The sports distribution market - France (2024)

1.2 A fast-growing global market

The sporting goods distribution market is highly dynamic worldwide. The market size was $***.* billion in **** and is expected to grow at a CAGR (***) of *.*% to reach $***.* billion by ****. [***]

North America was the largest contributor to the global sports equipment and apparel market with $**.* billion in **** sports goods and equipment[***], accounting for over **% of the global market share. The main players in the sporting goods distribution market are Decathlon S.A., Nike, Inc, Adidas AG, Puma SE, Under Armour Inc, Amer Sports Corporation, ASICS Corporation, Gap Inc, and V.F. Corporation New Balance, Inc.

Global sporting goods retail market and forecasts World, ****-****, billions of dollars Source: ****

1.3 Domestic market

In ****, the BPCE Observatory indicates that the economic weight of sport (***) in France will exceed *.*% of GDP, or ** billion euros.

In all, ** billion euros in sales were generated by companies in the sports sector, and final consumption of sports goods and services by French households amounted to ** billion euros, including **.* billion euros in purchases of sporting goods. The remainder covers sports education, sports entertainment (***) and the rental of sporting goods and facilities.

In total, the sports industry employs over ***,*** people in ***,*** companies. [***]

Thanks to data provided by Insee, we can study the evolution of the size of the French sporting goods market in specialized sports stores (***) and estimate its size in **** at around **.** billion euros. This figure is, however, slightly lower than the actual value of sporting goods distribution sales stated by BPCE, since it does not take into account the share of items sold via non-specialized channels.

We obtain this result by taking an annual average of the monthly sales indices for the year ****, which indicate the change in market sales compared with ****, and using the **** sales figures also provided by the Insee website. By making the same calculation for previous years, we observe the following trends over the last ...

1.4 Market specifics

A distribution market controlled by generalists

One of the particularities of the sporting goods retail sector is the importance of a few major chains. Decathlon, Intersport and Sport **** have succeeded in establishing themselves throughout the country, totalling thousands of specialist sports stores. Smaller, non-specialized stores are facing difficulties and finding it harder and harder to attract customers, in contrast to specialized stores, which are recording strong growth of around *% by **** and will have */* of the market by ****[***].

Distribution of sporting goods retail market share France, ****, in

A breakdown of purchases dominated by equipment

The breakdown of sporting goods cost items by product category has changed very little between **** and ****, with a slight increase in the footwear category.growth in the footwear category from **% of sales to **%, and a decrease in equipment from **% of expenditure to **% in ****. Thus, projecting the compound annual growth rate of *% for footwear over ****, we obtain an adjusted expenditure share of **%, and for equipment a share of **%.

French sporting goods market, by product category France, ****, in Source: ****

Counterfeit sporting goods: heavy losses for the French market

Counterfeiting is a real scourge for the world of sport. Of the more than ** million items intercepted by French customs in ****, over ...

2.1 Sport in France: structural and cyclical demand

Growth in sporting activity in France

Today's changing lifestyles (***). In ****, **% of the French population said they practiced a regular physical activity, while **% of the population did no sport at all. By ****, the proportion of the working population practicing sport at least once a week had risen by * points on ****, to **%.

This increased practice necessarily implies a higher demand for sporting goods, pulling up manufacturing and distribution. Frequency (***).

Sporting activities practiced by the French France, ****, in Source: ****

In France, a study by INJEP reveals that the favorite sport of the French is walking and running, favored by **% of those surveyed. The practice of this sport will see the biggest increase (***).

Sports most practiced by French sports enthusiasts France, ****, % of total Source: ****

2.2 New audiences, new practices and innovations

New practices: running and outdoor

By ****, **.* million French people will be running (***). running alone represents a market worth almost * billion euros, "which makes it the leading sports market in France, if we put aside the * billion euro bicycle market. "according to Union Sport & Cycle's General Delegate for Ouest France.

This trend is accompanied by an upsurge in outdoor sporting activities. This means that athletes are no longer burdened with large machines, and that sport is becoming "simpler": a pair of shoes is enough for someone leaving work to go jogging, and they no longer need to go to a gym.

Digitization and innovation

There are three aspects to the digitalization of sport:

on the one hand, sales of sporting goods are increasingly made over the Internet: in ****, the proportion of online buyers having purchased sporting goods in the last ** months is **.*%, up *.* points on ****(***). communication increasingly involves social networks, both for event organization and advertising. on the other hand, technological innovations are accompanying customers in their sporting activities, such as connected shoes and watches (***) like the FutureCraft Biofabric shoe from Adidas and the Garmin Forerunner ** connected watch.

This third aspect is reflected in the brands' move upmarket. In order to stand ...

2.3 Motivations for practising sport

A major factor in the growth of the sporting goods market is the development of sporting activities in general. While some sport is practised purely for leisure, others are motivated by a growing awareness or even a trend towards sport for health or aesthetic reasons. In January ****, a survey by Odoxa revealed that **% of French people had resolved to do more sport, mainly for reasons of health, well-being (***) or aesthetics.

Reasons why French people want to do more sport France, ****, in Odoxa

On the podium of sports that French people who are determined to do more sport intend to practice the most, we find hiking, followed by fitness and running.

Sports that French people who are determined to do more sport intend to take part in France, ****, in Odoxa

Last but not least, demand for sporting goods can be impacted by other factors, such as awareness-raising campaigns by government authorities. These regularly encourage the practice of physical activity, as illustrated by the March *, **** law aimed at democratizing sport in France, notably by facilitating access to it for as many people as possible.

2.4 Household purchasing behaviour

In ****, French households spent an average of nearly *** euros on sporting goods and *** euros on sports services (***) sccording to the Conseil d'État report on sports policy. Household spending on sport is rising steadily, from just ** billion euros in **** to ** billion in ****.

A study by the Toluna institute establishes that a third of regular sports enthusiasts spent more than €*** a year on sporting goods in ****. These are generally :

men: **% of them say they spend more than €*** a year on their sporting activities, while **% of women spend less than €***; cSP+: nearly **% of them spend more than ***€ a year; fathers living in households with more than two children; residents of the Paris region: **% of them spend more than €*** a year;

Household spending on sports-related goods France, ****, in billions of euros Source: ****

Change in household spending on sports-related goods France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****

Focus on French consumption habits by distribution channel

When it comes to spending on sportswear and equipment, the French spend an average of €*** on clothing and €** on other sporting goods, according to the Deloitte study. They spend **% of their money in physical stores, and only **% online. This means that proportionally more French people visit physical sports stores than ...

2.5 Web analysis of demand

Google trends :

Thanks to Google Trends, we can compare the intensity of searches for "sports stores" in all French regions. Corsica, Savoie and even Ardèche top the list.

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2.6 France's favorite brands

The graph below is based on OpinionWay's survey of the French people's favorite brands in ****. For each brand, the percentage corresponds to the proportion of respondents who answered "yes".

Decathlon is France's favorite sporting goods retailer, with **% of respondents saying they liked it, followed by Adidas, at **.*%. The least appreciated brand is Wilson, with only **.*% of positive responses.

France's favorite sporting goods retailers France, March ****, in Source: ****

The graph below compares the level of appreciation of the top * sporting goods retailers by gender. These * brands show a greater or lesser difference between female respondents and male respondents in terms of approval ratings. (***) Comparison of the level of appreciation of * bottled water brands according to gender France, March ****, in % France, March ****, in % France, March ****, in % France, March ****, in % France, March ****, in % France, March ****, in France, March ****, in The graph below compares the level of appreciation of the French's favorite sporting goods brands by age category. For the * brands below, the appreciation rate increases in inverse proportion to the age of respondents: it is generally highest for the **-** age group and lowest for the over-**s. The exception is Quechua, which has an almost uniform appreciation rate across all age groups. Nike ...

3.1 Industry forces and organization

The value chain in the French sporting goods market can be broken down into two main categories: manufacturers and distributors. However, as the Union sport & cycleit is possible to be even more precise. In fact, the association identifies * main types of manufacturer (***):

new entrants: positioned in emerging market segments (***); specialized manufacturers: long-established players, they remain focused on their core market (***); generalist manufacturers: present in a particular sporting universe, they nevertheless remain more generalist than the previous category (***).

Next, it identifies * other players, including * types of distributor:

importers: companies headquartered abroad, but for whom France is a major market (***); agents: exclusive distributors of certain foreign brands on the French market. Their role ranges from communication and marketing to after-sales service (***); multisport importer-distributors: these are international, non-specialized groups with substantial resources, who produce abroad and market their products through sales outlets (***); specialized distributors: with one or more points of sale (***); specialized multisport superstores: specializing in the sale of sporting goods, they now account for **% of the sporting goods market (***).

Breakdown of the sporting goods market by type of player France, ****, in Source: ****

Finally, the moondial sales figures of the main players in the sporting goods market are given below. In ****, the world leader ...

3.2 A multi-stage production process

The production process depends on the product. However, the preliminary stage is always the same: analysis of athletes' needs. Next comes product design. Designers and engineers, more or less numerous depending on the technical nature of the product, work together to design the product so that it meets the specifications.

Then comes manufacturing. In the case of footwear, sports equipment and clothing, the chosen materials are cut and assembled (***). In the case of more specialized equipment, such as body-building machines and bicycles, design generally plays a more important role. Products are manufactured by assembling individually produced parts, which requires upstream logistics.

During the manufacturing process, products are tested until they effectively meet athletes' needs. The graphs presented in the "global market" section show thata large proportion of our sporting goods are imported (***).

3.3 Distribution is carried out by brands that are more or less involved in manufacturing

According to the PIPAME report, we can distinguish * types of company (***).

Companies that distribute products designed, manufactured or assembled in France: Manufacturers (***) produce their products, part of which are made in France. They have no distribution network of their own. Manufacturer-distributors (***) produce their products, part of which are made in France. They have their own distribution network, but their brands are mainly distributed by other companies. Distributor-manufacturers (***) also produce a proportion of their products in France. They mainly, if not exclusively, distribute their own brand, but may also distribute others. Companies that distribute products designed, manufactured or assembled outside France: Importers or subsidiaries (***), and do so mainly through other distributors. Importer-distributors (***) also offer products that are not manufactured in France. They have their own distribution outlets, but their brands are mainly distributed by other distributors. Companies that distribute products but are not involved in the production process (***) do not manufacture any products and only distribute brands that do not belong to them.

3.4 Number of stores and geographical breakdown

Growth in the number of sports stores

Like the sector's sales, the number of players operating in the sporting goods trade in specialist stores was fairly stable prior to ****. By ****, we're seeing an increase in the number of establishments, with *,*** companies operating under the corresponding NAF code. The number of sporting goods retailers in **** seems to have set the new standard, as this number continues to peak in **** and **** at around *,*** stores.

Number of companies registered under NAF code ****Z (***) France, ****-****, in units Source: ****

Geographical distribution of sports stores

In terms of the regional distribution of sporting goods stores in mainland France, there are a very large number of establishments in the Auvergne region.the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region has a very large number of establishments (***) have very few.

Excluding the overseas territories, the number of retailers in France fell slightly (***), a decline in store numbers observed in all regions except Brittany, Normandy, Île de France and Nouvelle Aquitaine.

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3.5 Web analysis of industry players

Traffic trends :

Décathlon traffic trends (***) France, ****-****, in millions of visits Source: ****

The number of visitors to the decathlon.fr website fluctuates between around ** and ** million per month. It should be noted that the drop in April-May **** is due to a change in measurement by Semrush.

Evolution of Nike traffic (***) France, ****-****, in millions Source : Semrush Nike.com traffic fluctuates between ** and ** million visitors per month. As with decathlon, the drop in May **** is due to a change in measurement by Semrush.

Go Sport traffic trends (***) France, ****-****, in millions Source : Semrush Go-Sport traffic has been declining in recent months: it was estimated at *.* million visitors in October ****, compared with *.* million in March ****.

Estimated online market share:

In terms of market share, the online retailers with the most visitors are Decathlon and Nike, which together account for over **% of internet visitors to sporting goods websites. The estimated breakdown is as follows:

Estimated online market share for sporting goods retail websites France, March ****-March ****, as % of total sales Source: ****

4.1 An abundance of products

The sporting goods market encompasses a vast range of products, both in terms of types (***) and sport categories.

In ****, the categories that contributed most to sales growth in Europe were footwear, linked to fitness, running... (***). These figures illustrate the underlying trend towards individual sports. The cycle market is also benefiting from the growing use of this sport as an alternative means of daily transport to the car, as part of an awakening of ecological awareness [***].

The breakdown of sales, however, depends on each retailer's specialization and positioning... By way of example, in ****, sneaker sales will represent **% of Intersport's sales, and clothing **%. [***]

Sporting goods market size by product category World, ****, in billions of dollars Source: ****

4.2 Variable prices

Budget brands: these generally offer affordable products for everyone, with no particular visual distinction. This enables them to target a wide audience and make sporting activities affordable to all, with prices ranging from €* to €** depending on the product. Low-cost brands include Artengo and Kalenji, for example. Mid-range brands: these offer products that are sometimes of better quality than those of premium brands. Sometimes, the price is higher because of the brand's prestige. Prices range from €** to €**, depending on the product. Major brands such as Adidas and Nike can be found in this segment. High-end brands: offering the highest prices of the * groups, these are often brands selling specialized, more technical products. Not very affordable, they focus on quality. They may also sell lifestyle products, i.e. products that fit into and define the consumer's chosen lifestyle. Connected watches from Apple, certain premium shoes from brands such as Adidas or Nike, and specialized products such as Salomon skis... In this category, prices start at €*** and can easily rise to €***.

Consumer prices for sporting goods France, ****-****, index base *** in **** Source: ****

Over the entire ****-**** period, sporting goods prices have been fairly stable. However, prices are set to rise by *% in ****, due to ...

5.1 Regulations

Textile products in particular are subject to transparency obligations in terms of product composition. According to the DGCCRFlabelling or marking of textile products is governed by a Community text, directly applicable in all member states".

As far as sportswear is concerned, trademarks are particularly threatened by counterfeiting. According to the EUIPO(***), counterfeiting costs French ready-to-wear andaccessories companies*.* billion euros in sales per year representing a loss of **,*** direct jobs. The Internet has simplified the distribution of these products to young buyers who are easily persuaded. For example **% of **-** year-olds consider it "acceptable to buy counterfeit products when the price of the genuine, original product is too high", compared with **% of the total sample surveyed by EUIPO.

6.1 Segmentation

• Skis Rossignol
• Salomon (Amer Sport groupe)
• Babolat
• PIQ
• Go Sport France
• Adidas
• Puma Groupe
• Courir France
• Foot Locker
• Sunset Sport
• Glisshop (Lafreto groupe)
• Intersport France
• Quiksilver Bilabong
• Sport 2000
• N4 Brands Fitness Boutique
• Planet Fitness Equipements
• Ekosport
• Décathlon France
• Decathlon Groupe
• Aptonia (Decathlon)
• Private Sport Shop
• JD Sport
• Intersport International
• Columbia Sports Wear
• Berger Camping
• Butterfly
• Cornilleau
• la Boule Bleue
• Obut
• Ekoï
• Aigle
• Lafuma
• Gilbert Rugby
• Running Conseil
• Au Vieux Campeur
• Venum
• Blaise Frères