Impact of coronavirus on sports purchasing

A series of reports from market research firm NPD Group shows the impact of the coronavirus on how consumers now view buying decisions surrounding sports and athletic products.

Each report focused on a specific country, tracking consumer sentiment in areas such as food service, non-food retail, toys, and sports.

In the area of sports, the Consumer Sentiment in Russia report stated post-lockdown consumers are now 39% more thinking about product quality, like the texture and look of sport shoes and clothing, than in-purchase states, such as promotions, delivery and return policies.

In the UK’s consumer sentiment report, NPD Group found that one-third Of consumers “feel ready and comfortable to go into stores immediately if social distancing rules are respected” and that 64%”will be willing to queue for up to 20 minutes to get within a store to buy sport shoes or clothing”.

The consumer sentiment report for Italy discovered that there’s been an increase in working from home. While one in three customers “postpones the purchase of sportswear and shoes before after the lockdown”, 35% follow online tutorials and videos to train from home”.

NPD Group stated that producers and online retailers may enhance digital channels, improve delivery, and encourage purchasing with promotional efforts if they want to increase sales in this particular environment.