Sales at the four largest specialty athletic footwear chains grew to 70.5% of sales in this channel of distribution during the five-year period 1997-2002, according to an NSGA analysis of recently released U.S. Census of Retail data. In the previous five-year period, the four largest chains represented 61.7% of sales.
Concentration of sales in the four largest specialty athletic footwear chains grew less rapidly between 1997 and 2002 (12.3%) than in the previous five-year period (41.8%).
“The four largest specialty athletic footwear chains operated 63% of the stores in this channel of distribution, 3,863 out of 6,095 stores,” said NSGA Vice President of Information & Research Thomas B. Doyle. “In the previous census, they had operated 54% of the stores, 2,875 out of 5,277 stores.”
Concentration of sales also grew in the specialty sports channel, but not close to levels seen in the specialty athletic footwear channel. Sales of the four largest specialty retailers grew to 12% of sales in this channel of distribution during the five-year period 1997-2002. In the previous five-year period, the four largest specialty retailers represented 8.4% of sales.
“For the four largest specialty athletic footwear firms, sales per store edged up to $1.32 million per store, up 4% from the $1.27 million five years earlier,” Doyle said.
According to the Census of Retail data, sales in the specialty athletic footwear channel reached $7.27 billion in 2002, up 22.7% from the $5.92 billion in 1997.
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.
