Report: U.S. Sports Equipment Sales Up in 2021

The NPD Group

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As consumers sought refuge outdoors during the pandemic, equipment sales at sports specialty retail grew by 23 percent in the first half of 2021, compared to the same pre-pandemic period in 2019. Contributing to this performance were 17 percent gains in brick-and-mortar store retail sales revenue and a 31 percent rise in e-commerce, across the combined categories of camping, climbing, water sports, protective gear and accessories.  

Diving into the retail channel breakdown reveals that sales growth in several add-on and accessory-related categories at specialty outlets outpaced regional and national retailers. Within the specialty market, sport racks grew by 100 percent and shelters by 76 percent in the first half of the year versus 2019. Also growing faster in the specialty market were personal floatation devices, wet suits and other water sports apparel;

“The areas where specialty retail really seems to thrive today is in the add-on categories tied to enhancing comfort and convenience,” says Dirk Sorenson, sports industry analyst, NPD. “After making the basic, fundamental investments to get outdoors, consumers are now turning to the expertise of specialty outlets and their sales associates to extend the experience and make it more comfortable.”