Branded athletic footwear doubles its growth rate
Branded athletic footwear saw a worldwide growth in dollar terms at wholesale of 2.05 per cent during 2000, which was double the 1999 rate. Most of the increase in the global market took place in Asia, with the US market growing by just 1.2 per cent. In the retail sector, the picture was less encouraging, with European branded and unbranded sports shoes falling by about half a per cent during the year.
Meanwhile, the importance of the fashion factor in footwear is highlighted by a comparison of sports shoe sales to those of ‘brown shoes’. For the latter, sales were up 9.7 per cent in dollars during 2000, taking the sector almost up to the branded sport shoe level. Consequently, quite a number of brands are ensuring they are positioned for both markets.
