Executive Summary
The market for personal sports equipment was worth £850m in 1996, of
which consumers spent £690m and organisations such as clubs and local
authorities spent £160m. The balance of spending is gradually shifting
towards the consumer, as household ownership of products such as gym equipment
and tennis rackets increases.
Overall growth in the market value is never spectacular, although rising
consumer confidence in 1996 produced a 4.9% increase. Between 1992 and 1996,
however, the market only expanded by 8.3%. The sluggish growth rate for the
market total is due to static or declining sales in many equipment categories,
but this can be offset by dramatic growth for the latest fashions. In the
mid-1990s, mountain bikes and skates have fallen into this category.
Golf is the outstanding equipment market, with a 22.9% share in 1996, followed
by fitness equipment (14.1%), fishing (9.4%) and racket sports (6.7%), but each
of these categories actually represents a diverse group of products.
Fragmentation is the key characteristic of the market, which is broken up
across dozens of well-known sports, together with many other minority ones.
Equipment is also diverse within each sports category, comprising capital goods
(e.g. goalposts, corner flags), essential equipment (e.g. footballs) and
personal accessories (e.g. shin-pads). This fragmentation has shaped the
industry structure at all levels -- manufacturing, importing, wholesaling and
retailing.
Dunlop Slazenger is easily the UK's most important equipment manufacturer.
Bought out by management in 1996, Dunlop Slazenger is a major supplier in golf,
racket sports, cricket and hockey. Numerous US and Far East companies supply
the substantial imports (£360m worth in 1996), which account for 60% of
the UK market. However, sports equipment is a globalised industry and exports
account for over 40% of UK output.
Sports equipment enjoyed a strong year of growth in 1996, having suffered a
`late recession'. Demand is still restricted by a shortage of 15 to 24
year-olds, who comprise the most active sports participants and whose numbers
are down from over 9 million in the 1980s to 7.2 million at present. Market
prospects are better as this age group expands from now on.
Tenth Edition 1997
Edited by Simon Howitt
ISBN 1-85765-653-9
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