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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Market definition
A sports article can be defined as any equipment used to practice a sport. It can be clothing (shoes, jerseys, etc.), equipment (tennis rackets, footballs, handballs, etc.) or even machines, such as those used for weight training (rowing machines or treadmills, for example). Talking about the market involves two aspects: manufacturing and distribution.
It's important to distinguish between sporting goods and sports equipment, the latter referring to fittings or constructions that enable the practice of one or more sports.
Nevertheless, sportswear, a type of clothing designed in the United States, can be considered sporting goods, although it is more a clothing trend than a genuine item developed for the practice of sport. This study will therefore focus as much on sportswear as on sportswear.
In a market that was once made up of small, family-run businesses, the last few decades have changed the established order once and for all. Production is no longer the same, transformed by technological innovation and globalization; and large companies, such as Decathlon and Intersport, account for a large share of sporting goods distribution. added to this are a growing number of start-ups trying to make their mark in a high-potential market.
In 2022, the market grew by 9%, driven in particular by government measures to encourage the practice of sport (such as the Pass'Sport) and rising prices. In 2023, the market will also benefit from the organization of global sporting events (Rugby World Cup, Olympic Games in Paris in 2024) and should also see positive growth.
So, two years after the health crisis, the sporting goods retail sector is doing very well overall, even if some players are struggling in the inflationary context. This is the case of Go Sport, one of the major players in the French market, whose profitability has fallen considerably in recent years, and which, in receivership, was awaiting a buyer. On April 28, 2023, the Grenoble Commercial Court validated the plan to sell the assets and activities of the Go Sport Group to Intersport France.
1.2 A fast-growing global market
The sporting goods retail market is highly dynamic worldwide. The market size was $***.* billion in ****, and is expected to grow at a CAGR (***) of *.*% to reach $*** billion by ****. [***]
North America was the largest contributor to the global sports equipment and apparel market with $***,*** million in ****. Key industry players in the sporting ...
1.3 Domestic market
In ****, the economic weight of sport in France exceeded ** billion euros, of which **.* billion corresponded to the total budget of sports associations and **.* billion to the sales of sports companies. In total, the sports industry employs ***,*** people in companies and over *** people in sports associations. [***]
Thanks to data provided by Insee, ...
1.4 Market specifics
A distribution market controlled by generalists
One of the particularities of the sporting goods retail sector is the importance of a few major chains. Decathlon, Intersport, Go Sport and Sport **** have succeeded in establishing themselves throughout the country, totalling thousands of specialist sports stores. Smaller, non-specialized stores are facing difficulties and ...
1.5 The impact of Covid-19 on the market
During the Covid-** health crisis, containment and curfew measures interrupted not only the organization of sporting competitions and championships, but also the recreational practice of sport, thus freezing much of the sport's economic activity.
It is estimated that the loss of sales caused by the Covid-** crisis in **** will amount to ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Sport in France: structural and cyclical demand
Growth in sporting activity in France
Today's changing lifestyles (***).
Sporting activities practiced by the French France, ****, in Source: ****
Frequency of sporting activities France, ****, in Source: ****
In France, a **** Deloitte study reveals that the favorite sport of the French is running, favored by **.*% of respondents. **.*% of French people take part in sport, ...
2.2 New audiences, new practices and innovations
New practices: running and outdoor activities
In ****, there were *.* million runners inFrance, an increase of one million in three years (***).
This trend is accompanied by an increase in outdoor sporting activities. This means that athletes are no longer burdened with large machines, and that sport is becoming "simpler": a pair of ...
2.3 Motivations for practising sport
A major factor in the growth of the sporting goods market is the development of sporting activities in general. While some sport is practised purely for leisure, others are motivated by a growing awareness or even a trend towards sport for health or aesthetic reasons. In January ****, a survey by Odoxa ...
2.4 Household purchasing behaviour
In ****, French households spent an average of nearly *** euros on sporting goods and *** euros on sports services (***) sccording to the Conseil d'État report on sports policy. Household spending on sport is rising steadily: in ****, it stood at just ** billion euros.
A study by the Toluna institute shows that a third ...
2.5 Web analysis of demand
Google trends :
Thanks to Google Trends, we can compare the intensity of searches for "sports stores" in all French departments. Haute-Corse, Savoie and even Ardèche top the list.
2.6 France's favorite brands
The graph below is based on OpinionWay's survey of French consumers' favorite brands in March ****. For each brand, the percentage corresponds to the proportion of respondents who answered "yes".
Décathlon is France's favorite sporting goods retailer, with **.*% of respondents saying they like it. Go Sport is the survey's least favorite ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Industry forces and organization
The value chain in the French sporting goods market can be broken down into two main categories: manufacturers and distributors. However, as the Union sport & cycleit is possible to be even more precise. In fact, the association identifies * main types of manufacturer (***):
new entrants: positioned in emerging market segments (***); specialized manufacturers: ...
3.2 A multi-stage production process
The production process depends on the product. However, the preliminary stage is always the same: analysis of athletes' needs. Next comes product design. Designers and engineers, more or less numerous depending on the technical nature of the product, work together to design the product so that it meets the specifications.
Then ...
3.3 Distribution is carried out by brands that are more or less involved in manufacturing
According to the PIPAME report, we can distinguish * types of company (***).
Companies that distribute products designed, manufactured or assembled in France: Manufacturers (***) produce their products, part of which are made in France. They have no distribution network of their own. Manufacturer-distributors (***) produce their products, part of which are made in France. ...
3.4 Number of stores and geographical breakdown
Growth in the number of sports stores
Like the sector's sales, the number of players operating in the sporting goods trade in specialist stores was fairly stable prior to ****. By ****, there will be an increase in the number of establishments, with *,*** companies operating under the corresponding NAF code.
Number of companies ...
3.5 Web analysis of industry players
Traffic trends :
Décathlon traffic trends (***) France, ****-****, in millions of visits Source: ****
The number of visitors to the decathlon.fr website fluctuates between around ** and ** million per month . It should be noted that the drop in April-May **** is due to a change in measurement by Semrush.
Evolution of Nike traffic ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 An abundance of products
The sporting goods market covers a vast range of products, both in terms of types (***). Nevertheless, these are not the most dynamic segments: between **** and ****, basketball products, for example, saw global growth of +**%. Soccer and running gear grew by +*%. The distribution of sales depends on each retailer: for example, in ****, sneaker ...
4.2 Variable prices
Budget brands: these generally offer affordable products for everyone, with no particular visual distinction. This enables them to target a wide audience and make sporting activities affordable to all, with prices ranging from €* to €** depending on the product. Low-cost brands include Artengo and Kalenji, for example. Mid-range brands: these offer products ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Regulations
Textile products in particular are subject to transparency obligations in terms of product composition. According to the DGCCRFlabelling or marking of textile products is governed by a Community text, directly applicable in all member states".
As far as sportswear is concerned, trademarks are particularly threatened by counterfeiting. According to the EUIPO(***), ...
6 Companies
6.1 Segmentation
- Skis Rossignol
- Salomon (Amer Sport groupe)
- Babolat
- PIQ
- Go Sport France
- Adidas
- Puma Groupe
- Courir France
- Foot Locker
- Sunset Sport
- Glisshop (Lafreto groupe)
- Intersport France
- Quiksilver Bilabong
- Sport 2000
- N4 Brands Fitness Boutique
- Planet Fitness Equipements
- Ekosport
- Décathlon France
- Decathlon Groupe
- Aptonia (Decathlon)
- Private Sport Shop
- JD Sport
- Intersport International
- Columbia Sports Wear
- Berger Camping
- Butterfly
- Cornilleau
- la Boule Bleue
- Obut
- Ekoï
- Aigle
- Lafuma
- Gilbert Rugby
- Running Conseil
- Au Vieux Campeur
- Venum
- Blaise Frères
List of charts presented in this market study
- Worldwide sporting goods retail market and forecasts
- Sales of sporting goods in specialized stores (NAF code 47.64Z)
- French sporting goods market, by product category
- French sporting activities
- Frequency of sports activities
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the sports distribution market | France
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