According to the Canadian Sporting Goods Market Report, distributed by SGMA, sales continue to increase for our neighbor to the north as sales in 2007 amounted to $7.5 billion market, growing from $7.4 billion in 2007. The estimate includes sales of sporting goods equipment, sports clothing/activewear, and athletic footwear. In recent years, the Canadian sports market has been growing at a steady rate — $6.9 billion in 2004; $7.0 billion in 2005; and $7.4 billion in 2006.


Those facts are just a few of the many figures in the Canadian Sporting Goods Market Report (2008 edition) – distributed by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA). This report is prepared for SGMA by Trendex Sports Vision. This specific study provides the reader with relevant spending details (units purchased and dollars spent) on the Canadian market – by category (sporting goods equipment, sports clothing/activewear, and athletic footwear), retail channel, retail outlet, product type (golf, tennis, camping, snow skis, etc.) and geographic location (province/city).

Listed below are a few significant statistics on the sporting goods market in Canada in 2007:



  • Sporting goods equipment sales were the largest portion of overall sales — $4.14 billion – which represents 55.2% of all sports industry sales.
  • Among various categories of sporting goods retailers, independent sporting goods stores generated 70.2% of their sales from sporting goods equipment.
  • The 45+ age group accounts for the most retail spending.
  • The three leading retail outlets for dollar sales are (1) Canadian Tire, (2) Sport Chek, and (3) Wal-Mart.
  • The three leading retail outlets for unit sales are (1) Wal-Mart, (2) Canadian Tire, and (3) Sports Chek.
  • The three leading metro markets are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
  • In all provinces, Canadian Tire, Sports Chek, and Wal-Mart jockey for position as the three leading retailers, except in Quebec where Sports Experts ranks second.
  • Among Canadian retailers, National Sport appeals to younger and wealthier clients, while Sears attracts a middle-aged and less affluent customer.

There are also sections of this report which focus on specific activities such as archery, baseball/softball, bicycles/bicycle equipment, camping, curling, exercise equipment, fishing, golf, hockey, hunting, ice hockey/figure skates, in-line/roller skate equipment, racquet sports, snow ski, ski/snowboard, volleyball/football/soccer/basketball/lacrosse, water sports, sports clothing, and sports footwear. In each section, 2007 sales are listed as well as the main retail channels of distribution and the main retailers that sell that category.