Since 2012 the so-called athleisure market has grown much more rapidly than the luxury goods market. The explosion of the health and wellness sector that began in Europe a long time ago is now also contaminating the Chinese, who have begun wearing sports clothing not only when they have to work out but also on other occasions, thanks to the Chinese Government, which promotes physical activity.

The fact that the sports goods sector is booming is also suggested by Trefis Research, according to which global sales of sports equipment will reach more than 174 billion of Euros.

But what motivates consumers to make final purchasing decisions about sports items? ISPO asked 2.800 enthusiasts that question in a survey on a European scale. The importance of digital media is clear. Most European amateur athletes prefer to look online for information about new products and sport trends, besides appreciating the idea of digital purchases. Technical labelling with famous product technologies, such as Gore-Tex and Vibram, is also an important purchase criterion. Other factors that have an impact are the durability of products and the possibility of repairing them.