Sporting Goods Manufacturing Industry Profile

Companies in this industry manufacture sporting and athletic goods, including sports and fitness equipment. Major companies include Acushnet Holdings, BRG Sports, Callaway Golf, ICON Health & Fitness, and Russell Athletic (all based in the US), as well as Amer Sports (Finland), Decathlon (France), Head (Netherlands), and Mizuno (Japan).

Worldwide retail sales of sports equipment total about $100 billion annually. China, the US, and Germany are the largest exporters of sporting goods. Because of lower labor and production costs, many companies outsource or have manufacturing facilities in developing countries such as China and India.

The US sporting goods manufacturing industry includes about 1,600 establishments (single-location companies or units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $10 billion. Manufacturing of athletic apparel and footwear, which is not included in the industry, is covered in separate industry profiles.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Sporting goods manufacturers align their distribution, sales, and marketing strategies with the demands and trends of the sporting retail section. Major big-box chains have gained leverage over suppliers as they acquire smaller retailers that have fallen into bankruptcy. Large sports equipment manufacturers are increasingly selling products directly to consumers through their own websites, which allow them to offer lower prices or reap higher profit margins by bypassing retailers. The industry competes with vertically integrated retailers that manufacture and sell their own products; companies may also lose business to outlets that sell used ...