Why should you consider selling men’s or
women’s activewear? The answer is right in front of you just look around. The
next time you’re at the grocery store or simply picking up a cup of coffee
casually look around how many pairs of leggings, sweatshirts, sweatpants, tank
tops and other athletic apparel can you spot? Sportswear as a category has
broken out of the smelly gym bag and gone mainstream and the sales and your own
eyes will back this up. What is the story with this categories growth and how
and why should you get on the sportswear treadmill?
We all need a bit more exercise- We recently
talked about the growing global obesity problem in another article and how
today’s lifestyle is a large contributing factor to this epidemic. As many are
aware there are a multitude of health risks associated with obesity such as
heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Since we are spending more time than ever
behind a desk in an office there is a far greater realization today of the
importance of balancing this out with a regular exercise schedule to keep the
weight and the associated health risks to a minimum.
The push towards casual- The biggest market
moving factor in apparel in the past few decades has been that steady push
towards more casual. 20-30 years ago virtually every professional man or woman
wore either a suit, blazer and for the guys the tie every day. Today it’s a
very different story, when was the last time you wore a suit your last job
interview? Guys do you still remember how to tie that tie? look around your
office, it’s filled with khaki and blouses and for the really casual work
environments t-shirts and jeans. The active apparel category has benefited
hugely from this push as many of these articles of clothing have moved from the
twice a week gym wear to daily use.
It’s all about comfort- Lets face it, we love
to be comfortable and athletic apparel is very comfortable because its designed
to be that way. With the vast majority of apparel comfort is usually an
afterthought, its primary concern is how it looks. Companies like Nike, Under
Armor and North Face invest millions of dollars into research and development of
their product to assure that it is not only functional but comfortable. These
items are designed to breathe, transfer away body moisture, provide muscle
support, waterproof or extra insulation for extreme climates. A lot of these
features consumers find very desirable which is why these garments are found so
frequently outside of the gym.
Functional meets fashion at last- Activewear
has come a long way from baggy t-shirts and the classic cotton sweat pant. In
addition to all the snazzy features these items now offer they actually look
really good. They are sleek come in a variety of attractive colors and are form
fitting which goes a long way to explaining their new mainstream appeal.
They fly off the shelf!- This is one of the
hottest categories in apparel these days demand is extremely high and still
growing. Your greatest challenge with this category is keeping up with the
demand, these items move fast and with healthy profit margins. A word of advice
to those in activewear or thinking about it, do not hesitate on buying when
you find wholesale lot you like, demand is high and these lots do not last
long!
Jogging, hiking, playing sports or just going
for coffee or lounging around the house its clear to see that sports and
athletic apparel are now staples of everyone’s wardrobe.