The sporting goods market is changing quickly, and consumers' purchasing decisions are being significantly influenced by e-commerce and internet shopping. Even though many people still prefer to buy sporting goods in physical stores, sports equipment sales online bring in billions of dollars annually.

Here are some newfound sports and fitness e-commerce statistics for 2024.

Market Overview

  1. Between 2024 and 2028, the size of the sports and fitness wear market is projected to increase by USD 62.3 billion at a CAGR of 4.49%. Technavio
  2. Over the coming years, it is anticipated that the global eCommerce market for fitness equipment will grow. By 2024, it is expected to reach US$11,945.5 million, with a 4.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) predicted for the following four years. ECDB
  3. Within the Individual Sports market, the Fitness Equipment e-commerce market makes up 25.5% of the total market. Bicycles, Fishing Equipment, Hunting & Weapons, and Other Individual Sports are additional categories that fall under the Individual Sports market. ECDB
  4. With a value of 36.26 billion US dollars, the Sports & Swimwear segment stands out in particular. Statista
  5. In the sporting goods category, sales barely increased at all, and they increased online by 0.4% less than in-store. For the category, total sales (both online and offline) increased by just 1.7%. Digitalecommerce360
  6. In just a few years, live streaming has become incredibly popular. According to data, the livestream shopping industry in the US alone is predicted to grow from $20 billion in 2022 to $57 billion in 2025. Right angle

Demographics and Consumer Preferences

  1. It is anticipated that until 2027, the global sports and outdoor e-commerce market will see a steady increase in users. By 2027, 1.06 billion users are expected to be using athletic footwear, the category with the highest predicted number. Statista
  2. In the global online sports and outdoor market, mobile users accounted for 61% of product purchases in 2022. By 2027, mobile users are expected to maintain the largest share of sales (63.7%).  Statista
  3. It is anticipated that over the coming years, the global sports and outdoor e-commerce market will continue to grow at a steady rate. According to estimates, the penetration rate will reach 21.6 in 2027 after ten years of increasing rates. Statista
  4. The country with the largest percentage of consumers (36%) making online purchases of sports, leisure, and hobby products was the United States in the second quarter of 2023. Germany came in second place with thirty-one percent, followed by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Statista
  5. According to a survey done in the third quarter of 2022, men from the Netherlands made the majority of online purchases for leisure, sports, and hobby-related goods (33%). Germany was the nation where women made the most online purchases of these kinds of goods, accounting for 23% of all purchases. Statista
  6. In the third quarter of 2022, a survey found that Gen Z accounted for 33 percent of global consumers who shopped online for products related to sports, hobbies, and leisure. Following suit, 32% of millennial shoppers purchased these kinds of products online. Statista
  7. YouGov Global Profiles show that, on average, 37% of consumers prefer to purchase sporting goods online, while 26% of consumers prefer to make their purchases both online and offline, and 31% of consumers prefer to make their purchases offline. YouGov
  8. A third of British consumers have a balanced preference, preferring to shop both offline (33%) and online (32%). YouGov
  9. The US and Canada exhibit different tastes in North America. While 43% of American consumers prefer to shop offline, 53% of Canadian consumers prefer to shop in physical stores. 3 out of 5 consumers in Asian markets, such as China, choose to make purchases online (58%)—the highest percentage among 48 markets. Following suit are Vietnam (41%), India (40%), and Indonesia (39%). YouGov
  10. Compared to other age groups, customers ages 25 to 34 purchase more sporting goods from the Top 1000. The sales breakdown by age group doesn't change all that much, though. The age groups that purchase sporting goods the least are the youngest (18–24) and oldest (65+) (14.6% and 10.7%, respectively).  Digitalecommerce360
  11. 19% and 17.8%, respectively, of the Top 1000 category's sales were made by people aged 35 to 44 and 45 to 54. Ages 55 to 64 made up 15.3% of the category's sales. Digitalecommerce360

Sporting Goods Sale

  1. Sales of sporting goods via mail order and online retailers increased from $3 million to $39 million in the United States between 2003 and 2022. ptpioneer
  2. Sports goods sales in the US increased regularly at a rate of about 25.08% before COVID-19, pointing to robust and long-term growth in the market. ptpioneer
  3. US sporting goods sales increased by 38.93% between 2019 and 2021, from $22.6M to $40.5M. ptpioneer
  4. At $22.46 billion, the 81 sporting goods retailers in the Top 1000 saw essentially unchanged sales in 2022. That is only $100 million, or 0.04%, more than in 2021. Digitalecommerce360
  5. Additionally, even though those sporting goods stores kept their median conversion rate at 2.3% for both years, their median AOV rose from $231 to $261. In 2022, the age group of 25-34 made the largest purchases from the Top 1000 sporting goods stores. No other age group made up 20% or more of the sales in the category, however, people in the 35–44 age range came in close at 19.3%. Digitalecommerce360
  6. Total sales of sporting goods in the United States (both online and in physical stores) increased by 1.7% to reach $66.825 billion in 2022 from $65.723 billion in 2021. Thus, in 2022, sales of sporting goods in the United States increased both in-person and online. Digitalecommerce360
  7. Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a notable player in this market, accounting for an estimated $1.16T in sales, or 30.75% of all sales in this category. Shopify comes in second place with $843.84B in sales or 22.35% of the total. Moreover, Custom Cart performs admirably, adding $559.40B, or 14.81%, to the total sales. Aftership
  8. Impressive sales figures are found in the United States, where $2.09T, or 55.46% of the total sales in this category, are generated. The United Kingdom comes in second with strong sales, coming in at $275.57 billion, or 7.30% of the total. Canada makes a significant contribution to the market as well, accounting for 4.89% of total sales at $184.71 billion.  Aftership

Competitive Landscapes

  1. As of 2023, Nike had a $156 billion market capitalization, making it the biggest American-based sportswear company. ptpioneer
  2. With a market valuation of about $9.5 billion, Dick's Sporting Goods was the second-biggest American-based sportswear company in 1023. ptpioneer
  3. Revenue from health and fitness centers fell by 33.04% in 2020, but sales of sporting goods rose by 38.93% in the same time frame. ptpioneer
  4. Nike is the biggest sportswear company in the US with a $156 billion market capitalization in 2023, followed by Dick's Sporting Goods with a $9.5 billion market capitalization. ptpioneer
  5. Sales of home gym products are expected to reach $424 million in 2022, nearly doubling that of the previous year. ptpioneer
  6. With US$8,352 million in revenue, Nike.com leads the Sports & Outdoor e-commerce market, followed by jd.com with US$5,954 million. With $3,276 million in revenue, Amazon.com comes in third. Walmart.com, with net sales of US$2,787 million in 2021, is the fourth-largest Sports & Outdoor online retailer globally. Statista
  7. In the US, Nike is the top sports and outdoor retailer online: 41 percent of customers who were aware of the store reported using it in the previous 12 months in April 2024. Adidas is the runner-up with a 35 percent usage share for their online store, ahead of DICK's Sporting Goods and Academy.  Statista
  8. With e-commerce net sales of US$716 million in the UK in 2021, Sportsdirect.com is the market leader in the sports and outdoor e-commerce space, followed by Nike.com with US$581 million. With US$519 million in revenue, argos.co.uk comes in third. Amazon.co.uk, with US$427 million in net sales in 2021, is the fourth-largest Sports & Outdoor online retailer in the United Kingdom. Statista
  9. With US$464 million in e-commerce net sales generated in Germany in 2021, Amazon.de leads the Sports & Outdoor e-commerce market, followed by otto.de with US$364 million. With US$327 million in revenue, zalando.de comes in third. With US$263 million in net sales in 2021, Nike.com ranks as Germany's fourth-largest Sports & Outdoor online retailer. Statista
  10. With 104.52K stores or 35.11% of all stores in this category, WooCommerce leads in terms of quantity of stores. With 71.69K stores, Shopify comes in second with 24.08% of the Sports market. Custom Cart has a noteworthy presence as well, accounting for 10.36% of the total with 30.84K stores.  Aftership

Monthly Traffic to Popular Sports and Fitness E-commerce Sites

  1. Over 150 million people visited nike.com in October of 2023. When compared to September 2023, this represented a rise in website visits of about 10 million. An estimated 13 billion US dollars were made through net sales on Nike.com in e-commerce in 2023. Statista
  2. 28.3 million people visited the Adidas website, adidas.com, in January 2023. Since November and December of 2022, when online shopping was more common due to the holiday season, fewer visits have been made each month. Statista
  3. The website of Canadian-based Lululemon received 22.2 million visits in October of 2023. Compared to the previous month's 18.7 million visits, this number is higher. Statista
  4. The website of American sporting goods retailer Dick's Sporting Goods received 40.8 million visits in January 2023. Compared to December 2022, when there were 56.1 million visits, this number is lower. Statista
  5. Nearly 18 million people visited the website jdsports.co.uk at its peak in September of 2021. The headquarters of the British sports and footwear chain JD Sports are located in Bury, England. Statista

Fitness Apps

  1. Over 1.2 billion health and fitness apps were downloaded in the US in 2022, indicating a high level of consumer interest in digital fitness platforms. ptpioneer
  2. Over the past ten years, the number of Americans joining gyms has steadily increased; in 2020, there will be about 71.5 million fitness club members in the country. ptpioneer
  3. The US fitness apps market grew significantly by 14.6% between 2017 and 2021, with a valuation of US $1.1 billion in that year. ptpioneer
  4. With 23.6% of downloads, workout and fitness apps dominated the US health and fitness app market in 2022. ptpioneer
  5. Women's health apps made up about 4% of downloads in the US in 2022, while weight loss apps came in second with a 14% market share. ptpioneer
  6. With more than 18 million downloads, Planet Fitness ranked as the most popular health and fitness app in the US in 2022. ptpioneer
  7. With almost 9 million downloads, Sweatcoin, an app that tracks sports and activities, was the second most downloaded app in the US in 2022. ptpioneer
  8. With 8.8 million downloads in the US, the mental health and meditation app Calm came in third place in 2022. ptpioneer
  9. Stores in the United States have spent $68.55 million, or 58.40% of the total app expenditure in the sports category, making the total app spend substantial. The United Kingdom comes in second with $11.83M in total spending or 10.08% of the total for the category. Canada contributes significantly to the global technology spending as well, spending $10.43 million, or 8.88% of the total.  Aftership

Sports and Fitness 2024 Summary (Till May)

  1. When comparing May 2024 to May 2023, the Sports and Recreation e-commerce market's sales growth jumped by 19.30%, from -24.59% to -19.85%. IRP
  2. Between May 2023 and May 2024, the Sports and Recreation e-commerce market saw an average decline in sales of 19.85%. IRP
  3. When comparing May 2024 to May 2023, the average CPA in the Sports and Recreation e-commerce market dropped by 25.27%, from 6.57% to 4.91%. IRP
  4. In May 2024 compared to May 2023, the Sports and Recreation e-commerce market's average conversion rate dropped by 5.66%, from 1.73% to 1.63%. IRP
  5. When comparing May 2024 to May 2023, the Sports and Recreation e-commerce market's average order values increased by 0.41%, from £102.49 to £102.92. IRP
  6. The Sports and Recreation e-commerce market saw a 20.09% average decline in visitors in May 2024 as compared to May 2023. IRP
  7. In May 2024 compared to May 2023, the Sports and Recreation e-commerce market saw a 0.31% increase in Revenue Per Visitor, rising from £1.44 to £1.45. IRP
  8. When comparing May 2024 to May 2023, the Sports and Recreation e-commerce market's bounce rate dropped by 39.89%, from 56.45% to 33.94%.IRP
  9. Paid search marketing accounted for 57.2% of sales in the Sports and Recreation e-commerce market in May 2024, while direct sales made up 34.4%, email marketing accounted for 5.7%, and affiliate marketing for 2.7%. IRP
  10. Domestic sales make up 66.2% of the Sports and Recreation e-commerce market in May 2024, while international sales make up 33.8%. IRP
  11. Mobile accounted for 55.4% of sales in the Sports and Recreation e-commerce market in May 2024, while desktop accounted for 42.8% and tablets for 1.8%.IRP
  12. In May 2024 compared to May 2023, the average sale price of an item in the sports and recreation e-commerce market increased by 2.44%, from £47.96 to £49.13. IRP
  13. When comparing May 2024 to May 2023, the percentage of international sales to total sales in the Sports and Recreation ecommerce market dropped by an average of 8.92%, from 37.14% to 33.83%. IRP