Sporting goods retailer

Decathlon store in Amritsar, India.

A sporting goods retailer or sporting goods store is a retail business selling sporting and recreational goods, including sportswear, sporting equipment and related general merchandise.[1][2]

History

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Decathlon, the world's largest sporting good retail chain,[3][4] opened its first store in Lille, France, in 1976.[5] It now has about 1700 stores in 60 countries and territories.[6]

The sector contracted globally in 2007 and 2008, due to the loss of disposable income during the Global Financial Crisis.[2]

The sector contacted again in 2020, outside China, due to restrictions on outdoor and team sports during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many brands, retailers, and manufacturers failed to return a profit, and many households reduced physical activity due to reduced disposable income. However, demand for sportwear and indoor fitness equipment remained high.[2] The sector experienced significant growth in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic.[7]

In 2021, McKinsey & Company identified a shift away from conventional bricks and mortar retail to online shops requiring more agile supply chains and experiential retail offering unique experiences.[2] In the United States, Dick's Sporting Goods began trialling concept stores with specialties, or in-store experiences like golf putting green, wellness experts, yoga classes, rock climbing, batting cages, and equipment repair services.[8][9]

In the same report, McKinsey & Company also identified a strong market for sportswear, which was becoming both more lucrative and more competitive. This was partly due to the blurring of lines between active wear and casual wear.[2]

Also in 2021, Mintel has identified three potential growth areas: women's sporting goods; men's sportswear; and the marketing of premium brands, particularly to parents.[7]

In 2022, research in the United States found consumers were planning to spend less at sporting goods retailers due to rising costs of living and other prices.[10]

By market

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Australia

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Prominent Sporting goods retailers in the Australia include 99 Bikes, Anaconda, Boating Camping and Fishing, Kathmandu, Macpac, Mountain Designs Rebel and Snowys Outdoors.

China

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In China, the sector expanded at an average rate of 16.5% a year from 2015 to 2019. The sector continued to grow in the Chinese market during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to increased physical activity by the country's growing middle class.[2]

United States

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In the United States, Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods are the largest sporting goods retailers. Walmart recorded $9.8 billion in sporting goods revenue in 2015; Dick's recorded $6.9 billion in revenue.[11]

By sports

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Golf

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Prominent golf equipment retailers in the United States include Worldwide Golf Shops, Edwin Watts Golf, Golf Galaxy, PGA Tour Superstore, and Rock Bottom Golf.

References

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  1. ^ "Sporting Good Stores definition". lawinsider.com. Law Insider Inc.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Sporting goods 2021: The next normal for an industry in flux". mckinsey.com. McKinsey & Company. 25 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Decathlon, known as 'the Aldi of activewear', will open first Aussie store in Sydney tomorrow". news.com.au. 4 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Largest Sporting Goods Retailer, Decathlon Boosts Ground-Level Distribution Visibility with LogiNext". Business Wire. 28 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Sporting Goods Retailer 'Decathlon' Launches Rapid Cross-Canada Superstore Expansion [Feature]". Retail Insider. 28 August 2019.
  6. ^ "Declaration of Extra Financial Performance". Decathlon Group. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  7. ^ a b "US Sporting Goods Retail Market Report 2021". mintel.com. Mintel.
  8. ^ Salpini, Cara (19 July 2021). "Dick's is testing 5 store concepts. Here's why". Retail Dive. Industry Dive.
  9. ^ Evans, MIchelle (7 April 2022). "How IKEA, DICK'S Sporting Goods And Adidas Are Rethinking The Store". Forbes.
  10. ^ Danziger, Pamela N (13 April 2022). "Shoppers Are Reeling From Rising Prices. Retailers Must Prepare For A Reset". Forbes.
  11. ^ "Revenue of the largest sporting goods, footwear and apparel retailers in the U.S. in 2015 (in billion U.S. dollars)". statista.com. Statista.

See also

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