Xin Ou
Research expert covering Greater China
Sporting goods e-commerce - statistics & facts
Whether its running shoes, yoga leggings, or camping equipment, sporting goods and athletic gear are used daily for exercise as well as a wide range of hobbies, and as a result make up a significant portion of retail commerce; the same can be said about the segment in e-commerce. Although these goods are more commonly purchased in brick-and-mortar stores due to consumer needs to have physical contact with their purchases, sporting goods e-commerce still generates billions of dollars in revenue each year.
While Nike has established itself as a global leader in sporting goods e-commerce, the other brands follow closely behind in their respective markets. In the United Kingdom, a lucrative country for the industry, consumers also had high awareness of Adidas, JD Sports, and Sports Direct. Meanwhile in Germany, sporting goods and outdoor gear were most often purchased from online marketplaces like Amazon, Otto, and Zalando.
For some online shoppers of sporting goods, buying online and picking up in store (BOPIS) is the norm. Nearly one in ten of online orders of sports equipment worldwide are purchased online and later picked up in stores, despite the declining sales growth of BOPIS orders.
Big names lead the industry
The brands that make the rankings of the top sports and outdoor online stores worldwide are well known on the global scale. Nike, the world-renowned athletic goods brand, is most notable for their extensive array of sneakers and athleticwear; the company generated over eight million U.S. dollars in e-commerce net sales in 2021, making it the leading online store globally. In the United States, Nike was also the most used sports and outdoor online store among shoppers.While Nike has established itself as a global leader in sporting goods e-commerce, the other brands follow closely behind in their respective markets. In the United Kingdom, a lucrative country for the industry, consumers also had high awareness of Adidas, JD Sports, and Sports Direct. Meanwhile in Germany, sporting goods and outdoor gear were most often purchased from online marketplaces like Amazon, Otto, and Zalando.
Sporty shopper profile
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mandated lockdowns globally the led to home workouts becoming commonplace. As a result, the value for physical activity and exercise has gone up, contributing to the number of users engaged in sports and outdoor e-commerce. In 2022, purchasing sporting goods online was more popular in Europe, with the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria ranking among the countries with the highest shares of online leisure, sport and hobby product shoppers. Globally, Gen Z and Millennial shoppers each accounted for a third of the online consumer base, and men tended to purchase sporting goods online the most.For some online shoppers of sporting goods, buying online and picking up in store (BOPIS) is the norm. Nearly one in ten of online orders of sports equipment worldwide are purchased online and later picked up in stores, despite the declining sales growth of BOPIS orders.
