Sportswear in Sweden

PROSPECTS

Swedes’ health and welfare lifestyles

Swedes continued to enjoy increasingly active lifestyles in 2018 which helped to drive sales of sportswear. Both sports footwear and sports apparel therefore continued to grow in 2018, a trend projected to continue throughout the forecast period as many retailers expanded their focus on fashionable trainers and even opened concept stores for sports footwear.

Athleisure and outdoor trends gain ground

The athleisure trend has mainly driven the sales of sports-inspired footwear and apparel as trainers are worn for most types of occasions. For example, the dress code in offices is generally rather relaxed, as many Swedes feel comfortable wearing trainers with both smart casual business and casual business attire.

Strong retailing competition

Strong expansion by many sportswear retailers, new players, and channels continued in 2018. Outlet stores continued growing quickly in 2018 with concepts such as Stadium Outlet continuing to be successful as consumers prefer cheaper garments.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Adidas remains leading player

adidas retained its leadership of sportswear in 2018 as it largely benefits from its diverse portfolio of well-known apparel and footwear in performance as well as athleisure styles. It also gained growth as it has collaborated with several local influencers and sponsored the most famous Swedish football player Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Niche brands continue to display strong growth in 2018

Many niche players, especially from Sweden, continued to record good development in 2018 as many consumers wanted to display their individual style. The trend for fashionable trainers remained relevant and grew in 2018, with several established players such as Asics and New Balance losing some share in 2018 as many new entrants, especially with a stronger focus on athleisure “sneakers” under sports-inspired footwear witnessed strong development in 2018.

Cheaper brands to attract new consumers following athleisure trend

Cheaper brands gained ground in 2018 as the consumer base for sportswear expanded; therefore, private label from chained sports goods stores performed well with the economy retailer Lager 157 launching an outdoor collection. Many consumers displayed an interest in sports-inspired apparel and were therefore willing to also try economy alternatives from retailers as a fashion statement.

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