With the month of May typically seen as the beginning of a clearance period for athletic footwear for many retailers, its importance is usually on the low end of the scale after the Easter and Spring Break periods are past and inventories are cleaned up heading into the Back-to-School season still ahead. 

 

Despite the concerns about a weakening economy overall, the low-single-digit increase in Sport Footwear sales in the fiscal month of May does not appear to be prompting warning flags around the market.


Average selling process dipped a bit for the month on shifts in categories and gender mix.


May was the largest volume month of last year for Toning.  Facing those difficult comparisons (large volume weeks, in a small volume month, coupled with big declines in average selling price and units) made it hard for the industry to gain any momentum.  Toning sales for the month were down more than 50% in dollars and 25% in units with a 35% decline in average selling price.  All channels suffered equally in the percentage decline, but the Family Footwear channel was against the greatest volume and therefore was impacted most.  The Toning category remains on track to do $800 million this year.


Running helped offset much of the losses in Toning.  Overall Running sales grew in the mid-teens for the month.  Given the cold and rainy start to the month these results are very good.
Lightweight Running accounted for more than all of the growth in Running for the month.  Lightweight was 28% of all Running sales for the month. 


The three traditional largest Running sub categories (Motion Control, Stability and Cushioning) all had significant declines for the month.  Lightweight is now having a material impact on the rest of the Running categories.


SSI is now measuring Natural/Minimalist Running, which includes the Barefoot category. While the category showed growth, it was clearly outpaced by Lightweight.


Lightweight Running is on track to exceed $1.5 billion in sales this year.


Monthly highlights from a few other categories:

Training had another strong month, driven by Nike which accounted for all the growth in the category.
Sandals are also hot right now, growing about 10%, especially slides which grew more than 20%.


Basketball is proving to be a seasonal business.  After a decent first quarter, sales of Basketball in May declined slightly.


Casual continues to show some signs of life as the declines SSI have seen in the last few have finally started to abate. Casual sales were nearly flat for the month.


For the four-month year-to-date period Sport Footwear sales grew in the mid-single-digits, with average selling prices remaining mostly flat.


For detailed information about weekly and monthly sales trend sin footwear, apparel, sports licensed products, sports & fitness hardgoods, sportsman’s hardgoods and outdoor specialty hardgoods, contact The SportsOneSource Group at 704.987.3450 x108.  Or email to:
SportScan@SportsOneSource.com