The market for sportswear is continuing a rapid climb with the UK market nudging £6 billion in figures published this week by Market Analysts Key Note, and forecast to grow another 40% in the next four years.
This is despite the fact that the number of people participating in sport in Britain is at best static and actually dropped by 220,000 to 15.5 million in the last six months.
Two thirds of the nation are also classified as overweight so the sportswear is obviously being used for areas other than a punishing sports fitness regime.
‘AthLeisure’ is one of those horrible mashed up words but one that serves a purpose in identifying a key trend.
“Crossover between sport and fashion is very evident this year in footwear especially,” said Debbie Byrne from Lifestyle Sports.
“Strong innovation from Nike with their Nike Free brand and Adidas with ZX Flux have been big sellers while Converse and New Balance have taken off again with fashion conscious teens and older groups.”
Key Note highlights the success of Sport England’s ‘This Girl Can’ campaign in promoting women to get active regardless of how they think they might look sweating or red-faced.
This is driving faster growth in the women’s sector than the men’s.
Nike’s first women’s-only European store was unveiled in Chelsea in 2015, while female sportswear stores Sweaty Betty and lululemon are rolling out stores across the US and UK to capture a burgeoning market.
Big fashion retailers like Gap with Athlete and H&M are also becoming players in the sportswear market.
Women are to the fore here as well with H&M opening up a Sports branded section in 180 Women’s stores and 100 Men’s in the past year.
“The market is growing fast, aided by collaboration with music artists like Rita Ora and Kanye West,” added Byrne, “and the good thing is that it is growth on top of regular growth in sportswear driven by the big teams including Ireland at the Rugby World Cup and Manchester United’s new Adidas kit.
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