SILVER SPRING, MD (Aug. 24, 2020) – The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) has released 89 Single Sport & Fitness Reports, covering all sports and fitness activities ranging from basketball to barre to MMA fighting to scuba diving to pickleball, and much more. The individual activity reports provide detailed analysis, showing year-over-year trends, and breakdown of participation by a multitude of demographic variables. For example, pickleball participation has increased 7.2 percent over the last three years. The sport has attracted a base of wealthy, older Americans, as 38.7 percent of core participants are over the age of 65 and 49.9 percent of them live in households making over $100,000 per year.
“It’s interesting to see the foundation of each individual activity’s participation,” said SFIA CEO & President, Tom Cove. “The insight provided by these reports is crucial to companies’ ability to aptly target marketing and retail strategy, depending on their market’s consumer base and opportunities for growth.”
Each report tracks participation as defined by gender, participation frequency, age, geographic region, market size area, income, education level and cross-sport/activity participation. The final 20 reports are now available:
· Adventure Racing
· Boardsailing/Windsurfing
· Bow Hunting
· Fishing (Fly)
· Fishing (Freshwater)
· Fishing (Saltwater)
· Hunting (Handgun)
· Hunting (Rifle)
· Hunting (Shotgun)
· Jet Skiing
· MMA for Competition
· MMA for Fitness
· Pickleball
· Roller Skating (2×2 Wheels)
· Roller Skating (Inline)
· RV Camping
· Scuba Diving
· Snorkeling
· Target Shooting (Handgun)
· Target Shooting (Rifle)
Results for the 2020 SFIA Single Sports and Fitness Reports were gathered by Sports Marketing Surveys USA, using the US Online Panel operated by IPSOS to conduct 18,000 dedicated online interviews in a nationwide sample of individuals and households during the 2019 calendar year.
All 2020 SFIA Single Sport and Fitness Participation Reports are $99 (per report) to all current SFIA members and $295 for non-members. For media access to these reports, please contact Alli Schulman, at [email protected]. For more information regarding the Single Sport Reports, and to purchase reports, click here.
ABOUT SFIA: The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), the #1 source for sport and fitness research, is the leading global trade association of manufacturers, retailers, and marketers in the sports products and fitness industry. SFIA seeks to promote sports and fitness participation, as well as industry vitality through research, thought leadership, public affairs, industry affairs and member services. For more information, please visit www.sfia.org.
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Annual SFIA Fitness Participation Report Now Available
SILVER SPRING, MD (August 12, 2020) – The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) released the 2020 Tracking the Fitness Movement Report, presenting a deep dive into the fitness industry and consumer trends across the United States. In 2019, participation increased 2.9 percent and individuals took part, on average, in about four fitness activities throughout the year. The “casual” participant continues to grow, as more opportunities to try new workouts arise and become more accessible.
While the pandemic will greatly impact participation numbers and trends for 2020, many of the top fitness activities of 2019, such as Walking for Fitness, Running/Jogging, Dumbbells/Hand Weights and Yoga, were ideal platforms for the at-home fitness routines Americans adopted in 2020. It is likely these activities, already strong and growing in 2019, will reflect exponential growth in the coming year. In addition, the emphasis on easily accessible running and walking activities may reinforce exercise as a lifestyle and provide new opportunities for Americans to be active as they come to terms with new ways of social engagement.
“The fitness industry was hitting on all cylinders in 2019 and early 2020 and diverged in two directions as the COVID pandemic hit our country. On the one hand, Americans’ desire for fitness has driven growth in activity rates and sales for at-home fitness products. This is a terrific reflection of the underlying strength of the fitness category and of the fitness community. On the other hand, the impact of fitness facility closures has been, and continues to be, extremely challenging for large parts of the fitness industry,” said Tom Cove, SFIA CEO and President. “We believe Americans’ desire for fitness and the industry’s creativity and resilience indicate sustained future growth after the pandemic subsides.”
The 2020 Tracking the Fitness Movement Report also features in-depth interviews with: Aly Orady (CEO & Founder, Tonal), Joey Shamah (CEO & Co-Founder, FIT for LIFE) and Helen Durkin, J.D. (Executive Vice President of Public Policy, IHRSA) providing personal insight to specific, key segments of the market.
To purchase the 2020 Tracking the Fitness Movement Report, click here.
ABOUT SFIA: The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), the #1 source for sport and fitness research, is the leading global trade association of manufacturers, retailers, and marketers in the sports products and fitness industry. SFIA seeks to promote sports and fitness participation, as well as industry vitality through research, thought leadership, public affairs, industry affairs and member services. For more information, please visit www.sfia.org.
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First-ever digital event, “Back on Track,” set for September 23-24, 2020
SILVER SPRING, MD (July 28, 2020) – The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA)will convene Back on Track: Insights and Strategies as a virtual conference to explore how the sports and fitness industry is approaching COVID-19 challenges and opportunities after months of marketplace disruption.
The SFIA Back on Track event is designed to draw executive attendance from footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories brands and retailers, professional leagues, financial institutions, marketing and advertising agencies, and media. It will feature one-on-one interviews with business leaders, roundtable panels with industry and sport organization executives and data-driven research. Confirmed speakers include Champion/Hanes Group President, Jon Ram; Walmart.com General Manager for Sport/Fitness, Jake Griffith; NHL Executive Vice President, Kim Davis; NFL Vice President for High School and Youth Football, Roman Oben; McKinsey Consulting Lead Partners for Sporting Goods and Fitness, Eric Falardeau, Alexander Thiel and Sabine Becker; Molten USA President, Melissa Dawson; Riddell Sports CEO, Dan Arment; National Federation of High Schools Executive Director, Dr. Karissa Neihoff; Good Sports CEO, Melissa Harper; adidas Senior Director of Corporate Affairs, Kurt Tandan; Technogym President, Marco Zambianchi; and more to be announced. Matt Powell, NPD Lead Sports Industry Analyst, will also be featured with his deep dive on industry trends.
“The concept is to focus directly on our industry’s recovery, and in some cases, re-imagining,” said Tom Cove, SFIA CEO and President. “Recognizing the fatigue we can all feel about the pandemic’s negative impacts, we are looking to emphasize our industry focus on future solutions.”
Back on Track will also offer a new interactive component, encouraging attendees to virtually participate in conversation tables around specific topic areas, including on Diversity & Inclusion, HR and Return to Work Protocols, Trade/Tariffs, Youth Sports Return to Play, and Fitness Industry – Return to Gyms/Studios.
The event will run over two days, with three to four sessions each day, broken up throughout the day, designed to allow maximum flexibility to the virtual attendee.
To register for SFIA’s Back on Track and to see the full agenda, click here.
The June 2020 COVID-19 Industry Impact Survey analyzes industry response to pandemic
SILVER SPRING, MD (July 23, 2020) – Seventy-two percent of companies now anticipate that sales will not return to pre-COVID numbers until 2021, and 53 percent report not until Q2 of 2021, according to the SFIA 3rd edition of its monthly COVID-19 Industry Impact Report, released today. The expectation for sales to bounce back has been postponed, likely due to recent announcements regarding elementary and secondary schools not meeting in person in the fall of 2020. Notably, from a different perspective, the number of companies projecting their 2020 fiscal year sales to be greater than 2019 has doubled from May to June, from 10 percent to 21 percent.
June provided the industry with some hope, as 68 percent of companies saw month-over-month sales increases from May to June, with 38 percent of companies increasing 26 percent or more in sales. Ecommerce has remained steady, but it is not absorbing all potential sales. While more than half of ecommerce sales have gone up from May to June, and growth is expected to continue, ecommerce will not be able to compensate for all loss.
The pandemic will change the industry landscape as we know it. Nearly 59 percent of respondents believe consolidation will be the emerging market trend post-pandemic.
“We are happy to see sales going up, but the pandemic is far from over,” said Tom Cove, CEO and President of the SFIA. “Many individuals and families have adapted to new activities and sought out fitness equipment and outlets that let them participate under stay-at-home orders. However, until we can get kids back in schools and back on the field, our industry will have to be innovative in its approach to helping Americans stay active and healthy on a regular basis. The pandemic will make everyone be more creative, and we anticipate seeing new innovations that will stem from this situation.”
Return to play expectations were more optimistic in May, but dropped in June, as many states saw surges of the virus after reopening too quickly. A vaccine is now considered “absolutely essential” for 41 percent of respondents, when questioning return to play protocol. As for gyms and studios, expectations have also changed. In May, only 4 percent of respondents expected gyms to not open until November/December 2020, and in June, that number jumped to 23 percent. Many facilities are now open, but for those that aren’t open yet, there seems to be more of a push to open at the end of the year or in 2021. The importance of a vaccine for reopening gyms has greatly increased, and 91 percent of respondents believe a mask requirement is most important to reopening. Regardless, gyms are expected to open before the return of youth sports.
To download the full SFIA COVID-19 Industry Impact Report – June 2020, click here.
Youth sports, health clubs, personal trainers & outdoor recreation organizations join SFIA in promoting consumer-driven economic stimulus
SILVER SPRING, MD (July 14, 2020) – In response to the economic damage, caused by COVID-19, on the active lifestyle industry, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) is launching a campaign to promote the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act (H.R.1679/S.680) as consumer-driven economic stimulus. SFIA joins its active lifestyle partners in the youth sports, health & fitness and outdoor recreation arenas in pushing for the inclusion of PHIT in the next COVID relief package. The campaign will include three components: outreach to congress by SFIA members and others, a social media campaign around #PassPHIT4_____ and a virtual advocacy day on July 22, 2020 hosting virtual meetings with congress.
Youth sports, health clubs, fitness studios and much of outdoor recreation were early casualties of the economic shutdown and stay-at-home orders. Under the circumstances, many of these businesses and organizations are struggling to survive in an ever-changing COVID landscape. Ironically, the active population has far better prognoses and are at lower risk of experiencing the more severe symptoms of COVID-19 than the inactive population. With the additional strain COVID-19 has placed on our healthcare system, it is critical to promote health and physical activity; and without the active lifestyle industry, the American population will suffer.
PHIT would incentivize health by providing a 12 to 35 percent discount on physical activity expenditures through the use of pre-tax medical accounts. Youth sports costs, health club dues, outdoor recreation fees, sports and fitness equipment, and other expenses directly related to active lifestyles would be eligible for payment using an HSA or FSA. Currently, HSA/FSA account holders can pay for treatment of disease with their pre-tax money, but not for prevention via physical activity. PHIT is widely bipartisan, with more than 100 supporters in congress, split evenly along party lines.
Similar to the hospitality industry, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) does not help the active lifestyle industry, due to the payroll requirements for loan forgiveness. The industry relies on seasonal employees and part-time help to run leagues, tournaments, outdoor adventure expeditions, fitness classes, competitions and other forms of physical activity and recreation. Encouraging investment in these industries will help sustain them in short term and provide a platform for a healthier America moving forward.
The youth sports industry is promoting “The COVID-19 Youth Sports and Family Relief Act” (H.R.7562) to address the PPP problem using participation rates for forgiveness. The bill includes the PHIT Act to help families with youth sports costs as the country emerges from COVID. Youth sports is the foundation for active lifestyles and crucial to the future health in America. SFIA is coordinating with youth sports and other active lifestyle industries on a social media campaign during July as part of the PHIT advocacy effort. For more information on PHIT and the campaign to include PHIT in COVID stimulus, please visit www.PassPHIT.org.
SILVER SPRING, MD (June 23, 2020) – The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) 2020 Single Sport Reports for all fitness activities are now available. The 24 individual fitness activity reports provide detailed analysis, showing year-over-year trends, and breakdown of participation by a multitude of demographic variables. The most popular fitness categories, boasting 50 to 100+ million participants, all increased in participation in 2019 – Treadmill (5.7 percent), Running/Jogging (1.2 percent), Walking for Fitness (0.4 percent) and Free Weights – Dumbbells/Hand Weights (0.3 percent). In addition, traditionally “niche” fitness activities are growing significantly. These activities include Yoga (6.0 percent), Barre (3.8 percent) and Stationary Cycling – Group (5.3 percent); which, in addition to reflecting healthy growth in 2019, also indicate they have been growing over the last five years.
“Participation rates for fitness activities have been strong and consistent,” said SFIA CEO & President, Tom Cove. “The fact that participation in nearly every category increased in 2019 reflects the breadth and importance of fitness in the United States. These reports provide readers with an unparalleled understanding of each activity on an individual basis, whether it be yoga, weightlifting, HIIT (high intensity training) or dance.”
“The fitness segment was robust going into 2020, and while the pandemic is deeply impacting the health club industry, all indications suggest home fitness activities and product sales will skyrocket this year under COVID-related restrictions,” Cove added.
Each report tracks participation as defined by gender, participation frequency, age, geographic region, market size area, income, education level and cross-sport/activity participation. The following 24 fitness reports are now available:
· Aquatic Exercise
· Barre
· Boot Camp Style Training
· Calisthenics
· Cardio Kickboxing
· Cross-Training Style Workouts
· Dance, Step & Other Choreographed Exercise to Music
· Elliptical Motion Training
· Free Weights (Barbells)
· Free Weights (Dumbbells/Hand Weights)
· High Impact/Intensity Training (HIIT)
· Kettlebells
· Pilates
· Rowing Machine
· Running/Jogging
· Stair Climbing Machine
· Stationary Cycling (Group)
· Stationary Cycling (Recumbent or Upright)
· Swimming for Fitness
· Tai Chi
· Treadmill
· Walking for Fitness
· Weight/Resistance Machines
· Yoga
Results for the 2020 SFIA Single Sports and Fitness Reports were gathered by Sports Marketing Surveys USA, using the US Online Panel operated by IPSOS to conduct 18,000 dedicated online interviews in a nationwide sample of individuals and households during the 2019 calendar year.
All 2020 SFIA Single Sport and Fitness Participation Reports are $99 (per report) to all current SFIA members and $295 for non-members. More information about these reports can be found by clicking here.
May 2020 Survey Analyzes Industry Response to COVID-19 Environment
SILVER SPRING, MD (June 18, 2020) – The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA)released the 2nd edition of its monthly COVID-19 Industry Impact Report, addressing financial impact, industry response and future projections amid the pandemic. Though most product categories reflect considerable decreased sales year over year, 56 percent of respondents reported sales growth from April to May 2020.
Companies are working to conserve cash, except when it comes to e-commerce. Over 50 percent of respondents have increased investments in their company’s website since the pandemic began, and 36 percent have invested more in digital and/or mobile advertisements. Over the last month, there has been marked improvement in distribution and fulfillment center supply chain. This has been critical to support high demand for e-commerce sales.
When asked about the expectation for “some semblance of a return to pre-pandemic sales,” 60 percent of the industry projects sales to return to pre-COVID-19 numbers in 2021 or later.
“The industry is being challenged right now, but we are finding several pockets of hope,” said Tom Cove, CEO and President of the SFIA. “Amid the stay-at-home orders, companies shifted quickly to adapt business operations and marketing strategies. They focused their energy on e-commerce, and worked to maintain accessible and relevant communications with their consumers. They also prioritized product that could be used on an individual basis and at home to keep sales afloat. Our industry has proved to be resilient over the past few months. At the same time, it’s tough out there and no one sees the road back as easy or quick.”
The survey found the industry was more optimistic about a return to play for youth sports in May than they were in April. Eighty percent of respondents believe youth sports will be back by September- October, effectively the start of the 2020-21 school year. In contrast, health clubs and fitness studios are anticipated to be open by July-August 2020. Respondents indicated they felt availability of a COVID-19 vaccine will play a more critical in the return to youth sports than the reopening of gyms and studios.
To download the full SFIA COVID-19 Industry Impact Report – May 2020, click here.
Monthly Survey Measures Change Through Pandemic Response
SILVER SPRING, MD (May 21, 2020) – The SFIA COVID-19 Response Survey confirms dramatic, unprecedented revenue drops across the sports and fitness industry, while indicating select product category surges. With the onset of COVID-19, much of sports retail business stopped almost immediately, with corresponding impact on brands and manufacturers, unlike anything the industry has ever experienced. Over 70 percent of sports and fitness manufacturers and businesses reported a sales drop of over 25 percent for the month of April (comparing April 2020 sales to April 2019 sales), with 30 percent of respondents reporting a sales drop of over 75 percent. However, there were pockets of strength: home fitness equipment and at-home sports equipment sales grew in same period.
“It is not news that the pandemic struck our industry hard,” said Tom Cove, President & CEO of SFIA. “But the immediacy and magnitude of the decline of sales across so many categories was dramatic. That said, this survey does identify hopeful signs, especially in the confidence respondents showed in predicting increased sales in the second half of this year. We will conduct this new survey on a monthly basis to identify what is working and track how the industry is evolving.”
Eighty-one percent of respondents indicated that they experienced disruptions in their supply chain. With regard specifically to fulfillment and distribution centers, respondents characterized such disruptions as “moderate” rather than “severe.” SFIA will monitor this closely in the future, as “shelter in place” regulations in many states may prove a constraint to full staffing of these locations. This is important as the positive elements of sales indicated in the survey were weighted to the ecommerce channel. Near term sales trends will likely continue to be heavily reliant on one’s ability to connect virtually with the customer.
The survey also explored “return to play” projections. The industry believes fitness will be the first to come back, with a majority seeing fitness clubs and boutiques to return in the next one to three months. Team sports, according to the survey, are perceived most likely to return in the fall. In both fitness and team sports, a minority (8-20 percent) expects no return until 2021.
To download the full SFIA COVID-19 Industry Impact Report – April 2020, click here.
SILVER SPRING, MD (May 18, 2020) – The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) has released the first collection of its 2020 Single Sport Reports, including 23 individual sport reports in the team sports category. These reports provide a detailed analysis and breakdown of participation by various demographics, and by specific sport or fitness activity.
“Team sports participation in 2019 indicated countervailing trends,” said SFIA CEO & President, Tom Cove. “While only 7 of the 23 team sports that we track increased in participation, the team sports category, as a whole, increased in participation due to significant increases in traditional team sports, such as basketball, outdoor soccer and volleyball. Our Single Sport Reports allow businesses and organizations to gauge the health of each sport through a deep dive into the critical factors that influence each sport’s growth.”
Each report tracks participation as defined by gender, participation frequency, age, geographic region, market size area, income, education level and cross-sport/activity participation. The following 23 team sport reports are now available:
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Cheerleading
• Football (Flag)
• Football (Tackle)
• Football (Touch)
• Gymnastics
• Ice Hockey
• Lacrosse
• Paintball
• Roller Hockey
• Rugby
• Soccer (Indoor)
• Soccer (Outdoor)
• Softball (Fast-Pitch)
• Softball (Slow-Pitch)
• Swimming on a Team
• Track & Field
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Volleyball (Beach/Sand)
• Volleyball (Court)
• Volleyball (Grass)
• Wrestling
Results for the 2020 SFIA Single Sports and Fitness Reports were gathered by Sports Marketing Surveys USA, using the US Online Panel operated by IPSOS to conduct 18,000 dedicated online interviews in a nationwide sample of individuals and households during the 2019 calendar year.
All 2020 SFIA Single Sport and Fitness Participation Reports are $99 (per report) to all current SFIA members and $295 for non-members. More information about these reports can be found by clicking here.
SFIA Releases 2020 State of the Industry Report
SILVER SPRING, MD (May 6, 2020) – The sports and fitness industry performed well across multiple sectors in 2019, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s annual State of the Industry Report released today. In 2019, the industry grew 3.9 percent in one year, representing the largest annual growth in 17 years.
The report consolidates data and analysis on product sales, industry trends, and sports and fitness participation rates.
“Given the dramatic downturn so many in our industry are currently experiencing, it’s a bit challenging to highlight last year’s healthy performance; but the pre-COVID evidence should give companies encouragement that the sports and fitness industry was strong, sustainable and central to American way of life before the pandemic, and should return to vitality as we recover,” stated Tom Cove, President & CEO of SFIA. “Now more than ever, Americans’ health is top priority and being physically active is key for every individual, family and community. Our industry can be part of the long-term solution in inspiring and facilitating the country to be active and healthy.”
The fitness category excelled, with increased participation in nearly every measured subset. Dance, step, and other choreographed exercise to music (7.0 percent); aquatic exercise (6.4 percent); rowing machine (5.9 percent); treadmill (5.7 percent); and yoga (5.0 percent) represented the greatest year-over-year growth. Institutional fitness equipment and consumer fitness product sales grew 3.8 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively.
Team sports participation also increased. The growth in the category overall is attributed to traditional sports (with larger bases) attracting more participants in 2019, namely basketball (2.9 percent), outdoor soccer (4.5 percent), flag football (3.2 percent) and volleyball (2.7 percent). While these mainstream sports drove total category growth, the research also found only fewer than half of the 23 team sports measured increased in participation.
The report also examines a variety of industry trends around consumer behavior, inventory management, technology investments and the impact of increasing tariffs on sourcing decisions. Athleisure, as it has for some time, continued to dominate footwear and apparel and drive sales growth, while performance categories lagged.
The 2020 State of the Industry Report is free to SFIA members and available to the public for purchase here.