Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Market set to reach £7.2 billion in 2018
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- Figure 1: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK value sales of sports and outdoor fashion, 2013-23
- Sustained interest in sports participation
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- Figure 2: active adults taking part in sports or physical activity at least twice over a 28-day period, millions of people, 2016-18
- Clothing and footwear boosted by hot weather
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- Figure 3: Annual percentage change in leading category retail sales at current prices, non-seasonally adjusted, by month, 2018
- Companies and brands
- Sports Direct is market leader
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- Figure 4: Market share of sports specialists, 2016-17
- adidas outshines Nike with new strategy
- Vans has successful year
- More activewear launches for non-specialists
- Retro brands make a comeback
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- Figure 5: Key metrics for selected brands, September 2018
- The consumer
- Trainers most popular purchase
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- Figure 6: Sportswear and outdoorwear categories purchased, September 2018
- In-store still reigns, but online catching up
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- Figure 7: Channel used for buying sports and outdoor fashion, September 2018
- Amazon is the most popular retailer after Sports Direct
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- Figure 8: Retailers where consumers have bought sports or outdoor fashion in the last 12 months, September 2018
- Price, comfort and quality most important
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- Figure 9: Top factors when choosing sports and outdoor fashion items, September 2018
- Having a wide range of items is important for retailers
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- Figure 10: Top three reasons to choose one retailer over another, September 2018
- Consumers want more versatility
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- Figure 11: Consumer behaviour towards sports and outdoor fashion, September 2018
- People trust non-specialists for sports and outdoor fashion
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- Figure 12: Attitudes towards branded and own-brand products for sports and outdoor fashion, September 2018
- Diversity is not a priority, but is important
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- Figure 13: Attitudes towards diversity in sports and outdoor fashion, September 2018
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Scope for brands and retailers to appeal to a more female audience
- The facts
- The implications
- Have we reached peak athleisure?
- The facts
- The implications
- How sports and outdoor retailers can stand out
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Market set to read £7.2 billion in 2018
- Sustained interest in sports participation
- A great year of sports
- Growth in women’s sport
- Clothing and footwear boosted by hot weather
Market Size and Forecast
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- Market set to reach £7.2 billion in 2018
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- Figure 14: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK value sales of sports and outdoor fashion, 2013-23
- Market to grow 5.4% annually until 2023
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- Figure 15: UK value sales of sports and outdoor fashion, at current and 2018 prices, 2013-23
Market Drivers
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- A great year of sports
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- Figure 16: What consumers did during the FIFA World Cup in 2018, August 2018
- Increased levels of activity
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- Figure 17: active adults taking part in sports or physical activity at least twice over a 28-day period, millions of people, 2016-18
- Growth in women’s sport
- This Girl Can: ‘Fit Got Real’
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- Figure 18: This Girl Can campaign by Sport England, 2018
- Interest in more fashionable sports gear
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- Figure 19: Rapha retro cycling collection, 2018
- Increase in domestic holidays
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- Figure 20: UK holiday taking, July 2016-July 2018
- Clothing and footwear boosted by hot weather
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- Figure 21: Annual percentage change in leading category retail sales at current prices, non-seasonally adjusted, by month, 2018
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Sports Direct is market leader – but only just
- adidas continues to outshine Nike with new strategy
- Increase in fabric innovations
- More activewear launches for non-specialists
- Sports and outdoorwear adspend on the up
- Retro brands make a comeback
Market Share
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- Sports Direct losing market share to JD Sports
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- Figure 22: Market share of sports specialists, 2016-17
- Sports footwear retailers suffering
Competitive Strategies
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- Sports brands
- Nike performance improving
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- Figure 23: Nike’s Colin Kaepernick poster, 2018
- adidas aims to achieve new strategy
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- Figure 24: adidas ‘Creating the New’ strategy, 2015
- Lifestyle retailers
- Skate brands
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- Figure 25: Converse felt collection with JW Anderson, 2018
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- Figure 26: This if Off the Wall: ‘Girls Skate India’ Vans campaign, 2018
- Winter outdoor brands
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Experiential shopping
- The North Face Alpine Pop-up
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- Figure 27: The North Face pop-up in Val San Nicolò, in the Italian Alps, July 2018.
- NikeLab Tech Pack
- Nike’s new New York City flagship is its most innovative yet
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- Figure 28: Nike’s new flagship store in New York, 2018
- adidas aim to combat plastic pollution
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- Figure 29: Stella McCartney x Stan Smith, 2018
- Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop launches London pop-up
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- Figure 30: Wellness store Goop, 2018
- Fabric Innovations
- Twentyfour15 Optic Bomber
- Vollebak solar charged jacket
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- Figure 31: Vollebak solar charged jacket
- Spider silk Moon Parka ski jacket by The North Face
- Columbia’s OutDry Ex Eco Shell revolutionizes eco-friendly outerwear
- Converse waterproof collection
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- Figure 32: Converse Mountain Club capsule collection, 2018
- adidas collaborates with main transport links
- Ticket to ride
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- Figure 33: adidas EQT Support 93 / Berlin collaboration, July 2018
- adidas x TfL
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- Figure 34: adidas Originals for TfL, 2018
- Active-wear Launches
- H&M launches circular active-wear range
- Amazon launches its own active-wear label
- Venus Williams launches inclusive sportswear range EleVen
- Marie Claire Sport
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- Figure 35: Marie Claire Sport, 2018
- Collaborations
- Disney x ASICS
- Fendi x Fila
- Rapha x Apple
- NASA x Vans
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- Figure 36: Vans x Space Voyager shoes, 2018
- Events
- New balance is watching you
- Nike uses 3D printing to create the lightest possible trainer
- Nike Reactland
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- Figure 37: Nike’s Reactland, July 2018
- Converse One Star Hotel
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- Figure 38: MadeMe designer Erin Magee in her themed room at the One Star Hotel, 2018
- Puma’s ‘House of Hustle’: getting it wrong
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Increase in sportswear and outdoor wear adspend
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- Figure 39: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on sports and outdoor fashion, 2014-18
- adidas top spender
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- Figure 40: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on sports clothing and footwear, top 15 spenders, 2014-18
- Inclusive and empowering campaigns
- The North Face “She Moves Mountains” campaign
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- Figure 41: The North Face ‘She Moves Mountains’ campaign, April 2018
- adidas “Create The Answer” FIFA World Cup campaign
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- Figure 42: Stills from adidas’ “create the answer” FIFA World Cup campaign, June 2018
- New Balance
- Half of advertising is via digital
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- Figure 43: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on sports and outdoor fashion, by media type, 2015-18
- Figure 44: Total above-the-line, online display, and direct mail advertising expenditure on sportswear, by media type, 2018
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Brand Research
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- What you need to know
- Brand map
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- Figure 45: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, September 2018
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 46: Key metrics for selected brands, September 2018
- Brand attitudes: Retro brands perceived to offer good value for money
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- Figure 47: Attitudes, by brand, September 2018
- Brand personality: The North Face and Timberland seen as fun
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- Figure 48: Brand personality – Macro image, September 2018
- Retro Brands are overrated but The North Face and Patagonia are cutting edge
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- Figure 49: Brand personality – Micro image, September 2018
- Brand analysis
- The North Face is the most trusted
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- Figure 50: User profile of The North Face, September 2018
- Patagonia considered the most ethical
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- Figure 51: User profile of Patagonia, September 2018
- Timberland shows highest awareness
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- Figure 52: User profile of Timberland, September 2018
- Champion targets millennial consumers
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- Figure 53: User profile of Champion, September 2018
- Fila has more trust from males
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- Figure 54: User profile of Fila, September 2018
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Trainers most popular purchase
- In-store still reigns, but online catching up
- Amazon is the most popular retailer after Sports Direct
- Price, comfort and quality most important
- Range of items important for retailers
- Consumers desire versatile items
- Diversity needed
Items Bought
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- Trainers remain most popular purchase
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- Figure 55: Sportswear and outdoorwear categories purchased, September 2018
- Sports and outdoor fashion items still fit gender stereotypes
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- Figure 56: Sportswear and outdoorwear categories purchased, by gender, September 2018
- Figure 57: OHMME yoga clothing for men, 2018
- Sweatshirt and trainers least likely to have been bought for sports use
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- Figure 58: Reasons for purchasing sports and outdoor fashion items, crossed by items bought, September 2018
- Three quarters of swimwear purchasers bought for casual use
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- Figure 59: Speedo Disney collaboration, 2018
- Younger consumers are heaviest users of sports and outdoor fashion
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- Figure 60: Repertoire of sportswear products bought by demographics, September 2018
Retailers and Channels Used
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- In-store still taking lions share, but online catching up
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- Figure 61: Channel used for buying sports and outdoor fashion, September 2018
- Sports Direct the most popular retailer while JD Sports comes in third
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- Figure 62: Retailers where consumers have bought sports or outdoor fashion in the last 12 months, September 2018
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- Figure 63: People who have bought from Sports Direct or JD Sports, by location, September 2018
- Men more drawn to Amazon, women to fashion retailers
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- Figure 64: Consumers who have bought sports or outdoor fashion from Amazon or fashion retailers in the last 12 months, by age and gender, September 2018
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- Figure 65: Amazon’s Aurique activewear range for women, 2018
- adidas could do more to attract female buyers
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- Figure 66: Consumer who have bought sports or outdoor fashion from Nike or adidas in the last 12 months, by gender, September 2018
- Figure 67: Nike’s partnership with England Netball,2018
- Outdoor retailers appeal to widest demographic
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- Figure 68: Consumers who have bought sports or outdoor fashion from an outdoor retailer in the last 12 months, by age and gender, September 2018
- Figure 69: Mountain Warehouse promotional materials, 2018
- Younger shoppers less loyal
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- Figure 70: Repertoire of retailers used to buy sportswear, by age, September 2018
Important Factors when Choosing Items
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- Price, comfort and quality all come top…
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- Figure 71: Top factors when choosing sports and outdoor fashion items, September 2018
- …particularly for older age groups
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- Figure 72: Top three factors when choosing sports and outdoor fashion items, by age, September 2018
- Younger age groups more interested in technical aspects
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- Figure 73: Other important factors when choosing sports and outdoor fashion items, by age, September 2018
How Consumers Decide Where to Shop
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- Value for money is a must
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- Figure 74: Top three reasons to choose one retailer over another, September 2018
- Range of items brings customers in
Behaviours towards Sports and Outdoor Fashion
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- Desire for versatility
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- Figure 75: PATTERNITY and John Lewis athleisure and homeware, 2018
- Figure 76: Consumer behaviour towards sports and outdoor fashion, September 2018
- Collaborations still pique consumers’ interest
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- Figure 77: FENDI MANIA collection, 2018
- Retro brands making a comeback
- Young shoppers inspired by sporting events
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- Figure 78: Big sporting events inspire me to buy more sportswear, by age and gender, September 2018
- Millennial’s likely to blur the lines between formal and informal dress
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- Figure 79: People who would wear sportswear for more formal occasions, by generation, September 2018
- Figure 80: Serena Williams at the Royal Wedding, 2018
Attitudes towards Sports and Outdoor Fashion
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- People happy to purchase sportswear from non-specialists
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- Figure 81: Attitudes towards branded and own-brand products for sports and outdoor fashion, September 2018
- Events appeal to those who are better off financially
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- Figure 82: Attitudes towards retailers or brands organising more sporting events, September 2018
- More diversity needed
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- Figure 83: Attitudes towards diversity in sports and outdoor fashion, September 2018
- Plus-size clothing
- Diversity in advertising
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- Figure 84: ASICS teams up with Elite models, 2018
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- Figure 85: Sports Direct in-store signage, 2018
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Financial definitions
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Forecast methodology
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- Figure 86: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK value sales of sports and outdoor fashion, 2018-23
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