Hot sale at the beginning of spring! Demand for Wildberries sports products surges 112%

As the weather begins to turn warm and dry across much of Russia, consumer demand for products such as outdoor sports equipment, clothing and footwear is rising rapidly.

According to foreign media reports, orders for sporting goods on the Wildberries platform increased by 112% year-on-year from March 18 to March 22, 2022. Russian consumers ordered a variety of running and walking accessories, strength training equipment, and some equipment for fitness at home.

Track and field enthusiasts are also ordering sneakers on Wildberries, with analysts at the online retailer noting that sneaker orders were up 134% year-on-year, running tights up 105% and sweatshirts up 138%.

Doing yoga at home has become the choice of many Russian female consumers. According to Wildberries data, the popularity of yoga mats has increased by 154% year-on-year, the sales of special yoga hammocks have increased by 114%, and the sales of yoga wheels have also increased by 106%.

At the same time, the company's analysts also noted the growing popularity of strength sports. In March, consumer demand for various machines increased by 64%, demand for kettlebells increased by 83%, and demand for barbells increased by 170%.

From March 18 to March 22, 2022, the amount of fitness kit (dumbbells, exercise mats, fitness rubber bands, etc.) ordered by Russians increased by 279% compared with a year ago, and the demand for exercise rollers increased by 40%.

While sales of spring sporting goods have surged, some Russian retailers have found that demand for summer products on their platforms is also growing. According to data from Russia's multi-category marketplace SberMegaMarket, between February 7 and March 20, 2022, the number of demand orders for goods traditionally associated with summer increased 5.7 times year-on-year, and turnover increased 8.2 times.

In terms of subcategories, the fastest growing products are swimming pools and related accessories, with order volume increasing by 1,800%; sales of barbecue and grill related products increased by 781%; sales of lawn treatment equipment increased by 730%; gardening equipment increased by 520%; and sales of bathing and sauna products increased by 510%.

Alexei Pavlov, Product Category Manager at SberMegaMarket, commented: “It is noteworthy that the surge in summer purchases last year began in the first half of February, and the purchase of summer products is being postponed as people become more familiar with online shopping.”

Russia

E-commerce