The sports sector faces high comparative figures
2022 has been a tough year for the sports trade. As in many other sub-sectors, rising inflation and interest rates, war and the state of the economy have left their mark.
The sports trade also faces high comparative figures as the industry has seen strong growth during the pandemic. During the pandemic, it became popular to stay at home, which is why many consumers exchanged a trip abroad for Swedish outdoor activities. With this, many consumers bet on investing in outdoor and leisure equipment in 2021, which became difficult to measure up to in 2022 when the restrictions were lifted.
A significant part of the sports trade consists of more expensive consumer goods such as ski and golf equipment. There, the industry has encountered several obstacles, one of which is that consumers' reduced purchasing power affects the entire e-commerce. In addition, the weather has not been on the sports trade's side. The winter of 2022 started cold, but closer to the turn of the year parts of the country instead became record wet and the weather milder than usual. A mild winter combined with a thinner wallet has led to low demand for seasonal items such as winter sports accessories. Since many consumers have bought new sports equipment during the pandemic, they are waiting even longer before it is time for an update. This year's development therefore lands at minus 8 percent.
Source: The E-barometern 2022
