The indoor racquet sports market - France (2023)

1.2 Global market

The global indoor racquet sports market is growing, thanks in particular to the padel segment, which posted a CAGR of +*.**%. Table tennis continued its strong growth, with an increase of +*.**%.

Sales trends for squash, padel and table tennis World, ****-****, US$ million Source: ****

The racquet sports equipment market is subdivided according to product type, end-user, application and distribution channel.

Tennis is gaining in popularity worldwide, thanks in particular to events such as the Grand Slams and renowned players. Gender parity in tennis contributes to continued growth, with increased demand for equipment from an expanding player population.

However, the rise of e-sports is hampering market growth. E-sports, with their global competitions and millions of fans, are capturing attention that might otherwise turn to traditional sports. Generation Z, less attracted by traditional sports, favors non-traditional sports, including e-sports.

E-commerce is growing rapidly, attracting consumers of all ages because of its convenience. This trend offers an opportunity for racquet sports equipment manufacturers to promote and sell their products online, improving availability and consumer awareness.

The market is segmented by product type (***). Regions studied include North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA. [***]

1.3 Market France

According to Groupe BPCE: In France, the sports industry brings in more than €** billion every year , including €** billion from the budgets of all ***,*** sports associations in ****, and €** billion from the sales of sports companies, particularly equipment manufacturers. However, investment by local authorities, television rights and sponsorship are not included in this calculation. International event organizers are expected to generate €** billion.

Within this economy, tennis will generate €*.* billion in ****, or almost *.**% of French GDP.[***]

Badminton

The number of badminton licensees was ***,*** in ****. On average, a license costs €***, a racket €** and a shuttlecock €*. This allows us to estimate a low-end market size of €** million. If we take into account club investment, tournament organization and player expenditure on textile equipment (***), we can easily imagine a market worth twice as much, i.e. around €** million.

number of Badminton licensees France, ****-****, unit Source: ****

Table tennis

The number of table tennis licensees was around ***,*** in ****. Today, the FFTT counts ***,*** licensees for the year ****/****.The total market for licensees amounts to ** million euros (***), broken down as follows:

Ping pong license sales by category France, ****, € million Source: ****

The weight of squash, whose number of licensees did not exceed **,*** in **** in France, is more anecdotal. In terms of the ...

1.4 International trade

UN Comtrade data are centralized under the following HS codes:

****** - "Tennis, badminton and similar rackets, whether or not strung." ****** - "Table tennis articles and equipment."

Imports slightly exceeded imports for badminton rackets, while the opposite situation was observed for table tennis articles. The volume of trade in this niche jumped in ****.

Balance of trade in the racket sports market World, ****-**** Source: ****

1.5 COVID-19 crisis

The Covid-** crisis has led to a drop in the number of licensees in all sports, except padel, which is up **%, thanks to the current craze for this new sport. The biggest decline among racquet sports is badminton, which will lose **.*% of its licensees between **** and ****. Overall, the French sports industry recorded a loss of sales of €*.* billion in the first half of ****, including €*.* billion for sports retailers and €*.** billion for sports industries.

number of licensees by sports federation France, ****-****, in thousands and as a % Source: ****

However, this decline cannot be attributed to the French turning away from sport. On the contrary, the number of people taking part in sport in France will rise between **** and ****, from **% to **%[***].

2.1 French people's sporting activities

The practice of sport and physical activity decreases with age: **% of **-** year-olds practice sport regularly, compared to **% of **-** year-olds.

Practice of a physical activity or sport by age France, ****, % (***) Source: ****

social class and other social determinants are also significant: men, CSP+ and urban dwellers are more likely to take part in sport than women, the unemployed or people living far from urban centers.

Sport participation by social category France, **** and ****, % Source: ****

**% of **-** year-olds and **% of **+ year -olds used sports facilities for their physical activity, while **% of **-** year-olds and **% of **+ year-olds opted for private clubs for their sporting activities.

How French people practice their sports activities, by age group France, ****, in Source: ****

The Sport dans la Ville **** study clearly shows that the French are losing interest in competition, which has been replaced by the values of pleasure, health and relaxation. In fact, competition only comes *th in the ranking of the main reasons for taking part in sport, with *% of French people voting for it as the *st reason

Main motivations for physical activity and sport France, ****, % of total Source: ****

**% of French people feel that sports facilities in their communitiesare aging or very aging. However, this ...

2.2 Padel: A new discipline appreciated not only by former tennis fans, but also by others.

Most of the newcomers to padel and squash are former tennis players. These sports, both of which are played by over ***,*** people across France, are benefiting from the decline of tennis, which can be explained by a number of factors:

Increasing demand for recreational sports, where tennis is more associated with the stress of competition; Difficulty of access to tennis courts, which are often located on the outskirts of town, whereas squash and padel, which require smaller surfaces, are found in city centers; Lack of top-level tennis players in France, which slows down the birth of a vocation among young people.

However, tennis is still played by over * million French people. But the number of registered players is now less than a million, and *,*** clubs have closed in ** years. [***]

Other advantages of these newcomers to racquet sports include:

Squash is said to have **% more health benefits; Playing indoors means you can play all year round, whatever the weather;

Seeking new challenges.

Whereas tennis is associated with a rather elitist, male target group, padel seems to appeal to a wider audience, especially women.

The French riding federation issues the highest number of licenses to women, ahead of the tennis and gymnastics federations. ...

3.1 Industry professionals

Staffing table ****

Source: ****

Tennis & Padel

While the world of tennis has seen *,*** club closures since the **s, padel is growing from strength to strength, although a few years ago there were only ** full-time equivalent employees for court rental and equipment suppliers in the whole of France[***].

The size of the court is equivalent to that of a tennis court: ** x ** m as opposed to *.** x **.**, i.e. around *** m*.

Squash

Of the ***,*** squash players in France, **,*** are licensed[***]. The sport is structured around *** clubs throughout the country, as well as *** affiliated associations, for a total of *** courts, including * federal glass courts. The year is punctuated by ** French Championships. The court size is *.* m x *.** m.

Table tennis

For the ****-**** season, there were * million players across the country, and the ***,*** licensees broke down as follows:

**% men - **% women **.*% youth - **.*% seniors - **.*% veterans ***,*** competition licenses - **,*** leisure licenses **,*** event licenses - *,*** discovery licenses - ** liberty licenses

Of the **** clubs, ** were pro, *** national. According to the federation, the average number of members per club was **. The federation was structured around ** departmental committees and ** leagues, including ** in mainland France and * overseas. These various players helped organize over *.* million games played[***].

Badminton

Source: ...

3.2 Costs and procedures for building indoor sports facilities.

given the substantial investment involved in building a field dedicated to a racquet sport, there are many factors to consider before embarking on the adventure. The specifications to be followed are very rigorous.

The first considerations are:

What foundations are required? A soil survey is needed to determine this; What is the wind zone? How rough is the site?

Padel:

Then, as far as padel is concerned, the French Tennis Federation has very precise specifications, available here. It details standards in terms of dimensions, location and size of the net, lighting, and the court's anchoring and foundation system.

When a club (***) wishes to build a padel court, it must first ensure that it has a potential clientele. The club manager should survey his members by SMS or e-mail, for example.

The next step is to budget the operation: between €**,*** and €**,***. The quality of the carpet may prove to be a significant adjustment variable in terms of cost, but it won't leave players indifferent.

Squash :

From an infrastructure point of view, a squash court can be installed virtually anywhere, provided there's enough space. The dimensions of a court are standard: *.** m deep, *.** m wide, with a minimum ceiling height of *.** m. Integrating ...

4.1 Prices for racquet sports in France

Table tennis

Source: ****

Badminton

Source: ****

Squash

In the case of squash, we'll concentrate on rackets. Most beginners borrow or rent their rackets from their club. Once practice becomes more regular, it's worthwhile acquiring your own equipment, for reasons of feel and joint protection. While the most novice players will be able to fork out between €** and €**, a new racket for an experienced player will cost €***, and €*** for a recent model. [***]

Source: ****

Padel

The choice of racket is just as decisive for padel players. The table below outlines the characteristics that should guide the purchase of a beginner's racket:

Source: ****

Some beginner rackets by brand :

Source: ****

4.2 Energy is the primary cause of inflationary cost overruns, but not the only one

It's vital to recognize the impact of inflation on spending on infrastructure and sports activities.

In ****, France saw a substantial increase in costs, due in particular to rising energy prices, which directly affect the operational expenditure of local authorities. This has led to an estimated *.* billion eurosin additional costs for the sports sector, with a significant impact on the operating costs of sports facilities, including those used for racquet sports.

Communes and public establishments for inter-communal cooperation (***) have been identified as being particularly exposed to these inflationary pressures. Despite efforts to improve energy efficiency, costs continue to rise, weighing heavily on budgets allocated to sports infrastructures such as tennis courts and badminton complexes. These increased expenses have repercussions on the access and quality of services offered to players, and could influence demand trends and investment opportunities in the racquet sports sector.

Here is the percentage breakdown of the *.* billion euro extra cost for the sports sector.

Local authorities: distribution of the additional cost of inflation in sport in **** France, ****, in Source: ****

5.1 Regulatory sizes, weights and lengths

5.2 Game rules

Badminton

Badminton can be played in singles or doubles.

The court is divided in two by a net on either side of which the players stand. The point is scored when the shuttlecock, sent with the racket, falls into the aderse zone, or when the opponent makes a fault.

The serve is made from behind the service line.

The most frequent faults are :

The shuttlecock falls outside the court; The shuttlecock falls outside the opponent's service area; The player's racket or clothing touches the net during the rally; The player misses the shuttlecock when attempting to serve.

Ping pong

Ping pong can be played in singles or doubles.

A game consists of three or four sets, won after ** points have been scored, with a difference of * points. Volleying is forbidden. The ball, hit with the racket, must bounce only once into the opponent's court. When serving, it must bounce in both camps.

A"let" results in a return of service, except after a service, when it is ignored.

Squash

A game consists of three or five games, won after ** points.

Players take turns hitting the ball with the racket. The ball must bounce off the wall either directly or indirectly. Volleys ...

5.3 Sports association law

Under the French law of July *, ****, sports associations are free to define their structure and the bodies that ensure its day-to-day operation.

However, this choice must be backed up by a set of articles of incorporation, which define the association's operating rules and identification details. They include :

The name and corporate purpose of the association; The identity of its founding members; Membership requirements; The governing bodies, their missions and powers (***); Procedures for amending the association's articles of incorporation; Organization of the general meeting.

The articles of association become the legal framework governing relations between association members. If they are not respected, sanctions are applicable, commensurate with the prejudice committed. The by-laws, on the other hand, can be modified more flexibly, without the need for a vote at the general meeting: they may concern the amount of membership fees or the use of equipment. Furthermore, to guarantee its development, a sports association can join a state-approved federation, which offers a number of advantages: Youth and sports accreditation, which facilitates the payment of public subsidies; Access to sporting competitions; Benefit from the sports federation's services and insurance; Better structure and human resources. Membership of a sports federation and acquisition of youth and sports ...

6.1 Segmentation

• Asics
• Decathlon Groupe
• Adidas
• Wilson (Amer Sport groupe)
• Cornilleau
• Stiga Sports
• Butterfly
• Donic
• Joola
• Killerspin
• XIOM
• Yasaka
• Nittaku
• Andro
• Victas
• Bullpadel
• Cartri
• Coneth Padel
• Dunlop Sport
• Head
• Prince
• Victor
• Ashaway
• Carlton (Frasers Group)
• Oliver Sport
• UrbanSoccer