Sport 2000’s digital agency Nethletes has published its first comprehensive Sport E-Commerce Study 2024, analyzing the online performance of 101 brands and retailers across the German sporting goods sector on 72 pages. The study highlights key trends, best practices, and improvement opportunities to help the industry adapt in an increasingly competitive market. The research evaluated core e-commerce areas such as SEO, user experience, social media strategies, payment methods, shipping and returns.
Key findings for retailers and DTC experts
- SEO and Digital Visibility: Retailers significantly outperform direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands when it comes to SEO visibility. Thanks to broader keyword strategies and optimized landing pages, retailers achieve higher search rankings and better organic reach. In contrast, many DTC brands still lag in SEO performance, often relying more heavily on paid and social media for customer acquisition.
- Social Media Dynamics: DTC brands dominate platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where community engagement and brand storytelling are crucial. Their focus on visual content, lifestyle marketing and influencer partnerships helps them to build strong, direct relationships with consumers, particularly in the lifestyle and running categories.
- Shipping and Return Policies: Shipping costs and returns remain key conversion drivers. The study found that the average threshold for free shipping stands at €77. However, DTC brands tend to offer lower free shipping thresholds and more extended return periods, especially in the running segment, where the average return window extends to 49 days. Retailers, on the other hand, often set higher thresholds to encourage larger basket sizes.
- Post-Purchase Experience: There is considerable untapped potential in the post-purchase phase. Only 19 percent of companies communicate the use of sustainable packaging materials, despite growing consumer demand for eco-friendly practices. Furthermore, only 18 percent include personalized extras, such as handwritten notes or small gifts, in their packages – simple but effective measures that can boost customer loyalty and brand perception.
E-com: Small changes with huge potential
“Between top performance and optimization potential, there are often only a few decisive clicks,” said Ilja Gurevich, head of Nethletes, summarizing how small changes can have a major impact on conversion rates and customer satisfaction. Dominik Solleder, Managing Director of Sport 2000, underlined the importance of the findings: “This study gives our partners valuable guidance to remain successful in a tough market.”
The study concludes that early investment in accessibility, personalized digital experiences, and sustainability will be critical for brands and retailers aiming to strengthen their e-commerce performance and secure long-term growth in the sports industry.
The study (in German) is available at the Nethletes website.
