Brooks Running reported average sales growth of 52 percent in Europe for the first half of 2021 in a press release, forecasting an increase of around 40 percent for the whole year, after a rise of 10 percent in 2020. The main Southern European markets grew significantly faster in the first six months of this year. Growth of 77 percent was recorded in Spain, followed by Italy with a rise of 67 percent and France with an increase of 53 percent year-on-year. In the DACH region and the Benelux countries, sales climbed by 52 percent.
The sales increase in Europe was driven in particular by the footwear segment (+52%), while apparel went up by 24 percent. It was broad-based in terms of sales channels, and it came in spite of retail closures and supply chain disruptions. While the Ghost and Adrenaline styles of running shoes accelerated their growth, the introduction of two versions of the Glycerin at the beginning of the year - a neutral and a support (Glycerin GTS) version - provided more options for the runner. The Glycerin grew by 95 percent and the Glycerin GTS by 150 percent as compared to the prior year.
Earlier in August, the Seattle-based parent company had reported strong global sales growth of 75 percent in the second quarter of 2021 as compared to the same period in 2020. Brooks did not share specific figures regarding its overall revenue growth during the first half. However, with 70 percent of global sales coming from the U.S., the brand plans to expand further in Europe. A launch in China is on the agenda for 2022, as is an expansion of the product range to include more running apparel for men and women.
In what was a tough year for many brands, Brooks had already reported in July 2020 that it was almost on a par with the pre-pandemic first-half figures for 2019, which had ended with record growth. The company did not disclose detailed figures, but with the reported jumps in sales, it can be assumed that the sales registered in the first half of 2019 were significantly exceeded in the first half of 2021.
