The market for sports articles will return to a growth path in 2021
The coronavirus pandemic, and especially the introduced lockdown and other restrictions in response to it, caused a negative dynamics in the retail trade of sporting goods in 2020. The market is expected to rebound in 2021, with record-breaking dynamics in recent years, reaching nearly 10%, according to a report by research company PMR.
The decline in the value of sporting goods sales in 2020 was relatively low compared to other segments of retail trade analyzed by PMR. This was due, among other factors, to the popularization of amateur sports during the lockdown and the closure of sports facilities, the casualization of fashion (tracksuits, sneakers), as well as the increased popularity of outdoor activities and camping tourism as a form of leisure.
Find comprehensive information about the current state of the Polish sports goods market in the PMR report:
The internet is the biggest sales channel for sporting goods
The coronavirus pandemic caused record-breaking growth in online sales, and the market for sporting goods was no exception. Online sales in the analyzed segment increased by almost 50%. As a result, the internet (sales through e-stores and online platforms) became the largest channel in the sports products market, with a market share of nearly 36% in 2020.
In 2021, the dynamics of the e-commerce channel will slow down due to a high base. However, according to PMR forecasts, the online channel will still have the highest dynamics among all channels in the sporting goods market. Sales in online stores (due to the development of offerings by major players) as well as on platforms (such as Allegro, Amazon, Empik Marketplace, Decathlon, and Intersport) will grow dynamically.
The trend of tracksuits and sneakers
The trends of loosening dress codes, motivating retailers to expand their offerings of casual clothing, and the “sneakerization” of everyday or sports footwear accelerated in 2020.
Remote work and the wider concept of home-centricity have drastically changed our consumer habits, not only in terms of the choice of channels for making purchases but also in terms of the product offerings we choose. Consumers are more likely to opt for comfortable clothing, including tracksuits, and pay more attention to choosing “at-home” attire.
More than half (52%) of the respondents in PMR’s August 2021 survey, who purchase clothing or footwear, claim that they pay more attention to the comfort of the products they buy compared to before the pandemic. This is stated more frequently by women (56% compared to 46% among men) and residents of the largest cities (61%).
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