Census of Retail: 2002-2007 Sporting Goods Stores Sales Up 38% |
Sporting goods store sales grew 38% in the United States during the five-year period 2002-2007, according to an NSGA analysis of just released (7/23/10) U.S. Census of Retail data. Sales in sporting goods stores, which include full-line and specialty sports shops, rose to $34.49 billion in 2007 versus $25.02 billion in 2002.
The 38% growth was far stronger than the 4.4% U.S. population growth in the same timeframe. Major contributors to this growth were the expansion of the fitness equipment market with the attendant carryover into fitness footwear and apparel as well as the increased market share attained by full-line sporting goods stores. According to NSGA Sporting Goods Market reports, the size of market grew 17% between 2002 and 2007. In that same 5-year period, full line sporting goods stores increased their market share from 21.3% to 28.3%.
Sales growth was stronger in the full-line store segment, up 44% to $18.66 billion in 2007 versus $12.98 billion in 2002. Sales in specialty sports shops rose 31% to $15.83 billion versus $12.05 billion in 2002. In the previous Census of Retail, sales had also grown more rapidly in full line stores than in specialty sports shops, 39% versus 12%.
The Census of Retail does not count specialty athletic footwear stores in the sporting goods store category. Data on specialty athletic footwear stores will be reported a future NSGA Research News.
NSGA Research has extracted data on full-line sporting goods stores, specialty sport shops and athletic footwear stores into a 58-page report. For these three categories of stores, the report provides sales, number of stores, number of employees, sales per store, sales per employee and number of employees per store. This data is provided for the U.S., for the nine census regions and for all 50 states. Data from the current Census (2007) is compared with previous Censuses. Cost of the report (Sporting Goods Stores: Sales, Number & Distribution) is $140 to NSGA members, $190 to non-members.
The Census of Retail Trade is done once every five years by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Data already released and a schedule of when additional data will be released may be found at www.factfinder.census.gov/. |
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Walking, Swimming, Exercising with Equipment Lead Female Participation | |
 Among the 47 sports surveyed by the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA), exercise walking, swimming and exercising with equipment attracted the greatest number of female participants seven years of age and older in 2009, according to data in the Association's Sports Participation reports. Exercise walking attracted 56.3 million females; swimming, 29.4 million; and exercising with equipment, 26.4 million.
Sports, recreational and fitness activities attracting more than 20 million females were camping (vacation/overnite), 24.5 million; aerobic exercising, 23.6 million; bowling, 21.5 million; and working out at club, 20.7 million.
Attracting more than 10 million females were bicycle riding, 16.9 million; hiking, 16.6 million; running/jogging, 14.5 million; yoga, 12.5 million; weightlifting, 11.1 million; billiards/pool, 12.0 million; power boating, 10.3 million; and fishing, 10.2 million.
Attracting the fewest number of female participants was muzzleloading, 200,000. A complete listing of female participation is posted on the NSGA website www.nsga.org.
For the study, a participant is defined as someone seven or older who participates in a sport more than once within the year. For swimming, exercise walking, bicycling, exercising with equipment, running/jogging, weightlifting and aerobics, a participant is defined as one who is active in a sport six times or more within the year.
The two-part sports participation report is based on a survey of 20,000 U.S. households. In addition to the number of participants and frequency of participation, the report provides demographics by age, gender, education, presence of children, metro areas, household income and region of the country. The report is available to NSGA members for $395, and to non-members for $495.
State-by-State and LifeCycle Demographics reports are also available in the Sports Participation series.
For more information, contact the Dan Kasen in the NSGA Information Center, (847) 296-6742 ext 108, or e-mail: dkasen@nsga.org.
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NPS Visits for Tent and RV Camping Up Year-to-Date | |
With a slight decline (-0.3%) in June, the National Park System (NPS) reported year-to-date recreation visits had decreased 2.1% for the first six months of 2010. Recreation visits year-to-date declined to 165.2 million. Total visits in the first six months of 2009 had been buoyed by visits to the nation's capitol for the inauguration.
Year-to-date tent camping is up 1.5% to 1.8 million visits; back country camping, down 8.6% to 982,180 visits; and RV camping, up 2.2% to 1.2 million visits.
For the full 12 months of 2009, tent camping was up 6.0% (3.1 million) and RV camping was up 5.2% (2.1 million). Backcountry camping was up a more modest 0.8% (1.8 million).
In 2008, backcountry camping was up 5.5%. Both RV camping and tent camping were down, 4.5% and 1.5% respectively. |
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Competitive Events Attract Trail Runners |
An estimated 2.2% of the 4.8 million Americans who participated in trail running in 2009 competed in events, according to The Outdoor Foundation recently released Special Report on Trail Running 2010. The report, published in partnership with Montrail, estimates that 105,600 people participated in competitive trail running events in 2009.
On average, this group competed 15.4 days per year in 2008. In 2009, 60% had participated in a Fun Run, 52% in a 5K, 23% in a 10K, 18% in a half-marathon, 17% in other events and 8% in a marathon.
The Foundation took another look at Trail Running in early 2010. In the 2010 survey, 98% of trail runners participate in another outdoor activity. Among those surveyed, 52% said they participated in day hiking, 51% said they participated in cycling, 44% said they participated in car, backyard or RV camping, 31% in paddling and 25% in climbing.
While participation in the sport dipped slightly in 2009, it is still hovering just below 5 million, or up nearly 17% since 2006. Slightly more than 13% of participants tried trail running for the first time in 2009.
The South Atlantic is home to 24% of the nation's trail runners, by far the largest share of any of nine regions included in the report. |
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Americans Spend More than $8 Billion on Sports Logo Apparel |
Adult Americans spent more than $8 billion on sports logo apparel in 2009, according to a recently released study by the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA). "Sports Logo Apparel Market 2010," based on a consumer study of 20,000 U.S. households, provides dollar consumer purchases on sports logo apparel for 14 sports activities. It profiles the fans who attended or viewed the activity, the dollars they spent and the place(s) they purchased the apparel. In the study, adults are defined as Americans 16 years of age and older.
Men were bigger spenders than women. Of the $8.02 billion spent, males accounted for 60.9% of all purchases. Females accounted for the balance, 39.1%.
Regionally, for the 14 sports activities, sports fans in the South accounted for the highest percentage of dollar purchases, 34.9%. The other three regions were fairly close in percentage of purchases. The North Central region captured 23.6% of purchases; the Northeast, 22.3%; and the West, 19.2%.
If one measures by dollars, the Northeast provides the most loyal fans. Although only 18.2% of the U.S. population, fans in the Northeast accounted for 22.3% of the dollars spent on sports logo apparel.
In the report, individual sport activity tables (each 16 pages in length) are provided for: Auto Racing: Indy Car, Auto Racing: NASCAR Cup, Baseball: MLB, Baseball: Minor League, Basketball: NBA, Basketball: College, Football: NFL, Football: College, Golf: PGA, Hockey: NHL, Hockey: Minor League, Soccer: MLS, Tennis, Mixed Martial Arts: UFC, WEC, WCL.
Within each table, both number of purchasers and dollars spent on purchases are reported. Average dollars spent per purchaser is reported for each demographic (gender, age, household income and region of the country). Place of purchase is reported by stadium/arena, Internet/online, sporting goods store, department/discount store and other. Dollars spent is also reported by attendance at or viewership (television, Internet, mobile) of sports activities.
The 266-page report is marketed by NSGA from research prepared for SBRnet by Irwin Broh Research, a company nationally recognized for its work in the sports and leisure field. Price of the report to NSGA members is $270, to non-members, $340. For additional information, contact Dan Kasen at NSGA, 1601 Feehanville Drive, Suite 300, Mount Prospect, Ill. 60056-6035. Phone: (847) 296-6742 x108; dkasen@nsga.org; fax: (847) 391-9827; or visit the NSGA website, www.nsga.org.
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For a full description of NSGA research available, go to the NSGA website, www.nsga.org, and click on Information Center & Statistics. NSGA research reports are available to purchase on the NSGA website or by contacting Dan Kasen in the NSGA Research Department, (847) 296-6742, Ext. 108; e-mail: dkasen@nsga.org. |
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