Consumer
Who is buying, why, and what comes next
Consumer behavior and market dynamics shaping the global sporting goods industry. SGI Europe tracks participation patterns, demographic shifts, cultural drivers, and regional demand, decoding how changing preferences translate into commercial opportunity for brands and retailers.
In this page
Market Data | Consumer and Culture | Sports Participation
Latest
Fandom on the Run: How K-pop Is Turning Fans into Runners
K-pop entertainment is muscling in on running events to cash in on fans.
To try or not to try – The state of marathon dreams
What coaching app Runna’s survey and race ballots reveal about people who dream of a marathon but never follow through.
What comdaily’s AI study means for sporting goods brands
SGIE exclusive: GEO specialist comdaily tested 504 German-language AI answers on running shoes, training apparel and wearables. Here are the findings.
SGIE Daily Digest
Stay informed. Stay ahead.
Every weekday in your inbox.
The news, analysis and competitive signals that matter, curated for industry professionals.
Sign up for freeMORE
FIP World Padel Report 2026: 40 million players
FIP counts 91,234 courts, up 17.9 percent in ten months, and €6.84 billion of yearly padel spending, worth €8.6 billion of GDP.
France returns the world’s leading ski destination
Visits rose 2.4 percent year on year, putting France ahead of Austria at 53.7 million and the US at 52.6 million.
LTA commits £1.6m to British university tennis and padel
Funding of £1.6 million (€1.9m) runs to 2029 and grows the partner network from 32 to 50 universities.
Women’s golf apparel in China: three growth drivers
For China’s women, what they buy when they buy golf apparel is not golf wear. It is old money, Ivy League style and belonging.
Eurobarometer: activity gains sit in gyms and commutes
The sixth edition of the EU survey also shows 38 percent exercising several times a week, up from 32 percent in 2022.
SIA: U.S. snowsports participants reach 31.96 million
Snowboarding gained riders while alpine skiing stayed flat, according to a new U.S. study by snowsports trade body SIA.
French women want more women’s sport, French study finds
Women’s sport already reaches 41 percent of French women, and 35 percent want more of it. A study by Alice Milliat Foundation and Kantar, covering France, argues that the offer, not the appetite, keeps that interest from becoming habit.
Explore the Section
FIP World Padel Report 2026: 40 million players
FIP counts 91,234 courts, up 17.9 percent in ten months, and €6.84 billion of yearly padel spending, worth €8.6 billion of GDP.
LTA commits £1.6m to British university tennis and padel
Funding of £1.6 million (€1.9m) runs to 2029 and grows the partner network from 32 to 50 universities.
Eurobarometer: activity gains sit in gyms and commutes
The sixth edition of the EU survey also shows 38 percent exercising several times a week, up from 32 percent in 2022.
SIA: U.S. snowsports participants reach 31.96 million
Snowboarding gained riders while alpine skiing stayed flat, according to a new U.S. study by snowsports trade body SIA.
Women’s golf apparel in China: three growth drivers
For China’s women, what they buy when they buy golf apparel is not golf wear. It is old money, Ivy League style and belonging.
French women want more women’s sport, French study finds
Women’s sport already reaches 41 percent of French women, and 35 percent want more of it. A study by Alice Milliat Foundation and Kantar, covering France, argues that the offer, not the appetite, keeps that interest from becoming habit.
APAC football fandom is massive. Merch sales are not.
The fandom is real. The conversion model most European clubs use in APAC is not built for the region.
US women’s sports audience and ad spend are booming
US audiences watched 46 billion minutes of women’s sports in 2025, while brands poured in record ad dollars, per Nielsen.
What comdaily’s AI study means for sporting goods brands
SGIE exclusive: GEO specialist comdaily tested 504 German-language AI answers on running shoes, training apparel and wearables. Here are the findings.
US: sporting goods emerge as World Cup retail winner
Two months later, adidas, Fanatics and Foot Locker led a US sporting goods surge that outpaced every retail category.
Sports companies are discovering the pet market as a growth area
From a niche market to a multi-billion-dollar industry: How sports companies are already making good money in the $270 billion pet market.
Circana: padel shoe market equals tennis in Spain
For the first time, padel accounts for half of all racquet-sport shoe revenues in Spain, as an 18 percent surge offsets a contraction in tennis.
Intelligence, analysis and advice for the global sporting goods industry.
TOPICS
Corporate and FinancialRetail and Supply
Marketing
Consumer
People and HR
Events and Trade Shows
Legal
CSR and Sustainability
Technology and AI
Asia-Pacific
Athlete economy
China and APAC
MARKET ANALYSIS
Analysis and dataIndustry Scorecards
Reports
Case Studies
SERIES and SPECIALS
FIFA World Cup 2026Winter Olympics 2026
Circular Economy
Impact of Sports
Redefining CSR 2025
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Membership plansFAQs
ASK SGIE AI
For premium subscribersABOUT US
About usNewsroom and Contacts
Media solutions
- COPYRIGHT © EDM PUBLICATIONS GMBH
- Contact Us
- FAQS
- Terms and Conditions
- Privacy & Cookies Policy
- Impressum
- Issues
- Topics A-Z