U.S. wholesale sales of athletic footwear, apparel, sports and fitness equipment, and licensed products grew by 4.3 percent in 2022, totaling over $116 billion. This represents the second-largest percentage growth since 2010, although it also marks a pullback from the record performance of 15.8 percent in 2021. These figures were presented by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), the U.S. industry association, formerly known as Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), in its “2023 State of the Industry Report,” an in-depth analysis of the trends and issues affecting the sports and fitness products business. The report was released at the SFIA/NCAA/NFHA Team Sports Conference in Indianapolis on April 18. The report explains that inflation influenced raw material inputs, labor and logistics costs, and final product pricing. In 2022, 55.2 percent of companies who responded said they increased profitability, the second largest since 2015. Meanwhile, for a third consecutive year, the number of respondent companies that decreased profitability (28.4 percent) marked a decline.
Based in Laurel, Maryland, the SFIA represents more than 700 sporting goods and fitness brands, manufacturers, retailers, and marketers across the U.S., employing more than 375,000 people and generating $150 billion in domestic revenue wholesale sales.
