Consumers are looking forward to an active summer, the recurring survey from trade organization Svenskt Sportforum, said.
The Sports Barometer, the recurring survey from the Swedish sports trade organization Svenskt Sportforum, which takes the temperature of developments in the sports industry, shows continued optimism among both retailers and suppliers, despite a divided current situation. At the same time, a majority of consumers are planning an active summer, with increased interest in purchasing sports and leisure products.
“It is gratifying that optimism remains high in the industry – especially in a continuing uncertain global situation, said Jonas Linder, CEO of Svenskt Sportforum. “At the same time, we see that interest in an active lifestyle is strong among consumers.”
Consumers are looking forward to an active summer
The survey was made by telephone calls and web questionnaire (Norstat Sweden/Sportforum) of approximately 120 sports and leisure stores plus 40 suppliers. Adding to that 1.000 consumers were also questioned.
Around 68% responded yes to the question of whether they plan to participate in any sports or leisure activities this summer, with running, hiking/outdoor activities, and strength training at the top of the list. In addition, more people say they have recently purchased or plan to purchase sports and leisure goods, compared to the November survey.
The industry remains optimistic about the future – but plans with caution
The May 2025 Sports Barometer paints a mixed picture for the industry: retailers report increased sales and slightly improved profitability, while suppliers are struggling with large inventories and weaker sales.
Despite this, both retailers and suppliers remain highly optimistic about the future, especially in the six-month outlook. However, purchasing plans are cautious, reflecting an industry that is balancing opportunities and risk awareness.
“From a retailer’s perspective, it is to be expected that there are more positive thoughts about the current situation, based on the good start to 2025 that we saw in the Sportindex Q1 report, Lars Palmgren, CEO of SGN Sport Sweden (Team Sportia, Sportringen, and Bike Nation) said. “It is also encouraging to see strong index figures in the Sportbarometer when it comes to future developments. The positive outlook is shared by both suppliers and retailers – and it is important that this picture is consistent.”
About the Sportbarometer
The pulse and forecast of the sports industry – Sportbarometern gathers insights from suppliers, retailers, and consumers to provide a clear picture of sales, profitability, inventory, and purchasing plans. The report serves as a recurring and forward-looking indicator of the sports industry’s development.
About the surveys
• Retailers: Telephone survey and web questionnaire (Norstat Sweden/Sportforum) of approximately 120 sports and leisure stores.
• Suppliers: Web questionnaire of approximately 40 suppliers (members of Svenskt Sportforum).
• Consumers: Nationally representative web survey (Kantar Media – Sifopanelen) of at least 1,000 people aged 18–79.
• The surveys were conducted during the latter part of May 2025.
