British consumers "are buying sportswear in droves," with the almost £6B ($9.4B) market "being driven by women, advances in wearable technology and the crossover between fashion and sports," according to Shona Ghosh of MARKETING MAGAZINE.
The U.K. market hit £5.91B in '14, up from £4.62B in '10, according to a report from Key Note. The research house "estimates sportswear sales will total" £8.65B ($13.6B) in '19, based on current growth rates.
But the data suggests the "growth isn’t necessarily coming from new consumers, since sports participation is actually dipping." One reason for the market’s growth is that "women now have more choice, both in terms of sports activities and clothing." Brands "have recognised the importance of the female market, expanding their ranges for women." A number of new women-only brands, like Lululemon and Fabletic, "have also emerged to meet demand for better, more technically advanced clothing."
Adidas-owned Reebok, Puma and Nike "have also recently focused their marketing campaigns around women." Key Note also highlights "the collision between fashion and sports, with more fashion brands launching ‘sports luxe’ lines." Conversely, more dedicated sports brands "are dipping their toes into fashion, like Puma’s collaboration with Rihanna and adidas’ tie-up with Kanye for his pricey Yeezy Season 1 range" (MARKETING MAGAZINE, 8/19).
