Region Spending the Most Per Capita on Sports Equipment Is…
Using indices developed from the National Sporting Goods Association’s Sporting Goods Market report, residents in the West North Central (WNC) census region spent the most per consumer on sports equipment in 2007. With an index of 143, the WNC region (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND & SD) outranked the Pacific (WA, OR, CA) and Mountain states (AZ, CO, ID, MT NV, NM, UT & WY), both with indices of 113.
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MOUNT PROSPECT, IL – Using indices developed from the National Sporting Goods Association’s Sporting Goods Market report, residents in the West North Central (WNC) census region spent the most per consumer on sports equipment in 2007. With an index of 143, the WNC region (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND & SD) outranked the Pacific (WA, OR, CA) and Mountain states (AZ, CO, ID, MT NV, NM, UT & WY), both with indices of 113.
The WNC region has had the highest index three of the last four years, ceding that honor to the Mountain states in 2006. The Mountain states have had or tied for the second position the other three years.
Both regions have high percentages of consumers who hunt, fish and camp – all of which are major categories in consumer purchases of sports equipment.
Regional indices are calculated by dividing the proportion of consumer purchases of sports equipment by the proportion of the total U.S. population residing within the region and multiplying by 100. For example, if a region that represents 6% of the national population makes 12% of all purchases, that region’s index of purchases would be 200 (12 divided by 6, times 100). This implies that the population of that region is twice as likely to purchase equipment as the national population.
At the other end of the scale, the East North Central states (IL, IN, MI, OH & WI) and the Middle Atlantic states (NJ, NY & PA) had the lowest indices – 89 and 90. Both regions have high percentages of their residents in urban environments.
The data used in this analysis is included in the NSGA report “The Sporting Goods Market in 2008.†Based on a consumer study of 100,000 U.S. households, the report summarizes 2007 retail sales totals – in units and dollars – for 22 types of athletic and sports shoes as well as products in more than 20 sport categories.
Also featured are purchaser demographics – annual family income, age and gender of product user, education of household head and sales according to region of the country. Place-of-purchase data allow for analysis of the industry’s channels of distribution. Consumer purchases on the Internet are reported.
The 78-page report is prepared for NSGA by Irwin Broh & Associates, a research company nationally recognized for its work in the sports and leisure field. Price of the report to NSGA members is $290, to non-members, $340. Sustaining NSGA retailer/dealer members and manufacturer members receive the report free. For more information on these and other NSGA research reports, please contact the NSGA Research Department, (847) 296-6742, ext. 108, or e-mail: dkasen@nsga.org. Information is also available on the NSGA web site, www.nsga.org.
About NSGA:
NSGA, which has served the sporting goods industry since 1929, organizes and hosts the annual NSGA Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit, the sporting goods industry’s premier educational and networking event (Next: May 3-6, 2009, at the Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, Texas).
For more information on NSGA member services, visit the Association home page (www.nsga.org); call Rhonda Onuszko at NSGA, (847) 296-6742, Ext. 131; e-mail: ronuszko@nsga.org; or fax (847) 391-9827.
