The Monthly Retail Trade Survey, prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau, reported sales in sporting goods stores of $2.87 billion preliminary for the most recent reporting month of March, up 18.2% from the $2.43 billion in March 2005. The increase follows a 11.0% increase in February. Sales for the first quarter of 2005 reached $7.23 billion, up 13.2% from the first quarter of 2005.
Total sales for calendar year 2005 were $31.0 billion, up 7.3% from 2004. Sales in 2004 were $28.93 billion, up 6.5% versus 2003. Sporting goods store sales for 2003 were $27.17 billion, a 3.1% increase versus 2002.
Among the 28 retail categories in the survey, sporting goods stores growth for 2004 ranked in the top third and exceeded the 7.6% growth rate for all retail sales. The overall retail growth represented the strongest increase since 1999s 8.4% gain.
The estimated annual sales for sporting goods stores in the U.S. Census Bureau Monthly Retail Trade is consistent with sporting goods sales reported in the NSGA study “The Sporting Goods Market,” a fact that pleases NSGA. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates are based on data from the Monthly Retail Trade Survey, Annual Retail Trade Survey, and administrative records and have been adjusted using results of the most recent economic census.
