Trade Resources Industry Views U.S. Wholesale Shipments of Tennis Products in Indicate Market Conditions May Be Improving

U.S. Wholesale Shipments of Tennis Products in Indicate Market Conditions May Be Improving

U.S. wholesale shipments of tennis products in the third quarter indicate market conditions may be improving, according to figures released by Tennis Industry Association.

Tennis Balls
Compared to Q3 of 2013, tennis balls, one of the key indicators of tennis participation, saw an uptick in wholesale unit shipments of 6.5 percent. The solid growth in the third quarter this year has helped offset some of the losses seen in the first half of the year and pulls ball shipments year-to-date in line with 2013 unit shipment figures.

Red, Orange, and Green tennis balls also continued their solid growth in the quarter, with an increase in balls shipped of 8.5 percent. The stage 1 Green ball was a key driver of growth in the ROG category for the quarter, with a nearly 20 percent increase in units shipped as more facilities begin to adapt their programming (even outside of youth tennis) for the utilization of the green ball. Overall, year-to-date unit shipments for the ROG category are up 7 percent.

Tennis Racquets
Perhaps one of the key challenges for the industry this year has been the wholesale distribution of tennis racquets, particularly in the under $25.00 wholesale price point. Despite these challenges, Q3 of this year saw unit shipments come in flat versus Q3 2013, a "win" for the industry when you consider that unit shipments overall are down over 3 percent year-to-date. What has seen very positive growth is the "premium" racquet category (wholesale price points above $100), which have grown nearly 14 percent through the first three quarters of 2014 as compared to last year.

Tennis Strings
Often another variable to determine play frequency, especially among "core" tennis players (as they are typically the players who restring), is the wholesale distribution of tennis strings in the third quarter. Unit shipments for this category in 2013 are up slightly versus 2013 with a growth rate of 1.2 percent. Leading this marginal uptick are hybrid string sets, which saw a nearly 36 percent increase in units shipped in Q3 14 versus Q3 13. Despite the growth seen in Q3 of this year, overall, the strings category has provided a challenge to manufacturers this year as year-to-date unit shipments are down over 10 percent. Some of this decline may be attributable to the unseasonably cool weather experienced in late Q1 and throughout Q2 of 2014 throughout many parts of the country. Anecdotally speaking, the adverse weather patterns very likely had an impact on the amount of playable days available for core players to take the courts.

About TIA Census Reporting
Each quarter the TIA produces the TIA Census reports for racquets, balls, and strings, which aggregates wholesale shipment data from participating manufacturers to provide this important information back to our industry constituents to allow them to make the most informed strategic business decisions possible.

Source: http://www.sportsonesource.com/news/spor/spor_article.asp?section=5&Prod=1&id=53457
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TIA Data Points to Improving U. S. Tennis Market