East North Central Sporting Goods Sales Behind Nationwide Pace

In the East North Central states (OH, IN, IL, MI, WI), overall sporting goods store sales grew 19.2% from the 1997 Census versus total U.S. growth of 23.5%. Sales for 2002 in the East North Central states reached $3.7 billion. Of that amount, $1.85 billion moved through full-line sporting goods stores; $1.86 billion, through specialty sport shops.

Although sales in full-line sporting goods stores grew 33.5% from the 1997 Census, the number of stores declined 9.6% to 1,077 stores. Sales in specialty sport shops grew 7.7% while the number of shops (2,454) declined 14.7%. This activity is reflected in “Sales per Store” data, $1.7 million (up 48%) in full-line sporting goods stores and $759,000 (up 26%) in specialty sport shops.

“Sales per Employee,” an important measure of personnel productivity, was stronger in the full line channel of distribution. In full-line sporting goods stores, employees generated $132,500 in sales, up 24.5% from the previous Census. In specialty sport shops, employees generated $121,100 in sales (up 13.5%).

Sales in East North Central athletic footwear stores rose to $966 million between 1997 and 2002, a 4.9% increase. The number of stores (876) generating those sales rose 2.2%. Sales per employee declined 5.7%, to $100,000.

“Residents of the East North Central states spent less than the average American in sporting goods stores and specialty sport shops, and also in athletic footwear stores,” said NSGA Vice President of Information & Research Thomas B. Doyle. “They represent 16.2% of the U.S. population but spent 15.0% of the total dollars spent in sporting goods stores and specialty sport shops. In athletic footwear stores, they spent 13.6% of the total dollars.”

Total U.S. sales in sporting goods stores, which includes full-line and specialty sports shops, rose to $25.02 billion in 2002 versus $20.04 billion in 1997.

Total U.S. sales growth was stronger in the full-line store segment, up 39% to $12.98 billion in 2002 versus $9.31 billion in 1997. Sales in specialty sports shops rose 12% to $12.05 billion versus $10.73 billion in 1997. In the previous Census of Retail, sales had grown more rapidly in specialty sports shops than in full line stores, 42% versus 35%.

Total U.S. sales in athletic footwear stores reached $7.1 billion, a 21.5% increase from the $5.85 billion reported in the 1997 Census. The 1997 Census had shown a 66.5% increase over the previous census (1992).

The U.S. Bureau of the Census conducts the Census of Retail Trade every five years. The data was collected in 2003 for the 2002 calendar year. The first data was released in late 2004 and final data released in late 2005.