The sports distribution market - France

A sports article can be defined as any equipment used to practice a sport. It may 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 cover both sportswear and sportswear. On a global scale, this is a very dynamic market, with an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5% over the next 10 years, between 2023 and 2034. 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. Since Covid, the French domestic market has been growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.33%. 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. Between 2020 and 2023, the market enjoyed growth of 34%, also buoyed by the organization of global sporting events (Rugby World Cup, Olympic Games in Paris in 2024). 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.