The Foot Locker retail brand is the most recognizable of all sports or outdoor retail brands in the U.S., based on a recent survey conducted by The SportsOneSource Group. The resulting 2008 How America Shops Study, released this week, found that 89% of all respondents to the survey conducted over the summer were aware of the Foot Locker retail brand by a wide margin over the balance of the retail brands serving the sports or outdoor markets. Dicks Sporting Goods was the second most recognized retail brand, with 72% of the respondents indicating awareness, and Sports Authority came in a close third, with a 70% awareness level.
Foot Locker. Inc. had three brands in the top 10, with Lady Foot Locker coming in at #4 in brand recognition and Kids Foot Locker taking the #9 spot. Lady Foot Locker jumped to the #2 spot when polling female respondents to the survey.
The brand awareness results were based on both un-aided and aided survey questions.
The Foot Locker brand was dominant across all genders, economic group, age and region, with the exception of California and the Northwest. In those two regions, Big 5 Sporting Goods took the top spot, pushing Foot Locker to the #2 spot. In most other regions, Dicks Sporting Goods and Sports Authority traded back and forth for the #2 spot, with Dicks Sporting Goods the most recognizable full-line sporting goods retail brand in the Northeast and Midwest, while Sports Authority took the top spot for full-line stores in the Southeast, Southwest, and Rocky Mountain regions.
One interesting revelation may bode well for Dicks Sporting Goods in their move into California. While the Dicks Sporting Goods brand wasnt in the top 20 most recognized sports or outdoor retail brands in the Northwest, 35% of the respondents from California indicated awareness for the Dicks Sporting Goods retail brand.
The brand awareness index is just one element of the 2008 How America Shops Study produced by The SportsOneSource Group. The study, based on data compiled in a survey conducted via the Internet over the summer sampling a cross-section of the American population ages 18 to 65, delves into consumer perceptions on specific retailers including customer service, product availability, product quality, convenience of location, and having a knowledgeable staff.
The SportsOneSource 2008 How America Shops Study is packaged in various formats to customize or optimize the benefits to the user. The full report is over 320 pages, but can also be broken down into specific retailer data, such as how does a consumer that shops at one retailer rank that retailer against its competition in a number of categories. The report is also broken into trade channels. The base report is free to SportScanINFO retail reporting partners and discounts are available for SportsOneSource Network members.
For more information on the study, including the customization of the data for a specific project or report, please contact SOS Research at 704.987.3450 x110 or e-mail to: Research@SportsOneSource.com.
