Online retail has long since evolved into a primary sales channel for the sporting goods industry. According to the industry association bevh, online sales made up 13 percent of retail in 2016.
As bevh communicated in its annual balance sheet, the e-commerce sector registered a growth in its gross turnover of 12.5 percent, to 52.74 billion euros. The revenue for online and mail-order retail as a whole grew to around 70 billion euros.
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Every eighth euro is spent online
Gero Furchheim, president of the bevh: “More than every eighth euro in German retail no longer goes into the store register, it goes to the e-commerce and mail-order purchasing industry. E-commerce is continues to become a better and better local supplier, because consultation, selection, and service are offered across the board.”
Above all, clothing has the largest share in online retail at a revenue of 11.16 billion euros. That also means an opportunity for the sports industry: New target groups can be tapped and customers acquired through the digitalization of the business.
“Roughly 40 percent of those surveyed have their steady online shopping site – and they’re getting more frequent – while 80 percent of people surveyed currently shop online at least once a month. Most do it even more frequently than that,” says Christoph Wenk-Fischer, chief manager of the bevh.
