US wholesale sporting goods market sales rose 2.8% in 2013 and are nearly 14% since 2009 when they were $71.6 billion. Report findings are reached by Sports Marketing Surveys USA, derived from a combination of aggregated quantitative data that is collected from a sample of manufacturerers in a variety of product categories.
A breakdown of specific segments within the industry shows that the sports equipment category, bolstered by sales growth in ammunition, camping equipment, ski and firearms, grew 3.5% last year to $22.2 billion to account for more than 27% of the overall wholesale market. Meanwhile, the total sports apparel market, which includes branded athletic, activewear and team uniforms, grew 2.9% in 2013. Licensed sports apparel wholesale sales rose 1.8%. But running remains athetic footwear's largest category as its annual wholesale rebvenues rose 1.8%.
