Sports equipment is hot in the US, with sales up 19% in the first quarter

According to NPD, U.S. spring sports equipment revenue increased 19% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2022 , and sales increased 35% in the first quarter compared to 2019 .

According to the survey, baseball , softball , lacrosse and pickleball have strong demand and are popular categories for the growth in sports equipment sales. The relaxation of epidemic policies, the improvement of consumers' health awareness, and the resumption of sports activities are the main reasons for the growth in sports equipment sales.

Which sports equipment categories have seen a significant increase in sales?

According to statistics, sales revenue of baseball and softball equipment in the United States increased by 19% in the first quarter , and baseball and softball-related products also increased , including rackets, balls, gloves and mittens, protective equipment and training equipment.

Additionally, sales of lacrosse equipment increased by 72%, and sales of lacrosse protective gear increased by 114% as people became more safety conscious .

Meanwhile, sales of football equipment rose 10%, driven by sales of balls .

The growth of racket sports equipment was led by pickleball , an outdoor sport that combines the rules of table tennis, tennis, and badminton using rackets similar to those used in table tennis.

Revenue from pickleball rackets and balls increased 53% as sales of tennis rackets and balls declined .

Pickleball is most popular among baby boomers in the U.S., according to NPD Checkout, and the sport is also growing in popularity among millennials .

Why did sports equipment sales increase in the first quarter ?

In the past two years, with the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, almost all major sporting events in the United States have been canceled or postponed.

At the same time, many school sports activities were banned, and physical education classes evolved into providing students with more explanations of sports.

These reasons have led to poor sales of sports equipment in the United States.

This spring, as epidemic policies were relaxed, sports activities organized in schools gradually returned to normal, which meant that many parents could prepare sports equipment for their children. As sports events were held as usual, athletes also began to purchase new sports equipment.

After the epidemic, more and more people have begun to pay attention to their physical health. As people's health awareness has increased, sports have become an indispensable part of life. Individual or community-based exercise and sports activities have become more and more popular, creating new possibilities for sporting goods companies.

In addition, data shows that the younger generation of American consumers are willing to spend a lot of money on sporting goods.

The results of this survey are a good sign for the sporting goods industry. With the gradual easing of foreign epidemic policies and the recent easing of sports, people's demand for sporting goods will also increase accordingly. Overseas sellers should take the opportunity to seize consumption trends and obtain more orders .

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