The sporting goods distribution market - Italy

1.1 Definition and presentation

A sports item can be defined as equipment used to play a sport. It can be clothing (shoes, jerseys, etc.), equipment (tennis rackets, soccer balls, handballs, etc.) or even machines, particularly those used for weight training. Talking about the market implies mentioning two aspects, production and distribution.

Care must be taken to distinguish between sporting goods and sports equipment, the latter being an arrangement or construction that enables the practice of one or more sports.

However, sportswear, a type of clothing whose style was developed in the United States, can be considered as a sports article, although it is more of a clothing trend than articles developed for the practice of sports. Therefore, this study will focus on both sports items intended for practice and sportswear items.

According to ISTAT, 18 million Italians exercise daily. After the pandemic, this figure will increase, partly due to a change in lifestyle and partly due to increased health awareness. Between 2020 and 2025, a compound annual growth rate of 4 percent is estimated.

However, the Covid 19 crisis has had a major impact on the sporting goods retail market. The closure of gyms, for example, led to an increase in the price of household sports equipment. Weights were 57.5 percent more expensive, exercise bikes 58.5 percent more expensive. The e-commerce sector was also affected, with the Sport & Outdoor category growing by 96.3 percent compared to 2019.