Sport Footwear Average Selling Prices Hold Steady in April

Average selling prices for Sport Footwear rose nearly 2 percent to $54.33 for the fiscal month of April, the result of stronger basketball, lightweight running and natural/minimalist running, outdoor and training/fitness footwear sales for the month.  The strength in those categories offset considerable weakness in the toning footwear category, where average selling prices (ASPs) fell nearly 32 percent versus April 2010.

According to retail point-of-sale data compiled by SportScanInfo, overall Sport Footwear sales grew in the low- to mid-single-digits in dollar sales for the four-week fiscal month ended April 30, while unit sales increased in the low-single-digits for the period.  Sales for the retail fiscal first quarter were up more than 6 percent for the 13-week period.  The month and the quarter are off the tailing 52-week trend reflecting high-single-digit growth.

The low-single-digit increase in ASPs for April came after weaker growth in prices in the fiscal first quarter period through April 30, when ASPs rose less than one percent.

Mens Sport Footwear sales grew in the mid-single-digits in April while womens Sport Footwear declined in the mid-singles and kids Sport Footwear grew in the high-single-digits.
Average selling prices in mens Sport Footwear were up 3 percent in April, while womens ASPs declined 3.5 percent due to the heavy influence of Toning liquidation pricing and kids ASPs increased nearly 9 percent for the month.

By key category, average selling prices were up 3.7 percent in Basketball Footwear, increased nearly 13 percent in Training/Fitness Footwear and rise 15.4 percent in the Outdoor Natural/Minimalist category.  ASPs actually slipped nearly 2 percent in the Running Natural/Minimalist category as mainstays from Nike and Merrell, and new entries from Merrell, got pressure from Filas Skele-Toes product, which was heavily promoted in the $49 to $59 range during the month of April.

For more information on SportScanInfo or other retail point-of-sale data trends, contact The SportsOneSource Group at 704.987.3450 or e-mail to SportScan@SportsOneSource.com.