Sports Clothing and Footwear
Report description
Sportswear has been firmly established as a type of casual clothing or `leisurewear' since the 1980s, and this places it within the broader markets for clothing and footwear. In 2008, consumers spent an estimated £3.25bn on sports clothing and £1.28bn on sports footwear. This represents 8% of their total outlay on clothing and 19% of their spending on footwear.
Although most of the sportswear sold to consumers is bought as leisurewear, and not for playing the sport for which it was originally designed, the inspiration for `sports fashion' nevertheless comes from specific sports and the technical needs of apparel for those sports. A host of sports are involved, grouped broadly into teamsports (e.g. football, rugby), fitness activities (swimming, jogging, working out) and outdoor pursuits. Examples of major markets produced by these activities (whether for `function' or for `fashion') are replica football shirts, tracksuits, running shoes and fleece tops.
Branding is important for both function (participants seek the correct `performance' items) and fashion in sportswear, and two brands have emerged as global leaders. Nike Inc had global sales of $18.63bn in 2008, operating on such a scale that it was able to design new Nike footwear for every sport at the Beijing Olympics. In 2008, Nike bought the UK football brand Umbro. adidas, originally a German football-boot specialist, is now a global brand producing clothing and footwear for numerous sports. Since 2006, adidas Group has also included another global brand, Reebok.
The UK has its own sportswear groups, although, like Nike and adidas, they commission almost all of their manufacturing outside the UK. This makes the UK market almost totally dependent on imports, mainly from the Far East — a structure that has produced vertically integrated sportswear companies (i.e. companies that are active in manufacturing/importing and retailing). The largest of these companies are: Pentland Group, the owner of brands such as Mitre, Berghaus and Speedo, and the controller of the JD Sports retail chain; and Sports Direct, primarily a retailer (through Sports World stores) but also the owner of famous brands such as Dunlop, Slazenger and Kangol.
A nervous few years lie ahead for sportswear companies, as for the global economy in general, but the underlying factors are promising. The run-up to the London Olympics in 2012 should stimulate interest in many sports, with knock-on demand for functional sports apparel. Those in the Baby Boomer generation (now entering their 60s) are keen on a healthy, active lifestyle and have been brought up accepting a casual style of dress, as well as having an interest in a variety of sports.
Table of contents
1. Market Definition
REPORT COVERAGE
MARKET SECTORS
MARKET TRENDS
Sports Participation and `Sports Leisurewear'
Technology and Fashion
Consolidation in Sportswear Branding
Competition with Designer Brands
Deflationary Pressures
Consolidation in Sportswear Retailing
ECONOMIC TRENDS
Population
Table 1.1: UK Resident Population Estimates by Sex (000), Mid-Years 2004-2008
Gross Domestic Product
Table 1.2: UK Gross Domestic Product at Current and Annual Chain-Linked Prices (£m), 2004-2008
Inflation
Table 1.3: UK Rate of Inflation (%), 2004-2008
Unemployment
Table 1.4: Actual Number of Unemployed Persons in the UK (million), 2004-2008
Household Disposable Income
Table 1.5: UK Household Disposable Income per Capita (£), 2004-2008
MARKET POSITION
The UK
Table 1.6: UK Consumer Expenditure on Sport by Sector by Value at Current Prices (£m at rsp), 2008
Figure 1.1: UK Consumer Expenditure on Sport by Sector by Value at Current Prices (%), 2008
Overseas
2. Market Size
THE TOTAL MARKET
Table 2.1: The UK Market for Sportswear by Sector by Value at Current Prices and Constant 2004 Prices (£m at rsp), 2004-2008
Figure 2.1: The UK Market for Sportswear by Value at Current Prices (£m at rsp), 2004-2008
BY MARKET SECTOR
Table 2.2: The UK Market for Sportswear by Sector by Type of Sport by Value at Current Prices (£m at rsp and %), 2008
Outdoor Pursuits
Football and Rugby
Fitness Activities
Other Sports
Accessories
PARTICIPATION IN SPORT
Table 2.3: Regular Participation in Selected Sports and Fitness Activities (% of adults), 2004, 2006 and 2008
OVERSEAS TRADE
3. Industry Background
RECENT HISTORY
NUMBER OF COMPANIES AND EMPLOYMENT
Table 3.1: UK Manufacturers' Sales of Selected Textile and Leather Products by Value at Current Prices (£m), 2001-2006
REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN THE MARKETPLACE
DISTRIBUTION
Table 3.2: The UK Market for Sportswear by Sector by Distribution Channel by Value (%), 2009
Sports World (Sports Direct International PLC)
JJB Sports PLC
JD Sports Fashion PLC
Blacks Leisure Group PLC
HOW ROBUST IS THE MARKET?
LEGISLATION
KEY TRADE ASSOCIATION
Sports Manufacturers and Retailers Trade Association
4. Competitor Analysis
THE MARKETPLACE
MARKET LEADERS
Table 4.1: Leading Suppliers of Sports Clothing and Footwear to the UK by Country of Origin and Global Turnover ($, E and £), 2009
Nike Inc
Company History
Current Structure
Recent Developments
Financial Results
Table 4.2: Nike Inc — Global Sales and Net Income ($m), Years Ending May 1998-2008
Table 4.3: Nike Inc — Global Sales by Region and Type of Product ($m), Year Ending May 2008
adidas Group
Company History
Current Structure
Recent Developments
Financial Results
Table 4.4: adidas Group — Global Sales by Brand (_m), 2006-2008
Pentland Group PLC
Company History
Current Structure
Recent Developments
Financial Results
Other Companies
Hi-Tec
New Balance
PUMA
Regatta
Russell
Other Major Brands
Retailer Brands
Sport-Specific Brands
Table 4.5: Independent Specialised Suppliers of Sports Clothing and Footwear, 2009
OUTSIDE SUPPLIERS
MARKETING ACTIVITY
Main Media Advertising
Table 4.6: Main Media Advertising Expenditure on Sportswear by Sector by Brand (£000), 2008
Other Marketing Activity
Magazines
Trade Marketing
Sponsorship
Endorsement
Exhibitions
5. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
6. Buying Behaviour
PURCHASING OF SPORTS CLOTHING
Table 6.1: Sum Spent on Sports Clothing in the Last 12 Months by Sex, Age and Social Grade (% of adults), 2008
RETAILERS USED
Table 6.2: Retailers Used to Buy Sports Goods (% of adults), 2007
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Table 6.3: Penetration of Popular Leisure Activities Outside the Home by Sex (% of adults), 2008
ATTITUDES TOWARDS SPORTSWEAR
7. Current Issues
THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
DEVELOPMENTS among RETAILers
CHINA'S ROLE IN THE MARKET
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
MAJOR NIKE FOOTBALL CAMPAIGN
8. The Global Market
MARKET SIZE
GLOBAL BRANDS
GLOBALISED PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION
SPORTS MARKETING
LOCAL PREFERENCES
9. Forecasts
THE ECONOMY
Population
Table 9.1: Forecast UK Resident Population by Sex (000), Mid-Years 2009-2013
Gross Domestic Product
Table 9.2: Forecast Growth in UK Gross Domestic Product in Real Terms (%), 2009-2013
Inflation
Table 9.3: Forecast UK Rate of Inflation (%), 2009-2013
Unemployment
Table 9.4: Forecast Actual Number of Unemployed Persons in the UK (million), 2009-2013
FORECASTS 2009 TO 2013
Table 9.5: The Forecast UK Market for Sportswear by Sector by Value at Current Prices (£m at rsp), 2009-2013
MARKET GROWTH
Figure 9.1: The UK Market for Sportswear by Value at Current Prices (£m at rsp), 2004-2013
FUTURE TRENDS
Sports Retailing
Major UK Sports Events
Sports Participation
10. Company Profiles
Adidas (uk) Ltd
Hi-tec Sports PLC
New Balance Athletic Shoes (uk) LTd
Nike (uk) Ltd
Pentland Group Plc
Regatta Ltd
11. Further Sources
Associations
General Sources
Government Sources
Other Sources
Key Note Sources
Related research categories
By sector: Apparel and clothing, Footwear, Sports and performancewear
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