysis – Favorite brands, July 2016
-
- Figure 12: Favorite brands, July 2016
-
- Figure 13: Percentage who are unaware of listed brands, by area, July 2016
- Women becoming a targeting focal point
-
- Figure 14: Favorite brands, by gender, July 2016
- Fitness Junkies have their favorites too
-
- Figure 15: Favorite brands, by custom segments, July 2016
- Direct-to-consumer business models take over
- Ethical and environmentally friendly practices don’t go out of style
What’s Struggling?
-
- Sporting goods stores face challenging times
-
- Figure 16: Sporting goods stores shopped, by gender and age, July 2016
What’s Next?
-
- Next iterations of activewear: more technical, more technological, and more upscale
- Technical fabrics
- “Smarter” clothing
- Data driven shopping experiences
- Designer options
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
-
- Active people buy more activewear
- Exercise is not the top reason for purchase
- Enthusiasm level for fitness influences where people shop
- Comfort is king
Behaviors and Attitudes toward Fitness
-
- Average (Rank: 3)
- Above average (Rank: 4-5)
- Young men work out the most frequently
-
- Figure 17: Exercise frequency, by demographics, July 2016
- Walking is by far the most popular activity
-
- Figure 18: Types of exercise, July 2016
-
- Figure 19: Purchase incidence, by repertoire of number of fitness activities participated in regularly, July 2016
- Young women most likely to agree new fitness wear is an inspiration
- Clothes are motivating
- Clothes do not play a role
Items Purchased
-
- T-shirts and shoes top items purchased
-
- Figure 20: Items purchased, by gender, July 2016
- Involvement in activewear category correlated with exercise level
-
- Figure 21: Items purchased, by exercise frequency, July 2016
-
- Figure 22: Repertoire analysis of items purchased, July 2016
- Figure 23: Repertoire analysis of items purchased, by repertoire analysis of exercise frequency, July 2016
Consumer Segmentation
-
- Fitness Junkies (FJ)
- Casually Active and Stylish (CAS)
- Sitting Idle (SI)
-
- Figure 24: Consumer segmentation custom groups, by select demographics, July 2016
- Activewear reigns in Fitness Junkies’ closets
-
- Figure 25: Buying behavior: activewear versus other types of clothes, by custom groups, July 2016
- More
- Same
Reasons for Buying
-
- Number one reason for buying activewear is not to work out in it
-
- Figure 26: Reasons for buying activewear, July 2016
-
- Figure 27: Top reasons for purchasing athletic footwear, July 2016
- Fitness clothing can be a motivator for beginning a new fitness regime
-
- Figure 28: Reasons for purchasing activewear, by reasons for exercising, July 2016
Reasons for Not Buying
-
- “I don’t need anything” top reason for not buying activewear
-
- Figure 29: Reasons for not buying activewear, July 2016
- Cost is also a barrier
-
- Figure 30: Financial-related reasons not buying activewear, by age and household income, July 2016
Retail Channels Shopped
-
- General merchandise stores favored over specialty
-
- Figure 31: Retail channels shopped, July 2016
- Fitness Junkies seek out specialized assistance
-
- Figure 32: Select retail channels shopped, by custom groups, July 2016
- Roughly one in five buy online; mobile has ample room to grow
-
- Figure 33: Select retail channels shopped, by method of shopping, July 2016
-
- Figure 34: Select retail channels shopped, by method of shopping by generations, July 2016
- Experiences over transactions
-
- Figure 35: Preference for shopping at stores offering experience, by select demos, July 2016
- In their words
Important Attributes
-
- Comfort is the most important attribute
-
- Figure 36: Important attributes, July 2016
-
- Figure 37: Associated topics in social conversations about activewear and comfort, September 2013-16
- Are there enough plus size and big and tall options?
-
- Figure 38: Agree with comfort is an important attribute, by BMI, July 2016
- Younger women seek fashion while older women seek comfort; men interested in brand names
-
- Figure 39: Select important attributes, by gender and age, July 2016
-
- Figure 40: Attitudes toward modesty, by gender and age, July 2016
- In their words
Attitudes toward Activewear
-
- Brand name not a main driver
-
- Figure 41: Attitudes toward activewear stores and brands, by gender, July 2016
- Celebrity endorsers most appealing to young men
-
- Figure 42: Attitudes toward celebrity or athlete endorsements, by gender and age, and Hispanic origin, July 2016
- From athleticwear to daywear
-
- Figure 43: Attitudes toward occasion for wearing activewear, by generation, July 2016
Consumers’ Thoughts on Addressing Obesity
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
-
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations
- Terms
- BMI
- Custom groups
Appendix – Market
-
-
- Figure 44: GDP change from previous period, Q1 2007-Q2 2016
- Figure 45: Disposable personal income change from previous period, January 2007-July 2016
- Figure 46: US gasoline and diesel retail prices, January 2007-August 2016
-
Appendix – Consumer
-
- Correspondence analysis methodology
-
- Figure 47: Barriers to regular exercise, July 2016
-
- Figure 48: Detailed repertoire analysis of items purchased, July 2016
-
- Figure 49: Repertoire of number of fitness activities participated in regularly, July 2016
-
- Figure 50: Number of mentions of “comfort” or “comfortable” in social media, September 2013-16
Back to top